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US President Donald Trump, took to X on Friday, and shared a video that highlighted the contributions of America and its troops towards the security of the nation of Greenland.
The video, which ends with the slogan, “America stands with Greenland,” is one among several gestures made towards the state after Trump announced that he intends to take over the territory to protect American national interest.
The video begins saying, “ In the cold silence of the Tundra, a bond was born. Not from treaties or trade, but from blood and bravery. While Germany controlled Europe, the Nazis set their sights on the Artic. Greenland became an unwitting combatant and the United States stepped in, not to conquer, but to protect.”
“In 1943, nearly a thousand American soldiers with four chaplains set forth from New York to Greenland, carrying with them hope, duty and a quiet fear. But their ship was torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat and the frigid waters of the North Atlantic became a grave,” the video states while highlighting the sacrifice of four chaplains who helped rescue Americans and Greenlanders.
Also Read: Tensions rise as Greenland rejects Trump's major claim over Usha Vance's upcoming visit amid his annexation plans
It then emphasised, the dangerous predicament Greenland allegedly faces today, “Greenland faces threats from Russian aggression and Chinese expansion. Our shared legacy lives on in every mission, every Arctic patrol, every partnership forged in the shadows of melting ice and rising tensions… Now is the time to stand together again - for peace, for security and for the future.”
Trump also addressed reporters at the White House and said, “We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of, 'Do you think we can do without it?' We can't.”
Vice President JD Vance is also currently visiting Greenland, which occupies semi-autonomous status under Denmark, and has long called for its own sovereign state.
While in Greenland, Vance said, “The president is really interested in Arctic security, as you all know, and it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades.”
Just before Vance's visit, a new broad government coalition was presented in Greenland's capital Nuuk, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now.
After his visit, he reposted the video shared by Donald Trump and said, “Usha and I are on our way home from an incredible journey to Greenland. We can't wait to come back again soon. America stands with Greenland!”
Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance have visited the US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland as President Donald Trump continues to push for the US to take over the Danish semi-autonomous territory
Speaking to troops, Vance says military force is not necessary for the US to expand its presence in Greenland and that locals will want to choose to align with the US instead of Denmark
The vice-president says Denmark "has not done a good job" for the people of Greenland and the US needs to step in
He also says Russia and China are increasing their footprints in the area and the world cannot "bury our heads in the sand - or in this case in the snow"
Vance's trip was scaled down after a row with the governments of Greenland and Denmark over a lack of invitation
Greenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen tells reporters the trip "is not showing respect for an ally", while a resident of the capital Nuuk Karl-Peter tells the BBC he is "worried" about Trump "trying to control the country"
This video can not be played
Vance: Denmark has ‘not a done a good job' for Greenland
Edited by Brandon Livesay and Emily Atkinson, with Andrew Harding and Maryam Moshiri reporting from Nuuk
This video can not be played
Watch: JD Vance thanks troops on US military base in Greenland
As Vance spoke, he stood before dozens of military personnel who were gathered around long tables with plates of food in front of them.
After concluding his remarks, Vance quipped: "I thought I was serving food, but it looks like everyone's already got their food."
"What's the plan from here guys," he asks.
Vance and his wife Usha are then directed towards their seats where they sit wedged between service members.
A - hopefully warm - plate of food awaits.
Upon entering the base, Vance was overheard saying "it's cold as (expletive) in here".
We're now getting some more details from reporters travelling with the second couple to Greenland.
Air Force Two, the US government plane carrying the vice-president and second lady, touched
down at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland at 12:52pm local time (11:52 ET, 15:51 GMT)
It's -18C (-1F) and there are clear, sunny skies in this remote, north-western
corner of Greenland that is 750 miles (1207km) north of the Arctic Circle.
The flight was uneventful and nobody from the US delegation - including US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz - spoke to the reporters on the plane.
Broadcaster Fox News played on the televisions during the flight which flew over massive sheets of cracked ice and
snow-covered mountains as the plane passed through Canada and then over to
Greenland.
The Vances were greeted by Colonel Susan Myers and Chief Master Sargent Holly
Vaught on the tarmac and are now having lunch with members
of the military which will be followed by briefings.
After an early start departing on Air Force Two from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the Vances have arrived in Greenland where they came off the plane and went straight for lunch with US troops stationed at Pituffik Space Base.
Vance concludes his remarks by thanking troops and again addresses the more contentious topic - American interests in Greenland.
"The president is really interested in Arctic security. As you all know, that's a big issue, and it's only gonna get bigger over the coming decades," Vance says.
"So thanks for doing what you do," he continues, acknowledging the "sacrifice" made by those gathered, who spend at least a year away from their families.
Vance continues by saying he will be discussing with military officials "what exactly the base does and all the important ways it contributes to national security".
He says they will also get a briefing about what the military personnel "do everyday".
Vance then adds subtly: "As you've heard, we have some interest in Greenland from the Trump administration, so we're gonna talk a little bit about that with our friends in the media."
JD Vance is now speaking before US troops at a military base in Greenland.
He is accompanied by his wife Usha.
"Thank you all for everything you do and thanks for having us," Vance says.
"I've never been to Greenland. Apparently I'm the first vice-president to ever visit Greenland," he continues.
"That's a pretty cool thing."
This video can not be played
Watch: US Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance arrive in Greenland
As we mentioned in the post below, JD Vance has just arrived to Greenland and entered a US armoured vehicle briefly after exiting Air Force Two.
He descended the steps wearing a large camo-green jacket and waved to cameras before greeting those welcoming his arrival.
He did not speak or address cameras, as many had hoped.
Air Force Two, the US government plane carrying US Vice-President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance has landed at the Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland.
The Vances will now be shown around the US facility.
Stay with us, we'll bring you all the key lines from their visit as well as pictures of their arrival shortly.
On the flight tracking website FlightRadar, all eyeballs are on Air Force Two, the plane carrying Vice-President JD Vance and other officials thousands of miles from the US to Greenland.
The plane is headed to a US military base strategically located 'top of the world'.
Air Force Two was the northernmost plane in the world moments ago, according to FlightRadar, but it was short lived - eclipsed by flight from Dubai to San Francisco.
The original plan for this visit was for Second Lady Usha Vance to come go to Greenland "for a bit of fun," Maryam Moshi reports from Nuuk.
This was originally framed as a cultural tour, but the scale of the security preparations made it clear that this was something bigger. Greenlanders made clear they would protest Mrs Vance's presence.
Click below to watch how the Vances plans changed so dramatically, or you can read about the rescheduled itinerary from Laura Gozzi and Ali Abbas Ahmadi.
This video can not be played
Watch: How the Vance Greenland visit plan changed after protests
Brandon DrenonReporting from Washington DC
Usha Vance's original Greenland itinerary was supposed to include a trip to one of the world's most renowned dog sled races: the Avannaata Qimussersua, or The Great Race of the North.
It's basically Greenland's Super Bowl.
Thirty-seven dog sled drivers will race hundreds of dogs across icy treacherous arctic terrain, as fans crowd nearby, watching with binoculars and scopes.
If tradition holds, the winner takes home the glory and honour of victory and also free beer.
However, the news of the arrival of the US vice-president's wife amid growing US-Greenland tension was seen as more of a threat to the island's deeply cherished sporting event.
"We did not invite them," the race's organisers said in a statement, external on Sunday, referring to the Vances.
Days later, Usha Vance said she had received multiple invitations to the race.
The King of Denmark, Frederik X, acknowledged the changing geopolitical climate on Friday morning ahead of the imminent and somewhat unwelcome arrival of US President Donald Trump's Vice-President JD Vance and other officials.
"As I have said before, we live in a changed reality," he told a press pool. "But there should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connection to the Greenlandic people is intact."
The unusual comments on the eve of one of Greenland's biggest cultural celebrations - the annual dog sled race the Avannaata Qimussersua - mark the growing unease in Greenland over Trump's repeated remarks to own the island.
Adrienne MurrayReporting from Copenhagen
Greenland's new Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has just spoken to a group of reporters following the formation of a new coalition between four of the country's political parties.
"The whole situation of coming to visit when there is no government in place, we insist, is not showing respect for an ally," the Danish broadcaster DR reports.
"It's a shame, but now we have a government that needs to put on its work clothes,” he continues.
DR also reports that Nielsen said the first thing the new government needs to fix is a "foreign policy situation which requires action, and that is the first thing we want to fix".
He says that Denmark is Greenland's closest ally, but follows up saying "that's where the problem lies".
"We need to engage in dialogue with all of them - without dialogue we won't solve anything.”
Andrew HardingReporting from Nuuk
Crowds gathered earlier as the new coalition government was announced
Watching Greenland politicians celebrate the formation of a new coalition government for the island, a local pensioner, who asked not to give his name, spoke of his alarm about America's ambition to annex Greenland.
“I've a great fear inside me. I think this must be like what Ukraine felt before Russia invaded. I have great grandchildren. I feel such intensity in myself,” he tells me.
The man then translates the words of a patriotic song that broke out among members of the public watching the coalition celebrations in Nuuk's cultural centre.
“We will prevail, because we can,” he says.
Adrienne MurrayReporting from Copenhagen
Greenland's new
government has just been revealed, with 33-year-old Jens-Frederik Nielsen becoming the country's new prime minister.
National elections took
place earlier this month, and his party the Democrats (Demokraatit), took home
a surprise victory, sweeping up 30% of the vote.
They've now entered a
coalition with three other parties: Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) and
Atassut. Together they'll form a new ‘unity' government with 23 out of the
31 parliamentary seats.
At a signing event at in
the capital Nuuk, flanked by his new political partners, Nielsen said: “It is a
time when we as a population are under pressure. We must stick together. Together
we are strongest.”
The election was
overshadowed by President Donald Trump's interest in taking control of the
Arctic territory, and shortly after winning, Nielsen had said he wanted as a
broad a coalition as possible, given the mounting pressure from the US.
In a room packed with
party members and media, the event opened with a choir, and the four party
leaders then signed an agreement, to applause and cheers.
Though the parties
differ in some policy areas, all four favoured a slower, steadier path towards
indepedence. That leaves only Naleraq - a staunchly
pro-independence party which came second in the election, and had campaigned
for a swift divorce from Copenhagen and stronger defence dealings with
Washington - in opposition.
“Big congratulations to
Greenland with the new government," Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen posted
on Instagram, external. “I look forward to
close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time.”
Tom BatemanUS State Department correspondent
Trump has said the US will "go
as far as we have to go" to get Greenland, while he has also declined
to rule out the use of force to seize it and other territories including the
Panama Canal.
It's clear foreign leaders in these places, along with Canada,
hoped for some time this was all part of Trump's characteristically brash
hyperbole - a kind of maximalist, if coercive, trade negotiating position.
But
Vance's trip along with the president's continuing comments have made it
increasingly clear to them Trump seems serious in his annexationist ambitions.
These threats upend 80 years of established international norms, previously led
by the US, that respect the territorial integrity of countries. The rule
prohibiting territorial conquest has been a pillar of the post-1945
international order as defined in the Charter of the United Nations to which
the US was a founding signatory.
Trump's claim to Greenland, as well as his
sights on other foreign territories, turn back the clock on at least eight
decades of American and internationally established policy.
It's an early start for the vice-president and second lady as they leave Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to visit the Pituffik Space Base in north west Greenland.
The couple arrived early at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before their departure for Greenland
The Vances are flying to Greenland on board Air Force Two, a modified version of a Boeing 757 for the vice-president of the United States
Marianne BaisnéeReporting from Nuuk
At the presentation of the new government coalition in Nuuk Cultural Centre in Greenland's capital, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, whose Demokraatit party won the highest number of votes in the national general election earlier this year, tells the assembled reporters: "It is a time when we as a population are under pressure."
Greenland's Democrats and three other parties have announced a coalition, with Nielson urging them all to set aside their differences and form a coalition to show unity as US President Donald Trump campaign to annex the territory.
The Naleraq party is not involved in the coalition.
Andrew HardingReporting from Nuuk
In the Nuuk's busy harbour this morning, Karl-Peter, 40, was preparing to head out to sea in a small boat with three colleagues to fish for halibut. First they had to clear a path through a maze of giant blocks of floating ice, nudging them aside the boat's bow, or sometimes using a broom.
Like so many people here, the fishermen we met expressed anger and bewilderment at Donald Trump's declared ambition to annex Greenland.
“I don't feel safe. I'm worried. Trump is trying to control the country,” said Karl-Peter, who declined to give us his surname.
“I have no idea (what will happen). I want Greenland to control its own fate,” he continued.
Nearby, workers were busy moving giant crates of shrimps into warehouses.
The wind-chill meant it felt about minus 15 degrees centigrade. In the channel, icebergs were being tugged out to sea by the wind and current, while burst of sunshine caught the tops of the surrounding mountains as they emerged from the clouds.
The Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland exists due to a mutual defence agreement between the United States and Denmark.
Pronounced bee-doo-feek, it's located on Greenland's north-west coast, 750 miles (1,207km) from the North Pole.
In 1946, the US and Denmark jointly established a radio and weather station near to where the base currently sits, and construction of the base - secret at the time - began in 1951.
Because of its location at the "top of the world," it supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance missions.
It was previously known at the Thule Air Base, but the US military changed its name in 2023 to "recognise Greenlandic cultural heritage and better reflect its role in the US Space Force".
The base is locked in by ice for nine months of the year, but its airfield operates all year round.
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Vance Visits Greenland Military Base. BBC News. VideoVance Visits Greenland Military Base
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha sat down with American troops stationed in Greenland for lunch. Vance told the U.S. troops he's Arctic security is a “big issue and it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” Vance said. (CLIENTS NOTE THIS VIDEO CONTAINS A PROFANITY)
US Vice President JD Vance says Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland's security and demands Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump continues to talk of taking over the Danish territory. Vance spoke to US troops at Pituffik Space Base.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife on Friday toured a U.S. military base in Greenland. The visit was revised after an initial three-day trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory created uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the travel plans were announced without previous consultation. (AP video: Philip Crowther, Emilio Morenatti)
US Vice President JD Vance and wife arrived in Greenland to tour US military base after diplomatic spat over uninvited visit
Vice President JD Vance arrives at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, from right, and second lady Usha Vance, speak with soldiers at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, fourth from right, and second lady Usha Vance, second left, arrive at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, right, and second lady Usha Vance arrive at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
A fisherman rides on a boat though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Vice President JD Vance arrives at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Pieces of ice float on the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Vice President JD Vance, from right, and second lady Usha Vance speak with soldiers at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, right, and second lady Usha Vance arrive at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Second lady Usha Vance arrives at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, from right, and second lady Usha Vance speak with soldiers at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
Vice President JD Vance, right, and second lady Usha Vance arrive at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
▶ Follow live updates on President Donald Trump and his administration
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Friday that Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland's security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump continues to talk of taking over the Danish territory.
Usha Vance attends a campaign rally, Nov. 1, 2024, in Selma, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce, File)
The pointed remarks came as Vance visited U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base on the mineral-rich, strategically critical island.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Vance said the U.S. has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.
“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said. “We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they'd fare a lot better economically as well.”
Vance was joined by his wife and other senior U.S. officials for the visit to the American military base in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed U.S. troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that the Republican administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is very interested in “Arctic security.” He and his entourage, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, then received briefings from military officials.
A fisherman rides on a boat though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the U.S. and the Nordic country, a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member, have soured. Trump had repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the island.
During his remarks at the end of the brief visit, Vance underscored that he did not think military force was ever going to be necessary as he pressed the idea of a dramatically enhanced American position on the island.
“Because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think we're going to have to cut a deal, Donald Trump style, to ensure the security of this territory but also the United States of America,” Vance said.
In Washington, Trump on Friday said the U.S. “needs Greenland for international security.”
Trump, speaking to reporters soon after Vance's arrival, alluded to the rising Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.
“Greenland's very important for the peace of the world,” Trump said. “And I think Denmark understands, and I think the European Union understands it. And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them.”
Vance hasn't shied away from impolitic exchanges with global leaders during the early going of Trump's second White House term, in which the Republican leader has vowed dramatically shake up America's approach on the world stage.
In his first overseas trip last month, Vance used a visit to an artificial intelligence summit in Paris to deliver an unmistakable message: The United States has room for you on the Trump train — but it also has no problem leaving you behind.
Days later at the Munich Security Conference, Vance lectured European officials on free speech and illegal migration on the continent.
Late last month, he laid into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being insufficiently grateful to the U.S. for its assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. That disastrous Oval Office meeting led to Trump briefly cutting off military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Friday's one-day visit to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. It also reduced the likelihood that Vance and his wife would cross paths with residents angered by Trump's announcements.
It was minus-3 degrees F (minus-19 degrees C) when the delegation landed to sunny skies at the remote base 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle. “It's cold as s—- here. Nobody told me,” Vance said, prompting laughs.
Ahead of Vance's arrival, four of the five parties elected to Greenland's parliament earlier this month signed an agreement to form a new, broad-based coalition government. The parties banded together in the face of Trump's designs on the territory.
“It is a time when we as a population are under pressure,” the prime minister-designate, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said before the accord was signed to applause and cheers in the capital, Nuuk.
He added that “we must stick together. Together we are strongest,” Greenland broadcaster KNR reported.
In a post on Instagram, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen congratulated Nielsen and his incoming government, and said, “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time.”
Frederiksen said Tuesday that the U.S. visit, which was originally set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure.” She has said Denmark wants to work with the U.S. on defense and security, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
Initially, Vance's wife, Usha Vance, had announced a solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut. The vice president subsequently said he would join her on that trip, only to change that itinerary again — after protests from Greenland and Denmark — to a one-day visit to the military post only.
Inhabitants of Nuuk, which is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Pituffik, voiced concern about Vance's visit and the U.S. interest in their island.
Cora Høy, 22, said Vance was “welcome if he wants to see it but of course Greenland is not for sale.” She added that “it's not normal around here” with all the attention Greenland is getting. “I feel now every day is about (Trump) and I just want to get away from it.”
A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Pieces of ice float on the sea in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
“It's all a bit crazy. Of course the population here is a bit shook up,” said 30-year-old Inuk Kristensen. “My opinion is the same as everyone's: Of course you don't do things this way. You don't just come here and say that you want to buy the place.”
As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.
“We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic, because we know that if America doesn't, other nations will fill the gap where we fall behind,” Vance said.
Grieshaber reported from Berlin and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
US vice president JD Vance claimed that Denmark has “under-invested” in Greenland's security as Donald Trump continues to talk of taking over the semi-autonomous territory.
Mr Vance visited US troops at Pituffik Space Base on the mineral rich, strategically critical island.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Mr Vance claimed. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Mr Vance said the US has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push for independence from Denmark.
“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Mr Vance said. “We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they'd fare a lot better economically as well.”
He was joined by his wife and other senior US officials on a visit to an American military base in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes angry that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Soon after arriving, Mr Vance briefly addressed US troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that the Republican administration of Mr Trump is very interested in “Arctic security”.
He and his entourage, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, then received briefings from military officials.
“As you all know, it's a big issue and it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” Mr Vance said at the start of his lunch with troops, noting that he was the first US vice president to visit Greenland.
The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the US and the Nordic country have soured after Mr Trump repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the territory of Denmark — a traditional US ally and Nato member.
In Washington, Mr Trump said the US “needs Greenland for international security”.
Speaking to reporters soon after Mr Vance's arrival at the military base, he alluded to the rising Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.
“Greenland's very important for the peace of the world,” Mr Trump said. “And I think Denmark understands, and I think the European Union understands it. And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them.”
Friday's one-day visit to the US Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the north-west coast of Greenland, removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. It also reduced the likelihood that Mr Vance and his wife will cross paths with residents angered by Mr Trump's announcements.
It was minus 19C when the delegation landed to sunny skies at the remote base 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Ahead of Mr Vance's arrival, four of the five parties elected to Greenland's parliament earlier this month signed an agreement to form a new, broad-based coalition government. The parties banded together in the face of Mr Trump's designs on the territory.
“It is a time when we as a population are under pressure,” the prime minister-designate, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said before the accord was signed to applause and cheers in the capital, Nuuk.
He added that “we must stick together, together we are strongest”, Greenland broadcaster KNR reported.
In a post on Instagram, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen congratulated Mr Nielsen and his incoming government, and said that “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time”.
Ms Frederiksen said on Tuesday that the US visit, which was originally set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure”. She has said that Denmark wants to work with the US on defence and security, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
Initially, his wife, Usha Vance, had announced a solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dog sled race in Sisimiut. Her husband then subsequently said he would join her on that trip, only to change that itinerary again — after protests from Greenland and Denmark — to a one-day visit of the couple to the military post only.
Inhabitants of Nuuk, which is about 930 miles south of Pituffik, voiced concern about Mr Vance's visit and the US interest in their island.
Cora Hoy, 22, said Mr Vance was “welcome if he wants to see it but of course Greenland is not for sale”.
She added that “it's not normal around here” with all the attention Greenland is getting. “I feel now every day is about (Trump) and I just want to get away from it,” she said.
“It's all a bit crazy. Of course the population here is a bit shook up,” said 30-year-old Inuk Kristensen. “My opinion is the same as everyone's: of course you don't do things this way. You don't just come here and say that you want to buy the place.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the midday temblor was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in neighboring Myanmar, according to preliminary reports reports. (AP Video by Jerry Harmer)
A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday. The extent of death, injury and destruction in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times, was not yet clear. (AP video: Aung Shine Oo)
A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the Thai capital Friday, causing buildings to sway. The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the midday temblor was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), with an epicenter in neighboring Myanmar, according to preliminary reports reports. (AP Video by Jerry Harmer)
A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked the Thai capital Friday, causing buildings to sway. Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the midday temblor was a shallow 10 kilometers, with an epicenter in neighboring Myanmar, according to temporary reports. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
A powerful earthquake has rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed.
Thailand's defense minister says at least 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital of Thailand. Dozens of rescuers were seen at work on Friday, entering and leaving the construction site, and the road was blocked with emergency service vehicles.
At least two people were killed on Friday after a building collapsed in Bangkok during a strong earthquake in the region. Thai emergency responders also said an unknown number of others were still under the rubble of the building. (AP video/Sakchai Lalit)
Patients are evacuated outdoors at a hospital after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Tadchakorn Kitchaiphon)
A woman reacts as she watches rescuers at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Rescue workers take an injured man who was trapped under a building Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
In this image provided by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, volunteers rescue near damaged buildings caused by an earthquake is seen Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
In this image provided by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, victims caused by an earthquake is seen compound of government hospital Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
Rescuers work at the site a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Rescue workers help an injured women who was trapped under a building Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Vehicles make their way near a road damaged by an earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Rescuers carry an injured from the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A rescuer walks at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A building is damaged after earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
The bodies of victims of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake lie on the ground in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A crane is seen damaged on the facade of an under-construction building after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Workers at the Ikea in a nearby high-rise shopping mall and others seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)
A bridge that connects two high-rises is seen damaged after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A Buddhist monk walks near a damaged building at a monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and a monastery. At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and video from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage. At least 10 died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise under construction collapsed.
The full extent of death, injury and destruction was not immediately clear — particularly in Myanmar, one of the world's poorest countries. It is embroiled in a civil war, and information is tightly controlled.
Rescue workers take an injured man who was trapped under a building Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the head of Myanmar's military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.
In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at midday, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar 's second-largest city. Aftershocks followed, one of them measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude.
A woman reacts as she watches rescuers at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including one of the city's largest monasteries. Photos from the capital city of Naypyidaw showed rescue crews pulling victims from the rubble of multiple buildings used to house civil servants.
Myanmar's government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept assistance. The United Nations allocated $5 million to start relief efforts.
But amid images of buckled and cracked roads and reports of a collapsed bridge and a burst dam, there were concerns about how rescuers would even reach some areas in a country already enduring a humanitarian crisis.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake,” said Mohammed Riyas, the International Rescue Committee's Myanmar director.
A Buddhist monk walks near a damaged building at a monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Myanmar is in an active earthquake belt, though many of the temblors happen in sparsely populated areas, not cities like those affected Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey, a government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000.
Myanmar's English-language state newspaper, Global New Light of Myanmar, said five cities and towns had seen building collapses and two bridges had fallen, including one on a key highway between Mandalay. A photo on the newspaper's website showed wreckage of a sign that read “EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT,” which the caption said was part of the capital's main 1,000-bed hospital.
Elsewhere, video posted online showed robed monks in a Mandalay street, shooting their own video of the multistory Ma Soe Yane monastery before it suddenly fell into the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed. Video also showed damage to the former royal palace.
In this image provided by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, victims caused by an earthquake is seen compound of government hospital Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
Christian Aid said its partners and colleagues on the ground reported that a dam burst in the city, causing water levels to rise in the lowland areas.
Residents of Yangon, the nation's largest city, rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. In Naypyitaw, some homes stood partly crumbled, while rescuers heaved away bricks from the piles of debris. An injured man reclined on a wheeled stretcher, while another man fanned him in the heat.
In a country where many people already were struggling, “this disaster will have left people devastated,” said Julie Mehigan, who oversees Christian Aid's work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
“Even before this heartbreaking earthquake, we know conflict and displacement has left countless people in real need,” Mehigan said.
Myanmar's military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and is now involved in a bloody civil war with long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy ones.
Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are incredibly dangerous or simply impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.
Rescuers work at the site a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
In Thailand, a 33-story building under construction crumpled into a cloud of dust near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak market, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. Vehicles on a nearby freeway came to a stop.
Sirens blared across the Thai capital's downtown as a rescuers streamed to the wreckage. Above them, shredded steel and broken concrete blocks, some stacked like pancakes, rose in a towering heap. Injured people were rushed away on gurneys, and hospital beds were also wheeled outside onto a sidewalk.
“It's a great tragedy,” Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said after viewing the site, adding that there was hope that there were still survivors.
The city's elevated rapid transit system and subway shut down.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, they are usually not so powerful and rarely are felt in the Thai capital. The greater metropolitan area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer working in central Bangkok, said her first indication that something was wrong came when she saw a light swinging back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking, and she and her colleagues fled down 12 flights of stairs.
“In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,” she said.
Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, was in one of Bangkok's many malls when the quake struck.
“All of a sudden, the whole building began to move. Immediately, there was screaming and a lot of panic,” he said. Some people fled down upward-moving escalators, he said.
Nearby, Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, recalled seeing a high-rise building swaying, water falling from a rooftop pool and people crying in the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage.
To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said were shot by a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn't stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Adam Schreck, Haruka Naga, Jerry Harmer, Grant Peck and Penny Wang in Bangkok, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Edith M. Lederer and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The leader of the El Salvadorian MS-13 gang was arrested by federal law enforcement officers on Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform."Just captured a major leader of MS13," Trump wrote. The 24-year-old suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington DC, local news reported. Officials have confirmed that he is one of the top three leaders of the gang within the United States.The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid. A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"Just captured a major leader of MS13," Trump wrote. The 24-year-old suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington DC, local news reported. Officials have confirmed that he is one of the top three leaders of the gang within the United States.The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid. A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
The 24-year-old suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington DC, local news reported. Officials have confirmed that he is one of the top three leaders of the gang within the United States.The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid. A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
The 24-year-old suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington DC, local news reported. Officials have confirmed that he is one of the top three leaders of the gang within the United States.The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid. A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
The operation was a joint effort by the FBI, ATF, ICE, Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department, according to US Attorney-General Pam Bondi. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel were present for the raid. A prisoner with a MS-13 gang tattoo stands in a cell as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tours the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL VIA REUTERS)Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
Santos was the leader of the gang for the US East Coast, Bondi announced."He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer," Bondi said in a press conference. Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
Santos, originally from El Salvador, was taken into custody Thursday on what CNN described as an "outstanding administrative immigration warrant."During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
During the raid, federal agents found numerous firearms within the place where Santos was residing. He was charged with illegal possession of a firearm."It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"It's time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said in a statement. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
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Youngkin had recently threatened to withhold state funding for local government if they did not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.Recruited in middle school?During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
During an interview on "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News, Bondi explained who Santos is and how he became the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast."We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"We believe he was recruited in middle school - in middle school!" she said. "He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this."A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
A task force that consisted of the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, US Marshals, and others worked together with ICE to collect and share data to catch Santos, Bondi explained to Fox News host Laura Ingraham."He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"He was one of the top leaders, and he was living half an hour from where we're sitting right now, living among us," Bondi said. "We took one of the worst of the worst off the streets today. Americans are safer because of Donald Trump."Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
Bondi said that the Justice Department will try to deport Santos to the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador."Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
"Let's send him home. That's where he belongs," she said. "You know, he belongs back in that El Salvador prison, and that's where he should go, but we're going to - you're going to see a lot more charges on him."What is MS-13?Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an internationally recognized criminal gang and terrorist organization that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s by El Salvadorian immigrants that came to the US to escape the civil war at the time.Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
Some of the original members of the group were trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, the Office of Justice Programs explained.MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
MS-13 is also known for the use of fear and intimidation to extort payments from legitimate or illegitimate business owners to conduct their businesses in MS-13 territory.They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
They are also notorious for rapes and witness intimidations.
As US pivots toward territorial ambitions in the west, the Kremlin's support signals a deeper alignment in their challenge to global norms
As JD Vance touched down in Greenland, the Trump administration received an unlikely endorsement for the US's first potential territorial expansion since 1947: Vladimir Putin.
Speaking at an Arctic policy forum in the northern Russian city of Murmansk on Thursday, Putin presented a more comprehensive case than any US official yet for Donald Trump's plan to annex Greenland, crafting a historical argument that sounded suspiciously convenient in terms of Russia's own territorial designs on Ukraine.
The US's plans to take control of Greenland “may surprise someone only at first glance, and it is a deep mistake to believe that this is some kind of extravagant talk by the new American administration,” Putin began. “Nothing of the sort.”
The US had plans to buy Greenland in the 1960s but Congress would not support the deal, Putin said. It “protected the territory from Nazi occupation” in the 1940s and made an offer to buy the island that was rebuffed. Even going back to 1910, the US had designs on Greenland, the Russian leader noted, calling the US plans “serious” with “longstanding historical roots”.
Then Putin moved on to Alaska, which was sold by the Russian empire to the US in 1867 in what has become a national case of seller's remorse. “Let me remind you that by 1868, the purchase of Alaska was ridiculed in American newspapers,” Putin continued. Now, he said, the purchase under president Andrew Johnson had been vindicated.
In short, Putin concluded, get over it. Big countries have territorial ambitions. Deals for land and annexations are not just historical relics – they are a modern reality. And, rejecting generations of international norms not to take territory by force or through extortion, it is none of our business what they do over there.
“As for Greenland, this is an issue that concerns two specific states and has nothing to do with us,” Putin said, while adding that Russia would continue to defend its interests in the Arctic from “dangerous” powers such as Finland and Sweden.
It does not take a Kremlinologist to understand why Putin has come out in support of Trump's annexation plan. As US power recedes in Europe, the Kremlin is seizing its chance to establish its long-awaited “multipolar world” in which it holds dominion over a sphere of influence, particularly in Ukraine and Belarus. Putin has railed against US hegemony since his Munich speech of 2007, and he finally has a US president who is just as derisive of the postwar order as he is.
Putin's mantra that countries should mind their own business dovetails closely with Trump's transactional view of the world, as well as his deep suspicion of transnational organisations and alliances set up after the second world war.
Those range from the United Nations, to the international criminal court, to even foreign economic blocs such as the EU, which he said was “formed in order to screw the United States”.
“The postwar global order is not just obsolete, it is now a weapon being used against us,” said Marco Rubio during his Senate confirmation hearing in January. He is among the more moderate members of Trump's cabinet. Those toward the more extreme, including Vance, have elevated “restrainers” seeking to accelerate the US withdrawal from Europe or even openly antagonise the US's erstwhile allies.
But as US power recedes abroad, the White House has declared ambitions throughout the western hemisphere in a turn that some commentators have compared to the Monroe doctrine of 1823, under which the US proclaimed itself the protector of the hemisphere. And with each soundbite declaring that the US should take back the Panama canal or that Canada should become the 51st state, Trump will find an enthusiastic ally in the Kremlin who will see his jaded vision of a new world order reflected in another.
Pep Guardiola has said that if Manchester City win this summer's Club World Cup he, his players and staff do not deserve even “a watch” as a bonus given their disappointing season.
The champions travel to Bournemouth for Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final in the only other competition they can win. City are fifth in the Premier League, 22 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, were eliminated from the Champions League in February and went out of the Carabao Cup in the last 16.
In June, City compete in the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup in the United States. The winners will be awarded about £97m and Guardiola was asked whether he and his players would then receive a bonus. “We don't deserve a bonus this season,” he said. “Bonus if we win is for the club. Managers, staff, players – we don't deserve it. Not even a watch.”
In September Rodri ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament that had been expected to rule him out until next season. With the midfielder back in light training, Guardiola was asked whether there was any chance Rodri could play in the Club World Cup. City's first group match is on 18 June against the Moroccan club Wydad.
“I hope – wish,” the manager said. “Will be nice if he could play tomorrow, but we have to be careful to not make the wrong decision and take a step back.
“He has been injured for seven-eight months. He is behaving really well on the pitch … step by step, what the doctors or physios say. Not to say: ‘Play the World Cup,' and then lose him again.”
The verdict regarding more than 130 Premier League charges against City of alleged financial wrongdoing is yet to be returned. Guardiola denied this was causing him and his players agitation.
“We are more than one year with that,” he said, “so nothing changes with one more week or two more weeks or three more weeks or four more weeks.”
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Ederson has trained for the past two days after injury and is in contention.
Heidi Markow says charcoal work bought at local art auction ‘just stood out to me as something special'
A woman in Pennsylvania has bought what is believed to be a rare Renoir charcoal drawing, potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, for just $12 at a local art auction.
ABC news reported that Heidi Markow, who owns an antiques business in the state, found the item at a collector's auction in Montgomery county in January.
The 17.5in by 16.5in charcoal drawing of a woman caught her eye and she told her husband to bid on it. “I didn't know what it was, I just knew that I wanted it,” Markow told ABC. “This piece just stood out to me as something special.”
Her husband followed her instructions, later revealing to her that he had succeeded in snagging the drawing for just $12.
Later examination, however, tipped Markow off to the idea that she had snagged something very valuable. There was a faint signature, the frame was high quality and the type of paper used was also a clue that it might potentially be a Renoir. A stamp on the back also indicated it had been brought to the US by a high-end importer and sold to an art collector, Markow told the network.
Markow got in touch with the auction house Sotheby's, which referred her to an appraiser who inspected the sketch and agreed with her suspicions, telling her: “Congratulations.”
The piece is now with the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, which will make a final judgment. If it is a Renoir, Markow told ABC, she plans to sell the work, which could be worth “six or seven figures”.
Markow is confident. “It's absolutely beautiful, there's so much detail in this that it deserves to be somewhere where it can be seen,” she told the station.
Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil will remain behind bars in Louisiana at least until a US judge decides whether the Palestinian activist should challenge his imprisonment in a federal court there or in New Jersey.President Donald Trump's administration argues that Khalil's challenge should be heard in Louisiana where he is now detained and where any appeals would be heard by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the most conservative in the country. US District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, did not say on Friday when he would rule but said it was his hope that "judges are judges, and they're going to see things the same way in whatever place."The Trump administration is defending the arrest of Khalil by immigration agents this month in a case that tests the government's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists who have not been charged with any crime. AdvertisementKhalil's lawyers have asked Farbiarz to release him from jail in Louisiana while he challenges the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. They say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil and other organizers and supporters of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, appears with others during a hearing, in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, March 25, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. (credit: REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG)They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
President Donald Trump's administration argues that Khalil's challenge should be heard in Louisiana where he is now detained and where any appeals would be heard by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, the most conservative in the country. US District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, did not say on Friday when he would rule but said it was his hope that "judges are judges, and they're going to see things the same way in whatever place."The Trump administration is defending the arrest of Khalil by immigration agents this month in a case that tests the government's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists who have not been charged with any crime. AdvertisementKhalil's lawyers have asked Farbiarz to release him from jail in Louisiana while he challenges the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. They say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil and other organizers and supporters of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, appears with others during a hearing, in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, March 25, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. (credit: REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG)They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
US District Judge Michael Farbiarz in Newark, New Jersey, did not say on Friday when he would rule but said it was his hope that "judges are judges, and they're going to see things the same way in whatever place."The Trump administration is defending the arrest of Khalil by immigration agents this month in a case that tests the government's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists who have not been charged with any crime. AdvertisementKhalil's lawyers have asked Farbiarz to release him from jail in Louisiana while he challenges the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. They say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil and other organizers and supporters of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, appears with others during a hearing, in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, March 25, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. (credit: REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG)They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
The Trump administration is defending the arrest of Khalil by immigration agents this month in a case that tests the government's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activists who have not been charged with any crime. AdvertisementKhalil's lawyers have asked Farbiarz to release him from jail in Louisiana while he challenges the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. They say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil and other organizers and supporters of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, appears with others during a hearing, in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, March 25, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. (credit: REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG)They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
Khalil's lawyers have asked Farbiarz to release him from jail in Louisiana while he challenges the government's effort to deport him in a separate case in immigration court. They say Trump's administration improperly targeted him for his political views and prominence in student protests. Gadeir Abbas, a lawyer for Mahmoud Khalil and other organizers and supporters of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, appears with others during a hearing, in Manhattan federal court in New York City, US, March 25, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. (credit: REUTERS/JANE ROSENBERG)They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
They say Khalil, 30, should be with his wife Noor Abdalla, a US citizen who attended Friday's hearing, for the birth of their first child in April. He spent several hours in a New Jersey detention facility after his arrest in neighboring Manhattan. The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
The government has asked the judge either to move the case to a federal court in Louisiana or to dismiss the proceeding so Khalil can challenge his arrest in Louisiana.The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
The Trump administration said it has revoked the visas of hundreds of foreign students it says took part in the protests that swept college campuses protesting the US government's military support of Israel. The government says Khalil and other international students who take part are harming US foreign policy interests. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Khalil's backgroundBorn in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
Stay updated with the latest news!
Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter
Born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Khalil arrived in the US on a student visa in 2022 and became a legal permanent resident last year. AdvertisementThe government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
The government has accused Khalil of not disclosing in his application that he was what it called a "member" of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency known as UNRWA. UNRWA and his lawyers said Khalil completed an unpaid internship at UNRWA's New York office as part of his Columbia master's degree program, which was listed on his application.The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
The government also accused Khalil of failing to disclose what it described as his "continued employment" in the British embassy in Beirut "beyond 2022."Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
Khalil's lawyers say he correctly put on the application that he left the job when he left Beirut, and a spokesperson for Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said earlier this month that Khalil ended his employment with the embassy more than two years ago.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The 7.7 magnitude quake rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar, causing possible casualties from a collapsed building in Bangkok. Tourists and residents of Thailand's capital spoke of their shock and disbelief after the earthquake caused panic in the city.
At least two people were killed on Friday after a building collapsed in Bangkok during a strong earthquake in the region. Thai emergency responders also said an unknown number of others were still under the rubble of the building. (AP video/Sakchai Lalit)
People waited anxiously outside buildings after a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar midday on Friday, police said, and possible casualties are not yet known. Police told The Associated Press they were responding to the scene near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.
Thailand's defense minister says at least 90 people are missing and three are confirmed dead at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a powerful earthquake hit the capital of Thailand. Dozens of rescuers were seen at work on Friday, entering and leaving the construction site, and the road was blocked with emergency service vehicles.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visited the site of a building collapse as rescuers searched the rubble for survivors of Friday's earthquake in the region. The 7.7 magnitude tremor and an aftershock measuring 6.4 rocked Thailand and neighboring Myanmar on Friday, bringing down a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok and damaging historic buildings in Myanmar.
Rescuers walk at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Hospital patients lay on beds outdoors after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers walk at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Damaged pagodas are seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
People seek shelter in Bangkok's Benjasiri Park after an earthquake shook nearby high-rises on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck)
A damaged monastery is seen after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A Buddhist monk walks near a damaged building at a monastery compound after an earthquake, Friday, March 28, 2025 in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
People who evacuated from buildings following earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chutima Lalit)
Rescuers work at the site a high-rise building under construction that collapsed after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
People take shelter outdoors after an earthquake shook nearby high-rises in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/David Cohen)
Rescue workers take an injured man who was trapped under a building Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Rescue workers take an injured man who was trapped under a building Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A building is damaged after earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Vehicles make their way near a road damaged by an earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
A building is damaged after earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Vehicles make their way near a road damaged by an earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — A 7.7 magnitude earthquake and an aftershock measuring 6.4 rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam.
At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, the head of the military government said in the televised speech.
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said, adding that more than 700 people had been injured.
At least 10 died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise under construction collapsed. Damage was also reported in China.
The quake struck in the early afternoon, sending people streaming out of buildings and seeking shelter anywhere they could find it from the blazing sun.
Myanmar's military-run government has declared a state of emergency in six regions.
Here is the latest:
The United Nations's emergency relief coordinator made an initial allocation of $5 million for recovery efforts in the area as the international body works to recover from massive U.S. funding cuts to the region even before the 7.7 magnitude quake hit.
Stéphane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesperson, told reporters that the allocation was made as international and local U.N. staff are working to gather information on the number of people impacted, damage to infrastructure and the scope of the humanitarian needs.
“The earthquake will compound an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people need assistance across the country, including more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes,” Dujarric said at a briefing Friday.
“The impact of the earthquake in Myanmar is likely to be severe, with possibly thousands of displaced people in need of urgent shelter, food and medical aid,” said Mohammed Riyas, regional director of the International Rescue Committee.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake, as communication network lines are down and transport is disrupted,” he said. “The damage to infrastructure and homes, loss of life, and injuries sustained by communities affected should not be underestimated.”
Riyas said the IRC and its partners are working to understand how communities have been affected with the aim of launching an emergency response. He said in a statement that “search and rescue operations are underway.”
Pope Francis, who is convalescing after a five-week hospitalization for life-threatening double pneumonia, offered prayers to the victims of the earthquake.
“The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand,'' the Vatican said in a statement.
The earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, including the Ma Soe Yane monastery.
A video posted online showed robed monks in the street shooting video of the multistory monastery before it suddenly fell into the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed.
Christian Aid said its partners and colleagues on the ground reported that a dam burst in the city, causing water levels to rise in the lowland areas in the area.
The Red Cross said downed power lines added to challenges for their teams trying to reach several hard-hit areas.
In Mandalay, which was close to the epicenter, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook social media.
In the Sagaing region, southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the highway connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were damaged.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground.
Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a military government spokesperson, told state television MRTV that blood was in high demand in the hospitals in earthquake-hit areas, especially Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyitaw.
He urged blood donors to contact the hospitals as soon as possible.
The Red Cross said downed power lines are adding to challenges for their teams trying to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and southern Shan state.
“Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage,” the Red Cross said. “Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”
A state of emergency has been declared in six regions and states in Myanmar by the military-run government.
State-run MRTV television said the government's proclamation includes the capital Naypyitaw and Mandalay, after the earthquake and a strong aftershock, whose epicenter was near the country's second largest city.
Myanmar is in the midst of a civil war and many areas are not easily accessible and it was not immediately clear what relief efforts the military would be able to provide.
Thai emergency responders said at least two people have been found dead and an unknown number of others are still under the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangkok.
Rescue worker Songwut Wangpon, speaking at the scene of a tall pile of rubble that was once a high-rise building under construction, told reporters another seven people had been found alive.
Thailand's Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai later said three people had been confirmed dead with 90 others missing following the building collapse.
The collapse of the multi-story structure sent a crane on top of it toppling to the ground and created a massive plume of dust.
People in the Silom business district of Bangkok evacuated office buildings and condominium towers along Rama IV Road and streamed into nearby Lumphini Park. The sidewalks filled with work crews with neon green shirts, along with other workers in hard hats and blue and green uniform shirts.
Along the walkways of the park and the sidewalks of Silom and nearby Sathon, people in business attire and company uniforms huddled or stood in packs talking and checking their phones. Some moving through the crowds were crying or visibly distraught.
Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, was at a streetside bar when the quake struck.
“The next thing, everybody came on the street, so there was a lot of screaming and panicking, which obviously made it a lot worse,” he said.
As he came onto the street himself, he said he saw a high-rise building swaying and water was falling from a rooftop pool.
“When I saw the building, oh my God, that's when ... it hit me,” he said. “There were people crying in the streets and, you know, the panic was horrendous really.”
The earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China and caused injuries and damage to houses in the city of Ruili on the border with northern Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said it had received from a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled on a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn't stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she has ordered relevant agencies to prepare and work to relieve the situation and warned of possible aftershocks. She didn't mention any casualties.
“I'd like to ask everyone to stay calm and do not panic, but please be careful.”
Bangkok City Hall has declared Bangkok an area of disaster.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Earthquake today LIVE: A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, causing roads to buckle in the capital Naypyidaw and sending tremors as far as China, Thailand and parts of India as well. According to Myanmar's ruling junta chief, at least 144 people were killed and over 700 people were injured in the destruction caused by the earthquake. ...Read More
Across the border in Thailand, eight people were confirmed dead in the collapse of a skyscraper, with 70 more missing and believed trapped in the twisted metal and rubble of the under-construction building. The Myanmar earthquake's epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Myanmar earthquake | Key points – Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. – Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam. – Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
The Myanmar earthquake's epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Myanmar earthquake | Key points – Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. – Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam. – Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
Myanmar earthquake | Key points – Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. – Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam. – Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
– Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak district. – Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam. – Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
– Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam. – Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
– Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. – Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
– Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS. – Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
– Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.
Earthquake today LIVE: Another earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter Scale, hit Myanmar late on Friday, the National Center for Seismology reported.
Earthquake today LIVE: Preliminary estimates by the US Geological Survey show that nearly 8,00,000 people in Myanmar may have been within the zone of the most violent shaking and that death tolls could possibly exceed 1,000 people.
Currently, the confirmed death toll is 144 people.
Earthquake today LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had spoken with officials in Myanmar about the earthquake that hit the country and that his administration would be providing some form of assistance.
Earthquake today LIVE: The WHO says it is mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies for Myanmar.
"We've activated our logistics hub to look particularly for trauma supplies and things like external fixators because we expect that there will be many, many injuries that need to be dealt with," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris says at a media briefing.
Earthquake today LIVE: Thailand's interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said eight dead bodies have been recovered and between 90 and 110 people are unaccounted for.
"We see several dead bodies under the rubble. We will take time to bring the bodies out to avoid any further collapses," he told reporters, according to AFP
Earthquake today LIVE: Sagaing has been hit by several quakes in recent years, with a 6.8 magnitude event causing at least 26 deaths and dozens of injuries in late 2012.
But Friday's event was "probably the biggest" to hit Myanmar's mainland in three-quarters of a century, Bill McGuire, an earthquake expert at UCL, told Reuters.
Roger Musson, honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, told Reuters that the shallow depth of the quake meant the damage would be more severe. The quake's epicentre was at a depth of just 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.
"This is very damaging because it has occurred at a shallow depth, so the shockwaves are not dissipated as they go from the focus of the earthquake up to the surface. The buildings received the full force of the shaking."
"It's important not to be focused on epicentres because the seismic waves don't radiate out from the epicentre - they radiate out from the whole line of the fault," he added.
Earthquake today LIVE: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the world body is mobilizing in Southeast Asia to help those in need after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand.
"The government of Myanmar has asked for international support, and our team in Myanmar is already in contact in order to fully mobilize our resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar," Reuters quoted Guterres as saying.
"But of course, there are other countries impacted. The epicenter is in Myanmar, and Myanmar is the weakest country in this present situation," he added.
Earthquake today LIVE: A predictive analysis from a US agency based on the strength and depth of Friday's earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand estimated there could be thousands of deaths and severe economic loss, with Myanmar's Sagaing and Meiktila regions worst hit.
"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist," the USGS analysis said.
Earthquake today LIVE: The death toll and the number of injuries are likely to rise, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a video speech on state broadcaster MRTV.
“In some areas, buildings collapsed so rescue efforts are still under way,” he said. “As we carry out extensive rescue and relief efforts, I would like to request help.”
Earthquake today LIVE: At least 144 people have been killed in Myanmar due to the massive earthquake that hit the country on Friday, the ruling junta chief said, reported AFP.
The chief, Min Aung Hlaing, also invited "any country, any organisation" to help with relief efforts and warned that the toll could go up in a speech aired on state media.
Earthquake today LIVE: The earthquake in Myanmar reportedly brought down multiple buildings in Mandalay, including the Ma Soe Yane monastery.
A video shared on social media showed monks in the street shooting video of the multistory monastery before it suddenly fell to the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed, according to the Associated Press.
Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar's ruling junta on Friday called for donations of blood and medical supplies to help people hospitalised after they were injured devastation triggered by a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake.
Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military government, made the appeal for medical supplies in a late night news bulletin on state television, according to Reuters.
Earthquake today LIVE: Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia on Friday, the Vatican said.
“The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand,'' the Vatican said, according to AP.
Earthquake today LIVE: The earthquake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Reuters reports, citing Myanmar's state media.
The Red Cross has also said that roads, bridges and buildings have been damaged in Myanmar and has expressed concerns over the state of large dams.
Earthquake today LIVE: Witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic as buildings shook and alarms went off.
“All of a sudden, the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls, told Reuters.
“I just started walking calmly at first, but then the building started moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall,” Morton added.
About 20 people have died at a major hospital in Myanmar's Naypyidaw after a huge earthquake hit the country earlier today, a doctor told AFP.
"About 20 people died after they arrived at our hospital so far. Many people were injured," said the doctor at the 1,000-bed general hospital in Naypyidaw, on condition of anonymity.
Earthquake today LIVE: Thai deputy PM Prasert Jantararuangtong says the country's telecommunication system has been disrupted after the earthquake, reports Bloomberg. Thailand's transport ministry has also ordered the suspension of public transportation services, including buses and electric trains.
Earthquake today LIVE: A member of a rescue team based in Myanmar's Mandalay city tells the BBC that the damage due to the earthquake is enormous.
"The number of deaths is also quite high. That's all we can say right now because the rescue efforts are ongoing," the rescuer said. "The exact number of casualties is not yet known, but it is at least in the hundreds."
Earthquake today LIVE: According to the Red Cross, buildings and public infrastructure have been damaged and collapsed in Myanmar due to the earthquake.
"Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them", Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross, says, according to Reuters.
Earthquake today LIVE: The Indian embassy in Bangkok has issued an emergency number – +66 618819218 – for Indian nationals in Thailand, which they can use in case of any emergency.
The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities.
"After powerful earthquake tremors recorded in Bangkok and in other parts of Thailand, the Embassy is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities. So far, no untoward incident involving any Indian citizen has been reported...All members of the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe," it adds.
Earthquake today LIVE: The Red Cross has said that initial reports from the ground in Myanmar suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage, reports AP.
“Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage,” the Red Cross said. “Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”
The humanitarian organization added that downed power lines are making it more challenging for their teams to reach the Mandalay and Sagaing regions and the southern Shan state of the country.
Earthquake today LIVE: Thai deputy prime minister says that at least three workers were killed when a 30-storey under-construction tower collapsed in Bangkok after a major earthquake on Friday. He adds that about 81 people were trapped in the rubble after the collapse.
Earthquake today LIVE: Rows of wounded lay outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, AFP reports. "Many injured people have been arriving, I haven't seen anything like this before," a doctor at the hospital tells AFP. “We are trying to handle the situation. I'm so exhausted.”
Earthquake today LIVE: Thailand's capital has been declared a disaster area after the strong earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar, Reuters reports, citing Bangkok city hall. The Bangkok governor has been placed in charge of coordinating the disaster response.
Earlier today, he said that the earthquake had caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the city. The exact damage was not yet known and inspections were underway.
Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar's ruling military has declared a state of emergency in multiple regions after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country, Reuters reports.
"The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," the ruling military posted on the Telegram messaging app.
Earthquake today LIVE: Thai emergency responders say that two people have been found dead and several others are still under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Bangkok after a massive earthquake, reports AP.
One of the rescue workers present at the site told reporters that 7 people had been found alive.
Earthquake today LIVE: Forty-three construction workers are missing after an unfinished 30-storey building collapsed due to the earthquake in Bangkok, the BBC reports, citing Thai authorities.
Fifty people were inside the building near Chatuchak Park when the earthquake struck.
Myanmar's ruling junta has made a rare request for humanitarian aid from the international community, reports AFP. They have also declared a state of emergency across six regions in the country.
AFP reports that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was seent at a hospital in Naypyidaw where wounded were being treated.
Earthquake today LIVE: At least 3 people have died after a mosque in Myanmar's Taungnoo partially collapsed due to the strong earthquake, Reuters reports, citing eyewitnesses.
"We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," one of the people who spoke to Reuters says.
Earthquake today LIVE: The earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings in Myanmar's second-largest city Mandalay, reports AP, citing videos and photos shared on Facebook.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.
Earthquake today LIVE: The strong earthquake in Myanmar has caused damage to many high-rise buildings in Thailand's Bangkok, according to its governor.
Chadchart Sittipunt said the exact number of buildings damaged was not yet known and inspections are underway. He has urged people to remain cautious, reports Reuters.
Earthquake today LIVE: There has been no immediate word from Myanmar authorities on damage, reports Reuters. "We have started the search and are going around Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we have no information yet," an officer from the Myanmar Fire Services Department tells the news agency.
Earthquake today LIVE: After a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand, mild tremors were felt in Kolkata, Imphal and Meghalaya's East Garo Hills, reports PTI.
Thailand's deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says that the situation in Bangkok remains serious but no state of emergency has been declared, reports Reuters.
A major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw was declared a "mass casualty area" after the country was rocked by a huge earthquake, news agency AFP quoted an official at the facility.
Rows of injured were treated outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed general hospital, some in pain, others lying still as relatives sought to comfort them.
Earthquake today LIVE: PM Modi on Friday assured assistance to Myanmar, Thailand after the massive earthquake and aftershocks. “Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby. Also asked the MEA to remain in touch with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand,” PM Modi wrote on X.
Tremors of magnitude 7.3 were felt in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, on Friday, as a result of the Myanmar earthquake. However, no casualties were reported so far.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the earthquake with the epicentre in Myanmar near the Bangladesh border hit at 12:25 pm.
Earthquake today LIVE: The earthquake measured 7.7 in magnitude, according to the USGS, which said it's epicentre was 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar at a depth of 10 kilometers.
It struck at about 1:21 pm in Bangkok and was the strongest worldwide since 2023, according to USGS data compiled by Bloomberg. There was a second temblor of 6.4 magnitude around the same area, the USGS said.
Earthquake today LIVE: Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake.
Earthquake today LIVE: A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay in Myanmar on Friday, with tremors felt as far as Thailand's capital, Bangkok, and the northern city of Chiang Mai. Videos have emerged showing widespread damage across both countries.
One clip shows an under-construction building collapsing in Bangkok's Chatuchak Market, while another captures the iconic Ava Bridge, that connects Myanmar's Ava and Sagaing regions, falling. No tsunami alert has been issued so far.
A strong aftershock of 6.4 magnitude struck Myanmar's Sagaing region just 12 minutes after the initial quake. Read More
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, causing roads to buckle in the capital Naypyidaw and sending tremors as far as China, Thailand and parts of India as well.
The Myanmar earthquake's epicenter was located 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the city of Sagaing, at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Tourists in Thailand's capital Bangkok were caught in chaos on Friday when a strong earthquake struck the region. On the streets and shopping malls, people screamed in panic before they were evacuated.
Fraser Morton, a tourist who was in one of Bangkok's many malls shopping for camera equipment, said when the building began to move there was panic and people were "running the wrong way down the escalators," news agency AP reported.
"I was in this building right behind me. It was a shopping mall and I was there to buy camera equipment. And all of a sudden the whole building just began to move. Immediately there was screaming, there was a lot of panic," Mr Morton said.
"I just started walking calmly at first, but then the building started really moving. And yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic. People running the wrong way down the escalators, like lots of banging and crashing inside the mall. I got outside and then looked up at the building, that one there, and this whole building was just moving. Dust and debris - it was pretty intense," he said.
Paul Vincent, a tourist from England, saw water coming from the top of one tall building and other buildings swaying. "There was a lot of screaming and panicking," he said.
"I was sitting in a bar and restaurant... just talking to a stranger there, and the next thing, because it was a small bar, we just felt a movement... But the next thing, everybody came on the street. So there was a lot of screaming and panicking, which obviously made it a lot worse," Mr Vincent said.
The earthquake was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, and people in Bangkok evacuated from their buildings were cautioned to stay outside in case there were more.
A high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed. The police told AP they were responding to the scene near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake caused hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate from their homes and workplaces.
The US Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ centre for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 km, with an epicentre in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
The quakes wrought widespread damage, particularly in Myanmar, where buildings fell onto their sides, roads cracked open, and the well-known Ava bridge collapsed near the epicentre.
In the capital Naypyidaw, news agency AFP reported the entrance of the emergency department at the city's main hospital pancaked onto a car. Wounded at the 1,000-bed facility were being treated outside, intravenous drips hanging from their gurneys. Some writhed in pain, others lay still as relatives sought to comfort them, AFP reported.
A hospital official ushered journalists away, saying: "this is a mass casualty area." Another official said hundreds of injured people had arrived at the facility.
With inputs from agencies
Concerns grow as university becomes latest to capitulate to Trump's anti-DEI demands
The University of Michigan has shuttered its flagship diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program and closed its corresponding office, becoming the latest university to capitulate to Donald Trump's anti-DEI demands.
The school launched the program in 2016, at the beginning of Trump's first administration, and it became a model for other DEI initiatives across the country. In announcing the DEI strategic plan's end, university leaders pointed to the success the program had.
“First-generation undergraduate students, for example, have increased 46% and undergraduate Pell recipients have increased by more than 32%, driven in part by impactful programs such as Go Blue Guarantee and Wolverine Pathways,” the statement said. “The work to remove barriers to student success is inherently challenging, and our leadership has played a vital role in shaping inclusive excellence throughout higher education.”
Since the supreme court ended affirmative action in 2023, programs geared towards diversity have been targeted by conservative groups. In an email on Thursday, the university of Michigan's leadership referenced the enforcement of Trump's anti-DEI executive orders, along with the threat to eliminate federal funding to colleges and universities that did not eliminate their DEI programs. According to the statement, some at the university “have voiced frustration that they did not feel included in DEI initiatives and that the programming fell short in fostering connections among diverse groups”.
In addition to closing the DEI office, the University of Michigan is also terminating the office for health equity and inclusion and discontinuing their “DEI 2.0 strategic plan” despite its success. The closures comes after the school decided last year to no longer require diversity statements for faculty hiring, tenure or promotion.
The university said that it will now focus on student-facing programs, including expanding financial aid, maintaining certain multicultural student spaces and supporting cultural and ethnic events on campus.
“These decisions have not been made lightly,” university leadership said in a statement announcing the changes.
“We recognize the changes are significant and will be challenging for many of us, especially those whose lives and careers have been enriched by and dedicated to programs that are now pivoting.”
The university's decision was met with immediate concern.
“The federal government is determined to dismantle and control higher education and to make our institutions more uniform, more inequitable, and more exclusive,” Rebekah Modrak, the chair of the faculty senate, wrote in an email to colleagues about the decision, according to the Detroit Free Press. “They are using the power of the government to engineer a sweeping culture change towards white supremacy. Unfortunately, University of Michigan leaders seem determined to comply and to collaborate in our own destruction.”
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Motorists ride past a damaged building after a strong earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28, 2025. Credit - Reuters/Stringer
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook Southeast Asia on Friday, causing widespread damage as it hit Myanmar with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar 's second largest city, with tremors felt strongly across Thailand and also in China.
The earthquake, which ruptured along the Sagaing Fault, was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, and caused widespread damage.
A 33-story building under construction near the popular Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Thailand's capital city, collapsed. Footage of the building's demise shows crowds of onlookers running away from the rubble in panic. The New York Times has since reported seven fatalities in relation to the high-rise collapse.
The earthquake's overall death toll, per the Associated Press, falls in the region of at least 150 people, with an estimated 144 fatalities and 730 people injured in Myanmar alone. In a televised report, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing reportedly said the death toll, and the number of logged injuries, is “expected to rise.” In an update posted Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which tracks seismic activity, predicted that the death toll will exceed 1,000 people. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” the notice read.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman said in a statement that the earthquake “could not come at a worse time” for the country as it still reels from the 2021 military coup and subsequent displacement of masses in a civil war.
Per reports of the local televised speech, Myanmar's ruling military junta has declared a state of emergency in several regions affected by the earthquake and called for humanitarian aid, a rare show of international appeal.
You can see the damage inflicted by the devastating earthquake in the images below.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin called Friday for a "transitional administration" to be put in place in Ukraine and vowed his army would "finish off" Ukrainian troops, in hardline remarks as US President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire.
A rapprochement between Washington and Moscow since Trump's return to office and the US leader's threats to stop supporting Kyiv have bolstered Putin's confidence more than three years into an offensive that has killed tens of thousands on both sides.
The renewed call to essentially topple Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was the latest demonstration of the Kremlin leader's long-standing desire to install a more Moscow-friendly regime in Kyiv.
Zelensky dismissed Putin's call for a UN-run administration as the Russian leader's latest ploy to delay a peace deal.
Speaking on the sidelines of an Arctic forum in the early hours of Friday, Putin said Russia could discuss with the United States, Europe and Moscow's allies, "under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine".
"What for? To organise a democratic presidential election that would result in the coming to power of a competent government that would have the confidence of the people, and then begin negotiations with these authorities on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents," Putin added.
When launching its offensive in 2022, Moscow aimed to take Kyiv in a matter of days, but was repelled by Ukraine's smaller army.
Putin also issued a public call for Ukraine's generals to topple Zelensky, whom Putin has repeatedly denigrated, without providing any evidence, as a neo-Nazi and drug addict.
Moscow has also questioned Zelensky's "legitimacy" as Ukrainian president, after his initial five-year mandate ended in May 2024.
Under Ukrainian law, elections are suspended during times of major military conflict, and Zelensky's domestic opponents have all said no ballots should be held until after the conflict.
Putin, in power for 25 years and repeatedly elected in votes with no competition, has throughout the conflict accused Ukraine of not being a democracy.
- 'Finish them off' -
At a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky said that "everything" Putin does "delays any possibility, any steps towards ending the war".
Asked about Putin's remarks later on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was motivated by what Moscow sees as the Ukrainian leadership's "total lack of control" over the army, which he accused of trying to attack Russian energy sites "on a daily basis".
He said that "at the moment" Russia was sticking to a commitment not to target Ukrainian energy facilities -- despite multiple claims by Kyiv, including on Friday, that Russia has attacked them.
Ukraine has accused Russia of breaching its self-imposed order not to hit energy targets on multiple occasions.
Its air force reported Friday that Russia had fired 163 drones in an overnight aerial barrage, triggering fires at infrastructure and agricultural sites in the south of the country.
On the battlefield, Russia's defence ministry claimed fresh advances, saying its troops had seized a village in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and retaken a border settlement in its own Kursk region.
The latest territorial gains came after Putin urged his troops to press their advantage in manpower and weapons.
"I was saying not so long ago: 'We will get them.' There are reasons to believe that we will finish them off, too", Putin said.
In a sign of the high cost of the war, Kyiv said Friday it had received 909 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in battle -- the largest yet.
- 'Path of peace' -
Putin previously rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire, and has been accused by Ukraine of dragging out talks with Washington with no intention of halting its offensive.
The Kremlin meanwhile has begun targeting Europe, casting its leaders as blocking progress between Russia and the United States over a possible halt to the fighting.
Peskov on Friday slammed the EU's refusal to consider removing sanctions on a Russian agricultural bank as a precondition to restoring a deal over safe passage in the Black Sea.
"If European countries don't want to go down this path, it means they don't want to go down the path of peace in unison with the efforts shown in Moscow and Washington," Peskov said.
Separately, Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv had formally received from the United States a new minerals deal proposal giving US access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for further military support.
Zelensky said that his government needed to review the text of the draft agreement it received Friday with lawyers.
Ukraine once hoped to get security guarantees in exchange for access to mineral resources, but initial drafts included little protection, and Washington has rejected sending any peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.
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Ukraine's General Staff reported that in the past 24 hours, Russia conducted 98 airstrikes on the positions of Ukrainian units and settlements, dropping 157 controlled aviation bombs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs the Security Council meeting via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sergei Ilyin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Volunteers for an air-defense unit stand on their position while Russian drone explodes during bombardment of Odesa region, Ukraine, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
This photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 28, 2025, shows what it says is a blaze at a gas metering station in Sudzha after a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen of 3rd mechanized battalion, practice on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
In this provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen of 3rd mechanized battalion, practice on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
In this provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, servicemen of 3rd mechanized battalion, practice on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
In this provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade press service, a serviceman of 3rd mechanized battalion, practices on the training ground at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed Friday to temporarily put Ukraine under external governance as part of efforts to reach a peaceful settlement, in remarks that reflected the Kremlin leader's determination to achieve his war goals.
In televised remarks broadcast early Friday, Putin reaffirmed his claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal. Under Ukraine's constitution it is illegal for the country to hold national elections while it's under martial law.
Putin claimed that any agreement that is signed with the current Ukrainian government could be challenged by its successors and said new elections could be held under external governance.
“Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine,” Putin said. He added that it would allow the country to “hold democratic elections, to bring to power a viable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty.”
He said such external governance is just “one of the options,” without elaborating.
Zelenskyy dismissed Putin's suggestions, describing them as a “reason not to end the war.”
“He is afraid of negotiations with Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy during a briefing with journalists Friday. “He is afraid of negotiations with me personally, and by excluding Ukraine's (government), he is suggesting that Ukraine is not an independent actor for him.”
Putin's remarks came hours after the conclusion of a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron that considered plans to deploy troops to Ukraine to cement an eventual peace deal. Macron said “several” other nations want to be part of the force alongside France and Britain.
Russia has warned it wouldn't accept any troops from NATO members as part of a prospective peacekeeping force.
Macron and other participants of the Paris summit on Thursday accused Russia of only pretending to want a negotiated settlement.
“They are playing games and they're playing for time,” said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Zelenskyy hailed the outcome of the meeting, saying in Friday's statement that “Europe definitely knows how to defend itself, and we are working together to ensure greater security for our country and all European nations.”
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a tentative U.S-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure but both sides have different views on when the deal to halt strikes came into effect. They have accused each other of violations, underscoring the challenges to negotiating a broader peace.
Zelenskyy said in the Friday briefing that it's also unclear how the ceasefire should be monitored.
“Who verifies it? Who is monitoring?” he said, adding that the American side said that it would hold consultations with its own team and other countries regarding their readiness to conduct monitoring.
“I don't know the results of these conversations ... we have told them that it will not work without monitoring.”
Russia launched 163 drones at Ukraine late Thursday, according to the Ukrainian air force, which said that 89 of them were downed and 51 more jammed.
The drones damaged multiple residential buildings and injured a 19-year-old in Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said. Damage to buildings and infrastructure facilities was also reported by authorities in another five regions.
Ukraine's state-run gas company, Naftogaz, said Friday that its facilities came under Russian fire.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces struck a gas metering station in Sudzha in the Kursk region with U.S.-made HIMARS rockets, completely destroying the facility. It said another Ukrainian strike on an energy facility in Russia's Bryansk region led to a power cutoff, and added that air defenses downed 19 Ukrainian drones that attempted to strike an oil refinery in Saratov.
The ministry said the strikes show that Kyiv's pledge of adherence to a halt on strikes on energy facilities was just “another ruse by Zelenskyy to prevent the collapse of Ukrainian defenses and to restore military potential with the help of European allies.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters that Russia will continue sticking to the halt on strikes on energy facilities but reserves the right to opt out of the deal if violations continue.
Ukraine's military rejected Russia's claims of Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities as fake, aimed at “discrediting Ukraine” and its diplomatic efforts.
The General Staff said that its army is “strictly adhering to the agreements,” emphasizing that the military only has struck Russia's military targets.
It also accused Russia of striking energy infrastructure in the city of Kherson and Poltava region of Ukraine over the last 24 hours.
“The Russian tactic of dragging out the war remains unchanged,” Ukraine's General Staff said.
Russian troops have made slow but steady gains in several sectors of the more than 1,000-kilometer (over 620-mile) frontline, and Zelenskyy warned Thursday that Russia was trying to drag out talks in preparation for bigger offensives.
Putin declared in overnight remarks that the Russian troops have “gained steam” and “are holding strategic initiative all along the line of contact.”
He noted that Russia is open to a peaceful settlement, but emphasized the need to “remove root causes that led to the current situation.”
Zelenskyy described the situation on the battlefield as “complicated” but under control. He also confirmed unofficial reports on social media about the presence of Ukrainian troops in Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Kursk in the north.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has lost a significant amount of ground in the Kursk region, but it is still present there, according to officials.
The president said the Ukrainian army had taken steps near the Kursk region to prevent Russians from launching an offensive in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhia regions.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news conference on Friday said that Ukraine does not recognize the United States' military aid as loans. The 47-year-old revealed that Kyiv received a draft of a new agreement from the US regarding critical minerals, which is ‘completely different from the previous framework document'.
Zelensky added: “We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit, and we will not allow it."
In a press release published on March 12, the US Department of State had confirmed that Washington has provided $66.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. It further added that $69.2 billion in military assistance has been provided since 2014.
Read More: Ukraine's Zelensky predicts Vladimir Putin's death: ‘…it will come to an end'
“We have now used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine military assistance totaling approximately $31.7 billion from DoD stockpiles,” the Marco Rubio-led department said.
Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said that Ukraine would be ready to engage in talks with any Russian representative, as long as it is not President Vladimir Putin.
Read More: Zelensky says US deal 'right steps', blasts support for Russian exports
"I think that in principle we would agree not to talk with him [Putin], or with someone who would represent Russia. I think that if there are people, I think there are businesses in Russia, and they have many different regions, including serious business areas. I think that we would communicate with them if they have a vision of how to end the war," Zelensky said during a briefing on Friday.
The Ukrainian president's massive statement came weeks after he clashed with US President Donald Trump and VP JD Vance at the White House. Talking about the confrontation in February, Zelensky said: “It was just a really tough situation."
Visit by US vice-president and wife met with hostility by leaders after Trump's threats to acquire territory
The US vice-president, JD Vance, and his wife Usha are due to touch down in Greenland on Friday in a drastically scaled down trip after the original plans for the unsolicited visit prompted an international diplomatic row.
The visit to Pituffik, a remote ice-locked US military base in northwestern Greenland, will be closely watched by leaders in Nuuk and Copenhagen, who have aired their opposition to the trip amid ongoing threats by Donald Trump to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
“It's safe to say we would rather not have him [Vance] in Greenland,” a government source in Copenhagen said.
Before the Vances' arrival, Trump said the US will “go as far as we have to go” to gain control of the island which he claimed the US “needs” for national and international security.
The mood in Copenhagen was understood to be apprehensive. On Thursday, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, responded to Trump's comments, saying: “Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. That is not going to change.”
She added: “We in the kingdom would really like to work together with the Americans on defence and security. We want that in Ukraine, we want that in Europe, and of course we also want that when it comes to the high north. But Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
Meanwhile Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark's minister for foreign affairs, said Vance would not be greeted by Danish politicians at Pituffik because “it has nothing to do with us”.
“This is about an American vice-president who is going to visit his own military installation in Greenland. It has nothing to do with us,” he said.
The Vance visit comes as political parties in Greenland are about to sign a coalition agreement in Nuuk on Friday in a show of unity after elections earlier this month. Greenlandic media reported four of the five parties in parliament – all except Naleraq – will go into a coalition led by Jens Frederik Nielsen of the Democrats who won 30% of the vote.
The delegation, originally to be led by the second lady, Usha Vance, was scheduled to visit the capital Nuuk and Sisimiut, for a dog sled race. Bulletproof cars had already been delivered to Nuuk in preparation.
But after strong comments from Múte B Egede, the prime minister of Greenland, and Frederiksen, the White House switched to a single stop at Pituffik.
Announcing he would be joining his wife on the trip to Greenland, the vice-president said in a video: “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it's important to protect the security of the entire world.”
The White House has shared few details of what is planned, but it is expected to be a “traditional” troop visit.
The Danish defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said that Trump's statements were “far out” and “a hidden threat”.
“It is not fair for the American president to use that rhetoric,” he told Danish broadcaster TV2. “You are going too far both in terms of interfering in internal affairs in Greenland and not least in the lack of respect for the fact that it is the people of Greenland who determine Greenland's future.”
Pele Broberg, the Naleraq leader, which came second in the election but left coalition negotiations earlier this week, said the diplomatic disagreements over the US visit were a missed opportunity.
“I consider this an extreme example of failed diplomacy by Greenlandic politicians,” he said. “I don't think anybody is doubting that this is a missed opportunity.”
Meanwhile in Russia, Vladimir Putin told an Arctic forum in Murmansk on Thursday that he considered US plans to acquire Greenland as “serious”. “We are talking about serious plans on the American side with regard to Greenland,” he said. “These plans have longstanding historical roots.”
Death toll rises in both countries after tectonic plates rub sideways against each other along Sagaing fault
An earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude has hit central Myanmar, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has said, with Thailand's capital, Bangkok, among other areas affected. We take a look at the origins of the event and the scale of the disaster.
According to the USGS, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Mandalay, Myanmar at 6.21am GMT. The quake is thought to have been shallow, arising at a depth of just 10km (6 miles), but the damage is expected to be enormous, with multiple buildings collapsed or damaged and reports of roads buckled and broken. The death toll is climbing, with fatalities reported in both Myanmar and Thailand.
Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, said: “It is highly likely that build quality will generally not be high enough to survive this level of shaking, and casualty numbers will almost certainly climb significantly as more becomes known of the scale of the disaster.”
Earthquakes arise when huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth's crust, known as tectonic plates, move against each other. According to USGS, the Myanmar quake occurred as the result of “strike slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia plates – meaning that these two tectonic plates rubbed sideways against each other.
“The quake happened on the Sagaing fault, which marks the tectonic plate boundary between the Indian plate to the west and the Eurasian plate to the east. The Indian plate is moving north along the fault compared to the Eurasian plate,” said McGuire.
The USGS says the region has experience several similar large strike slip earthquakes in the past, with six occurring within about 250km of the current earthquake since 1900 that were magnitude 7 or greater.
While many people have heard of the Richter scale to measure the size of an earthquake, the current standard is the moment magnitude scale.
“The Richter scale is an old scale developed for California. It is only good for smaller quakes, and is not very good at differentiating the sizes of bigger shocks,” said McGuire.
As the USGS website notes, the moment magnitude calculation is based on the strength of the rock where the slip occurred, the area of the fault that slipped, and the distance the fault moved.
“Thus, stronger rock material, or a larger area, or more movement in an earthquake, will all contribute to produce a larger magnitude,” it adds.
However, like the Richter scale, the moment magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that as the magnitude increases by one unit, the degree of ground shaking involved increases 10-fold.
“This is a major quake by any standard, and its impact is made far worse by the fact that it was very shallow – only about 10km down. If it had been 100km deep, the impact would have been much smaller, so depth as well as size is critical,” said McGuire.
But, he added, measurements do vary dependent on the locations of the seismic arrays used.
According to the China Earthquake Networks Center the Myanmar earthquake reached 7.9 magnitude, with tremors felt in China's south-west Yunnan province.
“There has already been one large aftershock, and others can be expected in coming hours to days,” said McGuire. “These can bring down already weakened buildings and make the work of rescuers even more challenging.”
“We can't predict earthquakes, so the answer is no,” said McGuire. “It was expected in a general sense, however, as it happened on a part of the fault that hadn't ruptured for quite some time – known as a seismic ‘gap'.”
Dr Roger Musson, honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey), said the last similar event in the region was in 1956.
“This means that buildings are unlikely to be designed against seismic forces, and therefore are more vulnerable when an earthquake like this occurs, resulting in more damage and higher casualties,” he said.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Milei celebrated Elon Musk's embrace of his chainsaw, calling it “an emblem of the new golden era of humanity.”
BUENOS AIRES — The wild-haired president of Argentina, known as the libertarian Trump of South America, stepped onto the stage carrying his trademark accessory — a chainsaw.
He beamed as he handed it to Elon Musk, who lifted it up triumphantly.
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy!” Musk shouted before a roaring crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month.
Milei's chosen symbol for his war on government spending was now in the hands of the man charged with cutting U.S. bureaucracy down to size.
After the spectacle, the two men met for more than an hour and a half, discussing Milei's cuts in detail, the Argentine president said in an interview with The Washington Post last week.
In less than a year and a half in office, Milei has reduced government ministries from 18 to eight, fired more than 40,000 federal employees, cut subsidies and halted most new government infrastructure projects. He has dramatically reduced inflation and achieved a yearly fiscal surplus for the first time since 2010.
“I find it fascinating that the chainsaw has become an emblem of the new golden era of humanity,” Milei said in a wide-ranging interview in Argentina's presidential palace, the Casa Rosada. He spoke at a long table in his office, his own chainsaw at the table's other end.
Milei is one of Trump's biggest supporters in the Western Hemisphere. Trump has called Milei his “favorite president,” and he invited him to his inauguration.
The Argentine president has relished the praise, and closely aligned himself with Trump's political vision: He has vowed to eradicate “woke” culture and has stripped certain rights from Argentina's transgender community. He has said he will drop out of the World Health Organization and is weighing an exit from the Paris climate accords.
“There are some who ask whether the guy is actually authentic and strong and does what he wants,” Argentine political analyst Ana Iparraguirre said of Milei, “or whether he's just following an instruction manual from Trump.”
There has been a constant feedback loop between the two governments, Milei said. He was in part inspired by Musk's guideline for efficiency in his businesses — eliminating so many costs that it may be necessary to replace some of what was cut.
“But when you're running the country, that dynamic is a little more complicated,” Milei said.
The inspiration appears to flow both ways, said Federico Sturzenegger, Milei's minister of deregulation.
“After conversations with Javier,” Sturzenegger said, Musk “realized that there was an opportunity for the state to do this kind of work.”
Milei and his team acknowledge key differences between the two countries. Argentina has struggled for decades through cycles of soaring inflation and staggering debt. It remains the biggest debtor to the International Monetary Fund, owing more than $40 billion. Last week, Argentina's Congress approved a decree issued by Milei to pursue a new program with the IMF.
“Argentina arrived at the chainsaw out of necessity, not by choice,” said Martín Redrado, the former president of Argentina's Central Bank.
So far, Milei has maintained approval ratings near 50 percent, though some recent polls have begun to show a dip in support.
Some of those hardest-hit by Milei's cuts have been retirees, who have faced reductions in public health insurance benefits and minimum pension levels. Every Wednesday, a large group gathers outside the Congress to protest.
Among the protesters is Norma Fernández, who said she should have retired seven years ago but continues to work as a housekeeper because her pension isn't enough to get by on. One of her family members has HIV, she said, and no longer receives treatment after the government stopped covering it, she said.
“Everyone is in bad shape,” she said. “It's a terrible misery, something I hadn't seen before.”
She was outside the Congress two weeks ago when the protests devolved into violent clashes with police after groups of soccer fans joined the march. Security forces sprayed the crowd with tear gas, jets of water and pellets. One photographer, Pablo Grillo, was hit in the head by a tear-gas canister and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Milei said security forces did an “impeccable” job and accused the protesters of being “paid mercenaries” hired by the leftist political opposition.
Milei is also facing one of the biggest scandals of his administration so far — a corruption probe into a new cryptocurrency he promoted on his X account, a memecoin called $Libra. The coin promptly crashed after some early stakeholders pulled out of the project; losses totaled more than $250 million. Industry veterans believe the entire undertaking is a scam, and a case has been opened in the Argentine courts to investigate the president's role.
Milei said that he had no involvement and that as soon as the effort started to seem suspicious, he deleted his post on X and explained the situation to his followers.
Earlier this year, Trump promoted a similar cryptocurrency — called $Trump — which also skyrocketed before crashing.
In recent weeks, Milei has aligned with Trump on several foreign policy issues.
In late February, Argentina abstained from a United Nations vote to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine, a drastic shift for a country that had long supported the government in Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended Milei's inauguration in 2023.
Martín Lousteau, an opposition senator, criticized Milei for “childishly” following Trump and “validating Russia's invasion.” Milei said he spoke over the phone with Zelensky last week and suggested a possible pathway for peace, but declined to provide details.
“I think Milei is going to keep changing certain positions depending on the direction Trump is headed,” Lousteau said in an interview. Trump, he said, risks enmeshing the country “in a geopolitical conflict that Argentina does not need."
Milei's relationship with the U.S. president has generated interest at home and around the world, Redrado said. But so far, he added, the closeness has not benefited Argentina financially. Argentina was not immune to new Trump-imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum.
While Milei says talks are “advancing” over a free-trade agreement with the United States, analysts say such a deal is unlikely.
The Argentine president has sought to project a tough image, even in his interviews and photo sessions with journalists. He insists on being photographed only from above, in his dark office, with all of its windows shuttered.
Still, he opened up about the challenges of adjusting his lifestyle to the presidency. Reflecting on the cryptocurrency scandal, he said he had learned “that I cannot continue living the way I was living before I became president.”
“What I realized is that now it is necessary to have more filters,” he said, “to put up walls.” He said he had made it harder for outside contacts to meet with him, and acknowledged, with a chuckle, that he is working on adjusting his posts on X.
And he has acknowledged that some of his views before entering the Casa Rosada were misguided. One example: Pope Francis. Milei once criticized the Argentine pope as the “representative of the evil left.” But he now says he has “changed his bond” with the pope, who was “generous” with Milei in a 70-minute meeting.
“Sometimes when you have less information, you make mistakes,” Milei said. “But today I am the president of the Argentine people, and I cannot afford to make those mistakes.”
Asked about his communication with the U.S. president, Milei said he does not have direct contact with Trump. While he occasionally messages Musk on X, he said he prefers to go through official State Department channels for the president.
“With this type of thing, from my point of view, it's better to handle it in an orderly way, because those channels work,” Milei said.
So sometimes bureaucracy works?
“I think so,” the president acknowledged.
Vice-president criticises Denmark's treatment of Arctic island and says it should come under US ‘security umbrella'
JD Vance told troops in Greenland that the US has to gain control of the Arctic island to stop the threat of China and Russia as he doubled down on criticising Denmark, which he said “have not done a good job”.
Under increasingly strained relations between the White House and Greenland and Denmark, the US vice-president said during a visit to Pituffik space base on Friday: “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”
Speaking alongside US troops, as well as Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who is at the centre of the Signal message group security breach, Waltz's wife, Julia Nesheiwat, the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, and the senator for Utah, Mike Lee, he said the Trump administration's “argument” was not with the people of Greenland. It was, he said, “with the leadership if Denmark”, which he accused of having underinvested in Greenland and its security.
“That simply must change,” he added. “It is the policy of the United States that that will change.”
Greenland, he said, would better off “coming under the United States' security umbrella than you have been under Denmark's security umbrella”. He claimed the territory was not being kept safe by Denmark “from a lot of very agressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations.”
Shortly after he flew into the ice-locked US military base of Pituffik in north-west Greenland with his wife, Usha, and other senior US officials on Friday, the vice-president told US troops he was “really interested in Arctic security”.
“As you all know, it's a big issue and it's only going to get bigger over the coming decades,” he said. Vance also said it was “cold as shit here” as he arrived to temperatures of -19C.
In the White House, Trump reiterated his previous claims that the US needs Greenland for “world peace”.
“I think Greenland understands that the United States should own it,” he said in a press conference on Friday. “And if Denmark and the EU don't understand it, we have to explain it to them. We need Greenland. Very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland.”
There are, he claimed, “Chinese and Russian ships all over the place”.
Hours before Vance's arrival, in Nuuk political leaders agreed to form a broad four-party coalition government, in a show of national unity. In a rebuke to the Trump administration and its public campaign to gain control of Greenland, four of the territory's five parties signed the coalition agreement on Friday, which states on page one: “Greenland belongs to us.”
There has been a week of heightened tension, amid already strained relations between the US, Greenland and Denmark as a result of Trump's repeated threats to acquire Greenland. Writing on social media before his plane landed, JD Vance said: “We're on our way and looking forward to it!”
Greenland, a former Danish colony, is a semi-autonomous territory within the kingdom of Denmark, its foreign and security policies run by Copenhagen.
Earlier in the week, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, accused the US of putting “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland and Denmark to give up the territory, adding: “It is pressure that we will resist.”
On Thursday Trump renewed his vow to take control of the island: “We need Greenland for national security and international security. So we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And we'll see what happens. But if we don't have Greenland, we can't have great international security.”
The US delegation took off from Maryland and were due to fly directly to the ice-locked American military base, built after a 1951 defence agreement between Denmark and the US – with no further stops on the island now planned by the vice-president or his wife.
The delegation's plans were hastily rescheduled just days before to cut out visits to the capital, Nuuk, and a dog sled race in Sisimiut after widespread outrage in Nuuk and Copenhagen over the unsolicited trip. Originally the second lady was scheduled to travel without the vice-president.
Under the changed plans, understood to include a “traditional” troop visit, Vance made an address from the base at 5.45pm GMT.
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The Greenlandic government's coalition agreement was signed on Friday after all but one of the parties reached a deal with the ruling party, the Democrats, which received the most votes in the 11 March election, on Thursday. The most US-friendly party, Naleraq, which came second in the election, left the talks on Monday, and will not be part of the coalition.
The first page of the coalition agreement states that “no one” should have any doubt that “Greenland belongs to us.
“We decide our own future. We must choose our partners ourselves. And we are the ones who dictate the pace in this regard,” it reads.
“We must show the world that we are a people and a country that stands together in prosperity and adversity. Our unity as a people must always outweigh political disagreements in individual areas.”
In response to a reporter's question about Vance, the new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the US had not shown respect for Greenland. “JD Vance is landing at a facility that is theirs [the US base]. This whole situation of coming to visit when there is no government in place, we insist, is not showing respect for an ally. It's a shame, but now we have a government that needs to get its act together,” he said.
Frederiksen congratulated Greenland's new prime minister, saying: “I wish Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the rest of the Greenland government all the best for your work and for Greenland.
“And I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time. Strong with a broad government and unity between different political parties. You show the strength of democracy.”
Denmark's King Frederik said: “There should be no doubt about my love for Greenland, and my connection to the Greenlandic people is intact.”
The new coalition has also stated that it will work to significantly increase Greenland's self-determination. “A clear roadmap must be drawn up as soon as possible for which areas it is realistic to take back, after which the process must be initiated,” it stated.
The former Greenlandic prime minister, Múte B Egede, leader of Inuit Ataqatigiit, who will now be minister for finance and taxes, said that it is only together that Greenland can “meet the great pressure from outside”.
The leader of Siumut, Vivian Motzfeldt, said: “We have listened to the Greenlandic population. We have listened to the need for us to be united as the Greenlandic population. We must be able to look forward and not get stuck in the past.”
She added: “It is important that we gather our strengths, our identity and our culture.”
The United States needs Greenland for international security peace, President Donald Trump said on Friday, adding that there were Chinese and Russian ships in the area that Washington could not leave to Denmark or anyone else to "take care of."We need Greenland. Very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland," Trump told reporters at the White House. "If you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place ... we're not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation," he added.US Vice President J.D. Vance landed in Greenland earlier in the day as Trump renewed his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. AdvertisementThe visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island comes just hours after a new broad government coalition, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital Nuuk. US Vice President JD Vance arrives at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. (credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"We need Greenland. Very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland," Trump told reporters at the White House. "If you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place ... we're not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation," he added.US Vice President J.D. Vance landed in Greenland earlier in the day as Trump renewed his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. AdvertisementThe visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island comes just hours after a new broad government coalition, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital Nuuk. US Vice President JD Vance arrives at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. (credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"If you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place ... we're not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation," he added.US Vice President J.D. Vance landed in Greenland earlier in the day as Trump renewed his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. AdvertisementThe visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island comes just hours after a new broad government coalition, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital Nuuk. US Vice President JD Vance arrives at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. (credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
US Vice President J.D. Vance landed in Greenland earlier in the day as Trump renewed his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. AdvertisementThe visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island comes just hours after a new broad government coalition, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital Nuuk. US Vice President JD Vance arrives at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. (credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
The visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island comes just hours after a new broad government coalition, which aims to keep ties with Denmark for now, was presented in the capital Nuuk. US Vice President JD Vance arrives at the US military's Pituffik Space Base in Greenland on March 28, 2025. (credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
The new prime minister said the US visit signalled a "lack of respect" and called for unity in the face of "pressure from outside". Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Denmark's king issued a statement of support on social media. "We live in an altered reality. There should be no doubt that my love for Greenland and my connectedness to the people of Greenland are intact," King Frederik said.The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
The US delegation also includes Vance's wife Usha, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
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The initial plan for the trip had been for Vance's wife to visit a dog-sled race on the island together with Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. AdvertisementPublic protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Public protests and outrage from authorities in both Greenland and Denmark prompted the US delegation to only fly to the military base and not meet the public.Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland as recently as Wednesday, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said.The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
The island, whose capital is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British.A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy.Greenland's new governmentGreenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Greenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Friday urged political unity."At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together," Nielsen said at a press conference.His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favours a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had called the initial plans for the US visit "unacceptable", congratulated Greenland on its new government in a post on Instagram: "I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-ridden time."The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute."It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means," he told Reuters."But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added.'Not for sale'By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
By revising the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank."A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters.However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
However, some residents in Nuuk remained angry at the Trump administration ahead of Vance's visit."I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
"I am a human. Humans are not for sale. We are not for sale," Tungutaq Larsen, a filmmaker, told Reuters.Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing "Make America Go Away" caps and holding "Yankees Go Home" banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said "Our Land. Our Future".
Prospect of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan has forced Japan to step up measures to protect islands in Okinawa prefecture
Japan has for the first time released plans to evacuate more than 100,000 civilians from some of its remote islands near Taiwan in the event of conflict in the region, amid escalating tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
Under the contingency, ships and planes would be mobilised to take about 110,000 residents and 10,000 tourists off five islands in the Sakishima chain in Japan's far south-west.
The evacuees would be taken to eight prefectures in south-western and western Japan within six days, according to the Kyodo news agency. Evacuees would be transported by private ferries or by air to Kyushu, one of Japan's four main islands, before being sent on to accommodations in other destinations.
Tokyo said it planned to conduct evacuation drills on the Sakishima islands, which are part of Okinawa prefecture, from April next year.
The prospect of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims is Chinese territory and believes should be “reunified”, has forced Japan to step up measures to protect remote islands that could become embroiled in any conflict in the strait.
China has intensified military pressure on Taiwan in recent years and has not ruled out using force to bring the self-governed island under its control.
Japan's government also plans to deploy surface-to-air guided missile units on Yonaguni, located 100km from Taiwan. The island, host to a Japanese self-defence force base, is constructing temporary underground shelters stocked with enough food and water for two weeks, Japanese media have reported.
Gen Nakatani, the defence minister, said in January that he felt a “strong sense of crisis” among residents living on Japan's remote border islands. “I want to take all possible measures for the defence of our country,” he said, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.
Taiwan was not specifically named in the plans, but concern that the island democracy could become a military flashpoint has risen since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the return of Donald Trump's “America first” foreign policy, with some local officials questioning Washington's commitment to protecting Taiwan and US allies in the region.
The evacuation plans were widely reported in Taiwan, where most outlets connected it to cross-strait threats and the changing US relationships. “It feels more and more like a war,” one reader commented in a local news report.
“The Japanese also know that Trump will not protect Taiwan,” said another. “Even if they provide weapons to Taiwan, they may not win. In order to avoid getting burned, they have already thought of a way to retreat. But has our government thought of a way to protect the people?”
Earlier this month, Japanese media reported that the government was planning to deploy long-range missiles on Kyushu amid concerns that the Trump administration's stance on the countries' postwar security pact, which commits Washington to defend Japan if it comes under attack.
Trump has complained that the Japan-US security treaty was nonreciprocal, saying in early March: “We have a great relationship with Japan, but we have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don't have to protect us.
“That's the way the deal reads … and by the way, they make a fortune with us economically. I actually ask, who makes these deals?”
Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said the evacuation plans had been drawn up “on the assumption [Japan will encounter] a situation where armed attacks are predicted”, Kyodo said.
Okinawa, home to almost 50,000 US troops, could play a key military role in the event of a Taiwan emergency. Japan is also embroiled in a dispute with China over the Senkakus, a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are administered by Tokyo but claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyu.
Former Hostage Amit Soussana will receive the International Woman of Courage Award from the US State Department next Tuesday at a ceremony in Washington. First Lady Melania Trump will present the award, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance. Sossana said she was “deeply proud” to receive this award, following the announcement.“I accept this award on behalf of the brave women who fought with unimaginable courage on October 7, resisting terror in their homes,” Sousanna said. Advertisement“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued. Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
First Lady Melania Trump will present the award, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance. Sossana said she was “deeply proud” to receive this award, following the announcement.“I accept this award on behalf of the brave women who fought with unimaginable courage on October 7, resisting terror in their homes,” Sousanna said. Advertisement“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued. Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Sossana said she was “deeply proud” to receive this award, following the announcement.“I accept this award on behalf of the brave women who fought with unimaginable courage on October 7, resisting terror in their homes,” Sousanna said. Advertisement“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued. Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
“I accept this award on behalf of the brave women who fought with unimaginable courage on October 7, resisting terror in their homes,” Sousanna said. Advertisement“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued. Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
“I accept this award on behalf of the women who fought in the war, and on behalf of the women who suffered in captivity – who found strength in one another, helping each other survive the unimaginable,” she continued. Journalists capture images of the destroyed house of released hostage Amit Soussana, kidnapped on the deadly October 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Israel, January 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI)“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
“I accept this award for the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who are now fighting with all their hearts for the return of their loved ones,” she said. Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Soussana then called on the world to bring the remaining hostages home now. “The hostages cannot wait,” she added.“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
“I thank President Trump and his administration for their efforts in the hostage deal and trust that they will continue until the last hostage is free,” Soussana concluded. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Soussana's captivySoussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Stay updated with the latest news!
Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter
Soussana was taken captive from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and was held for 55 days. AdvertisementShe is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
She is one of eight women from around the world to receive the award. The award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls – often at great personal risk and sacrifice, according to the State Department. Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Soussana was the focus of a groundbreaking New York Times report in May of last year, in which she revealed in an interview that her Hamas captors sexually assaulted her.Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Since she was released, she has continued advocating for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and has spoken openly about the sexual violence she endured in captivity, most notably at the UN Security Council. Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Following the ceremony, Soussana will join other award recipients in the State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program, an initiative to foster collaboration among women leaders in human rights, law, social justice, and community development.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
In this image provided by The Myanmar Military True News Information Team, Myanmar's military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, center, inspects damaged road caused by an earthquake Friday, March 28, 2025, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. (The Myanmar Military True News Information Team via AP)
Even before a powerful 7.7-magnitude quake hit Myanmar on Friday, more than 3 million people in the country had been displaced, and hundreds of thousands were cut off from vital food and health programs as a result of a destructive four-year civil war that international groups claim has indiscriminately targeted civilians.
Social media videos depicted widespread destruction after the earthquake hit an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, and was followed by a strong 6.4-magnitude aftershock, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed.
Information and movement throughout the country remain very tightly controlled, making it more difficult for any rescue efforts or even an assessment of the official death toll.
Here's a brief look at Myanmar:
THE BASICS: Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was already embroiled in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms. Large parts of the country are now entangled in conflict.
Complicating the political picture is the influence of neighboring China, which is believed to have tacitly supported the late 2023 offensive in what turned out to be a successful bid to shut down organized crime activities that had been flourishing along its border.
MANY DISPLACED: Before the quake struck, the United Nations estimated that hundreds of thousands of civilians had been displaced by internal fighting, and there are now more than 3 million internally displaced people in Myanmar overall, with some 18.6 million people in need of humanitarian aid.
However, access issues and recent cuts to foreign assistance have devastated the already war-torn country. A 90-day freeze on foreign assistance programs announced earlier this year by U.S. President Donald Trump has led to other cuts in services for refugees from Myanmar, including the shutdown of hospital care in camps in neighboring Thailand where more than 100,000 are living, according to activists and Thai officials.
HUNGER A CHIEF CONCERN: A recent statement by the World Food Program said that most food rations currently distributed in Myanmar will be cut off in April, even as the country faces a desperate humanitarian crisis. The WFP said it would need $60 million to continue food assistance in Myanmar and called on its partners to identify additional funding.
The WFP said 15.2 million people, nearly one-third of the total population, are unable to meet their minimum daily food needs, and some 2.3 million face emergency levels of hunger. The organization said it only has the funding right now to assist 35,000 of the most vulnerable people, including children under the age of 5, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with disabilities.
HEALTH CHALLENGES: Last week, Tom Andrews, a monitor on rights in Myanmar commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, laid out the dire health crisis as a result of the drying up of aid. Tuberculosis and HIV patients have been missing their medication for weeks; disabled children have been locked out of rehabilitation centers; rights groups have faced cuts in their ability to distribute food and water to people, Andrews said.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
US president says he and Canadian prime minister ‘agree on many things' after first talk since Carney assumed role
Donald Trump described a long-awaited call with the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, as “extremely productive” amid a trade war between the two nations launched by the US president.
The Friday morning call, requested by the White House, marks the first time the two leaders have spoken since Carney became prime minister on 14 March.
In a post on social media, Trump took a decidedly softer tone than he has in recent months, correctly referring to Carney as prime minister after repeatedly denigrating his predecessor Justin Trudeau as “governor”.
In remarks later in the day, Trump said he hoped to “to end up with a very good relationship with Canada”, long one of the largest trading partners and closest allies of the US.
Carney had previously said he would not speak to the president until Trump showed respect for Canada's independence. “I'm available for a call, but we're going to talk on our terms. As a sovereign country – not as what he pretends we are – and on a comprehensive deal,” Carney said earlier this week.
Trump said in the post that he and Carney, who has previously served as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, “agree on many things” and that the pair would be meeting “immediately” after Canada's federal election on 28 April.
In a readout of the conversation released by the prime minister's office, Carney described the call as a “very constructive conversation” and said the two would begin “comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship” after the election. Carney said he would be “working hard for the next month to earn the right to represent Canada in those discussions”.
On Sunday, Carney called a snap election following numerous polls that show a dramatic and unprecedented surge for his Liberal party. Current projections have the Liberals winning a majority government, a stark reversal from their dismal fortunes as recently as late February.
Ahead of the call with Trump, Carney told reporters the conversation would be “only the beginning of a negotiation, not the end”.
In fiery rhetoric since Trump launched his trade war and began threatening to make Canada the 51st US state, the prime minister lamented the collapse of relations between the two nations.
“It is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner. It is possible that, with comprehensive negotiations, we will be able to restore some trust, but there will be no turning back,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa earlier.
“We will need to dramatically reduce our reliance on the United States,” he said. “We will need to pivot our trade relationships elsewhere.”
Earlier this week, the White House announced 25% tariffs that threaten to destroy Canada's auto sector. More than 1m cars and light trucks are manufactured in Canada for export to the US. Washington also promised “reciprocal tariffs” against any levies imposed by trading partners in response that it feels are unfair to American consumers.
In the call, Carney also said his government would implement retaliatory tariffs “to protect Canadian workers and our economy” ahead of expected levies from the US due to come into effect on 2 April.
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A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the heart of war-ravaged Myanmar of Friday, killing scores of people and prompting the country's military junta to make a rare plea for international assistance.
The earthquake cut through a vast and varied corner of Southeast Asia, sending terrifying tremors through rural villages caught in the middle of Myanmar's civil war all the way to the glitzy high-rises of the traffic-filled Thai capital Bangkok. Shaking was even felt across the border in China's southwestern remote and mountainous Yunnan province.
At least 144 people have been killed and more than 730 others were injured, the head of Myanmar's military government said late Friday evening. Deaths have also been reported in Thailand.
Having largely shut the country off from the world during its four years of civil war, Min Aung Hlaing – the leader of Myanmar's military government – declared a state of emergency and issued an “open invitation to any organizations and nations willing to come and help the people in need within our country,” adding the toll was likely to rise.
With electricity and internet down in parts of Myanmar, Hlaing's unexpected call for help is a measure of the devastation the quake has wrought in the country his junta has helped turn into a pariah state.
Rescue efforts are likely to vary hugely between the two countries. Myanmar, one of Asia's poorest nations, has a long and troubled track record of struggling to respond to major natural disasters. In contrast, neighboring Thailand is far more prosperous and a major tourist destination, with well-resourced and experienced rescue teams.
The quake was felt hundreds of miles away from the epicenter near the city of Mandalay in northern Myanmar. Erik Honan, a US citizen visiting a friend in the southern Thai city of Pattaya, said when he saw items begin to slide on a coffee table early Friday, he “knew immediately what it was.”
“Mother Nature was having its way – like swatting a fly,” Honan told CNN.
Video posted online showed panicked residents across Myanmar and Thailand running from swaying residential towers as dust fills the air, and traffic comes to a sudden stop on busy city streets.
Thailand's prime minister also declared an “emergency zone” in Bangkok after the quake triggered the collapse of an under-construction high-rise building near the city's Chatuchak Park. The collapse killed at least eight people, according to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and rescuers are working to free at least 110 people still trapped under the rubble.
Sunan Kenkiat, a 31-year-old construction worker at the site, described his narrow escape from the building before it pancaked.
“It was shaking and I felt dizzy,” Kenkiat told CNN. “After that, debris like cement pieces started falling down, and the shaking got stronger, so I shouted for everyone to run.”
Myanmar is already reeling from four years of civil war sparked by a bloody and economically destructive military coup, which has seen junta forces battle rebel groups across the country. The coup and ensuing conflict has battered its health infrastructure, leaving it ill-equipped to deal with major natural disasters.
Swathes of the country lie outside the control of the junta and are a run by a patchwork of ethnic rebels and militias, making compiling reliable information extremely difficult.
The full extent of the damage is still emerging. Amnesty International has urged the ruling junta to allow aid groups to enter freely, saying the quake “could not come at a worse time” for the war-ravaged country.
Related live-story
Magnitude-7.7 earthquake hits Myanmar, with tremors felt across neighboring Thailand
Tom Andrew, the United Nations special rapporteur for Myanmar, said the quake would pile “a disaster on top of a disaster.” With more than 20 million people already in need of humanitarian aid and some 3.5 million internally displaced, “I shudder to think what will be happening in the next few days as rescue operations kick in,” Andrews told CNN.
A resident of Mandalay told CNN they weren't sure they would survive the quake.
“The quake was very powerful, we could not run out of the building immediately,” said Tun Kyaw, 26, asking to use a pseudonym.
“It was like the whole building was going to collapse. I was not sure I would get out alive.”
The quake hit around 12:50 p.m. local time close to Mandalay, the former royal capital that is home to about 1.5 million people and boasts a host of historic temple complexes and palaces. Several aftershocks have since struck nearby, including one of 6.4-magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The epicenter was recorded in Myanmar's central Sagaing region, which has been ravaged by the civil war, with the junta, pro-military militia and rebel groups battling for control and all running checkpoints, making travel by road or river extremely difficult.
Sagaing is largely rural with dwellings mostly built with wood and thatch. Communications in the area are typically patchy due to intermittent fighting between the junta and rebel groups.
In the town of Taungoo, 70 miles south of the capital Naypyidaw, three people were killed after a mosque partially collapsed, Reuters reported.
One resident in Yangon, Myanmar's commercial hub and around 380 miles away from the epicenter, told CNN: “We felt the quake for about one minute and then we ran out of the building.”
“We saw other people running out of the buildings too. It was very sudden and very strong.”
Another resident said phone networks in the city home to around 8 million people were briefly down following the quake, but were now working again.
A Yangon resident named Wang, who was on the 20th floor of a building when the quake hit, said “people next to me were all scared to death.”
“The quake felt so strong, and lasted really long,” said Wang, who did not want to give her first name.
Video obtained by CNN from Myanmar appeared to show a road bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River, which runs through Mandalay, collapsing into the river in a cloud of dust and water.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN's Lex Harvey, Todd Symons, Edward Szekeres, Hassan Tayir, Manveena Suri, Chris Lau, Rob Picheta and Lauren Kent contributed reporting.
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Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews.
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We give you the latest climate facts from the world's leading source, analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing. We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt.
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This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond.
Brussels, My Love?
From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs, this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans. Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics.
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No agenda, no argument, no bias, No Comment. Get the story without commentary.
My Wildest Prediction
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The country officially abolished the monarchy in 2008, two years after King Gyanendra Shah was ousted.
At least two people have been killed in Nepal after protesters demanding the restoration of the abolished monarchy clashed with police.
The violence took place on Friday in the east of the capital Kathmandu, where a rally had been organised by groups loyal to the former King Gyanendra Shah.
The Home Ministry said a protester died while receiving treatment in hospital, while a local TV station said one of its staff died when the building he was filming from was set on fire.
Several protesters and police officers were also injured in the clashes, which have led the government to impose a curfew in parts of the city.
The gathering near the airport had been planned as a peaceful rally, but trouble began when some protesters in a white pickup drove at a police barricade, colliding with several officers.
Police responded by shooting tear gas shells and spraying the crowd with a water canon.
On the other side of the capital, thousands of people who support the present republican system of government gathered for a counter rally.
That group was made up of figures from opposition parties led by the Maoists, a group that fought an armed rebellion from 1996-2006 to oust the monarchy.
"It is impossible for the monarchy to come back. It is ridiculous to even think that something that is already dead and cremated could come back to life," said Ram Kumar Shrestha, a Maoist supporter.
There has been growing demand in recent months for Gyanendra to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion.
Royalist groups accuse the country's major political parties of failing the Nepalese people.
"We need the country to return to monarchy and the king to come back, because the political parties and system have failed in the country," said Rajendra Bahadur Khati, one of the participants at the pro-monarchy rally. "When the source is so polluted the entire system has gotten rotten."
Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule and two years later parliament voted to abolish the monarchy.
Gyanendra, who left the royal palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the restoration of the monarchy.
Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.
South Korea's LG Electronics has confirmed it has carried out a test restart of its Russian plant, which has been idle since operations were suspended in 2022 due to Ukraine conflict-related Western sanctions.
LG halted all deliveries to Russia and suspended operations at its plant in Ruza, near Moscow, shortly after the escalation of the conflict.
On Friday, South Korean media reported a partial resumption of operations at the facility, which previously produced washing machines and refrigerators.
The move is aimed at “preventing equipment corrosion,” an LG official told RIA Novosti on Friday, adding that only existing on-site materials are currently being used.
LG CEO Cho Joo-wan, quoted by Korea Times on Friday, said the company remains “cautious, as the conflict is not yet over,” and is closely monitoring the situation. Full operation could resume once sanctions are lifted, he added.
Several major Korean firms, including LG, Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung, are reportedly evaluating a return to the Russian market amid ongoing Ukraine peace negotiations.
An LG representative noted the company's situation differs from Hyundai's, the carmaker announced plans in 2023 to sell its Russian plant, and completed its exit from the country under pressure from Western sanctions.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said sanctions had inadvertently strengthened Russia's economic and technological base and that any potential return of foreign companies must be carefully managed to protect domestic companies.
Russia “never closed its doors or expelled anyone,” Putin said recently, adding that confidential talks with some foreign businesses are already underway. However, he noted that future decisions will depend on market conditions, and no special incentives will be granted if sectors are already occupied.
According to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, a special government commission will assess each company's case individually.
This week, Italian appliance maker Ariston announced it would resume operations in Russia after Putin signed a decree removing its Russian unit from a list of companies under temporary state control.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, shakes hands with Suriname's President Chan Santokhi in Georgetown, Guyana, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a press conference, in Georgetown, Guyana, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd sign Security Memorandum of Understanding, in Georgetown, Guyana, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gestures as he boards an aircraft en route Suriname at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown, Guyana, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Guyanese Foreign Minister Hugh Todd sign Security Memorandum of Understanding, in Georgetown, Guyana, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front right, walks with Surinamese Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin upon arriving at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a joint press conference with Suriname's President Chan Santokhi in Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a joint press conference with Suriname's President Chan Santokhi in Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio poses for a photo before boarding an aircraft at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool photo via AP)
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — China's government bristled Friday at the strengthening ties between Guyana and the United States in online comments a day after a visit to the South American country by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The Chinese comments came after Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said his oil-rich nation would give the U.S. preferential treatment over other countries after it pledged to respond forcefully if neighboring Venezuela tries to annex Guyanese territory as it has threatened.
The Chinese Embassy in Guyana posted on Facebook on Friday that China has always “put China-Guyana Friendship first.”
“We honor our commitment with concrete actions. As a matter of fact, China has participated fully at the biggest economic and social transformation in the history of Guyana. Facts and figures speak louder than anything else,” the embassy said.
China cited its $1.4 billion in annual trade with Guyana and a string of major infrastructure projects that Chinese firms are undertaking, some secured by Chinese loans. These include the new Demerara Harbor Bridge, China-Guyana Joe Vieria Park, six regional hospitals and the East Coast Demerara road project.
After Rubio's visit to Guyana and meeting with Ali on Thursday, he traveled to Suriname where he joked at a news conference about the ruggedness of Guyana's airport road built with China's help.
“They don't do a bad job, they do a terrible job,” the U.S. diplomat said of China's projects abroad. “I just came from Guyana, where we had to drive on a road the Chinese built. We almost all had concussions, because the road was so bad. It was terrible.”
Rubio also criticized China for bringing in their own workers to work on projects abroad, adding that the country also wants “you to borrow a bunch of money and then they hold it over your head.”
However, Rubio noted that U.S. companies are not taking advantage of investement opportunities in the region, echoing similar remarks by Surinamese President Chan Santokhi.
Not all the countries are showing up,” Santokhi said. “We are inviting investors. My invitation to (Rubio) was that we need the private sector of the United States.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Tehran would strike US bases in the region if Washington follows through on its warning of military consequences for Iran in the absence of a new nuclear deal, the speaker of the Iranian parliament said on Friday.US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal." "If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said."Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,” Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. AdvertisementKhamenei has called Trump's message deceptive, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran had thoroughly examined Trump's letter and had sent "an appropriate response" through Oman, Araqchi said. A person burns an Israeli flag as Iranians take part in the annual al-Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)Iran's FM: Trump's letter contained threats, left door open to diplomacyOn Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that "there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal." "If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said."Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,” Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. AdvertisementKhamenei has called Trump's message deceptive, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran had thoroughly examined Trump's letter and had sent "an appropriate response" through Oman, Araqchi said. A person burns an Israeli flag as Iranians take part in the annual al-Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)Iran's FM: Trump's letter contained threats, left door open to diplomacyOn Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
"If the Americans attack the sanctity of Iran, the entire region will blow up like a spark in an ammunition dump,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf said."Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,” Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. AdvertisementKhamenei has called Trump's message deceptive, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran had thoroughly examined Trump's letter and had sent "an appropriate response" through Oman, Araqchi said. A person burns an Israeli flag as Iranians take part in the annual al-Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)Iran's FM: Trump's letter contained threats, left door open to diplomacyOn Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
"Their bases and those of their allies will not be safe,” Qalibaf said in a live speech at the annual Al-Quds Day, that marks the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. AdvertisementKhamenei has called Trump's message deceptive, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran had thoroughly examined Trump's letter and had sent "an appropriate response" through Oman, Araqchi said. A person burns an Israeli flag as Iranians take part in the annual al-Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)Iran's FM: Trump's letter contained threats, left door open to diplomacyOn Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
Khamenei has called Trump's message deceptive, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday talks were impossible unless Washington changed its "maximum pressure" policy. Iran had thoroughly examined Trump's letter and had sent "an appropriate response" through Oman, Araqchi said. A person burns an Israeli flag as Iranians take part in the annual al-Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025 (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)Iran's FM: Trump's letter contained threats, left door open to diplomacyOn Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
On Friday, Araqchi was reported by state media as saying that while Trump's letter contained threats, it also left the door open to diplomacy. He did not elaborate. In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
Iran subsequently breached the deal by surpassing limits in its uranium enrichment, especially after Trump reimposed sweeping US sanctions. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability. Tehran says its program is wholly for civilian energy purposes. Advertisement
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At least 144 people were killed and 730 injured after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, the country's military government said.
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing was quoted by AP as saying.
Myanmar-Thailand earthquake LIVE coverage
However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in a statement projected that thousands could be dead in the quake.
The earthquake with epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock.
The earthquake too hit Thailand, killing eight people in the capital Bangkok, where a high-rise under construction building collapsed.
1. Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of the earthquake on Friday, the sixth day of his convalescence in the Vatican after a five-week hospitalisation for life-threatening double pneumonia. "The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand," AP quoted the Vatican as saying.
2. Myanmar's military government said that blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. Images of buckled and cracked roads in Mandalay and damaged highways as well as the collapse of a bridge and dam raised further concerns about how rescuers would even reach some areas.
ALSO READ: Why was Bangkok earthquake so strong and devastating? Expert explains
3. Bangkok's city hall declared the city a disaster area to facilitate the response, AP reported. The greater metropolitan area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
4. Myanmar declared a state of emergency across the six worst-affected regions after the quake, which the World Health Organization described as a "very, very big threat to life and health". Hundreds of casualties arrived at a major hospital in Naypyidaw where the emergency department entrance had collapsed on a car, AFP reported.
ALSO READ: Bangkok earthquake eyewitnesses reveal 'horrendous' ordeal: 'Many lives lost'
5. Thailand's prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said "every building" in Bangkok would need to be inspected for safety, though it was not immediately clear how that would be carried out. An emergency zone was declared in Bangkok, where some metro and light rail services were suspended.
6. India, France and the European Union all offered to provide assistance, while the WHO said it was mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies.
ALSO READ: Bangkok skyscraper reduced to rubble after strong tremors from Myanmar earthquake. Video
7. A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group told Reuters that it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped.
ALSO READ: Bangkok earthquake: Are you in Thailand? Here are dos and don'ts during quake. What embassy said about Indians
8. The US Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ centre for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometres, according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage.
9. The Red Cross said downed power lines added to challenges for their teams trying to reach several hard-hit areas. “This disaster will have left people devastated and in need of drinking water, food and shelter," said Julie Mehigan, head of Asia, Middle East & Europe for Christian Aid.
10. To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China and caused damage to houses and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
(With agencies inputs)
Dozens of royalists injured in clashes with police fuelled by political instability and economic discontent
Two people have been killed and dozens injured after protests in Kathmandu calling for the restoration of Nepal's monarchy ended in clashes with police.
Thousands of protesters rallied in Nepal's capital on Friday to demand a return to the Hindu monarchy, which was abolished in 2008, and the re-establishment of the country as a Hindu rather than secular state. Pro-democracy and republican groups held a counter-protest that passed peacefully.
The pro-royalist movement is calling for the return of Gyanendra Shah, who was Nepal's last reigning monarch and still has a loyal following in the country.
Support for the pro-monarchy movement has surged recently as Nepal grapples with ongoing political and economic instability that has led to widespread dissatisfaction with the government.
Friday's protests took a violent turn after pro-royalists broke through police barricades and began throwing stones at officers. The police responded by firing teargas into the crowds and shooting rubber bullets and live ammunition into the air.
Chaos engulfed the streets as the royalist protesters began to vandalise homes and shops and torched buildings. Several political party headquarters were vandalised, as were the offices of a prominent newspaper and a TV news channel.
The police spokesperson Shekhar Khanal said 17 people had been arrested so far. “When the protesters tried to force their way past the restricted area, the police had no choice but to use teargas. Following this, the protesters then resorted to vandalism and arson,” he said.
One protester was killed in the clashes and pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. A journalist was killed when a building was set alight.
The government declared a curfew in areas of the capital and security personnel were deployed on the streets. Nepal's prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, called an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the security situation.
Royalist protesters claimed the police had acted first against the protesters. “Right now, we are not demanding the return of the monarchy, we are advocating for the institution of the monarchy,” said Ravi Shrestha, who was among the protesters. “The situation escalated beyond control because of police suppression.”
The protests were the largest since 2023 and demonstrated the growing base of support for the return of the king in Nepal. Earlier this month, upwards of 10,000 supporters gathered at Kathmandu airport to celebrate Gyanendra's arrival in the capital, with cries of “bring back our monarch”.
In a statement before the protests, the committee for the restoration of monarchy emphasised they were calling for the return of a “constitutional monarchy” that would coexist with the democratic government and would have a “parental role above politics”.
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Gyanendra remains a controversial figure. He was crowned in 2001 after most of his family were killed in a mass shooting at their home, and initially ruled as more of a ceremonial head of state, with no executive powers. But, in 2005, he seized absolute power, dissolving the government and jailing politicians. He declared a state of emergency and deployed the army to run the country.
After massive protests rocked the country, he was forced to hand over the governing of the country to a democratically elected government in 2006. In 2008, the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy altogether.
In the years since, Nepal has experienced continuing political instability, with weak coalition governments regularly only lasting a matter of months before being toppled, and senior politicians being engulfed in corruption scandals. Anger at the political system has been steadily rising, and this has been capitalised on by the pro-monarchy movement.
Sunita Chudal, from Jhapa, was among those who protested for the abolition of the monarchy in 2006, and recalled shouting slogans in the streets calling Gyanendra a thief. Now she is among those calling for his return.
“I have joined this movement, not because I believe the king will return and make things better, but because of the way corruption and degradation have increased in the country, and how our children are being forced to migrate abroad,” she said.
“I am so disillusioned that I had no choice but to take to the streets.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Israel has launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a large boom and witnessed smoke rising from the area that Israel's military had vowed to strike. (AP video shot by: Fadi Tawil)
Israel on Friday launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. It said it attacked a Hezbollah drone storage facility in the area of Dahiyeh, which it called a key Hezbollah stronghold, and had warned people in the area to leave ahead of the strike.
Lebanon's Health Ministry reported on Friday that three people were killed and 18 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the southern village of Kfar Tibnit.
Thousands of Palestinians marched between the wreckage of a heavily destroyed town in northern Gaza Wednesday in the second day of anti-war protests, with many chanting against Hamas in a rare display of public anger against the militant group.
Palestinians chanted against Hamas during an anti-war protest in northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, videos showed. Wednesday's protest comes after similar ones the day before, marking a rare show of public anger against the militant group that has long repressed dissent and still rules the territory 17 months into the war with Israel.
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shake hands after a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A man stands next of destroyed car at the site of an Israeli army strike that hit a building in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet hits a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Firemen work on the site of an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Firemen inspect the area after an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Firemen work on the site of an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Firemen work on the site of an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Firemen work on the site of an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Israel on Friday launched an attack on Lebanon's capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November.
Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a loud boom and witnessed smoke rising from an area in the city's southern suburbs that Israel's military had vowed to strike.
It marked Israel's first strike on Beirut since a ceasefire took hold last November between it and the Hezbollah militant group, though Israel has attacked targets in southern Lebanon almost daily since then.
A girl reacts after an Israeli army airstrike hit the nearby neighborhood of Hadath, in Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Israel's army said it had hit a Hezbollah drone storage facility in Dahiyeh, which it called a militant stronghold. The strike came after Israel, which accuses Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields, warned residents to evacuate the area.
The area struck is a residential and commercial area and is close to at least two schools.
This is a locator map for Lebanon with its capital, Beirut. (AP Photo)
Israeli officials said the attack was retaliation for rockets it said had been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel. They promised strikes on Beirut would continue unless Lebanon's government worked to ensure such attacks ceased.
“We will not allow firing at our communities, not even a trickle,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “We will attack everywhere in Lebanon, against any threat to the State of Israel.”
Hezbollah denied firing the rockets, and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue attacking Lebanon.
Lebanon's government ordered all schools and universities in Beirut's southern suburb of Hadath to close for the day. Residents were seen fleeing the area in cars and on foot ahead of the strike.
Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel by its Hamas allies ignited the war in Gaza. Palestinian militants killed about 1,200 in Israel and abducted 251 others during the 2023 attack.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict exploded into all-out war last September when Israel carried out waves of airstrikes and killed most of the militant group's senior leaders. The fighting killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced about 60,000 Israelis.
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from all Lebanese territory by late January. The deadline was extended to Feb. 18, but Israel has remained in five border locations while carrying out dozens of strikes on what it said were Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon. Last week, Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Lebanon killed six people.
Speaking in Paris, Lebanon's President, Joseph Aoun, said the Beirut area strike was a continuation “of Israel's violations of the agreement” sponsored by France and the U.S.
During a joint news conference with Aoun, French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack “unacceptable,” and promised to address it with Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. Macron said that the U.S. can exert pressure on Israel.
The U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the escalation had created “a critical period for Lebanon and the wider region.”
Israeli strikes in other parts of Lebanon on Friday killed three people and wounded 18, including children and women, in the southern village of Kfar Tibnit, said Lebanon's health ministry.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The strikes comes less than two weeks after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas with surprise strikes that killed hundreds of people in Gaza. Earlier this month, Israel halted deliveries of food, fuel, medicine and humanitarian aid to Gaza's roughly 2 million Palestinians.
Israel has vowed to escalate the war until Hamas returns 59 hostages it still holds — 24 of them believed to be alive. Israel is demanding that the group give up power, disarm and send its leaders into exile.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israel's offensive in the Strip has killed over 50,000 people and wounded 114,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants.
The ministry said Friday that nearly 900 have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire ended in mid-March, including more than 40 over the past 24 hours.
——————
Associated Press reporters Julia Frankel in Jerusalem and Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.
Lebanese army soldiers inspect the site that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
———-
Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar with aftershocks felt in Thailand and China, causing widespread devastation. Naypyidaw reported at least 144 fatalities, with many still trapped.
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has rocked central Myanmar with aftershocks felt in Thailand and China.
In Myanmar's capital, Naypyidaw, cars were flipped over, buildings destroyed and state television reported at least 144 fatalities.
Authorities fear many people are still trapped under the rubble and that the death toll could rise.
The quake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, at 12:50pm local time, followed by a magnitude 6.4 aftershock.
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European governments have updated their travel advice for tourists in the area and with upcoming trips.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar at midday local time on 28 March, sending violent tremors across Thailand and as far as China.
The jolt caused a skyscraper to crumble in the Thai capital Bangkok, causing three deaths and leaving 81 people still missing under the rubble.
European governments have updated their travel advice for tourists in Thailand and with upcoming trips. Here's what you need to know about safety and travel insurance.
The earthquake, whose epicentre was near the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, has caused dozens of buildings to collapse. Its shallow depth of 10 metres amplified the ground-level impact.
A 6.4 magnitude aftershock was also felt 12 minutes later near the city, the US Geological Survey reported, with tremors being felt as far away as Laos, Bangladesh and China.
Footage reportedly filmed inside Mandalay airport shows people running through dust-filled hallways and huddled on the floor outside the building for safety.
In the town of Taungoo in Myanmar, the partial collapse of a mosque killed two people, according to Reuters.
Local media reports that at least two people have died and 20 have been injured after a hotel crumbled in Aungban in the south of the country.
There are likely many more casualties across the country, but its volatile political situation under a military-run government means journalists have restricted access and reports from the ground are difficult to verify.
A state of emergency has been declared in six regions and states in Myanmar by authorities.
In Bangkok, the tower block that came down was under construction. A rescue worker said seven people had been found alive but 81 people are still missing.
Authorities have reportedly received 169 calls about damage to buildings in the Thai capital. It has been declared a ‘disaster area'.
Hundreds of residents and tourists have been evacuated to the streets from high-rise buildings and hotels, while there are reports of water sloshing out of swimming pools in several parts of the city.
Thailand is a tourism hotspot which is seeing a spike in visitors after the HBO series The White Lotus was set in a resort in the country.
After the earthquake rocked the capital Bangkok, urban rail and metro systems were temporarily closed and are expected to resume services on Saturday.
Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport was briefly shut down in the immediate aftermath but has now reopened, with flights operating normally. Thailand's other major airports have not experienced disruption.
Local authorities have advised the public to avoid high-rise buildings, which crowd the densely populated city.
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for Thailand.
“If you're in the area or planning to travel there, follow the advice of the local authorities or your tour operator and monitor local media,” it urges travellers.
Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has updated its security status for Thailand to ‘high degree of caution'.
“We encourage citizens to follow the instructions of local authorities in the event of an emergency,” it has said.
There is also ongoing advice (unrelated to the earthquake) from the FCDO against all but essential travel to parts of south Thailand near the Thailand-Malaysia border.
This includes the Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat Provinces and the southern Songkhla Province south of the A43 road between Hat Yai and Sakom and south of the train line which runs between Hat Yai and Padang Besar.
FCDO also advises against all but essential travel on the Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line that runs through these provinces. This is due to regular attacks in these areas by the border with Malaysia.
The FCDO has also issued updated advice for travellers in Myanmar, stating that the epicentre is in the Sagaing region near Mandalay, but other areas may also be affected.
“Mandalay airport is reportedly closed. There may be several strong after-shocks.
“If you're in the area or planning to travel there, follow the advice of the local authorities and monitor local media.”
The UK foreign office warns that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against its advice. This means going to areas where it advises against all but essential travel.
As it has not issued a ‘no-go' warning for earthquake-affected zones, you are not automatically entitled to a refund if you cancel your trip - referred to as ‘disinclination to travel'.
Reimbursement is only likely if your flight is cancelled by the airline or your accommodation is closed due to the earthquake.
If you have booked with a travel agent or tour operator, contact the company directly to understand your options.
“If you are travelling to Thailand over the next few days, speak to your airline or travel operator in the first instance. It may be that some regions of Thailand will be deemed unsafe to travel, in which case airlines will cancel flights, but disruption is likely to be localised so it will depend on which region you are travelling to," says Ernesto Suarez, CEO of travel insurance providers Gigasure.
“When disruption is caused by natural disasters or circumstances outside of an airline's control, passengers are normally allowed to change their booking, but you may not be entitled to any additional compensation.
Some insurance policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents travellers from reaching their holiday destination. You should read the terms and conditions carefully and talk to your provider for advice.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northern Greenland on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, file)
Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northern Greenland on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, file)
Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base) in northern Greenland on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. (Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, file)
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — The remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which Vice President JD Vance is visiting on Friday, is the U.S. Department of Defense's northernmost installation.
The base was built following a 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. It supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.
The Pituffik base is located on the northwestern coast of Greenland, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) north of the the Arctic Circle and 1,524 kilometers (947 miles) south of the North Pole. It is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) north of Greenland's capital, Nuuk.
It was known as the Thule Air Base until 2023, when it was renamed to recognize Greenlandic cultural heritage and reflect its role in the relatively new U.S. Space Force.
The base is locked in by ice for nine months of the year, but its airfield remains open all year round. It is in constant darkness from November to February and constant daylight from May to August.
It is operated by the 821st Space Base Group and is also home to the world's northernmost deepwater sea port. The nearest town is Qaanaaq, around 120 kilometers (75 miles) to the northwest.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Israel has launched an attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November. Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a large boom and witnessed smoke rising from the area that Israel's military had vowed to strike. (AP video shot by: Fadi Tawil)
Thousands of Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Thursday night to demonstrate as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves to oust top security and legal officials. (AP Video: Ami Bentov)
Lebanon's Health Ministry reported on Friday that three people were killed and 18 wounded in Israeli air strikes on the southern village of Kfar Tibnit.
Firemen inspect the area after an Israeli army strike in the suburb of Dahiye, Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Residents stand in the street for safety after an Israeli army airstrike hit the nearby neighbourhood of Hadath, in Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrive for a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attend a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
Students walk on a road near the house of Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar winner documentary “No Other Land”, who was attacked by Jewish settlers before being detained by the Israeli army in the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south Hebron hills Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Iranian demonstrators walk on a caricature of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the annual anti-Israeli Quds Day, or Jerusalem Day rally in support of Palestinians, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Israel launched an attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday for the first time since a ceasefire ended fighting between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group in November. Associated Press reporters in Beirut heard a large boom and witnessed smoke billowing from the area that Israel's military had vowed to strike.
Earlier Friday, Israel's army urgently warned people to evacuate parts of a Beirut suburb, vowing to retaliate against strikes which it said were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel.
A bomb dropped from an Israeli jet falls before hitting a building in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Hezbollah denied firing the rockets at northern Israel, and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to continue attacking Lebanon. Israel has struck targets in southern Lebanon almost daily since a ceasefire took hold in November 2024, mostly targeting Hezbollah.
Here's the latest:
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Israel continues to strike Gaza.
Publishable for Latest
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
The grim reality of the ongoing war in Gaza means Palestinians will have a somber Eid al-Fitr holiday this year, instead of celebrating with family gatherings, new clothes and delicious meals.
“We don't have anything for Ramadan or Eid al-Fitr,” said Mohamed Attia. “We lost our house.”
AP video footage shows a bustling market in northern Gaza surrounded by the ruins of destroyed buildings. Stalls display clothing, accessories and other items, while several people gather around a cart selling sweets.
“We got clothes from a charity,” said Ghada al-Borei, a mother of seven, who says she's heavily reliant on aid and could only buy clothing for he youngest child.
“Most of my relatives were killed during the war. This Eid is harder than the previous one,” said al-Borei, who used to work as a private tutor.
Eid al-Fitr, celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year at the end of Ramadan, is typically a joyous three-day holiday.
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrive for a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
The aid group World Central Kitchen says an Israeli airstrike killed one of its volunteers near a charity kitchen in Gaza distributing meals to besieged Palestinians. The strike wounded six other people, the U.S.-based charity said.
In a statement Friday, World Central Kitchen said it would continue to “operate our field kitchens where possible, based on daily assessments.” The statement didn't give the location of the strike. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Last spring, Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza — three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.
The killings reverberated around the world and prompted multiple charities to suspend food deliveries to Gaza. Since the beginning of this month, Israel has again been blocking all food and other aid from entering Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his military's strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut marked an “example” of Israel's “determination” to act against its northern neighbor.
“We will not allow firing on our communities, not even a trickle,” Netanyahu said in a statement Friday. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the ceasefire, we will attack everywhere in Lebanon, against any threat to the State of Israel, and we will ensure that all our residents in the north return to their homes safely.”
Israel's military says rocket fire from Lebanon targeted Israel earlier in the day, prompting the military to flatten a building in Beirut which it said was a Hezbollah drone storage site. Hezbollah denied firing rockets into Israel.
The Israeli defense minister threatened to keep striking Lebanon following his country's first strike in Beirut since the ceasefire with Hezbollah late last year.
Residents stand in the street for safety after an Israeli army airstrike hit the nearby neighbourhood of Hadath, in Beirut, Friday March 28, 2025.(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Israel Katz said that without peace in the northern Israeli region near Lebanon, called the Galilee, “there will be no peace in Beirut. For any attempt to harm the Galilee communities, the roofs of the houses in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut will shake.”
Israel struck Dahiyeh, the southern suburbs of Beirut, Friday afternoon, saying it had targeted a Hezbollah drone storage facility. It came after Israel said rockets from Lebanon crossed into Israel earlier in the day.
“I am sending a clear message from here to the Lebanese government: If you do not enforce the ceasefire agreement we will enforce it,” said Katz.
Palestinian shepherds were attacked by Israeli settlers in the south of the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestinian paramedics and the head of the Palestinian governing body in the area.
One 70-year old man was sent to the hospital because of the attacks and videos from the scene showed at least two Palestinian men lying on the ground, their faces covered with lacerations.
The episode in Jinba follows a nearby settler attack earlier this week that bloodied a Palestinian Oscar-winning co-director, and comes amid a surge of reported attacks in the area of the West Bank known as Masafer Yatta.
Palestinian paramedics said five Palestinians were injured in the attack.
Nidal Younis, the head of the Masafer Yatta village council, witnessed part of the attack and was detained for two hours shortly after by police. Following his release, he said “dozens of settlers came with Jeeps, ATVs, and some on foot,” descending on the village and attacking residents, including two elderly shepherds.
Younis said Israel's military prevented Palestinians from nearby villages from helping and threw stun grenades at homes, a claim to which the military did not immediately respond.
Israeli police said they had detained 22 Palestinians from the village on suspicion of stone throwing and injuring two settler shepherds, who they said were minorly injured and evacuated by Israeli paramedics.
Masafer Yatta was designated by the Israeli military as a live-fire training zone in the 1980s, and the military has ordered the expulsion of the residents, mostly Arab Bedouin. Around 1,000 residents have largely remained in place, but soldiers regularly come in to demolish homes, tents, water tanks and olive orchards.
Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli forces usually turn a blind eye or intervene on behalf of the settlers.
The war in Gaza has sparked a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military carrying out widescale military operations that have killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. There has been a rise in settler violence as well as Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has condemned the Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburb and any attempt to “bring back the circle of violence” to the small nation.
Speaking during a news conference in Paris, Aoun said Lebanese army is investigating who fired the rockets and “we will not allow anyone to use Lebanon as a launching pad.”
“I call on Lebanon's friends to act quickly to stop the deterioration and help Lebanon implement international resolutions,” Aoun said.
Speaking alongside Aoun, French president Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to withdraw from five posts it is holding inside Lebanon.
French president Emmanuel Macron condemned Friday what he called “unacceptable strikes on Beirut” after Israel launched an attack on the Lebanese capital for the first time since a ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in November.
Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Lebanon president Joseph Aoun, Macron said the renewed tensions “mark a turning point.”
“Today's strikes and the failure to respect the ceasefire are unilateral actions that betray a given promise and play into Hezbollah's hands,” he said.
He said he will speak with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the coming hours over the situation in Lebanon.
He added that France will continue to be at Lebanon's side to help it preserve its sovereignty and guarantee its security.
“This is what we want to do alongside you in the south. This is also what we want to do on the border with Syria, where the situation is also extremely delicate,” Macron said.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on a southern Lebanese village has killed three and wounded 18 others.
The ministry added that those wounded in the airstrike on the village of Kfar Tibnit earlier Friday included six children and eight women.
The strike came hours after Israel said two rockets were fired from Lebanon toward northern Israel. Lebanon's Hezbollah group denied it fired the rockets.
The Israeli military confirmed striking a Hezbollah drone storage site in Dahiyeh, the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The military said it carried out the strike after rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon earlier in the morning in “blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.” It pledged to continue operations “in order to remove any threat to the civilians of the State of Israel.”
Chaos engulfed the southern suburbs of Beirut as Lebanese tried to flee the area, and a large smoke cloud rose over the city following the strike.
Tens of thousands of Muslims gathered at the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers, marking the last Friday observance of a holiday which has passed tensely but without the violence of years past in the contested capital.
The Islamic Trust, which oversees the site, said that 75,000 worshippers gathered, kneeling before the golden Dome of the Rock on the sprawling mosque compound.
Israeli police said they deployed thousands of officers across the city to maintain order and pledged to continue operations.
The Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha is set to begin within the coming days.
Palestinian Muslim worshippers pray during Laylat Al Qadr, also known as the Night of Power and marked on the 27th day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in front of the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Two people died on Friday when supporters of Nepal's former king clashed with police during a rally in the capital to demand restoration of the Himalayan nation's abolished monarchy. (AP video: Upendraman Singh)
A pro-monarchist group hurls tear gas shell at police officers during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Police secure the site of a house set on fire by a pro-monarchist group during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A pro-monarchist group hurls stones at police officers during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A pro-monarchist supporter carrying former late king Mahendra Shah photo take cover during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
A policeman fires a tear gas shell during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Pro-monarchist supporters vandalize the office of the Communist Party of Nepal office during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Policemen take cover as they clash with pro-monarchist supporters during a protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A television cameraman was among two people who died on Friday when supporters of Nepal ‘s former king clashed with police during a rally in the capital to demand restoration of the Himalayan nation's abolished monarchy.
Several protesters and police officers were injured in the clashes. The Home Ministry said an injured protester died while getting treatment at a hospital, while a local TV station said one of its staff was killed when a building he was filming from was set on fire.
The government imposed a curfew in the areas where the clashes happened in Kathmandu after the police in riot gear used tear gas, batons and water canon against the protesters.
Thousands of supporters of former king Gyanendra Shah had gathered at the eastern edge of Kathmandu for the rally organized by an alliance of groups supporting the ex-monarch.
The gathering near the airport had been planned as a peaceful rally, but trouble began when some protesters in a white pickup drove at a police barricade, colliding with several officers. Police responded by shooting tear gas shells and spraying the crowd with water canon.
On the other side of the capital, thousands of people who support the present republican system of government gathered Friday for a counter rally. The rally participants were from the opposition parties led by the Maoists, a group that fought an armed rebellion from 1996-2006 to oust the monarchy.
“It is impossible for the monarchy to come back. It is ridiculous to even think that something that is already dead and cremated could come back to life,” said Ram Kumar Shrestha, a Maoist supporter.
There has been growing demand in recent months for Shah to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion. Royalist groups accuse the country's major political parties of corruption and failed governance and say people are frustrated with politicians.
“We need the country to return to monarchy and the king to come back, because the political parties and system have failed in the country,” said Rajendra Bahadur Khati, one of the participants at the pro-monarchy rally. “When the source is so polluted the entire system has gotten rotten.”
Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy.
Gyanendra, who left the Royal Palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 centred in the Sagaing region near the Myanmar city of Mandalay caused extensive damage in that country and also shook neighbouring Thailand on Friday.
HOW VULNERABLE IS MYANMAR TO EARTHQUAKES?
Myanmar lies on the boundary between two tectonic plates and is one of the world's most seismically active countries, although large and destructive earthquakes have been relatively rare in the Sagaing region.
"The plate boundary between the India Plate and Eurasia Plate runs approximately north-south, cutting through the middle of the country," said Joanna Faure Walker, a professor and earthquake expert at University College London.
She said the plates move past each other horizontally at different speeds. While this causes "strike slip" quakes that are normally less powerful than those seen in "subduction zones" like Sumatra, where one plate slides under another, they can still reach magnitudes of 7 to 8.
WHY WAS FRIDAY'S QUAKE SO DAMAGING?
Sagaing has been hit by several quakes in recent years, with a 6.8 magnitude event causing at least 26 deaths and dozens of injuries in late 2012.
But Friday's event was "probably the biggest" to hit Myanmar's mainland in three quarters of a century, said Bill McGuire, another earthquake expert at UCL.
Roger Musson, honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, told Reuters that the shallow depth of the quake meant the damage would be more severe. The quake's epicentre was at a depth of just 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.
"This is very damaging because it has occurred at a shallow depth, so the shockwaves are not dissipated as they go from the focus of the earthquake up to the surface. The buildings received the full force of the shaking."
"It's important not to be focused on epicentres because the seismic waves don't radiate out from the epicentre - they radiate out from the whole line of the fault," he added.
HOW PREPARED WAS MYANMAR?
The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program said on Friday that fatalities could be between 10,000 and 100,000 people, and the economic impact could be as high as 70% of Myanmar's GDP.
Musson said such forecasts are based on data from past earthquakes and on Myanmar's size, location and overall quake readiness.
The relative rarity of large seismic events in the Sagaing region - which is close to heavily populated Mandalay - means that infrastructure had not been built to withstand them. That means the damage could end up being far worse.
Musson said that the last major quake to hit the region was in 1956, and homes are unlikely to have been built to withstand seismic forces as powerful as those that hit on Friday.
"Most of the seismicity in Myanmar is further to the west whereas this is running down the centre of the country," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Tremors from the powerful quake caused deaths and damages in the Thai capital of Bangkok, thousands of miles away from the earthquake's epicentre.
A strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck early afternoon in Myanmar on Friday, causing deaths and damages in the country and Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand.
At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, where aid groups have warned damage is significant in hard to reach locations. Another 730 were injured.
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told state-run TV.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake was shallow with a depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was near the Burmese city of Sagaing, close to Mandalay.
A second quake, with a magnitude of 6.4, shook the area 12 minutes later.
Tremors were felt all the way in Bangkok, where eight people were killed and 81 construction workers remain missing after the quake caused a 30-storey building in the capital to collapse in Bangkok's Chatuchak Park area.
Seven were rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building, the National Institute for Emergency Medicine said in a Facebook post.
A video circulated on social media showed the multi-story structure sway and crumble into a cloud of dust as onlookers screamed and ran.
Thai authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the major earthquake hitting the city, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday.
In Myanmar, state-run MRTV said the the military-run government declared a state of emergency across six regions and states.
Major General Zaw Min Tun, a military government spokesperson said blood was in high demand in the hospitals in earthquakes-hit areas, especially Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyitaw.
He urged blood donors to contact hospitals as soon as possible.
The Red Cross said initial reports from the ground suggested the earthquake caused "significant damage", adding that damaged power lines were preventing their teams from reaching the affected Mandalay and Sagaing regions.
The official number of casualties took hours to trickle in, with the full extent of death, injury and destruction still not yet known. Information is tightly controlled in Myanmar, where the government has been embroiled in civil war after a coup in 2021.
AFP reported that the ruling miltary junta made a rare request for international humanitarian aid, leaving aid agencies scrambling to assess the humanitarian needs and work out how to reach the country, which is isolated from the outside world.
In the Saigaing region, a 90-year old bridge collapsed as sections of the highway connecting Mandalay to Yangon were damaged. In the capital Naypyitaw, religious shrines were also damaged, with parts toppling to the ground.
The quake caused alarms to go off in buildings across Bangkok, and thousands of residents ran down the staircases of high-rise apartments and hotels onto the street. Videos on social media showed people gathering in the streets of the Thai capital.
The tremors were forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.
Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, was at a streetside bar when the quake struck.
“When I saw the building, oh my God, that's when ... it hit me,” he said. “There was people crying in the streets and, you know, the panic was horrendous really.”
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra warned Bangkok residents to remain calm as the city prepared an emergency response.
“I'd like to ask everyone to stay calm and do not panic, but please be careful,” Shinawatra said, warning that there could be possible aftershocks.
More than 17 million people live in the greater Bangkok area, many of whom are in high-rise apartments.
Ukraine says the minerals deal presented by the United States differs substantially from an earlier framework that had been agreed upon.
DNIPRO, Ukraine — A new U.S. proposal for a minerals deal with Ukraine dramatically changes the last terms Kyiv proposed to Washington and does not provide security guarantees, according to Ukrainian officials and a draft of the document, setting the stage for potential further tension between the countries as the White House pushes for access to Ukraine's natural resources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters Friday that his office had received a new proposal from Washington on Friday. That proposal followed an earlier document Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko had received from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Zelensky said. Svyrydenko told him it was “entirely different” from an earlier framework agreement and “includes things that were not previously discussed and contains elements that had already been rejected by both sides,” he said.
“I will only consider the version that was officially submitted to our side. The format has changed, so let's study that format first, and then we can talk,” Zelensky said. Any further changes must be thoroughly reviewed, he said, adding that he will only review it personally and speak publicly on it once lawyers “confirm that everything complies with Ukrainian law and our constitution.” Ukraine will not agree to any proposal that could disrupt its plan to join the European Union, he said.
Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that he hopes to get to full discussions “and even get signatures next week” on the deal.
National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said this week that “the mineral deal offers Ukraine the opportunity to form an enduring economic relationship with the United States that is the basis for long-term security and peace.”
A quick approval is unlikely, however, judging by the reaction of Ukrainian lawmakers and officials. The new draft deal, said one senior official, looks like “Ukraine was in the war with U.S., lost, [was] captured and now has to pay lifetime reparations.” The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials were set to sign a framework agreement in Washington last month, which would have laid the groundwork for cooperation and mutual benefit from future extraction of Ukraine's mineral deposits. But after an explosive Oval Office meeting between Zelensky and President Donald Trump last month, plans were abruptly canceled for the rest of the visit, and the proposal was never signed. Zelensky has addressed the issue carefully in public, aware that disagreements over the deal could displease the White House.
On Thursday, he said, “I want to make it clear that we do not want the United States to think that Ukraine is opposed to this process overall.”
Now Washington has stunned Kyiv by preparing a new, much more extensive draft of a deal, first published by the Financial Times on Thursday. The senior Ukrainian official verified to The Washington Post that the 55-page document published by the newspaper is legitimate.
The new document does not include any security guarantees and considers all U.S. support to Ukraine during the war thus far as debt to be paid back with interest from the proceeds of the deal. It also gives the U.S. the “right of first offer” on all investments related to energy and minerals, effectively allowing U.S. control.
The senior official said the draft raises major concerns for Ukraine, since it reclassifies past U.S. grants as loans to be repaid. Washington is also requesting “50 percent from all new and existing revenue sources without U.S. contribution at all.”
Svyrydenko confirmed during a meeting with the Ukrainian parliament on Friday that Ukraine has received a working version of the deal and is reviewing it. She urged caution against public discourse.
“Any public discussions about the text of this agreement at this stage are only harmful to the negotiation process and hinder our ability to conduct a constructive dialogue with our American partners,” she said.
A former Ukrainian official familiar with negotiations said the new proposal may just be an initial negotiating stance from the United States, but it “is terrible for Ukraine.” The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
“There is not any chance it would be signed in this version,” the former official said.
The proposed board of the fund managing all investments would consist of three U.S. and two Ukrainian representatives, giving the United States a constant majority and effective control of decision-making. The two Ukrainian members of the board would need to be vetted by Washington and could be subject to dismissal at any time.
“What's the point? They could accept anyone given that they won't be able to do anything meaningful,” the former official said. “Either they are very impudent or trying to start with too aggressive position just to be able to make some small concessions.”
Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak told The Post that parliament wants fair cooperation with the United States but “absolutely will not support” the current version of the deal.
“The issue is that this agreement, as it stands, isn't just ‘not beneficial enough' — it's outright not neutral,” he said. In a public Telegram post, he described the deal as “frankly, horrifying,” pointing to how it would provide American access to all of Ukraine's mineral, oil and gas reserves in perpetuity.
Profits would immediately be converted into foreign currency and transferred abroad, he said, and the U.S. would get the “first refusal on all new infrastructure projects and a veto on selling resources to third countries” with “no mention whatsoever of security guarantees. Not even a hint.”
“It can and must be changed,” Zheleznyak said.
Some Americans tracking the negotiations said that they felt the issues could be resolved through more talks.
“The agreement is confusing as drafted,” said an American lawyer who invests in Ukraine, who reviewed the draft. “I can see the Ukrainian government being concerned because this fundamental ambiguity in the structure is not resolved. Where is the capital to do this?”
“So the Ukrainian government should be negotiating. Now is not the time to talk in public to express concern. It's time to negotiate,” said the lawyer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of their business in Ukraine.
Drew Horn, a former U.S. official who now leads GreenMet, a Washington-based advisory company that advised the Trump administration on critical minerals and mining, said that there was a “real business case” for the critical mineral deal, but that negotiations would be complex.
“I think there's a solution there that meets both the U.S. and Ukrainian needs,” he said.
On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine remains committed to reaching a “win-win” deal that would lead to the advantageous “presence of American business here, strategic and long-term, for many years.”
The proposed deal for Washington to profit from Ukraine's mineral wealth became a priority for the Trump administration, which first presented a draft agreement to Zelensky in early February. The initial proposal — much like the current one — did not include security guarantees for Ukraine and was framed as a way for Ukraine to reimburse the U.S. for past assistance, which was not provided at the time with the expectation it would have to be repaid.
Bessent presented the deal to Zelensky in a visit to Kyiv in early February, expecting him to sign on immediately. Zelensky declined to do so.
Ukrainian officials then worked to rewrite the deal with more favorable terms, including broad language about security guarantees and joint control over the future fund controlling the profits from Ukrainian resources.
Ukraine has long hoped that any such mineral deal would include a written offer of serious security guarantees for the country. Kyiv has made clear that U.S. investment in its natural resources and the presence of U.S. companies in Ukraine alone will not serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
Zelensky has also repeatedly said publicly that he would not agree to any deal that would leave future generations of Ukrainians in debt.
Morgunov reported from Potsdam, Germany. Adam Taylor in Washington contributed reporting.
Skywatchers and astronomy enthusiasts are in for a spectacular celestial event as a partial solar eclipse is set to take place on March 29, Saturday. This breathtaking phenomenon will be the first solar eclipse of 2025. Unlike a total eclipse, this one will only partially cover the Sun, creating a stunning crescent-shaped spectacle in the sky. According to NASA, the partial solar eclipse will be visible across various regions, including parts of Europe, Northwestern Africa, Greenland, Iceland, and parts of the northeastern US and eastern Canada.
A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, but not perfectly aligned, causing only a portion of the Sun to be blocked. This creates a stunning crescent-shaped Sun in the sky, making it look like the Sun has grown a pair of devil horns.
The partial solar eclipse will be visible in the wee hours of March 29, throwing its shadow over areas like New York City, Boston, Montreal and Quebec. Parts of Africa, Siberia, the Caribbean, and Europe will also be able to see a shallower partial eclipse.
In the US, the eclipse will begin at around 4:50 am EDT. It will peak at 6:47 am EDT and end at 8:43 am EDT. The following states will have some of the best views of the partial solar eclipse, as reported by USA Today:
Additionally, the partial solar eclipse will be across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. However, visibility will depend on local weather conditions, so clear skies will be essential for an optimal viewing experience.
In Europe, the eclipse will begin after 10 am GMT and end at about 12 noon. The eclipse will peak at around 11:03 am GMT with about 40% coverage, Live Science reported. It will be visible across the continent, especially in Northern and Central Europe.
In India, the solar eclipse will begin at 2:20 pm IST and end at 6:13 pm, lasting approximately four hours. The eclipse will be at its peak at 04:17 pm. However, India will not be able to see the eclipse because of the time difference and the event's alignment.
Unlike a lunar eclipse, which can be safely observed with the naked eye, a solar eclipse should not be watched directly. It can result in retinal burns and irreversible eye damage. Wearing appropriate eye protection is always advised when observing a solar eclipse. Homemade solutions, such as smoked glass or regular sunglasses, are also adequate and can lead to permanent eye damage.
Use only solar viewers that adhere to the international safety standard ISO 12312-2.
For online viewers, Timeanddate's stream will feature several views from across the world. The Royal Observatory Greenwich will also be hosting its own free live stream of the eclipse.
Myanmar Earthquake LIVE Updates: A state of 'emergency' has been declared in Myanmar.
Over 150 people were killed and hundreds injured after six earthquakes - the biggest of 7.7 magnitude - hit near Sagaing in central Myanmar at 12.50pm (local time) Friday, state-run broadcaster MRTV said.
The toll includes casualties from a hospital in capital Naypyidaw - which is likely to become a "mass casualty area", doctors there told news agency AFP - from a mosque in Mandalay that collapsed while people were praying inside, and a university building in the same city in which a fire broke out.
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who warned the number of dead will likely increase, has declared an 'emergency' and appealed for aid, asking for "any country and any organisation" to step forward.
Tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro and rail services were suspended in the Thai capital. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra broke off an official visit to Phuket to hold an urgent review meet, after which she too declared a state of 'emergency' in the city.
Eight deaths have been confirmed so far in Thailand.
China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, where tremors of 4.4 magnitude were recorded as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh.
Tremors and aftershocks were also felt in Vietnam and Bangladesh.
No deaths have been reported from China or elsewhere, so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India is ready to offer any assistance needed. "Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone," he posted on X. "... have asked our authorities to be on standby."
The leaders of European nations have also offered assistance.
Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
One particularly horrifying video showed water from an infinity pool falling over the edge.
Whole Bangkok shook like Crazy! #Bangkok #earthquake pic.twitter.com/99v7ySZDGc
And another showed a 30-floor, under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok's Chatuchak neighbourhood collapsing. According to Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, 84 workers were trapped.
"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," deputy police chief Worapat Sukthai, told AFP. "We estimate hundreds are injured but are still determining number of casualties." At least three deaths were confirmed from this spot so far.
Breaking: Video shows the moment a skyscraper under construction collapsed due to earthquake in Bangkok. pic.twitter.com/OIdxc4epKf
A hospital in the Myanmar capital received "hundreds of casualties", AFP reported.
Horrific visuals showed the entrance arch to the emergency department had collapsed onto a car, forcing medics to treat patients outside and on the road.
Meanwhile, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and several residential buildings also collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting dozens more may be trapped.
Devastation across the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, as a result of today's 7.7 magnitude earthquake, with dozens of buildings having collapsed as well as the Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River. pic.twitter.com/8YE8KsxXws
Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.
A Buddhist monastery collapsed near Taunggyi city, Shan State which is bordered to Thailand. pic.twitter.com/WmRjpndnjn
Rescue teams have launched extensive operations to search for survivors but the situation is dire, with reports of collapsed buildings and damaged infrastructure, particularly in the Mandalay region.
Roads between Mandalay and Yangon were also damaged and this has hampered relief efforts.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.
A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.
The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.
With input from agencies
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A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, killing more than 150 people and destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam.
At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and video from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage. At least eight died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise building was under construction collapsed.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake, with an epicentre near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock.
Thailand's defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai earlier said 90 people were missing at the site where a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the powerful earthquake.
Seven people were rescued earlier on Friday from the collapsed building near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak Market.
The epicentre of the earthquake was in neighbouring Myanmar which is embroiled in a brutal civil war that has already caused a widespread humanitarian crisis.
The full extent of the death, injury and destruction in Myanmar was not yet clear. Myanmar's government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas, and videos from the country showed multiple collapsed houses and buckled and cracked roads.
The multi-story structure in Bangkok collapsed after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck at midday local time on Friday, sending a crane on top toppling to the ground and a massive plume of dust into the air.
A dramatic video circulated on social media showed the collapse of the building, which was under construction, while onlookers screamed and ran.
Police told The Associated Press they were responding to the scene, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.
One construction worker was killed when rubble from the collapsing building site hit his truck and another was crushed by the falling debris, rescue worker Songwut Wangpon told reporters.
Rescuers said the rubble is still too unstable for them to try to find people possibly trapped beneath.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.
“All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” said Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many centres shopping for camera equipment.
“I just started walking calmly at first but then the building started really moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall.”
Like thousands of others in downtown Bangkok, Mr Morton sought refuge in Benjasiri Park, away from the tall buildings.
“I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense,” he said. “Lots of chaos.”
Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer working in central Bangkok, said her first indication that something was wrong came when she saw a light swinging back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking as it moved from the shockwaves.
She and her colleagues ran down 12 flights of stairs.
“In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,” she said.
Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, was at a streetside bar when the quake struck.
“The next thing, everybody came on the street, so there was a lot of screaming and panicking, which obviously made it a lot worse,” he said.
As he came onto the street, he said he saw a high-rise building swaying and water falling from a rooftop pool.
“When I saw the building, oh my God, that's when … it hit me,” he said. “There was people crying in the streets and, you know, the panic was horrendous really.”
The US Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ centre for geosciences said the incident was at a shallow 6.2 miles, with an epicentre in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
A state of emergency was declared in six regions and states in Myanmar.
State-run MRTV television said the military-run government's proclamation includes the capital Naypyitaw and Mandalay.
A second quake, with a magnitude of 6.4, shook the area 12 minutes later.
The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
Alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1.30pm local time, and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise buildings and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.
They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake.
The quake was forceful enough to send water sloshing out of pools, some high up in high-rises, as the tremor shook.
Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention said the earthquake was felt in almost all regions of the country.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 30 miles east of the city of Monywa in Myanmar.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the earthquake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.
In Mandalay, the country's second-largest city and close to the epicentre, the earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings, according to videos and photos released on Facebook.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.
In the Sagaing region just southwest of Mandalay, a 90-year-old bridge collapsed, and some sections of the road connecting Mandalay and Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were also damaged.
Residents in Yangon rushed out of their homes when the quake struck.
The Red Cross said downed power lines are adding to challenges for their teams trying to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and southern Shan state.
“Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage,” the Red Cross said. “Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”
Christian Aid said its partners and colleagues on the ground reported that a dam burst in Mandalay, causing water levels to rise in the lowland areas in the area.
“This disaster will have left people devastated and in need of drinking water, food and shelter,” said Julie Mehigan, head of Asia, Middle East and Europe for Christian Aid.
“Myanmar is one of the least developed countries in the world. Even before this heartbreaking earthquake, we know conflict and displacement has left countless people in real need.”
To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in China and caused damage to houses and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said it had received from a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people could not stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Pope Francis, who is convalescing after a five-week hospital stay for life-threatening double pneumonia, offered prayers to the victims of the earthquake.
“The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Early every Friday morning on my way to buy challot for Shabbat, I have for years dutifully stopped at the Jerusalem Municipality's recycling bin behind Yad Sarah's headquarters to deposit the large number of newspapers that I read and accumulate as a journalist.A few weeks ago as I was doing this, a Sanitation Department employee emptying the green garbage bin full of regular refuse told me, “You are wasting your time. All the garbage from the city's recycling bins for paper, plastic, metal, and glass – and even batteries – are mixed together with the regular garbage to bring to the GreenNet recycling plant in Atarot in the north of the city, where everything is sorted automatically. So put it all in the regular bin near your house.”A bit incredulous, I began to investigate. The office of municipal spokesman Daniel Ohayon declared: “It's not true. Jerusalemites should continue to sort their garbage and deposit it in the recycling bins.” When I asked to interview a senior city official who is in charge of recycling, I was turned down several times and told to “just write what we have said.” Suspicious, I found the phone number of GreenNet, reached the executive offices, and was told officially that “we really do sort everything. Jerusalemites can throw everything into the bin near their homes. We do the work. It is all separated without human contact into various types – aluminum, iron, paper, and organic materials that are sold to customers in Israel and around the world.”GreenNet said that it is “fully owned by the Y.S. Jacobi Brothers Group. Our plant sorts and treats all municipal waste from over a million residents of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The facility's absorption capacity is approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day, which is sorted using our unique systems into types of plastic, paper, metals, non-metals, and organic waste.” Men are seen gathering up garbage from Jerusalem's streets. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
A few weeks ago as I was doing this, a Sanitation Department employee emptying the green garbage bin full of regular refuse told me, “You are wasting your time. All the garbage from the city's recycling bins for paper, plastic, metal, and glass – and even batteries – are mixed together with the regular garbage to bring to the GreenNet recycling plant in Atarot in the north of the city, where everything is sorted automatically. So put it all in the regular bin near your house.”A bit incredulous, I began to investigate. The office of municipal spokesman Daniel Ohayon declared: “It's not true. Jerusalemites should continue to sort their garbage and deposit it in the recycling bins.” When I asked to interview a senior city official who is in charge of recycling, I was turned down several times and told to “just write what we have said.” Suspicious, I found the phone number of GreenNet, reached the executive offices, and was told officially that “we really do sort everything. Jerusalemites can throw everything into the bin near their homes. We do the work. It is all separated without human contact into various types – aluminum, iron, paper, and organic materials that are sold to customers in Israel and around the world.”GreenNet said that it is “fully owned by the Y.S. Jacobi Brothers Group. Our plant sorts and treats all municipal waste from over a million residents of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The facility's absorption capacity is approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day, which is sorted using our unique systems into types of plastic, paper, metals, non-metals, and organic waste.” Men are seen gathering up garbage from Jerusalem's streets. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
A bit incredulous, I began to investigate. The office of municipal spokesman Daniel Ohayon declared: “It's not true. Jerusalemites should continue to sort their garbage and deposit it in the recycling bins.” When I asked to interview a senior city official who is in charge of recycling, I was turned down several times and told to “just write what we have said.” Suspicious, I found the phone number of GreenNet, reached the executive offices, and was told officially that “we really do sort everything. Jerusalemites can throw everything into the bin near their homes. We do the work. It is all separated without human contact into various types – aluminum, iron, paper, and organic materials that are sold to customers in Israel and around the world.”GreenNet said that it is “fully owned by the Y.S. Jacobi Brothers Group. Our plant sorts and treats all municipal waste from over a million residents of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The facility's absorption capacity is approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day, which is sorted using our unique systems into types of plastic, paper, metals, non-metals, and organic waste.” Men are seen gathering up garbage from Jerusalem's streets. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
Suspicious, I found the phone number of GreenNet, reached the executive offices, and was told officially that “we really do sort everything. Jerusalemites can throw everything into the bin near their homes. We do the work. It is all separated without human contact into various types – aluminum, iron, paper, and organic materials that are sold to customers in Israel and around the world.”GreenNet said that it is “fully owned by the Y.S. Jacobi Brothers Group. Our plant sorts and treats all municipal waste from over a million residents of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The facility's absorption capacity is approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day, which is sorted using our unique systems into types of plastic, paper, metals, non-metals, and organic waste.” Men are seen gathering up garbage from Jerusalem's streets. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
GreenNet said that it is “fully owned by the Y.S. Jacobi Brothers Group. Our plant sorts and treats all municipal waste from over a million residents of the Jerusalem metropolitan area. The facility's absorption capacity is approximately 2,000 tons of waste per day, which is sorted using our unique systems into types of plastic, paper, metals, non-metals, and organic waste.” Men are seen gathering up garbage from Jerusalem's streets. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
I NEVER did like the recycling bins. Many of them are dirty, smelly, and ugly, with graffiti on them; many people leave bottles, cans, plastic containers, and other objects next to them instead of inside, thinking that some people make money from collecting them. Broken glass is often left on the pavement. The bins take up precious space on the sidewalks; and when the large garbage trucks come to narrow streets and raise them into the air to unload them, they stop traffic for several minutes at each bin. And the gasoline for these trucks and salaries for their drivers and workers must be paid. In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
In recent months, as I walk early every morning for an hour with my dog, I have checked the recycling bins and seen that most of them are almost empty – not because they are emptied by the men in the trucks all the time but apparently because Jerusalemites have heard that the sorting is done for all garbage in Atarot. We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
We used to have two large green garbage bins next to our building, with collection every other day. Suddenly, the city took one away, explaining that the trucks would now arrive daily. It seemed to me like a waste of gasoline and manpower.Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
Asked several times to comment, and still adamantly refusing to allow interviews as if the issue involved secrets of the General Security Services (Shabak), the municipal spokesman stated: “We categorically reject the claim that the recycling collection containers are empty. As a matter of fact, the data on separated waste indicates cooperation from the city's residents and the success of the source separation process. About seven tons of glass is collected in just one collection route, approximately 20 tons of packaging are collected weekly, and about 60 tons of cardboard are collected weekly.”IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
IN ACCORDANCE with the Packaging Law, the municipality is obligated to separate packaging waste at source and not to separate it at transit stations, the spokesman's office continued. “GreenNet serves as a supplementary layer in the recycling process and does not constitute a substitute for source separation,” the spokesman's office said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now “The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
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“The municipality operates with full transparency and even allows guided tours of the GreenNet station, which is not intended for the exchange of paper, glass, and electronic waste. Source separation ensures higher recycling quality, and this is the policy preferred by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the municipality.”When Jerusalem stopped sorting garbageHowever, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
However, in 2019 – six years ago – the weekly Jerusalem paper Kol Ha'ir reported that “in the past two weeks, the municipality has begun to evacuate the bottle-and-paper recycling facilities, which are located in neighborhoods throughout the city. The reason is that this is a municipal move because Atarot's GreenNet waste separation plant is responsible for recycling all waste of Jerusalemites, thereby, the municipality claims, freeing up areas throughout the city where the recycling facilities were located for other uses. “In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
“In fact, the Jerusalem Municipality is the first in Israel to discontinue the model that exists in many cities around the world – in which residents themselves separate their waste and throw it into designated recycling facilities,” the report said. “According to the new-old model, all garbage is thrown into one bag, without the need to separate waste and recycle, which will ultimately end up at the Atarot waste separation plant.” The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
The Kol Ha'ir article continued, saying that “the Jerusalem Municipality confirmed the details to us this week and stated that the garbage is diverted to the GreenNet recycling site, one of the most advanced in the country, where the garbage is sorted and transferred for recycling. There are 50 recycling centers spread throughout the city. Recently, some of the collection containers for recycling paper and bottles were removed from areas where there are recycling centers anyway, in order to improve the appearance of the city and the public space.”The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
The weekly paper concluded by quoting the Environmental Protection Ministry, which stated that it “is not aware of any changes made by the Jerusalem Municipality. According to the law, the municipality is obligated to separate waste for recycling based on the Waste Collection and Removal Law for Recycling, the Packaging Law, and the Electronic Waste Law.”Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
Confused? So am I. In the meantime, I am throwing my newspapers into the bin next to my house, and I have filed a complaint against the municipality with the State Ombudsman, demanding that it provide a detailed explanation of what is really going on.
Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy's statement defending its silence after Israeli settlers attacked his co-director Hamdan Ballal
The Israeli director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land has condemned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its response to a violent attack on his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal, who was beaten by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Monday.
Earlier this week, Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy for failing to publicly speak out in support of Ballal. Now he has criticised a statement issued by the Academy to its members on Wednesday, in which it appeared to defend its silence.
The statement, signed by the Academy chief executive, Bill Kramer, and president Janet Yang, did not refer to the attack or mention Ballal or his documentary.
“The Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints,” the statement read. “We are living in a time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty – across the globe, in the US and within our own industry. Understandably, we are often asked to speak on behalf of the Academy in response to social, political and economic events. In these instances, it is important to note that the Academy represents close to 11,000 global members with many unique viewpoints.”
Posting a screenshot of the full statement on X on Thursday, Abraham criticised the Academy for failing to name Ballal.
“After our criticism, the Academy's leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan's assault: they need to respect ‘unique viewpoints',” he wrote.
Abraham compared it to a “rightfully strong” statement made by the Academy in 2011 when the organisation condemned the arrest of six Iranian filmmakers by the Iranian government, including the detention of director Jafar Panahi.
The Academy did not respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
Ballal, one of the documentary's four directors – all from Israel and Palestine – was released from Israeli detention on Tuesday.
He told the Guardian that he “thought I was going to die” when Israeli soldiers had aided the settlers who attacked him on Monday outside his home in the village of Susya, in the Masafer Yatta area of the West Bank.
Ballal told the Guardian he was beaten while in detention.
“It was a revenge for our movie,” he said. “I heard the voices of the soldiers, they were laughing about me … I heard [the word] ‘Oscar'.”
No Other Land won the Oscar for best documentary less than a month ago, at a ceremony in Los Angeles.
Earlier this week Basel Adra, another of No Other Land's directors, told the Guardian he thought the film's international recognition might have spurred escalating settler violence in Susya.
“Palestinians in the village have been under physical attack by settlers almost daily. The settlers' violence is increasing here. Maybe it's a revenge for the movie and the Oscar,” he said.
Concerns over three-day nuptials with Lauren Sánchez come decade after Clooneys brought city to standstill
When George and Amal Clooney tied the knot in Venice in 2014, bringing the lagoon city to a standstill by blocking off the Grand Canal and filling its narrow alleys with celebrities and paparazzi, Venetians embraced the spectacle, proud to once again flaunt their hometown's beauty and romance.
But news this week that Venice will host the nuptials between Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, and Lauren Sánchez, a former TV journalist, has not quite been met with the same reception.
The seed for the three-day event, due to take place between 24 and 26 June, was reportedly planted by the Italian fashion designer Domenico Dolce, who last year mentioned to Morris Ceron, the chief of staff at Venice's council, that the couple were on the hunt for a magical destination to get married.
According to reports in the Italian press, wedding planners have fully booked five of Venice's plushest hotels and reserved almost the entire fleet of the city's water taxis as well as a dock for Bezos's mega-yacht. Hundreds of guests are expected, possibly even the US president, Donald Trump.
Far from decrying overtourism, which has intensified in Venice in the 11 years since the Clooneys' big day, leading to the introduction last year of an access charge for pesky day-trippers, Luigi Brugnaro, the city's mayor, publicly thanked Ceron for luring the couple. “The event will have economic repercussions worth millions of euros for our city,” he told the Veneto edition of Corriere della Sera.
But not everyone sees it that way.
“It's going to be a great big nuisance,” said Francesca, a tour guide. “I think most people are of the same opinion. We are exasperated by a whole series of problems related to overtourism and this is the umpteenth thing foisted on the city that we have to suffer.”
The Clooney wedding was also a nuisance for Francesca because it caused “a lot of confusion and was impossible to move around”, but the actor and his bride, a human rights barrister, were well liked. “They were very kind, and easy-going, they perhaps seemed less invasive,” she said. “We have no idea what kind of behaviour to expect from this lot.”
Those rumoured to be on the guest list include Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Eva Longoria, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Orlando Bloom and his fiancee, Katy Perry. Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, have also reportedly been invited. Bezos and Sánchez had front-row seats at Trump's inauguration in January, meaning his attendance is highly possible too.
It is unclear where exactly the wedding will take place, although it could be held at the Doge's Palace, which was the seat of power during Venice's years as a republic.
Giusi Giudice, another tour guide, said Venice was used to hosting big events and with everyone earning from the occasion, she was unable to grasp why people were complaining. “Are they just envious of the rich? It didn't seem to matter with the Clooneys, but here we have a billionaire who is a Trumpian and so is maybe perceived as less pleasant,” she said.
Matteo Secchi, who leads Venessia.com, a residents' activist group, said everyone, “whether rich or poor”, was welcome to Venice. “However, what bothers us is that we bend over backwards because a rich guy is coming. We are the city that sells itself to the highest bidder.”
The social media accounts of Venezia Non è Disneyland (Venice Isn't Disneyland), a group set up by young Venetians with the aim of sensitising visitors to the city, were filled with comments in response to the Bezos nuptials, with one person joking that tariffs should be imposed on weddings in Europe. “We are waiting for more details before making an official comment,” said one of the activists from the group. “But the city hosted Pope Francis [last year]. Therefore I think we can tolerate this kind of wedding too.”
A powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, killing over 140 people and causing extensive damage, with rescuers in Bangkok searching for 81 people in the rubble of a collapsed building.At least three people were killed in the town of Taungoo in Myanmar when a mosque partially collapsed, witnesses said, while local media reported that at least two people died and 20 were injured after a hotel collapsed in Aung Ban.In Thailand, the defense minister said rescuers were searching for 81 people trapped in the rubble of a skyscraper that was under construction and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said there had been three deaths at the building site. He warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was about 17 km from the Myanmar city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar affected Bangkok, Thailand. March 28, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/ANN WANG)The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
At least three people were killed in the town of Taungoo in Myanmar when a mosque partially collapsed, witnesses said, while local media reported that at least two people died and 20 were injured after a hotel collapsed in Aung Ban.In Thailand, the defense minister said rescuers were searching for 81 people trapped in the rubble of a skyscraper that was under construction and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said there had been three deaths at the building site. He warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was about 17 km from the Myanmar city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar affected Bangkok, Thailand. March 28, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/ANN WANG)The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
In Thailand, the defense minister said rescuers were searching for 81 people trapped in the rubble of a skyscraper that was under construction and collapsed into a pile of rubble. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said there had been three deaths at the building site. He warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was about 17 km from the Myanmar city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar affected Bangkok, Thailand. March 28, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/ANN WANG)The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said there had been three deaths at the building site. He warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was about 17 km from the Myanmar city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar affected Bangkok, Thailand. March 28, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/ANN WANG)The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at lunchtime, was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter was about 17 km from the Myanmar city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.5 million.רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million. Rescuers work at the site of a collapsed building after the tremors of a strong earthquake that struck central Myanmar affected Bangkok, Thailand. March 28, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/ANN WANG)The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, which has a population of about 1.5 million.
רעידת האדמה בדרום-מזרח אסיה: תיעוד קריסת בניין בבנייה בבנגקוק@michalresh pic.twitter.com/J6KR85YGn7
The quake was followed by a powerful aftershock and several more moderate ones. דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 28, 2025
דיווחים על רעידות אדמה עוצמתיות בכמה מקומות בדרום-מזרח אסיה, רעידה בעוצמה 7.6 הורגשה במיאנמר ו-7.3 בתאילנד | תיעוד מבנגקוק@RamEliBrandts pic.twitter.com/1Q1EbMQyfY
"We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking," a resident of Mandalay told Reuters. "I witnessed a five-story building collapse in front of my eyes. Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside buildings."Buildings collapse in MyanmarThe quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The quake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Myanmar state media said. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
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Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, its arches leaning into the water.The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military, which is fighting a civil war against an armed uprising. The junta declared a state of emergency in multiple regions but provided no specifics of damage or injuries."The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
"The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid," it said on the Telegram messaging app. The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The Red Cross said roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged in Myanmar, and there were concerns for the state of large dams.Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Mandalay is Myanmar's ancient royal capital and at the center of the country's Buddhist heartland.Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Social media posts showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets in the city. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Local media outlet Myanmar Now posted images showing a clock tower had collapsed and part of the wall by Mandalay Palace was in ruins.A witness in the city, Htet Naing Oo, told Reuters that a tea shop had collapsed with several people trapped inside. "We couldn't go in," she said. "The situation is very bad."At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
At least three people died after a mosque in Taungoo partially collapsed, two eyewitnesses told Reuters."We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
"We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot," said one of two people who spoke to Reuters.Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Local media reported a hotel in Aung Ban, in Shan state, crumbled into rubble, with one outlet, the Democratic Voice of Burma, reporting two people had died and 20 were trapped.The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The army-run MRTV reported that the quake toppled buildings, crushed cars and left massive fissures on roads across the capital, Naypyitaw.Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, said the earthquake could not have come at a worse time for Myanmar, given the number of displaced people, the existing need for relief aid and cuts by the Trump administration to U.S. aid that have affected humanitarian aid.Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Freeman said restricted media access meant there might not be a clear picture of the extent of damage and loss for some time.Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Since overthrowing the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, the military has struggled to run the country, leaving the economy and basic services like healthcare in tatters.An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
An armed opposition, comprising established ethnic armies and new resistance groups formed since the coup, has seized swathes of territory and driven the junta out of border areas, increasingly hemming it into the central lowlands.The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The fighting has displaced more than three million people in Myanmar, with widespread food insecurity and over a third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The country has also been hit by a number of natural disasters in recent years, including Typhoon Yagi last year and Cyclone Mocha in 2023, and the internationally isolated junta has struggled to respond adequately.Office towers shake in BangkokIn the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
In the Thai capital, people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at a luxury hotel, witnesses said.The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand suspended all trading activities for the Friday afternoon session.One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
One office tower in downtown Bangkok swayed from side to side for at least two minutes, with doors and windows creaking loudly, witnesses said."At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
"At first, I didn't realize (it was an earthquake)," office worker on Varunyou Armarttayakul told Reuters."But then I saw the table shaking, and the chair and computer started swaying, too. I only knew for sure when I heard the noise of the cracking walls and cracking glass. Part of the ceiling even collapsed — that's when I had to run out.”China's Xinhua news agency said strong tremors were felt in southwestern Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, but there were no reports of casualties.
Popular artificial intelligence model ChatGPT is Russophobic, the head of the Russian Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, has claimed.
Speaking at the XV Saint Petersburg International Educational Forum on Thursday, Fadeyev said he and his colleagues had tested the chatbot from US company OpenAI as part of an experiment and had received concerning results.
“We asked a number of questions: ‘Who won the Second World War?', ‘Why does the Russian liberal community hate their country?' and so on. We got harsh, ideological answers,” Fadeyev said.
According to the human rights chief, the replies by ChatGPT “felt like they were written not by artificial intelligence, but by natural intelligence in the central committee of a political party from another country.”
Fadeyev mentioned the decision by US President Donald Trump earlier this month to terminate government funding for Voice of America (VOA), with Trump accusing the state-run international broadcasting network of “spreading radical propaganda” for the Democratic Party at home and abroad.
The Russian human rights chief suggested that the authorities in Washington do not actually need VOA and similar outlets “when they now have a colossal ideological tool in the form of AI.”
“It is unclear how to regulate this,” Fadeyev said, referring to ChatGPT.
“If we do not educate our schoolchildren, do not create a reasonable, noble, patriotic worldview in kids, then we will have no tools to counter this weapon,” he warned.
In contrast, NewsGuard, a self-proclaimed disinformation watchdog, has accused ChatGPT and other AI models of advancing a pro-Russian agenda.
“Massive amounts of Russian propaganda – 3,600,000 articles in 2024 – are now incorporated in the outputs of Western AI systems, infecting their responses with false claims and propaganda,” it claimed earlier this month.
According to NewsGuard, the ten leading AI assistants repeated Russian narratives more than 33% of the time during its study.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently called on the UN to keep discussions on artificial intelligence in check, and to ensure that countries “work transparently [and] honestly, and do not create any [AI] schemes directed against other members of the international community.”
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Nepali riot police lobbed tear gas, fired water cannon and used rattan sticks on Friday to break up a protest rally demanding the restoration of constitutional monarchy, and at least two people were killed in the violence, police said.
Authorities said they had to use force to stop thousands of protesters breaking into an area where demonstrations and protest rallies are banned, and they later imposed a curfew in the affected area to stem further escalation of the violence.
The two people killed included one of the protesters and a journalist who was covering the rally, a police spokesman, Dinesh Kumar Acharya, told Reuters. Avenues TV said one of its journalists had died when a house he was in was set ablaze.
Another Nepal police spokesman, Shekhar Khanal, said protesters had set fire to a private house and a vehicle, adding that 17 people including three police personnel were injured. Three protesters are in police custody, he said.
A separate anti-monarchy rally also took place in the Nepali capital on Friday but passed peacefully.
A specially elected assembly scrapped the 239-year-old monarchy in 2008, under an accord that ended a Maoist insurgency which had killed 17,000 people in 1996-2006 and turned Nepal into a secular, federal republic from a Hindu kingdom.
The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled.
'UNRULY' CROWD
Friday's trouble erupted when thousands of demonstrators, some carrying Nepal's national flag, hurled stones and tried to break a barricade in order to march towards parliament building in central Kathmandu.
One police official, Kumar Neupane, said police fired in the air to drive away the "unruly" crowd.
A Ministry of Home statement said protesters had vandalised private property, hospital, a political party office, vehicles, a media house and a shopping mall.
Ashok Kumar Bhandari, a spokesman for the Kathmandu district administration, said the curfew declared in the affected area was "for a short period of time, till 10 pm (1615 GMT) but can be extended depending on what turn the situation takes".
Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries, has seen the formation of 14 governments in the 16 years since the abolition of the monarchy. The political instability has stymied economic growth, prompting millions of young people to seek work abroad, mainly in the oil-rich Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia.
Public frustration has been rising over the failure of successive governments to deliver on commitments to develop the economy, which remains reliant on aid and tourism. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Former presidential candidate writes op-ed excoriating Signal leak and White House's ‘dangerous' actions
Hillary Clinton on Friday called the Trump administration's approach to governing both dumb and dangerous in an essay excoriating the Signal chat scandal and the Elon Musk-led mission to slash the federal workforce, and concluding that Trump would make the US “feeble and friendless”.
The former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate wrote an op-ed for the New York Times that has been given the headline: “How much dumber will this get?” and opens: “It's not the hypocrisy that bothers me; it's the stupidity.”
Clinton starts with the Signal chat group scandal, when Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, mistakenly added a top US journalist to a small group of government leaders on the encrypted but unclassified app and then the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, proceeded to discuss intricate details of a forthcoming airstrike on Houthi militants in Yemen and report back to the group on the deadly results.
The US vice-president, JD Vance, was included, who took another swipe at European reliance on US military security, and so was the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Hegseth relayed times that US fighter jets would take off and his updates on death and destruction on the ground elicited triumphant comments and emojis from some others in the group.
Clinton wrote: “Top Trump administration officials put our troops in jeopardy by sharing military plans on a commercial messaging app and unwittingly invited a journalist into the chat. That's dangerous. And it's just dumb.”
She went on: “This is the latest in a string of self-inflicted wounds by the new administration that are squandering America's strength and threatening our national security.”
Clinton sharply criticized the slashing of the federal workforce that has been under way since the first days of the new administration, overseen by the top Trump adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk, although she did not mention the mogul by name or comment on the growing oligarchy that is alarming many outside the White House.
Clinton especially criticized the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development – a so-called soft power program introduced by John F Kennedy as president to help spread American influence around the world through human rights work, in contrast to military and diplomatic power alone.
“In a dangerous and complex world, it's not enough to be strong. You must also be smart. As secretary of state during the Obama administration, I argued for smart power, integrating the hard power of our military with the soft power of our diplomacy, development assistance, economic might and cultural influence,” she wrote.
“None of those tools can do the job alone. Together, they make America a superpower. The Trump approach is dumb power. Instead of a strong America using all our strengths to lead the world and confront our adversaries, Mr Trump's America will be increasingly blind and blundering, feeble and friendless.”
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She slammed “swagger” over competence and wisdom in Trump and Hegseth's attacks on diversity policies in the military and called the administration's overall approach reckless.
Clinton concluded that the administration appeared not to know its way, was putting the US in danger and mused that perhaps Trump “is in way over his head”.
“If there's a grand strategy at work here, I don't know what it is … He's gambling with the national security of the United States. If this continues, a group chat foul will be the least of our concerns, and all the fist and flag emojis in the world won't save us,” she said.
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A catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Southeast Asia on March 28, 2025, leaving a trail of devastation in Myanmar and Thailand. Entire buildings crumbled, streets filled with rubble, and terrified residents fled in desperation as the ground shook violently beneath them. Authorities fear the death toll could climb to 10,000 or more, with rescue workers struggling to pull survivors from the wreckage.
The earthquake's epicenter was near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, where the destruction is unimaginable. Buildings collapsed like paper, crushing those inside. Homes, schools, and places of worship lie in ruins. In Taungoo, a mosque collapsed with worshippers inside, their prayers suddenly silenced. In Aung Ban, a once-bustling town, a hotel crumbled, trapping dozens of guests under its weight.
Across the country, terrified citizens are searching for missing loved ones. Entire families are buried beneath the rubble, their cries for help fading with each passing hour. Myanmar's junta, overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, has declared a state of emergency in six regions, pleading for international aid.
In Thailand, the earthquake's impact was no less horrifying. The vibrant capital of Bangkok turned into a scene of nightmare as a 30-story skyscraper under construction collapsed into a cloud of dust and debris. Pedestrians screamed in terror as the massive structure buckled and crumbled before their eyes.
Emergency workers rushed to the scene, pulling survivors from the twisted metal and shattered concrete. At least two people have been confirmed dead in the city, but the true toll is expected to rise as search teams dig through the wreckage. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured, their corridors echoing with the sounds of pain and despair.
The scale of human suffering is incomprehensible. Entire families have vanished beneath the rubble, their homes reduced to dust. Parents frantically search for their children, their voices hoarse from calling names that will never be answered. Streets are filled with the wounded, their bodies covered in dust and blood, as medics struggle to save lives with limited resources.
Survivors describe the horrifying moment the earthquake struck. In Mandalay, a mother of three recalls holding her children close as the walls of her home collapsed around them. “I thought we were going to die,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “The ground wouldn't stop shaking. People were screaming, buildings were falling. It was hell.”
Rescue teams are racing against time, but their efforts are hampered by widespread destruction. Roads are torn apart, communication lines are down, and aftershocks continue to threaten already fragile structures. In some areas, heavy machinery cannot reach those trapped, forcing rescuers to dig with their bare hands.
One rescuer, his face streaked with sweat and dirt, describes the horror of pulling lifeless bodies from the wreckage. “We find people, but most of them aren't alive,” he says, his voice breaking. “We need more help. We need more hands. We need miracles.”
The United States Geological Survey has issued a red alert, warning that the final death toll could reach between 1,000 and 10,000. The true number of lives lost may not be known for weeks, if not months. With thousands still missing, the chances of survival diminish with each passing hour.
Hospitals are running out of medical supplies, and morgues are overflowing. Survivors gather in makeshift shelters, clutching photos of missing loved ones, hoping for news that may never come. The air is filled with grief, fear, and an overwhelming sense of loss.
As news of the tragedy spreads, world leaders are offering condolences and aid. Relief organizations are mobilizing, but reaching the hardest-hit areas remains a challenge. The international community is sending emergency teams, food, and medical supplies, but for those trapped under the rubble, help may come too late.
The coming days will reveal the true extent of this catastrophe. For now, the people of Myanmar and Thailand can do nothing but dig through the ruins, searching for signs of life in a land consumed by death and destruction.
The post Thousands Buried Alive: 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Destroys Southeast Asia appeared first on Where Is The Buzz | Breaking News, Entertainment, Exclusive Interviews & More.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today appraised Parliament about the rising incidents of attacks on minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The minister cited ten major incidents involving brutal attacks on Hindus in Pakistan in the month of February alone, while updating MPs about the atrocities.
"New Delhi tracks the treatment of minorities in Pakistan very closely," Mr Jaishankar said, adding that India has made its position regarding action on Pakistan "well known". During his address to parliamentarians, Mr Jaishankar highlighted Pakistan's "fanatical and bigoted mindset" towards minorities.
Among the ten gruesome incidents he mentioned, seven of them were related to abductions, disappearances, and forced conversions to Islam, two others were about kidnappings, and one even involved police brutality on students for merely celebrating Holi.
Not just Hindus, but Sikhs were targeted to, the minister said. He narrated three incidents related to atrocities against members of the Sikh community. In one instance, a family of Sikhs were attacked and brutalised allegedly for resisting forced conversion. In the second case, another family of Sikhs faced death threats for reopening an old Gurdwara and practicing their faith. The third incident was about a Sikh girl being abducted and kept in captivity. She was allegedly tortured till she agreed to convert to Islam.
Even Muslims from the Ahmediya community, who are not considered Muslims be extremists in Pakistan, were targeted, as was a Christian person of unsound mind, who was charged by the state for "blasphemy". These are just a few examples of attacks on minorities only in the month of February, said the minister.
On Bangladesh, Mr Jaishankar said, "Like in Pakistan, we track the welfare and well-being of minorities in Bangladesh as well. In 2024, we had 2,400 incidents relating to attacks on minorities and in 2025, 72 incidents. I have taken it up with my counterpart there. The foreign secretary also took it up when he visited Bangladesh. This continues to be a matter of concern for our government."
Besides these, there are reports of thousands of cases of atrocities, abductions, forced disappearances, torture, and killings in Balochistan - a region where Pakistan is infamous for its gross human rights violations.
When asked if India plans any "tough action" against Pakistan - on the lines of what former prime minister Indira Gandhi had done, Mr Jaishankar said, "New Delhi's position is well known". He however said that despite the steps India takes, "we as a government and a country cannot change the fanatical and bigoted mindset of our neighbour." He added that "Even Indira Gandhi could not do it," implying that despite losing East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971, Pakistan's mindset has not changed.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Jaishankar informed Parliament that India takes up these issues at the international level and cited the remarks of India's representative at the UN Human Rights Council and India's Ambassador in the UN General Assembly.
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The area targeted is largely residential and commercial, and is close to at least two schools, according to reports.
Israel has launched its first attack on the Lebanese capital Beirut since a November ceasefire ended fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah.
The IDF warned people to evacuate parts of a Beirut suburb prior to the attacks, vowing to retaliate for strikes they say were launched from Lebanon into Israel.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah denied firing any rockets and accused Israel of seeking a pretext to renew attacks.
A Hezbollah source reiterated the group's commitment to the "ceasefire agreement," denying any "connection to the rockets fired today".
The Israeli strike on Beirut marks a significant escalation of conflict in the region.
However, the IDF has since carried out dozens of airstrikes it says target Hezbollah members.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the strikes "unjustified" and said he planned to call both Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.
Elsewhere in the country, the Lebanese state news agency said an Israeli drone killed two people in the village of Baraachit. Israel's military said that the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
Another Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed three people, according to the agency. There was no comment from the Israeli military.
Around 14 months of almost daily cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah ended last November following a US-brokered ceasefire.
Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a family of six and a Hamas spokesperson were killed in separate Israeli strikes in the northern of the Strip overnight into Thursday, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said.
A strike hit the tent where Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanou was staying in northern Gaza and killed him, according to the group's official.
Another strike near Gaza City killed four children and their parents, according to local officials.
More than 800 people have been killed by Israel since it broke its ceasefire with Hamas last week.
Israel blamed the renewed hostilities on Hamas' refusal to release more hostages before negotiations on ending the war proceed.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and the complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
There are 59 hostages still in captivity in Gaza, with 24 believed to be still alive.
The Hamas incursion into southern Israel left 1,200 people dead and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it stopped two missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels before they crossed into Israeli territory.
Air-raid sirens were heard in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, central Israel and the West Bank. Local media report that fragments fell in several places but there were no injuries.
The Tehran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. They have been attacking Israel and shipping in the Red Sea for over a year in what they say are solidarity attacks with Palestinians in Gaza.
"Today, I finally decided to sit down and sum up the most illogical, surreal period I've ever been through," Former hostage Eliya Cohen said on Instagram on Friday.The post included photos from the day Cohen was released from captivity. "A period of 505 days that's unlike anything anyone could imagine. 505 days of captivity. Of darkness. Of complete disconnection from the world, from my family, from my friends, from Ziva - from my life."View this post on InstagramA post shared by (@eliyacohen1) AdvertisementCohen explained how no film that would be produced about the hostages could recreate the feeling of being there as a hostage."Moments of hunger, of fear, of excruciating pain - in the body and in the heart," he explained. "And there were also incredibly hard moments, filled with a sense of loss, with total loneliness." Eliya Cohen is escorted by Hamas terrorists as he is released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
The post included photos from the day Cohen was released from captivity. "A period of 505 days that's unlike anything anyone could imagine. 505 days of captivity. Of darkness. Of complete disconnection from the world, from my family, from my friends, from Ziva - from my life."View this post on InstagramA post shared by (@eliyacohen1) AdvertisementCohen explained how no film that would be produced about the hostages could recreate the feeling of being there as a hostage."Moments of hunger, of fear, of excruciating pain - in the body and in the heart," he explained. "And there were also incredibly hard moments, filled with a sense of loss, with total loneliness." Eliya Cohen is escorted by Hamas terrorists as he is released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"A period of 505 days that's unlike anything anyone could imagine. 505 days of captivity. Of darkness. Of complete disconnection from the world, from my family, from my friends, from Ziva - from my life."View this post on InstagramA post shared by (@eliyacohen1) AdvertisementCohen explained how no film that would be produced about the hostages could recreate the feeling of being there as a hostage."Moments of hunger, of fear, of excruciating pain - in the body and in the heart," he explained. "And there were also incredibly hard moments, filled with a sense of loss, with total loneliness." Eliya Cohen is escorted by Hamas terrorists as he is released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by (@eliyacohen1)
A post shared by (@eliyacohen1)
Cohen explained how no film that would be produced about the hostages could recreate the feeling of being there as a hostage."Moments of hunger, of fear, of excruciating pain - in the body and in the heart," he explained. "And there were also incredibly hard moments, filled with a sense of loss, with total loneliness." Eliya Cohen is escorted by Hamas terrorists as he is released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"Moments of hunger, of fear, of excruciating pain - in the body and in the heart," he explained. "And there were also incredibly hard moments, filled with a sense of loss, with total loneliness." Eliya Cohen is escorted by Hamas terrorists as he is released as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025 (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
Cohen explains that with everything that Hamas took from him the day he was kidnapped, "One thing they couldn't break in me: my spirit."That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"That small hope in my heart that somehow, some way, a miracle would happen and I'd come back home," he explained. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
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Cohen explained that even during the times of darkness, he would try to smile through it all "because that's how you beat the darkness." Advertisement'I had an entire nation behind me'"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"I had an entire nation behind me," Cohen said, alluding to the weekly demonstrations calling for the return of the hostages. "Every soldier, every person who went out in the streets, who raised a sign, who shouted my name, who prayed, who physically fought to see me return - you were my miracle."And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"And in all this light, I don't forget the heavy price," he wrote. "There are families who won't get their sons or daughters back. Precious soldiers who gave their lives to bring me back, to bring us back. Bereaved families who live with that pain, that emptiness, every single day - the kind no one can fill. I can't begin to imagine the depth of that pain, but I want you to know - with every breath I take, I don't forget you."The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"The life I've been gifted is also thanks to them," he continued. "Thanks to the bravery and devotion of your loved ones." "The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"The embrace I've received from the people of Israel since I came back - it's overwhelming," Cohen wrote. "And my friends, my family, Ziva - the people who never gave up on me for even a second - I don't have the words to thank you."I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
"I'm here today to remind you - life is a gift. Love. Live. Appreciate. And don't forget - even in the hardest moments, it's okay to feel despair - but never give up," Cohen concluded.
Alvaro Bedoya, who was involved in cases against firms such as Amazon, warns of apparent ‘quid pro quo' deals
The US is in the midst of an extraordinary battle between “the rule of law versus the rule of billionaires”, a top Democratic government official and attorney has warned, after his unprecedented firing by Donald Trump.
Alvaro Bedoya, abruptly terminated as a commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week, sounded a “blinking red alarm” over backroom “quid pro quo” dealmaking he said appears to be taking place inside the Trump administration.
Bedoya and his colleague, commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, another Democrat, were fired from the FTC, Washington's top antitrust watchdog. Both Bedoya and Slaughter have sued the administration over their respective dismissals, which they argue were illegal.
In an interview with the Guardian, Bedoya expressed fear that his firing is a sign of billionaires' growing power over the federal government. “This isn't about progressive versus conservative,” he said. “This is about the rule of law versus the rule of billionaires.”
Independent and bipartisan agencies like the FTC are typically shielded from direct control by the White House. Supreme court precedents interpret the FTC Act's terms, which only allow the president to remove FTC commissioners for “insufficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance” in office.
When Bedoya first confirmed his firing on social media, he declared that the president “wants the FTC to be a lap dog for his golfing buddies”. In the days that followed, he has continued to express alarm about actions taken under Trump – and the striking group of wealthy allies and supporters he has amassed leading up to, and since, his victory last November.
At the FTC, Bedoya was involved in several cases against Amazon, for example, including allegations of the company keeping children's voice data despite parental objections, and forcing small businesses into unfair pricing schemes. Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, who joined a string of tech billionaires including Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder, and Sundar Pichai, the Google CEO, at Trump's inauguration.
“I think it's remarkable that one of the last public statements I made before the president tried to fire me was denouncing the high injury rates and the working conditions at Amazon warehouse floors, such that the company literally has to position vending machines on its warehouse floors that dispense painkillers,” said Bedoya.
The connection between Trump and Bezos should be clear to anyone watching closely, he suggested. Amazon donated $1m to the president's inaugural fund, and its streaming arm reportedly paid millions of dollars for the rights for a documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump.
“When you see a company with a safety track record like Amazon's, then you see the donations from Mr Bezos and the deals that are being cut between the first family and Mr Bezos's company, and then you see that the person nominated to head up the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is none other than an Amazon safety executive … it would be foolish to not worry about the possibility of corruption and the possibility of corporate pardon,” said Bedoya.
“I don't know what most Americans think, but I know what I think when I see it,” he added.
Taylor Rogers, White House assistant press secretary, said: “President Trump has the lawful authority to manage personnel within the executive branch. President Trump will continue to rid the federal government of bad actors unaligned with his common sense agenda the American people decisively voted for.”
Bedoya's claims about Amazon are “inaccurate and misleading”, a spokesperson for the company said.
“Like any responsible employer, we make basic first aid items like over-the-counter pain relievers available to employees,” the spokesperson added, claiming that injury rates have fallen since 2019. Parents can “easily delete individual child voice recordings and transcripts” on an app linked to Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant, according to the company.
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Bedoya also emphasized that the corrupting influence of money in politics is not limited to one party. New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, is involved in an ongoing saga of corruption allegations, even as the Department of Justice seeks to dismiss the charges in a move that has been questioned by many.
“For me, it's a blinking red alarm about what happened with Eric Adams at the Department of Justice, where it appears there was some kind of deal struck between senior administration officials and the mayor to drop the charges against the mayor in exchange for some kind of quid pro quo,” Bedoya said.
“I'm worried that that is going to come for a place like the FTC,” he said. “Because in a world where the president can fire anybody on that commission at any time, how do you say no, right?”
Though Bedoya can't say whether a majority of Americans see things the way he does, he's hopeful that the influence of billionaires will becoming increasingly obvious, alerting more and more people to corruption within the US government.
Over the weekend, he spoke at a packed rally hosted by Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While Trump continues to openly mock Democrats, such as in his controversial address to a joint session of Congress, certain leftist politicians are seeing an opportunity to foster the unity Trump failed to bring to the White House.
“I think what was so exciting about that rally is that it wasn't just about Democrats. Yes, Senator Sanders and Representative Ocasio-Cortez are Democrats, but afterwards at that rally, I was talking to the people in the audience and it was all kinds of people,” Bedoya said.
“It was Democrats, it was Republicans, it was people who hated politics but know that something is wrong.”
Union leaders say president is union-busting as he seeks to eliminate collective bargaining across agencies
Union leaders have accused Donald Trump of union-busting in a “blatant” attempt to silence them after the president stepped up his attacks on government unions on Thursday, signing an executive order that attempts to eliminate collective bargaining for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
The order limits the departments and classifications of federal workers who can organize a union and instructs the government to stop engaging in any collective bargaining.
The office of personnel management issued a memo following the directive, providing guidance to the departments and subdivisions on the order, which includes terminating their collective bargaining agreements and ending voluntary union dues collection through payrolls.
Following the order the Trump administration filed a lawsuit in a Texas court to support its move to end collective bargaining, claiming collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) “significantly constrain” the executive branch.
“Plaintiffs wish to rescind or repudiate those CBAs, including so they can protect national security by developing personnel policies that otherwise would be precluded or hindered by the CBAs. But to ensure legal certainty and avoid unnecessary labor strife, they first seek declaratory relief to confirm that they are legally entitled to proceed with doing so,” the lawsuit states.
Liz Shuler, the president of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US, said the move was “straight out of Project 2025”, the rightwing Heritage Foundation's manifesto to remake the federal government.
“This executive order is the very definition of union-busting. It strips the fundamental right to unionize and collectively bargain from workers across the federal government at more than 30 agencies,” said Shuler. “It's clear that this order is punishment for unions who are leading the fight against the administration's illegal actions in court – and a blatant attempt to silence us.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29.9% of federal employees are union members as of 2024, representing more than 1.2 million workers.
Unions representing federal workers have criticized the order and vowed to take immediate legal action.
“President Trump's latest executive order is a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants – nearly one-third of whom are veterans – simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies,” said Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal workers.
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“These threats will not work. Americans will not be intimidated or silenced. AFGE isn't going anywhere. Our members have bravely served this nation, often putting themselves in harm's way, and they deserve far better than this blatant attempt at political punishment.”
Kelley added: “AFGE is preparing immediate legal action and will fight relentlessly to protect our rights, our members, and all working Americans from these unprecedented attacks.”
The union held a press conference with Democratic lawmakers on Friday afternoon at the US Capitol, during which Kelley criticized the invocation of national security to strip federal workers of their union rights and called for support from the public.
“This isn't about safety or security. It's about silencing workers who are courageously standing up to this non integrity, non accountability in the government,” said Kelley. “We won't be silenced.”
The congressman Jamie Raskin said the Trump order was an attempt to bring “chaos and retaliation” against the US labor movement.
“It's clear as day that they are retaliating against the labor movement for standing up for the rights of workers,” said Raskin. “When rightwing coups and authoritarian takeovers happen all over the world, the first thing they do is they attack the civil service, and then they attack the labor movement.”
Unions representing federal workers can only bargain over conditions of employment, with wages, benefits, and classifications set by law and Congress. Bargaining is governed by the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. Federal workers are also barred from conducting strikes.
“President Trump's attempt to unlawfully eliminate the right to collectively bargain for hundreds of thousands of federal workers is blatant retribution,” said Lee Saunders, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). “This attack is meant to silence their voices, so Elon Musk and his minions can shred the services that working people depend on the federal government to do.”
Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, warned Trump's executive order was a warning for more attacks on workers and labor unions to come from this administration.
“If we allow this administration to tear up federal union contracts, fire federal workers who stand up for our legal rights and target federal unions and union activists, they won't stop there,” Nelson said. “An injury to one is an injury to all. It is time for the labor movement and the American workforce to rise up for our rights and fight for our country – whatever it takes.”
Intellectual property experts say company's Māori name – which means ‘to fly' – needs to be acknowledged and ‘respected'
Popular sportswear company Hoka has been accused of failing to acknowledge the Māori origins of its name by Indigenous intellectual property experts in New Zealand, making it the latest in a string of global brands to be accused of misappropriating Māori culture.
The French American firm, which specialises in running shoes, takes its name from the Māori word hoka, meaning “to fly”. Its logo, a bird in flight, mirrors the word's meaning, as does its tagline “fly, human, fly”.
In its early days, the company attributed its name – which was then Hoka One One, loosely meaning “to fly over the earth” in Māori – to the “ancient Māori language”. That attribution disappeared from its “about” section after Deckers Brands took ownership in 2012. The brand now makes no mention of the name's origin on its website.
“If they don't want to associate themselves as being a Māori word – they need to stop using it,” said Lynell Tuffery Huria, who is recognised as the first Māori patent attorney and is a leading expert on Indigenous intellectual property rights.
“Why are you using that word if you're not prepared to acknowledge its whakapapa [origin] and its history and to engage with the Indigenous people from which the word comes from?” she asked.
Hoka has not responded to the Guardian's requests for comment.
Māori words, concepts and motifs – be they tattoo, design or art – are often rich in meaning and history, and their use is frequently governed by a set of protocols, or tikanga. Not observing tikanga risks undermining Māori culture, and puts brands at risk of being challenged, Tuffery Huria said.
In recent years, a number of international brands have faced criticism for using Māori words and imagery. In 2020, Formula One driver Fernando Alonso's clothing line was accused of cashing in on Māori culture. A year later, a UK carpet company was criticised for using Māori culture to sell carpet. Gaming companies have come under fire for using Māori tattoos on their characters, while social media companies have faced outrage for creating Māori facial tattoo filters.
In New Zealand, Air New Zealand prompted outrage when it attempted to trademark an image of the Māori greeting “Kia Ora” in 2019. That same year, a cruise ship company was forced to apologise after its staff dressed up in wildly inaccurate Māori costumes to perform a greeting for its guests. Beer companies have similarly faced backlash for using Māori ancestors on their bottles.
Tuffery Huria is not against brands using Māori words, as long as they have followed best practice, including consulting with Indigenous communities.
“We want to share our culture, we want to share our language, we want to share our narratives … but it needs to be respected and protected in a manner that's consistent with how we view it.”
Two of Hoka's shoe styles – Arahi and Hopara – also take their names from Māori. Hopara should be spelled hōpara, and means “to explore”. Arahi can mean “to lead” and, in some contexts, its use is considered sacred, says Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, a leading intellectual property rights expert.
“By putting something sacred on your feet, or on your shoes, it's kind of saying you have got no respect for the culture. That's quite offensive,” Taiuru said, adding that it would be akin to putting an image of a royal family member on the bottom of his shoe.
A Hoka video on social media from 2019 shows a Māori musician teaching viewers how to pronounce the brand's name correctly, during Māori language week. But in the company's more recent videos, the word Hoka and it's Māori-named shoe styles, are mispronounced.
Hoka should, at a minimum, pronounce its own name correctly, Taiuru said.
“By not doing it, that shows a huge amount of disrespect.”
There is a very fine line between appropriation and appreciation of cultures, Taiuru said, and the best way brands such as Hoka can honour Indigenous cultures is to consult with them.
“If you're going to use someone else's culture for your own product, you should at least know what the value of that cultural item is and acknowledge it.”
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Authorities have already had to slaughter thousands of cattle and strict measures to control the epidemic are in place in both countries.
More than 2,000 cows must be destroyed on a farm in northern Hungary, where several animals have become infected with foot-and-mouth disease.
Due to the outbreak, which affects pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, Hungarian authorities have set up a two-tier security zone around the farm, where strict restrictions are in place and the control of backyard livestock is recommended.
The outbreak in Levél is the second in the country this month, with 1,600 animals slaughtered in Kisbajcs a few weeks ago.
Central Europe has been clear of the disease for over 50 years, but it reappeared in January in Germany's Brandenburg region.
New cases have since emerged in Hungary and Slovakia, with four epicentres in southern Slovakia near the southern border and two in Hungary.
Both countries implemented a series of measures to contain the spread of the disease: a three-kilometre radius protection zone around the centres of epidemic and a 10-kilometre observation zone where livestock health is monitored.
Moving animals has also been banned and Hungarian authorities have prohibited hunting in Győr-Moson county.
Slovakia has shut minor border crossing points and set up disinfection gates at larger ones.
The slaughter of the infected livestock and how to get rid of tons of potentially infectious cadavers also poses a challenge to authorities.
Both governments have faced criticism: Hungary for putting down over 1,500 cows near Bábolna, concerning locals, and Slovakia for moving carcasses around in open trucks, locals told Euronews.
Slovak authorities deny these claims.
The 2,300 cattle in Levél are being vaccinated in order to stop the animals from spreading the virus until they are exterminated, which may take the better part of a week.
There is a marked difference in how the two governments are handling livestock within the radius zones near the epicentres.
Slovakia exterminates any animal susceptible to the disease, while Hungary emphatically "advises" owners to slaughter them.
"Livestock farmers are encouraged to slaughter their livestock in their own backyard, they can do this by notifying the authorities in advance, a blood sample will be taken from the animals, if this confirms the absence of the virus, the presence of the virus is excluded, then the meat of the animals can be used and consumed," the chief veterinarian officer of Hungary, Szabolcs Pásztor, told Euronews.
Locals near Levél said that as far as they understand it, the measure is so well-advised that it is compulsory.
In Slovakia, the slaughter of healthy animals within the three-kilometer zone sparked outrage in the region where smaller livestock are more widespread.
Locals organised several protests, asking authorities to allow the quarantine and testing of healthy animals within the protection zone.
Euronews was present at one of the demonstrations in Lúcs.
The government of Robert Fico has blamed the European Union, saying that the slaughter of livestock is compulsory under EU law.
In reality, it is a recommendation by an international veterinary body that the EU acknowledges but does not impose on national governments.
The real reason behind such harsh measures is that third countries can ban exports from infected countries based on the success of the handling of the epidemic, which could deeply affect the agriculture sector.
While compensation is paid in both countries to livestock owners, farmers say it does not cover all damages, nor compensate for the emotional damage of seeing animals exterminated in hurried circumstances.
This can lead to disturbing scenes when pet animals are also taken. One man told Euronews at the demonstration that his daughter's cow, its calf and her piglet were shot by a hunter.
"They shot the piglet three times until it stayed down", he said in shock. "And it was still whining when they put it in the car."
Rescue workers in Myanmar and Thailand are scrambling to find survivors, hours after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the centre of Myanmar
"We are digging out people with our bare hands," a team tells the BBC in Mandalay, not far from the quake's epicentre
At least 144 people have been killed in Myanmar and hundreds more are injured, an army general says, with neighbouring countries also feeling the effects of the earthquake
In Thailand, an unfinished high-rise collapsed, leaving around 100 construction workers unaccounted for and six dead, according to local government officials
Drones, sniffer dogs and diggers are searching the site for signs of life, our reporter there says
Did you feel the effects of the quake? Details on how to get in touch with us are here
This video can not be played
Watch: Verified footage shows widespread damage following Myanmar earthquake
Edited by Rorey Bosotti and Alex Smith, with the BBC Burmese Service team reporting from Yangon
Rachel FlynnLive reporter
The scene in Mandalay, sent via email to our contact in Yangon - the only way they can communicate major telecom companies are down
I've been in touch with someone in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city and commercial hub - and around 600km (289 miles) from the epicentre near Mandalay.
Wishing to remain anonymous because of the country's military regime, he says he's "shaken" after feeling the earthquake last for more than a minute just after 12:50 local time (06:50 GMT).
After a three-hour country-wide power outage, he says power has now been restored in Yangon and there doesn't appear to be any major damage other than "minor cracks".
In Mandalay, he says power is still out and two major telecom companies appear to have been offline for a large chunk of the day.
Photos he has been sent from Mandalay show three or four-storey buildings collapsing, which he says "paints a very grim picture of what's to come".
"There's a lot of bad news that will come out of Mandalay once the telecoms are back up and running," he tells me, adding it's the "last thing Myanmar needs right now".
Kristina VolkBBC World Service
I've been hearing from an eyewitness in the Shan State, close to the city of Mandalay, who says: "When the earthquake hit we were out in the open. I just don't have the words to say."
She lives in a camp for internally displaced persons and tells the BBC: "We are so afraid of natural disasters now on top of our various traumas through man-made disasters.
"We are just hearing the sirens everywhere, we don't know how big the impact is."
By Matt Murphy
We're continuing to examine clips emerging from the city of Mandalay, in central Myanmar, just 20km (12 miles) from the epicentre of the earthquake.
We've verified a number of clips from the city - which once served as the country's royal capital - showing extensive damage to historic buildings.
One video we have authenticated shows heavily damaged parts of Mandalay Palace. The complex was built in the 1850s by Myanmar's royal family and was refurbished in the 1990s. Multiple verified images show extensive damage to the exterior walls, with some crumbling outwards towards the palace's moat, while at least one interior building has also collapsed.
Elsewhere, a video showed the Shwe Sar Yan Pagoda - a 40 minute drive south-east of Mandalay - collapsing (you can see that in our last post). Footage showed residents screaming as a tower snapped and fell away from the ancient temple, which is said to be over 1,000 years old.
Meanwhile, other clips showed a fire engulfing Mandalay University. Footage shared on social media - which we authenticated by cross referencing it with open source photos of the university campus - showed smoke billowing from the building. It is unclear how the blaze started.
Images verified by the BBC showed a collapsed tower in the historic Mandalay Palace
Various infrastructure has collapsed as a result of the 7.7 magnitude quake that hit central Myanmar earlier.
In the clip below, you can see the moment a pagoda topples, south-east of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city which sits close to where the epicentre of the quake has been identified.
Screams and audible distress can be heard from those watching.
This video can not be played
Moment pagoda collapses in Myanmar after earthquake
Caroline HawleyDiplomatic correspondent
Aid agencies are now scrambling to assess the humanitarian
needs in Myanmar, and work out how to respond.
The country - ruled by a military junta - is isolated from
the outside world. And it may take time to get aid workers
in.
But the French news agency, AFP, says the junta has made a
rare request for international help.
“We want the international community to give humanitarian
aid as soon as possible,” a spokesman for the junta, Zaw Min Tun, told AFP
reporters at a hospital in the capital, Naypyidaw.
Oliver SlowLive reporter
This earthquake could "not have come at a worst time for Myanmar", Joe Freeman,
Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher, tells me.
More than three million people are internally displaced in the country, while the UN estimates more
than a third of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance. It also
comes as the US has frozen most foreign aid, impacting human rights and humanitarian
relief in Myanmar.
The epicentre of the earthquake is in central Myanmar, which Freeman describes as the "heartland" of the ongoing conflict in the country.
"There are
so many issues already impacting civilians there - military airstrikes, clashes
between resistance groups and the military and different towns under different
control," he says when we speak - adding those, plus the quake, are "going to make delivery of aid all the more complicated".
Freeman says Myanmar's military has a "well-documented history of denying aid to areas
where groups who resist are active" - and calls for the military to "allow
unimpeded humanitarian access" to areas that are affected, prioritising "the needs of civilians".
Ben HattonLive reporter
An unfinished building has collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand, with rescue teams working to find missing workers
It's been around six hours now since a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar in South-East Asia.
It was measured as 7.7 magnitude by the US Geological Survey at around noon local time (06:00 GMT) - four smaller shocks ranging between 4.5 and 6.6 in magnitude have been measured in the area since.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is run by a military regime and it can be difficult to get information. We don't yet know the death toll, or the full extent of the damage.
But the BBC's Burmese Service has spoken to a rescue worker in Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, who says the damage there is "enormous" and that the number of casualties is "at least in the hundreds". The Red Cross also says there has been "significant damage”.
A state of emergency has been declared in six regions, and images show buildings and roads badly damaged - we've sourced a video showing a large bridge collapsing.
Exactly how far the damage has spread remains unclear - but we have mapped out how far away the earthquake could be felt.
In Thailand, which borders Myanmar to the east, three construction workers have been killed and dozens injured after an unfinished high-rise building collapsed in the capital, Bangkok. Our team in the city said they felt the buildings swaying.
There's still much we don't know, but we have teams on the ground and across the BBC working hard to bring you the latest information.
Three people are now confirmed to have died after the building they were working on in Bangkok collapsed, the Thailand National Institute for Emergency Medicine says.
In an update on Facebook, it adds that 68 others are injured and have been taken to hospital.
Five people are in critical condition, the organisation says.
As we reported a little earlier, 81 construction workers from the site are still trapped under the rubble of the building, according to the country's deputy prime minister.
Rachel FlynnLive reporter
I've been talking to an English teacher in Bangkok, who describes feeling dizzy and as though she was going to "pass out" when she felt the earthquake tremors in her school's corridors.
Amy Clayton, 26, says she was approaching a colleague when they asked her: "Can you feel that?"
Seconds later, she heard the fire alarms go off, and the school's principal telling everyone to evacuate through the speaker system.
Children were crying with some going on to have panic attacks, she tells me.
"We were completely unprepared. We do all sorts of drills - but never one for earthquakes," she says, with one colleague telling her it's the first quake she's experienced in decades.
Amy later saw evidence of the quake at her home in Bangkok - a 17th floor condo
We're hearing that Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has now arrived at the scene of a collapsed building in the country's capital, where 81 workers are currently trapped.
Earlier, she spoke to reporters and called for calm after an emergency meeting following the earthquake - which hit Myanmar but was felt in neighbouring countries, including Thailand.
Heavy machinery is also now reported to be arriving at the site of the incident, so rescue workers can begin searching for those trapped under the rubble.
The scene of the collapsed building continues to be chaotic - we'll bring you more images when we get them
BBC Thai journalist Panisa Aemocha has been speaking to people in Thailand outside the scene of a collapsed building (see our last post for more details), which she says is "horrific".
Panisa says there are "lots of very scared people" and that one of the workers she's spoken to - an 18-year-old - recalls the "split moment" in which the building seemed to fall.
Listen to what else she says here:
This video can not be played
BBC journalist in Bangkok recounts moments after building collapse
The number of workers missing at a collapsed construction site of a high-rise building in Thailand's capital Bangkok has now risen to 81, according to the Thai deputy PM.
Earlier, the figure was at 70.
The Thai government says it's coordinating an emergency response at the scene and in a statement online, it says they have ordered the mobilisation of search and rescue teams, and disaster centres have been ordered to prepare relief equipment and machinery.
According to Thailand's Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, there were as many as 409 people working on the site when it collapsed.
Images show some of the rescue workers who are already there.
Chris Clayton & Erwan RivaultBBC Visual Journalism team
Details are continuing to emerge about the extent of the damage caused by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, but its effects have been felt hundreds of miles away.
The map below shows how intense the shaking was across the
country and into Thailand, China and India.
It's based on the Moment Magnitude Scale, with
strong shaking causing serious damage while moderate shaking will be felt but
usually only causes minor damage.
By Matt Murphy
We at BBC Verify are busy searching for footage from the aftermath of this morning's earthquake in Myanmar.
Normally when we're gathering imagery from natural disaster zones, our team trawls through social media platforms. In this case we're looking at Facebook, which is especially popular in Myanmar.
But the country is in the midst of a major conflict between the ruling military regime - which took power in a coup in 2021 - and a patchwork rebel alliance.
Since it came to power, and especially since the war began, the government has restricted access to scores of websites and blocked social media outlets. In 2022, the UN condemned what it called the imposition of a "digital dictatorship" by the military.
Some locals use virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions, but in January the military introduced a new law imposing harsh penalties on people using such services. As such, footage appearing on social media can be limited.
And once BBC Verify does identify clips from Myanmar, it can be hard to confirm they are authentic.
Usually, footage would be cross-referenced with photos from Google Street View, but this service is limited in many parts of the country. In these cases, our team uses older verified videos or satellite imagery which can highlight unique geographical features to authenticate clips.
Rebecca HenschkeBBC Eye reporter and former Asia editor
Even before this devastating earthquake hit, the
humanitarian situation in Myanmar was dire.
The Sagaing region, near the epicentre of the quake, is a
volatile key battleground in the civil war.
It's a stronghold of pro-democracy resistance groups who are fighting to
overthrow the military government that seized power in a coup on 1 February 2021.
The civil war has left more than an estimated 3.5 million
people displaced from their homes. And hunger has reached alarming levels. Before the quake, the United Nations was
warning that nearly 20 million people - a third of the population - would need
aid this year. Now the situation has got a whole lot worse.
A recent BBC data project reveals that there is now a
patchwork of groups in control of Sagaing and across Myanmar, and this will make relief and recover
efforts challenging.
The data investigation revealed that the military now only has full control of
less than a quarter of the country.
Since seizing power in the coup, the Myanmar Miliary have
also isolated the country from the outside world. Independent media is
effectively banned and international aid groups activities restricted. The cuts in American foreign aid have also
severely impacted Myanmar.
We've more images to bring you now - this time from Naypyidaw, Myanmar's capital, and one of the six areas that's been placed under a state of emergency.
These are from Myanmar's military regime, and show cracked roads and collapsed buildings.
BBC Burmese Service, Yangon
A member of a rescue team based in Mandalay tells the BBC "the damage is enormous".
"The number of deaths is also quite high. That's all we can say right now because the rescue efforts are ongoing," they say.
"The exact number of casualties is not yet known, but it is at least in the hundreds."
While the earthquake we're reporting on happened in Myanmar, it was felt in and has heavily affected Thailand, where we're also getting continuous updates.
In Thailand's capital Bangkok, 70 construction workers are now missing at the site of a collapsed building site, the National Institute for Emergency Medicine in Thailand says - having earlier reported there were 43 people feared missing.
In a post on Facebook, it adds there were around 320 workers on the site at the time of the collapse, and 20 are trapped in the lift shafts.
The number of deaths is unclear, and a field hospital has been set up at the scene as rescuers continue to look for survivors.
We'll bring you more on this when we have it.
BBC Burmese Service, Yangon
As the aftershocks continue, not all of Mandalay's residents have returned home. Some are still on the streets.
Fire engines and ambulances can be seen moving around the city.
Witnesses tell the BBC that the sound of emergency vehicles can be heard almost continuously throughout the city.
We reported earlier that there was video circulating online, appearing to show people screaming and crouching on the tarmac at an airport in Myanmar.
That footage - which shows people sat on a runway, before they're ushered away - has now been verified by our colleagues at BBC Verify.
They've done this by geolocating it to Mandalay International Airport.
Here's what you can see:
This video can not be played
People crouch on the tarmac at Mandalay airport
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The documents also included details such as soldiers' ranks, emails, shift patterns, and weapon issue details, which experts say could represent a security threat for the named individuals.
Piles of papers containing confidential military information were found scattered in the streets of Newcastle, a city in northern England, earlier this month.
Football fan Mike Gibbard was parking his car on 16 March as he headed to a match when scraps of paper littering the street caught his eye.
Gibbard got out of his car and was astonished to discover that the pieces of paper were, in fact, a trail of military documents.
"I was very surprised, I thought to myself, this shouldn't be here", Gibbard told Euronews.
To his shock, the documents appeared to contain information about the British Army regiments and barracks at Catterick Garrison — which are located approximately 80 kilometres south of Newcastle in northern Yorkshire.
They listed details about the facilities' perimeter, patrol routines, weapons checks, mobile phone numbers, and requests for leave.
"There were also the names of soldiers, but also those of high ranking serving soldiers," Gibbard added.
He was quick to phone the police, worried about who else could have come across the papers before him.
On the other end of the line, the police were in total disbelief at what they were hearing. "I spent five minutes clarifying that what I was seeing was real," Gibbard told Euronews.
According to experts, the classified information discovered could represent a serious security threat to the named individuals.
Gibbard told Euronews that the Ministry of Defence had not contacted him. "They haven't asked me anything about what I saw. It feels as though they just want to brush it under the carpet."
The Ministry of Defence told Euronews they were aware that documentation "allegedly relating to the department was recently handed to the police."
The ministry added that it was looking into the matter urgently and that an ongoing investigation led by Northumbria Police was under way.
Myanmar Earthquake Updates: The country's junta has declared a state of emerency.
Collapsed bridges and buildings, shaking skyscrapers with water from infinity pools falling hundreds of feet to the ground, and panicked people running out onto the streets - scenes that followed a massive 7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar that led to tremors in northern Bangkok and southwestern China.
The earthquake struck 18km from the city of Sagaing in Myanmar at 12.50 pm Friday.
At least 20 deaths have been reported so far from Myanmar alone, where a 1,000-bed hospital has become a "mass casualty area", news agency AFP said.
READ | 1000-Bed Myanmar Hospital Is "Mass Casualty Area" After 7.7 Quake
Mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh, news agency PTI said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered support.
Within minutes there were videos and photographs on X showing the impact in Bangkok, where a state of 'emergency' has been declared, and in Myanmar. One scary video showed an under-construction skyscraper collapsing. Over 80 people were in the building, and three deaths have been confirmed.
Over 40 construction workers are reported missing, following the collapse of an under construction high-rise building in the Thai capital of Bangkok, as a result of today's 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar. pic.twitter.com/ydkbxExorf
Another showed the water from a skyscraper's infinity pool literally thrown over the edge, and a third showed chandeliers bouncing about on the roof of a conference room at Bangkok's Athenee Hotel.
WATCH: Strong earthquake hits Bangkok, sending pool water over edge of building pic.twitter.com/r8eUr1c2gX
From Myanmar, one video showed a two-floor residential building in Mandalay partially collapsed, held up only by the wall of the neighbouring structure.
Devastation across the city of Mandalay in Myanmar, as a result of today's 7.7 magnitude earthquake, with dozens of buildings having collapsed as well as the Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River. pic.twitter.com/8YE8KsxXws
An old bridge over the Irrawaddy River has also collapsed.
READ | 7.7-Magnitude Quake In Myanmar, Strong Tremors In Bangkok, 20 Dead
A team of AFP journalists were at the National Museum in Naypyidaw when the earthquake struck and the building began shaking. Pieces fell from the ceiling and walls cracked, they reported, as uniformed staff ran outside, some crying and trying to contact family.
Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or more struck between 1930 and 1956 near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the country.
A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in the ancient capital Bagan in central Myanmar, killed three people in 2016, also toppling spires and crumbling temple walls at the tourist destination.
The impoverished nation has a strained medical system, especially in its rural states.
With input from agencies
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Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance have visited the US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland as President Donald Trump continues to push for the US to take over the Danish semi-autonomous territory
Speaking to troops, Vance says military force is not necessary for the US to expand its presence in Greenland and that locals will want to choose to align with the US instead of Denmark
The vice-president says Denmark "has not done a good job" for the people of Greenland and the US needs to step in
He also says Russia and China are increasing their footprints in the area and the world cannot "bury our heads in the sand - or in this case in the snow"
Vance's trip was scaled down after a row with the governments of Greenland and Denmark over a lack of invitation
Greenland's new Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen tells reporters the trip "is not showing respect for an ally", while a resident of the capital Nuuk Karl-Peter tells the BBC he is "worried" about Trump "trying to control the country"
This video can not be played
Vance: Denmark has ‘not a done a good job' for Greenland
Edited by Brandon Livesay and Emily Atkinson, with Andrew Harding and Maryam Moshiri reporting from Nuuk
Andrew HardingReporting from Nuuk
"There are many ways to say things," Karline Poulsen says in the Nuuk Cultural Centre. "But I think the way President Trump is saying it is not the way."
The artist, who lives in Greenland's capital, says that she worries about Trump, describing the president's words as "like a threat".
Karline says the new coalition government that was formed in Greenland earlier today is a powerful message to the United States "if they consider things that way," describing the new group as "very powerful".
Bernd Debusmann JrReporting from Washington
Vice-President JD Vance's comments at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland were nothing we have not heard before - but are sure to raise eyebrows among some US allies, particularly in Copenhagen.
His assertion that Denmark has been "under-investing" in Greenland's security is one that we've heard often from Vance, Donald Trump and others - not just about Greenland but about European security in general.
We also saw shades of that with this week's publication of the now-infamous Signals chat with other cabinet members, in which Vance expressed his displeasure with European allies.
Vance's comment that the US respects Greenlander's "self-determination" will also ring hollow to many, both in Greenland and in Denmark.
While many Greenlanders - including those of the centre-right Demokraatit Party that just won the most votes in Greenland's parliamentary election - favour independence from Denmark, polls show that the vast majority - 85% - of the territory's residents do not want to be part of the US.
It's unclear what the US endgame is here, although Vance seems certain that, ultimately, Greenlanders will "cut a deal" with the US.
Vance says that he believes a military operation will never be necessary, but the entire visit is likely to be seen as provocative, leaving many to question American intentions.
Many foreign observers will also be watching carefully to see if the administration's handling of Greenland offers any clues to how they will handle other foreign territories that Trump has expressed interest in - namely Panama, Canada and Gaza.
Here's more from the residents of Greenland's capital, Nuuk.
"I'm concerned (about the visit)...this is kind of odd, I don't like it," Nina tells the BBC.
She says the US already has a military base in Greenland "so they can upscale...why don't they do that?"
Her daughter says the visit has caused "a lot of uncertainty and a lot of people are worried".
The "intentions" of the Americans "aren't as pure or as clear as they claim to be", her daughter, Anita, says.
Greenlanders are usually "very welcoming people," Anita says, but in recent days, many have said they would turn their backs on the Vances if they saw them walking down the street "because of the disrespect" the Americans have shown.
While Vance was speaking, Trump shared a video produced by the lobbying group Securing American Greatness, outlining the US interests in Greenland.
The video Trump posted on social media features sweeping shots of Greenland's landscape, as well as archive footage that appears to come from newsreels in the 1940s.
"In the cold silence of the tundra, a bond was born," the narrator begins. The video goes on to describe how the Nazis sought control of the Arctic during WW2, and torpedoed a US ship that was on its way to Greenland to help prevent a Nazi invasion.
Four chaplains gave up their life vests "giving their lives so others might live, to protect America and Greenland," the video says. This refers to the sinking of the SS Dorchester by a German U-boat in 1943.
"But today, Greenland faces new threats - from Russian aggression and Chinese expansion," the narrator continues.
It goes on to say describe the US-Greenland partnership growing with "every Arctic patrol, every partnership forged in the shadow of melting ice and rising tensions."
"This is not just history. It is destiny," as music swells in the background and icebergs are shown on screen.
"Now is the time to stand together again," it continues. "For peace, for security, for the future. America stands with Greenland."
JD Vance and his wife Usha, along with the US officials in their travelling party, have just boarded Air Force Two and will soon depart Greenland.
They spent just a few hours on the island, and will be up in the air for around six hours before landing at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
This video can not be played
Vance: Denmark has ‘not a done a good job' for Greenland
US Vice-President JD Vance has just finished speaking to troops stationed in Greenland, and reporters who are accompanying him on his trip there.
Here's a look back at what he said:
Vance is now asked if military plans to take over Greenland have been drafted.
"What we think is going to happen is that the Greenlanders are going to choose - through self-determination - to become independent of Denmark," the vice-president says, "and then we're going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there".
He adds: "We do not think military force is ever going to be necessary".
With that, the press conference ends. We're pulling together a recap of the key lines - stay tuned.
Vance continues to talk about the US future in Greenland, but says that he does not believe that military force is necessary for the US to expand its presence on the Arctic island.
He says Trump holds the same opinion for his plans for Greenland.
Greenland, he says, is "extremely vulnerable right now". He says that he thinks Greenlanders will want to partner with the US, despite opinion polls showing widespread opposition from the local population to US governance.
Vance says "we think we're going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump-style, to ensure the security of this territory".
He says "this has to happen" and again blames Denmark, saying they haven't kept the area safe.
JD Vance is asked if there are specific threats to Greenland coming from China or Russia.
"We know that the Chinese are very, very interested in this island," he says, and that China has tried to put "economic pressures" on Greenland.
"We've seen very strong evidence" that China and Russia are interested in this area, he adds.
The vice-president is now taking questions from reporters.
Responding to the first question, he says that there are no immediate plans to expand the US military presence in Greenland.
But he says there are additional investments happening in icebreakers and naval ships that will have a presence in Greenland.
He again says Russia and China have an increased footprint in the area, and that "we need to wake up".
"We can't bury our heads in the sand - or in this case in the snow - and pretend the Chinese are not interested in this landmass," he says.
This video can not be played
Vance: US will respect the 'self-determination' of Greenland
Addressing US troops, Vice-President JD Vance says "we respect the self-determination of Greenlanders".
He adds that the US argument is simple - and not with the people of Greenland but rather the leadership of Denmark.
Continuing, Vance says that the US "honours" the sacrifices of Danish soldiers who fought with the US in the "war on terror 20 years ago".
He says that important security partnerships from the past does not mean they can't have tough talk with partners in the present
"Our message to Denmark is simple, you have not done a good job for the people of Greenland. This is why Trump's policy is what it is."
He adds that Denmark was "under-invested in Greenland's security architecture".
The vice-president now criticises Denmark, saying the area surrounding the Pituffik Space Base is "less secure" than it was 30-40 years ago.
He says as Russia and China have "taken greater and greater interest in this base", our allies in Europe haven't kept up.
Vance says Denmark has not invested enough to keep the area safe.
Vance takes centre stage again. He says many Americans may not understand why the Arctic is important to US national security.
He says that the US troops stations in Greenland are tasked with tracking any incoming missile threats to the US, and hopefully shooting down any aerial attack.
"We know that Russia and China and other nations are taking an interest in Arctic passageways and naval channels," he says, adding that rivals are also pursuing mineral rights in the region.
He continues by saying that if the US does not take an interest in Greenland, other nations will.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz - a figure at the heart of the Signal group chat scandal - is now speaking.
He says President Trump is "absolutely serious" about the Arctic and "the security" of the area.
"This is about shipping lanes, energy, fisheries," he says.
JD Vance begins his address by thanking the troops gathered for giving him "a warm reception in a very, very cold place".
He adds that he brings a message from President Trump, who he says is "thankful for your service" and "proud of you".
He adds that the work they are doing is important for national security.
As he begins speaking, the troops momentarily began chanting "USA".
Vice-President JD Vance is about to speak from the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland.
Hit watch live at the top of this page to follow along - we'll bring you all the key lines here.
We're pivoting for a moment back to Washington, where President Donald Trump - who repeatedly said he wants the US to take over Greenland - has just been speaking with reporters in the White House. He was asked about JD Vance's trip to the Arctic territory.
Trump says that Greenland is "very important for the peace of the world".
And he then follows that up by saying:
"I think the European Union understands it, and if they don't - we're going to have to explain it."
We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of 'do you think we can do without it.' We can't."
Donald Trump, US president
US Vice-President JD Vance is now getting down to business and having a briefing with American troops stationed at the Pituffik Space Base on Greenland's north-west coast.
Cameras aren't allowed in the meeting - we know this because our feed showed Vance saying "now reporters get out, so we can talk about this stuff". But we did see everyone involved arriving and taking their seats ahead of the meeting.
Sat next to his wife and looking at an iPhone, Vance tells the assembled troops that he "is going to embarrass" Colonel Myers, who is stationed at the space base and sat next to the VP during the briefing.
Myers, Vance says, completed the "polar bear plunge" - getting a certificate saying the "temperature never reached above 41(f 5c)".
"And let it be known this task of questionable sanity was accomplished despite near freezing temperatures, the threat of collapsing icebergs and lusty seals," Vance then says he is looking forward to hearing about the lusty seals.
Myers says that for the challenge, which is held every July, they have to "go into the ocean, go in a few feet, swim a couple of feet and then come out," she says, adding that some people do it two or three times.
"And then you get a certificate for your stupidity," she says, which is greeted by laughter.
And with that, the briefing begins.
Vice-President JD Vance and other officials have just started their visit to Pituffik Space Base, home to US Space Force and Air Force personnel.
Its unique 'top of the world' location, according to the US Space Force website, makes it an advantageous position for military defence.
Missiles launched from Russia and China towards the US would most likely be detectable there first, experts say.
"It is quite literally the outermost eye of American defence," Peter Ernstved Rasmussen, a Danish defense analyst, told the New York Times. "Pituffik is where the US can detect a launch, calculate the trajectory and activate its missile defence systems. It's irreplaceable.”
The icy military base - "locked in by ice nine months out of the year" - conducts missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance missions, according to USSF.
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
King Charles III smiled and waved to members of the public Friday as he left his home in London, the day after a brief hospitalisation for the side effects from his cancer treatment.
Britain's King Charles III is driven by car from Clarence House, his London home, along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
Britain's King Charles III is driven by car from Clarence House, his London home, along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)
A man takes a picture of Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025, after the Palace said King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday, experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's King Charles III is driven by car from Clarence House, his London home, along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
Tourists stand in the rain at Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025, after the Palace said King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday, experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Mounted soldiers during the Changing of the Guard ceremony in London, Friday, March 28, 2025 after Buckingham Palace says King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Tourists stand at the entrance to Clarence House that serves as the London residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, in London, Friday, March 28, 2025 after Buckingham Palace says King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Members of the Household Cavalry march into the entrance to Clarence House in London, Friday, March 28, 2025, after Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday, experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Media reports live from Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, March 28, 2025, after the Palace said King Charles III was hospitalized for observation on Thursday, experiencing “temporary side effects,'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III waved to well-wishers in central London on Friday as he headed for his country estate in western England a day after he was briefly hospitalized because of side effects from a scheduled cancer treatment.
Charles canceled planned engagements on Thursday afternoon and Friday on the advice of his doctors, Buckingham Palace said, without providing details about the “temporary side effects” that he experienced.
But the episode was a reminder that the king is 76 and continues to undergo treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer diagnosed more than a year ago.
That reality has slipped away from the collective consciousness since last spring, when Charles returned to public duties after stepping away for almost three months to focus on his initial treatment and recovery. In the intervening months, he has attended D-Day commemoration events in France, presided over the State Opening of Parliament and even embarked on a nine-day visit to Australia and Samoa.
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports King Charles III has been seen in public for first time since his brief hospitalization for the side effects from his cancer treatment.
But during the early stages of his treatment, Charles continued fulfilling his constitutional duties as head of state, including reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister.
Here's a brief rundown of what we know about the king's health.
The king went to the London Clinic on Thursday morning for a scheduled cancer treatment. The clinic is a private hospital in central London, where Charles has been receiving treatment since his diagnosis in February 2024.
“Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, the king experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “His majesty's afternoon engagements were therefore postponed.”
The king then returned to his home at Clarence House, where he reviewed papers and made calls, the palace said. Queen Camilla didn't join him at the hospital.
“His majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” the palace said in a statement.
The king is expected to press ahead with his work in the coming days, including a state visit to Italy scheduled for early April.
Palace officials have recognized that it's better to release some information about the king's health, rather than allow media speculation to fill the void when he's forced to cancel scheduled events.
But they have tried to walk a fine line, seeking to balance the public's legitimate interest in the health of the head of state with Charles' right to privacy.
This was seen first in January 2024, when the palace announced Charles was being treated for an enlarged prostate, followed by the cancer diagnosis a few weeks later.
The decision to talk about the king's health issues marked a departure from past palace protocols. For example, when Queen Elizabeth II began missing events toward the end of her life, royal officials repeatedly said that she was suffering from “mobility issues,” without providing further details. Her death certificate listed the cause as “old age.”
The public was unaware that Charles' grandfather, King George VI, had lung cancer before his death in February 1952 at the age of 56. Some historians suggest that even the king wasn't told about the gravity of his condition.
Health authorities have applauded the king's openness, saying his disclosures saved lives by encouraging thousands of men to have prostate exams.
Royal experts say Charles' candor has also brought him closer to the public by demonstrating that he faces the same kinds of challenges that they do. Health is, after all, the great leveler.
Charles' busy schedule is a reminder that this is a man who waited around seven decades to become monarch and he wants to make the most of it.
The king has been open about his desire to demonstrate that the monarchy still has a role to play as a symbol of unity and tradition in the sometimes fractious, multicultural nation that is 21st-century Britain.
And the job of a modern king is to take part in a whirl of public events, from the pageantry of state occasions when he wears the crown and rides through the streets of London in a horse-drawn carriage to more mundane appearances such as opening public buildings or handing out awards for public service.
Charles took part in 372 public engagements last year, even after stepping aside for almost three months because of cancer treatment, according to data compiled by The Times of London newspaper. That made him the second-busiest royal behind his sister, Princes Anne, who had 474 engagements.
Charles has long been known as a workaholic, and Queen Camilla said last year that he “won't slow down and won't do what he's told.” During her Reading Room literary festival in July, the queen told author Lee Child that her husband was “doing fine,” but hadn't heeded her advice to curtail his schedule.
Prince Harry once said that his father worked so hard that he would fall asleep at his desk and wake up with bits of paper stuck to his face.
The king's busy schedule has obscured the fact that he is an older man with cancer, said Robert Hardman, author of “Charles III: New King, New Court, the Inside Story.”
“We've seen him go back to normal,” Hardman told the BBC on Friday.
“I think this is sort of a reminder that this is a head of state undergoing treatment for cancer, because I think a lot of us tended to forget it.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Israel's 619 billion shekel ($168 billion) budget finally passed on Tuesday, cementing a victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. But according to leading economists and policy experts, the newly approved budget won't do much to address Israel's economic challenges and long-term structural weaknesses. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org That same day, the credit ratings agency Moody's announced that Israel's credit rating would stay at BAA1, maintaining the country's lowest ever rating. Although Israel has displayed economic resilience, it still has a “very high exposure to geopolitical risks,” the credit agency wrote.Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stood behind the budget, which allocates 110 billion shekels ($30 billion) for Israeli security. They said that the allocations prioritize national resilience, support families affected by the war, and strengthen Israel's defense capabilities in a time of unprecedented threats. The government has also pointed to continued economic growth and low unemployment as signs that its fiscal strategy remains sound. 'Gov't actively boosting existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory'Dan Ben-David, an economist at Tel Aviv University who heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, warned that the new budget would only exacerbate Israel's most serious problems. He told The Media Line that the budget prioritized “the wish lists of the settlers and the Haredim”—two constituencies key to the stability of Netanyahu's government—by focusing on religious schools and support for West Bank settlements to the exclusion of addressing the collapsing infrastructure in Israel's north or the growing strain on the military and workforce. Signage is seen outside the Moody's Corporation headquarters in Manhattan, New York, US, November 12, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY/FILE PHOTO)“This government is actively boosting an existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory,” Ben-David warned. Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
That same day, the credit ratings agency Moody's announced that Israel's credit rating would stay at BAA1, maintaining the country's lowest ever rating. Although Israel has displayed economic resilience, it still has a “very high exposure to geopolitical risks,” the credit agency wrote.Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stood behind the budget, which allocates 110 billion shekels ($30 billion) for Israeli security. They said that the allocations prioritize national resilience, support families affected by the war, and strengthen Israel's defense capabilities in a time of unprecedented threats. The government has also pointed to continued economic growth and low unemployment as signs that its fiscal strategy remains sound. 'Gov't actively boosting existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory'Dan Ben-David, an economist at Tel Aviv University who heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, warned that the new budget would only exacerbate Israel's most serious problems. He told The Media Line that the budget prioritized “the wish lists of the settlers and the Haredim”—two constituencies key to the stability of Netanyahu's government—by focusing on religious schools and support for West Bank settlements to the exclusion of addressing the collapsing infrastructure in Israel's north or the growing strain on the military and workforce. Signage is seen outside the Moody's Corporation headquarters in Manhattan, New York, US, November 12, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY/FILE PHOTO)“This government is actively boosting an existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory,” Ben-David warned. Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stood behind the budget, which allocates 110 billion shekels ($30 billion) for Israeli security. They said that the allocations prioritize national resilience, support families affected by the war, and strengthen Israel's defense capabilities in a time of unprecedented threats. The government has also pointed to continued economic growth and low unemployment as signs that its fiscal strategy remains sound. 'Gov't actively boosting existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory'Dan Ben-David, an economist at Tel Aviv University who heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, warned that the new budget would only exacerbate Israel's most serious problems. He told The Media Line that the budget prioritized “the wish lists of the settlers and the Haredim”—two constituencies key to the stability of Netanyahu's government—by focusing on religious schools and support for West Bank settlements to the exclusion of addressing the collapsing infrastructure in Israel's north or the growing strain on the military and workforce. Signage is seen outside the Moody's Corporation headquarters in Manhattan, New York, US, November 12, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY/FILE PHOTO)“This government is actively boosting an existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory,” Ben-David warned. Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Dan Ben-David, an economist at Tel Aviv University who heads the Shoresh Institution for Socioeconomic Research, warned that the new budget would only exacerbate Israel's most serious problems. He told The Media Line that the budget prioritized “the wish lists of the settlers and the Haredim”—two constituencies key to the stability of Netanyahu's government—by focusing on religious schools and support for West Bank settlements to the exclusion of addressing the collapsing infrastructure in Israel's north or the growing strain on the military and workforce. Signage is seen outside the Moody's Corporation headquarters in Manhattan, New York, US, November 12, 2021. (credit: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY/FILE PHOTO)“This government is actively boosting an existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory,” Ben-David warned. Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
“This government is actively boosting an existential socioeconomic-demographic trajectory,” Ben-David warned. Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Around half of Israel's children are currently receiving a “third world education” in Israel's ultra-Orthodox and Arab educational streams, he noted, putting at risk the country's long-term ability to maintain a first-world economy, military, and welfare system.Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Roby Nathanson, head of the Tel Aviv-based Macro Center for Political Economics, described the budget as lacking vision for the future. “It focuses on expenditures without investing in productivity, education, or infrastructure. Worse, it increases taxes on businesses and offers no support for small enterprises damaged by war,” he told The Media Line. “In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
“In recent months, businesses in the north have received some compensation for lost income, but there's no support to rebuild their operations or invest in new equipment,” he added. Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Nathanson said that the budget further institutionalizes a “selective welfare state,” in which ultra-Orthodox and settler communities receive preferential treatment and broader civil society is neglected.That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
That view was echoed by Menny Shalom, CEO of Nukkleus Inc., a publicly traded financial technology and investment company with multiple investment interests in the Israeli tech and defense sectors. “The 2025 budget reflects a political compromise more than a strategic economic vision,” Shalom told The Media Line. “It allocates substantial resources to religious parties that wield significant political influence, even though their sectors often underparticipate in the workforce and recent military efforts.” Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
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Nathanson expressed cautious optimism about the overall economy—no thanks to Israeli financial policy. “The Israeli economy is doing well despite the government, not because of it,” he said, pointing to the country's energy independence, strong high-tech sector, and robust defense industries as key factors sustaining growth. A recent $32 billion deal involving the cybersecurity platform Wiz, for example, is expected to yield around 15 billion shekels ($4 billion) in tax revenue.“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
“With better strategic investments, Israel could grow by 5% to 6%, but under this budget, 3% to 4% is the most we can realistically hope for,” Nathanson said.Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Israel's high-tech sector accounts for approximately 18% of GDP and over 50% of total exports and employs about 10% of the workforce, according to the government's Israel Innovation Authority. With nearly 18% of the budget spent on defense, this sector also has a central role in Israel's economic performance. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ranked Israel among the top 10 global arms exporters, and in 2022, Israel reported a record $12.5 billion in defense exports. Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Shalom described Moody's general concerns as well-founded. “But we also see resilience in several key sectors,” he noted. “High-value exits, strong export performance, and continued global demand for Israeli defense technologies provide reasons for cautious optimism.”While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
While defense spending is well-funded, more productive engines of economic growth like tech are left undersupported, Shalom said.He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
He also described a shift in global investor behavior. “Investor sentiment has become more nuanced,” he said. “Some global investors are increasingly bullish on Israeli defense and cybersecurity firms, while others remain hesitant due to fiscal unpredictability and social polarization.”“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
“We separate short-term volatility from long-term fundamentals,” Shalom said of his investment company. “We're particularly interested in defense and cyber technologies, where global demand is rising. These sectors tend to be more resilient in times of instability.”Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Energy is another strong sector for Israel. Since the discovery of three offshore gas fields in Israel's exclusive economic zone, Israel has transitioned to a net energy exporter status. Natural gas now accounts for around 70% of Israel's electricity generation, significantly reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the country's economy.Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
Another point that keeps the economy afloat, Nathanson said, is Israel's remarkably stable monetary policy. “The Bank of Israel is holding the line, even as fiscal policy collapses into politics,” he said.
US rejects suggestion and Kremlin later clarifies idea is just ‘one of the options' and has not been raised with Trump
Vladimir Putin has suggested Ukraine could be placed under a temporary UN-led government to organise fresh elections as both Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of breaching an energy ceasefire agreed this week.
The idea was quickly rejected by a US spokesperson, and it was not clear how far it was meant to be taken seriously, given that the Kremlin clarified that Putin had not raised this idea in recent phone calls with Donald Trump.
But the remarks indicate that any negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is some way off as Russia continues to add conditions to achieving a settlement while Kyiv has said it would sign up to a 30-day ceasefire if Moscow agreed.
Putin said the idea would be to allow Ukraine to “hold democratic elections, to bring to power a viable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty” – though he later said that was just “one of the options”.
“Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine,” Putin added, in comments broadcast on Friday morning.
A White House national security council spokesperson was dismissive, saying that governance in Ukraine was determined by its constitution. On Thursday at a summit in Paris, European leaders led by France and the UK reiterated their support for Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
Few experts consider the Russian demand that Ukraine holds elections to be realistic, but the Kremlin has tried to highlight Kyiv's decision not to hold a presidential poll while the war continues as a precondition for achieving a final settlement, as US-brokered peace negotiations proceed slowly.
On Tuesday, the White House announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to maritime and energy infrastructure ceasefires – but both sides claimed there were fresh violations on Friday as the land war continued unabated.
In Ukraine, the governor of Poltava region said storage sites for spare parts used by gas supplier Naftogaz were struck by a Russian drone. Russia's ministry of defence said a gas metering station in the border village of Sudzha in Kursk province had been struck by US-made Himars missiles.
Ukraine's general staff said the attack in Poltava showed that “the Russian aggressor cynically continues to lie about its aspirations for peace” – while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The Ukrainian armed forces aren't following orders from the country's leadership”.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said it was premature to expect fresh higher level talks between the US and Russia to try to achieve a breakthrough. Asked by a reporter as he flew back from a tour of the Caribbean, he said before that, “I think you have to make more progress on a technical level”.
Ukrainian officials also confirmed on Friday that the US had revised a proposed deal for the joint exploitation of minerals and rare earths in the country amid briefings that the new terms were dramatically more favourable to the US.
The new proposal stipulates that a joint investment fund be set up and the US would be given the first option to buy resources extracted until it recoups the aid money it has given Ukraine plus 4% interest. Only after that could Ukraine access the fund's profits.
A previous proposal, which Zelenskyy had travelled to the US to sign with Trump before he was dragged into a row with the US leader in the Oval Office, had proposed a 50/50 split.
Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, would not be drawn into a detailed discussion of the suggested terms, telling the country's parliament that a public debate would harm the country's position.
But she confirmed a US proposal had been received and Ukraine was formulating its response. “This is a working version that essentially reflects the position of the American legal advisers. We are forming our own position, and the process is currently formalised,” she told legislators.
The pressure group Global Witness said the US demands were extreme. Dominic Kavakeb, a co-director of campaigns, described the reported terms as “the pure, unabashed exploitation of Ukraine as the price to avoid total devastation at the hands of Putin. This is neo-colonialism laid bare.”
Ukraine suspended elections when it introduced martial law after Russia's full scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy's five-year term was supposed to end last May, but a vote is not expected to be held until security conditions allow – and there is little public pressure to have one.
Russia, where presidential elections are heavily managed and not considered to be free or fair, has been highlighting the democratic hiatus in Ukraine as a talking point in its favour as initial US-brokered peace talks have begun.
At times a similar position has been adopted by Trump, who last month described Zelenskyy as a “dictator” with a 4% approval rating, although a poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published in early March put the figure at 68%.
The former Brazil international Dani Alves has had his conviction for rape overturned on appeal.
In February 2024, a court sentenced Alves to a minimum sentence of four years and six months for the rape of a 23-year-old woman in a Barcelona nightclub in December 2022. As he had already spent more than a year on remand, Alves was released under legal supervision shortly afterwards.
Now the appeal court, presided over by two female judges and one male, has ruled unanimously that the conviction was unsafe because of what it described as a “series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions over the facts, the judicial assessment and their consequences”.
The court added that the victim's claim that she had non-consensual sex in a VIP bathroom in the Sutton nightclub in Barcelona on New Year's Eve 2022 was undermined because she was “an unreliable witness” whose testimony could not be verified. “Her story doesn't correspond with reality,” they decided. In their ruling, the judges also stated that during the trial Alves's right to the presumption of innocence had been denied.
The prosecution had demanded a nine-year sentence. As part of his conviction, the court ordered Alves to pay €150,000 (£125,000) in compensation to the victim, banned him from approaching the victim's home or place of work, and from communicating with her by any means for nine years. At the time, the then Catalan equality minister, Tania Vergè, described the conviction as “a milestone” following a series of high-profile footballers being accused of sexual assault and avoiding prosecution.
Alves won dozens of titles with clubs including Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain and played 126 times for Brazil, including at three World Cups. He helped Brazil win two Copa Américas and an Olympic gold medal.
The defender played for Barcelona from 2008-16, briefly rejoined the club in 2022 and still has a residence near the city. Alves was with the Mexican club Pumas when arrested and immediately had his contract terminated.
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A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake and a 6.4 magnitude aftershock have struck Myanmar on Friday, rocking across Thailand as the death toll climbs.
The epicenter of the earthquake hit near the city of Mandalay in Myanmar with tremors felt hundreds of miles in Bangkok, Thailand where authorities are reportedly "racing to rescue dozens of people trapped under rubble," according to news reports.
In a CNN report, James Jackson, from the University of Cambridge in England, said the earthquake was caused by a rupture that lasted for “a full minute,” causing sideways movements on the ground.
“Think of a piece of paper tearing, and it tears at about two kilometers per second,” he said. “It's moving a fault, which is like a great knife cut in the Earth.”
United Nations for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported "significant damage" following the earthquake with the most affected areas in the Mandalay region as well as Nay Phi Taw, Bago, Magway, Sagaing, Shan and other areas per news officials.
Here's what to know and where the earthquake has struck.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, 7 miles from Sagaing, Myanmar on Friday at 12:50 p.m. local time, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock 12 miles from Kyaukse, Myanmar approximately 12 minutes later.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is located in the western portion of mainland Southeast Asia. It borders China to the north and northeast, Laos to the East, Thailand to the Southeast, the Andaman Seas and Bay of Bengal to the south and southwest, Bangladesh to the west and India to the northwest.
The country of Myanmar boasts a population of over 54 million and the official language is Burmese.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Where was earthquake today? Myanmar, Thailand earthquake death toll
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has thrown her weight behind US Vice President J.D. Vance and his scathing criticism of Washington's European allies last month.
In a keynote address at the annual Munich Security Conference, Vance charged that the UK and several EU nations are failing to uphold free speech and democratic principles.
“I have to say I agree,” Meloni told Financial Times. “I've been saying this for years… Europe has a bit lost itself.” She added that the believed the vice president's ire was directed at a “ruling class,” that imposes its ideology on ordinary citizens.
The article in the British newspaper on Friday underscored Meloni's ideological parallels with Trump and her lack of alignment with other European leaders on crucial matters.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have marked out a position apart from US President Donald Trump, in particular on the Ukraine conflict, where the White House is pushing hard for a truce. The duo is spearheading efforts to bolster the Ukrainian military, and has proposed that a “reassurance force” be stationed in the country. Russia has warned against any NATO military presence in Ukraine, regardless of the form it takes.
Meloni said that in contrast to Macron and Starmer, she is not keen to position herself as a “protagonist” on the global stage. While she did not directly contest claims that Russia poses a threat warranting Europe-wide military expansion, she emphasized that Rome recognizes “threats can come from 360 degrees.” She was referring to illegal migration across the Mediterranean, which is a pressing issue in Italy.
”If you simply think that you can defend yourself, taking care of the eastern flank, and you don't consider for example what happens in the southern flank, you will have a problem,” the prime minister explained.
Russian officials deny any aggressive intentions toward NATO, viewing the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war instigated by the bloc. Moscow has accused European leaders of undermining Trump's mediation efforts and preferring the continuation of hostilities.
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STORY: :: Video shows a destroyed temple and buildings in Myanmar after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake
:: March 28, 2025
:: Mandalay, Myanmar
:: Naypyitaw, Myanmar
At least three people were killed in the town of Taungoo in Myanmar when a mosque partially collapsed, witnesses said, while local media reported that at least two people died and 20 were injured after a hotel collapsed in Aung Ban.
In Thailand, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said there had been three deaths from the quake. He warned of possible aftershocks but urged people to be calm and said the situation was largely under control.
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Stirring controversy even before its official start, this week's International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem made headlines long before it took place.
The international antisemitism conference, held in Jerusalem this week, surprised the political scene in Israel and beyond its borders, marking a shift in the political narrative of Europe's right wing.
Hosted by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, the event was aimed at addressing "contemporary antisemitism" and raising awareness about its key drivers "posed by the evolving realities" since Hamas' 7 October attack.
Among those attending: Jordan Bardella, leader of France's National Rally party (RN) and Marion Maréchal, granddaughter of RN's predecessor National Front founder and Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Prominent figures in Jewish communities worldwide were among those boycotting, including French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, German antisemitism commissioner Felix Klein, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt, and others.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), told Euronews he also received the invite, but declined it after hearing the reaction of "all major European Jewish organisations and national organizations in Europe."
Rabbi Goldschmidt's reasons for declining included the fact that the country's president was also not attending the event, organising a private reception in his residence instead.
“If the president of Israel does not attend this conference, I'm not going to attend it either,” he said.
The event was organised by Minister Amichai Chikli, who is in charge of fostering ties between Israel and the Jewish diaspora and fighting antisemitism. And when it comes to the latter, the conference managed to bring in what used to be an unimaginable ally: European right-wing politicians.
However, Israel is not "turning a blind eye on Holocaust deniers," Chikli told Euronews.
“I think that when you look at the real threat and the main threat, it is coming from radical Islam. And therefore, here we can have mutual allies that in the past we didn't work with.”
And this, according to Chikli, is the case with France's far-right party.
“We are well aware of the history of the party. We are well aware of the history of (RN leader Marine Le Pen's) father. We know he was an antisemite. And we do not forget him," Chikli said.
"But, take a look. Who is speaking against Hamas? Who is speaking against radical Islam? Who is speaking against the decisions of the ICC against our prime minister and the minister of defence? These are Bardella, Marine Le Pen, these are our allies in Europe. So that is the new reality. Now, if for someone it's a challenge, that's okay.”
In a speech at the conference, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that antisemitism was growing in European capitals, the Western press, social media and in elite US universities, blaming the American campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza on “a systemic alliance between ultra-progressive left and radical Islam.”
It's a message that seems to be at the very core of this new alliance. Speaking to the Jerusalem Post ahead of the conference, Bardella outlined what he described as the new front line of the struggle against anti-Semitism in the 21st century.
“This resurgence comes from two phenomena that I fight against: Islamist fundamentalism and its best ally today, the French radical left," Bardella said.
Marion Maréchal, the niece of Marine Le Pen and an MEP with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, called it "a natural alignment".
‘It's been years now that our compatriots of Jewish faith have turned to voting, to the national body, whether it's the National Rally or myself in the European elections," Maréchal said.
"I would like to thank Minister Chikli, who invited us, for having finally put an end to this sort of taboo, if I may put it that way, and which now enables us to work in harmony with a certain number of Israeli officials.”
Rabbi Goldschmidt told Euronews that this alignment comes from what "the far-right groups promise to their electorate which others don't."
"The main promise of the far right, and it differs from country to country, is the promise of personal security. And for the Jewish community, since 7 October, the issue of personal security has become a prime issue," he explained.
The Jewish community in France is the largest in Europe, yet it's still facing significant prejudice. Last year, the country saw a total of 1,570 antisemitic acts registered in France - 6% less than in 2023, but three times more than in 2022.
Rabbi Goldschmidt told Euronews that in the Parisian suburb of Sarcelles, over 70% of members of the Jewish community voted for a far-right candidate.
“This shows to what extent there is a problem which has to be dealt with, also with regard to Europe and with regard to the voters in Europe,” he pointed out.
As Israel's government seems to have found new allies in Europe and bigger support from the administration of US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing growing internal issues.
After bringing an end to a two-month ceasefire that saw the release of dozens of Israeli hostages from Gaza in return for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, Israel is now reportedly planning a new, more significant ground operation in Gaza that could involve occupying large portions of the Strip.
Questions are increasingly being asked, including from Israeli society, whether this would help bring back the hostages still being held by Hamas or put their lives in even more danger, while at the same time causing more devastation and more death in Gaza.
Protesters rallied on Tuesday and Wednesday in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate hostage deal, in reaction to Netanyahu's decision to resume fighting in Gaza, which the protesters see as politically motivated.
On Thursday, Israel's parliament passed a key part of the prime minister's plan to overhaul the judiciary, angering critics and protesters who see it as a power grab by the government.
The law gives the government a more prominent role in appointing judges.
Israel's government put the judicial overhaul on hold after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, and in January 2024, the Supreme Court shot down another key component that would have prevented judges from striking down some government decisions.
The effort regained momentum this month after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and resumed its offensive. That helped solidify Netanyahu's governing coalition, which relies on far-right parties that want to continue the war.
JD Vance and his delegation will visit one of the world's most isolated places, where US troops have been stationed since second world war
When JD Vance and his delegation touch down at Pituffik space base in Greenland on Friday, they will be greeted by the words: “Welcome to the top of the world.” As well as being the US's most northerly military base – and its only one on the vast Arctic island – it is also among the world's most isolated places.
For nine months of the year, the base (formerly known as Thule airbase) in north-western Greenland is locked in by ice, although it remains accessible by plane throughout the year. For three months there is no sunlight.
The strategically important site – about 932 miles (1,500km) from Nuuk, Greenland's capital, 750 miles (1,207km) north of the Arctic Circle, and across Baffin Bay from Nunavut in Canada – plays an essential role in US missile detection.
Home to an upgraded early warning radar weapon system that can detect ballistic missiles, the base also monitors space for debris from decommissioned satellites and is home to the world's most northerly deep-water port.
The US has had a military presence on Greenland since the second world war, when the island was left undefended during the Nazi occupation of its then colonial ruler, Denmark. The US moved in, setting up airfields, weather stations and defences and watched for German submarines in the North Atlantic.
Ten years later, the arrangement was formalised via a defence treaty with Denmark, which is part of Nato, that allowed the US the right to operate military facilities there. During the cold war, Pituffik again became an important Arctic base for the US.
Greenland is now a semi-autonomous territory – it stopped being a Danish colony in 1953 – but it remains part of the kingdom of Denmark, which continues to control its foreign and security policy.
Approximately 150 US air force and space force personnel are stationed at Pituffik, alongside Danes and Greenlanders. It is also home to arctic fox, arctic hare, musk ox and polar bears.
The US said it renamed the base in 2023 to recognise Greenlandic cultural heritage and its role in the US space force.
Plumes of smoke rise from suburb of Dahiyeh in Lebanese capital after airstrike threatens fragile truce
Israel has conducted an airstrike on Beirut for the first time since signing a November ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Huge smoke plumes rose from the site of the attack in the southern suburb of Dahiyeh and residents reported hearing the explosion from the mountains surrounding the Lebanese capital.
The strike threatens to upset the fragile truce in place between Hezbollah and Israel since a ceasefire was signed on 27 November last year.
Before the bombing, Israel's military issued an evacuation order and warned it would attack a building in Dahiyeh. A spokesperson posted a map on X with a building marked in red, telling residents to flee more than 300 metres away, reminiscent of the daily maps the Israeli military issued before bombings during its war with Hezbollah.
“You are present near facilities belonging to Hezbollah,” the spokesperson warned, pointing to a building near two schools in Dahiyeh. The warning was followed by two drone strikes.
An Israeli military spokesperson later said the airstrikes targeted a truck and Hezbollah drone storage facility known as Unit 127.
The warning caused people in Dahiyeh to flee, with men shooting in the air to warn those who had not seen the announcement on social media. Videos showed residents sheltering on pavements in central Beirut.
Earlier in the morning, Israel announced it had intercepted one of two rockets coming from Lebanon, the second time in a week that rocket fire was directed towards it, after three rockets were fired at the town of Metula on 22 March.
According to the military, one of the rockets was intercepted, while the other fell short inside Lebanese territory as rocket sirens sounded in the city of Kiryat Shmona and the communes of Tel Hai, Margaliot and Misgav Am.
No one claimed responsibility for Friday's rocket fire, and Hezbollah issued no statement.
Israel conducted several airstrikes in southern Lebanon before the evacuation warning in Beirut on Friday. Lebanon announced the closure of schools in the south in fear of further strikes.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Friday's strike marked an “example” of Israel's “determination” to act against its northern neighbour.
“We will not allow firing on our communities, not even a trickle,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the ceasefire; we will attack everywhere in Lebanon, against any threat to the State of Israel, and we will ensure that all our residents in the north return to their homes safely.”
The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said: “If calm does not prevail in the Galilee towns, there will be no calm in Beirut … We will not allow a return to the situation before October 7.
“I am sending a clear message from here to the Lebanese government: if you do not enforce the ceasefire agreement we will enforce it,” Katz added.
It is unclear how Hezbollah will respond to a strike on Dahiyeh, where the group enjoys large public support. Hezbollah claims its role is to protect Lebanon from the Israeli military, so a strike near the country's capital could challenge the basis of its legitimacy.
There has been no resumption of major hostilities since the ceasefire began in November, despite Israel conducting hundreds of strikes in Lebanon. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for one strike in Israel a few days after the signing of the ceasefire.
The ceasefire had brought an end to more than 13 months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, which killed more than 3,900 people and displaced about 1 million in Lebanon. Lebanon's prime minister, Nawaf Salam, has emphasised his commitment to the ceasefire deal and reiterated that the decision for Lebanon to go to war lay with the state, not with Hezbollah.
Salam issued a statement calling on the military to “uncover those behind the irresponsible rocket fire that threatens Lebanon's stability and security”.
The new Lebanese government, elected after the signing of the ceasefire, has made disarming the non-state militia a priority.
In Gaza, where Israel resumed its military operation on 18 March, shattering the relative calm of a January ceasefire with Hamas, the aid group World Central Kitchen said an Israeli airstrike killed one of its volunteers near a facility distributing meals to besieged Palestinians. The strike wounded six other people, the US-based charity said.
World Central Kitchen said it would continue to operate its field kitchens “where possible, based on daily assessments”. It did not give the location of the strike and the Israeli military did not immediately comment.
The UN Human Rights Office accused Israel on Friday of violating international law by forcibly displacing Palestinians in Gaza under “mandatory evacuation orders”.
The Israeli army has issued what the UN described as 10 mandatory evacuation orders, which ‘‘fail to comply with the requirements of international humanitarian law”, the body's spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement on Friday.
Israel's permanent mission to Geneva said it was operating in accordance with international humanitarian law. “Israel is evacuating civilians to protect them from Hamas terrorists, who relentlessly use them as human shields in a blatant violation of international law,” the mission said.
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Can countries control the clouds? And should they?
As climate change drives floods and drought, rainmaking is in fashion across the world, despite mixed evidence that it works and concerns it can stoke cross-border tensions.
While attempting to control the weather might sound like science fiction, countries have been seeding clouds for decades to try to make rain or snow fall in specific regions.
Invented in the 1940s, seeding involves a variety of techniques including adding particles to clouds via aircraft.
It is used today across the world in an attempt to alleviate drought, fight forest fires and even to disperse fog at airports.
In 2008, China used it to try to stop rain from falling on Beijing's Olympic stadium.
But experts say that there is insufficient oversight of the practice, as countries show an increasing interest in this and other geoengineering techniques as the planet warms.
The American Meteorological Society has said that "unintended consequences" of cloud seeding have not been clearly shown -- or ruled out -- and raised concerns that unanticipated effects from weather modification could cross political boundaries.
But experts say the main risk might be more a matter of perception.
"If a country learns that its neighbour is changing the weather, it will be tempted to blame the neighbour to explain a drought," according to a research note published this month by Marine de Guglielmo Weber, a researcher at France's Strategic Research Institute at the Paris Military School (IRSEM).
China, for example, is one of the world's most prolific weather modifiers, launching the Sky River initiative in 2018 with the aim of alleviating water shortages and boosting the country's food security.
The country has conducted operations on the Tibetan plateau, but de Guglielmo Weber warned that this could be seen to affect water availability in downstream countries, such as its rival India.
- 'Cloud theft' -
French writer Mathieu Simonet, who has campaigned for clouds to have UN protection, said seeding could stoke fake news and misinformation "in today's explosive world".
"I think the real risk of cloud theft is psychological," he said.
In 2018, for example, an Iranian general accused Israel of "stealing clouds" to prevent rain falling in Iran, which was then suffering a severe drought.
In a context of "extremely intense informational confusion", de Guglielmo Weber warned: "Sometimes it's the conspiracy that wins out," adding that this can be fuelled by mistrust of scientific institutions.
In 2024, for example, following huge floods in southern Brazil and in the United Arab Emirates, thousands of climate sceptic social media accounts spread false accusations that the torrential rains were triggered by cloud seeding.
De Guglielmo Weber said that raises the challenge of proving, or disproving, the role of weather modification.
And there have been instances when cloud seeding was used deliberately in warfare.
The United States used it during "Operation Popeye" to slow the enemy advance during the Vietnam War.
In response, the UN created a 1976 convention prohibiting "military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques".
A number of countries have not signed the convention, said de Guglielmo Weber. She added that the accord "is very limited" and does not apply if a country causes a climate hazard by accident.
- 'Silver bullet' -
Researcher Laura Kuhl said there was "significant danger that cloud seeding may do more harm than good", in a 2022 article for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
"Cloud seeding is perhaps the ultimate silver bullet, in which literal silver in the form of silver iodide is infused into clouds, causing ice crystals to form and water to condense into rain or snow," wrote Kuhl, an associate professor at Northeastern University in the United States, a specialist in climate adaptation.
She said technological fixes like weather manipulation could distract attention from more complex discussions and reinforce things like unequal water access.
Meanwhile, research on the effects of cloud seeding on neighbouring regions is mixed -- and some evidence suggests it does not work very well even in the target area.
An assessment published in 2019 by an expert team on weather modification from the World Meteorological Organization found seeding increases precipitation between "essentially zero" and around 20 percent.
It recognised that more countries were turning to cloud seeding but added: "Sometimes desperate activities are based on empty promises rather than sound science."
egu/klm/np/rlp
Israel launched a strike on a suburb of southern Beirut on Friday, the first such attack on the Lebanese capital since Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire late last year.
Traffic quickly filled the streets of the Hadath neighborhood after Israel's military issued an evacuation warning, saying it was targeting a building it identified as a Hezbollah facility. Video from the southern suburbs showed schoolchildren with backpacks rushing along a street choked with cars and motorcycles. Lebanon's education ministry issued an emergency order calling on all schools in the area to close.
The evacuation warning Friday afternoon followed reports of two projectiles launched from Lebanese territory. One of the projectiles launched toward Israel was intercepted, the other fell in Lebanese territory. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group and Lebanese political party, denied launching the rockets, according to a statement carried by Lebanon's state news agency. The statement also said Hezbollah remains committed to the ceasefire agreement.
Israel initially responded with strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday morning. Lebanon's health ministry said the attacks killed three people and injured 18 more in the town of Kfar Tibet, just a few miles from the Israeli border.
It comes less than a week after Israel launched its most extensive strikes on Lebanese territory since the ceasefire. The Israeli airstrikes launched last week killed seven and wounded 40 in the south and east of the country, according to Lebanon's health ministry.
The ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel continued to hold despite the extensive airstrikes last week, but the exchange fueled concerns that the fragile truce in Lebanon could be imperiled by violence elsewhere in the region. The fighting in Gaza resumed this month, and the United States continues to strike another Iranian ally, the Houthis in Yemen.
Friday's airstrikes on the Hadath suburb of southern Beirut were strong enough that a Washington Post reporter based five miles away could feel their home shaking.
The building targeted by Israel was near two schools. In the minutes after Israel's military issued an evacuation warning, traffic quickly filled the streets, with teachers and parents rushing schoolchildren with backpacks out of the area.
One father, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, told The Post that parents were in a panic to get their children away and that he had also taken his two sons, ages 9 and 10, away from their home nearby. Much of the area was closed to traffic, and it took a long time to move just a few meters, he said.
Earlier Friday, Israel said two projectiles were launched toward Israel from Lebanese territory, and it responded with strikes on southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military then issued an evacuation warning, saying it was targeting a building it claimed was a Hezbollah site in the Hadath neighborhood.
Hezbollah has denied launching the rockets and remains committed to the ceasefire, according to a statement carried by Lebanon's state news agency. The Lebanese army said in a statement it had identified the launch site of the two rockets, in the Nabatieh area, and had “begun an investigation to determine the identity of those who launched them.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that he viewed the Lebanese government as responsible for enforcing the ceasefire agreement. “If there is no calm in Kiryat Shmona and the communities of the Galilee — there will be no calm in Beirut,” the statement added.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are once again at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition, the U.N. World Food Program warned, with humanitarian food stocks running out and borders remaining closed to aid.
The World Food Program said it has about 5,700 tons of food stocks left in Gaza, which is only enough to support program operations for at most two weeks. Meanwhile, new food supplies have not been delivered into Gaza in more than three weeks, with the closure of border crossings blocking the entry of all commodities, it added.
Earlier this week, the United Nations said it was making the “difficult decision” to scale back its presence in the Gaza Strip following the collapse of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. About one-third of the roughly 100 international staff members in Gaza, including WFP employees, would be temporarily relocated, the agency said, adding that it was unable to guarantee the safety of its workers.
On Monday, the United Nations said a strike that hit a U.N. guesthouse in central Gaza on March 19, killing a Bulgarian employee and injuring five other international staff members, came from Israeli tank fire. The Israel Defense Forces has consistently denied this, saying in a statement Tuesday: “Contrary to reports, the IDF did not strike a UN compound in Deir al-Balah.”
TEL AVIV — From waging war anew in Gaza to seeking more control over his nation's judiciary to sacking his critics, a bevy of items on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agenda may now be within reach after Israel's parliament approved a hotly debated state budget this week, giving Netanyahu a rare year of political security.
For weeks, questions had swirled over whether the spending package would pass. If it had failed, Netanyahu's government would have collapsed, forcing fresh elections that public opinion polls have suggested the prime minister's Likud party might lose.
Now, political analysts say, Netanyahu has bought himself a form of insurance for up to 18 months — Israel will have to go to elections by October 2026 at the latest — as he navigates a constellation of conflicts: in Gaza, where he has vowed to eradicate Hamas; and against Israel's courts, where he has pledged to hobble the “deep state” that he claims has been undermining his democratically elected government.
This is an excerpt from a full story.
Israel's military launched a large-scale bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip on 18 March, breaking the fragile ceasefire with Hamas that had been in place since late January. Follow live updates on the ceasefire and the hostages remaining in Gaza.
The Israel-Gaza war: On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking civilian hostages. Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel's creation in 1948. In July 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack Hamas has blamed on Israel.
Hezbollah: In late 2024, Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire deal, bringing a tenuous halt to more than a year of hostilities that included an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel's airstrikes into Lebanon had been intense and deadly, killing over 1,400 people including Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's longtime leader. The Israel-Lebanon border has a history of violence that dates back to Israel's founding.
Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century's most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.
U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including former President Joe Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations' ceasefire resolutions.
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After recovering from cold-stunning in New England, 19 sea turtles were released back into the Atlantic Ocean off Jacksonville, Florida, with help from Turtles Fly Too.
Nineteen sea turtles that were rehabilitated in Missouri after suffering from cold-stunning in New England have been returned to the Atlantic Ocean.
The turtles were released off Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon. The journey was made possible by the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center in Springfield and the non-profit organisation Turtles Fly Too.
The turtles, including 20 loggerhead and Kemp's ridley species, were transported from Boston's New England Aquarium to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium for treatment in December.
While one severely ill turtle did not survive, the remaining received around-the-clock care to recover from cold-stunning, a condition triggered by sudden drops in water temperature.
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After Trump announced more tariffs this week, the new Canadian prime minister described Washington as 'no longer a reliable partner'.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the era of close bilateral relations between his country and the US "is over," following Donald Trump's plan to implement 25% tariffs on car imports.
Speaking in Ottawa on Thursday, the new Liberal Party leader, who recently replaced Justin Trudeau, told reporters that Canada would have to "dramatically reduce" its reliance on its neighbour.
"It's clear the US is no longer a reliable partner," he said, insisting that, even if the countries' relationship improves, "there will be no going backwards."
"The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over," he said.
Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, said Canada would have to look to other partners instead.
As part of this drive, he visited France and the UK, two close Canadian allies, on his first international trip as prime minister, he explained.
Trump has angered Canadians by repeatedly saying that their country should become the 51st state and his partial implementation of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods caused relations to deteriorate further.
On Wednesday, Trump announced 25% tariffs against cars and car parts imported into the US. The first of these measures is due to come into effect in early April.
Carney said the 1965 Canada-US Automotive Products Agreement, which he called the most important deal in his lifetime, was now "finished," meaning his country's car industry would have to "reimagine" and "retool" itself.
"We will fight the US tariffs with retaliatory actions of our own that will have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here in Canada," Carney added.
Other world leaders have also criticised Trump's new tariffs, saying they risk fuelling a global trade war.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, called the tariffs "bad for businesses" and "worse for consumers."
Doubling down on his position, the US president threatened to increase tariffs against Canada and the EU if they worked together against Washington.
"If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both," Trump said early on Thursday.
Under Carney, the Liberal Party's fortunes have rebounded. Before Trudeau's resignation in January, polling showed it would likely suffer a heavy defeat to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre at the next elections.
Positioning himself as the best person to steer Canada through the challenges brought by Trump, Carney has called a snap election for 28 April.
Recent polls say he currently has a slim lead over Conservative Party leader, Pierre Poilievre.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is reportedly taking steps to lift a ban on Russian participation in international competition, The Independent reported on Thursday, citing a senior source in the organization.
A number of international sports organizations, including UEFA and its global counterpart FIFA, banned Russian teams from participating in tournaments following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
According to The Independent, however, the issue of lifting the UEFA ban could come up during the organization's congress scheduled for the Serbian capital Belgrade next week.
“Moves are currently happening to get Russia back into football,” the British outlet quoted one senior UEFA source as saying, adding that there are “elevated football figures who would ‘have them back tomorrow.'” Other figures within UEFA have reportedly insisted that the ban shouldn't have been imposed in the first place.
According to The Independent, senior UEFA officials are already setting out a roadmap for Russia's return, which would appear especially likely once a ceasefire is established in the Ukraine conflict.
A source further claimed that “Zurich-based politics” means that the International Olympic Committee would be the first to “normalize” Russia once a truce between Moscow and Kiev is agreed, followed by the International Hockey Federation and football organizations.
Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed during a phone call that they aim to normalize relations between the two countries and continue discussions on global security, economic, and cultural cooperation.
Following the talks, the Kremlin reported that both leaders had expressed support for organizing hockey matches between the US and Russia involving players from the National Hockey League (NHL) and Russia's Continental Hockey League (KHL). The idea has since been approved by the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Ministry of Sport.
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A school teacher in China who slapped a student in the face nine times for calling out his name has been suspended from his position. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the incident took place on March 14 at a school in Shandong province. The student and his classmates were resting in a playground during a physical education class when the boy saw his mathematics teacher walking nearby and called out his name. This is when the teacher, surnamed Wu, became irritated, thinking the boy had shown disrespect to him.
The teacher approached the group of students, found the boy who called out his name, and slapped him in the face, the outlet reported. The student apologised to the teacher twice, and one of his classmates even tried to persuade Mr Wu not to beat the boy. However, the teacher did not stop his violence and slapped the kid 9 times.
The student's parents said that his face became swollen and he suffered tinnitus. The parents also alleged that their child had a continuous headache. "My son has been in a state of panic. I am wondering what action of his prompted an adult man to beat him," the boy's mother said in a social media post.
The mother alleged that she had taken her son to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with head and face injuries. The family then also called the police and brought the issue to the notice of the school authorities, calling on Mr Wu to be fired.
"Who gave you the right to hit my kid? If he did something wrong, you can contact me. You have my telephone number, right?" the mother asked the teacher.
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To this, Mr Wu said, "I know. But I am an old man in my 50s. He called my name loudly and in a bantering way. This was extremely disrespectful. So I slapped his face. I think he should discipline his mouth."
Meanwhile, the school has taken action against the teacher. The authorities suspended Mr Wu from his teaching position and offered 5,000 yuan in compensation to the boy's family. However, the money was declined by the parents.
Separately, the local education authority said they are investigating the case, and vowed to deal with the matter seriously and "based on law and regulations".
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The eyes of the world's news media are trained on Thailand and Myanmar, where a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake has left hundreds feared dead.
The United States Geological survey reported that the earthquake struck around four hours ago at a rare magnitude that is described as “major” with the potential for “serious damage.”
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News networks have since rushed to the scene and pictures and videos being reported by the media have set out the scale of the destruction, as 24/7 news channels quickly pivot their coverage.
Reporting in depth from Myanmar has been difficult since a military junta seized power in 2021 but the BBC is reporting that hundreds are feared dead in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
Dramatic photos of the damage show hotels and large buildings in Mandalay in a crumpled heap, coming as a state of emergency is declared in six regions of Myanmar including Mandalay. The epicenter struck near Manadalay and a video posted on X and verified by the BBC shows a bridge collapsing near to a river. The Red Cross has said that electricity and network lines are down in the area, meaning it's difficult to assess the full damage.
In Thailand's capital Bangkok, 70 construction workers are reported to be missing at the site of a collapsed building. In a Facebook post, the National Institute for Emergency Medicine in Thailand said around 320 workers were on the site at the time of the collapse and 20 are trapped in the lift shafts.
Meanwhile, videos have been doing the rounds of water cascading from the rooftop pool of an intercontinental hotel in Bangkok, one of which can be seen below.
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The Union government on Friday released a series of Studio Ghibli-style portraits of Narendra Modi, as the Prime Minister joined the viral trend of generating animated versions of images using Artificial Intelligence.
"Main character? No. He's the whole storyline. Experience through New India in Studio Ghibli strokes," the government said on X, as it shared 12 Ghibli-style portraits of Mr Modi.
The government shared a Ghibli-style recreation of the Prime Minister's meetings with US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
It also released a Ghibli-style version of Mr Modi's photo with the Tricolour, in an Indian Army uniform, with the 'Sengol' that was installed in the new Parliament in 2023 and in front of an idol of Ram Lalla.
It also recreated Mr Modi's photos taken next to a Vande Bharat train, of a sortie on a Tejas Twin Seat Light Combat Fighter aircraft in 2023, his visit to the Maldives and participating in a cleanliness drive as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Main character? No.He's the whole storylineExperience through New India in Studio Ghibli strokes.#StudioGhibli#PMModiInGhibli pic.twitter.com/bGToOJMsWU
A Ghibli art, pioneered by the Japanese studio, refers to images which feature pastel and muted colour palettes and elaborate details.
The AI-generated art is taking over the internet, with social media feeds flooded with stunning and dreamlike images. From fantasy landscapes to characters with expressive eyes, these AI-crafted visuals beautifully capture the essence of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's films.
Open AI's latest update to ChatGPT helps to replicate images into the Ghibli style. The artwork has taken over the internet, flooding social media with stunning and dreamlike images.
As people reimagine themselves in the Studio Ghibli world, an old video of its co-founder Hayao Miyazaki saying AI-generated animation was an "insult to life itself" has gone viral.
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The extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn't immediately clear, though the number of strikes appeared particularly intense.
A series of airstrikes hit sites across Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, including neighbourhoods in the capital Sanaa, the group reported on Friday.
Although the extent of the damage and possible casualties was not immediately clear, the number of strikes and strike sites appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the US campaign that began on 15 March.
Initial reports from the Houthis described at least seven people being injured in the latest attacks in the capital.
Other strikes hit around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, the rebel stronghold of Saada, and in Yemen's al-Jawf, Amran and Marib provinces.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge what had been targeted at those sites, other than Sanaa International Airport, which is used for both civilian and military traffic.
Other areas hit included mountainous terrain north of Sanaa in Amran, where military camps and other installations are believed to be located.
The Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news network said communication networks were down after the attacks, which included at least 19 strikes there alone.
The US military's Central Command, which now has authority from the White House to strike offensively in Yemen without pre-approval, did not immediately acknowledge conducting any strikes.
The command, which under former US President Joe Biden offered details on individual strikes, has not provided that information in this campaign.
The new campaign of airstrikes — which the Houthis say have killed at least 57 people — started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting what they define as “Israeli” ships.
The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.
The group have said their attacks are a response to Israel blocking aid into the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year.
They have also launched attacks targeting US warships, although none have reported been hit so far.
People have always studied the skies to predict the weather, but recently scientists have noticed that clouds are changing on a global scale -- posing one of the greatest challenges to understanding our warming world.
Some clouds are rising higher into the atmosphere, where they trap more heat. Others are reflecting less sunlight, or shrinking and allowing more solar energy to reach Earth's surface.
Scientists know this is affecting the climate, because the vital role that clouds play in warming and cooling the planet is well understood.
Recent research has shown that clouds -- or rather, a lack of them -- helped drive a stunning surge in record-breaking global heat over the last two years.
What is less certain is how clouds might evolve as the world warms. Will they have a dampening effect on global warming, or amplify it? And if so, by how much?
"That's why clouds are the greatest challenge. Figuring them out is -- and has been -- the big roadblock," said Bjorn Stevens from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany, who has written extensively on the subject.
Cloud behaviour is notoriously complex to predict and remains a great unknown for scientists trying to accurately forecast future levels of climate change.
Changes in clouds could mean that, even with the same amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, "we could get much more warming or much less warming", said Robin Hogan, principal scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
"That's a big scientific uncertainty," he told AFP.
With satellites and supercomputers, scientists are improving cloud modelling and slowly filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle.
- Vicious cycle -
Part of the difficulty is that clouds are not uniform -- they act differently depending on their type, structure and altitude.
Fluffy, low-hanging clouds generally have a cooling influence. They are big and bright, blocking and bouncing back incoming sunlight.
Higher, streaky ones have a warming effect, letting sunlight trickle through and absorbing heat reflected back from Earth.
In recent decades, scientists have observed a growing imbalance between the amount of energy arriving, rather than leaving Earth, hinting at cloud changes.
As the climate has warmed, certain clouds have drifted higher into the atmosphere where they have a stronger greenhouse effect, said Hogan.
"That actually amplifies the warming," he said.
This is growing evidence that lower clouds are also changing, with recent studies pointing to a marked decline of this cooling layer.
Less reflective cloud exposes more of Earth's surface to sunlight and boosts warming in a "vicious feedback cycle", said climate scientist Richard Allan from the University of Reading.
In March, Allan co-authored a study in the journal Environmental Research Letters that found dimmer and less extensive low-lying clouds drove a doubling of Earth's energy balance in the past 20 years, and contributed to record ocean warmth in 2023.
A study in December, published in the journal Science, also identified a sharp drop in low-lying cloudiness as a likely culprit for that exceptional warming.
Stevens said scientists generally agreed that Earth had become less cloudy -- but there are a number of theories about the causes.
"Clouds are changing. And the question is how much of that change is natural variability -- just decadal fluctuations in cloudiness -- and how much of that is forced from the warming," he said.
- No smoking gun -
Another theory is that decades-long global efforts to improve air quality are altering the formation, properties and lifespan of clouds in ways that are not yet fully understood.
Clouds form around aerosols -- tiny airborne particles like desert dust and sea salt carried on the wind, or pollution from human activity like burning fossil fuels.
Aerosols not only help clouds take shape, but can make them more reflective.
Recent research has suggested that clean air policies -- particularly a global shift to low-sulphur shipping fuel in 2020 -- reduced cloud cover and brightness, inadvertently pushing up warming.
Allan said aerosols were one factor, but it was likely lower clouds were also "melting away" as the climate warmed.
"My feeling is there's a combination of things. It's never one simple smoking gun," he said.
New tools are chipping away at the uncertainty.
Last May, European and Japanese space agencies launched EarthCARE, a revolutionary satellite capable of capturing unprecedented detail of inner cloud workings.
In orbit it joins PACE -- a cutting-edge NASA satellite also studying aerosols, clouds and climate -- that lifted off just three months earlier.
Other recent innovations, including in machine learning, were helping "bridge the gap" in cloud understanding, said Kara Lamb, a research scientist and aerosols expert at Columbia University.
"We are seeing progress over time," she told AFP.
np/klm/yad
Gavin & Stacey's Ruth Jones even took home one of the awards, which recognise exceptional achievements by Welsh citizens
An 85-year-old woman was left "battered and bruised" after falling off her mobility scooter when it hit a temporary ramp in King's Lynn.
President Donald Trump today signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The document asserts there has been a “widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.” Claiming the Biden Administration fostered a “corrosive ideology,” Trump's order asserts that, …
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a motorist was allegedly struck by another driver following a fight near a roundabout. Police believe both men were earlier involved in an altercation in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
The US Vice President said Copenhagen has under-invested in the mineral-rich Arctic island's security. The remarks are the latest escalation in a simmering row between Washington and Copenhagen.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that the visit, which was originally set for three days, created ‘unacceptable pressure'.
Calvert-Lewin and Sandra Jerze shared pictures from their wedding
Matthew Doyle is stepping down as Sir Keir Starmer's communications chief after nine months, making him the second senior team member to leave in under a year. Mr Doyle, a former special advisor to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said he was leaving as he had stabilised No. 10's communications strategy. In an email to his team, Mr Doyle expressed pride in his role in returning the Labour party to government and said it was time to "pass the baton on”.
Tui said catering to the demographic is not just a matter of social responsibility but also ‘makes commercial sense'
Current weather forecasts for the date of the eclipse suggest most people in UK will be able to see the Moon pass in front of the Sun
Communities across the Australian state of Queensland are bracing for more rain after record-breaking floods cut off roads and inundated vast areas of the region's outback.
A rock from a presumed ancient lakebed contains complex organic molecules.
Ed Miliband has been forced to set aside £8 billion to cover the risk of a carbon capture disaster as the costs of net zero stack up.
The environmental impact of avocados has been decried by Alan Titchmarsh. So should we be cutting back on the nutritious fruit?
The UK government has issued new guidance to travellers visiting Thailand and Myanmar after the powerful earthquake struck
Submarines need to operate stealthily and quietly. In some areas, warming waters and changing salinity levels could make that easier.
The spacecraft's cargo module was damaged while in transit
Region's early society likely switched often between egalitarian and hierarchical rule, study hints
A new parking scheme restricting motorhomes has come into force
Melbourne Zoo was the scene of a long-awaited family reunion as they welcomed their newest residents: a pair of adorable Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys.The zoo said that Colby, a male, was born there 15 years ago, and has finally made his homecoming trip from Adelaide Zoo, alongside his 22-year-old female companion, Charlie.Colby is now back living with his 12-year-old sister, Kipenzi, with their reintroduction having gone well with “only a few signs of sibling rivalry,” the zoo said. Credit: Zoos Victoria via Storyful
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Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews.
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Videos capturing the moments of Friday's powerful earthquake in Myanmar, which sent strong tremors through Bangkok, show buildings shaking, water spilling from rooftop pools, and residents rushing to evacuate.
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in central Myanmar on Friday rocked Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand, causing buildings to sway and forcing evacuations across the city. The midday tremor sent startled residents rushing into the streets.
Germany's GFZ geosciences centre reported the quake was 10 km deep, with its epicentre about 50 km east of Monywa, Myanmar.
In Bangkok, home to over 17 million people, the shaking was powerful enough to spill water from rooftop pools, and many high-rises were evacuated.
A video circulated on social media showed the multi-story structure sway and crumble into a cloud of dust as onlookers screamed and ran.
At least six Russian citizens have died in Egypt following the sinking of a tourist submarine, Russian officials have confirmed.
The tragedy unfolded on Thursday morning in the resort city of Hurghada when a submersible owned by a local hotel and manned by five crew members was taking 45 predominantly Russian tourists for a sightseeing trip at a coral reef. The emergency occurred approximately 1km from the shore.
Among the six victims identified by the Russian consulate general in Hurghada, two were minors. Several individuals remain unaccounted for, Consul Viktor Vorpaev informed journalists. Egyptian media reports indicate that the total death toll may be as high as nine. Seven survivors required hospital treatment in the aftermath of the incident.
The cause of the sinking remains unclear. Witnesses suggested that the submersible began its descent before all passengers had boarded from a pontoon moored near the reef, leading to widespread panic. A video shared by Russian media captured the chaos as people screamed while the vessel's top hatch remained open.
Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi, who visited the survivors, stated that the submersible's license and documentation were in order and promised full transparency in the investigation. He said citizens from India, Norway, and Sweden were also among the passengers.
Most tourists were reportedly accommodated at three hotels: the submersible's owner, Sindbad Club, along with Mercure Hurghada and Titanic Beach. The watercraft was ten years old, according to the company that organized the excursion.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has detailed the country's priorities for the future development of the Arctic region.
Moscow sees huge potential for resource extraction and transportation, which requires major infrastructure investments and careful consideration for the environment, Putin said on Thursday in a speech at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk. He also addressed the military aspects of Russian plans and US President Donald Trump's bid to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
Here is Putin's speech in full:
The International Arctic Forum is a key platform to discuss current issues regarding the comprehensive development of Arctic territories, establishing effective mechanisms for the joint use and exploration of the Arctic region's abundant resources at various levels.
In 2025, the forum's events are being held in Murmansk on March 26–27 under the motto “To Live in the North!”
* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen.
I welcome the participants and guests of the 6th International Forum, The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue. For the first time, it is being hosted by Murmansk – the capital of the Russian Arctic, a Hero City, which is developing dynamically today, as are our other northern cities and regions, while launching landmark projects for the entire country.
Russia is the largest Arctic power. We have consistently advocated for equitable cooperation in the region, encompassing scientific research, biodiversity protection, climate issues, emergencies response, and, of course, the economic and industrial development of the Arctic. We are prepared to collaborate not only with Arctic states but with all who, like us, share responsibility for ensuring a stable and sustainable future for the planet and are capable of adopting balanced decisions for decades to come.
Regrettably, international cooperation in northern latitudes is currently facing significant challenges. In the past few years, numerous Western nations have opted for confrontation, cutting off economic connections with Russia and ceasing scientific, educational, and cultural exchanges. Discussions on safeguarding Arctic ecosystems have come to a standstill. Politicians, party leaders, and even the so-called greens in some Western countries address their citizens and electorates about the significance of the climate agenda and environmental conservation, yet in practice, their policies are entirely contradictory.
As a reminder, the Arctic Council was set up to cooperate in addressing environmental issues, to prevent emergencies above the Arctic Circle and to jointly respond to them if they emerge. However, this tool has degraded by now. Meanwhile, Russia did not refuse to communicate in this format – it was the choice of our Western partners, Western nations. As they say in such situations: Don't do it if you don't want it. We will work with those who want it.
Meanwhile, the role and importance of the Arctic for Russia and for the entire world are obviously growing. Regrettably, the geopolitical competition and fighting for positions in this region are also escalating.
Suffice it to say about the plans of the United States to annex Greenland, as everyone is aware. But you know, it can surprise someone only at first glance. It is a profound mistake to treat it as some preposterous talk by the new US administration. Nothing of the sort.
In fact, the United States had such plans as far back as the 1860s. As early as that, the US administration was considering possible annexation of Greenland and Iceland. However, the idea did not enjoy support in Congress then.
Let me remind you, by the way, that by 1868, the purchase of Alaska from Russia was ridiculed in the American press – it was called “madness,” “an ice box” and “President Andrew Johnson's polar bear garden.” Therefore, the Greenland proposal failed.
But that acquisition, I mean the purchase of Alaska, is probably viewed very differently in the United States today, just as President Andrew Johnson's actions are.
Thus what is happening today is not really surprising, particularly since this story only began back then, and it went on and on. In 1910, for example, a trilateral land swap deal was negotiated between the United States, Germany and Denmark. As a result, Greenland would have gone to the United States but the deal fell through then.
During World War II, the United States stationed military bases in Greenland to protect it from Nazi takeover. After the war, the United States suggested Denmark should sell the island. This was quite recently in terms of world history.
In short, the United States has serious plans regarding Greenland. These plans have long historical roots, as I have just mentioned, and it is obvious that the United States will continue to consistently advance its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic.
As to Greenland, this is an issue that concerns two specific nations and has nothing to do with us. But at the same time, of course, we are concerned about the fact that NATO countries are increasingly often designating the Far North as a springboard for possible conflicts and are practicing the use of troops in these conditions, including by their “new recruits” – Finland and Sweden, with whom, incidentally, until recently we had no problems at all. They are creating problems with their own hands for some reason. Why? It is impossible to understand. But nevertheless, we will proceed from current realities and will respond to all this.
I must emphasise: Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic. However, we are closely monitoring developments in the region, formulating an appropriate response strategy, enhancing the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces, and modernising military infrastructure facilities.
We will not tolerate any encroachments on our country's sovereignty and will steadfastly safeguard our national interests. By upholding peace and stability in the Arctic region, we will ensure its long-term socio-economic development, improve the quality of life for its residents, and preserve its unique natural environment.
The stronger our positions and the more substantial our achievements, the greater our opportunities will be to launch global international projects in the Arctic involving partner nations, friendly states, and perhaps even Western countries – provided, however, that they demonstrate a genuine interest in cooperative efforts. I am confident that the time for such projects will undoubtedly come.
Friends,
The Arctic Zone accounts for over a quarter of the Russian Federation's territory. Nearly two and a half million our citizens live and work here, making a significant contribution to the nation's progress. Current estimates indicate that the Arctic generates 7% of Russia's gross domestic product and approximately 11% of our exports. At the same time, we see enormous potential for the region's further comprehensive development. A critical priority is strengthening the Arctic's transport and logistical framework.
Let me note that this year marks the 500th anniversary of the first historical records mentioning the daring concept proposed by Russian seafarers and Pomor trappers: a prospective trade route through the northern seas to the East, reaching China via the so-called Northeast Passage – the precursor to the Northern Sea Route.
Over the past decade, cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route – spanning from the Kara Gates Strait to the Bering Strait – has substantially increased. In 2014, a mere four million tonnes of cargo were transported via this corridor. By last year, that figure had risen to nearly 38 million tonnes – five times the Soviet-era record. We anticipate, with confidence, that volumes will reach 70–100 million tonnes by 2030.
Yet our plans – in terms of cargo volumes, geographical reach, and expansion of the Arctic fleet – are far more ambitious. The Northern Sea Route is poised to become a pivotal segment of the Transarctic Transport Corridor, stretching from St Petersburg through Murmansk to Vladivostok. This corridor is designed to connect global industrial, agricultural, and energy hubs with consumer markets via a shorter, safer, and more economically viable route. This is widely acknowledged – experts across the East and West recognise its significance.
Cargo shipments along the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor are set to increase on the back of growing minerals production and the advanced processing of these resources right here in the Arctic, and due to rising international transits. I would like to stress the importance of linking this Trans-Arctic corridor with our domestic railway network everywhere from the northwest to Russia's Far East, reaching all the way to the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway.
By the way, even today the concept of building the Trans-Siberian Railway, which stretches across the entire country to the Pacific, exemplifies a strategic, forward-looking vision for us. It addressed not only the country's immediate needs and circumstances but also took into account our national interests within a horizon of several centuries. We must be guided by this approach as we develop the Trans-Arctic corridor.
What are the priority objectives in this regard?
First, Russia already operates the world's biggest icebreaker fleet. We must consolidate our leadership in this sector by building new-generation icebreakers, including nuclear icebreakers. Today, only Russia has them – no other country has a nuclear icebreaker fleet.
Four of these icebreakers belong to the latest Project 22220, and are already operating in the Arctic. Three more nuclear icebreakers from the same series – Chukotka, Leningrad and Stalingrad – are currently under construction. There is also the mighty 120 Mw icebreaker Rossiya. It will allow for more efficient year-round icebreaker support to large-tonnage ships in high latitudes.
Let me emphasise that icebreaker support costs and shipping costs for the Trans-Arctic Corridor in general must be competitive and acceptable to the market. This is a major prerequisite for guaranteeing that this route is relevant for businesses and creates added value for them. My colleagues from the Government and I have recently discussed these matters, and I fully agree that this offering must be competitive on the market.
Second, Russia is a sovereign nation, and as such it needs a merchant fleet of its own in the Arctic, including cargo, search and rescue ships for operating shipments in northern seas, as well as within our internal waters in the Arctic. We must recognise that for now we cannot rely exclusively on our domestic shipbuilding capabilities.
In this connection, we must work on all fronts by building and ordering ships that have already been built, working with manufacturers around the world and developing the domestic shipbuilding industry based on the strategic objectives we have.
Of course, this message is primarily intended for the Government: we must support our shipbuilding corporations and shipyards in their efforts to upgrade and expand their capabilities and build international manufacturing chains. I also ask the Government to review opportunities for building new, cutting-edge, advanced, high-technology shipyards in Russia.
Third, Russian shipping companies that transport petroleum products and liquefied natural gas are already successfully operating in the northern seas. Now we need to create enabling conditions for effective domestic operators who will be shipping containers, coal, bulk and other goods across the Arctic. We are also open to create joint ventures in this segment. International logistics operators could make profitable investments in such companies. Moreover, in addition to capital and technology, they could contribute part of their merchant fleet to such projects.
Fourth, plans are in place to increase the capacity and turnover of our northern ports through the introduction of innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, including unmanned and automated cargo handling equipment. This will happen soon enough. For example, the capacity of the Murmansk transport hub should be amplified at least three times over in the next few years due to the construction of new terminals and the expansion of railway links.
I would like to add that our partners from Belarus, China, the United Arab Emirates and other countries are showing keen interest in this project and in the development of the Arctic transport infrastructure in general. It is a very interesting undertaking from a business point of view.
We plan to create large multimodal hubs to operate as key logistics centres of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. Not only will these hubs serve as ports where convoys of ships are formed or Russian and foreign cargos are handled; they will include industrial facilities for the production of manufactured goods.
To improve the logistical stability of the Trans-Arctic Corridor, I ask the Government to draft plans to expand the capacity of existing seaports in the Arctic, and decide where on the Arctic coast new ports should be built, and how soon the adjacent infrastructure needs to be developed. I am primarily referring to the links between the sea harbours and the national railway network.
In this regard, fifth, we will need to develop the Arctic Operating Domain – similar to the Eastern Operating Domain, which includes the Baikal-Amur Mainline and the Trans-Siberian Railway. The project must include the modernisation of the Northern Railway in the Komi Republic and the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.
We are aware of the situation at Russian Railways today; we know what challenges the company is facing. However, we need to think about what I just said, about the development of the Northern Railway – and we need to start today.
What opportunities will this open? The regions of Siberia, the Urals, and Russia's North-West will receive direct access to the North, to the Arctic ports, which will lessen the load on the Trans-Siberian Railway and promote effective use of sea transport. In addition, there will be new points of access to the Arctic from the North-South corridor, which connects us with Central Asia and the Gulf states.
And of course, the potential of the Arctic's inland waterways, our great rivers – the Lena, Yenisei, and Ob – must be unlocked at a new technological level to develop the Trans-Arctic route. This will help, among other things, to enhance the Northern Supply Haul system so as to ensure a reliable supply of foodstuffs and other goods for Arctic residents.
I want to stress specially that the resources of the state, regions, and businesses, including both state-owned and private banks, must be combined to pursue these and other major initiatives. The capabilities of the domestic stock market must also be utilised to attract capital to the Arctic infrastructure.
Infrastructure projects are indeed complex, costly and have a long pay-back period. But it is these projects that provide Russia's real transport sovereignty at a new level. And I am confident that if our foreign partners join these projects, it will guarantee them long-term investments with good returns. Therefore, we cannot put off these projects for later, we must launch and start pursuing them now, as soon as possible.
Apparently, it is important to resort to flexible approaches here, to attract both Russian and foreign investors, as I have just mentioned. In this regard, I propose that we consider creating a special project office under the auspices of our leading development institution, VEB, which will provide support for transport, logistics, and infrastructure projects in the Arctic, as well as urban development projects in the region. It will also become an entity where potential investors can address directly and receive support they need. I ask the Government to prepare respective proposals.
In addition, I instruct the Government to join hands with Rosatom, VEB and the State Council's dedicated commission to endorse the financial, economic and organisational model for the development of the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor by August 1 of this year.
Colleagues,
Currently, deposits of oil and gas, metals and other minerals are being developed in the Russian Arctic. We will continue massive geological exploration there, primarily within the framework of the Geology: Revival of the Legend federal project.
Concurrently, the task is to launch enterprises of deep processing of raw materials in the Arctic regions using the powerful resource base there; to create high value-added production facilities in petrochemistry, natural gas conversion, rare earth metals, and other industries related to machine building, production of sophisticated machinery and industrial equipment, while preserving the unique nature of the Arctic.
By way of example, I would like to mention the Centre for the Construction of Large-Capacity Offshore Structures in Belokamenka, where technologies for natural gas liquefaction are being localised and the most up-to-date domestic solutions are being utilised.
I'd like to draw the attention of colleagues in the Government and regional authorities to the following: it is essential not only to propose but also to effectively refine tools for supporting investment and business activity in the Arctic. This includes tax incentives, administrative privileges, infrastructure preparation of land plots, and other measures.
In particular, I remind colleagues of the need to strictly fulfil plans for the gas infrastructure coverage of the Murmansk Region. This must be completed by 2030. I emphasise: this objective remains in force.
Of course, we should also develop promising areas such as tourism. The North and the Arctic are unique concentrations of natural, historical, and spiritual landmarks. The region boasts an extraordinarily rich cultural mosaic. Over a million tourists visit the Arctic annually to explore its landscapes, witness the northern lights, engage in Arctic fishing, ride dog sleds, or journey to polar archipelagos.
The number of tourists is growing. Consequently, new initiatives in this sphere are emerging, such as an Arctic tourism centre with a ski resort component in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area or an aqua-thermal spa and year-round hotel complex in Karelia. I request that both the federal Government and regional authorities support such initiatives, which reveal new facets of the Arctic and help heighten interest in the region.
I also propose considering the inclusion of White Sea tourism infrastructure development in the Five Seas and Lake Baikal federal project.
To make the Arctic accessible for mass tourism, transport connectivity is crucial – from the repair and construction of roads to the development of air travel.
I reiterate that we have extended subsidised airfare rates for flights to Arctic cities. Last year, approximately 800,000 passengers utilised this opportunity. This year, subsidised tickets are available for over 70 air routes.
At the same time, Far Northern airports, particularly smaller ones, require modernisation. In the coming years, under the relevant national project, we will upgrade 16 airfields in the Arctic Zone, including those in Salekhard, Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, and Vorkuta.
Overall, our objective is to maintain an extensive airport network in the Arctic – from large and medium-sized airfields to small landing strips. This is also vital to ensure year-round accessibility of residential areas and the operation of air ambulance services.
Friends,
The key and overarching goal of Russia's efforts is to improve the quality of life for people living in the Arctic, to ensure modern conditions for study and work, leisure, and the upbringing of children in this harsh region that still lures people with amazing force. I have talked to these people many times. Those who were born in the north, as well as those who have come here, have all said that the north is like a magnet since people develop a sense of belonging to these latitudes, and to this land.
As you know, we have already drafted master plans for the Arctic urban centres, which include not only major cities like Arkhangelsk or Murmansk, but also cover towns like Kirovsk, Apatity and Monchegorsk in the Murmansk Region, Kem and Belomorsk in Karelia, Vorkuta in the Komi Republic, Bilibino and Pevek in Chukotka, Naryan-Mar in the Nenets Autonomous Area, Salekhard, Labytnangi, Novy Urengoi and Noyabrsk in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, as well as Tiksi and Naiba in Yakutia, and Norilsk, Igarka and Dikson in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
On a separate note, I would like to thank the VEB.RF and DOM.RF corporations for their involvement and contribution to drafting these master plans.
A master plan is a comprehensive strategic and territorial planning document that sets forth long-term socioeconomic and spatial development visions for cities, towns and villages. They provide for the introduction of the latest urban planning solutions while also ensuring that these settlements retain their unique cityscapes based on suggestions and proposals from local residents and civil society organisations, including associations of Northern ethnic minorities.
I would like to draw the Government's attention to the need to be more responsive in its efforts to approve a timeline for carrying out these Arctic master plans and ensuring that they receive the funding they need. As I have already mentioned, this includes, among other things, introducing the Arctic agenda as a separate item into our national projects, while also launching mechanisms for engaging businesses and strategic investors working in the Arctic or those who are willing to work here in carrying out these master plans.
In addition, I ask the Government to think about setting up dedicated competence centres for providing urban planning and development training to municipal and regional officials and teaching them best practices in urban planning.
Moving on, we launched a national contest for creating people-friendly urban spaces. Winners will receive budget funding for their projects. I suggest allocating an additional sum from the federal budget as part of this contest. My colleagues from the Government and the Finance Ministry and I have just discussed this matter. I will not give you any final figures, but we need to earmark this disbursement and provide this kind of assistance so that colleagues working on the objectives I have just mentioned have more opportunities for improving embankments, pedestrian areas and playgrounds, building parks, gardens, and so on.
On a separate note, I would like to ask the Government to extend the programme of renovating military settlements, the closed administrative territorial units in the Arctic where our military personnel live with their families. This renovation programme should continue at least until 2030, with the annual federal budget support of at least 10 billion rubles. I would like to emphasise that this is connected with the strengthening of our military presence in the region, where the number of our military personnel will be increased.
One of the tasks of our master plans and the renovation programme is to determine where new enterprises and jobs should be created, including those linked to the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor, and where schools and kindergartens, outpatient clinics and hospitals, roads and communications, as well as housing are to be built. The defence and construction ministries are to work together with the regional authorities to coordinate plans for each facility, so as to determine the amount of resources needed for implementing this task and the allocation deadlines.
It is a specific Arctic feature that structures are built in conditions of perpetually frozen ground or permafrost, which explains the special requirements for building designs, structure and reliability. At the same time, we should take the dynamics of climate change into account to forecast potential risks. I propose establishing a special research centre to monitor perpetually frozen ground with contribution from the leading federal and regional institutes. Their research projects will provide the scientific basis for the technology of adjusting Arctic infrastructure to the melting of permafrost.
I know that a register of best Arctic construction practices has been compiled. This regional experience should be expanded. I hope that it will incorporate the idea of multipurpose Arctic centres, where social and administrative offices, sports centres and service facilities are located under one roof, in the same building.
Of course, we must always take the opinions and requests of those who live in the North into account. For example, people openly complain about the shortage of the so-called service economy in Arctic cities and towns, meaning recreation facilities, including those for families and children, as well as cultural and educational venues. We must develop this segment and encourage the relevant business initiatives.
We have a special support programme for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Extreme North. Its efficiency must be upgraded. I would like to ask the Government to adjust the parameters of this programme, in particular, to expand the list of sectors with access to this programme and to create additional subsidised loan opportunities for these companies.
I would like to say a few words about healthcare. The accessibility of medical services in the North is objectively limited compared to central Russia; the situation is even worse in remote communities. I ask the Government to prepare a special mechanism for financing medical care in these areas.
In addition, healthcare in the northern regions must be enhanced with the introduction of digital technologies. The residents of these regions must be served by mobile paramedic stations equipped with artificial intelligence tools, which can conduct physical check-ups both remotely and at the scene, diagnose certain diseases and provide recommendations for treatment.
Next, the environment remains a sensitive issue for the Arctic and its residents. Let me remind you that at our first forum, which was initiated by the Russian Geographical Society, we announced the launch of a “general clean-up” of the Arctic, to remove scrap metal, remnants of fuel and lubricants and other waste.
The project, launched by the Russian Geographical Society and supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, brought together thousands of volunteers and public organisations. We will certainly continue this effort. We will also ensure comprehensive environmental protection of Russia's Arctic zone, in particular by clearing Arctic waters of sunken ships, which is a pressing problem that needs to be addressed. Predictably, everything requires funding, so the relevant government agencies will need to work on all these issues, including to earmark the necessary funds year by year.
We will remove technological waste and reclaim land, focusing on bringing Arctic cities and towns up to standard. We will carry out the so-called revitalisation of abandoned areas, buildings and lands, to return them to circulation to serve the interests of local residents.
In fact, we are repaying our debt to the Arctic. We cannot afford to accumulate more debt to its unique nature. With all the plans in place for the region's economic development, it is essential to maintain a balance between the use of its natural resources and nature conservation.
A new polar station will be built in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, in the Polar Urals, to test new environmentally friendly technologies. The new scientific research and educational station, Snowflake, will be established by the end of 2028. An international team of researchers will use it to test green technologies being developed for the Arctic, with applications ranging from essential services, telecommunications, and medicine to new materials.
Colleagues,
The Arctic is a territory of great opportunities for specialists in various fields, for entrepreneurs, for young people, and for families who have lived here for generations or have only recently moved and are planning to settle, buy or build a home here.
We have already extended the Arctic mortgage programme until 2030. It offers an annual interest rate of two percent and lowers the requirements for borrowers. This includes cancelling the requirement for teachers and medical workers to have an employment history in the North before applying for a housing loan. Participants in the special military operation can also benefit from these Arctic mortgages along with people working for defence manufacturers.
Substandard and hazardous housing has become an extremely urgent issue for people in the North. I instruct the Government to draft a targeted action plan by September 1, 2025. It must address this issue and cover at least a ten-year period.
Moving on, the Accessible Rentals programme has been launched in Russia's Far East, as you know. It offers affordable rentals to young people coming to the Far Eastern regions, graduating there or taking a job there. This programme consists of using regional and federal funds to subsidise rental payments.
I suggest that we expand this programme to include the key Arctic communities. This way, we will make rentals more accessible for people starting their careers in this region, as well as those who want to live and work there. This programme must cover the Arctic in 2026.
We have agreed to extend the Muravyov-Amursky 2030 training programme in public administration to cover the Arctic regions. We have already done this. I am certain that this kind of training will help many talented administrators jump-start their careers and would benefit the Arctic and the country in general.
There is one more thing I would like to mention. The North has always attracted brave people and true leaders. Outstanding researcher, polar explorer and scientist Artur Chilingarov was one of them. I suggest that in his memory we establish a special grant programme for supporting youth initiatives as part of environmental, educational and research projects in the Arctic.
Friends,
Efforts to explore and develop the Russian North and to overcome the challenges related to its harsh climate while enabling the state to reach new promising horizons – all these objectives have inspired many generations of our ancestors, including medieval sailors and Novgorod merchants, those who pioneered Arctic exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries, industrial leaders of the 18th and 19th centuries, researchers, polar explorers, engineers, Soviet workers, and companies in present-day Russia which launched major Arctic projects in the early 2000s.
Today, the North has become central to our development efforts. This is a sovereign and historical choice for us. This means that the objectives we set for and address in the Arctic, and the projects we undertake here must match this historical scale and have a horizon spanning decades, if not centuries.
We will do everything to consolidate Russia's leadership in the Arctic despite all the challenges and travails we face today. We will provide for the region's comprehensive development and create a solid foundation for future generations.
Thank you for your attention.
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From Abu Dhabi and Athens to London and Los Angeles, Jono Yates travels the world in search of amazing food.
As part of his Only Scrans YouTube channel, Jono visited Birmingham to test out the city's best food on a football matchday.
Whilst he enjoyed a balti pie and gyro at St Andrew's, it was one Birmingham restaurant which received the highest praise of all.
Read More: Legendary Birmingham family describes 'surreal' moment after Dubai success
"It's fantastic, it's absolutely fantastic," Jono said when he tucked into a balti at Shababs.
The legendary restaurant on Ladypool Road was the final destination on the day which involved mixed grills, kebabs and burgers.
He added: "Really good spice, it's made me realise I can cook a curry at home and it isn't going to take three hours.
"It's so good. As a bite, that's probably the best thing I've had today."
As well as eating the famous balti, Jono popped into the Shababs kitchen to make one himself.
He continued: "It's so simple but so effective. I'll be a balti master in no time."
A different meal Jono enjoyed was Bonehead's dragon burger which Jono described as 'amazing'.
After a delightful experience at at Bonehead, Jono visited the Merrymaid Bar & Grill for a 'phenomenal' mixed grill.
Shawarma Wala was another highlight on the food crawl, but the Small Heath restaurant is now listed as 'temporarily closed'.
Manage your account
For some, renewable energy from solar panels is a cheap, sustainable alternative to grid-provided power. For others, it's a necessity.
According to The New York Times, 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity. To avoid the need for expensive energy infrastructure, off-grid power generation is increasingly the solution to bring energy to communities.
One provider of pay-as-you-go solar energy on the continent has touted the viability of renewable energy systems for businesses and homeowners.
"If you treat low-income people as customers, not charity cases, you can change the world," Jesse Moore, co-founder and CEO of M-KOPA, told Bloomberg.
As Corporate Knights detailed, solar energy is powering small businesses, health clinics, and farms. In addition to providing much-needed electricity, it is helping to boost economic growth.
World Bank Group estimates that at the current pace of development, mini-grids could provide power to 46 million people by 2030. However, greater investment is needed to meet a Sustainable Development Goal 7 target to have solar energy reach 380 million people by the end of the decade.
"Solar mini grids can reach populations today that would otherwise wait years to be reached by the grid," said Gabriela Elizondo Azuela, manager of the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.
"They have the potential to transform the power sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through World Bank operations and advice to governments, ESMAP is helping take mini-grids from a niche to a mainstream solution."
It's not just in Africa where communities are seeing the potential of cheap solar energy. In Lakeland, Florida, for example, a housing development is set to feature solar panels on every property that are connected to a local microgrid.
Those residents will soon benefit from low energy bills, but their homes will also be more resilient during extreme weather events — when grid outages are common. With Florida particularly prone to hurricanes, being able to keep the lights on and use essential appliances can be a genuine life-saver.
If you were to install home solar panels, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
Energy independence
Lower power bills
Helping the planet
No chance I ever go solar
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
What's more, since those panels won't contribute to the production of planet-warming pollution while in operation — the energy grid, on the other hand, still relies heavily on dirty fuels — these homeowners will also reduce their contribution to making those intense weather conditions worse.
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The ball now appears to be in the Republicans' court, where there have been some signs of diverging from Trump
For beleaguered and divided congressional Democrats desperate to find an effective line of attack against Donald Trump, news that the US president's national security team discussed plans to bomb Yemen on a widely available messaging app in the presence of a journalist came at just the right time.
The leak has put the White House and the Republicans on the defensive, generated multiple days of aggressive media coverage and forced top officials to publicly twist themselves in knots as they seek to explain – or downplay – the blunder.
It has also unified the Democrats at a time when they have seemed split on how to combat the Trump administration's radical agenda and has even allowed some Republicans to join them in criticizing the White House. On Thursday, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate armed services committee jointly asked the defense department's acting inspector general to investigate the leak.
“If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know,” the Republican Roger Wicker and the Democrat Jack Reed wrote.
Up until this week, Trump had been on something of a roll ever since he returned to the White House two months previously. He has used legally dubious methods to remake the US government while encountering no resistance from his party to his policies or cabinet picks, after the Republicans locked down control of both the Senate and House of Representatives in the November elections.
Then came news that the president's national security team – joined inexplicably by the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg – had convened on the Signal messaging app to debate and coordinate airstrikes on the Houthi armed group in Yemen. Goldberg promptly wrote about his experience watching the attack planning play out in real time, and then, after denials and attacks on his character from the Trump administration, released a transcript of the chat.
Not 24 hours after the story broke, the director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, began two days of annual congressional testimony on global threats facing the United States – during which Democrats argued the most pressing threat was them discussing war plans in front of a journalist, using an app known to be targeted by Russian hackers.
“This was not only sloppy and not only violated all procedures, but if this information had gotten out, American lives could have been lost,” Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said when Gabbard and Ratcliffe testified on Monday.
“I think that it's by the awesome grace of God that we are not mourning dead pilots right now,” his House counterpart, Jim Himes, said when the pair appeared before that chamber's intelligence committee on Tuesday.
The national security chiefs repeatedly minimized the severity of the leak. Despite the fact that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, shared precise timings of strikes and aircraft to be used, Gabbard insisted that what had been discussed was not classified, while Ratcliffe revealed that CIA employees were allowed to use Signal.
Their obligated testimony completed, the pair have since retreated from the Capitol, and with them could go the scandal's momentum. Democrats are in the minority in Congress, which means they can't issue subpoenas or compel testimony from those involved in the chats, limiting their ability to uncover new details of the leak.
The ball now appears to be in the Republicans' court, where there have been some signs of the scandal overcoming their deference to the new president. “I do recommend being candid on sending classified info on unsecured servers. Take responsibility [and] stop digging the hole,” Don Bacon, a retired air force brigadier general who represents a Nebraska district in the House, wrote on X.
Trump, meanwhile, has shown no interest in disciplining Hegseth, nor Michael Waltz, the national security adviser who added Goldberg to the group for reasons he could not quite explain. Even after the release of the chat transcript, White House officials continued denigrating Goldberg and arguing that officials did nothing wrong.
“At the end of the day, this is – in my opinion – something that they're making a big to-do about nothing,” Alina Habba, Trump's outgoing White House counselor, told journalists on Wednesday, adding that Goldberg was “a reporter that is trying to get clout”.
While the use of Signal is novel, allegations of mishandling classified information have lately become something of a recurring scandal in Washington. Trump was nearly put on trial for it, and Joe Biden and Mike Pence both faced federal inquiries when it turned out they had taken materials from the White House they should not have.
Hillary Clinton, who was criticized unendingly by Republicans during her presidential campaign for her use of a private email server, quipped after the Signal story broke: “You have got to be kidding me.”
Seth Masket, director of the University of Denver's Center on American Politics and author of a book examining the Democrats' recovery from Clinton's defeat, said in an interview that since Trump had made clear he picked his cabinet members for their loyalty, his refusal to dismiss anyone over the chat could backfire.
“That sense of loyalty means that everyone knows that if they get into trouble, as long as they continue to not apologize and repeat their faith in Donald Trump, he won't ask for them to step down, and it just makes the scandal keep going,” Masket said.
Aggressive prevention including wider changes to poultry raising needed after at least 56 US farms doubly infected
Scores of poultry operations in the US have been reinfected by bird flu since 2022, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal payouts, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.
The recurring outbreaks highlight the need for more aggressive prevention, including poultry vaccination and changes to how poultry is farmed, experts say.
At least 56 poultry operations, including chicken and turkey farms, in the US have been infected twice by bird flu, according to depopulation and reinfection records from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Another 17 poultry farms have had three rounds of infections. More than half – 11 – of these farms are located in South Dakota. The others are located in Minnesota, Colorado and North Dakota. The US government payout estimate is more than $75m to these farms.
Yet another six farms have experienced four outbreaks of H5N1, the documents show. All of these farms are located in South Dakota, and they have received an estimated $23m in payments.
A spokesperson for the USDA told the Guardian that 67 commercial poultry operations had been reinfected at least once, with 18 farms infected three or more times.
Farms with reinfections have received more than $365m in federal payments, the USDA announced while unveiling a plan to require a biosecurity audit before farms receive more indemnity payments.
The USDA has paid more than $1.1bn to more than 1,200 poultry producers for culling and replacing their flocks.
Average US egg prices hit a record high of $5.90 a dozen in February, according to consumer price data.
The USDA says egg prices could rise another 41% this year. At the same time, egg producers have posted record profits.
The Trump administration recently unveiled a new plan to battle this current outbreak, which has sickened 70 Americans and killed one person in Louisiana.
The $1bn plan focuses on improving biosecurity, including free biosecurity audits and reducing regulations. It also invests $100m in potential treatments and vaccines, and it increases payouts for farms that cull infected flocks.
Biosecurity in poultry farming often involves sanitizing equipment, vehicles and facilities, as well as restricting the number of people who can access chicken houses and testing animals.
But experts say more changes to how birds are raised could make outbreaks less common.
Large, densely packed facilities make outbreaks harder to contain, but smaller operations could reduce the risks of outbreaks.
Sharing workers across poultry operations may also be spreading the virus, said Matthew Hayek, assistant professor of environmental studies at New York University.
The workers are “moving in between the houses, checking up on the hens, depopulating and repopulating the flocks, administering more feed. So it's often the case that when an operation gets infected, that it's not just one of their barns, it's often two or more,” Hayek said.
While biosecurity can help reduce outbreaks, “it seems like biosecurity measures alone are not enough to prevent the spread of this virus”, said Khaled Abdelaziz, assistant professor of animal and veterinary sciences at Clemson University.
“We need to reconsider vaccinating our poultry flocks to minimize the production losses and prevent potential pandemics,” Abdelaziz said.
It is important to take aggressive action now before the virus mutates to become transmissible among people, Abdelaziz added.
“If it transmits from humans to humans, it will be more catastrophic than the coronavirus” pandemic, he said.
Egg-laying hens live longer than birds raised for their meat, known as broilers. While broilers live about eight weeks, hens may lay eggs for three or four years. When they are culled, it can take five or six months before the new birds start laying eggs.
That means vaccinating hens could prevent some of the egg shortages and high prices now being seen across the US.
“As long as we're eating eggs in this present and future bird flu situation, vaccinations have to be a part of that answer,” Hayek said.
Egg prices are up because of shortages “and because companies are noticing a higher consumer willingness to pay when they see occasional interruptions”, Hayek said. “In order for prices to come down, we don't just need to increase the supply, but the supply needs to get more reliable.”
The main challenge to vaccination isn't the cost of the vaccines themselves, Abdelaziz said. Vaccinated birds need to be tested to make sure they are not infected asymptomatically, and there are limitations on exporting meat and eggs from vaccinated chickens.
But “nowadays, with technology – we can overcome this”, Abdelaziz said. That includes tests that distinguish between antibodies from infections versus vaccination.
The administration could also incentivize producers to use more humane and quicker depopulation methods, said Allie Granger, a policy adviser at the Animal Welfare Institute.
“We continue to reimburse producers over and over again for infections that occur,” Granger said. “Around half repeatedly used ventilation shutdown plus heat to depopulate their animals” – a method she called “one of the most horrific”.
The US could also help embattled poultry producers move into new forms of agriculture like growing beans or mushrooms, Hayek said.
“The incentives are going in the wrong direction,” said Hayek. Farmers' “only option to get paid for the flocks that they've lost is to repopulate that flock”. That means “farms are continuing to go back to the well” in order to recoup their losses.
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Two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 6.4 in magnitude, struck central Myanmar on Friday, triggering strong tremors that were felt in neighbouring Thailand and parts of India. The shaking was so intense that in Bangkok, a rooftop swimming pool dramatically overflowed, cascading down a high-rise like a waterfall.
According to news agency AFP, a 30-storey skyscraper under construction for government offices collapsed in the city, trapping 43 workers. The full extent of casualties and damage remains unclear.
The epicentre of the quakes was located about 50 kilometres east of Monywa, a city in central Myanmar. Despite the severity, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties within Myanmar itself, a country already embroiled in a civil conflict.
(Also read: Shocking video captures train rattling at Bangkok metro station as earthquake strikes)
The tremors were also felt in India's northeastern states, including Manipur and Meghalaya. Officials reported that the first earthquake, registering 7.2 magnitude, struck at approximately 11:50 am, followed by a second quake of 7.0 magnitude at 12:02 pm, according to preliminary data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Manipur.
Despite the intensity, no immediate reports of damage emerged from Manipur, which shares a 390-kilometre-long border with Myanmar. Locals, however, experienced strong tremors that forced many to evacuate their homes.
(Also read: Bangkok skyscraper reduced to rubble after strong tremors from Myanmar earthquake. Video)
Residents in Manipur's capital, Imphal, were startled by the sudden jolts. In the Rupmahal area, people rushed out of their homes as they felt the tremors.
“We felt the first earthquake as the water in our pond was shaking,” said a resident of Kangjabi Leirak Nagamapal in Imphal.
As of now, authorities continue to monitor the situation, assessing the potential impact in affected areas.
Law firm criticized by Elon Musk agrees to $100m in pro bono legal work for the federal government amid criticism of top law firms caving to pressure
Donald Trump announced that the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has agreed to provide at least $100m in pro bono legal services to the federal government during this administration.
It is the latest example of legal firms caving in to pressure from the Trump administration, and appears to be the first instance where a firm has preemptively struck a deal to avoid Trump's executive orders targeting law firms and attorneys who challenge his priorities, per the New York Times (paywall). It was unclear why Skadden drew Trump's ire but Elon Musk has criticised the firm over its work in a lawsuit against a rightwing media critic, Dinesh D'Souza, according to the NYT.
Announcing the deal on Friday, Trump said:
This was essentially a settlement. We appreciate their coming to the table.
As my colleague Sam Levine reported on Wednesday, scholars and experts say there is little doubt that Trump's executive orders are a thinly-veiled effort to intimidate lawyers who might otherwise challenge the administration. The actions undermine a key element of the American democratic system by limiting the ability of potential adversaries to access the judicial system, one of the most powerful checks on executive power.
Trump got a huge boost last week when the law firm Paul Weiss accepted his demands in exchange for withdrawing the executive order targeting the firm. Paul Weiss agreed to perform $40m worth of pro bono legal work for causes the president supports. The White House was gleeful at that result and the administration reportedly has a list of other firms it may subject to similar treatment.
Earlier on Friday, we reported that two targeted law firms, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over the executive orders targeting them. A third targeted firm, Perkins Coie, sued the administration earlier this month.
Attorneys for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist facing deportation due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, urged a US judge on Friday to free their client, a green card holder.
Khalil was detained earlier this month in New York and transferred to immigration detention in Louisiana, even though he is a permanent resident and has not been accused of a crime.
According to the AP, Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's attorneys, argued in court that the case should be moved back to New York, saying, “They keep passing around the body in an almost Kafkaesque way.” The attorney argued that the US was chilling Khalil's free speech: “The longer we wait, the more chill there is … Everyone knows about this case and is wondering if they're going to get picked off the street for opposing US foreign policy.”
The attorneys and US justice department were appearing in court in New Jersey to debate what court should have jurisdiction over the case as Khalil fights to be released. US district judge Michael Farbiarz said he would issue a written decision.
Khalil recently spoke out from detention, saying in a statement shared to the Guardian, “I am a political prisoner.” More background on Khalil here:
The US Department of Education said Friday it had launched an investigation into Maine over school districts' trans rights policies.
The Trump administration has accused some Maine school districts of “prohibiting parents from accessing records relating to their child's ‘gender transition'”, claiming this violates federal laws protecting parents' rights.
Some school districts in Maine and across the country have adopted policies meant to protect the privacy of LGBTQ+ students who may be out at school, but not at home where it could be unsafe or they may be unsupported by parents. Some policies are meant to stop “forced outing” of students to their families.
The US education department said in a statement it had received reports alleging that some Maine districts have policies that allow schools to “create ‘gender plans' supporting a student's ‘transgender identity',” but then withhold those records from parents, according to the AP. Maine school officials declined to comment to the AP.
The investigation, along with a similar one announced targeting California schools, is part of the Trump administration's aggressive attack on trans youth rights.
During his campaign last year, Trump repeatedly spread misinformation and falsehoods suggesting students were getting gender-affirming medical care and surgeries in school without parents' involvement. The LGBTQ+ rights policies in question, however, generally involve respecting trans students' pronouns and names and allowing them to use facilities that match their gender.
The US state department has ordered consular officers to conduct expanded screening processes for student visa applicants, including through comprehensive social media investigations, the Guardian's Joseph Gedeon reports.
A 25 March cable describes a new standard for visa denials based on a broad definition of what constitutes support for “terrorist activity”. The directive states that “evidence that an applicant advocates for terrorist activity, or otherwise demonstrates a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization” can be grounds for visa rejection.
It specifically targets new and renewing F, M and J student visa applications, providing explicit instructions for consular officers to conduct mandatory social media reviews digging into applicants' lives online. Officers are directed to examine the social media of all students applying to a visa for evidence of activities the administration defines as a threat to national security or terrorism.
The move comes as the Trump administration has been aggressively targeting students on college campuses across the country deemed to have ties to pro-Palestinian activism. This week, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright scholar at Tufts University in Boston, was detained by agents, who were wearing plainclothes and masks, an arrest caught on video that sparked widespread outrage. She had a student visa and had co-written an op-ed last year supporting calls for the university to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide”.
More here:
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth's younger brother is serving in a key position inside the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser, Hegseth's office confirmed.
The high-profile job has meant meetings with a UFC fighting champion, a trip to Guantánamo Bay and, right now, traveling on the Pentagon's 747 aircraft as Hegseth makes his first trip as defense secretary to the Indo-Pacific.
Phil Hegseth's official title is senior adviser to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and liaison officer to the defense department, spokeswoman Kingsley Wilson said in a statement Thursday.
“Phil Hegseth, one of a number of talented DHS liaisons to DOD, is conducting touch points with U.S. Coast Guard officials on the Secretary's Indo-Pacific trip,” which includes stops in Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines and Japan, Wilson said in response to a query by The Associated Press.
It's common for the defense department and other federal agencies to have liaisons. Each military branch sends liaisons to Capitol Hill. The Pentagon, State Department and others all use interagency liaisons to more closely coordinate and keep tabs on policy.
But it is not common for those senior-level positions to be filled by family members of the Cabinet heads, said Michael Fallings, a managing partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, which specializes in federal employment law.
It's not the first time Phil Hegseth has worked alongside his older brother. When Pete Hegseth was CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, a nonprofit that fell into financial difficulty during his time there, he paid his brother $108,000 to do media relations for the organization, according to federal tax records.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Phil Hegseth's job title and said this “interagency mission is part of Mr. Hegseth's preview,” presumably meaning “purview.”
DHS said Phil Hegseth, while on the Indo-Pacific trip, has been meeting with representatives from Homeland Security Investigations, the law enforcement arm of the department, “and other DHS components and interagency partners.”
The Pentagon did not respond to a request to interview Phil Hegseth. Neither the Pentagon nor the Department of Homeland Security has responded to queries about his qualifications for the job.
A US federal judge on Friday extended his temporary halt to Donald Trump's use of a 200-year-old wartime law to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, dealing a setback to the president's push to speed up the deportations.
Reuters reports that US district judge James Boasberg's temporary restraining order will put Trump's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act on hold until 12 April while litigation plays out. Boasberg issued a two-week freeze on the use of the law during an emergency 15 March hearing after Trump invoked the act.
The American Civil Liberties Union challenged Trump's use of the act to rapidly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. The ACLU argues the law denies the migrants the due process to contest allegations of gang membership.
The US circuit court of appeals for the DC circuit on Wednesday upheld Boasberg's initial pause on Trump's use of the law, with a Trump-appointed judge dissenting in a 2-1 decision.
The Trump administration on Friday asked the supreme court to lift Boasberg's halt on the deportations.
Related: White House asks supreme court to allow deportations under wartime law
Donald Trump has just repeated the US needed control over Greenland for “world peace,” adding he hoped Denmark and the EU would understand it aid “if they don't, we are going to have to explain it to them”.
“Do you think we can do without it? We can't,” he said.
“We need Greenland. Very importantly, for international security, we have to have Greenland.
If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we're not going to be able to do that.
We're not relying on Denmark or anybody else to take care of that situation.
And we're not talking about peace for the United States. We're talking about world peace. We're talking about international security.”
He said that “modern day weaponry makes Greenland” more important than 100 years ago, and also with new “water roadways” opening up.
“Greenland's very important for the peace of the world, not us the peace of the entire world, and I think, Denmark, understands it, I think the European Union, understands it.
And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them.”
Trump spoke on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony for the US Attorney for New Jersey – just minutes before his vice-president JD Vance is due to speak from Greenland.
You can follow his speech here:
Donald Trump announced that the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has agreed to provide at least $100m in pro bono legal services to the federal government during this administration.
It is the latest example of legal firms caving in to pressure from the Trump administration, and appears to be the first instance where a firm has preemptively struck a deal to avoid Trump's executive orders targeting law firms and attorneys who challenge his priorities, per the New York Times (paywall). It was unclear why Skadden drew Trump's ire but Elon Musk has criticised the firm over its work in a lawsuit against a rightwing media critic, Dinesh D'Souza, according to the NYT.
Announcing the deal on Friday, Trump said:
This was essentially a settlement. We appreciate their coming to the table.
As my colleague Sam Levine reported on Wednesday, scholars and experts say there is little doubt that Trump's executive orders are a thinly-veiled effort to intimidate lawyers who might otherwise challenge the administration. The actions undermine a key element of the American democratic system by limiting the ability of potential adversaries to access the judicial system, one of the most powerful checks on executive power.
Trump got a huge boost last week when the law firm Paul Weiss accepted his demands in exchange for withdrawing the executive order targeting the firm. Paul Weiss agreed to perform $40m worth of pro bono legal work for causes the president supports. The White House was gleeful at that result and the administration reportedly has a list of other firms it may subject to similar treatment.
Earlier on Friday, we reported that two targeted law firms, WilmerHale and Jenner & Block, filed federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over the executive orders targeting them. A third targeted firm, Perkins Coie, sued the administration earlier this month.
The US has paused contributions to the World Trade Organization, three trade sources told Reuters, as Donald Trump's administration ramps up efforts to cut government spending.
In its retreat from global institutions it sees as at odds with his “America First” economic policies, the Trump administration plans to quit some, such as the World Health Organization, and has cut contributions to others as part of a broad review of federal spending.
The WTO was already hobbled by a US move in 2019 during Trump's first term to block new judge appointments to its top appeals court, which left its key dispute settlement system only partially functional. Washington had accused the WTO appellate body of judicial overreach in trade disputes.
The Geneva-based trade watchdog had an annual budget of 205m Swiss francs ($232.06m) in 2024. The US was due to contribute about 11% of that based on a fees system that is proportionate to its share of global trade, according to public WTO documents.
A US delegate told a 4 March WTO budget meeting that its payments to the 2024 and 2025 budgets were on hold pending a review of contributions to international organisations and that it would inform the WTO of the outcome at an unspecified date, two trade sources with direct knowledge of the meeting said.
A third trade source confirmed their account and said the WTO was coming up with a “Plan B” in case of a prolonged funding pause, without elaborating.
All three sources asked for confidentiality because the budget meeting was private and the US funding pause has not been formally announced.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A state department spokesperson said Trump last month signed an executive order directing secretary of state Marco Rubio to review within 180 days all international organizations the US is a member of “to determine if they are contrary to US interests”.
Vice-president JD Vance landed in Greenland about an hour ago. Going into his lunch with soldiers, Vance noted that he is the first US vice-president to ever visit the country.
He said that with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz they will “talk to the command and some of the guardians about what exactly the base does and all the important ways to contribute to national security,” and get a briefing on what the base does.
And in a nightmare scenario for Danish officials watching this from Copenhagen, he adds:
“And then we're gonna talk just about, as you've heard, we have some interest in Greenland from the Trump administration, so we're gonna talk a little bit about that with our friends in the media.”
He then goes on:
“The Trump administration, the President is really interested in Arctic security. As you all know, it's a big issue, and it's only gonna get bigger over the coming decades.”
You can follow Jakub's coverage of the latest from the visit and from Europe more widely here:
Canada will implement retaliatory tariffs “to protect Canadian workers and our economy” in response to US trade actions, Mark Carney told Donald Trump during their first conversation as leaders earlier on Friday.
In a statement issued by the Canadian PM's office, Carney said the call had been “extremely constructive” and “the leaders agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election”.
Earlier, Trump called the conversation “productive” and said the two leaders would meet after Canada's election.
This report is from Reuters.
The State Department notified Congress on Friday of its intent to reorganize the US Agency for International Development and discontinue remaining functions that do not align with administration priorities, secretary of state Marco Rubio said.
A statement from Rubio said USAID had “strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high”. It reads:
Thanks to President Trump, this misguided and fiscally irresponsible era is now over. We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens.
The statement said the State Department and USAID had notified Congress on their intent to undertake a reorganization “that would involve realigning certain USAID functions to the Department by July 1 ... and discontinuing the remaining USAID functions that do not align with Administration priorities”.
From the start of Trump's second term, billionaire Elon Musk's so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) launched a drive to shrink USAID and merge its remnants into the State Department. The administration has since fired hundreds of staff and contractors and terminated billions of dollars in services on which tens of millions of people around the world depended.
On 18 March a federal judge ruled that Musk and Doge had likely violated the US constitution by shutting down USAid, and ordered the Trump administration to reverse some of the actions it took to dismantle the agency.
Rubio said earlier this month that more than 80% of all USAID programs had been canceled.
Related: Musk and Doge's USAid shutdown likely violated US constitution, judge rules
In its emergency appeal on Friday to the supreme court seeking to lift an order barring deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, the justice department said in its that the case presents the question of who decides how to conduct sensitive national security related operations, the president or the judiciary.
The department wrote:
The Constitution supplies a clear answer: the President. The republic cannot afford a different choice.
The American Civil Liberties Union challenged Trump's use of the act to rapidly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. The ACLU argues the law denies the migrants the due process to contest the basis for their removal.
In Friday's filing, the justice department added that the administration had designated members of the gang “through a rigorous process”.
As Donald Trump and his top officials scrabble to respond to the Signal leak scandal, my colleague Jonathan Freedland and the New Yorker's Susan Glasser discuss the fallout of the jaw-dropping security breach, and why the US president is attacking the media instead of the people who let a journalist read potentially classified material.
It's all in the latest edition of Politics Weekly America which you can listen to here:
This report is from Reuters.
Donald Trump said he had a productive call on Friday with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and that the two leaders would meet after Canada's election, which is scheduled for next month amid increased tensions between the neighboring allies.
“It was an extremely productive call, we agree on many things, and will be meeting immediately after Canada's upcoming Election to work on elements of Politics, Business, and all other factors,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
That work “will end up being great for both the United States of America and Canada”, he added.
Carney and his office have not yet released their take on the call, which comes the day after the prime minister vowed to transform Canada's economy to be less dependent on the US and ahead of Trump's 25% tariffs on cars from overseas expected to come into effect on 2 April, which Carney described as a “direct attack” on Canadian workers.
My colleague Jon Henley has more on that here:
Relations have deteriorated since Trump upended the relationship with tariff threats and repeated comments about making it the 51st US state.
Carney, who took office in mid-March, called for a snap election to be held on 28 April, in which US relations will factor heavily.
Comoros has agreed to the establishment of a Russian diplomatic mission in its capital, Moroni, local media reported on Thursday, citing a document from the African island nation's Foreign Ministry.
The Comorian government has welcomed the move as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with Moscow, according to a letter addressed to the Russian mission in neighboring Madagascar and published by the news agency Comores-infos.
“The government of the Union of the Comoros accepts the request of the authorities of the Russian Federation to establish an embassy in the Union of the Comoros,” the ministry stated.
“The establishment of this embassy in Moroni will bring the Union of the Comoros and the Russian Federation, which have maintained bilateral relations for several years, closer together and open up new prospects for cooperation between the two countries,” it added.
The move comes at a time when Moscow has declared that developing ties with African states is among its top foreign policy priorities. Plans to open an embassy in Comoros and several other countries, including the Gambia, Liberia, and Togo, in the “near future” were first announced last month by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Currently, the diplomatic representation for Comoros is managed through Russia's embassy in Madagascar.
Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Moscow is set to expand its diplomatic presence in Africa with the establishment of embassies in Sierra Leone and South Sudan – the continent's newest country. She said the relevant government decrees had been issued at the end of December, with the official opening of the missions scheduled for the “near future.”
Russia also intends to reopen its mission in Niger, which had, along with the Sahel state's embassy in Moscow, ceased operations in the 1990s due to budgetary challenges.
In December 2023, Moscow's embassy in Burkina Faso officially resumed operations after being shut for more than three decades. The mission in Equatorial Guinea also opened last year, according to Lavrov.
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Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, right, welcomes French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Bab Azizia Palace in Tripoli, July 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
Debris of a French UTA jetliner seen in the desert of Niger, where the airliner crashed after exploding over the desert in September 1989. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)
Bulgarian nurses Valentina Manolova Siropulo, left, Nasya Stoitcheva Nenova, second left, look on as Valia Georgieva Chervenisahka, right, hugs an unidentified man in front of the French presidential air plane after their arrival in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, July 24, 2007. (AP Photo, File)
Libyan Col. Muammar Gadhafi arrives for a meeting with intellectuals at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, Dec. 11, 2007. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi, foreground, visits the Chateau de Versailles, southwest of Paris, Dec. 14, 2007. (AP Photo/Patrick Kovarik, Pool, File)
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gestures with a green cane as he takes his seat behind bulletproof glass for a military parade on Sept. 1, 2009, in Green Square, Tripoli, Libya. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
Wrecked houses and a deep gash in the ground in the village of Lockerbie, Scotland, after the bombing of the Pan Am 103 in the village of Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. (AP Photo/Martin Cleaver, File)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, greets Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi upon his arrival on Dec. 10 2007 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Investigators inspect the nose section of the crashed Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 airliner in a field near Lockerbie, Scotland, Dec. 23, 1988. (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)
PARIS (AP) — The monthslong trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy over the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign is shedding light on France's back-channel talks with the government of then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
Family members of terrorist attacks sponsored by Gadhafi's regime have told the court they suspect that Sarkozy was willing to sacrifice the memories of their loved ones in order to normalize ties with Libya almost two decades ago.
French prosecutors on Thursday requested a seven-year prison sentence for the 70-year-old former leader. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, has denied all wrongdoing.
The trial, which started in January, is to continue until April 8, with Sarkozy's lawyers to plead on the last day. The verdict is expected at a later date.
Some key moments in the trial have focused on talks between France and Libya in the 2000s, when Gadhafi was seeking to restore diplomatic ties with the West. Before that, Libya was considered a pariah state for having sponsored attacks.
French families of victims of a 1989 plane bombing told the court about their shock and sense of betrayal as the trial questioned whether promises possibly made to Gadhafi's government were part of the alleged corruption deal.
In 1988, a bomb planted aboard a Pam Am flight exploded while the plane was over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 270 people from 21 countries, including 190 Americans.
The following year, on Sept. 19, 1989, the bombing of UTA flight 772 over Niger killed 170 people, including 54 French nationals on board, after an in-flight explosion caused by a suitcase bomb.
Both French and U.S. investigations have tied both bombings to Libya, whose government had engaged in long-running hostilities with the U.S. and other Western governments.
Now, families of victims are wondering whether French government officials close to Sarkozy promised to forget about the bombings in exchange for business opportunities with the oil-rich nation and possibly, an alleged corruption deal.
“What did they do with our dead?” Nicoletta Diasio, the daughter of a man who died in the bombing, has told the court, saying she wondered if the memories of the victims “could have been used for bartering” in talks between France and Libya.
During the trial, Sarkozy has said he has “never ever betrayed” families of victims. “I have never traded their fate for any compromise, nor pact of realpolitik,” he said.
Libya was long a pariah state for its involvement in the 1980s bombings.
In 2003, it took responsibility for both the 1988 and 1989 plane bombings and agreed to pay billions in compensation to the victims' families.
Gadhafi also announced he was dismantling his nuclear weapons program, which led to the lifting of international sanctions against the country.
Britain, France and other Western countries sought to restore a relationship with Libya for security, diplomatic and business purposes.
In 2007, Sarkozy welcomed Gadhafi to Paris with honors for a five-day official visit, allowing him to set up a bedouin tent near the Elysee presidential palace. Many French people still remember that gesture, feeling Sarkozy went too far to please a dictator.
Sarkozy said during the trial he would have preferred to “do without” Gadhafi's visit at the time but it came as a diplomatic gesture after Libya's release of Bulgarian nurses who were imprisoned and facing death sentences for a crime they said they did not commit.
On July 24, 2007, under an accord partially brokered by first lady Cecilia Sarkozy and EU officials, Libya released the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor.
The medics, who had spent over eight years in prison, faced death sentence on charges they deliberately infected hundreds of children with the AIDS virus in the late 1990s — an allegation they denied.
The release of the medics removed the last major obstacle to Libya's rejoining the international community.
Sarkozy travelled to the capital, Tripoli, for talks with Gadhafi the day after the medics were returned to Bulgaria on a French presidential plane.
In court has spoken of his “pride to have saved those six persons.”
“If you did not discuss with Gadhafi, you'd not get the release of the nurses,” he said.
Accused of masterminding the attack on UTA Flight 772, Gadhafi's brother-in-law and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senoussi was convicted in absentia to a life sentence by a Paris court in 1999 for the attack.
An international arrest warrant was issued for him and five other suspects.
Financial prosecutors have accused Sarkozy of having promised to lift the arrest warrant targeting al-Senoussi in exchange for alleged campaign financing.
In 2005, people close to Sarkozy, who was at the time the interior minister, including his chief of staff Claude Guéant and junior minister Brice Hortefeux, travelled to Tripoli, where they met with al-Senoussi.
Both Guéant and Hortefeux have told the court that it was a “surprise” meeting they were not aware of beforehand.
Al-Senoussi told investigative judges that millions of dollars were provided to support Sarkozy's campaign. Accused of war crimes, he is now imprisoned in Libya.
Sarkozy has strongly denied that.
Gadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, told the French news network RFI in January that he was personally involved in giving Sarkozy 5 million dollars in cash.
Seif al-Islam sent RFI radio a two-page statement on his version of events. It was the first time he talked to the media about the case since 2011.
He said Sarkozy initially “received $2.5 million from Libya to finance his electoral campaign” during the 2007 presidential election, in return for which Sarkozy would “conclude agreements and carry out projects in favour of Libya.”
He said a second payment of $2.5 million in cash was handed over without specifying when it was given.
According to him, Libyan authorities expected that in return, Sarkozy would end a legal case about the 1989 UTA Flight 771 attack — including removing his name from an international warrant notice.
Sarkozy strongly denied those allegations.
“You'll never find one Libyan euro, one Libyan cent in my campaign,” he said at the opening of the trial in January. “There's no corruption money because there was no corruption.”
The Libyan civil war started in February 2011, with army units and militiamen loyal to Gadhafi opposing rebels.
Sarkozy was the first Western leader to take a public stance to support the rebellion.
On Feb. 25, 2011, he said the violence by pro-Gadhafi forces was unacceptable and should not go unpunished. “Gadhafi must go,” he said at the time.
On March 10 that year, France was the first country in the world to recognize the National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya.
“That was the Arab Spring,” Sarkozy told the court. “Gadhafi was the only dictator who had sent (military) aircrafts against his people. He had promised rivers of blood, that's his expression.”
Moammar Gadhafi was killed by opposition fighters in Oct. 2011, ending his four-decade rule of the North African country.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Katie Donnell, a Florida resident who often drank three energy drinks a day and a caffeine supplement before hitting the gym, has died at the young age of 28 from a heart attack. Her devastated mother, Lori Barranon, 63, has now blamed energy drinks for her sudden death.
As per Ms Barranon, her daughter, who worked as a teacher, would gulp up on energy drinks and caffeine to ensure she had the 'buzz' during the workout.
"She thought it'd help her work out and give her more energy. She was working out, working full-time and going to school. I think she got used to the buzz," Ms Barranon was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
However, on a fateful day in August 2021, as Ms Donnell was hanging out with friends, she suddenly collapsed. As per Ms Barranon, all the friends thought she was having a stroke when actually she was having a heart attack.
"The ambulance got there and couldn't intubate her. She was without oxygen for too long and it caused brain damage," she said.
Also Read | CCP Reacts After YouTuber IShowSpeed Performs Backflip At The Great Wall Of China
All efforts from the medical emergency workers were futile despite them continuing to operate on her for three hours. Such was the pre-workout and energy drink addiction of her daughter that Ms Barranon found her car filled with cans when she went to clean it after her death.
“Her boyfriend said she would buy a four-pack [of energy drinks] every two to three days. Not to mention she was drinking a lot of coffee," said Ms Barranon.
“One of her friends said she'd hardly see Katie without an energy drink in her hands. When I cleaned out her car after she passed it was full of cans, at least three or four in there.”
Although the brand Ms Donnell drank hasn't been identified, some popular energy drinks in the US may contain up to 200 mg of caffeine per can. Up to 400 mg is considered safe but Ms Donnell was drinking multiple cans for years on stretch.
“If you don't keep your kids away from this stuff you may be in my situation where your life is ruined. It's so harmful and deadly, my whole family is affected by this," the heartbroken mother advised.
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An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 was felt in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, on Friday.
However, no casualties were reported so far.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the earthquake with the epicentre at Mandalay in Myanmar near the Bangladesh border hit at 12:25 pm.
The distance from Dhaka to the epicentre is 597 kilometres. The earthquake of magnitude 7.3 is classified as a major seismic event, Prothom Alo quoted Md Rubayat Kabir, the acting officer of the Earthquake Observation and Research Centre at the Meteorological Department, as saying.
Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a slightly higher magnitude of 7.7.
According to the USGS, the epicentre was 16 kilometres north-northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar, at a depth of 10 kilometres.
A 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar capital Naypyidaw is a likely "mass casualty area", news agency AFP said Friday after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Sagaing, which is 260km away.
At least 20 deaths have been confirmed from the hospital so far, but doctors there told news agency AFP (on condition of anonymity) they expect the toll to rise rapidly into the hundreds.
AFP said scenes from outside the building showed injured people being treated on the streets, with intravenous drips hanging from gurneys as family and loved ones comforted them. "I haven't seen (something) like this before. We are trying to handle it but I'm so exhausted," a doctor said.
AFP also said "a stream of casualties" were spotted arriving at the hospital, which itself was heavily damaged; a car was crushed under the heavy concrete of its fallen entrance.
Across Myanmar the earthquake also damaged residential buildings in Mandalay and destroyed the old bridge over the Irrawaddy River. A monastery on the border with Thailand was also destroyed.
After the initial earthquake, tremors were felt as far away as northern Thailand, where some metro services were suspended in Bangkok; one video showed a metro, stopped at the platform, shaking violently. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has declared a state of 'emergency' in the city.
At the time of the #Earthquake, some people were on the MRT and luckily the swaying moment had already stopped at the station. So, everyone ran out quickly while the station floor was swinging. #Thailand #Bangkok #Myanmar #แผ่นดินไหว pic.twitter.com/1XlClCWkfH
Also, 81 people were trapped after an under-construction, 30-floor building in Bangkok's Chatuchak collapsed entirely. The building - intended for government offices - was reduced to a tangle of rubble and twisted metal in seconds, footage on social media showed. Three deaths have been reported.
READ | 7.7-Magnitude Quake In Myanmar, Strong Tremors In Bangkok, 43 Trapped
"When I arrived to inspect the site, I heard people calling for help, saying help me," Worapat Sukthai, Deputy Police Chief of Bang Sue district, told AFP. "We estimate that hundreds of people are injured but we are still determining the number of casualties," he added.
BREAKING: At least 43 people missing after tower collapses in Bangkok - local media https://t.co/AphHrD3Hy9
China's Yunnan province also reported strong tremors; the China Earthquake Networks Center said the magnitude was 7.9. And mild tremors were also reported from Kolkata in Bengal and parts of Manipur, as well as Dhaka and Chattogram in Bangladesh, news agency PTI said.
Terrifying videos on X showed buildings shaking in Bangkok and other cities, with people running onto the streets in panic. "I heard it... I was sleeping in the house and then I ran as far as I could in my pyjamas out of the building," Duangjai, a resident of popular tourist city Chiang Mai, told AFP.
READ | Quake Panic In Myanmar, Bangkok As Buildings Collapse
In Myanmar, an old bridge over the Irrawaddy River and some residential buildings collapsed, with images from Mandalay (around 24km from Sagaing) suggesting more people may be trapped.
Other videos showed extensive damage to the airport in Mandalay and to a monastery near the city of Taunggyi, in Myanmar's Shan State that is on the border to Thailand.
With input from agencies
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US vice-president says Denmark has not ‘kept Greenland safe' and this is why ‘President Trump's policy is what it is'
US vice-president JD Vance said Denmark “has not done a good job at keeping Greenland safe,” accusing it of “underinvesting in the people of Greenland and … in the security architecture” of the island (19:23).
He argued that “Denmark has not kept pace in devoting the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe” from Russia, China and other nations with interest in this area” (19:20).
He accused Denmark of “passing it all off” to Americans and hoping they would pick up the bill for it (19:30), saying the US argument was “with the leadership of Greenland,” adding: “this simply must change” (19:25)
He called for allies to “wake up from a failed 40-year consensus that said that we could ignore the encroachment of powerful countries as they expand to their ambitions” and said “we can't just … bury our head in the snow” (19:27).
Vance appeared to back the independence movement in Greenland, saying the administration's view was that the Greenlanders would “choose … to become independent of Denmark, and then we are going to have conversations … from there” (19:41).
But he said that Trump “does not think that military force is going to be necessary” to see the advances the US wants.
Speaking more broadly about the Trump administration's policies, including on tariffs, he said “we are done being the piggy bank of the entire world,” while repeating his attack on “European friends” for “neglecting international security for 40 years” (19:35).
Less than 30% of Americans want to join Greenland, according to a March poll from Fox News which CNN's Anderson Cooper aired on Friday.
Meanwhile, 85% of Greenlanders are opposed to the US taking over the territory.
Since assuming the White House earlier this year, Trump has repeatedly stated plans for the US to take over the Danish territory.
His vice president JD Vance is currently visiting US troops in Greenland, telling them that Denmark “have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.”
Vance added that Greenland would be better off “coming under the United States' security umbrella than you have been under Denmark's security umbrella.”
In response to US vice president JD Vance's visit to Greenland, California's Democratic representative Eric Swalwell took to X and criticized Vance's visit to the Danish territory, saying:
“What the hell is JD Vance doing in Greenland? They don't want him there. We don't need him there. Why won't he go to Greensboro or Green Bay to see how much Trump's tariff tax is costing people?”
And that's all from me, Jakub Krupa, but I'm leaving the blog with Maya Yang for more reactions so stay with us on Europe Live.
If you are a “glass half empty” person, this is a direct diplomatic challenge to Copenhagen criticising it for “not doing a good job”, exploiting existing and real tensions with the Greenlandic people, and effectively declaring the US support for the Greenlandic independence movement with a view to closer partnership with the US further down the line.
But if you are a “glass half full” person, Vance's comments were actually a bit reassuring on the US respect for the self-determination of Greenland, not necessarily talking about making it a part of the US but only about some sort of partnership, and he clearly played down the scenario of using force to take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Your pick.
Think of this as Vance's third big intervention on Europe: first in Munich, then with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, and now this, on Greenland.
All three send a very clear signal to European allies from the new US administration.
US vice-president JD Vance said Denmark “has not done a good job at keeping Greenland safe,” accusing it of “underinvesting in the people of Greenland and … in the security architecture” of the island (19:23).
He argued that “Denmark has not kept pace in devoting the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe” from Russia, China and other nations with interest in this area” (19:20).
He accused Denmark of “passing it all off” to Americans and hoping they would pick up the bill for it (19:30), saying the US argument was “with the leadership of Greenland,” adding: “this simply must change” (19:25)
He called for allies to “wake up from a failed 40-year consensus that said that we could ignore the encroachment of powerful countries as they expand to their ambitions” and said “we can't just … bury our head in the snow” (19:27).
Vance appeared to back the independence movement in Greenland, saying the administration's view was that the Greenlanders would “choose … to become independent of Denmark, and then we are going to have conversations … from there” (19:41).
But he said that Trump “does not think that military force is going to be necessary” to see the advances the US wants.
Speaking more broadly about the Trump administration's policies, including on tariffs, he said “we are done being the piggy bank of the entire world,” while repeating his attack on “European friends” for “neglecting international security for 40 years” (19:35).
And JD Vance is back on the plane and soon will be on the way back to the US.
But the fallout from this visit will continue for much longer.
For what it's worth, as context to Vance's words on Chinese and Russian threat to Greenland, here are relevant excerpts from the annual threat assessment of the US intelligence community, published earlier this month.
On China:
China has gradually increased engagement with Greenland mainly through mining projects, infrastructure development, and scientific research projects. Despite less active engagement right now, China's long-term goal is to expand access to Greenland's natural resources, as well as to use the same access as a key strategic foothold for advancing China's broader and economic aims in the Arctic.
On Russia:
Russia's interest in Greenland is focused mainly on its proximity to strategically important naval routes between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans—including for nuclear-armed submarines—and the fact that Greenland hosts a key U.S. military base.
Putting aside the threat of using military force, this speech is pretty close to a diplomatic nightmare scenario for Denmark.
It's a direct, full-throated US backing for the Greenlandic independence and promise the US “then are going to have conversations with the people of Greenland from there.”
Expect a reaction from Copenhagen.
Responding to the last question, Vance says the US would protect Greenland from “economic exploitation” and “terrible economic debt traps that would make the people of Greenland not self-determined and sovereign, but … mortgage their future to hostile foreign countries that do not have their best interests at heart.”
What we want to do is to protect the security of this territory, because it matters for us and it matters for the people who live here.
And that concludes the press conference.
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President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" along the Ukraine frontline and could "finish them off", and suggested a future "transitional administration" for the country under the auspices of the United Nations.
Russia is currently in direct talks with the United States, which is brokering a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv after more than three years of fighting, while European countries have met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree on a coordinated policy.
Speaking Friday in the northwestern city of Murmansk, Putin said, "along the entire frontline, our forces have the strategic initiative".
Also Read | ‘It's our turn': Russia's Vladimir Putin to visit India soon
"There are reasons to believe that we will finish them off," he said, adding that "the Ukrainian people themselves should understand what is happening".
He also raised the idea of a "transitional administration" for Ukraine.
"We could, of course, discuss with the United States, even with European countries, and of course with our partners and friends, under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine," Putin said.
"What for? To organise a democratic presidential election that would result in the coming to power of a competent government that would have the confidence of the people, and then begin negotiations with these authorities on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents," he said.
The Russian leader added that the idea of a transitional administration "has already been used several times" under the United Nations' framework, recalling in particular the case of East Timor in 1999.
Also Read | Ukraine's Zelensky predicts Vladimir Putin's death: ‘…it will come to an end'
His statements came after Ukraine's European allies met in Paris on Thursday with Zelensky.
French President Emmanuel Macron said after the summit that France and Britain were putting forth plans for a "reassurance force" in Ukraine after there is an end to the fighting.
He emphasised that members of such a force would not be peacekeepers, deployed on the frontline or any kind of substitute for the Ukrainian army.
Russian President Vladimir Putin suggests the possibility of an interim government in Ukraine, established with UN supervision
Speaking from the north-western city of Murmansk, he says the "transitional administration" would hold an election with the aim of choosing a new government that could then begin peace talks
He claims Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" along the entire frontline in Ukraine, and could "finish them off"
In response, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office says Russia is "trying to derail the path to peace"
A White House National Security Council spokesperson tells Reuters Ukraine's governance is determined by its constitution and people
It comes after European leaders in the "coalition of the willing" met in Paris yesterday for Ukraine talks, where Zelensky said everybody at the meeting understood "that Russia doesn't want any kind of peace" and was "dragging out the war"
Edited by Matt Spivey
Imogen JamesLive reporter
We're now pausing our live coverage on the war in Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin last night suggested there should be an interim government in Ukraine, under the support of the UN.
He said that elections could then be held to hand power to a "capable government" to begin peace talks.
Meanwhile, European leaders argued for more pressure on Russia to bring about an end to the war.
The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office says Russia is "trying to derail the path to peace by choosing to continue the war".
On the ground fighting continues, as one person was killed in Russian strikes on Donetsk, the regional leader says. The air force adds that 163 drones were shot down overnight.
Attacks on Russia continued, with its air force claiming to intercept 78 Ukrainian drones.
For more, international editor Jeremy Bowen has explained more on why Europe will struggle to guarantee Ukraine's security. Thanks for joining us.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russian forces have the "strategic initiative" along the Ukrainian front line and says his army have a reason to believe that they "will finish them off".
Since the full scale invasion three years ago, Russian forces have slowly expanded the amount of territory they control.
Most of this is in the east of Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces have recently successfully recaptured a village in the Luhansk region.
In addition, Russia crossed the border to the north of Ukraine's second-biggest city, Kharkiv, in May 2024. Several villages were seized and thousands of civilians fled.
Ukrainian forces eventually held firm and even though the city of Kharkiv has come under repeat attacks from glide bombs fired by Russian warplanes, it remains beyond the range of Russian artillery.
The Russian advance towards Pokrovsk is the most notable change in control of the front line near Donetsk for several months, but innovative tactics by Ukrainian forces have inflicted significant losses of troops and equipment, slowing the offensive.
Once again, Putin is denying the legitimacy of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This time, he has called for an interim government, supervised by the UN. Putin refuses direct peace talks with Zelensky "because of his illegitimacy".
Zelensky said previously that Putin had initially tried to replace him with the wealthy head of a pro-Russian party, Viktor Medvedchuk, who was accused of treason in Ukraine, and is now in Russia.
Ukraine is currently under martial law - the replacement of civilian government by military rule - which keeps being extended as the war continues. This means elections cannot be held.
President Zelesnky's time in office should have ended but he cannot call an election whilst under martial law. He has promised to hold one as soon as the conflict is over.
The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, says that "Russia is trying to derail the path to peace by choosing to continue the war".
It comes hours after Putin suggested the implementation of a transitional administration in Ukraine, supported by the UN, until an election is held to hand power to new government for peace talks.
Putin has suggested an interim government in Ukraine under the support of the UN, and adds that elections could then be held to hand power to a "capable government" to begin peace talks.
The Russian president suggests the UN's supervision would be in place "in order to hold a democratic election [in Ukraine], in order to bring in a competent government trusted by people".
He also says that Russia will then hold talks about a peace treaty with that government, and "sign legitimate documents which would be recognised worldwide and be reliable and stable", according to Russian state media agency Tass.
Citing examples of the UN's involvement in East Timor, New Guinea and parts of former Yugoslavia, Putin says "such practice does exist".
He adds: "Technically, it is possible to discuss the possibility of introducing interim governance in Ukraine under the UN auspices with the United States, with European countries, naturally, with our partners and friends."
Imogen JamesLive reporter
Hours after European leaders agreed to go further to secure peace in Ukraine, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has suggested an interim governance in the country under the support of the UN.
The Russian president says the transitional governance under UN support could pave the way towards talks on the end of the conflict.
He adds that the government would be supervised by the UN until an election could be held to hand power to what he calls a "capable government".
Yesterday in Paris, it was announced by the leaders of the UK and France, in a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" that more pressure would be put on Putin to end the war. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of "playing games and playing for time".
Starmer argued for a deadline to broker a ceasefire deal, and said Europe must go further to support the peace process, including increasing sanctions.
As talks continue, so does the war. Overnight, Russia launched strikes in Dnipro, Nikopol, Pokrovsk and Marhanetska, damaging an infrastructure facility, according to the local governor.
Russia's defence ministry says it intercepted 78 drones from Ukraine.
Our team of writers and correspondents across the region will bring you the latest updates and analysis as pressure mounts for a path to peace.
Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar early Friday afternoon, rocking the country's second-most-populous city, Mandalay, and shaking buildings more than 600 miles away in the Thai capital, Bangkok. At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar and at least 732 were injured, account to the country's military junta. The casualty count is expected to rise, said Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the country's military chief, in a televised address. The quake hit remote areas torn apart by years of civil war, some of which are not under the control of the military government, posing harsh challenges for the distribution of aid and making a full casualty count difficult to ascertain. In Thailand, a state of emergency was declared in Bangkok, and at least eight people were killed and dozens remained trapped after a building under construction collapsed, Thai officials told reporters. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake, which struck near Sagaing, was followed by several aftershocks — including one with a magnitude of 6.4.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake has killed at least 144 people, according to Myanmar's military junta. At least eight more people died in a building collapse in Bangkok, Thai officials told reporters. But the number of people dead in Myanmar could rise to the thousands, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates.
Tom Andrews, the U.N. human rights monitor for Myanmar, said that the junta's response to previous crises showed it was willing to “weaponize aid in the midst of natural disasters” and called on international organizations to work with other groups, included the pro-democracy government-in-exile.
“The world must work with the National Unity Govt., ethnic organizations and civil society groups to reach those in desperate need,” Andrews wrote in a post on X.
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that he was aware of the requests from Myanmar's military junta for international aid after an earthquake hit the country Friday and said that the U.S. government was already working on it.
“We're going to be helping. I've already alerted the people,” Trump said when asked about the request for aid from Myanmar. “It's terrible what's happened. We've already spoken with the country.”
Communications and electricity networks are down and roads and bridges are damaged in Myanmar after Friday's major earthquake and aftershocks, an official with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Friday, noting that “there's going to be significant impact.”
The earthquake that struck Mandalay on Friday killed at least 144 people in Myanmar, according to the country's military junta. Myanmar's authorities say the number of casualties is likely to rise. It is the deadliest quake in the region since 1930, when a 7.4-magnitude tremor took 500 lives, according to data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.
Myanmar's military government has been fighting a civil war against a constellation of long-standing ethnic minority armed groups and newer pro-democracy militias since seizing power four years ago. It does not have full control over the areas affected by the quake. After declaring a state of emergency in six regions — an unclear designation, given that it declared a state of emergency over the entire country in 2021 — the isolated junta has issued a rare appeal for international assistance.
Myanmar is prone to earthquakes, but the 7.7-magnitude quake Friday had more potential for damage than previous large events.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck near Mandalay in Myanmar was due to a “strike slip faulting between the India and Eurasia plates” along the Sagaing Fault, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
While earthquakes are commonly plotted on maps, they are better described as “slip over a larger fault area,” the agency said. Those that generate quakes the size of Friday's are usually about 102 miles long by 12 miles wide, the agency said.
Like many Thais, Jiraporn Wongpaithoon had never actually experienced an earthquake — even when she lived in Istanbul. But on Friday afternoon, she was working from her home in Bangkok when everything began shaking.
Myanmar's largest hospital, the 1,000-bed Mandalay General Hospital, was overwhelmed Friday afternoon, according witness accounts. Teams from across the city were setting up emergency clinics to deal with the overflow.
BANGKOK — Most of the workers at the site of a Bangkok building under construction that collapsed in Friday's earthquake were migrants from Myanmar, survivors at the site said.
Construction worker Aung Thiha, 24, said that when the building began to shake, he thought he was feeling dizzy from having not slept enough the night before. “Gradually, I noticed dust and sand started to fall from the ceiling,” he said.
Myanmar's democratic government in exile emphasized the scale of the tragedy and called on the “international community and organizations to provide humanitarian aid and support for the affected people in Myanmar.”
“We call for effective coordination to ensure that aid reaches those genuinely in need,” the National Unity Government, which claims to be Myanmar's legitimate government, wrote on X.
Myanmar was already in the midst of a civil war and facing major humanitarian needs when Friday's major earthquake and aftershocks struck — all of which will only complicate any response.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said Friday that most new buildings in Thailand have been designed to withstand earthquakes. “The building that collapsed was still under construction, so there was some weakness,” he said.
Thailand's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, said in a statement that damage from the earthquake is limited and there is no tsunami risk.
Residents of condos have been told they can return home, but Bangkok's Skytrain and subway system will remain closed for safety checks before it is expected to reopen Saturday, the government said.
The death toll from the collapse of a building under construction in Bangkok has risen to four, according to Thai opposition leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut. The number of trapped workers at the construction site, in the Chatuchak district, is estimated at 80 to 90, the leader of the People's Party said at a news conference after inspecting damage at the site. The Thai deputy prime minister and defense minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, said earlier that all victims remain unidentified.
Here's what to know about the earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand on Friday afternoon local time:
It's the dry season in Myanmar, when temperatures typically rise to 95 to 100 degrees on a daily basis and little if any rain falls. Monsoonal rains don't usually arrive until May.
During this time, transboundary haze, or air pollution from agricultural burns and wildfires, spreads across borders and affects several countries in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar.
Visibility can be reduced to less than a mile and air quality is often very poor.
U.S. citizens have been warned to “proceed with caution” and watch for falling debris while staying clear of high-rise buildings until it has been deemed safe to return.
“Communication infrastructure remains operational, however there have been reports of public transportation outages and increased traffic congestion,” the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok said. The U.S. Embassy in Myanmar reminded people to save battery power on their phones for emergencies and to monitor local news for updates.
Myanmar's military junta, which has retreated from international engagement since forcibly seizing power four years ago, issued a rare appeal for international help after declaring a state of emergency in six regions, including Mandalay and the capital, Naypyidaw.
“We want the international community to give humanitarian aid as soon as possible,” junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told Agence France-Presse in Myanmar.
The earthquake appears to have mainly impacted Myanmar and neighboring Thailand. But the tremors were also felt in China's Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, as well as the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, according to media from both countries.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), an extensive area in Myanmar is likely to have been exposed to liquefaction during the earthquake.
Liquefaction takes place when strong ground shaking from an earthquake causes soils to turn into a slurry, briefly behaving more like a liquid than a solid.
When it occurs beneath buildings and structures, liquefaction can cause major damage.
Search and rescue efforts are being delayed because large equipment cannot be used amid fears of aftershocks, Thailand's deputy prime minister and minister of defense, Phumtham Wechayachai, said Friday.
“Bangkok has seen nothing like this in 100 years,” Phumtham said. “A big concern right now is more aftershocks, which we have been watching closely.”
At least three people have been killed and 80 remain trapped after a building under construction collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand's deputy prime minister and defense minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, told journalists Friday afternoon after inspecting the site. One person has been rescued, he added.
In a separate update, Thailand's National Institute of Emergency Medicine said at least 50 people were injured.
The weather at the time of the earthquake was hot and hazy, with temperatures near 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and low visibility of less than two miles. This low visibility is expected to persist in the days ahead. It is a result of seasonal agricultural fires and wildfires and could affect aviation and airborne search-and-rescue efforts.
Kyaw Thu Han Tun, a doctor in Myanmar's Kantbalu township, Sagaing, which is controlled by rebel groups, told The Washington Post that several residential and religious buildings in his area collapsed, though there were no major casualties as far as he was aware. Buildings in the rural areas of Sagaing are mostly flat, unlike in the urban centers of Mandalay or Naypyidaw, he said.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said authorities have declared Bangkok an “area of emergency" and have asked residents to evacuate from tall buildings until aftershocks have ended.
Myanmar's military junta declared a state of emergency in the capital Naypyidaw and the following regions: Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, eastern Shan state and Bago.
A powerful earthquake on Friday wreaked havoc across Myanmar and neighboring Thailand, razing buildings and trapping dozens of construction workers underneath rubble.
Bangkok's governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, told The Washington Post that a building under construction collapsed during the earthquake, leaving several dozen workers trapped. Cracks were reported in other structures but, as of 3 p.m. local time, no other buildings had collapsed, Chadchart said from the Bangkok city command center.
“We're waiting for the final report. … But it looks like we're going to be okay,” said Chadchart. Tremors were felt across the city around 2 p.m. local time, sending residents and tourists out onto the streets in panic.
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BANGKOK — Bangkok police say a high-rise building under construction collapsed when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Thai capital midday on Friday, and possible casualties are not yet known.
A dramatic video circulated on social media showed the multi-story building with a crane on top collapsing into a cloud of dust, while onlookers screamed and ran.
Police told The Associated Press they were responding to the scene near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak Market, and had no immediate information on how many workers were on the site at the time of the collapse.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. 's earlier story follows below.
BANGKOK — Two violent earthquakes rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, causing buildings in the Thai capital Bangkok to sway and prompting evacuations across the city, as well as in neighboring Myanmar.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the midday temblor was a shallow 10 kilometers , with an epicenter in Myanmar, according to preliminary reports.
A second quake, with a magnitude of 6.4, shook the area 12 minutes later.
Water from high-rise rooftop pools in Bangkok sloshed over the side as they shook, and debris fell from many buildings.
A video posted on social media right after the quake showed an apartment building under construction collapsing, but it was not immediately possible to verify its authenticity.
There were no immediate reports of casualties and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.
The greater Bangkok area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
Alarms went off in buildings as the earthquake hit around 1:30 p.m., and startled residents were evacuated down staircases of high-rise condominiums and hotels in densely populated central Bangkok.
They remained in the streets, seeking shade from the midday sun in the minutes after the quake.
Thailand's Department of Disaster Preventaion said the quake was felt in amost all regions of the country.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in central Myanmar, about 50 kilometers east of the city of Monywa.
In the capital Naypyitaw, the quake damaged religious shrines, sending parts toppling to the ground, and some homes.
Further reports of damage were not immediately available from Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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A strong earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, and people rushed out of buildings in panic in Yangon and also in Bangkok, the capital of neighbouring Thailand, witnesses said.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake was of 7.7 magnitude and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). It was followed by a powerful aftershock.
The epicentre was about 17.2 km from the city of Mandalay, which has a population of about 1.2 million, according to USGS.
There was no immediate word from Myanmar on damage.
Footage showed a high-rise building collapsing in Chatuchak,the north of Bangkok, sending people running to escape clouds of dust and debris.
Credit: Viral Press via Reuters Connect
An officer from the Myanmar Fire Services Department told Reuters: “We have started the search and going around Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we have no information yet.”
Social media posts from Mandalay showed collapsed buildings and debris strewn across streets. Reuters could not immediately verify the posts.
Witnesses contacted in Yangon said many people ran out from buildings in the city, the largest in the country.
Witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes.
This is a breaking story - more to follow.
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United States Geological Survey said the quake was shallow, at a depth of just 10km (six miles) with the epicentre near the central city of Mandalay
Myanmar's junta chief says at least 144 people have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country and also brought down a high-rise building under construction in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Min Aung Hlaing said he expected the toll to rise and he was inviting “any country, any organisation” to help with relief efforts – a rare request from the isolated junta.
The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar at 1.20pm local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Its epicentre was about 17.2km from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
In Thailand, three people were killed when a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed. Rescuers are searching for another 81 people trapped in the rubble.
On the Myanmar side of the border, witnesses and local media said people had been killed in the city of Mandalay and the towns Toungoo and Aungban. Hundreds of casualties were taken to a hospital in the capital, Naypyidaw, with injured people being treated outside because of damage to the building.
The scale of the damage in Myanmar is yet to become clear, though social media footage emerging from central regions has shown multiple buildings collapsed or damaged.
It is night now in Mandalay, Myanmar, and Bangkok, Thailand. Here is what we know so far after an earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude hit central Myanmar on Friday.
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam. The quake, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock. Tremors were also felt in China's south-west Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency.
At least 144 people in Myanmar have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country on Friday, according to Myanmar's junta chief. Min Aung Hlaing said he expected the toll to rise and he was inviting “any country, any organisation” to help with relief efforts – a rare request from the isolated junta.
Thai authorities declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday, while Bangkok city hall said on Friday that Thailand's capital had been declared a disaster area.
Eight people are confirmed to have been killed in Bangkok, the city's governor Chadchart Sittipunt has said. This includes seven people killed at the construction site of the collapsed high-rise, where rescuers are still scrambling to save dozens of construction workers feared trapped under the rubble. Police are using drones to detect body heat in the search for survivors, and rescue dogs have also been deployed, Thai media reported. Thailand's defence minister said 90 people were missing at the site of the high-rise building under construction that collapsed.
The earthquake was also felt in China Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports. The shaking in Ruili was so strong that people couldn't stand.
Bangkok's governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered the immediate establishment of an earthquake response command centre, and instructed all districts and hospitals to assess damages. Police officers have also been deployed to evacuate people from unsafe buildings and manage traffic. Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.
Witnesses described evacuating swaying buildings with plaster raining down on them, while images showed damaged roads with large cracks. Video footage of a Bangkok high-rise showed water from a pool sloshing over the side of it.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for Myanmar's military junta to allow humanitarian access. Earlier in the day, the junta made a rare call for international help as it declared a state of emergency across six regions.
The Red Cross shared its concerns for the state of large scale dams. “Public infrastructure has been damaged including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them”, Marie Manrique, programme coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross said to reporters in Geneva, via video link from Yangon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is readying medical supplies and said it had triggered its emergency management system in response to Friday's “huge” earthquake in Myanmar. It added that it was mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies.
Zin Mar Aung, the top diplomat of the Myanmar's parallel national unity government, said troops from the anti-junta militias, known as the people's defence forces, would be providing humanitarian help. “It's very serious, we need humanitarian and technical assistance from the international community,” Zin Mar Aung said in a phone interview, adding communications was a major challenge, including internet restrictions imposed by the junta in a hard-hit area.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday the 27-country bloc stood ready to help after a strong, deadly earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand. France echoed the offer of support, adding that its diplomatic premises in the Thai capital had been evacuated.
UK foreign secretary David Lammy advised British nationals in Myanmar and in Thailand to follow government advice. Earlier today, the UK Foreign Office warned “there may be several strong after-shocks” after the quake.
Pope Francis offered his prayers for the victims of the powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand, the Vatican press office said. In a telegram published by the Vatican, Francis said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation” caused by the earthquake.
The US Agency for International Development announced it will send some teams to Thailand to help with recovery efforts. Donald Trump said he had spoken to officials in Myanmar and would be providing “help”.
That's it from me, Donna Ferguson. Thanks for following along.
Scottish tourist Fraser Morton has told the Associated Press there was “panic” when the earthquake hit while he was shopping for camera equipment in a Bangkok shopping centre.
“All of a sudden the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” he said.
“I got outside and then looked up at the building and the whole building was moving, dust and debris, it was pretty intense.”
Reuters has been speaking to people who experienced the earthquake in Mandalay.
“I witnessed a five-storey building collapse in front of my eyes,” one Mandalay resident has told reporters.
“We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking … Everyone in my town is out on the road and no one dares to go back inside.”
A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group said it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped.
In the purpose-built capital itself, a 1,000-bed hospital sustained damage and roads were left with huge fissures, state media reported.
The bodies of 30 people had been recovered from collapsed multi-story apartment blocks, according to a rescue worker from Amarapura, an ancient city and now a township of Mandalay.
“I have never experienced anything like this before – our town looks like a collapsed city,” he told Reuters, estimating that about a fifth of the buildings had been destroyed.
“We received calls for help from people from the inside, but we cannot help because we do not have enough manpower and machines to remove the debris, but we will not stop working”.
Donald Trump has told Reuters that he has spoken with officials in Myanmar about the earthquake and that his administration would be providing some form of assistance.
“We're going to be helping,” he told reporters at the White House.
A British tourist on holiday in Bangkok has told PA Media she initially thought the shaking was due to effects from the film she was watching.
Mandy Tang, 38, from London, told PA: “I was watching a film called The Red Envelope. It happened to be quite an action-packed scene when the shake happened, so I initially thought it could have been Imax effects.
“I looked around and none of the local audience left their seats. However, my Taiwanese friend insisted it's an earthquake, so I walked out of the theatre with her, and we met the security guards coming to evacuate us just outside the theatre.
“We could see the doors were opening and closing, all the chairs were shaking.”
Tang said she was trying to get a car back to her hotel, adding: “Basically I'm tired and I'm trying to get back.
“It was quite nerve-racking, I've never experienced such a strong shake. It is quite scary.”
PA Media reporters have been talking to people who experienced the earthquake in Bangkok.
A Scottish expat told the news agency “blood rushed to his head” as an earthquake shook his apartment building and forced him to evacuate his home.
Alex MacGregor, a 36 year-old PR consultant who has been living in the Thai capital for the last six months, was working from home and waiting for the delivery of his lunch when the tremors began at about 1.30pm local time.
“I was just waiting for the driver to come with my food and I look in the pool and noticed the water started to kind of lap at the edges … but then it started to get violent,” said MacGregor, who is originally from Inverness.
“All of a sudden I started feeling faint, like that kind of blood rushing to the head feeling, and I was like: ‘Am I ill here, or what's going on?'
“Then I looked up the other condo, which is a really high skyscraper and I saw their pool water coming over the sides and that's when I knew it was an earthquake.
“It's a weird sensation, you're seeing a lot of things happen in slow motion around you… I actually went and sat down because I was feeling unsteady on my feet.”
Despite the tremors, MacGregor said people were “remarkably calm” as an alarm went off in his building telling all occupants to evacuate.
“Shortly after I left my condo area to come to a coffeeshop… all the shops here in this eastern part of Bangkok were closed, so people were lining the streets,” he said.
“We knew there was going to be an aftershock, so I've made my way to an outdoor space and there's a lot of people just sitting out here working on their laptops generally being chill.
“The Thai people are really friendly people, very chill – the last people that are going to panic in this kind of situation.”
Living in the “fairly residential” On Nut in eastern Bangkok, MacGregor said he thought the worst of the earthquake affected other areas of the city.
The US Agency for International Development will send some teams to Thailand to help with recovery efforts, a source familiar with the matter has told Reuters.
Last month, the Trump administration said it was eliminating more than 90% of the agency's foreign aid contracts and $60bn in overall US assistance around the world. All USAID direct hire personnel, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programmes, were placed on administrative leave globally.
The earthquake was felt in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said were shot by a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn't stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
Here are some more of the latest photos from the earthquake:
Myanmar's junta chief says at least 144 people have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country and also brought down a high-rise building under construction in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Min Aung Hlaing said he expected the toll to rise and he was inviting “any country, any organisation” to help with relief efforts – a rare request from the isolated junta.
The powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar at 1.20pm local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Its epicentre was about 17.2km from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
In Thailand, three people were killed when a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed. Rescuers are searching for another 81 people trapped in the rubble.
On the Myanmar side of the border, witnesses and local media said people had been killed in the city of Mandalay and the towns Toungoo and Aungban. Hundreds of casualties were taken to a hospital in the capital, Naypyidaw, with injured people being treated outside because of damage to the building.
The scale of the damage in Myanmar is yet to become clear, though social media footage emerging from central regions has shown multiple buildings collapsed or damaged.
Here is an updated map showing the impact of the earthquake:
The United Nations is mobilising in Southeast Asia to help those in need, UN secretary-general António Guterres said on Friday after a powerful earthquake centered in Myanmar rocked the region.
“The government of Myanmar has asked for international support and our team in Myanmar is already in contact in order to fully mobilise our resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar,” Guterres said.
“But of course there are other countries impacted. The epicenter is in Myanmar, and Myanmar is the weakest country in this present situation,” he added.
It has just gone 9.30pm in Mandalay, Myanmar, and 10pm in Bangkok, Thailand. Here is what we know so far after an earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude hit central Myanmar on Friday.
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, a bridge and a dam. The quake, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, struck at midday and was followed by a strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock. Tremors were also felt in China's south-west Yunnan province, according to Beijing's quake agency.
Thai authorities declared a state of emergency in Bangkok, prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday, while Bangkok city hall said on Friday that Thailand's capital had been declared a disaster area.
Eight people are confirmed to have been killed in Bangkok, the city's governor Chadchart Sittipunt has said. This includes seven people killed at the construction site of the collapsed high-rise, where rescuers are still scrambling to save dozens of construction workers feared trapped under the rubble. Police are using drones to detect body heat in the search for survivors, and rescue dogs have also been deployed, Thai media reported. Thailand's defence minister said 90 people were missing at the site of the high-rise building under construction that collapsed.
At least 144 people in Myanmar have been killed and 732 injured by a major earthquake that struck the country on Friday, state-run MRTV said on the Telegram messaging app on Friday. There have been seperate reports coming through on Friday from eyewitnesses and doctors but no official death toll has been shared at the time of writing.
The full extent of death, injury and destruction as a result of the earthquake was not immediately clear – particularly in Myanmar. It is embroiled in a civil war and information is tightly controlled. It is expected that the number of dead and injured will rise as rescue operations continue.
Bangkok's governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered the immediate establishment of an earthquake response command centre, and instructed all districts and hospitals to assess damages. Police officers have also been deployed to evacuate people from unsafe buildings and manage traffic. Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the quake.
Witnesses described evacuating swaying buildings with plaster raining down on them, while images showed damaged roads with large cracks. Video footage of a Bangkok high-rise showed water from a pool sloshing over the side of it.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for Myanmar's military junta to allow humanitarian access. Earlier in the day, the junta made a rare call for international help as it declared a state of emergency across six regions.
The Red Cross shared its concerns for the state of large scale dams. “Public infrastructure has been damaged including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them”, Marie Manrique, programme coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross said to reporters in Geneva, via video link from Yangon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is readying medical supplies and said it had triggered its emergency management system in response to Friday's “huge” earthquake in Myanmar. It added that it was mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies.
Zin Mar Aung, the top diplomat of the Myanmar's parallel national unity government, said troops from the anti-junta militias, known as the people's defence forces, would be providing humanitarian help. “It's very serious, we need humanitarian and technical assistance from the international community,” Zin Mar Aung said in a phone interview, adding communications was a major challenge, including internet restrictions imposed by the junta in a hard-hit area.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday the 27-country bloc stood ready to help after a strong, deadly earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand. France echoed the offer of support, adding that its diplomatic premises in the Thai capital had been evacuated.
UK foreign secretary David Lammy advised British nationals in Myanmar and in Thailand to follow government advice. Earlier today, the UK Foreign Office warned “there may be several strong after-shocks” after the quake.
Pope Francis offered his prayers for the victims of the powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand, the Vatican press office said. In a telegram published by the Vatican, Francis said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread devastation” caused by the earthquake.
Junta makes rare call for aid as hundreds injured by 7.7-magnitude quake, which also brought down high-rise in Thai capital
At least 144 people have died and 732 have been injured after a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar, killing at least nine more in neighbouring Thailand where a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok collapsed.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar at 12.50pm local time on Friday at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles). Its epicentre was about 11 miles (17.2km) from Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
Min Aung Hlaing, the chief of Myanmar's junta, said he expected the death toll to rise and urged “any country, any organisation” to help with relief efforts – a rare request from the isolated military government. The junta said blood was in high demand in the worst-affected areas as concerns grew about how rescuers would even reach some parts of a country already enduring a widespread humanitarian crisis.
Thai authorities said eight of the nine reported deaths happened after the high-rise building crashed to the ground in the capital. Rescuers are searching for another 81 people trapped in the rubble. Damage was also reported in China.
In Myanmar, witnesses and local media said people had been killed in the city of Mandalay and in the towns Toungoo and Aungban. Hundreds of casualties were taken to a hospital in the capital, Naypyidaw, where injured people were being treated outside because of damage to the building.
A rescue worker from Amarapura, an ancient city and now a township of Mandalay, said the bodies of 30 people had been recovered from collapsed multistorey apartment blocks.
“I have never experienced anything like this before – our town looks like a collapsed city,” he said, estimating that about a fifth of the buildings had been destroyed.
“We received calls for help from people from the inside, but we cannot help because we do not have enough manpower and machines to remove the debris, but we will not stop working.”
The scale of the damage in Myanmar is yet to become clear, though social media footage emerging from central regions has shown many buildings collapsed or damaged.
In Bangkok, authorities declared the city a disaster area, saying they needed to assess and monitor damaged areas and help people who may still be at risk. People ran out on to the streets in panic, many of them hotel guests in bathrobes and swimming costumes, as water cascaded down from an elevated pool at one luxury hotel. In the northern tourist destination of Chiang Mai, where the power briefly went out, stunned residents also hurried outside, unsure how to respond.
“I quickly rushed out of the shop along with other customers,” said Sai, 76, who was working at a minimart in Chiang Mai when the shop started to shake. “This is the strongest tremor I've experienced in my life,” Sai told Agence France-Presse.
Mohamed Riyas, the regional director of the International Rescue Committee, said the earthquake's impact was likely to be severe and could displace thousands of people, leaving them in need of food, shelter and medical aid.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake, as communication network lines are down and transport is disrupted,” he added. “The damage to infrastructure and homes, loss of life, and injuries sustained by communities affected should not be underestimated.”
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, offered his condolences and said regional networks were mobilising to help those in need.
Myanmar's junta, which has lost swathes of territory to armed groups, declared a state of emergency across the six worst-affected regions. As well as the call for international aid, state TV made a domestic appeal for medical supplies and blood donations because of what it said were “so many” injuries in three urban centres.
The quake will further stretch Myanmar's ruling military. The anti-junta militias, known as the people's defence forces, said their troops would provide humanitarian help.
Footage reportedly taken inside Mandalay airport showed people racing to safety through dusty hallways, the floor scattered with ceiling panels. The videos, published by local media, show panicked people crouching on the floor outside the airport for safety.
A witness in Mandalay, who asked not to be named, said eight people had been killed and others were feared to be trapped after a construction building in Pyigyitagon township collapsed. “The whole of Mandalay city was affected by the earthquake. The rescue teams and hospitals are now overrun. We are managing with the resources we have in the neighbourhood,” they said.
Images published by Khit Thit Media, a news agency based in Myanmar, showed piles of bricks and rubble outside a damaged mosque, also in Mandalay. At least 20 people had died there, it reported, though it was not possible to verify this figure.
At least three people were also killed after a mosque in Toungoo, in Bago region, partly collapsed, two witnesses told Reuters. “We were saying prayers when the shaking started … Three died on the spot,” said a witness. Local media reported that at least two people died and 20 were injured after a hotel collapsed in Aungban.
A spokesperson for the World Health Organization described the earthquake as “a huge event” that posed “a very, very big threat to life and health”, adding: “We've activated our logistics hub to look particularly for trauma supplies and things like external fixators, because we expect that there will be many, many injuries that need to be dealt with.”
A programme coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, Marie Manrique, in a briefing from Yangon, said: “Public infrastructure has been damaged including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them. We anticipate the impact to be quite large.”
Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military seized power in February 2021 in a coup widely opposed by the public. It has since launched brutal crackdowns on any forms of opposition, and it is dangerous for journalists to operate inside the country.
A senior UN official warned in November that 2 million people in Myanmar's Rakhine state could face starvation within months because fierce conflict and trade blockades had led to a “total economic collapse” and the imminent risk of famine.
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Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society.
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Potential US tariffs on pharmaceuticals could set off a ripple effect that extends far beyond the immediate price hikes, as both the US and Europe heavily rely on each other.
The world's holding its breath as President Donald Trump prepares his next round of market-moving decisions, after he signalled plans to impose 25% tariffs on cars and other key sectors as early as 2 April.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, Trump confirmed that pharmaceuticals are among industries in his sights, making explicit his goal of bringing drug manufacturing back to the United States.
“We're going to be doing tariffs on pharmaceuticals to bring our pharmaceuticals back,” he said.
While Trump's tariffs are designed to support domestic industries, create jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, their impact on the pharmaceutical sector could be far more complex.
Instead of benefiting US production, tariffs could drive up drug prices and create unintended consequences for both American and European pharmaceutical companies.
For the EU, the effects could be just as severe, with supply chain disruptions and possible retaliatory measures against US pharma firms operating in Europe.
One thing is certain: a trade war in the pharmaceutical sector would be costly for both sides.
Here are six things to know about what US tariffs could mean for the EU pharma sector.
A trade war in the pharmaceutical sector would mean reduced access to key American medicines for European patients, potentially leading to higher healthcare costs.
However, the US also relies heavily on European pharmaceutical imports, particularly high-value, specialised medications. Tariffs could result in increased drug prices, supply chain instability, and financial strain on healthcare providers.
In 2023, the US became the world's largest pharmaceutical importer, bringing in $170 billion (€157 billion) worth of products.
Washington sources around 80% of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China, India, and the EU. In 2024, pharmaceuticals were the top US import from the EU, including $127 billion (€117 billion) worth of semaglutide, a key component in popular weight-loss medications.
Ireland stands to be among the most affected countries if tariffs are imposed. When meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin earlier this month, Trump remarked on the extent of US pharmaceutical operations in Ireland.
“All of a sudden, Ireland has our pharmaceutical companies. This beautiful island of five million people has got the entire US pharmaceutical industry in its grasp,” he said.
In 2023, Ireland exported over €80 billion worth of pharmaceuticals to the US, making up more than 50% of the country's total exports.
Major US companies such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and AbbVie have significant manufacturing operations in Ireland. For example, Pfizer produces a large portion of its COVID-19 vaccine there.
If tariffs are introduced, US drug costs could rise while Ireland faces job losses as companies may be forced to relocate manufacturing elsewhere.
But given Ireland's heavy dependence on the pharmaceutical industry for its national GDP, the economic fallout could be severe and go much further than job losses.
Denmark's pharmaceutical sector, particularly its crown jewel Novo Nordisk, is also highly exposed to US tariffs.
The company, a global leader in diabetes and obesity treatments, generates over 50% of its sales in the US, a market with a high diabetes prevalence.
If tariffs drive up the cost of Novo Nordisk's drugs in the US, it could severely impact American patients, much as previous insulin price spikes have.
Reduced sales could also hurt Novo Nordisk's stock value and put pressure on Denmark's economy, which relies heavily on pharmaceutical exports.
The success of Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy has fueled Denmark's economic growth, contributing nearly half of its GDP increase in 2023.
Any disruption could also open the door for US competitor Eli Lilly, which is expanding into the GLP-1 weight loss drug market.
While Ireland and Denmark may be the most affected, other European pharmaceutical hubs will also feel the impact.
Belgium, home to US Pfizer's major European production facilities, exported over $73 billion in pharmaceuticals in the first 10 months of 2024, with 25% going to the US. The industry accounts for 15% of Belgium's total exports.
Germany, a key exporter of pharmaceuticals and biotech products, would also face setbacks, with major firms like Bayer, BioNTech, and Merck at risk. France, dominated by Sanofi, is a major exporter of vaccines, insulin, and prescription drugs, while Italy's strong generics and API manufacturing base could see a loss of competitiveness too.
Switzerland, though not an EU member, is deeply integrated into the European pharmaceutical industry. Companies like Roche and Novartis export high-value specialty drugs and biologics, making them vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.
If the US imposes tariffs on European pharmaceuticals, the EU may respond with countermeasures targeting American pharma companies.
The European Commission is reportedly considering options in its "well calibrated and timely response", and this could include higher export costs for major US firms such as Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson.
Retaliatory measures could affect US drugs like MSD's cancer treatment Keytruda and Eli Lilly's injectable diabetes medicine Trulicity.
Increased costs for European healthcare systems could push EU buyers toward generics from domestic producers or third-party suppliers.
Additionally, the EU could prioritise European pharmaceutical companies for large-scale government contracts, potentially sidelining American firms.
The recent Critical Medicines Act, proposed by the European Commission, suggests introducing a “Buy European” principle for essential medicines.
The introduction of US tariffs could also reignite discussions around the EU's stalled General pharmaceutical legislation (GPL) reform, which has been in limbo since its proposal in 2023.
A key provision in the GPL would cut regulatory data protection periods, a move that has already sparked industry concerns about Europe's competitiveness. Combined with new trade barriers, these changes could push pharmaceutical R&D investment elsewhere.
With GPL negotiations ongoing, the industry may use the threat of US tariffs as an opportunity to reshape the conversation, emphasising how geopolitical shifts are endangering Europe's pharmaceutical sector.
The Critical Medicines Act, another proposal just put forward by the Commission, is already preparing potential responses to strengthen EU pharmaceutical sovereignty.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra is facing a huge controversy over his parody targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In his latest "Naya Bharat" show, he has lampooned several high-profile figures including author and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty and her husband and Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy. In his 45-minute act, Kunal Kamra took swipes at Sudha Murty's "simple" lifestyle and Narayana Murthy's 70-hour workweek remarks.
Kunal Kamra talked about the types of wealthy people in the country, including those who "become rich but pretend to belong to a middle class". Sudha Murty, he said, was one of those, with her "claims to be simple".
"Among the rich people who pretend to be middle class, there is a great lady named Sudha Murty. She is the epitome of simplicity. That is her claim that she is simple. She has written 50 books on her simplicity. At any airport, you will find a book section dedicated to Ms Murty and every book's theme is that she is simple," he said.
To embellish his point, the comedian narrated a fictional story mimicking Sudha Murty. "Once, I (Sudha Murty) went to a mango seller, and he gave me eight mangoes for Rs 100. Then, one lady came in corporate attire and the mango seller gave her eight mangoes for Rs 150. I went to the mango seller and asked, 'why did you give me cheaper mango?' He told me that the lady has a modern corporate job in this international company called Infosys," he imitated.
"Now you understand why Narayana Murthy wants to work 70 hours a week? Sudha Murty would fry his brain with 'main simple hu' (I am simple). Narayan Murthy says, 'main ghar ke bahar hu' (I am out of the house)."
His remarks referenced Mr Murthy's widely-debated suggestion that employees should work 70 hours a week, which has sparked sharp reactions, discussions and memes on work-life balance.
Dwelling on Sudha Murty, Kunal Kamra continued, "For two years, she was the mother-in-law of the entire UK. How is this simplicity? She is going to Rajya Sabha, simply."
Kunal Kamra's show at The Habitat in Mumbai's Khar has triggered a massive political backlash because of his digs at Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde. On Sunday, Sena supporters vandalised the venue and issued threats to the 36-year-old comedian.
Kunal Kamra faces multiple charges, including defamation and statements conducing to public mischief. Mumbai Police has also registered a case against some Sena supporters for the vandalism.
The comedian has now approached a court for protection against arrest.
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A man in United States' Ohio who had appeared on television to raise awareness about her disappearance was arrested the next day after a police shootout over the rape and death of his 13-year-old daughter who was found dead with her hands severed and head partially decapitated.
The girl's disfigured body was found in a burned-out house in Toledo on Monday, six days after her family had reported her missing, according to local news portal WCHM, which added that police described the case as "one of the most horrific" they had encountered.
“This is an absolute animal that came into our town,” WCMH quoted Columbus Police Lt. Brian Steel.
The girl, who was just days away from her 14th birthday, was discovered on the second floor of the vacant house, with her hands severed from her body and her head almost severed.
While the girl's family pleaded for help in finding her, her father appeared on local news, claiming he had last seen his daughter on the night of March 16. He stated that she called him, saying she was scared of someone trying to break into the house. He said he drove over to her house around 12:30 am to check on her.
The girl had been living with her grandmother, who was not at home at the time, and two dogs.
The girl's mother said she last saw her daughter on March 15 when Jones dropped her off at her home after a visit. “Apparently my mother gave him permission, and honestly it was just loving on my kid. We play video games,” the girl's mother told WTVG, adding that her routine consisted of going to school, playing basketball, and returning home.
When the girl's grandmother returned home, she found the house in disarray, with the girl underclothes by the couch and her pajamas on the dining room floor, WTVG reported. The stove was on, and the girl's keys and glasses, which she needed to see, were still inside the house, her grieving grandmother recalled.
After the father of the girl provided inconsistent statements to Toledo police regarding his daughter's whereabouts and their activities, officers issued a warrant for his arrest on Sunday. When the girl's body was discovered the following day, her father, who was on the run, was charged with murder and felonious assault.
Authorities have yet to disclose a motive for the gruesome killing.
The man was located in Columbus, about two hours south of Toledo, where he was shot during a SWAT team operation. Police said Jones had a gun, though it remains unclear if he fired at officers. No officers were injured in the incident.
The was hospitalised for surgery, and a vehicle believed to be linked to the case was seized as evidence.
“You pull a gun at officers, as we've said many times, this is the outcome you could expect,” WCMH quoted Lt. Steel.
A spokesperson for Toledo Public Schools shared that the girl was set to receive a kindness award this week and had been an honor roll student at Spring Elementary.
“The students and staff at Spring Elementary are saddened by the loss of their friend and classmate, Kei'Maini Latigue,” a TPS spokesperson said.
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BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday, destroying buildings, bridges and a monastery. At least 144 people were killed in Myanmar, where photos and video from two hard-hit cities showed extensive damage. At least 10 died in the Thai capital, where a high-rise under construction collapsed.
The full extent of death, injury and destruction was not immediately clear — particularly in Myanmar, one of the world's poorest countries. It is embroiled in a civil war, and information is tightly controlled.
“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” the head of Myanmar's military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing said as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.
In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.
The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at midday, with an epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar 's second-largest city. Aftershocks followed, one of them measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude.
In Mandalay, the earthquake reportedly brought down multiple buildings, including one of the city's largest monasteries. Photos from the capital city of Naypyidaw showed rescue crews pulling victims from the rubble of multiple buildings used to house civil servants.
Myanmar's government said blood was in high demand in the hardest-hit areas. In a country where prior governments sometimes have been slow to accept foreign aid, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was ready to accept assistance. The United Nations allocated $5 million to start relief efforts.
But amid images of buckled and cracked roads and reports of a collapsed bridge and a burst dam, there were concerns about how rescuers would even reach some areas in a country already enduring a humanitarian crisis.
“We fear it may be weeks before we understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake," said Mohammed Riyas, the International Rescue Committee's Myanmar director.
Bridge and monastery collapse and dam bursts in Myanmar
Myanmar is in an active earthquake belt, though many of the temblors happen in sparsely populated areas, not cities like those affected Friday. The U.S. Geological Survey, a government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000.
Myanmar's English-language state newspaper, Global New Light of Myanmar, said five cities and towns had seen building collapses and two bridges had fallen, including one on a key highway between Mandalay. A photo on the newspaper's website showed wreckage of a sign that read “EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT," which the caption said was part of the capital's main 1,000-bed hospital.
Elsewhere, video posted online showed robed monks in a Mandalay street, shooting their own video of the multistory Ma Soe Yane monastery before it suddenly fell into the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed. Video also showed damage to the former royal palace.
Christian Aid said its partners and colleagues on the ground reported that a dam burst in the city, causing water levels to rise in the lowland areas.
Residents of Yangon, the nation's largest city, rushed out of their homes when the quake struck. In Naypyitaw, some homes stood partly crumbled, while rescuers heaved away bricks from the piles of debris. An injured man reclined on a wheeled stretcher, while another man fanned him in the heat.
In a country where many people already were struggling, “this disaster will have left people devastated,” said Julie Mehigan, who oversees Christian Aid's work in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
“Even before this heartbreaking earthquake, we know conflict and displacement has left countless people in real need,” Mehigan said.
Myanmar's military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and is now involved in a bloody civil war with long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy ones.
Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are incredibly dangerous or simply impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations.
Bangkok building collapsed in a cloud of dust
In Thailand, a 33-story building under construction crumpled into a cloud of dust near Bangkok's popular Chatuchak market, and onlookers could be seen screaming and running in a video posted on social media. Vehicles on a nearby freeway came to a stop.
Sirens blared across the Thai capital's downtown as a rescuers streamed to the wreckage. Above them, shredded steel and broken concrete blocks, some stacked like pancakes, rose in a towering heap. Injured people were rushed away on gurneys, and hospital beds were also wheeled outside onto a sidewalk.
“It's a great tragedy," Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said after viewing the site, adding that there was hope that there were still survivors.
The city's elevated rapid transit system and subway shut down.
While the area is prone to earthquakes, they are usually not so powerful and rarely are felt in the Thai capital. The greater metropolitan area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom live in high-rise apartments.
Voranoot Thirawat, a lawyer working in central Bangkok, said her first indication that something was wrong came when she saw a light swinging back and forth. Then she heard the building creaking, and she and her colleagues fled down 12 flights of stairs.
“In my lifetime, there was no earthquake like this in Bangkok,” she said.
Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, was in one of Bangkok's many malls when the quake struck.
“All of a sudden, the whole building began to move. Immediately, there was screaming and a lot of panic,” he said. Some people fled down upward-moving escalators, he said.
Nearby, Paul Vincent, a tourist visiting from England, recalled seeing a high-rise building swaying, water falling from a rooftop pool and people crying in the streets.
The U.S. Geological Survey and Germany's GFZ center for geosciences said the earthquake was a shallow 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage.
Injuries reported in China
To the northeast, the earthquake was felt in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and caused damage and injuries in the city of Ruili on the border with Myanmar, according to Chinese media reports.
Videos that one outlet said were shot by a person in Ruili showed building debris littering a street and a person being wheeled in a stretcher toward an ambulance.
The shaking in Mangshi, a Chinese city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Ruili, was so strong that people couldn't stand, one resident told The Paper, an online media outlet.
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Adam Schreck, Haruka Naga, Jerry Harmer, Grant Peck and Penny Wang in Bangkok, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Edith M. Lederer and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations and Jennifer Peltz in New York contributed to this report.
Hamas has executed individuals it deemed suspects of espionage in areas of the Gaza Strip where officials of the terror group have been targeted, sources within Hamas told Saudi-owned news outlet Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday. According to the report, the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that the terror group had carried out "revolutionary courts" for such suspects. Those “who were proven to be guilty of espionage have already been executed, while investigations are still ongoing with others,” a source reportedly said. Since the resumption of fighting on March 18, the IDF has killed 150 terrorists, including 10 top Hamas officials, in widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post learned. Among those confirmed killed in an IDF strike were Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou, Issam al-Da'alis, who has served as Hamas's political Gazan prime minister, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry and related terror forces, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas's internal security apparatus, and Hamas justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta. Advertisement Hamas terrorists in the central Gaza Strip. February 22, 2025. (credit: Ali Hassan/Flash90)Intelligence efforts during ceasefire According to the report, a source within the terror group noted the impact of the targeted killings: "At the political, military, and governmental levels, and since the escalation of attacks, more stringent security measures have been implemented."In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
According to the report, the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, noted that the terror group had carried out "revolutionary courts" for such suspects. Those “who were proven to be guilty of espionage have already been executed, while investigations are still ongoing with others,” a source reportedly said. Since the resumption of fighting on March 18, the IDF has killed 150 terrorists, including 10 top Hamas officials, in widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post learned. Among those confirmed killed in an IDF strike were Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou, Issam al-Da'alis, who has served as Hamas's political Gazan prime minister, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry and related terror forces, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas's internal security apparatus, and Hamas justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta. Advertisement Hamas terrorists in the central Gaza Strip. February 22, 2025. (credit: Ali Hassan/Flash90)Intelligence efforts during ceasefire According to the report, a source within the terror group noted the impact of the targeted killings: "At the political, military, and governmental levels, and since the escalation of attacks, more stringent security measures have been implemented."In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
Since the resumption of fighting on March 18, the IDF has killed 150 terrorists, including 10 top Hamas officials, in widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post learned. Among those confirmed killed in an IDF strike were Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou, Issam al-Da'alis, who has served as Hamas's political Gazan prime minister, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry and related terror forces, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas's internal security apparatus, and Hamas justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta. Advertisement Hamas terrorists in the central Gaza Strip. February 22, 2025. (credit: Ali Hassan/Flash90)Intelligence efforts during ceasefire According to the report, a source within the terror group noted the impact of the targeted killings: "At the political, military, and governmental levels, and since the escalation of attacks, more stringent security measures have been implemented."In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
Among those confirmed killed in an IDF strike were Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou, Issam al-Da'alis, who has served as Hamas's political Gazan prime minister, Mahmoud Abu Watfa, the director-general of Hamas's Interior Ministry and related terror forces, Bahjat Abu Sultan, operational chief of Hamas's internal security apparatus, and Hamas justice minister Ahmed Omar al-Hatta. Advertisement Hamas terrorists in the central Gaza Strip. February 22, 2025. (credit: Ali Hassan/Flash90)Intelligence efforts during ceasefire According to the report, a source within the terror group noted the impact of the targeted killings: "At the political, military, and governmental levels, and since the escalation of attacks, more stringent security measures have been implemented."In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
According to the report, a source within the terror group noted the impact of the targeted killings: "At the political, military, and governmental levels, and since the escalation of attacks, more stringent security measures have been implemented."In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
In addition, sources claimed, "Israel intensified its intelligence efforts during the ceasefire" by various technological means, such as tracking and eavesdropping on individuals. Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
Furthermore, Hamas's propaganda parades of the hostages during their release in the framework of the hostage-ceasefire deal allowed Israel to track and monitor officials, the sources added. Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
AI-generated art is taking over the internet, with social media feeds flooded with stunning, dreamlike images inspired by Studio Ghibli's signature animation style. From fantasy landscapes to characters with expressive eyes, these AI-crafted visuals beautifully capture the essence of legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's films.
This surge in Ghibli-style AI art has been driven by advancements in image generation technology, particularly OpenAI's latest update to ChatGPT. With this new feature, users can effortlessly create illustrations inspired by Studio Ghibli's iconic aesthetic - all with just a text prompt.
How To Create AI-Generated Images Using ChatGPT For Free
How Are People Creating Ghibli-Style Images?
ChatGPT's native image generator allows users to create their own AI-generated images with simple text prompts.
By uploading a photo and providing a description, users can generate their own unique artwork in seconds.
This feature is currently exclusive to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and select subscription tiers. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that the overwhelming demand for AI-generated images has delayed the rollout of this feature to free users.
How To Create Your Own AI-Generated Ghibli Art For Free
For those who don't have access to ChatGPT's image generation feature, several free alternatives can help achieve a similar effect.
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Israelis might have thought they were watching a new episode of Fantasy Island on Tuesday night, as the Channel 12 evening news broadcast hundreds upon hundreds of Gazan male protesters, who took to what's left of the streets, demanding the immediate release of Israeli hostages who are still alive in order to put an end to the war.These angry and frustrated men, yelling that they've had enough, were most likely the same ones who supported Hamas, celebrated the success of its surprise massacre on October 7, and maybe even looted kibbutz communities. But after 17 months of having to live out the effects of IDF retaliation, the reality of their folly has finally caught up with them. Feeling that life was no longer worth living under their present intolerable conditions, there was no holding back as they screamed, “Hamas, get out.” Of course, they had to know that such a massive vocal protest could result in death, but what did they have to lose?Their final act of desperation seemed to be a genuine attempt to change the trajectory of a destiny they made the mistake of outsourcing to evil men. Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 26, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
These angry and frustrated men, yelling that they've had enough, were most likely the same ones who supported Hamas, celebrated the success of its surprise massacre on October 7, and maybe even looted kibbutz communities. But after 17 months of having to live out the effects of IDF retaliation, the reality of their folly has finally caught up with them. Feeling that life was no longer worth living under their present intolerable conditions, there was no holding back as they screamed, “Hamas, get out.” Of course, they had to know that such a massive vocal protest could result in death, but what did they have to lose?Their final act of desperation seemed to be a genuine attempt to change the trajectory of a destiny they made the mistake of outsourcing to evil men. Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 26, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
But after 17 months of having to live out the effects of IDF retaliation, the reality of their folly has finally caught up with them. Feeling that life was no longer worth living under their present intolerable conditions, there was no holding back as they screamed, “Hamas, get out.” Of course, they had to know that such a massive vocal protest could result in death, but what did they have to lose?Their final act of desperation seemed to be a genuine attempt to change the trajectory of a destiny they made the mistake of outsourcing to evil men. Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 26, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Feeling that life was no longer worth living under their present intolerable conditions, there was no holding back as they screamed, “Hamas, get out.” Of course, they had to know that such a massive vocal protest could result in death, but what did they have to lose?Their final act of desperation seemed to be a genuine attempt to change the trajectory of a destiny they made the mistake of outsourcing to evil men. Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 26, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Their final act of desperation seemed to be a genuine attempt to change the trajectory of a destiny they made the mistake of outsourcing to evil men. Palestinians protest to demand an end to war, chanting anti-Hamas slogans, in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 26, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
During the conversation on air between Israeli journalist Danny Kushmaro and Ohad Chemo, Kushmaro asked Chemo, “Should we be encouraged by this?” Chemo's response was that this is the first time since October 7 that we've seen anything on a scale of this magnitude where Gazans themselves are demanding the release of Israeli hostages.The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
The fact that they are calling for the hostages to be freed and the war to end attests to the complete and utter despair they have experienced, culminating in their rage against Hamas – perhaps a bit late, but it's certainly gratifying to see how their eyes have been opened to the rightful villains who have destroyed their lives and homes. But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
But while they are fed up with everything that has happened to them, they might also want to remember the first victims of the hell on earth that was unleashed by the leaders they supported. Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Expressing true remorse and contrition for their misplaced trust and blind loyalty toward monsters who never had any intention of protecting Gazans, but rather using them as human shields, would go a long way with the type of sympathy they hope to gain.IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
IN TRUTH, Gazans hold more cards than they think. As those who have lived this nightmare for a year and a half, they are first-hand witnesses to the cruelty, corruption, and vicious lies that have been disseminated throughout social media in order to paint Hamas as heroic freedom fighters. Stay updated with the latest news! Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter Subscribe Now They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
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They know, better than all others, that Hamas was not fighting for their freedom. To the contrary, the goal was to use this population in whatever way would serve its warped agenda, and if that meant piles of dead bodies, pinning their demise on the Israeli military, then all the better.Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Children were used as convenient props, tugging at the heartstrings of a world already primed to look upon Jews negatively. Rumors of starvation, genocide, and unimaginable suffering went viral in record time, justifying the charges of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and heaping world condemnation upon the Jewish state for acting worse than the Nazis who had tried to eradicate them just 80 years ago.These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
These shocking accusations were responsible for an enormous uptick in antisemitic incidents worldwide, the campus protests and inner-city marches that took place throughout Europe, the US, and Australia, and bodily threats and social cancellation of Jews not even associated with Israel in any way. A possibility for real change Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Is it now possible that there will be an honest reckoning of what took place, who the real criminals are, what they have inflicted upon two different populations – Israelis and Gazans – and how the world has misjudged everything by viewing events through the lens of a victim/oppressor mentality?It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
It would be great to finally have justice meted out in a fair and honest way, exposing evil in its fullest measure, uncovering its sponsors and the perpetrators of murderous savage acts and barbarism.Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Don't Israelis deserve that? What about the hostage families who have lost all that was dear to them? Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Add to that the parents, wives, siblings, and children of the dead Israeli soldiers whose young lives were extinguished in the service of their country. And what about Diaspora Jews who were harassed, threatened, and derided just for having been born into an ethnicity that, overnight, became synonymous with hated members of society?Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Perhaps it's premature, and Gazans can only feel the weight of their own pain at the moment, but we can hope that their demand for the release of Israeli hostages is not solely connected to their aspiration to stop a war that has embittered their lives – that they also finally understand the immorality and evil of what was done, all toward the goal of a Jew-free Middle East.There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
There is no question that each generation, especially the newest, will require a complete re-education to stop looking at Jews as the enemy that must be destroyed. But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
But they will also have to look within, to process the hatred they have allowed to be systematically deposited into their hearts and minds for too many years – a poison that, although meant to kill us, ended up injuring their own souls as well as turning them into a displaced people who are now at the mercy of others.To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
To the extent that they can acknowledge the authors of their suffering, there is hope that they are finally on the right track – able to free themselves from cruel men who see them as pawns in a deadly game of conquest and power.Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
Wouldn't it be an amazing turn of events if their awakening ends up being responsible for the release of our remaining hostages and the end to a bitter war that at least opened their eyes, once and for all, to the real enemy in their midst?The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.
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Canada will have to “dramatically reduce” its reliance on the United States as the two countries' relationship darkens, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned on Thursday, adding that the old bilateral relationship was “over.”
After holding a cabinet meeting to discuss Canada's response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs threats, Carney told reporters in Ottawa that he foresaw the coming of a “fundamentally different relationship” between the two countries.
“The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over,” he said.
“It's clear the US is no longer a reliable partner. It is possible that with comprehensive negotiations, we could reestablish an element of confidence but there will be no going backwards,” the Canadian leader said, adding that future governments would have to grapple with the same changed dynamic.
“There's even more to do, and that's why I chose to go to France and the United Kingdom, two long-standing and reliable partners, friends and allies of Canada,” Carney said, referring to his first international trip as prime minister.
Hours before Carney spoke, Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform that Canada and the European Union would face “large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned,” if they work together to “do economic harm” to the US.
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In Ottawa, Carney said that tariffs imposed by Washington, if permanent, would require “a broad renegotiation of our security and trade relationship with the United States.”
“We will need to dramatically reduce our reliance on the United States,” Carney continued. “We will need to pivot our trade relationships elsewhere, and we will need to do things previously thought impossible at speeds we haven't seen in generations.”
Trump and Carney are expected to speak by phone in the coming days, he also said, noting that the White House had reached out regarding a call on Wednesday night. Though he has no plans to visit Washington, Carney – who became prime minister less than two weeks ago – said it is “possible” members of his cabinet may make the trip.
Carney's latest comments follow Trump's declaration on Wednesday of a 25% tariff on all cars and car parts shipped to the US. The move drew global criticism; Carney deemed it a “direct attack” that violated the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Carney on Thursday promised a strategy of “retaliatory trade actions” to be unveiled after Trump makes an expected announcement on April 2 regarding the US's next steps.
“This is a negotiation,” Carney said, declining to go into specifics. “It doesn't make sense to tip your hand and say what you're going to do going forward.”
The prime minister noted that his government understands the US tariffs strategy to be focused on five key sectors — the automotive industry, lumber, steel and aluminum, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.
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Canada's election will be an ‘elbows up' battle, but not for the reasons you may think
“We have a number of measures that we can take in response to those initiatives,” Carney continued, adding that it “doesn't make sense” to respond individually to each measure from the US.
“We're going to know a lot more in a week and we will respond then,” he said.
Carney's wait-and-see approach aligns with that of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who told reporters on Thursday morning that Mexico would also announce its own tariff plans after April 2.
“We will respond forcefully. Nothing is off the table to defend our workers and our country,” Carney said, warning Canadians that “there is no silver bullet, there is no quick fix” in a trade war.
“I reject any attempts to weaken Canada, to wear us down, to break us so that America can own us,” Carney also said.
Carney also reiterated his government's ongoing domestic policies to cushion the blow of expected US tariffs for Canadian workers and businesses.
“We are masters in our own home,” Carney said, a line he often uses in public remarks, echoing an old slogan in Québec politics.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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Exhibition aims to help visitors get inside the minds that thought mercury and roasted apples would cure lice
Medieval treatments might make you question the sanity of the doctors of the day, but a new exhibition is set to take visitors inside the minds of such medics and reveal the method behind what can seem like madness.
Curious Cures, opening on Saturday at Cambridge University Library, is the culmination of a project to digitise and catalogue more than 180 manuscripts, mostly dating from the 14th or 15th centuries, that contain recipes for medical treatments, from compendiums of cures to alchemical texts and guides to healthy living.
Among the items on display are wince-inducing surgical diagrams, illustrations such as Zodiac Man – which depicts different body parts associated with star signs – and the recipes themselves, together with translations.
What is clear is that while people from the middle ages faced many of the same ailments experienced by patients today, they tackled them rather differently.
One of the manuscripts on show, dating from the 15th century, suggests women can cure their infertility by burning weasel testicles in a pot with mouse-ear – a type of chickweed – to create pessaries that are placed in the cervix for three days.
“After these three days however, she should have intercourse with a man and she should conceive without delay,” the manuscript states.
Another recipe suggests curing lice using a mixture of mercury and roasted apples.
Yet, while some of the remedies might seem alarming to modern eyes, Dr James Freeman, the curator of the exhibition, said it was a misconception to view medieval medicine as based on blind trial and error, or total superstition.
“Medieval people thought about things,” he said. “They are intelligent, rational, curious and intensely interested in trying to understand how the body functions and what caused and what could cure disease.”
In an attempt to help visitors get inside the mind of medieval medics, the exhibition explores how people of the time thought the body worked, including the idea of the four humours that was developed by the Roman doctor Galen.
“Actually, there was a very elaborate and sophisticated system of thought within which medical practitioners operated,” said Freeman, adding that while the use of animal parts might seem strange and improbable, it needed to be seen in context.
“Medieval people were living in a world in which creation had been designed by God and all of the plants and animals placed within it for the benefit of man,” he said, adding there was also a “sympathetic” medical idea that things that correspond with parts of the human body would therefore be beneficial for them.
“Hence, I suspect, the weasel testicles being used as part of a remedy for infertility,” Freeman said.
However, Freeman noted that many of the recipes do not give a source or rationale, with some – such as the apple and mercury cure for lice – apparently based on personal experience or hearsay.
The exhibition also explores the role of astrology and even magic in medieval medicine, and sheds light on how people of the time viewed death. Among the exhibits is a brass rubbing of a plaque commissioned by the Oxford academic Sir Ralph Hamsterley, before he died in 1518, depicting his shrouded skeleton riddled with worms and requesting prayers for his soul.
The range of medical practitioners is also covered, revealing that, as well as educated physicians, members of religious orders, barbers, apothecaries and common healers treated patients, with women among those known to practise medicine.
Yet, Freeman said his work on the exhibition had yet to inspire him to try any medieval remedies himself.
“It made me glad to be alive in the 21st century, for all our current problems,” he said.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Houthi's media office said on Friday that new U.S. airstrikes struck several regions of the country including Hodeida, al Jewf and the capital, Sanaa.
This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)
In this image made from video, smoke rises after a blast in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected U.S. airstrikes pummeled sites across Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels early Friday, including neighborhoods in the capital, Sanaa.
The extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn't immediately clear, though the number of strikes appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.
An Associated Press review has found the new American operation under President Donald Trump appears more more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities.
Initial reports from the Houthis described at least seven people being hurt in the attacks Friday in Sanaa, Yemen's capital that the rebels have held since 2014. Other strikes hit around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, the rebel's stronghold of Saada and in Yemen's al-Jawf, Amran and Marib governorates.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge what at those sites had been targeted, other than Sanaa International Airport, which is used for both civilian and military traffic. Neighborhoods in the capital also are home to military and intelligence service sites — as well as crowded with civilians.
An Associated Press video showed one bomb dropping into Sanaa, with a huge plume of smoke rising into the night sky as many people were awake in the final days of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Other areas hit included mountainous terrain north of Sanaa in Amran, where military camps and other installations are believed to be. The Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news network described communication networks going down after the attacks, which included at least 19 strikes there alone.
The U.S. military's Central Command, which now has authority from the White House to strike offensively in Yemen without pre-approval, did not immediately acknowledge conducting any strikes. The command, which under Biden offered details on individual strikes, has not provided that information in this campaign.
The new campaign of airstrikes, which the Houthis say have killed at least 57 people, started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.
The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.
The attacks greatly raised the Houthis' profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen's decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world's poorest nation.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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The FBI confirmed warnings to Google Chrome, Safari, and Edge users about using fake online document converters. The agency said that hackers are using such websites to steal user data, including passwords. Last week, the bureau's Denver Field Office warned people about using ‘fake' websites on browsers to convert files like .doc, .pdf, MP3, MP4, and more.
“The FBI Denver Field Office is warning that agents are increasingly seeing a scam involving free online document converter tools, and we want to encourage victims to report instances of this scam. In this scenario, criminals use free online document converter tools to load malware onto victims' computers, leading to incidents such as ransomware,” the FBI's Denver Office said in a press release.
Read More: University of Michigan shuts DEI office, citing Trump orders and funding warning
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek added that if an individual has been affected by this scheme, ‘we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect your assets'.
However, the FBI did not mention specific websites to avoid. Cue threat hunter Will Thomas posted some example URLs on X, and Malwarebytes published ‘some recent examples of domains involved in this type of scam'.
Read More: Elon Musk mulls turning Trump government into an ‘Apple store-like experience'
Imageconvertors[.]com (phishing)
convertitoremp3[.]it (Riskware)
convertisseurs-pdf[.]com (Riskware)
convertscloud[.]com (Phishing)
convertix-api[.]xyz (Trojan)
convertallfiles[.]com (Adware)
freejpgtopdfconverter[.]com (Riskware)
primeconvertapp[.]com (Riskware)
9convert[.]com (Riskware)
Convertpro[.]org (Riskware).”
Take a breath, slow down and think. Be aware of your actions online and what risks you could be exposed to.
Keep your virus scan software up to date and scan any file you receive before opening it to help eliminate malicious software from being installed on your computer.
Contact your financial institutions immediately. Take steps to protect your identity and your accounts.
Change all your passwords using a clean, trusted device.
Make a report at IC3.gov
In a significant breakthrough, the Hyderabad Cybercrime Police have arrested three individuals from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, for their involvement in a digital arrest fraud case, according to a press statement by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Crimes.
The accused have been identified as Thota Srinivasa Rao (59), Lam Jeevankumar (38), and Tammishetty Raghuveer (40). These accused were involved in a sophisticated scam that targeted victims across India.
According to the police, a resident from Hyderabad, Veeraboina Sai Raj was duped by these cyber fraudsters who convinced him to transfer Rs 3,57,998 to their bank accounts. The accused had contacted Raj, claiming to be a Head Constable from Mumbai, and informed him that a case had been registered against him. Raj was then instructed to transfer the money to the accused's account for verification purposes.
The fraudsters assured Mr Raj that the amount would be refunded to his account within 24 hours, and would also be provided with a Police Clearance Certificate. As a result, he ultimately lost the transferred amount of Rs. 3,57,998. The complainant further stated that the group of telecallers, with the help of several bank accounts, as per their well-orchestrated plan, impersonated themselves as bank officials and cheated him to the tune an amount of Rs. 3,57,998.
According to the release, the accused were involved in several fraud cases, impersonating as government officials, including police officers, and threatening victims with false cases and arrests. The victims were then coerced into transferring large sums of money to the accused's bank accounts. Their involvement is in 13 such cases across the country.
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have also seized several items from the accused, including several mobile phones, cheque books, bank passbooks, debit and credit cards, PAN cards, and receipt books.
The police have advised citizens to be cautious when receiving calls from unknown numbers, especially those claiming to be government officials. They have also urged victims of similar scams to come forward and report the incidents to the authorities.
Earlier on March 27, the Hyderabad Police's Cyber Crime Unit successfully refunded Rs 9,50,531 to a businessman, who fell victim to an online business fraud.
According to the police, a 32-year-old businessman from Hyderabad was duped by cyber fraudsters who convinced him to transfer Rs 9,50,531 to their bank accounts under the pretext of a business deal. Acting swiftly, the Cyber Crime Unit registered a case under Cr. No. 3083/2024, U/Sec 66(C), 66(D) of the IT Act, and U/Sec 111(2)(b), 318(4), 319(2) of the BNS, and launched an investigation.
Inspector K Prasada Rao, along with SI Abhishek, HC Satish, and PCs Srinivas Reddy and Kranthi Kumar Reddy, traced and apprehended the accused in Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi. The entire defrauded amount was successfully recovered and returned to the victim through a demand draft.
There is some public advisory, as per the statement, cyber fraudsters are targeting business owners by falsely promising lucrative business orders for their products. Victims are lured into paying registration fees, process charges, issuance of ISO certificates, developing business websites under the pretence of high market demand. Once payments are made, fraudsters cut off all communication, leaving victims defrauded.
"Verify authenticity before making any payment, and thoroughly research the company or individuals offering business deals," the statement cautioned, adding to check official sources and confirm business opportunities through trusted government and industry platforms. "Beware of upfront payments and legitimate business deals rarely require large prepayments for registration or order processing," it said.
"Sanitise emails and calls and be cautious of unsolicited calls, emails, and messages claiming unrealistic business offers. Use payment methods to avoid making payments to unknown individuals or accounts; prefer escrow services for transactions," it went on.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Adults regularly doomscrolling the phone before bed might be losing nearly an hour of sleep each week and damaging their brains, a new study has highlighted. Published in the journal JAMA Network on Thursday (Mar 27), researchers from the American Cancer Society found that daily screen use may disrupt the body's circadian rhythm and lead to about 50 minutes of less sleep each week.
More than 122,000 participants were analysed in the study, conducted between February 2023 and January 2025. Daily bedtime phone use was reported in 41 per cent of the participants while 17.4 per cent reported no screen use.
Compared to participants with no screen use, the daily screen use period to bed was associated with a 33 per cent higher prevalence of poor sleep quality.
"Daily screen use was associated with later bedtimes and approximately 50 minutes less sleep each week. Associations were greater among those with evening chronotypes, who are at risk for poor sleep due to social jetlag (ie, misalignment between circadian rhythms and social commitments)" the study highlighted.
It added that light exposure through the phone or other digital screens disrupted the natural sleep cycle by delaying the onset of melatonin which is a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles.
While high-quality sleep is essential for good health, the average sleep duration and quality have declined in the last few decades, with one-third of adults not meeting the recommended guidelines of seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
"Our findings strengthen the evidence that electronic screen use and disruptions to sleep duration and quality are not limited to children and adolescents but to the broader adult population as well."
Also Read | Woman Sues Over Rs 16.6 Crore 'Versace' Flat Missing A Bathtub
The study also pointed out that the disruption in sleep might not limited to the effects of screen light. In fact, the type of content consumed by people could also be disrupting their sleep cycle.
They said that social media was one of the major sources of content being consumed on mobile devices but "only a handful of studies have looked at social media use at bedtime".
"Among adolescents, those who checked social media 30 minutes before bed were 1.62 times more likely to report sleep disturbance," the researchers stated.
Sleep deprivation has a serious impact on a person's overall health as it affects the brain areas responsible for executive functions, memory and regions involved in attention and emotional regulation. in the long run, it can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and weaken the immune system.
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Amid the smoke, water cannons, and chaos of Turkey's mass protests, a flash of yellow darted through the streets of Antalya. It wasn't a protest banner or a flare - it was Pikachu.
A protester - dressed in a full-body costume of the Pokemon - was seen sprinting through the streets on Thursday, dodging riot police as clashes erupted over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Videos of the costumed figure fleeing alongside demonstrators has gone viral on social media.
???????? #BREAKING | Pikachu was spotted fleeing from the police during anti-Erdoğan protests in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/NhTgV7FqHe
Türkiye!????????????pic.twitter.com/NAcRYo8LvL
An X user commented, "I'm not too familiar with Turkish politics but I'm on whatever side Pikachu is on."
I'm not too familiar with Turkish politics but im on whatever side Pikachu is on.
Another wrote, "He looks happy."
He looks happy.. pic.twitter.com/6tvoWt3fyE
"I had no idea Pikachu could run so fast," a comment read.
I had no idea Pikachu could run so fast.????
Why Turkey Is Protesting
Thousands protested after authorities jailed Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on corruption charges. His supporters say the arrest is politically motivated and accuse the government of using the judiciary to eliminate opposition ahead of the 2028 elections.
The government claims the courts act independently, but critics argue the case relies on weak evidence and anonymous testimonies, reported Associated Press.
As demonstrations spread across Turkey, security forces in Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya cracked down. Riot police fired water cannons, pepper spray, and plastic pellets to break up crowds. Students at Middle East Technical University tried to make a public statement but faced tear gas and baton charges.
Late Thursday, Mr Imamoglu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was detained under undisclosed charges. The mayor posted a furious response on X, calling it a "legal coup."
"The evil that a handful of incompetent people are inflicting on our country is growing. Release my lawyer immediately," Mr Imamoglu wrote.
Yasakçı akılda ne yalan biter ne de iftira. Bu sefer de uyduruk gerekçelerle avukatım Mehmet Pehlivan gözaltına alındı. Demokrasi darbesi yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi bu darbenin mağdurlarının kendilerini savunmasına da tahammül edemiyorlar. Demokrasi darbesine hukuk darbesini de…
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that nearly 1,900 protesters had been detained, with over 260 jailed pending trial, as per Reuters.
Rights groups accused the police of using excessive force and urged the government to allow peaceful protests. Western leaders called the crackdown a sign of democratic decline.
When asked about the timing of Mr Imamoglu's arrest - just days before he was expected to be named the CHP's presidential candidate for 2028 - Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the judiciary only acts on criminal reports. He insisted that being an elected official does not grant immunity.
A day before his arrest, a university revoked Mr Imamoglu's diploma, a requirement for presidential candidates.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
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A London-based accountant, Mi Suk Park, sued the developers of a ₹16.6 crore (£1.5 million) Versace-designed apartment, claiming the property did not meet the luxury standards she was promised. According to The Telegraph, Park paid a ₹4.2 crore (£381,000) deposit for a two-bedroom apartment and a parking space in the 50-storey Aykon London One tower in Nine Elms, which was developed in collaboration with the fashion house Versace.
Park, who intended to use the flat as her main home until retirement, had sold her previous residence in 2019 to fund the purchase. The apartment was originally scheduled for completion in 2020, but construction delays pushed the handover to 2022. Upon moving in, she discovered that one bedroom was smaller than expected, and one of the two bathrooms was missing a bathtub—a key feature she believed was included in the design.
Taking the matter to Central London County Court, she filed a lawsuit seeking ₹7.7 crore (£700,000) in damages. According to her lawyer, Nazar Mohammad, the flat was “materially and manifestly different” from the layout she had been shown before making the deposit.
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“The apartment was an ‘off-plan' purchase on the 29th floor facing west and was meant to have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a bathtub in each,” said Mohammad. “It was to be an open-plan layout. The defendant provided a plan appended to the sales and purchase agreement, and she signed the same plan.”
The developers, a Jersey-based entity owned by a Dubai parent company, have countered the lawsuit, accusing Park of failing to complete the purchase.
Also read: White House joins ChatGPT's Ghibli frenzy with meme of convicted drug dealer nabbed by ICE
Rupert Cohen, representing the developers, argued that the brochure only displayed example apartments, pointing out that “at the top of each page, it says ‘typical layout'.”
“Park refused to complete and instead, purported to rescind the contract by letter dated 14 October 2022. Subsequently, the defendant served notice to complete on 22 November 2022 and, following the claimant's failure to complete, a notice of termination on January 9, 2023. Park issued these proceedings on 21 April 2023,” he stated.
The case remains ongoing as both parties battle over the dispute in court.
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NUUK, Greenland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Friday that Denmark has "underinvested" in Greenland's security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump continues to talk of taking over the Danish territory.
The pointed remarks came as Vance visited U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base on the mineral-rich, strategically critical island.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Vance said the U.S. has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.
“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said. “We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they'd fare a lot better economically as well.”
Vance was joined by his wife and other senior U.S. officials for the visit to the American military base in a trip that was scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were irked that the original itinerary was planned without consulting them.
Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed U.S. troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that the Republican administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is very interested in “Arctic security.” He and his entourage, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, then received briefings from military officials.
The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the U.S. and the Nordic country, a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member, have soured. Trump had repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the island.
During his remarks at the end of the brief visit, Vance underscored that he did not think military force was ever going to be necessary as he pressed the idea of a dramatically enhanced American position on the island.
“Because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think we're going to have to cut a deal, Donald Trump style, to ensure the security of this territory but also the United States of America,” Vance said.
In Washington, Trump on Friday said the U.S. “needs Greenland for international security.”
Trump, speaking to reporters soon after Vance's arrival, alluded to the rising Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.
“Greenland's very important for the peace of the world,” Trump said. “And I think Denmark understands, and I think the European Union understands it. And if they don't, we're going to have to explain it to them.”
Vance hasn't shied away from impolitic exchanges with global leaders during the early going of Trump's second White House term, in which the Republican leader has vowed dramatically shake up America's approach on the world stage.
In his first overseas trip last month, Vance used a visit to an artificial intelligence summit in Paris to deliver an unmistakable message: The United States has room for you on the Trump train — but it also has no problem leaving you behind.
Days later at the Munich Security Conference, Vance lectured European officials on free speech and illegal migration on the continent.
Late last month, he laid into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being insufficiently grateful to the U.S. for its assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. That disastrous Oval Office meeting led to Trump briefly cutting off military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Friday's one-day visit to the U.S. Space Force outpost at Pituffik, on the northwest coast of Greenland, removed the risk of potentially violating diplomatic custom by sending a delegation to another country without an official invitation. It also reduced the likelihood that Vance and his wife would cross paths with residents angered by Trump's announcements.
It was minus-3 degrees F (minus-19 degrees C) when the delegation landed to sunny skies at the remote base 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle. “It's cold as s—- here. Nobody told me,” Vance said, prompting laughs.
Ahead of Vance's arrival, four of the five parties elected to Greenland's parliament earlier this month signed an agreement to form a new, broad-based coalition government. The parties banded together in the face of Trump's designs on the territory.
“It is a time when we as a population are under pressure,” the prime minister-designate, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said before the accord was signed to applause and cheers in the capital, Nuuk.
He added that “we must stick together. Together we are strongest,” Greenland broadcaster KNR reported.
In a post on Instagram, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen congratulated Nielsen and his incoming government, and said, “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time.”
Frederiksen said Tuesday that the U.S. visit, which was originally set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure." She has said Denmark wants to work with the U.S. on defense and security, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
Initially, Vance's wife, Usha Vance, had announced a solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut. The vice president subsequently said he would join her on that trip, only to change that itinerary again — after protests from Greenland and Denmark — to a one-day visit to the military post only.
Inhabitants of Nuuk, which is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Pituffik, voiced concern about Vance's visit and the U.S. interest in their island.
Cora Høy, 22, said Vance was “welcome if he wants to see it but of course Greenland is not for sale.” She added that “it's not normal around here” with all the attention Greenland is getting. "I feel now every day is about (Trump) and I just want to get away from it.”
“It's all a bit crazy. Of course the population here is a bit shook up,” said 30-year-old Inuk Kristensen. "My opinion is the same as everyone's: Of course you don't do things this way. You don't just come here and say that you want to buy the place.”
As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.
“We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic, because we know that if America doesn't, other nations will fill the gap where we fall behind,” Vance said.
___
Grieshaber reported from Berlin and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.
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Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney, said on Thursday that the era of traditional relationship with the United States based on economic integration and military cooperation is “over”, even as he suggested impending talks with President Donald Trump over a raging tariff war.
“The old relationship we had with the United States, based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation, is over. What exactly the United States does next is unclear. But what is clear is that we as Canadians have agency, we have power. We are masters in our own home,” Carney said after an urgent meeting with a cabinet committee on Canada-US relations.
ALSO READ | Donald Trump threatens Canada, EU with more tariffs if ‘they harm US economically'
Trump and Carney have not spoken since the new Canadian prime minister assumed office on March 14. The Liberal Party leader said he expects to hold a conversation with the US president in the “next day or two” but did not indicate an improvement in bilateral relations.
Carney said it is clear that the US is no longer a reliable partner.
“It is possible that with comprehensive negotiations, we will be able to restore some trust, but there will be no turning back. The next government and all that follow will have a fundamentally different relationship with the United States,” he added.
ALSO READ | 'Direct attack': Canada PM Mark Carney on Trump's auto tariffs
Canada has retaliated with tariffs on US imports worth $41.9 billion in response to Trump's tariffs on Ottawa's exports, including steel and aluminium. Carney's government has also vowed to impose more tariffs on roughly $66 billion worth of American imports in response to Trump's latest 25 per cent tariffs on automobiles with non-domestic components.
Carney opted to wait and watch Trump's trade actions before announcing precise details of retaliatory actions. “We won't back down. We will respond forcefully. Nothing is off the table to defend our workers and our country,” he said.
ALSO READ | India may have influenced Conservative Party of Canada leadership race
The prime minister has called for an election on April 28 to seek a stronger mandate from Canadians in responding to threats from Trump, who has repeatedly urged the neighbouring country to become a “51st US state.” Opinion polls have put him in a tight contest with Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party, while the Liberal Party has bettered its perception since Trudeau's resignation.
China wants to protect against the volatility of Trump's tariffs, and now has more than a dozen free trade agreements with global south countries
Chinese vice-premier Ding Xuexiang has pledged to give stronger policy support to the Chinese economy as he delivered the keynote speech at a forum focused on bolstering the country's role in Asia and ties with the global south.
With the tariffs on Chinese goods mounting, China is trying to find a foundation for growth that does not rely on an increasingly capricious United States. At the Boao Forum for Asia, a conference in south China's Hainan province, Chinese officials and academics stressed the need for partnerships with global south countries. Despite its rapid economic growth in the past three decades, China still identifies as being part of this group.
Ding, China's sixth-ranking official, said on Thursday that policies would be implemented this year to “stabilise foreign trade and investment”.
At the Boao Forum, an annual business and political summit, the line-up of speakers reflected China's diplomatic pivot towards low- and middle-income countries. The only head of state to participate was the Laos prime minister, Sonexay Siphandone, while the deputy prime ministers of Russia and Kazakhstan also attended. One panel featured a senior Iranian official who was reportedly involved in talks for Iran to acquire ammonium perchlorate, an explosive agent used in missiles, from China. The official told the Guardian he did not remember the reports and had not been involved in the negotiations.
“The US is never on the side of the global south,” said Aravind Yelery, an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, on one panel, adding that countries like India should look “within the global south” for economic support. Yelery's comments came as the Indian government is said to be in discussions about relaxing restrictions on Chinese trade and investment, which were put in place five years ago after clashes at the India-China border.
A major theme at Boao was how Asian economies could improve their resilience against US tariffs. Ding said that countries should “resolutely oppose trade and investment protectionism”, a reference to the US levies.
Zhang Yuyan, an economist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, warned that the “major turbulence” of US policies would affect Asian economic outlooks, although he, along with a group of other researchers, nonetheless predicted Asia's GDP growth would be 4.5% in 2025, a slight increase on 2024's growth figures, in a report released on Tuesday.
Huang Yiping, an economist from Peking University and an influential adviser to the People's Bank of China, stressed the importance of countries co-operating without the US. “Barriers for trade are rising very quickly,” he said, warning that US-led globalisation could go into reverse.
The comments come a few months after Xi Jinping, China's leader, unveiled a raft of measures to support global south countries at the G20 summit in Brazil last year.
China now has more than a dozen free trade agreements with global south countries, and the share of its exports bound for the US is shrinking, down to around 13% in 2023. But experts have noted that rising exports to South-east Asian countries may just represent companies shipping goods to the US via third countries to avoid tariffs. “A significant part of China's trade with the global south is derivative of US demand,” said Brad Sester, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in an interview earlier this year.
But for all the talk of deepening trade – and political – relations with global south countries, many economists believe that the real answer to tariff-proofing China's economy lies in domestic demand. Policymakers expect exports to contribute little to China's growth this year, meaning that they will have to turn to other levers to reach the 5% GDP growth target. As well as stabilising foreign investment, Ding said China would find ways to “comprehensively” expand domestic demand. Several provinces have been told to focus on boosting consumption rather than investment, although the mechanisms for doing this remain unclear, as many ordinary Chinese people still choose to save a higher share of their incomes than global averages.
Huang, the Peking University economist, addressed this explicitly at Boao. “The priority for China is to boost domestic demand,” he told the forum, with another economist arguing that China should take steps to boost consumption's share of GDP to 70% by 2035.
The body of a 13-year-old Ohio girl, who went missing roughly a week ago, was found inside an abandoned home, The New York Post reported. The police shot at and arrested her father on suspicion of raping and murdering her. The arrest came a day after he appeared on TV to raise awareness about her disappearance.
The girl, Keimani Latigue, was found dead in a burned-out, abandoned building a few days before her 14th birthday. The Columbus Police Department lieutenant, Brian Steel, said the victim was murdered, raped, had her hands and throat almost cut off.
Mr Steel said, "This case is one of the most horrific cases I've ever heard."
Ms Latigue's father, Darnell Jones, went on local news and talked about the last time he saw his daughter. He claimed that Ms Latigue, who used to stay with his grandmother but was home alone that night, called him on March 16, saying she was scared because it seemed like someone was trying to break into the house.
Police were suspicious after he gave different and conflicting statements about Ms Latigue's whereabouts and what they did together. According to the charge documents, the police then issued an arrest warrant against the 33-year-old on Sunday.
He was arrested in Columbus, about two hours south of Toledo. He was in possession of a gun at the time of his arrest.
The victim's mother, Tiara Kasten, said she saw her daughter on March 15 when Jones brought her to the house.
Upon reaching home, the teen's grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, found her home messy. She said she found Ms Latigue's underclothes near the couch and her pyjamas on the dining room floor.
An autopsy report confirmed that Ms Latigue died of multiple "incised wounds of the neck." Mr Steel said, "This is an absolute animal that came into our town."
A Toledo Public Schools spokesperson said that Ms Keimani had been on the honour list at her elementary school and was scheduled to receive a kindness award this week.
Defence secretary's Philippines visit, aimed at bolstering ties in Asia-Pacific, comes amid rising tensions with Beijing and calls for his resignation
The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, has met with the Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos, in Manila saying the two countries must stand “shoulder to shoulder” in the face of the threat represented by China.
Hegseth's meeting at the presidential palace comes as he opens a tour of Pacific allies that risks being overshadowed by a mounting scandal over leaked plans for military strikes.
“Deterrence is necessary around the world but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the Communist Chinese,” he said.
Hegseth said the US was intensifying the partnership with the deployment of advanced capabilities and taking steps to “re-establish” a deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region. The nature of those capabilities was not immediately clear. The US, he said, would also conduct bilateral special operations forces training in Batanes, near Taiwan.
The defence secretary's Manila visit, to be followed by trips to Tokyo and second world war battleground Iwo Jima, follows months of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost the entirety of the crucial waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.
“Friends need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deter conflict to ensure that there's free navigation, whether you call it the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea,” Hegseth said.
“Peace through strength is a very real thing.”
The trip – aimed at bolstering ties in the Asia-Pacific region amid rising tensions with Beijing – comes as Hegseth faces calls to resign by Democratic lawmakers and a Republican congressman's push for an independent report.
The US defence chief revealed details of strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in a group of top administration officials on the messaging platform Signal, according to a senior journalist added to the chat by accident.
Hegseth is expected to meet his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, on Friday.
In response to China's growing influence, the US has been strengthening alliances with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines.
Manila and Washington have deepened their defence cooperation since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing's sweeping South China Sea claims.
In recent years, top US officials have warned that an “armed attack” against the Philippines in the waterway would invoke the two countries' mutual defence treaty. They have expanded the sharing of military intelligence and boosted to nine the number of bases US troops have access to on the archipelago.
Given the Philippines' proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, Manila's cooperation would be crucial in the event of a conflict with China.
Hegseth's visit overlaps with bilateral military exercises that will expand in April to include the countries' navies and air forces.
Despite mounting pressure over the Signal leak, Donald Trump has defended Hegseth. “Hegseth is doing a great job, he had nothing to do with this,” said the US president when asked by AFP whether the defence secretary should be considering his position.
He also repeated his insistence that no classified information was shared in the breach, adding that national security adviser Mike Waltz “took responsibility” for the error.
Waltz added Goldberg to the group chat that included Hegseth, the vice-president, JD Vance, the national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, and others.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was delivering a speech at Kellogg College.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was confronted by left-wing student protesters during her maiden speech at the Kellogg College, Oxford University in London on Thursday. A group of students - belonging to the UK unit of the CPI(M)'s Students' Federation of India (SFI), showed up with placards during her speech. They raised questions over violence during the 2023 panchayat elections, the rape of a minor girl allegedly by the son of a Trinamool Congress leader, and Ms Banerjee's 2012 statement on why rapes happen - men and women interact more freely now, like an open market.
SFI-UK held a demonstration in Kellogg College, Oxford against Mamata Banerjee's speech. We opposed her blatant lies by asking her for evidence of the social development she claims to pioneer. Instead of allowing us to peacefully express our opinions, the police were called. pic.twitter.com/pj0WRpvZUa
Instead of being bogged down by the protesters, she welcomed them and responded to their allegations: "You are welcoming me, thank you. I will feed you sweets."
When students began questioning the Chief Minister over RG Kar rape case, she said, "Please raise your voice. It is a democracy. Please raise your voice. I'll listen. I will listen carefully."
SFI-UK held a demonstration in Kellogg College, Oxford against Mamata Banerjee's speech. We opposed her blatant lies by asking her for evidence of the social development she claims to pioneer. Instead of allowing us to peacefully express our opinions, the police were called. pic.twitter.com/pj0WRpvZUa
Sharing the case status, Ms Banerjee said the central government has taken over the investigation and the state government has no role to play. She further urged student protesters not to indulge in politics.
"You know the case is sub-judice and the central government has taken over. It is not with us. Please don't do politics here. It is not a political state. That (politics) you can do with me in my state. Not here," she said.
One of the student protestors alleged that the Trinamool leader threatened to break their fingers. "You are lying," Ms Banerjee shot back.
Addressing the protester as "brother", Ms Banerjee said, "Don't do it. I have a special affection for you. We love all of you. Don't try to make it into a political platform. If you want to make it a political platform, go to Bengal and tell your party to be stronger, to fight against the communal people. Don't fight with me."
The Chief Minister also held up a black and white photograph from 1990 that showed her injured and wrapped in bandages from an alleged murderous assault on her by Lalu Alam, a CPI(M) youth wing worker. In 2019, Lalu Alam walked free due to a lack of evidence.
Accusing people of attempting to kill her, Ms Banerjee said, "I was about to die. These are your atrocities."
The Chief Minister said this isn't "drama" and insisted protestors not to misbehave. "Instead of insulting me, you are insulting your institution. Don't disrespect your institution. You can disrespect me, but you cannot disrespect your institution."
Ms Banerjee alleged that this is the "habit" of the left to create chaos wherever she goes. "The same thing can be repeated when your leaders visit," she warned.
She also said that she believes in unity. "I am for Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai. I am for all. I am for unity. You people are not."
The Chief Minister added, "You encourage me. Didi will come every time. Didi does not bother anybody. Didi walks like a Royal Bengal Tiger. If you can catch me, catch me!"
চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য, উচ্চ যেথা শিরShe doesn't flinch. She doesn't falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Smt. @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!#DidiAtOxford pic.twitter.com/uqrck6sjFd
Sharing the clipping on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Trinamool wrote: "She doesn't flinch. She doesn't falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Smt. @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!"
BJP Calls Mamata Banerjee 'A Disgrace To Bengal'
BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a couple of posters that were held up to Mamata Banerjee during her address at Oxford. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Malviya said, "She is a disgrace to West Bengal. The Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as the Chief Minister for destroying Bengal's legacy and putting them through such ignominy."
Just a few posters that were held up to Mamata Banerjee…She is a disgrace to West Bengal. The Hindu Bengali diaspora wants her out as the Chief Minister for destroying Bengal's legacy and putting them through such ignominy. pic.twitter.com/XIisrZOfFL
BJP leader Sanjay Jaiswal called Ms Banerjee "anti-Indian" and alleged she went abroad with an "anti-India agenda."
"Just like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee also went abroad with an anti-India agenda... politics of people like Mamata Banerjee is on how to let Bangladeshis enter Bengal and the country, how to give them Aadhar cards...She has shown there that she is anti-Indian," Mr Jaiswal told news agency ANI.
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The Trump administration is considering blocking foreign students from certain colleges if it determines that those students hold “pro-Hamas” views, Axios reported, citing senior officials from the Justice and State Department.
The move, which could include grand jury subpoenas, is part of Trump's tough stance on immigration and antisemitism, with critics saying it limits campus free speech and has led to lawsuits, the report added.
The plan to prevent colleges from enrolling student visa-holders reportedly stems from Secretary of State Marco Rubio's “catch and revoke” programme, which is now focusing on students who protested the Gaza war, the Axios report said.
Quoting a senior State Department official, the report mentioned that the demonstrators being targeted were referred to as “Hamasniks,” individuals the government claims have shown support for the terror group.
According to an official quoted in the report, more than 300 foreign students have had their student visas revoked in the three weeks since the “catch and revoke” operation began.
“Nationwide, there are 1.5 million student visa-holders. Everyone is fair game,” the official has been quoted as saying.
At the core of the plan is the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which certifies schools to accept student visa-holders. Institutions have been decertified in the past if the government determines they have too many student visa-holders using the education system as a cover to live and work in the US, officials say.
The Trump administration is now allegedly threatening to apply this decertification framework to the post-October 7 demonstrations on college campuses.
“Every institution that has foreign students ... will go through some sort of review,” the official said, adding, “You can have so many bad apples in one place that it leads to decertification of the school ... I don't think we're at that point yet. But it is not an empty threat.”
Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), both of which witnessed controversial pro-Palestinian protests last year, are frequently mentioned by administration officials.
Critics argue that the administration is infringing on free speech and due process rights, accusing it of wrongly equating support for Palestinian rights with backing Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.
The Axios report also mentions that the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonpartisan group advocating for free speech, called the idea of decertifying entire universities over alleged "pro-Hamas" views a concerning escalation.
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Secretary Pete Hegseth is coming under enormous fire after new photos from a Pearl Harbor military training exercise surfaced showing a tattoo on his arm. Written in Arabic, the word tattoo reads “kafir”, meaning ‘disbeliever' or anyone that rejects true belief, according to Islamic Scholar Abdullah Al Andalusi.
Critics say that its placement next to another tattoo that reads, “Deus Vult” — a Latin slogan which traditionally accompanied the first Crusade — sends a message of hostility toward Muslims. It is a phrase that dates back to medieval Christian rallying cries to mobilise forces in religious wars that was later seen used by far-right extremist groups.
Interestingly, in a November interview with podcaster and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, he claimed he was removed from a National Guard deployment during then President Joe Biden's inauguration due to concerns over “extremist” tattoos. He defended his ink, particularly his Jerusalem Cross tattoo, as a symbol of his Christian faith.
ALSO READ| Pete Hegseth orders suspension of Pentagon's offensive cyberoperations against Russia
Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, condemned the tattoo, stating, “It appears Islam lives so rent-free in Pete Hegseth's head that he feels the need to stamp himself with tattoos declaring his opposition to Islam alongside a tattoo declaring his affinity for the failed Crusaders, who committed genocidal acts of violence against Jews, Muslims and even fellow Christians centuries ago.”
Notably, this comes amid reports surfaced that Hegseth and other high-ranking government officials allegedly discussed sensitive U.S. military attack plans using a publicly accessible messaging app. They inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in the conversation. When asked about the leak, Hegseth denied that any classified information was shared, called Goldberg “deceitful,” and refused to comment further while speaking to reporters in Hawaii.
Plus, past allegations like in December, The New Yorker reported that he was allegedly heard chanting “Kill All Muslims! Kill All Muslims!” at an Ohio bar in 2015 while working for Concerned Veterans for America. His lawyer has denied these claims.
ALSO READ| Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard's private data leaked online, including phone numbers and passwords
Associated Press reported that in 2021, 12 National Guard members were removed from Biden's swearing-in ceremony due to concerns about links to extremist groups.
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ChatGPT's latest ability to generate Ghibli-style anime images has triggered a flood of online memes while also raising questions on copyright. OpenAI, the company which owns the AI chatbot, is facing a barrage of lawsuits over copyright violations from news publishers, artists and musicians.
Ghibli-style anime refers to the animation style and storytelling approach associated with Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation studio founded by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.
The studio created classic animated films like "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Princess Mononoke." Some of the unique features of this hand drawn art is soft and expressive characters with emotive eyes with vibrant colour palettes.
ALSO READ | Timelines go Ghibli-crazy as latest OpenAI tool sets Miyazaki vision loose on the world
The latest version capable of generating Ghibli-style anime is powered by GPT-4o, the company's highest-performing model. It allows users to generate sophisticated results by entering precise prompts, which was not the case before. This feature will be limited to paid users for now while free users can continue to avail the chatbot's usual image generation capabilities.
This Ghibli-style feature was intended to be released for free, but the unexpected success of the model prompted OpenAI to limit this to its paid users. CEO Sam Altman also changed his profile picture on X to catch up with the trend.
Social media has been flooded with Ghibli-style AI generated images of legendary memes, politicians and Hollywood movies. Some of the viral ones are Ghibli versions of Elon Musk with US President Donald Trump, “The Lord of the Rings,” and a recreation of 9/11 terror attack on the twin towers in the US.
The White House also shared, on X, a similar AI generated image of a felon, a person who has been convicted of a serious crime, being handcuffed by a US immigration officer.
ALSO READ | Devendra Fadnavis posts Ghibli-style animated avatar on X: ‘Tech keeps surprising'
OpenAI respondsWhen asked by news agency AFP on whether its latest image generation capability threatened Studio Ghibli's intellectual property, OpenAI said it was still fine-tuning its model and intends to give users as much creative freedom as possible. A company spokesperson said, “We continue to prevent generations in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles, which people have used to generate and share some truly delightful and inspired original fan creations.” “We're always learning from real-world use and feedback, and we'll keep refining our policies as we go,” she added. ALSO READ | Open AI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's death ruled as suicide: Mother says FBI must investigate Hayao Miyazaki's old video resurfacesSocial media users were also quick to post a 2016 video in which the studio's legendary director Hayao Miyazaki lashing out at AI during a demonstration by the studio's staff. An English translation of his remark reads, “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.” AFP also quoted artist and illustrator Jayd "Chira" Ait-Kaci's post on Bluesky social media platform. The trend “is especially insidious and malicious because of how outspokenly scathing Miyazaki has been toward the tech. It's always about contempt for artists, every time.” he said. OpenAI is aggressively lobbying the White House and US Congress to make the use of copyrighted content by AI companies a part of the fair use doctrine. Fair use regulations already apply to search engines, satire and memes online. This allows companies to freely use copyrighted material without permission. OpenAI's GPUs are meltingAltman also said the company had put in “a lot of thought into the initial examples” before introducing any technology. He also said ChatGPT's GPUs are “melting” due to heavy demand to generate Ghibli-style images and hence “some rate limits” will be introduced for raising requests.
When asked by news agency AFP on whether its latest image generation capability threatened Studio Ghibli's intellectual property, OpenAI said it was still fine-tuning its model and intends to give users as much creative freedom as possible.
A company spokesperson said, “We continue to prevent generations in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles, which people have used to generate and share some truly delightful and inspired original fan creations.”
“We're always learning from real-world use and feedback, and we'll keep refining our policies as we go,” she added.
ALSO READ | Open AI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's death ruled as suicide: Mother says FBI must investigate
Social media users were also quick to post a 2016 video in which the studio's legendary director Hayao Miyazaki lashing out at AI during a demonstration by the studio's staff.
An English translation of his remark reads, “I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”
AFP also quoted artist and illustrator Jayd "Chira" Ait-Kaci's post on Bluesky social media platform. The trend “is especially insidious and malicious because of how outspokenly scathing Miyazaki has been toward the tech. It's always about contempt for artists, every time.” he said.
OpenAI is aggressively lobbying the White House and US Congress to make the use of copyrighted content by AI companies a part of the fair use doctrine. Fair use regulations already apply to search engines, satire and memes online. This allows companies to freely use copyrighted material without permission.
Altman also said the company had put in “a lot of thought into the initial examples” before introducing any technology. He also said ChatGPT's GPUs are “melting” due to heavy demand to generate Ghibli-style images and hence “some rate limits” will be introduced for raising requests.
Homeland security chief went to infamous prison holding deported Venezuelans as White House targets immigrants
Human rights organizations on Thursday denounced the visit by the US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to the notorious prison in El Salvador that is holding hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the US earlier this month without a hearing, calling her actions “political theater”.
Critics condemned Noem's visit as just the latest example of the Trump administration's aim to spread fear among immigrant communities, as the cabinet member stood in a baseball hat in front of a line of caged men bare from the waist up.
Noem visited the so-called Cecot, or Terrorism Confinement Center, an infamous maximum-security prison. The prison, built in 2022 during a brutal government crackdown on organized crime, is where nearly 300 migrants, previously in US custody, were recently expelled and are currently detained.
They have been accused of being violent gang members, despite family members of several of the men asserting that they are not.
“The Department of Homeland Security secretary's visit is an example of the fear that Trump's government wants to instill in immigrants,” attorney Ivania Cruz said on Thursday. Cruz works with the Committee to Defend Human and Community Rights (Unidehc), a human rights organization in El Salvador. “This is precisely what Noem has done — use the Cecot as a cinematographic space,” she added.
Noem's visit to the prison “was a typical gross and cruel display of political theater that we have come to expect from the Trump administration,” Vicki Gass said. Gass is the executive director of the Latin America Working Group (LAWG), a human rights organization based in Washington DC. “That the Trump administration is flouting judicial orders and denying due process to people within the US borders is outrageous and frightening.”
Earlier this month, Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime provision that allows the executive to detain and deport people coming from an “enemy” nation. Despite a federal judge blocking the invocation of the act, shortly after, planes from the US landed in El Salvador, filled with men and women in immigration custody. More than 250 men, mostly from Venezuela, were quickly and forcibly shuffled into the Cecot, where officials shaved their heads and placed them in cells.
Trump and his administration have repeatedly claimed that the men were members of transnational gangs. When invoking the Alien Enemies Act, Trump – without proof – accused the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua of having “infiltrated” the US at the behest of the Venezuelan government. US intelligence agencies contradict Trump's claims about ties between the gang and the Venezuelan government, the New York Times has reported, and the Venezuelan government has also denied it is connected.
News reports across various publications have emerged revealing the identity of the Venezuelan men expelled to El Salvador, with family members saying some of the men are innocent. When pressed, the DHS has not provided proof of those men's purported ties to the gang and they were flown out of the US without a hearing, raising questions about violations of constitutional due process rights.
The federal judge in Washington who blocked the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act has repeatedly pressed the Trump administration to provide information about their process to conduct the operation, also ordering “individualized hearings” for people Trump wants to expel under the act. In response, the Trump administration invoked “state secrets” privilege, to avoid disclosing any information about the operation.
The Salvadorian prison that Noem visited was constructed in 2022, during El Salvador's “state of exception”, a move by the president, Nayib Bukele, that rounded up thousands of people in an attempt to crack down on criminal gangs. According to Cruz, the human rights attorney, and other organizations, the state of exception violated due process rights, with thousands being caught up in arrests and detention without proof of gang membership.
Cruz has been targeted for her work denouncing conditions in the Salvadorian prisons. During the state of exception, her brother was arrested and imprisoned by the Bukele government. Cruz fought for his release and since then, she has taken on a role as a key spokesperson for people who have been wrongfully detained in the prisons.
“It is not by chance that the expelled immigrants are from Venezuela, when we know there is a political conflict between the two countries,” Cruz said. “Today it is Venezuelans – tomorrow may be Chileans, then Colombians. It's an international problem that is provoking conflict.”
Noem's visit came one day before a protest organized by a Salvadorian rights organization, opposing the Central American government's “arbitrary detentions”.
“I also want everybody to know, if you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you can face,” Noem said in a video posted on X from the Cecot prison. “Know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people.”
The use of another country's vast, maximum-security prison to detain immigrants from a third country is unprecedented, especially considering the grave allegations of abuses at this and other Salvadorian prisons.
“Amnesty International has extensively documented the inhumane conditions within detentions centers in El Salvador, including the Cecot, where those removed are now being held,” the organization said in a statement on Wednesday. “Reports indicate extreme overcrowding, lack of access to adequate medical care, and widespread ill-treatment amounting to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.”
According to Ana María Méndez Dardón, the Central America director for the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights non-profit in DC, there are two or three huge prisons in El Salvador where the mass incarceration of people has been concentrated. The detention centers in the country have faced extreme allegations of human rights abuses.
“The Cecot has a capacity for 40,000 people, that is to say only 30% of the current prison population, the rest of the population is located in other centers, such as the one in Mariona, where torture and other human rights violations have been documented,” Méndez Dardón said.
She added: “Unlike the videos edited and produced about Cecot, President Bukele is not showing the world the true reality within the other detention centers, where the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has stated that they have committed torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment.”
Reports have described bare metal bunks stacked high like shelving and with no bedding whatsoever.
The Trump administration's practice of denying due process and defying judicial orders “is outrageous and frightening”, Gass, from LAWG, added. “So is forcibly disappearing them to Cecot where prisoners are not allowed to meet with lawyers or their family members, are jammed into overcrowded cells, and never see the light of day.”
Secretary of state called those with revoked visas ‘lunatics' as video shows masked immigration officers sweeping people off streets
The US state department is undertaking a widespread visa-review process, revoking hundreds of visas and placing hundreds more under scrutiny, targeting mostly foreign nationals engaged in pro-Palestine activism, according to official statements.
The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, confirmed the scale of the crackdown, announcing that he has canceled visas for more than 300 people he called “lunatics” connected to campus pro-Palestine protests in the US, with promises of action to continue daily.
Asked by reporters during a visit to Guyana in South America to confirm reports of 300 visas stripped, Rubio said: “Maybe more than 300 at this point. We do it every day, every time I find one of these lunatics.”
One recent example of the policy's implementation has been US immigration authorities detaining Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University on a Fulbright scholarship, in broad daylight by masked agents in plainclothes.
Her arrest and visa revocation came after she voiced support for Palestinians in Gaza in an op-ed she co-authored in her student newspaper. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas”, a justification being denounced as a direct assault on academic freedom and the erosion of free speech and personal liberties.
In addressing her case specifically, Rubio said: “We revoked her visa ... once you've lost your visa, you're no longer legally in the United States … if you come into the US as a visitor and create a ruckus for us, we don't want it. We don't want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country.”
But the visa-revocation campaign is just part of a broader, more aggressive deportation enforcement strategy that extends far beyond protest-related actions.
The Trump administration has simultaneously implemented other restrictive measures, including pausing green card processing for certain refugees and asylum seekers and issuing a global directive instructing visa officers to deny entry to transgender athletes, of which there are very few.
In a statement to Fox News, the state department claimed that it had “revoked the visas of more than 20 individuals”, and said hundreds more were under consideration under the banner of what they call “national security concerns”.
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“Overall, we continue to process hundreds of visa reviews to ensure visitors are not violating terms of their visas and do not pose a threat to the United States and our citizens,” the statement said.
The state department did not return a request for comment on whether these revocations were student visas, work visas or otherwise.
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Michelle Obama recently took the SXSW stage in Austin, Texas, with candour and outlined her new podcast, ‘In My Opinion,' which she co-hosts with her brother Craig Robinson.
“We're dealing with a lot of uncertainties,” Michelle explained. “People always ask me and Barack, how did we stay hopeful in, not just the eight years in the White House, but beyond? Because, let me tell you, there was a lot of negative energy flipping our way, a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip....”
Lately, Michelle's absence from several public events, including Jimmy Carter's funeral on January 9 and Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, sparked speculation about their marriage. Despite Barack's Instagram post for her birthday in January and Valentine's Day in February, speculation has swirled that the couple might be headed for a divorce.
ALSO READ| Michelle Obama shares exactly why she supported Barack Obama's ‘crazy' presidential run in new podcast
“The Obamas have been through so much that, at this point, they feel no need to publicly address that kind of talk,” an onlooker In Touch Weekly.
“The last thing either of them wants to do is try to explain their relationship to people.”
On the January 22 episode of her podcast, Meghan McCain mentioned hearing speculation about a possible split from “reputable people” and “serious journalists.” Her guest, political reporter Tara Palmieri, even added, “I've just heard that they live separate lives.”
“They've been married for three decades and don't need to be on top of each other 24/7,” the insider noted. The former first lady has even admitted they have sought couples therapy at times when things got tough.
ALSO READ| Michelle Obama still haunted by daughter Sasha's car accident
“So, she simply chose to stay out of the spotlight for a while,” the insider explained. “It hasn't helped that she's been under a lot of pressure to be more outspoken on current events, but she's never liked politics — that's Barack's thing.”
“They'll always have each other's back,” the insider affirmed. “They're confident in their relationship and don't care what anyone thinks.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during her address at Kellogg College, Oxford University in London on Thursday, was interrupted suddenly by a group of protesting students, who tried to disrupt her speech by raising the issues of post-poll violence and the RG Kar College scandal.
Chief Minister Banerjee managed the situation well and responded to the protesters while maintaining courtesy. "Tell your party to increase its strength in our state (West Bengal) so they can fight with us," the Chief Minister told the protesters.
The sudden protest left the audience shocked but they applauded the Chief Minister's response. The protesters were forced to leave the hall at the instance of the audience and Ms Banerjee concluded her speech without any hitches.
Former Indian cricket team captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was also among the audience during the incident.
Ms Banerjee held various meetings related to industry and trade during her London visit. But the main attraction of her visit was this speech at Kellogg College. And that's where the protest broke out.
Although the protesters managed to briefly disrupt her speech, the Chief Minister's handling of the situation on foreign soil increased her reputation as a politician in the international community, political analysts said.
The Chief Minister was invited to speak at Kellogg College on social development of women, children, and marginalised sections. In her speech, Ms Banerjee mentioned her government's flagship schemes like 'Swasthya Saathi' and 'Kanyashree'.
How Ms Banerjee Handled The Situation
When the Chief Minister was speaking on industrialisation in West Bengal, the topic of investment in the Tata Group's TCS company was raised. During this time, some people stood up with placards in their hands that mentioned the post-poll violence in the state as well as the RG Kar issue.
The protesters also shouted in an attempt to be heard, disrupting Ms Banerjee's speech.
The Chief Minister, however, was least disturbed. She handled the protests in a calm but firm voice. "You are welcoming me, thank you. I will feed you sweets," she told them.
When the protesters raised the RG Kar corruption issue, the Chief Minister said, "Speak a little louder, I cannot hear you. I will listen to everything you have to say. Do you know that this case is pending? The responsibility of investigating this case is now in the hands of the Central government, the case is no longer in our hands."
Mamata Banerjee further said, "Don't do politics here, this is not a platform for politics. Go to my state and do politics with me."
The protesters also raised the Jadavpur University incident.
The Chief Minister addressed one of the protesters as "brother" and said, "Don't lie. I have sympathy for you. But instead of making this a platform for politics, go to Bengal and tell your party to strengthen itself so that they can fight with us."
Hearing her response, the audience started clapping loudly.
The protesters tried to raise their voices but the Chief Minister told them, "Don't disrespect your institution by insulting me. I have come here as a representative of the country. Don't insult your country."
The organisers of the event and the guests collectively raised their voices against the protesters and they were forced to leave. The organisers have also expressed their regret to the Chief Minister for this unexpected incident.
The Chief Minister, however, calmly said, "You have encouraged me to come back here again and again. Remember, Didi does not care about anyone. Didi walks like a Royal Bengal Tiger. If you can catch me, catch me!"
চিত্ত যেথা ভয়শূন্য, উচ্চ যেথা শিরShe doesn't flinch. She doesn't falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. Smt. @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!#DidiAtOxford pic.twitter.com/uqrck6sjFd
Meanwhile, the All India Trinamool Congress wrote on X: "She (Mamata Banerjee) doesn't flinch. She doesn't falter. The more you heckle, the fiercer she roars. @MamataOfficial is a Royal Bengal Tiger!"
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that if Hamas doesn't release the hostages held in Gaza, pressure will increase, and may include “seizing territory,” on the Strip.
Thousands of Israeli protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Thursday night to demonstrate as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moves to oust top security and legal officials. (AP Video: Ami Bentov)
Air raid sirens were heard in Jerusalem and central Israel on Thursday after the Israeli military said it intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen. (AP video: Julia Frankel, Alon Bernstein, and Leo Correa)
Palestinian Muslim worshippers pray during Laylat Al Qadr, also known as the Night of Power and marked on the 27th day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in front of the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel,Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles that were launched from Yemen, as seen from the West Bank city of Ramallah, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Israelis block a highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, demanding the realese of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestinians chant slogans during an anti-war protest and against Hamas in a rare show of public anger against the militant group that rules the territory, in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A family of six and a Hamas spokesman were killed in separate Israeli strikes in the northern Gaza Strip overnight and into Thursday, according to the territory's Health Ministry and another Hamas official.
In Israel, the parliament passed a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary, angering critics who view it as a power grab by his far-right government.
Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza last week and has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes since, killing more than 800 people. Israel has vowed to escalate the offensive if Hamas does not release hostages, disarm and leave the territory.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Holding signs calling for an end to the war in Gaza and new elections, the demonstrators packed a central square in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
Addressing the crowd, a string of retired generals and former security officials warned that the government's actions were endangering Israel's security and said the country was “on the brink of an abyss.”
Hours earlier, Israel's parliament passed a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan, which sparked mass protests when it was first introduced in 2023.
Protests have swelled in recent weeks amid growing anger over a flurry of actions by the government that many see as aimed at weakening checks on its power, and over its failure to secure a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza.
European far-right leaders were in Jerusalem for a conference organized by the Israeli government aimed at “ combating antisemitism.”
Thursday's event was shunned by mainstream Jewish leaders because of the divisive guest list. It illustrates a growing alliance between Israel — a country founded on the ashes of the Holocaust — with a European far-right that has not, some critics say, shed its links to antisemitism and Naziism during World War II.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads an ultranationalist government, has cultivated close ties in recent years with far-right populist leaders in countries like Hungary, Brazil and Argentina. Many of these leaders, including Netanyahu, have been greatly influenced by the policies and demeanor of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party, gave a keynote address in which he blamed rising antisemitism in Europe on migration and Islamism.
Lebanon's state news agency says an Israeli drone strike in the country's south hit a car, killing two people on Thursday afternoon in the village of Baraachit.
The National News Agency gave no further details and it was not immediately clear if the two killed were members of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. Israel's military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency says an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed three people.
There was no comment from the Israeli military. The National News Agency said Thursday's strike occurred in the Yohmor area in south Lebanon.
Israel's Arabic-language military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on the social platform X on Thursday that an Israeli strike late Wednesday killed an official with Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force in the southern village of Derdghaiya.
Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in late November, ending the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel's air forces has carried out dozens of airstrikes mainly targeting Hezbollah members.
The long-range missiles were fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels and were intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory on Thursday, according to the military.
Air-raid sirens were heard in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, central Israel and the occupied West Bank, with local media reporting fragments fell in several places. There were no reports of injuries.
Since Israel broke the ceasefire last week, a handful of rockets have been fired from Gaza as well as missiles from Yemen. No one in Israel has been hurt.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack. The Iran-backed rebels have been attacking Israel and shipping off Yemen for well over a year, saying they aim to end Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Although Palestinian militants were once firing volleys of rockets each day out of Gaza, that dwindled to nearly zero over the course of the 17-month war.
Israel's parliament has passed a key part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary, angering critics who view it as a power grab by his far-right government.
The planned overhaul sparked mass demonstrations in 2023, leaving the country deeply divided ahead of Hamas' attack on Oct. 7 of that year, which triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
The law that was passed Thursday gives the government a larger role in appointing judges.
It would give two of the nine seats on the Judicial Selection Committee to lawyers chosen by the government and the opposition. Those seats are currently held by the Israeli Bar Association. The political appointees would have the power to veto nominations to Israel's Supreme Court and lower court appointments.
Supporters of the measure say it gives more power to elected officials, while critics say it would undermine an independent body that provides essential checks and balances.
The law would not take effect until the next parliament, and the opposition has vowed to repeal it if it regains power.
A strike hit the tent where Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua was staying in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, killing him, according to Basem Naim, another Hamas official.
Another strike near Gaza City killed four children and their parents, according to the emergency service of Gaza's Health Ministry.
Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 50,000 people, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up over half the dead.
The war was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, in which Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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A 32-year-old woman was found murdered and stuffed inside a suitcase at a residence in Bengaluru, police said on Thursday. The victim, identified as Gauri Khedekar, hailed from Maharashtra.
According to the police, her husband, Rakesh Rajendra Khedekar, fled the city after the incident and was later detained in Pune. He is being brought back to Bengaluru for questioning, news agency PTI reported.
Gauri and her husband, Rakesh, had moved to a rented third-floor apartment in Doddakammanahalli, under the Hulimavu police station limits, in February 2025, Deccan Herald reported.
(Also Read: Bengaluru: Electric BMTC bus runs over two-wheeler on Old Airport Road, two killed)
The couple had been married for two years. Rakesh, a project manager at a well-known private firm, was working from home, while Gauri, who held a bachelor's degree in mass media, was searching for a job, as reported by the the publication.
According to the police, Rakesh left for Mumbai on Tuesday. On Thursday evening, he allegedly informed the landlord over the phone that he had killed his wife. The house owner then alerted the police control room around 5.30 pm.
The crime came to light around 5.30 pm when the landlord of the couple's rented flat in Doddakammanahalli, under the Hulimavu police station limits, alerted the authorities. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sarah Fatima said the body bore stab injuries and was found packed inside a suitcase.
“The accused has been detained, and we are bringing him to Bengaluru. The reason behind the murder will be known after further interrogation,” she said.
There were reports suggesting that the accused had informed his wife's family about the killing, but officials said these claims were still under investigation.
Police said Gauri had pursued a bachelor's degree in mass media, while her husband worked for a private firm and was operating from home. Forensic teams examined the crime scene and collected evidence as the investigation progressed.
Further inquiries are underway, officials added.
(With agency inputs)
(JTA) — New legislation banning child marriage in Washington, DC, was signed into law last week following advocacy by a coalition including Unchained At Last, a Jewish-led organization that opposes underage marriage.The new act establishes the marriage age as 18 in Washington, DC with no exceptions. It was signed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and became law recently following a 30-day congressional review. Banning child marriageThe law closes loopholes that allowed children aged 16 or 17 to be married with parental consent. According to data collected by Unchained at Last, 110 minors in DC were married between the years 2000 and 2023.“Thank you, DC, for standing up for girls and banning an archaic human rights abuse that destroys girls' lives.” said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, in a press release AdvertisementFraidy Reiss is the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a non-profit that's been battling arranged and forced marriages for the past 12 years. (credit: Photo copyright Susan Landman)Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, DC Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
The new act establishes the marriage age as 18 in Washington, DC with no exceptions. It was signed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and became law recently following a 30-day congressional review. Banning child marriageThe law closes loopholes that allowed children aged 16 or 17 to be married with parental consent. According to data collected by Unchained at Last, 110 minors in DC were married between the years 2000 and 2023.“Thank you, DC, for standing up for girls and banning an archaic human rights abuse that destroys girls' lives.” said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, in a press release AdvertisementFraidy Reiss is the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a non-profit that's been battling arranged and forced marriages for the past 12 years. (credit: Photo copyright Susan Landman)Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, DC Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
The law closes loopholes that allowed children aged 16 or 17 to be married with parental consent. According to data collected by Unchained at Last, 110 minors in DC were married between the years 2000 and 2023.“Thank you, DC, for standing up for girls and banning an archaic human rights abuse that destroys girls' lives.” said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, in a press release AdvertisementFraidy Reiss is the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a non-profit that's been battling arranged and forced marriages for the past 12 years. (credit: Photo copyright Susan Landman)Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, DC Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
“Thank you, DC, for standing up for girls and banning an archaic human rights abuse that destroys girls' lives.” said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, in a press release AdvertisementFraidy Reiss is the founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a non-profit that's been battling arranged and forced marriages for the past 12 years. (credit: Photo copyright Susan Landman)Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, DC Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, DC Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
“We're trying to solve a problem that most people don't even know exists,” Reiss told JTA in 2023. “Most Americans have no idea that child marriage is legal in the US Child marriage is a nightmarish legal trap.” Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
Unchained At Last garnered attention in 2023 after it debuted a PSA-style teaser for a fake reality show highlighting child marriage. At times, including during a 2018 fight over child marriage in New Jersey, the group's advocacy has met opposition from other Jewish activists who have sought to maintain permissions for underage marriage. The New Jersey child marriage ban eventually passed.The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two US territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
An Associated Press study shows a new American airstrike campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels appears more intense and more extensive.
A Yemeni walks over the debris of a destroyed building following U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows B-2 stealth bombers, right side, parked at Camp Thunder Cove in Diego Garcia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, as a U.S. airstrike campaign continues against Yemen's Houthi rebels. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
President Donald Trump waves as he departs a reception celebrating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A Yemeni checks debris at his home after U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
A Yemeni walks on debris from a destroyed building after it was struck by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)
This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)
Houthi supporters chant slogans and hold pictures of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Yemenis clean debris in front of their shops after a U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz listens to a question from a reporter in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
In this photo released by the Etat-Major des Armées, the MV Tutor sinks in the Red Sea after it was struck by a Houthi drone vessel, June 12, 2024. (Etat-Major des Armées/France via AP, File)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, second from right, walks outside the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A new American airstrike campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels appears more intense and more extensive, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in city neighborhoods, an Associated Press review of the operation shows.
The pattern under U.S. President Donald Trump reflects a departure from the Biden administration, which limited its strikes as Arab allies tried to reach a separate peace with the group. It comes after the Iran-backed Houthis threatened to resume attacking “any Israeli vessel” and have repeatedly fired at Israel over the country's refusal to allow aid into the Gaza Strip.
President Donald Trump waves as he departs a reception celebrating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
The Houthi attacks and the response to them have drawn new scrutiny in Washington after security officials in Trump's administration shared plans for the first round of strikes on the rebels in a group chat that included a journalist. But bombing alone may not be enough to stop the Houthis, whose earlier barrage of missile fire toward the U.S. Navy represented the most intense combat it had seen since World War II.
“Folks that say, ‘We'll go in there and take out everyone with the last name Houthi and we'll win.' The Houthi leadership has been taken out in history in the past, and they are resilient,” retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan said. “They came back and they grew stronger. So this isn't something that is a one-and-done.”
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows B-2 stealth bombers, right side, parked at Camp Thunder Cove in Diego Garcia on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, as a U.S. airstrike campaign continues against Yemen's Houthi rebels. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
Meanwhile, concerns are growing over civilians being caught in the middle of the campaign. While the U.S. military has not acknowledged any civilian casualties since the strikes began over a week ago, activists fear strikes may have killed noncombatants already in territory tightly controlled by the Houthis.
“Just because you can't see civilian harm doesn't mean it's not happening,” warned Emily Tripp, the director of the U.K.-based group Airwars, which studies Western airstrike campaigns.
Yemenis clean debris in front of their shops after a U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
The Trump campaign began March 15. American warships fired cruise missiles while fighter jets flying off of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier dropped bombs on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, a nation on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula that is the Arab world's poorest.
“No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World,” Trump said in a social media post announcing the campaign, days after his administration reimposed a “foreign terrorist organization” designation on the Houthis.
So far, the Houthis say the airstrikes have killed 57 people.
That's just over half the 106 people the Houthis' secretive leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, claimed the U.S. and U.K. killed during all of 2024. He provided no breakdown of combatants versus noncombatants. Houthi fighters often aren't in uniform.
Houthi supporters chant slogans and hold pictures of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi movement, during an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Al-Houthi said the two countries launched over 930 strikes last year. The U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, known as ACLED, has recorded 305 strikes. The discrepancy between the figures could not be immediately reconciled, though the Houthis could be counting individual pieces of ordnance launched, rather than a single event with multiple bombs used, as ACLED does. The rebels also have exaggerated details in the past.
This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)
Between March 15 to March 21, ACLED reported 56 events. The campaign also has seen the highest number of events in a week since the American bombing campaign began on Yemen during the Israel-Hamas war.
Trump administration officials have touted the differences between their strikes and those carried out under President Joe Biden.
“The difference is, these were not kind of pin prick, back and forth, what ultimately proved to be feckless attacks,” Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told ABC's “This Week” on March 16. “This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.”
Waltz has also claimed key members of Houthi leadership, including their “head missileer,” have been killed. The Houthis have not acknowledged any losses in their leadership.
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz listens to a question from a reporter in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
There are indeed clear differences, said Luca Nevola, the senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at ACLED. Under Biden, the focus appeared to be on mobile launchers for missiles and drones, then infrastructure, he said. Trump is targeting urban areas more intensely, judging from the number of strikes on cities so far.
“It's very likely that somehow the Trump administration is pursuing a decapitation strategy,” Nevola added.
The Trump administration is also allowing the U.S. military's Central Command, which oversees Mideast operations, to launch offensive strikes at will, rather than having the White House sign off on each attack as under Biden. That will mean more strikes — like a particularly intense set early Friday.
Israel, which has repeatedly been targeted by Houthi missile fire and drones, including Thursday, also launched four rounds of airstrikes in 2024 and another in January.
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A Yemeni checks debris at his home after U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
During the Biden administration, Central Command offered details to the public on most strikes conducted during the campaign. Those details often included the target struck and the reason behind it.
Since the start of the new campaign, however, there's been no similar breakdown.
Donegan, the retired vice admiral, praised that strategy during a recent call hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. “You don't tell the enemy what you're going to do, and you don't tell them what you're not going to do.”
But that also means the Houthis' description of targets is the only one that's public. They've claimed two attacks targeted an under-construction cancer clinic in the city of Saada, as well as private homes and crowded city neighborhoods. There's been no effort so far from the U.S. military to either dispute that or offer evidence to support strikes on those targets.
“It's an extremely complicated information environment in Yemen,” Tripp, of Airwars, said. “The Houthis have extensive restrictions on (activists) and operations, media and press.”
Even so, some information can be gleaned from Houthi-released footage. One strike around Saada that the Houthis say killed a woman and four children included missile debris. Serial numbers on the fragments correspond to a contract for Tomahawk cruise missiles, an AP examination of the imagery showed. That corresponded to an assessment separately made by Airwars.
Including that Saada strike, Airwars believes it is likely that at least five U.S. strikes in the new Trump campaign that have hurt or killed civilians, based off of videos and photos from the site, Houthi statements and other details.
The U.S. military declined to answer questions regarding possible civilian casualties but said the “Houthis continue to communicate lies and disinformation.”
“CENTCOM won't provide details on strikes and locations until the operation has concluded, and there is no additional risk to U.S. personnel or assets involved,” it added, using an acronym for Central Command. “At the direction of the president, CENTCOM continues to conduct strikes across multiple Iran-backed Houthi locations every day and night to restore freedom of navigation and restore American deterrence.”
From November 2023 — weeks after the Israel-Hamas war began — until January of this year, the Houthis targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors.
In this photo released by the Etat-Major des Armées, the MV Tutor sinks in the Red Sea after it was struck by a Houthi drone vessel, June 12, 2024. (Etat-Major des Armées/France via AP, File)
The rebels said the campaign in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the two waterways was carried out in solidarity with Hamas. It stopped with the ceasefire reached in that war in January.
The attacks greatly raised the Houthis' profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen's decadelong stalemated war.
Since the ceasefire ended, the Houthis have not resumed their attacks on shipping in the vital corridor for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe. Still, overall traffic remains sharply reduced.
A European Union naval force has been patrolling the Red Sea and escorting ships, as well as taking Houthi fire. However, the vast majority of Houthi attacks toward military targets has been pointed at U.S. Navy vessels.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, second from right, walks outside the Oval Office at the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The U.S. airstrikes have kept up a daily tempo since beginning March 15. Meanwhile, the USS Carl Vinson and its carrier strike group is to transit into the Middle East.
That, along with the Truman, will likely give the American military two places to launch aircraft since it hasn't immediately appeared that any strikes came from bases in other Mideast nations — where public sentiment remains strongly with the Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. military also may be bringing additional firepower, as radio transmissions from B-2 stealth bombers and flight-tracking data suggested the U.S. Air Force is moving a number of the aircraft to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by the AP showed three B-2s parked Wednesday at Camp Thunder Cove on the island. That would provide a closer location for the long-range bombers to launch that's still far outside of the range of the rebels — and avoids using allies' Mideast bases.
In October, the Biden administration used the B-2 to target what it described as underground bunkers used by the Houthis.
But the future of Yemen itself remains in question. The Houthis broadly maintain control over the capital of Sanaa and the country's northwest. Yemen's exiled government is part of a fractious coalition that for now appears unable to wrest any control back from the rebels. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which launched a war 10 years ago against the Houthis, have pushed for peace talks as fighting appears broadly frozen on the ground.
“The United States can hurt the Houthis, it can weaken them,” wrote Gregory D. Johnsen, a Yemen expert at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, “but without effective ground troops — either its own or someone else's — it will not be able to eliminate their capabilities.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Broadcaster ARN Media claims material is suitable for ‘broad-minded adult demographic'
The Kyle & Jackie O Show has once again breached decency rules by broadcasting explicit sexual content on their KISS breakfast show, but ARN Media has pushed back saying the material is suitable for its “broad-minded adult demographic”.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) found two segments, on Melbourne's KISS 1011 and Sydney's KISS 1065 in June 2024, included “sustained and vulgar graphic sexualised descriptions” which were a breach of broadcasting standards.
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The segments were aired despite the broadcaster employing two censors as a result of earlier enforcement action by the regulator.
The top-rating breakfast show, which claims an audience of more than 1.5 million, was ordered to employ a second censor in 2023, and provide sensitivity training to Sandilands, after the shock jock described watching the Tokyo Paralympics as “horrific”.
That same year, Sandilands and his co-host, Jackie Henderson, signed a 10-year deal with KIIS FM's owner, ARN Media, worth an estimated $200m.
Acma investigated the recent segments after a Melbourne listener to KIIS 1011 complained.
“I was sitting in my car at 6am at the time this breakfast show started,” the listener said in their complaint. “In the first ten minutes they mentioned (and these were the exact words) ‘sucking cock' ‘licking vagina' and ‘eating each other out'.”
In its defence, the licensee, ARN, told Acma its audience would not be offended, echoing earlier comments to Guardian Australia that “listening to Kylie & Jackie O is a choice millions of Australians make”.
“The core audience of the Program is a broad-minded adult demographic,” the licensee told Acma.
“The style and format of the program is intended to include robust, uninhibited, real life comedic discussions, and this does include sexual references and descriptions of sexual activities.”
The Acma chair, Nerida O'Loughlin, disagreed and found the segments would be considered offensive to any reasonable person listening to the broadcast and were not in line with broader community standards.
“This content went beyond the bounds of decency expected by the community and was done so deliberately and provocatively,” O'Loughlin said.
“Even having two program censors employed by the broadcaster in place following previous Acma enforcement action, this has not stopped occurrences of unsuitable content going to air,” O'Loughlin said.
The Melbourne station, KISS 1011, has also been found to have breached the code for not responding to a listener complaint within 30 days.
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The co-regulatory broadcasting system relies on broadcasters responding to complaints from listeners, who can follow up with Acma if they are not satisfied.
“Failing to respond to complaints in the required timeframe undermines the effectiveness of the co-regulatory system,” O'Loughlin said.
Under the legislation, the Acma does not have the power to issue civil penalties or fines for breaches of the commercial broadcaster codes.
However the watchdog will consider enforcement action, such as additional licence conditions, after two further investigations into the program are completed.
The regulator launched three investigations into the program between 2019 and 2023, which all resulted in the finding of a breach. Just one resulted in an enforceable action.
In 2022 Sandilands apologised for “using filthy language and some derogatory archaic terms” but added: “I'm never going to change. I'm still not changing [for] the woke world.”
An ARN spokesperson said the show's loyal audience have an “awareness and expectation of the content” they will hear.
“We understand that the Kyle and Jackie O show is not for everyone. But ultimately, it is their candid and light-hearted style that has proved popular for decades,” they said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the company “respects” the role of Acma and it would continue to engage with the watchdog on the process, “including any enforceable undertakings that follow its findings”.
JD Vance to lead plan as Trump says there's been ‘concerted' effort to rewrite US history with ‘distorted narrative'
Donald Trump has ordered a highly controversial reshaping of the US Smithsonian Institution, claiming he will eliminate what his administration regards as “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the world's largest set of museums, educational and research entities grouped under one institutional umbrella.
In an executive order issued late on Thursday, the president said there had been a “concerted and widespread” effort over the past decade to rewrite US history by replacing “objective facts” with a “distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth”. The announcement has sparked outrage from critics, accusing Trump of taking action to “remove diversity” from American history.
The order directs JD Vance, the vice-president, to “remove improper ideology” from the Smithsonian's museums, education and research centers and the National zoo.
It also directs Vance to ensure that the American Women's History Museum does not “recognize men as women in any respect”, as the rightwing administration continues its mission against progressive policies and culture in US society.
Vance has been directed to work with congressional leaders in the House and Senate to appoint new citizen members to the Smithsonian board of regents who will be “committed to advancing the policy of this order”.
In language that reflected Republican talking points often heard on hard-right news channels, Trump claimed the US had witnessed an effort to “rewrite history”.
“Under this historical revision, our Nation's unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed,” the president said.
Trump's order pointed to an exhibit at the American Art Museum, titled: The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture.
Trump said the exhibit “claims that the United States has ‘used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement'”.
He added that the exhibit “promotes the view that race is not a biological reality but a social construct”. Trump complained that the exhibit uses the phrase: “Race is a human invention.”
The order also lists depictions of “white culture” at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) as examples of these “harmful and oppressive” exhibits.
Trump also appeared to suggest that Confederate-era names and statues, many of which have been removed in recent years, could be reissued to parks and memorial sites.
“The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events,” Trump said.
The Smithsonian Institution was established in the mid-19th century with funds from James Smithson, a British scientist who left his estate to the US to found “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat representing Texas, who is Black, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to the order: “First Trump removes any reference of diversity from the present – now he's trying to remove it from our history. Let me be PERFECTLY clear– you cannot erase our past and you cannot stop us from fulfilling our future.”
Allison Wiltz, founder of Writers and Editors of Color, said all Trump does is cause harm. She posted: “Enslaved people built the Smithsonian. And yet, Trump doesn't see Black history as worthy, so he's ordering our contributions removed. You can tell a lot about someone by how they choose to use their power.”
The Smithsonian Institution's chief spokesperson, Linda St Thomas, said: “We have no comment for now.”
But many others using social media have reacted with concern to the new order, with worries about the increase in racial and “eugenic” language used by the far right, as well as by those who hold power in the US government.
Henry M Rosenberg wrote on X: “I volunteer at the @NMAAHC in the Family History Center where we help people trace their genealogy back to slavery. The rest of the museum talks about the slave trade, slavery & Civil Rights. Let that fucking piece of shit try to change that.”
This marks Trump's latest foray into taking over art and cultural centers in the US that he considers as going against his conservative ideals. Trump recently had himself appointed as chair of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington DC with the aim of overhauling scheduled performances and available programs, including the annual Kennedy Center Honors awards show.
Some artists and shows due for performances there found their events canceled, others, such as a planned run of the hit musical Hamilton, withdrew in protest.
The Trump administration also recently forced Columbia University, the Ivy League college in New York, to make a series of policy changes by threatening the institution with cuts in federal funding that amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.
On Thursday, Trump also created the “DC safe and beautiful task force” by executive order. It will be chaired by Stephen Miller, the US homeland security adviser.
According to the order, the taskforce will coordinate with local officials on such matters as enforcing federal immigration law, including deporting people living illegally in the city, boosting law enforcement presence, and increasing the speed and lowering the cost of processing applications to carry concealed weapons.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
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A recent post on Reddit about shipping supply giant Uline's president, Elizabeth (Liz) Uihlein, expressing her frustration over young employees resigning before completing two years at the company has sparked anger among social media users. In her note, Uihlein blamed free insurance, the pandemic, and parenting for Gen Z's job-hopping trend and labelled such employees “The Nomads.”
The Reddit user shared a photo of the note published in a magazine, and the same letter was uploaded to Uline's company website.
“Job hopping used to be frowned on. Red flags on resumes. Something previous generations did their best to avoid. You stuck with a job, showed stability and worked your way up, but boy, how times have changed,” the billionaire co-founder wrote.
She added, “At Uline, young people are resigning before their two-year anniversary at a higher rate than we'd like. We invest precious resources recruiting, hiring and training new hires, only for them to leave. We call them ‘The Nomads'.”
The company president then listed the reasons she thinks fuel this trend among Gen Z. She blamed free insurance, the work-from-home culture post-pandemic, and parenting that involves affection and "concentrates on fun".
“Employers are always on the lookout for young, talented candidates. It's hard to build a winning team when the rookies you sign think they are free agents before they even take the field,” reads the concluding lines of the note.
How did social media react?“I love how she just comes out and says that insurance being tied to the employer is so employees can't move to better themselves,” posted an individual. Another added, “Honestly, I feel like the real tell is in the last point. She openly believes workers have 'personal responsibility' toward their employers beyond pay. If I am being paid to do a job, I absolutely accept responsibility for what I am paid for. But unless you've paid me in advance, I am not responsible to keep working there. I'll show consideration toward a job that treats me well, obviously, but consideration is things like two weeks' notice. Not just staying there for all eternity. Being bound to a single workplace despite your own will is not a ‘job.' It is slavery.” Also Read: US billionaire Kyle Bass criticised for complaining about a $85 food bill received at a New York City hotelA third remarked, “And that parents are bad for not teaching kids to just roll over and take it. I take a lot of s**t because I have to, and the hope is that my kids don't. I routinely tell my daughter that she doesn't have to put up with ANY s**t at her job. Quit and she still lives here with me for free. That is to teach my kids they are more valuable than their work. I also hate how homework conditions you to take your work home with you. It's unhealthy.” A fourth wrote, “Workers will be loyal to companies and care about their success only when companies are loyal to workers and care about their success. And even then, workers will probably get f**ked over. Capitalism is exploitative, full stop.” Elizabeth Uihlein's net worth:According to a report published on Forbes, her real-time net worth is $5.8 billion. She started the company along with her husband, Richard (Dick), in 1980 in their basement. It currently has over 9,000 employees. She also appeared on the "America's Richest Self-Made Women" Forbes list. The outlet reported that the couple is among the top donors in the United States. Originally Ron DeSantis supporters, they later supported Donald Trump. Past controversies:The couple, among Donald Trump's top mega-donors, were accused of using Mexican workers illegally after complaining about immigrant ‘invasion', reported the Guardian. Before the 2024 US elections, which saw Donald Trump come to power for the second term, the couple allegedly asked their employees to answer who they would vote for in a survey.
“I love how she just comes out and says that insurance being tied to the employer is so employees can't move to better themselves,” posted an individual. Another added, “Honestly, I feel like the real tell is in the last point. She openly believes workers have 'personal responsibility' toward their employers beyond pay. If I am being paid to do a job, I absolutely accept responsibility for what I am paid for. But unless you've paid me in advance, I am not responsible to keep working there. I'll show consideration toward a job that treats me well, obviously, but consideration is things like two weeks' notice. Not just staying there for all eternity. Being bound to a single workplace despite your own will is not a ‘job.' It is slavery.”
A third remarked, “And that parents are bad for not teaching kids to just roll over and take it. I take a lot of s**t because I have to, and the hope is that my kids don't. I routinely tell my daughter that she doesn't have to put up with ANY s**t at her job. Quit and she still lives here with me for free. That is to teach my kids they are more valuable than their work. I also hate how homework conditions you to take your work home with you. It's unhealthy.”
A fourth wrote, “Workers will be loyal to companies and care about their success only when companies are loyal to workers and care about their success. And even then, workers will probably get f**ked over. Capitalism is exploitative, full stop.”
According to a report published on Forbes, her real-time net worth is $5.8 billion. She started the company along with her husband, Richard (Dick), in 1980 in their basement. It currently has over 9,000 employees. She also appeared on the "America's Richest Self-Made Women" Forbes list.
The outlet reported that the couple is among the top donors in the United States. Originally Ron DeSantis supporters, they later supported Donald Trump.
The couple, among Donald Trump's top mega-donors, were accused of using Mexican workers illegally after complaining about immigrant ‘invasion', reported the Guardian. Before the 2024 US elections, which saw Donald Trump come to power for the second term, the couple allegedly asked their employees to answer who they would vote for in a survey.
While a monster under the bed is a common fear expressed by children looking to extend their bedtime, a babysitter in Kansas discovered that the complaint was based on more than just an overactive imagination - after she discovered on Monday a man hiding in the cramped space, Barton County Sheriff's Office confirmed this week. Police were dispatched to the home at 10:30 p.m. on Monday night after receiving a disturbance call on Patton Road. They were told upon arrival that the babysitter discovered a man hiding under a child's bed while investigating it for an apparent “monster” lurking underneath. After discovering the hiding man, an altercation broke out in which both the babysitter and child were knocked over. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.The suspectPolice later identified the suspect as Martin Villalobos Junior, a former resident of the building. Villalobos currently has a protection-from-abuse order against him. After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
Police were dispatched to the home at 10:30 p.m. on Monday night after receiving a disturbance call on Patton Road. They were told upon arrival that the babysitter discovered a man hiding under a child's bed while investigating it for an apparent “monster” lurking underneath. After discovering the hiding man, an altercation broke out in which both the babysitter and child were knocked over. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.The suspectPolice later identified the suspect as Martin Villalobos Junior, a former resident of the building. Villalobos currently has a protection-from-abuse order against him. After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
They were told upon arrival that the babysitter discovered a man hiding under a child's bed while investigating it for an apparent “monster” lurking underneath. After discovering the hiding man, an altercation broke out in which both the babysitter and child were knocked over. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.The suspectPolice later identified the suspect as Martin Villalobos Junior, a former resident of the building. Villalobos currently has a protection-from-abuse order against him. After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
After discovering the hiding man, an altercation broke out in which both the babysitter and child were knocked over. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived.The suspectPolice later identified the suspect as Martin Villalobos Junior, a former resident of the building. Villalobos currently has a protection-from-abuse order against him. After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
Police later identified the suspect as Martin Villalobos Junior, a former resident of the building. Villalobos currently has a protection-from-abuse order against him. After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
After a day of searching, police arrested the 27-year-old suspect on Tuesday and charged him with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated battery, child endangerment, felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and violation of a protection from abuse order.Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
Villalobos is being held in place of a $500,000 bond.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
European far-right leaders were in Jerusalem on Thursday for a conference organized by the Israeli government aimed at combating antisemitism, which was shunned by mainstream Jewish leaders because of the divisive guest list.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel,Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
The leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, attends the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, left, attends the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, center, shakes hands with the leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, left, during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, center, attends the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism, in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, left, visits the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, Israel, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Jack Guez/Pool Photo via AP)
Leader of France's National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella and and RN Vice-President and Mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot, background, visit a memorial for victims and hostages of the 2023 Hamas attacks, near kibbutz Re'im in southern Israel, Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Jack Guez/Pool Photo via AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
JERUSALEM (AP) — European far-right leaders were in Jerusalem on Thursday for a conference organized by the Israeli government aimed at combating antisemitism, which was shunned by mainstream Jewish leaders because of the divisive guest list.
The event illustrates a growing alliance between Israel — a country founded on the ashes of the Holocaust — and a European far-right that some critics say has not shed its links to antisemitism and Naziism during World War II.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads an ultranationalist government, has cultivated close ties in recent years with far-right populist leaders in countries like Hungary, Brazil and Argentina. Many of these leaders, including Netanyahu, have been greatly influenced by the policies and demeanor of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a speech to the conference, Netanyahu commended Trump for his “decisive actions against antisemitism” and blamed U.S. campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza on “a systemic alliance between ultra-progressive left and radical Islam.”
“Antisemitism is a disease carried by barbarians” in “all civilized societies,” said Netanyahu.
Thursday's conference illuminated the increasingly strained relationship between Israel and its traditional allies in the West, which have grown uneasy with Israeli politics and the direction of the country's devastating war in Gaza. Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas and resumed the war earlier this month, and Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Jewish communities around the world have reported increases in antisemitic violence since the start of the war.
Also attending the event was Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, even after a Bosnian court requested an international arrest warrant for him for his separatist policies.
During the conference, Dodik spoke out defiantly against the warrant.
“The Muslims from Sarajevo they want to punish me because I came here to Israel supporting Israel,” Dodik told The Associated Press through a translator. “They are misusing the judiciary and the prosecutor office because they are in charge for that.”
Most speakers at the conference railed against antisemitism on the political left and in Muslim societies, with only brief mention of antisemitism on the right. Panels of speakers were set to focus on “How Progressivism Fell Captive to Antisemitism” and “How Radical Islam Fuels Antisemitism in the West.”
Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right French National Rally party, gave a keynote address in which he blamed rising antisemitism in Europe on migration and Islamism.
“Islamism is the totalitarianism of the 21st century. It threatens to destroy everything that is not like it,” he said.
David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel during Trump's first term, also attended. Asked by the moderator about Trump's plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza, Friedman said: “I love it! I love it. And I think it's doable.”
Other far-right Europeans are attending from the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Hungary.
The European far-right's anti-immigrant platform has focused heavily on immigration from Muslim countries, finding common ground in what Israel describes as a shared battle against Islamic extremism. Critics say this alliance often veers into Islamophobia.
Many mainstream Jewish leaders dropped out of the event after initially agreeing to attend, including Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, a leading U.S. nonprofit that battles antisemitism.
French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, German antisemitism czar Felix Klein and German politician Volker Beck also canceled their participation, while Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, also pulled out of the conference in favor of hosting a separate meeting of Jewish leaders who had originally come to the country for the conference, his office said.
—
AP correspondent Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed reporting.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Israeli leader bought himself a form of insurance for up to 18 months as he navigates a constellation of conflicts at home and in Gaza.
TEL AVIV — From waging war anew in Gaza to seeking more control over his nation's judiciary to sacking his critics, a bevy of items on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agenda may now be within reach after Israel's parliament approved a hotly debated state budget this week, giving Netanyahu a rare year of political security.
For weeks, questions had swirled over whether the spending package would pass. If it had failed, Netanyahu's government would have collapsed, forcing fresh elections that public opinion polls have suggested the prime minister's Likud party might lose.
Now, political analysts say, Netanyahu has bought himself a form of insurance for up to 18 months — Israel will have to go to elections by October 2026 at the latest — as he navigates a constellation of conflicts: in Gaza, where he has vowed to eradicate Hamas; and against Israel's courts, where he has pledged to hobble the “deep state” that he claims has been undermining his democratically elected government.
The Knesset on Thursday passed further legislation advancing Netanyahu's goal to overhaul the judiciary, giving lawmakers greater political influence over the appointment of the nation's judges.
All along, demonstrators have taken to the streets, accusing Netanyahu of prioritizing his political survival over Israel's security in a time of prolonged crisis. Underscoring the threat, Yemen's Houthi militia, which is backed by Iran, fired two missiles at Israel, both of which were intercepted, the military said.
The group, in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, has been sending drones and missiles toward Israel since October 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 others hostage. The military campaign Israel launched in response has killed more than 50,000 people in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children.
“Many balls are in the air in Israel,” said Yuval Shany, a law professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “But, paradoxically, now that Netanyahu has passed the budget, with a lot of generosity for the constituencies of the coalition parties, he has more room to show flexibility in the negotiations on Gaza.”
The relationship between Netanyahu's political survival, his management of the war in Gaza and confrontations with the judiciary is constantly evolving. A week before the budget vote, Netanyahu resumed deadly aerial bombardments in Gaza and sent troops back into strategic areas in Rafah and the Netzarim Corridor that bisects the enclave. The move to break a two-month-long ceasefire with Hamas helped usher in the return of far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who had resigned from government in opposition to the truce when it took effect in January.
Ben Gvir and other far-right ministers who called for a return to war in Gaza voted in favor of the spending plan this week. Ben Gvir's return, along with the addition of other Netanyahu loyalists to the government, effectively neutralized growing threats by ultra-Orthodox politicians, who in recent weeks demanded to enshrine their exemption from military service into law or else they would vote down the budget.
“With Netanyahu, everything has to do with survival,” said Uriel Abulof, a politics professor at Tel Aviv University. “He had to get the budget passed. To get the budget passed, he needed Ben Gvir. To get Ben Gvir, he needed the war.”
The $200 billion budget that was passed Tuesday — marking a 20 percent increase in spending from the previous year — allocated hundreds of millions of shekels to fund religious schools and institutions for the ultra-Orthodox. Opposition to ultra-Orthodox exemption has long been central to the anti-government protests, including among the supporters of the Israeli far right, who make up the country's reservists and have been supplementing Israel's standing army over the past year and a half.
The budget also cuts funds for public services such as welfare and the national health-care system, while funneling cash to programs championed by Netanyahu's coalition partners. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the spending bill the “greatest robbery in the nation's history.”
Overall, the budget allocated an unprecedented increase for the defense sector, matching Israeli military predictions that the nation will remain on a war footing for the coming years.
And on Wednesday, amid shouts from the opposition, Netanyahu told the Knesset that Iran and Hamas had wanted the budget and the Israeli government to fail, “because they know that a government under my leadership will not give up until it reaches victory.”
“It will bring back the hostages, it will destroy Hamas, and it will ensure the security of Israel for generations to come,” he said, referring to Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Over the past week, Netanyahu also started the process of firing both Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's internal security service, or Shin Bet, and Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel's attorney general.
In Gaza, as the military ramps up operations, Israeli leaders have issued threats to occupy and later annex at least part of the territory. Under the ceasefire deal agreed in January, Israel and Hamas were supposed to negotiate a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a permanent end to the hostilities. But Israel refused to engage in meaningful talks on the ceasefire's second phase; instead, Israel cut off all food, fuel and other aid to Gaza and demanded Hamas release all of the hostages still held in captivity.
Abulof, the professor, said that Netanyahu, in continuing the war in Gaza, is tapping into an “immense rage that is still rumbling in the Israeli public” after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. But, for now, he is still careful to rein in some of his coalition partners' more extreme ideas, such as fully reoccupying Gaza while also escalating political battles on the domestic front.
“All the actors know it; they are careful not to go all the way” on Gaza, Abulof said. “Their common agenda is to eradicate Israel's democratic institutions. For now, that's something they can all agree on.”
Shih reported from Jerusalem. Lior Soroka in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
Israel's military launched a large-scale bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip on 18 March, breaking the fragile ceasefire with Hamas that had been in place since late January. Follow live updates on the ceasefire and the hostages remaining in Gaza.
The Israel-Gaza war: On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking civilian hostages. Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel's creation in 1948. In July 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack Hamas has blamed on Israel.
Hezbollah: In late 2024, Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire deal, bringing a tenuous halt to more than a year of hostilities that included an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon. Israel's airstrikes into Lebanon had been intense and deadly, killing over 1,400 people including Hasan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's longtime leader. The Israel-Lebanon border has a history of violence that dates back to Israel's founding.
Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century's most destructive wars, killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “famine-like conditions.” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave.
U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians, including former President Joe Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons, funds aid packages, and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations' ceasefire resolutions.
Grisly gifts a worrying turn for press freedom in world's third-largest democracy
Warning: some readers may find an image in this story distressing
When a large box arrived at the office with her name on it, Indonesian investigative journalist Francisca Christy Rosana assumed a friend had sent her a package.
Instead, it contained a stinking, mutilated pigs head.
“I was shocked, I cried, and was immediately evacuated by some of my friends,” said Francisca, “I was worried this terror would hurt my family.”
The grisly gift was the first in a series of threats aimed at Tempo media in the past week, in what is being seen as a new low amid increasing intimidation of journalists in the world's third-largest democracy.
First it was the pig's head, with its ears cut off. Days later, six decapitated rats wrapped in rose-adorned paper were sent to Tempo's Jakarta office.
Online, there was a steady stream of harassment. “Are there enough pig heads? If not I can send more,” wrote one menacing user on Tempo's Instagram account.
The threats have in turn led to criticism of the leadership of ex-special forces commander turned president, Prabowo Subianto. Asked to comment on the pig's head threat, presidential spokesperson Hasan Nasbi initially suggested the Tempo journalist “just cook it”.
Hasan later clarified his remarks, saying that Indonesia remained committed to upholding press freedom, as guaranteed by Indonesian law. The police were investigating, he added, and the human rights minister had visited Tempo's office.
Francisca was also doxed, and her mother's phone hijacked, while a relative received strange, threatening phone calls.
Tempo, one of Indonesia's most critical media organisations, is no stranger to threats. During the decades-long reign of former authoritarian ruler Suharto, its weekly magazine was twice banned.
“Bombs, doxing, hijacking of phone numbers. We have had so many threats in the past,” said Bagja Hidayat, Tempo's deputy editor in chief, contemplating the changing nature of the scare tactics used against its journalists.
“But now it's very physical. For the first time animals and organs have been used as messengers … It's very scary.”
The threats, said Bagja, were also menacingly symbolic. In the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, pork is considered haram. The six rats, he said, appeared directed at the six hosts of Tempo's hit podcast, Bocor Alus Politik, which does not shy away from discussing sensitive political issues.
Francisca is one of the hosts, and the only woman among them.
Recently, she has written about electoral and judicial scandals, and the controversial revision of the military law. “This terror is related to my writing,” she said, “I often produce coverage that criticises the government.”
The attacks come weeks after Prabowo publicly stated that some elements of the media had been infiltrated by “foreign interests” intent on destroying the nation.
Tempo's Bagja says there is no clarity on who is behind the recent threats, but police are investigating.
Inaugurated in October, Prabowo – a former special forces commander dismissed from the military amid allegations of rights abuses for which he has always denied wrongdoing – is wary of the press.
During his election campaign he avoided all but a handful of interviews, and days before the vote was the only presidential candidate to skip an event where candidates pledged their commitment to uphold press freedom.
Ross Tapsell, an expert on Indonesian media at the Australian National University, said the case was a test for Prabowo government. “A flippant or nonchalant response will signal that journalists are legitimate targets of attacks,” he said.
“The incident is also important in the context of worsening attacks on female journalists in southeast Asia, where hyper-masculine, military-leaning leadership encourages more overt displays of misogyny.”
Indonesia's Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemned the attack, which it described as a “symbolic death threat”, and one that undermined the public's right to quality news.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the threats as a “dangerous and deliberate act of intimidation”.
“Tempo is well-known internationally for its fiercely independent reporting; using this playbook from autocrats elsewhere simply will not work,” said CPJ's Asia program coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “President Prabowo Subianto must uphold press freedom and condemn this highly provocative act if he wants Indonesia to be taken seriously as the world's third-largest democracy.”
But some damage has already been done.
Some reporters are scared, admitted Tempo's deputy editor in chief, while other media outlets have started to self-censor, he said.
Goenawan Mohamad, founder of Tempo magazine, described the recent threats as a “sign of cowardice”.
Referring to the movement that began after the fall of Suharto in 1998 he said: “Today, thanks to Reformasi you can't ban a newspaper. But it will be interesting to see if there is any move from the regime to review the press law.”
Last year the government, then led by former president Joko Widodo, mulled revising another relevant law, proposed revision of the broadcast law that would have banned “exclusive investigative journalism”. Amid vociferous outcry, the government backtracked.
Since the fall of Suharto, Indonesia has enjoyed a dynamic and free press, arguably the freest and most independent in South-east Asia.
Reporters like Francisca want to keep it that way. “I want to say to all female journalists: don't be afraid of intimidation, because those who intimidate are actually those who are afraid of the truth.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Britain's King Charles III greets a guest during a reception at Buckingham Palace, London, for guests from a wide range of media organisations across the country, Wednesday March 26, 2025. (Aaron Chown, Pool via AP)
Britain's King Charles III greets a guest during a reception at Buckingham Palace, London, for guests from a wide range of media organisations across the country, Wednesday March 26, 2025. (Aaron Chown, Pool via AP)
Britain's King Charles III greets Riz Lateef during a reception at Buckingham Palace, London, for guests from a wide range of media organisations across the country, Wednesday March 26, 2025. (Aaron Chown, Pool via AP)
King Charles III smiles during a visit to the ‘Soil: The world at our feet' exhibition at Somerset House on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Pool photo via AP)
Britain's King Charles III smiles during his visit to the Forsinard Flows Visitor Centre in Forsinard, Highland, Scotland, July 31, 2024. (Jane Barlow/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
Britain's King Charles III holds up flowers he was given as he leaves after a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Britain's King Charles III waves goodbye as he departs following a visit to the Injury Studies at the Imperial College London's White City Campus to highlight the UK's support to injured service personnel in Ukraine, in London, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)
Britain's King Charles III waves as he arrives for a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III was briefly hospitalized for observation on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side effects'' related to a scheduled cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
His engagements for Thursday afternoon and Friday were canceled.
“His majesty has now returned to Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow's diary program will also be rescheduled,'' the palace said. “His majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.''
The king's health has been closely watched ever since early last year when he announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Charles, 76, stepped away from public duties for about three months but continued fulfilling state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister.
Charles' cancer diagnosis has heaped pressure on the British monarchy, which is still evolving after the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting at Ascot, England, Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
When he succeeded his mother in September 2022, Charles' task was to demonstrate that the 1,000-year-old institution remains relevant in a modern nation whose citizens come from all corners of the globe. But this task takes much time and energy.
Although the duties of a constitutional monarch are largely ceremonial, the royal whirl can be exhausting. Besides the occasional procession in full royal regalia, there are meetings with political leaders, dedication ceremonies and events honoring the accomplishments of British citizens. That added up to 161 days of royal engagements during Charles's first year on the throne.
Charles' illness came as his daughter-in-law, Kate, the Princess of Wales, was also diagnosed with cancer. Kate, the wife of Prince William, took more than six months off before returning to public duties in late September.
Find more of AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty
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Six Russian tourists have died after a tourist submarine sank in the Red Sea near the Egyptian city of Hurghada.
Thirty-nine other people were rescued after the vessel - the Sindbad - sank at about 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT), officials say. Nine are said to have been injured with four in critical condition.
Two of those who died were children, Russia's Tass news agency reports, citing a Russian official.
Authorities are still investigating and it is currently not known what caused the incident.
This is the second incident involving a tourist vessel in the Red Sea in recent months. In November, a boat capsized near Marsa Allam, which left 11 people missing, presumed dead.
The Sindbad had been in operation as a tourist submarine for a number of years.
Egypt submarine sinking: What we know so far
Sindbad Submarines, the company running the trips, says its vessels take passengers on journeys to explore coral reefs near the Hurghada coastline.
The Red Sea governor, Amr Hanafy, said the 45 passengers on the Sindbad were from Russia, India, Norway and Sweden. Five Egyptian crew members were also on board.
Mr Hanafy said the six who died were all Russian, but full details of the victims have not yet been released.
Two married doctors are among those who have died and their daughters remain in hospital, authorities said.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, but the Association of Tour Operators of Russia cited in a Telegram post the submarine hit a reef and subsequently lost pressure while at a depth of 20 metres (65 feet).
The city of Hurghada is located to the south-east of Cairo - a tourist destination which is known both for its beaches and coral reefs.
Sindbad Submarines' website says its tours allow passengers to travel 25 metres (82 feet) underwater.
Dr James Aldridge from Bristol took the same trip on the submarine in February 2025. He told the BBC: "The sub was well-maintained and was as shown in the promotional photos.
"Fresh paint, modern equipment and with attentive and professional English-speaking staff (including two divers to accompany you down)."
He explained passengers listened to a safety briefing, which had been recorded in multiple languages, and said that life jackets were not issued.
"We toured the reef for 40 minutes. For the first 20 I was facing the reef, the sub never strayed 'too close' and I never felt unsafe. For the return trip, I was facing the ocean," he added.
Five survivors found day after Red Sea tourist boat sinking
Family 'desperate' as Britons missing after sinking
Exclusive: Simon Blake says progress of government's bill could be exploited by those attacking rights globally
The new head of Stonewall has pledged to fight for a ban on conversion practices that includes “every member of the lesbian, gay, bi and trans community”, as he said that the progress of Labour's bill may be exploited by those pursuing global attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.
With the UK government expected to publish draft legislation this spring, Simon Blake said: “It's really important that a conversion practices bill covers all practices designed to try to change or correct somebody's sexual or gender identity.”
Interviewed at length for the first time since he took the post, Blake said the bill represented a reset between government, Stonewall and the wider LGBTQ+ sector, after Labour committed in its manifesto to a “full trans-inclusive ban” on conversion practices. This follows an increasingly toxic engagement with the previous Tory administration, in which Liz Truss, while equalities minister, urged all government departments to quit the charity's workplace inclusion programme and plans for a similar ban fell apart amid moves to exclude trans people and concerns about the introduction of a loophole of “informed consent”.
Stonewall would have to “really work” around the parliamentary process to ensure initial commitments were not lost, said Blake, who expects opponents will play down the prevalence of conversion practices.
The charity is releasing new research on Friday that finds that 17% of LGBTQ+ Britons have experienced physical assault, 10% have experienced “exorcism” practices and 12% experienced “corrective rape” or sexual assault, all in an attempt to change their sexuality or gender identity.
While some of these are already illegal, campaigners hope that drawing them together under a blanket ban on conversion practices would strengthen recourse for victims as well as acting as a deterrent.
Critics of an inclusive ban suggest it could prevent parents having exploratory conversations with their gender-questioning children, while others – including Hilary Cass, the doctor who reviewed gender identity services for under-18s – have said it may impact on medical professionals' capacity to advocate for a more cautious approach to transition.
But Blake said evidence from other countries that had already legislated for a ban did not support these anxieties.
“Of course parents will ask their children exploratory questions. What we are talking about here is conversion practices, which are saying ‘you are bad, you are wrong, you need to change'.
“I think we have to be really, really clear about the distinction between healthcare for young people – or anyone – and conversion practices and not conflate those issues.”
Blake suggested the bill might become a focus for opponents of progressive reform more widely. “This is a flagship policy at a time when we know that LGBT rights are being attacked on a global basis, with Trump, with propaganda legislation [in Europe], and those who oppose LGBT rights will use the opportunity to spread misinformation and perpetuate divisive arguments.”
Regardless of pushback, Blake insisted the ban was “only one piece of the puzzle”.
“We need to see the UK take its place back at the top of the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights and a government committed to this.”
Echoing the comments of the screenwriter Russell T Davies, who said recently it felt more dangerous to be a gay man in the UK since Trump's election, Blake agreed: “People are scared. It's easy to think it's happening in the US, in Italy, Spain, Georgia but we're also hearing organisations and people in the UK who are saying it feels different, it feels less welcoming.”
Blake takes over as CEO after a turbulent period in Stonewall's history, during which it attracted heavy censure for its stance on trans rights which critics both inside and outside the LGBT community believed was trying to shut down debate. One of its 14 co-founders, Matthew Parris, accused it of being “cornered into an extremist stance”.
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“It's absolutely right that Stonewall became trans inclusive in 2015,” said Blake, drawing a distinction between the “public narrative” and “practical reality” that followed.
“Whilst the world has become more polarised and divisive and there was a lot of talking about Stonewall and trans issues, we were carrying on doing work for all members of the LGBT community.”
He added that there was merit in Stonewall amplifying trans-led organisations and working in partnership rather than “doing everything”.
Blake, who acknowledged there has been “huge division” over the issue, said that Stonewall had always navigated “incredibly well” through different views, with equal marriage as a recent example.
But some critics of Stonewall have pinpointed what they felt was the organisation's own unwillingness to engage in respectful exchanges, be that with its earlier “no debate” policy on trans rights or previous boss Nancy Kelley comparing gender critical beliefs to antisemitism.
Blake said: “I have heard that view, but looking ahead I'm clear we have only made progress and will only make progress through endless conversations with people who may share none or some of the same views.
“The problem with the current conversation about some elements of the LGBTQ+ rights agenda is it is about winning or losing, and that isn't helpful,” he said.
“I want conversations where we are willing to listen to each other, seek to understand each other's views and find ways for everyone to live side by side with dignity and respect.”
Reform leader also says Andrew Tate has so many young male followers because society ‘feminises' them too much
Nigel Farage has said men will more readily sacrifice their family lives to be successful in their business careers than women, and that young men are being too “feminised” by modern society.
The Reform UK leader set out his view on gender balance in the workplace in a conversation with journalists in Westminster, saying women made “different life choices” when it came to work. He went on to suggest that Reform attracts men because they are more impulsive than their female counterparts.
Asked if the men who fill 80% of top jobs in business were all there based purely on merit, he said: “I think the truth is that in many cases women make very different life choices to men. If you look at business, men are prepared to sacrifice family lives in order to pursue a career and be successful in a way that fewer women are. Those women that do probably have more chance of reaching the top than the blokes.”
Reform is dominated by men at the top, with Farage as leader, Richard Tice as deputy, Nick Candy as treasurer and Zia Yusuf as chair, along with two more male MPs. Its press and policy teams are also staffed by men. Pressed on whether there should be more women at the top of his party, he said: “I'm very pro-women, don't worry about that,” and listed several candidates who are female.
Farage's comments appear to echo those widely circulating in the online “manosphere” where views are commonly expressed that men are being too “feminised”. He said he was not a fan of the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, but that people should try to understand why he had 10 million young male followers. He has previously spoken of Tate being an important voice for young men.
The Labour MP for Bolsover, Natalie Fleet, said: “Nigel Farage seems to be stuck in the 1970s. He clearly has no idea about the sacrifices women make, how on Earth can his party represent them?”
In a wide-ranging question and answer session, Farage also:
Lifted the lid further on his row with Elon Musk, saying the billionaire adviser to Donald Trump had tried to push him too much on supporting the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. “You can't bully me,” he said. “I've got my principles, I stand by them good or bad.”
Said the idea of a $100m (£77m) donation from Musk had been “massively overexaggerated”, but insisted they were now on “perfectly reasonable terms” by text message.
Dismissed the idea of a pact with the Tories, saying Reform “despises” the party. He suggested its leader, Kemi Badenoch, was lazy and referred to her leadership rival Robert Jenrick as Robert “Generic”. Of Tory MPs, he said: “I've never met a more stuck up, arrogant, out of touch group of people. At least half of the Conservative MPs are stuffy, boring old bastards.”
Blamed net zero policies rather than the threat of Trump tariffs for the planned closure of Scunthorpe's steel plant, and claimed the US president had wanted to do a trade deal during his previous term, but that the Tories had “blown it” by delaying Brexit.
In his comments on men and women, Farage said it was wrong that boys were “being told not to be boys” with advice not to shout, sing songs or drink more than two pints of beer at football tournaments.
“I mean, no point going, really, but, you know, we try and sort of feminise men. And that's why people like Andrew Tate have picked up the support they have … I'm not a Tate supporter. I'm identifying a truth that young men feel that they're not allowed to be blokes.”
In relation to Reform's support, which was stronger among young men at the last election, he said: “I think men are more impulsive. I think men say ‘I like that, I'm going to do it.' And I think women think, hang on a second, and are more cautious.”
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He said, however, that new support for Reform since the election was equally split between the sexes, and he hoped his party would appoint more senior women.
Farage also joked about his portrayal in the media. “There are things that have been written about me over the years and said that I really find awkward, and difficult and embarrassing. I've seen all these diary pieces and gossip columns say that I'm a chain smoker,” he said.
“Others have written that my drink intake verges on alcoholism. Others have said I spend my entire life spending with bookmakers at race events. Some have said that I'm a womaniser on a level that's not been seen in modern political history. And you guys have written all this about me. I had to live with … The trouble is, it's all true. Well it was true, but as you get older it becomes less important.”
Farage's Q&A came ahead of Labour's NHS action day of campaigning on Saturday, where the health secretary, Wes Streeting, will unveil an anti-Reform advertising campaign. He will attack Farage in run-up the local elections and the Runcorn byelection, saying he has “no plan for the country beyond fawning over Putin and plotting to dismantle our health service”.
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Updated on: March 28, 2025 / 3:44 PM EDT
/ CBS News
Kansas health officials have confirmed 23 measles cases, marking an outbreak for the state as infections in at least 17 states have led to the most cases in the U.S. in a single year since 2019.
The Kansas outbreak is spread across 6 southwest counties, the state's Department of Health and Environment said Wednesday.
The majority of cases, 20, are individuals who were not vaccinated against the infection. Fifteen cases are in school-aged children, between ages 5 and 17, six patients are 4 years old or younger and two are over 18, officials said.
Health officials in Ohio have also reported 10 cases this week.
"Given the measles activity in Texas, New Mexico, and other states around the country, we're disappointed but not surprised we now have several cases here in Ohio and known exposure in some counties," Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in a news release Tuesday.
Measles, a highly contagious infectious disease, can in some cases cause severe infections in the lungs and brain that may lead to cognitive issues, deafness or death. A vaccine against the illness is safe and effective, doctors and health officials say.
While most people's symptoms improve, about 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles will be hospitalized. About 1 out of every 1,000 children with measles will develop brain swelling that can lead to brain damage, and up to 3 of every 1,000 children who become infected will die, the CDC says.
So far, no cases in Kansas have led to hospitalization or death, according to the data from the state's health department.
The Kansas cases come as other states are facing rising infections too. The majority of the cases have been reported in an outbreak in Texas that has sickened more than 400 people since late January and has caused the death of a child. An adult with measles also died in New Mexico.
Earlier this month, a person with a confirmed measles infection may have exposed Amtrak passengers on a train to Washington, D.C., according to officials at the D.C. Department of Health.
Measles cases have also been reported in a number of other states, including New Jersey, Georgia, California, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Michigan, Alaska and Pennsylvania.
The measles vaccine is usually administered in childhood as part of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, shot. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles, and a single dose is about 93% effective, the CDC says.
Similar to the Kansas cases, the Texas outbreak largely spread in a community with very low vaccination rates, and Texas health officials said the child who died in that outbreak was unvaccinated.
Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper's wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News' HealthWatch.
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Copyright ©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
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Updated on: March 28, 2025 / 3:09 PM EDT
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Stocks are taking a battering on Friday amid growing concerns on Wall Street about the impact of President Trump's tariff regime as well as hotter-than-expected price data, sparking worries that the Federal Reserve is far from declaring victory on inflation.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 758 points, or 1.8%, to 41,541.09 in Friday afternoon trading, while the broad-based S&P 500 shed 2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index skidded 2.8%.
Friday's stock market rout comes after Wall Street has already suffered a pummeling this year, with the S&P 500 down 9% from its most recent February high.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday said he is imposing a 25% tariff on all vehicles and auto parts imported into the U.S., a move that is expected to add thousands of dollars to the cost of many vehicles. He also plans to announce more tariffs on April 2. Because tariffs are import taxes that companies largely pass onto consumers, many economists are forecasting an uptick in inflation later this year.
At the same time, new economic data released on Friday shows that core inflation heated up last month, posing a challenge to the Federal Reserve's goal of driving inflation down to a 2% annual rate.
"The recent U.S. stock market correction appears to have been partially triggered by investors realising that Trump may follow through with his tariff threats and that this will hurt the U.S. economy," said Oxford Economics lead economist Daniel Harenberg and senior economist Kiki Sondh in a Friday report. "Similarly, consumer sentiment has weakened due to tariff-induced inflation fears."
The economy has so far been holding up relatively well, but if it were to weaken while inflation stays high, it would produce a worst-case scenario called "stagflation," which policymakers in Washington have few good tools to fix.
A report on Friday morning showed that U.S. consumers, including Republicans, Independents and Democrats, getting more pessimistic about their future finances. Two out of three consumers surveyed by the University of Michigan expect unemployment to worsen in the year ahead. That's the the highest reading since 2009, and it raises worries about a job market that's been the linchpin keeping the U.S. economy solid.
At the same time, recent CBS News polling shows that Americans have become more dour in their economic outlooks, with relatively more consumers bracing for a slowdown or recession over the next year.
Shares of automakers tumbled on Friday, continuing a rout that began after Mr. Trump announced his new auto tariffs. Hyundai Motor fell 2.6% in Seoul, while Honda Motor fell 2.6%, and Toyota Motor sank 2.8% in Tokyo.
On Wall Street, Ford Motor fell 2.6%, and General Motors sank 1.7%. Even U.S. automakers selling vehicles in the country can feel the pain of such tariffs because their supply chains are spread throughout North America. Trump says he wants more manufacturing to take place within the United States.
The rout also hit shares outside the auto industry, with investors concerned that Mr. Trump's trade war may cause U.S. households and businesses to freeze their spending. Even if the tariffs end up being less painful than feared, all the uncertainty may filter into changed behaviors that hurt the economy.
Leading the market lower on Friday was Lululemon Athletica, which dropped 15%. Even though the seller of athletic apparel reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, it warned that its revenue growth may slow this upcoming year as consumers grow more cautious.
"Consumers are spending less due to increased concerns about inflation and the economy," said CEO Calvin McDonald.
Lululemon also said tariffs and shifting foreign-currency values may account for about half of its expected drop in a key measure of performance: how much profit it can squeeze out of each $1 of revenue.
Oxford Industries, the company behind the Tommy Bahama and Lilly Pulitzer brands, likewise reported stronger results for the latest quarter than expected but still saw its stock fall 3.1%. CEO Tom Chubb said it saw a "deterioration in consumer sentiment that also weighed on demand" beginning in January, which accelerated into February.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
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An executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution is prompting questions over the organization's past and who runs and funds it.
Who Funds and Operates the Smithsonian?
Pablo Martinez Monsivais|AP-File
People wait in line to enter the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Cultural on the National Mall, Mar. 1, 2017, in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian Institution is the latest organization to be caught in the Trump administration's crosshairs after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for a revamp.
The order called for "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology" to be removed and put Vice President JD Vance in charge. It also charged the Interior Department with restoring federal parks, monuments and memorials that have been “removed or changed in the last years to perpetuate a false revision of history.”
“Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology,” the order said.
The organization operates more than 20 museums and research centers in Washington, D.C., New York City and elsewhere and has been operating for more than 175 years, drawing millions of visitors annually.
Cecelia Smith-SchoenwalderMarch 25, 2025
The order has now prompted questions about the fate of millions of items spread across the facilities and who runs and funds the institution.
Here's what to know:
The institution was created through funds left by British scientist James Smithson, who left his estate to the U.S. in order to create “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” At the time of his death in 1829, his estate totaled half a million dollars.
Six years after Smithson's death, President Andrew Jackson announced the estate gift to Congress. The chambers then accepted Smithson's gift in 1836, but it took an additional 10 years before it was acted upon.
The Senate in 1846 passed a measure creating the organization as a trust administration run by a board of regents and a secretary of the Smithsonian, and President James K. Polk later signed it into law.
Initially funded through Smithson's estate, the institution is now 62% federally funded through a combination of congressional appropriations and federal grants and contracts.
The remaining funds come from nonfederal sources, like endowments, donations, memberships, magazine subscriptions, concessions and more.
The institution's federal budget for fiscal 2024 was more than $1 billion.
Laura MannweilerFeb. 14, 2025
The Smithsonian is not a federal agency but it is a “trust instrumentality” of the United States tasked with carrying out the responsibilities Congress took on when it accepted Smithson's gift. It is overseen by Lonnie G. Bunch III, the secretary who was appointed by the institution's Board of Regents. That board also oversees it and is made up of the chief justice of the United States, the vice president, three senators, three members of the House and nine citizens.
The institution is home to more than 20 museums and research centers between D.C. and New York City.
Washington alone is home to 16 of the institution's museums – some of its best known facilities, plus the National Zoo:
Thursday's order is part of an ongoing effort by the Trump administration to reshape American culture after alleging it has been taken over by "woke" left-wing ideology.
The effort began on his first day in office with executive orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government. The purge has since expanded to other areas, like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the stretch of 16th Street near the White House in Washington known as Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Trump says in his order that Congress shouldn't fund exhibits and programs that "divide Americans by race.”
It accused the American Women's History Museum, which is under development right now, of planning to “recognize men as women” after the museum's director revealed plans to include transgender women in the museum.
It also singled out the National Museum of African American History and Culture, saying it "has proclaimed that 'hard work,' 'individualism,' and 'the nuclear family' are aspects of 'White culture.'" The order was referencing a 2020 dispute over an educational resource on race that was released by the museum, for which officials issued a statement of apology.
Tags: Donald Trump, Smithsonian, history, race, racism, executive orders
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South Carolina Army National Guard helicopters conduct aerial, water-bucket operations on the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires, in Pickens County, S.C. on Sunday March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP )
The Black Cove Fire is seen burning Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A U.S. Army Soldier from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, 59th Aviation Troop Command views the landscape from a Black Hawk helicopter during a fire suppression mission over the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires in South Carolina on March 26, 2025. (Sgt. Elizabeth Schneider/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)
Firefighters work to control the Black Cove Fire Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C.. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
South Carolina Army National Guard helicopters conduct aerial, water-bucket operations on the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires, Pickens County, S.C., on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP )
South Carolina Army National Guard helicopters conduct aerial, water-bucket operations on the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires, Pickens County, S.C. on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP )
South Carolina National Guard responds to the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge wildfires emergency in Pickens County, S.C., on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (Sgt. 1st Class Roberto Di Giovine/U.S. Army National Guard via AP )
Firefighters look at a map as the Black Cove Fire burns nearby Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A helicopter does a water drop on the Black Cove Fire Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Smoldering remains of Hurricane Helene debris that caught fire are seen during the Black Cove Fire Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Saluda, N.C.. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A large wildfire in the South Carolina mountains has doubled in size on each of the last three days. But fire crews have been able to keep the blaze away from structures.
Firefighters battling the Table Rock Mountain fire have concentrated on saving lives and property by digging fire breaks that push the blaze north through undeveloped land on the Pickens County ridges near the North Carolina state line, officials said Friday. No injuries have been reported.
Airplanes and helicopters have completed more than 550 water-dropping missions on the Table Rock fire and a second blaze on Persimmon Ridge about 8 miles (13 kilometers) away.
But for now it is mostly defense in the Blue Ridge Mountains until the weather cooperates with a soaking rain or lessening winds, South Carolina Forester Scott Phillips said at a news conference Friday at Table Rock State Park.
South Carolina officials warn that it's going to be a long wildfire season. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.
“With these fires and the conditions we are facing in the state right now — the dryness of the fuel, the extremely low humidity, the high winds that we're having — containment is very, very difficult to achieve,” Phillips said.
The Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires have burned about 17 square miles (44 square kilometers). The Table Rock fire started a week ago and has been doubling in size since Tuesday as windy and dry conditions have spread through the mountains.
In North Carolina, at least eight fires were burning in the mountains. The largest — the Black Cove Fire and the Deep Woods Fire in Polk County — were becoming more contained. They have scorched about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) combined but have barely grown late this week.
And while those fires have received the most attention, the wildfire season has already been busy thanks to a drought and Hurricane Helene six months ago knocking down millions of trees. The fallen trees act as fuel and block firefighters trying to get to blazes.
“It will be a continuing issue for the next several years. It's going to change the way we have to attack fires in the mountains of South Carolina,” Phillips said.
Firefighters helping the state Forestry Commission have fought 373 wildfires in South Carolina that have burned more than 28 square miles (73 squarer kilometers) just in March.
“That's orders of magnitude more than we typically do within a month –- even more than we do in some years as far as the number of acres burned,” Phillips said.
April is typically the worst month for wildfires and long-term forecasts don't show conditions changing much.
“This is going to be a long season for us,” Phillips said.
A ban an outdoor burning has been in place for more than a week in South Carolina. Officials have given no indication when they will lift it.
Gov. Henry McMaster reminded people that violating the burn ban can mean jail time, and starting a fire even through negligence could leave someone on the hook for everything damaged.
“You go out and start a fire and you burn your neighbor's house down –- you owe them a house,” McMaster said.
Weather forecasts for the weekend have encouraging news. Calm winds are predicted overnight, and rain should fall Sunday and Monday, although the National Weather Service is not predicting the kind of soaking firefighters want.
“We're going to get it out,” McMaster said of the fires. “We're hoping we are going to have some rain, have some help. Everybody put that in your prayers.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria smiles while visiting guests at a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
A selection of Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper stories are displayed at the law firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Attorney Jeffrey S. Robbins, who is with the firm representing Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, flips through a folder containing stories by the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, listens to a reporter's question during an interview at his attorney's office, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria talks with guests while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria embraces resident Pamela Mavilio while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Two women walk past the Everett Leader Herald News Gazette newspaper, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Everett, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
EVERETT, Mass. (AP) — For years, the mayor of a Boston suburb dreaded Wednesdays. That was the day when a local weekly would publish shocking allegations that he was on the take, sexually harassing women or under investigation by the FBI.
Friends trashed Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria on Facebook over what the Everett Leader Herald printed. His father threatened to disown him — over stories the mayor knew were lies.
“They labeled me as a ‘Kickback Carlo.' Accusations that I was settling all kinds of sexual harassment lawsuits, that I put a knife to a girl's throat and asked for sexual favors,” DeMaria said. “It was awful. It was disgusting.”
Almost everything the paper wrote about DeMaria turned out to be fake, enabling him to win a $1.1 million settlement in December that finally shut down the nearly 140-year-old paper.
Such defamation victories are exceedingly rare under the Supreme Court's “actual malice” standard for public figures. That willing disregard for the truth became abundantly evident when the paper's editor swore in court to tell the truth, and admitted to fabricating story after story in an unrelenting smear campaign.
But DeMaria hardly had time to celebrate. Now preparing for his seventh mayoral campaign, he's been accused of padding his salary with bonus payments — an issue the paper covered four years ago — and this time, the state of Massachusetts is pressing the City Council to take action.
Favoring sharp suits and slicked-back hair, DeMaria was schooled in a style of politics based on personal connections with fellow residents in the working-class town of about 49,000 across the Mystic River from Boston. As mayor in 2007, he's been praised for his leadership in improving infrastructure. Out-of-towners can now look beyond the Monsanto and Exxon Mobil facilities as they come to a glitzy casino and soon, possibly, a professional soccer stadium.
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria talks with guests while visiting a senior luncheon following a bingo game at the Connolly Center, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, in Everett. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Everett voters reelected DeMaria by landslides, and his annual compensation grew to $232,700, including a car allowance and a “longevity bonus,” approaching the $250,000 salary of Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, a city nearly 14 times larger.
Then, after a brutal 2021 campaign, he held onto office by just over 200 votes.
Matthew Philbin had bought the Leader Herald in 2017 and hired a Boston-area reporter Joshua Resnek, to turn it into an attack machine, court records show. DeMaria believes Philbin was angry at him after he opposed his boarding house licenses as a councilman and then rejected giving him a city insurance contract after he became mayor.
Resnek invented a City Hall insider he called the “Blue Suit” and in article after article, made up conversations accusing “Kickback Carlo” of extorting the city clerk in a land deal, shaking down people for contributions and sexually assaulting women.
In an emotional press conference to announce his court victory, DeMaria stood with his wife and expressed vindication.
“The size and scope of this settlement — both in terms of the amount that the defendants have agreed to pay and in their agreement to shut down their newspaper — is a reflection of just how egregious their conduct was, and of the volume of their admissions of their misconduct,” DeMaria said.
Neither Philbin, Resnek nor their lawyers responded to repeated requests for comment, but the paper's final edition reported that “the settlement leaves all parties satisfied that an agreeable arrangement was reached, making the necessity of a trial a moot point.”
Some residents grumbled about the loss of local news coverage.
“We need all kinds of voices,” said Everett homeowner Peggy Serino, a regular at council meetings. “Just because the administration didn't agree with something doesn't mean you shut it down.”
Someone complained to the state Office of the Inspector General about the bonus payments in 2022, after the Leader Herald suggested they were illegal and quoted a mayoral challenger who called them “greedy.” DeMaria turned down his 2022 payment of $40,000, and the council limited his future payments to what other city workers get — about $1,700 a year.
After a lengthy investigation, the Inspector General concluded in February that DeMaria colluded with his finance officer and budget director to retroactively get $180,000 from 2016 to 2021, hiding the payments within other line-items. The IG also concluded that DeMaria may have violated state ethics law by participating in the drafting and approval of the ordinance that padded his pay.
The City Council has turned on him since the report came out. It can't fire him, but councilors demanded repayment and launched an audit into nearly a decade's worth of payments to him. They also requested details they could bring to the state ethics commission, which can fine an official up to $10,000 per violation and refer evidence of any crimes to prosecutors.
DeMaria insists he never “engaged in concealment” and that law enforcement has not contacted him. It's all just small-town politics, he said.
“Those who have falsely accused me over the years are the ones who are guilty of the real wrongdoing,” he said. “I will continue to fight to protect my family, but also to undo the harm that has been done to the reputation of Everett and its residents by these unnecessary and unfounded attacks.”
Everett, Mass. Mayor Carlo DeMaria, listens to a reporter's question during an interview at his attorney's office, Friday Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
DeMaria didn't attend a special meeting packed with city employees where his lawyer and his daughter came to defend him. Launching his reelection campaign weeks later, he asked supporters to withhold judgment until all the facts come out.
Not everyone is willing to wait. The City Council approved a no-confidence vote and ended future longevity payments for him.
“This is a sad day for our community,” City Councilor Peter Pietrantonio said. “These are serious facts against the mayor and his administration ... To me, it's appalling.”
Councilor at Large Guerline Alcy Jabouin asked the many city workers supporting DeMaria to look beyond their allegiances.
“Think about your property taxes. Think about the school that isn't getting enough money. Think about your grandmother, your grandfather that cannot afford to pay for their medication,” Jabouin said.
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Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, discusses the upcoming congressional hearings on national injunctions against the Trump administration on ‘America's Newsroom.'
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to review a restraining order that temporarily blocks its use of an 18th century wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, from U.S. soil.
In the filing, lawyers for the Trump administration said that the lower court's orders have "rebuffed" Trump's immigration agenda, including its ability "to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations."
The request for Supreme Court intervention comes shortly after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 on Wednesday to uphold a lower court's decision that temporarily blocked the administration's use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals. That decision paused the Trump administration's use of the law for a 14-day period to allow the judge time to review the merits of the case.
The Trump administration had vowed it would appeal the circuit court decision to the Supreme Court for further review.
APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN'S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT
President Donald Trump attempted to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. (Getty Images)
In their Supreme Court filing, U.S. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said the lower court's "flawed" orders "threaten the government's sensitive negotiations with foreign powers," and risk "serious and perhaps irreparable harm if not immediately reviewed" by the nation's highest court.
At minimum, the Trump administration said, the Supreme Court should grant an administrative stay, which would allow them to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals while the court considers the government's orders.
They also sharply criticized the appeals court's decision handed down Wednesday.
Writing for the 2-1 majority in the appeals court decision, U.S. Circuit Court Judges Karen Henderson, a Bush appointee, and Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, focused heavily on concerns of due process violations, as well as complaints of immediate and irreparable harm cited by the plaintiffs.
Allowing Trump to use the law in the near-term "risks exiling plaintiffs to a land that is not their country of origin," Henderson said in a concurring opinion siding with the lower court judge.
'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO
Judge James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the U.S. District Court in D.C., stands for a portrait at E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2023. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"The equities favor the plaintiffs," Henderson said. "And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties' arguments.
Millett, for her part, said that siding with the Trump administration would "moot the Plaintiffs' claims by immediately removing them beyond the reach of their lawyers or the court."
Lawyers for the Trump administration also used the Supreme Court filing to criticize the growing trend of temporary restraining orders and injunctions blocking key policies, calling the lower court's ruling part of a "rule-by-TRO" pattern. Harris argued this approach has become so common that "the Executive Branch's basic functions are in peril."
In the two months since Inauguration Day, district courts have issued more than 40 injunctions or TROs against the Executive Branch, they noted in the filing.
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The Trump administration continued to rail against the lower court decisions, which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described to Fox News on Wednesday as an "unauthorized infringement" on the president's authority.
The administration "will act swiftly to seek Supreme Court review to vindicate the president's authority, defend the Constitution, and Make America Safe Again," Leavitt added.
This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.
Fox News Digital's Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
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Watch CBS News
Updated on: March 28, 2025 / 10:42 AM EDT
/ CBS News
Nikola founder Trevor Milton said in a social media post that he's received "a full and unconditional pardon" by President Trump, adding that the president called him personally to inform him.
"I just got a call from the president of the United States on my phone that he signed a full and unconditional pardon of innocence," Milton said in an Instagram video message posted Thursday. "I am free."
In December 2023, Milton was sentenced to four years in prison after he was convicted of exaggerating claims about his electric vehicle company's production of zero-emission 18-wheel trucks, which prosecutors claimed caused investors to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Milton's conviction came after a short seller called Hindenburg Research alleged in 2020 that the EV maker had misrepresented its technology.
In his video, Milton said, "The greatest comeback story in America is about to happen."
Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, a move that came months after it warned it could likely run out of cash in early 2025. Once valued at around $30 billion, exceeding the market capitalization of Ford Motor Co., the EV maker was a rising Wall Street star before it became embroiled in scandal.
Last month, Nikola said it plans to to continue limited service and support operations for vehicles on the road, including fueling operations through the end of March, subject to court approval. The company said that it would need to raise more funding to support those types of activities after that time.
In the video, Milton didn't disclose whether he had plans for Nikola or his involvement in the EV industry.
"I get to be with my wife now, I get to be with my family," Milton said. "It is done, it is over."
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
© 2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright ©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
Israel carried out a strike on Beirut, the Lebanese capital, for the first time since the ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war in November.
The attack on Friday targeted a building in Beirut's southern suburbs and was in response to rocket fire from its northern neighbor, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
The IDF said it wanted to destroy a drone storage facility belonging to the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah.
Lebanon's National News Agency confirmed, "Israeli warplanes struck the Hadath neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs."
Israel also bombarded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Friday, the Israeli military said.
Speaking alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who was visiting Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said the strike on Beirut was "unacceptable," adding that such attacks "play into the hands of Hezbollah."
France is on the committee tasked with overseeing the ceasefire.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, however, said the Lebanese government bore direct responsibility for the attack and warned, "If there is no quiet in Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee communities, there will be no quiet in Beirut either."
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said the exchange of fire across the southern border on Friday was "deeply concerning."
Hezbollah denied involvement in Friday's rocket attack on Israel and another last Saturday.
The group said it remained committed to the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel in November.
The ceasefire was intended to bring an end to months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.
The militant group began attacking Israel with rockets and artillery a day after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023.
That escalated into all-out war, with Israel conducting an intense bombing campaign on Beirut and sending in ground troops.
Under the ceasefire deal, the Lebanese military would deploy additional soldiers to the south, and Hezbollah would remove its fighters and weapons.
The truce also brought a partial Israeli withdrawal from the south.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
Watch CBS News
March 28, 2025 / 9:50 AM EDT
/ CBS News
The core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, ticked up last month, rising more than economists had forecast and signaling that price hikes remain stubbornly elevated.
Inflation yardsticks such as the PCE index and the Consumer Price Index measure the change in prices over time of a typical basket of goods and services.
The core PCE, which excludes volatile fuel and food prices, showed a 2.8% increase last month on an annual basis, versus a 2.6% annual increase in January, according to data released Friday by the Commerce Department.
Economists had forecast that the core PCE in February rose 2.7%, according to financial data firm FactSet. Including fuel and food prices, the PCE rose 2.5% on an annual basis, matching the prior month's increase.
While inflation has cooled considerably from its peak above 9% in June 2022, the Federal Reserve wants to drive the annual rate of price increases to 2%, a goal that remains elusive. The Trump administration's tariff barrage — including a new 25% tariff on auto and car part imports — could reignite inflation later this year, economists say.
The pickup in core inflation likely means the Federal Reserve will hold off on further rate cuts, said Ellen Zentner of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in an email. Earlier this year, the Fed paused its series of rate cuts given sticky inflation data that pointed to a stall-out in its battle against price hikes.
"Today's higher-than-expected inflation reading wasn't exceptionally hot, but it isn't going to speed up the Fed's timeline for cutting interest rates, especially given the uncertainty surrounding tariffs," Zentner said.
The PCE report also included data on consumer finances, showing that consumers saw their incomes jump 0.8% in February although they increased spending at just 0.4%, noted Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic in an email.
U.S. consumers are putting that extra money aside in savings, pushing up the household savings rate to its highest level since June 2024, she noted. Americans' outlook for the economy has grown somewhat more pessimistic since last month, with relatively more expecting a slowdown or recession over the next year, recent CBS News polling has found.
"Heightened uncertainty around the economic outlook, fears of accelerating inflation and the declines in the equity market are depressing consumer confidence," Bostjancic said.
Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.
© 2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2025 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.
Donald Trump, Elon Musk, White House
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched its first-ever ad buy Friday targeting Elon Musk and the millions of dollars he has injected into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, previewing what could be a broader strategy for the party going forward.
The DNC ad buys, which are slated to run through Tuesday in seven local newspapers across Wisconsin, take aim at the $19 million Musk and his affiliated PACs have spent on behalf of conservative candidate, Brad Schimel, in a high-stakes state Supreme Court election that will determine whether the court retains its current 4-3 liberal majority.
Musk "has threatened Medicare, gutted Social Security services, and now he thinks he can buy himself a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court," DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement Friday. "That's why, today, the DNC is out with our first paid media explicitly calling out Musk for his attempts to meddle in Wisconsin's elections."
JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
A photo of the DNC's ad, taking aim at Elon Musk ahead of the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race. The ad will run in seven newspapers ahead of the April 1, 2025 election. (Democratic National Committee )
DNC officials told Fox News Digital that the ads will run in seven local newspapers across the state – the Chippewa Herald, the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, the Beloit Daily News, the Daily Jefferson County Union, the Janesville Gazette, the Watertown Daily Times and the Oshkosh Northwestern – and highlight the message, "Wisconsin is not for sale."
"Wisconsinites deserve a Supreme Court justice who looks out for them, not the ultra-wealthy," Martin said. "Now and forever, Wisconsin is not for sale."
The closely-watched state Supreme Court in Wisconsin is already the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, reaching a total of more than $81 million in spending and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Musk's two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel's behalf, while Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year – funds that in turn can be used for Schimel's campaign.
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford are seen before a televised debate on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
President Donald Trump and Musk have thrown their weight behind conservative candidate Schimel, with Trump himself stumping for Schimel during a Thursday evening tele-town hall event and billing the race as one that could have an "outsized impact on the future of the country."
"I know you feel it's local, but it's not," Trump said, adding, "The whole country is watching."
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama and other notable Democrats have thrown their weight behind liberal opponent Susan Crawford, the current Dane County circuit judge whose campaign has attracted more than $25 million in funding ahead of the race.
AFTER STINGING ELECTION DEFEATS, DNC EYES RURAL VOTERS AS KEY TO 2026 MIDTERM SUCCESS
Judge Susan Crawford, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, greets supporters during a campaign stop at the Racine County Democratic Party headquarters on March 23, 2025 in Racine, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Democrats, for their part, see the race as fertile proving grounds to test their attack against Musk as they look to retain a critical state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin and gear up for the 2026 midterm elections.
The efficacy of the ad campaign in Wisconsin, a that narrowly elected Trump in both the 2016 and 2024 presidential contests, remains to be seen.
However, it comes as Democrats have struggled to coalesce around a unifying message in the aftermath of the 2024 elections, which could make Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), more attractive targets.
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Polling numbers in Wisconsin also bear this out. Fifty-three percent of Wisconsin voters said earlier this month that DOGE is disrupting programs required by law, according to a survey from Marquette University Law School, while a slightly lower 47% said the quasi-agency is carrying out Trump's agenda.
A larger 59% majority said Trump's freezing spending and his closing of federal agencies is beyond his governmental authority.
Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
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Israel on Friday conducted drone strikes on a southern Beirut suburb, according to Lebanese official media, shortly after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order. The strike occurred as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and is the first such attack since a November ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Official media in Lebanon reported an air strike Friday on south Beirut following an Israeli military warning, the first such move since a November ceasefire that has been seriously disrupted over the past week.
"Israeli warplanes struck the Hadath neighbourhood in Beirut's southern suburbs," the National News Agency said, referring to a densely populated area home to residential buildings and schools, after unclaimed rocket fire from Lebanon towards Israel earlier in the day.
Shortly before the strike, Israel's army issued an evacuation order to residents of Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs. The military told them to leave the area around "Hezbollah facilities" immediately.
"Anyone located in the building marked in red as shown on the map, and the surrounding buildings... are near Hezbollah facilities... you must immediately evacuate these buildings", military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that included a map showing the building.
Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:US, France are 'guarantors of ceasefire deal', Lebanese President Joseph Aoun saysNetanyahu orders strikes on ‘terror targets' in Lebanon
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The AI cloud computing provider CoreWeave made its debut on the Nasdaq Friday under the ticker CRWV. The stock opened around $40 per share at 1:15 p.m. ET, fell as much as 6%, turned green and rose by as much as 4%, and eventually ended the session flat.
The company, which provides computing power using its mass supply of Nvidia (NVDA) GPUs to Big Tech, raised $1.5 billion in its IPO — much lower than the $4 billion it had initially hoped to raise.
CoreWeave's IPO and public debut are the first real test of the AI trade, critics say. That's because the Nvidia-backed company's fate relies in large part on the sustained success of generative artificial intelligence, which CoreWeave itself said in its amended S-1 filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission is an unknown.
“The broader adoption, use, and commercialization of AI technology, and the continued rapid pace of developments in the AI field, are inherently uncertain," the company said in its filing when describing its risk factors.
CoreWeave's revenue soared to $1.9 billion in 2024 from just $229 million the prior year, the filing showed. At the same time, however, its net loss rose to $863 million from $594 million. And some 77% of CoreWeave's 2024 revenue came from just two customers, with 62% coming from Microsoft (MSFT), according to the filing. Those customers who offer cloud services, known as "hyperscalers," use CoreWeave's GPU-filled data centers to power their AI efforts.
“Any negative changes in demand from Microsoft … would adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition, and future prospects,” CoreWeave wrote.
Microsoft stock dropped more than 3% after CoreWeave shares began trading. Nvidia fell 1.7%.
The company remains optimistic. "This discussion of [an] AI bubble, we don't understand it," CoreWeave co-founder and chief development officer Brannin McBee told Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi.
"Clients come into us, and they are saying, 'CoreWeave, we recognize you're the best at delivering this infrastructure in the in the space. We need more, and we need a lot more.' And that scale of growth is just continuing to accelerate for us," he said. "That's why we're going public, is to support our clients in their growth requirements for infrastructure that we bring to market for them."
"We are the critical piece to connecting the artificial intelligence products that the world's thought leaders are bringing to market to the consumers of those products," he continued.
CoreWeave faces $7.5 billion in debt repayments by the end of next year, the Financial Times reported.
"CoreWeave simply doesn't have meaningful demand or revenue resulting from its services," Big Tech critic and podcaster Ed Zitron wrote in a recent newsletter.
Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @laurabratton.bsky.social. Email her at laura.bratton@yahooinc.com.
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The AI cloud computing provider CoreWeave made its debut on the Nasdaq Friday under the ticker CRWV. The stock opened around $40 per share at 1:15 p.m. ET, fell as much as 6%, turned green and rose by as much as 4%, and eventually ended the session flat.
The company, which provides computing power using its mass supply of Nvidia (NVDA) GPUs to Big Tech, raised $1.5 billion in its IPO — much lower than the $4 billion it had initially hoped to raise.
CoreWeave's IPO and public debut are the first real test of the AI trade, critics say. That's because the Nvidia-backed company's fate relies in large part on the sustained success of generative artificial intelligence, which CoreWeave itself said in its amended S-1 filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission is an unknown.
“The broader adoption, use, and commercialization of AI technology, and the continued rapid pace of developments in the AI field, are inherently uncertain," the company said in its filing when describing its risk factors.
CoreWeave's revenue soared to $1.9 billion in 2024 from just $229 million the prior year, the filing showed. At the same time, however, its net loss rose to $863 million from $594 million. And some 77% of CoreWeave's 2024 revenue came from just two customers, with 62% coming from Microsoft (MSFT), according to the filing. Those customers who offer cloud services, known as "hyperscalers," use CoreWeave's GPU-filled data centers to power their AI efforts.
“Any negative changes in demand from Microsoft … would adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition, and future prospects,” CoreWeave wrote.
Microsoft stock dropped more than 3% after CoreWeave shares began trading. Nvidia fell 1.7%.
The company remains optimistic. "This discussion of [an] AI bubble, we don't understand it," CoreWeave co-founder and chief development officer Brannin McBee told Yahoo Finance's Brian Sozzi.
"Clients come into us, and they are saying, 'CoreWeave, we recognize you're the best at delivering this infrastructure in the in the space. We need more, and we need a lot more.' And that scale of growth is just continuing to accelerate for us," he said. "That's why we're going public, is to support our clients in their growth requirements for infrastructure that we bring to market for them."
"We are the critical piece to connecting the artificial intelligence products that the world's thought leaders are bringing to market to the consumers of those products," he continued.
CoreWeave faces $7.5 billion in debt repayments by the end of next year, the Financial Times reported.
"CoreWeave simply doesn't have meaningful demand or revenue resulting from its services," Big Tech critic and podcaster Ed Zitron wrote in a recent newsletter.
Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @laurabratton.bsky.social. Email her at laura.bratton@yahooinc.com.
Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
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Investors are betting on new Intel (INTC) CEO Lip-Bu Tan to turn around the troubled chipmaker.
While it's unclear whether Intel's financial problems can be fixed quickly, Wall Street analysts — and current and former employees — generally agree on what steps Tan needs to take, short of a breakup. Those steps include everything from cutting jobs to turbocharging Intel's young foundry business.
A semiconductor industry veteran, Tan was appointed to his new role on March 12. Investors applauded the news: Intel stock rose more than 15% the next day. Analysts liked Tan's experience as former CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a semiconductor design software company, and his experience on boards of some 14 semiconductor companies, including Intel.
Now the hard part.
Tan is inheriting a company whose financial losses have made it a takeover target in recent months. Many Wall Street analysts and investors believe Intel — which is the only American leading-edge chip manufacturer — would be better off splitting up and selling its struggling manufacturing business. Case in point: The stock has risen on various reports in recent months of potential deals, some of which were allegedly being worked on with the support of the Trump administration.
Reuters reported last week that Tan plans to keep Intel's manufacturing business running for now and is looking to bolster Intel's faltering AI chip efforts to catch up to Nvidia (NVDA). He said as much in a letter to employees on March 12: "Together, we will work hard to restore Intel's position as a world-class products company, establish ourselves as a world-class foundry and delight our customers like never before."
Read more about Intel's stock moves and today's market action.
Yahoo Finance interviewed four Wall Street analysts and ten current and former Intel employees — including high-level executives. The employees were granted anonymity due to nondisclosure agreements and fear of jeopardizing future employment opportunities. Some of those sources said Intel should be left in one piece, at least for now. That's because, if split up, Intel's foundry would immediately go bankrupt, Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon told Yahoo Finance.
And Intel's product business, which designs the chips, can't outsource to rival manufacturers so easily — Intel semiconductors are specifically made in accordance with its own internal manufacturing processes. Not to mention, Intel's billions in CHIPS Act funding requires it to retain majority ownership of its foundry.
Intel declined to make Lip-Bu Tan available for an interview but told Yahoo Finance: "Lip-Bu is spending a lot of time listening to customers and employees as he comes on board and works closely with our leadership team to position the business for future success."
Here's what company sources and Wall Street analysts said he has to do to to avoid a break up.
Intel is one of the few remaining chipmakers that both designs and makes its own chips.
On the design side, Intel has fallen behind rivals such as AMD (AMD) and, of course, Nvidia in an increasingly AI-dominated industry. On the manufacturing side, Intel has repeatedly faced delays.
Former CEO Pat Gelsinger attempted to grow Intel's revenue by opening its in-house manufacturing business — a "foundry" — to outside customers on a large scale. Foundries such as Taiwan's TSMC (TSM) produce chips for other companies. Intel historically produced chips for its internal product business before Gelsinger launched Intel Foundry Services (IFS) in 2021.
The foundry strategy had mixed results. Intel is set to achieve a big feat by launching a new advanced chip manufacturing process called 18A this year, and IFS has deals with Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT). But analysts debate whether Intel can sustain the foundry, which lost $13.4 billion on $17.5 billion in revenue in 2024.
Bottom line: Intel needs to attract more big outside customers. Analysts and former executives said Tan's industry connections should help, but his credibility alone won't guarantee success.
In order for Intel's manufacturing business to survive, the company must succeed in launching 18A. While Intel manufacturing employees had previously suggested that the new technology was having trouble, those same employees said this week that 18A is progressing — and Intel manufacturing staff is feeling "positive" about its success.
As Moor Insights & Strategy analyst Anshel Sag said: "[I]f the results are good and companies are happy, they'll increase their capacity at" the foundry.
Per Reuters, Tan is looking to boost Intel's AI chip efforts to rival Nvidia and others.
Intel fumbled multiple attempts to enter what would become the AI chip market. In 2009, Intel scrapped a multiyear project, Larrabee, to develop a standalone GPU like Nvidia's. In 2017, Intel began a second effort toward a homegrown GPU, which did not ultimately result in a product competitive with Nvidia's. And in January Intel effectively killed its most recent effort, a high-end AI GPU called Falcon Shores.
Former Intel exec Raja Koduri, who led the 2017 GPU effort, suggested in an X post in February that the issue isn't Intel's products themselves but the company reluctance to bring them to market: "The tragedy of Intel's treasures lies in their delayed or deferred deployment," he wrote. "They [Intel] optimize for minimizing quarterly losses while missing the bigger picture."
"Intel still has a ton of IP and technology. These are gems that many in the eco-system envy. Many innovations have been sitting on shelf," he continued.
Another former high-level executive who was granted anonymity echoed Koduri's sentiment.
"Intel has a very good finance organization, but the company does sometimes make these decisions that are overly led by the early years' financial outcome," the person said. "You only learn from deploying. If you intend to be in that market long term, you might as well have access to the market, even if it costs you through the first generation."
Former and current Intel employees describe the company, whose staffers refer to themselves as "Team Blue," as slow and bureaucratic. Past high-level executives said the chipmaker's new CEO will need to shake up company culture and cut middle management.
It's a tough balancing act. The two current employees said any layoffs could depress morale and risk slowing the progress of 18A. Tan already has said Intel has "hard decisions" ahead. One of the employees said their colleagues are bracing for a potentially "huge amount” of layoffs in the second or third quarter.
They said their teams are already understaffed, and cuts to middle management would result in those teams being moved around, creating chaos.
One of the high-level former executives said, "The depth of talent at Intel is immense, and the loyalty that people have is astounding," later adding, "The answer lies in inspiring the people you have."
Laura Bratton is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Bluesky @laurabratton.bsky.social. Email her at laura.bratton@yahooinc.com.
Click here for the latest technology news that will impact the stock market
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
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CoreWeave (CRWV) is pushing back on fears of overbuilt AI infrastructure and a bubble in the sector.
"Not that we see," CoreWeave co-founder Brannin McBee told Yahoo Finance today about whether customers are getting worried about the pace of investment in artificial intelligence. "And this discussion of an AI bubble — we don't understand it."
CoreWeave priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $40 a share Thursday night. The cloud play initially expected to sell shares in the range of $47 to $55, but concerns about the pace of AI spending and CoreWeave's business model caused it to downsize the offering.
The company raised $1.5 billion for a valuation of $23 billion on a fully diluted basis. It planned to raise $4 billion at a valuation of $35 billion.
CoreWeave's stock fell as much as 5.8% after shares opened for trading on the Nasdaq at around 1:15 p.m. ET.
While SailPoint (SAIL) kicked off the year for buzzy tech IPOs with an AI bent, CoreWeave is the biggest name to drop so far.
CoreWeave was founded as a crypto miner in 2017 by Michael Intrator, Brian Venturo, and McBee, who largely have energy industry backgrounds.
The company took a $100 million investment and $320 million contract from Nvidia (NVDA) and a multiyear deal with Microsoft (MSFT) to raise $1.6 billion in equity and $12.9 billion in debt commitments. This allowed CoreWeave to purchase 250,000 GPUs from Nvidia, or about $10 billion worth.
Today, the company provides access to data centers and high-powered chips for AI workloads. It competes with cloud providers like Microsoft and Amazon (AMZN).
The company has seen its valuation skyrocket as its technology has been tapped to build out AI infrastructure.
Ahead of its IPO on Friday, CoreWeave was among the top 10 highest-valued private companies, according to Yahoo Finance data. The company's valuation in private markets had surged 796% over the past 52 weeks.
Financial results have been solid for an early-stage tech player.
Sales last year rose to $1.9 billion from $228 million in 2023. Adjusted operating profits increased to $1.2 billion from $103 million in 2023.
But CoreWeave is not without a few risks staring down investors.
Concerns linger about CoreWeave using large amounts of debt to fund purchases of a depreciating asset in AI chips. The company has raised $14.9 billion in debt and equity across 12 financings to buy chips and then build data centers.
It spent $941 million to service its debt in 2024, according to the company's S-1 filing.
In addition, OpenAI has committed $11.9 billion in orders to CoreWeave. If the large language model builder can't raise enough money to support its growth ambitions, CoreWeave could see order cancellations. Currently, Microsoft accounts for 62% of CoreWeave's sales.
Also, the three founders will control 70% of the voting rights of the now-public company.
Not to mention, there is an unknown in the pace of the AI infrastructure build-out from here.
"CoreWeave is the largest in the new neocloud category, but we see it mostly as a highly levered way for Microsoft to offload less desirable workloads and Nvidia to leverage a small investment into a very large customer," D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria warned.
Luria initiated coverage on CoreWeave ahead of the debut with a Neutral rating and $47 price target.
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
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The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge showed prices in February rose more than expected, re-intensifying the central bank's inflation battle at a time when it expects new tariffs from the Trump administration to push prices higher.
The new reading makes it more likely that officials hold rates at current levels for longer as policymakers look for signs of how President Trump's policies will affect the US economy in the months ahead.
"It looks like a 'wait-and-see' Fed still has more waiting to do," said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.
"Today's higher-than-expected inflation reading wasn't exceptionally hot, but it isn't going to speed up the Fed's timeline for cutting interest rates, especially given the uncertainty surrounding tariffs."
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that his "base case" is that any extra inflation from Trump's slate of tariffs will be "transitory." But some of his colleagues worry the effects could be more persistent, adding to the uncertainties ahead for the central bank.
The Fed's goal is to get inflation down to its 2% target, but the key measure released Friday remains well above that marker. The "core" Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.8% year-over-year.
That reading was higher than economists' estimate of 2.7%, jumping from 2.6% in January. The month-over-month reading was also hotter, clocking in at 0.4%. That was higher than the 0.3% expected and up from that same level in the previous month.
Inflation now stands at the level the Fed predicted it would be at year's end — and that's before some of Trump's most aggressive tariff plans kick in. The president plans to announce a sweeping set of "reciprocal" country-by-country duties next week.
Fed officials raised their 2025 inflation forecast at a meeting last week, to 2.8% from 2.5% previously, due in large part to uncertainty surrounding the new tariffs. They also lowered their economic growth forecasts for the year.
But February's inflation report now shows that even the Fed's revised inflation forecast may prove to be too conservative.
Traders are still pricing in an interest rate cut in June with the potential for another cut in the fall. And the two-cut prediction from Wall Street still matches what Fed officials estimated at their meeting last week where they held rates unchanged.
Some Fed watchers, however, argue that these rate cut predictions could be challenged, too.
The new PCE reading "reinforces our view that the Fed is unlikely to cut interest rates this year," said Stephen Brown, deputy chief North America economist for Capital Economics.
The critical question ahead for Fed policymakers is how much of any additional inflation they expect to see is a one-off effect that will prove to be temporary.
While Powell has argued in favor of a potential "transitory" effect, some of his colleagues have offered more caution.
Boston Fed president Susan Collins said Thursday while speaking in Boston that she believes it's “inevitable that tariffs are going to increase inflation in the near term” and she expects the uptick in inflation could be short-lived.
But she added, “there are risks around that and depending on how that unfolds, it could be more persistent.”
Collins stressed that if there are additional rounds of tariffs, they are more broad-based, or if there are different levels of retaliation, then inflation could be more persistent than just a relatively fast adjustment to a higher level of prices.
In that context she said she would be looking more closely at inflation expectations because anchoring expectations is important for the Fed's credibility to bring inflation back down.
St. Louis Fed president Alberto Musalem also said this week that he could be "wary of assuming that the impact of tariff increases on inflation will be entirely temporary, or that a full 'look-through' strategy will necessarily be appropriate."
He noted that tariffs could create a one-time increase in price-levels, but that so-called "indirect effects" where domestic producers raise prices as importers raise prices could cause inflation to be more long lasting.
Musalem offered the example of beer from Canada. If it is subject to a 25% tariff, US consumers could shift from Canadian beer to American-made Budweiser, and then Budweiser could increase its prices as people look for locally produced goods.
"Distinguishing, especially in real-time, between direct, indirect, and second-round effects entails considerable uncertainty," he added.
Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices
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Lululemon stock (LULU) earned its spot atop the Yahoo Finance trending ticker page on Friday.
Shares of the athletic wear maker tanked 12% in premarket trading after an underwhelming earnings outlook overshadowed better-than-expected quarterly profits.
The company pinned its soft outlook on everything from a first quarter store traffic slowdown to tariff risk from the Trump administration.
"Overall, the theme remains that growth is fading," Jefferies analyst and longtime Lululemon bear Randy Konik said. "The Americas segment continues to slow, driven by weaker US trends, impacting LULU's growth opportunity as it accounts for ~75% of the business. With slower mall traffic and an unfavorable macro environment, further sales and EPS growth will be challenging."
Read more about Lululemon's stock moves and today's market action.
Konik maintained an Underperform rating on Lululemon shares.
The company did get defended by a few analysts on the Street, namely from Stifel, Evercore ISI, and Deutsche Bank.
"We expect the stock to be down slightly with sluggish 1Q trends confirmed, but we didn't hear many incremental negatives for the bears. We think the key near-term stock question from here will be whether the US slows relative to what LULU embedded in guidance," Evercore ISI analyst Michael Binetti said.
Binetti reaffirmed an Outperform rating.
Here is what Yahoo Finance saw in the numbers:
Lululemon CFO Meghan Frank told investors on the earnings call they are not expecting store traffic to improve this year versus softness out of the gate in the first quarter.
Considering Lululemon is planning to increase inventory by a high-teens percentage, the Street is worried the company may need to discount goods given weak traffic trends. Discounting would come at the expense of profit margins.
The Street will be forced to reset its earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Lululemon for 2025.
The company sees full-year earnings in a range of $14.95 to $15.15 per share. The Street modeled for $15.37 a share.
Despite efforts over the past two years to diversify its supply chain, Lululemon warned it won't be immune to potential tariffs from the Trump administration.
The company said it expects operating profit margins to drop 100 basis points year over year in 2025. A "bit over 50%" of the decline is related to tariffs.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
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President Trump says he still intends to levy tariffs on semiconductors produced outside the US, despite TSMC (TSM) and other tech companies promising to invest billions in the country's chip manufacturing capabilities.
During a press event Monday, Trump said he would impose the import tax “down the road” without providing an exact date or time frame. He previously called for a 25% tariff on processors but has been vague on the details of the plan, including how it will work, whether it will stack on top of other tariffs, and if it will apply to individual chips or products shipped to the US with chips in them already.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
The tariff talk comes after Trump criticized the CHIPS Act during an address before Congress and as chip companies struggle amid a sell-off of tech stocks.
Shares of TSMC are off 15% on the year, while Nvidia (NVDA) is down 16%. AMD's (AMD) stock price has fallen 11%, and Broadcom's (AVGO) has dropped 25%. Intel (INTC) shares are up 17%, though that has more to do with the company naming a new CEO and reports that TSMC could take over its manufacturing business.
The US imports relatively few individual chips compared to the enormous number of products it imports with chips already inside them. That includes everything from smartphones and cars to refrigerators, laptops, and TVs.
What's more, chips don't just come from one country.
“Semiconductor chips move across a lot of national borders. They start out as raw silicon wafers, which may come from Japan or Taiwan or Germany. Then you're going to put the chips on and then you're going to send it somewhere else,” explained Willy Shih, a professor of management practice in business administration at Harvard Business School.
“Who's going to dice it and package it? And then I've got to put it on printed circuit boards,” Shih said. “What they're proposing is much more complicated than maybe they appreciate.”
Broadly speaking, manufacturing a chip often includes producing a silicon wafer in one country that is then sent to a factory in a different country, where a circuit is printed onto it. It is then shipped to another factory in a separate country to be cut into individual chips and packaged as semiconductors.
From there, the processors are sent to another factory, where they're put into laptops, cars, or virtually any other electronic device.
And that's not even accounting for the various chemicals needed throughout the chipmaking process. In 2022, Russia's war in Ukraine sent the world into a panic over fears that a lack of access to neon gas would slow chip manufacturing in other countries. Neon is used in the lasers needed to make processors, and Ukraine accounted for upward of 54% of the gas.
And while Trump has talked up Taiwan's chip exports to the US, the truth, Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon explained, is that the US imports more chips from Malaysia, where they're packaged before being sent to America.
Even Intel chips built in the US are shipped to other countries where they're packaged or dropped into other devices.
“If you have a PC that has an Intel microprocessor in it, that chip could have been made in Arizona. It could have been made in Ireland. It could have been made in Israel,” Shih explained. “It probably went either to Vietnam or Malaysia for packaging. Then it might have gone to a circuit board plant in China or Vietnam to go into a notebook computer.
If Trump does implement tariffs on chips, it raises a number of key questions, ranging from whether he places a tariff on the final product chips are shipped in to which country counts as the country of origin for a chip that's crossed borders a number of times before it's completed.
It gets even more complex when you take into account that most devices require several chips to operate properly.
Let's take Apple's (AAPL) iPhone, for example. There's the main CPU, but then there are chips that handle power management, storage, display, and the radios that allow the smartphone to connect to the internet.
“Each of those chips may cross 20 different borders,” Rasgon said.
The question then becomes, do tariffs apply to each chip, or only those that come from certain countries? Even then, experts say, you're right back to the issue of determining country of origin.
If that gets sorted, device makers will have to determine how they handle tariffs.
“It's going to affect the price of the finished product,” explained Morris Cohen, professor of manufacturing and logistics at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
“And the assembler and seller of those finished products still has to deal with the fact that they now have a higher cost of building their product … and therefore they have to decide how they're going to deal with it.”
That could involve eating part or all of the cost of the tariff, eroding margins, or passing it on to consumers.
What does all of this mean for your wallet? Like everything else, it's up in the air.
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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This is The Takeaway from today's Morning Brief, which you can sign up to receive in your inbox every morning along with:
The chart of the day
What we're watching
What we're reading
Economic data releases and earnings
Just when the stock market appeared to take the first steps toward getting back on track, the White House yanked it back into the fog.
The week began with a long-awaited rally, juiced by President Trump signaling the April 2 tariffs would be narrower than initially feared. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was back in the 5,700s and looking at 5,800.
But then came a fresh round of auto tariffs — a disorienting case of going two steps forward, one step back. Most of Thursday saw the index surfing the 5,700 mark before falling beneath it.
The halting market action feels all the more painful because price levels sit far below the very recent past. Far from that Golden Trump Age of… well, just a few weeks ago, when investors believed he would usher in a new era of growth.
Watching Wall Street reduce itself to tariff prediction bets and trying to divine the implications of ambiguous, ever-changing government decrees causes its own kind of discomfort.
But that distress gets at a broader truth. The whiplash of rejoicing over retaliatory good news and fretting over auto bad news isn't a distraction from the market environment, it's the new normal.
That's because the economic picture isn't being informed by tariffs; it's all tariffs all day. From one trading session to the next, it's true enough that good tariff news blunts the bad tariff news and vice versa. But zooming out even just a little underscores that the palace intrigue of trade threats, exemptions, and dealmaking distorts how little clarity exists on what comes next.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
If Monday's breakthrough comes undone by Friday, all that false hope adds up, and you're left with confusion. That's why clarity on the administration's new policies remains the biggest catalyst to a market comeback.
A sober accounting of the tariff landscape, as we know it today, suggests that the new wave of levies grouped with the coming tariffs represents a more nuanced approach from the White House.
“At the margin, the Trump administration's decision to impose 25% tariffs on vehicles and parts, while also seemingly dialing down its rhetoric on the reciprocal tariff plan … suggest that it may be putting more weight on the idea of using tariffs in a more targeted way to protect those industries deemed most important to national security,” Capital Economics wrote in a note on Thursday.
But new targeted tariffs still mean more tariffs, and it remains to be seen what will happen on "Liberation Day," when the reciprocal volley is unleashed.
At every instance, the president has conveyed that whatever obstacles arise — higher prices, a weakened stock market, frayed alliances, and stunted growth — the foreseeable future will be on his terms. Or if other governments prefer, more tariffs.
Hamza Shaban is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering markets and the economy. Follow Hamza on X @hshaban.
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Car buyers should be ready for sticker shock when kicking the tires on a new ride in 2025, thanks to new tariffs from the Trump administration.
"A 25% tariff on imported cars could raise the price by $5K to $15K (assuming car values of $20K to $60K that are subject to tariffs for illustrative purposes, although we acknowledge some vehicles could fall outside this band)," Goldman Sachs autos analyst Mark Delaney warned on Friday.
Trump said Wednesday the US will impose 25% tariffs on imports of cars and car parts, to take effect on April 3. The measures will apply to both finished cars and trucks.
“This will continue to spur growth that you've never seen before," Trump said from the White House about the new tariffs.
According to estimates from Cox Automotive, the tariffs would directly impact half of the 50 bestselling models in the US.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
Investors and Wall Street don't appear to agree with Trump, given the response in markets.
The tariffs could increase production costs for automakers and dampen demand by raising prices for consumers. About half of all vehicles sold in the US are imported.
Shares of the Big Three US automakers, which build vehicles abroad, hit the skids on Thursday. General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) fell 7.4% and 3.9%, respectively, while Europe-focused Stellantis (STLA) dropped 2%.
Shares of all three continued to be under pressure in premarket trading on Friday.
The tariffs announcement caused JPMorgan (JPM) to slash ratings and estimates on the auto sector, citing "material" earnings risk.
One luxury carmaker noted it won't be immune either.
In a statement, Ferrari (RACE) said that it may raise prices by up to 10% to reflect the higher tariffs. Ferrari reaffirmed its financial outlook for 2025 but noted the risk that EBIT and EBITDA margins could face a 50 basis point reduction.
Goldman's Delaney said even locally made automobiles may see sharp sticker price increases, reflecting the higher cost of parts.
"Moreover, assuming about 50% of parts content in US made cars is foreign (per the White House fact sheet), a 25% tariff could raise the cost of locally made vehicles by roughly $3K-$8K prior to any offsets (assuming costs of $20K to $60K for a typical vehicle for illustrative purposes, although some vehicles would fall outside of this band), although we'd note that tariffs, at least for now, would only apply to certain auto parts and thus the actual tariff costs on auto parts may be somewhat lower than this," Delaney explained.
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
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Automaker stocks here and abroad are getting smoked following President Trump's big move to impose 25% tariffs on foreign autos and certain auto parts. But one automaker is up — Tesla.
Tesla (TSLA) stock rose on Friday by over 1% in premarket trading.
The electric vehicle maker pared gains on Thursday but still closed higher, while rivals GM (GM) sank over 7% and Ford (F) fell nearly 4%.
Beyond the obvious connection between CEO Elon Musk's affinity for Trump and his leadership of the DOGE commission, there are a few other reasons why Trump's auto policies — both on tariffs and EVS — may not be a problem for Tesla.
The main reason tariffs aren't likely to affect Tesla is the company's localized manufacturing. Though the company operates gigafactories in China and Germany, none of the EVs built there are sold in the US.
Tesla's US-sold vehicles are made exclusively at the company's Fremont, Calif., location or at Giga Austin in Texas. Rivian (RIVN) and Lucid (LCID) are the only other automakers that make 100% of their vehicles in the US for US buyers. By comparison, 77% of Ford's autos are made in the US, followed by Stellantis (57%), Nissan (52%), and GM (52%).
Read more: The latest news and updates on Trump's tariffs
TD Cowen's Itay Michaeli thinks this makes Tesla a "relative winner" in the tariff wars.
"Tesla a relative beneficiary given 100% US production footprint, substantial US sourcing and with Model Y competing in a midsize crossover segment where close to ~50% of vehicles could be subject to tariffs," Michaeli wrote Thursday morning.
Trump said in his news conference last night that he didn't consult Musk about the auto tariffs because the CEO "may have a conflict."
Despite Tesla being a relative winner in the situation, some company execs are a little worried. In an unsigned letter submitted last week to US trade representative Jamieson Greer, the company warned tariffs could lead to retaliation from US export partners and higher prices for parts that can only be sourced internationally.
Musk added last night on X that Tesla is "NOT unscathed here" and that the impact of tariffs on the company is "still significant."
Investors, at least at this point, disagree with Musk's outward assertion, though the CEO did not elaborate how or why the impact would be "significant."
One area that might concern Musk and Tesla is the future of the federal EV tax credit that allows for $7,500 rebates to consumers who buy or lease pure EVs.
Tesla likely would not exist if not for that tax credit, which the company availed itself to for years during the Obama administration. The EV tax credit was extended and enhanced in President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act signed in 2022.
But now that Tesla can produce its EVs profitability — and is essentially a cost leader in the space — Musk is fine with Trump and a GOP-led Congress potentially pulling the EV tax credit benefit, to the chagrin of his competitors.
"I think it would be devastating for our competitors and for Tesla slightly. But long term probably actually helps Tesla, would be my guess," Musk said when asked about the future of the tax credits during Tesla's Q2 earnings call last year.
Most Wall Street analysts and economists believe a loss of EV tax credits would hurt Tesla sales, though it would hurt its competitors more.
But perhaps the biggest reasons Tesla and Musk support Trump are self-driving and autonomy.
The bet is that the White House and regulators will ease, at least at the federal level, the ability to deploy robotaxis and self-driving technology at scale. And Tesla bulls like Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley and Dan Ives at Wedbush see that as the main driver of Tesla's future growth.
Musk, not surprisingly, agrees.
"The value of Tesla overwhelmingly is autonomy. These other things are, I think, no way it's relative to autonomy," Musk said during last year's Q2 call. "I recommend anyone who doesn't believe that Tesla would solve vehicle autonomy should not hold Tesla stock."
"If you believe Tesla will solve autonomy, you should buy Tesla stock. And all these other questions are in the noise."
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.
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Wall Street keeps pushing up its already bullish calls on gold as the precious metal climbs to new highs.
Gold futures (GC=F) rose to $3,114 on Friday after hitting their 17th record of the year on Thursday. President Trump's auto tariff announcement fueled trade war fears, while a weaker US dollar (DX-Y.NYB) also supported prices.
Earlier this week, analysts at Bank of America raised their price target on gold to $3,500 per ounce over the coming 18 months from $3,000 previously. The new target is based on the assumption that investments increase 10% through more buying from China and central banks and continued purchases of physically backed ETFs.
"Uncertainty around Trump administration trade policies could continue to push the USD lower, further supporting gold prices near-term. In our view, a broad rebalancing of America's twin deficits could be bullish gold too," wrote the analysts.
A "confluence of factors, mostly driven by the Trump administration's economic policy mix, have pushed investors to increase their allocations to the yellow metal," the analysts wrote.
BofA's call follows a similar forecast from Macquarie Group, which recently predicted the precious metal will touch $3,500 in the third quarter of this year.
The precious metal's more than 17% rally year-to-date has even prompted JPMorgan analysts to question whether a price of $4,000 is a possibility.
The firm's researchers noted the commodity's price move from $2,500 to $3,000 occurred in just 210 days, significantly faster than previous $500 increments, which have averaged over 1,700 days.
JPMorgan analysts asked in a client note on Wednesday, “With each $1,000 phase taking about two-thirds less time than the previous one, and considering the law of diminishing returns alongside investors' attraction for round numbers, could the $4,000 mark be just around the corner?"
The analysts said the freezing of Russian foreign assets following the Ukraine war has “triggered a structural change in the demand for gold." Last year, demand for the precious metal reached an all-time high as central bank purchases accelerated.
"Heading into 2025, gold remained our top bullish pick for a third consecutive year in a row," the analysts wrote.
Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @ines_ferre.
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While Wall Street frets about potential volatility from President Trump's April 2 "Liberation Day" plans, another part of America is also bracing for more possible chaos: US ports.
If the president next week imposes sweeping new duties on America's top trading partners, that could place a significant new burden on ports of entry from coast to coast, which act as conduits for a wide variety of goods critical to the global economy.
One person trying to raise the alarm with policymakers this week is Cindy Allen, CEO of an international trade consulting company called Trade Force Multiplier.
There comes a point, she told Yahoo Finance in between meetings, when "you're stacking all of the duty rates together" to such an extent that "the custom system can't handle that."
At issue is what is known as the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States — also known as the tariff book. It's a 99-chapter-long guide with somewhere around 18,000 different numbers that serves as the go-to guide for duty collectors and importers about what tariffs to apply to what products.
Trump has already added multitudes to this complicated arrangement with actions that so far include new 20% tariffs on China, 25% tariffs on many imports from Canada and Mexico, and 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports since taking office.
But his reciprocal tariff plans could take things to another level and apply to a wider array of goods and trading partners. As the president told reporters this week, "friend has often been much worse than foe" and that next week's actions will apply to both.
A White House official added to Yahoo Finance that the administration has been listening to the business world feedback and "a lot of that has been taken into consideration." The White House official expected the still-being finalized plans for next week to focus on country-by-country tariffs with the overall view being "the status quo, as we see it, cannot stand."
Read more: The latest news and updates on Trump's tariffs
As Trump's reciprocal tariff plans began to take shape, the administration first signaled that reciprocal tariffs could be a sort of mirror on US trading partners, where the US would calibrate its actions to reflect the duties other countries currently have in place.
This week, Allen called that the "absolute nightmare scenario" in her view because of the complexity it would add.
More recently, the Trump administration has said that a somewhat more straightforward plan is now likely in part to reflect so-called non-tariff barriers that other countries impose such as value-added and digital taxes. That expected rollout would mean — as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently put it — "each country will receive a number that we believe ... represents their tariffs."
But even that will likely add a new and complex layer to the tariff book.
"That can also be really complicated," said Greta Peisch, who served as general counsel for the US Trade Representative's (USTR) office during the Biden administration.
Peisch noted this week that a plan where a range of countries have different duties means that even goods that in the past could largely move quickly across the border must now be more closely scrutinized to determine their country of origin.
"When you have different tariffs on products from different countries that vary widely, that just increases the logistical and compliance complexity," she added.
As Allen put it, perhaps more bluntly, about these two scenarios: "They're both nightmares."
That's because for importers, even in the latter scenario, many goods will be subject to a greater array of levies.
One example might be an aluminum baseball bat from Canada that could soon be subject to at least three new Trump 2.0 duties — one specific to the aluminum, one imposed on Canada over illegal drugs and migration, and then these incoming reciprocal tariffs.
Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet
Imports from China are even more complex, with some imports facing a network of overlapping duties that, in some cases, are already near 100% tariff levels — even before Trump's additional reciprocal actions next week that are expected to include China.
Trump's country-by-country tariff plans could be even further complicated by new sector duties that could also come into force at the same time.
On Wednesday, Trump announced that new 25% tariffs on foreign-made automobiles and "certain auto parts" will begin coming into effect on April 2, with the first duties on cars felt on April 3.
As will a new plan for secondary tariffs on any country that buys oil from Venezuela. That also comes into force on April 2, when Trump will be able to levy new duties.
"Many processes today are automated, although far fewer than one might think. There's still a lot of paper involved in customs," noted Mary Lovely, a trade expert and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute, in a recent episode of Yahoo Finance's Capitol Gains podcast.
She added that Trump's auto tariff announced this week could add yet another layer as the Trump administration is promising to look for American content in the auto parts supply chain and exempt them from tariffs.
"That's definitely something we're not doing," Lovely added, saying, "It's going to cause an enormous headache for companies and then for customs."
The president also has issued a range of other sector-specific threats — from pharmaceuticals to semiconductors to lumber to dairy — with many likely to be formally unveiled in the coming days and in force soon thereafter.
Trump's plans have been the subject of intense lobbying in recent weeks. Some CEOs, like Ford's (F) Jim Farley, have gotten the president on the phone to express their worries. Trump's economic team has also been speaking to CEOs. Others have gone through the more formal process.
"There's been a lot of businesses that have been successful in meeting with USTR and with the different levels in the administration to communicate," Allen noted.
"They want to comply regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum, but they need the ability to do that," she added, noting that much of the challenge is in planning for tariffs when details are not yet announced but could be in place within days.
Overall, as Peisch noted of the worries, "I don't know that that will dissuade them from going down this path, which they have made a big part of the president's agenda during those first couple months."
Ben Werschkul is a Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.
Every Friday, Yahoo Finance's Madison Mills, Rick Newman, and Ben Werschkul bring you a unique look at how US policy and government affect your bottom line on Capitol Gains. Watch or listen to Capitol Gains on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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The Sagaing Fault region has a long history of devastating earthquakes
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck March 28 in neighboring Myanmar turned this building in Bangkok, Thailand, into a mountain of collapsed concrete and twisted rubble, and a gargantuan task for rescue workers.
Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto/AP Photo
By Carolyn Gramling
35 minutes ago
A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocked central Myanmar on March 28 at about 12:50 p.m. local time, leaving at least 144 people confirmed dead so far and triggering widespread damage across both Myanmar and Thailand. Buildings collapsed, roads broke and at least one dam and a bridge crumbled. A magnitude 6.4 aftershock followed just 10 minutes later.
With both countries declared disaster areas, international aid workers are scrambling to prepare supplies and assess the death toll and damages. Marie Manrique, Myanmar program coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told reporters March 28 that the organization is particularly concerned about damages to public infrastructure, including large-scale dams.
An earthquake's devastation is the result not only of its magnitude, but also its location and depth: Shallow quakes, even if they're less powerful, can cause intense shaking at the ground surface, posing threats to infrastructure in populated areas. This quake had a trifecta of dangers: It was powerful; shallow, with the epicenter at just 10 kilometers depth; and in a heavily populated region with vulnerable buildings and other structures.
Here are three things to know about how and why this earthquake occurred.
This earthquake was probably the result of sideways, or strike-slip, movement along the Sagaing Fault, a large fault that runs north to south through central Myanmar, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program.
Strike-slip earthquakes occur when two blocks of tectonic crust are trying to slide sideways past each other; the blocks of crust may briefly lock due to the friction, then wrench free, releasing a burst of seismic energy through the ground.
The fault marks the collision between the India tectonic plate, which includes the Indian subcontinent and part of the Indian Ocean, and the Sunda Plate, a smaller bit of crust that includes parts of Southeast Asia, including the Malaysia Peninsula.
As the India Plate slides northward, it grinds sideways against the Sunda plate to the east, occasionally generating powerful quakes. The Sagaing Fault region itself is rife with seismic hazards, and many large strike-slip quakes have occurred in the area over the last century, including a magnitude 7.0 in 1990 and a magnitude 7.9 in 1912, according to the USGS. From 1930 to 1956, there were six quakes greater than magnitude 7 on the Sagaing Fault itself that killed hundreds.
The India Plate's northward drive has also put it on a collision course with the Eurasian Plate. That ongoing clash continues to push up the Himalaya mountain range and the Tibetan Plateau. It has also caused some of the deadliest quakes in the Himalaya region, including the 2005 Kashmir quake that killed tens of thousands of people.
The March 28 earthquake's epicenter (black star) was 10 kilometers belowground, nearest the city of Mandalay, Myanmar. Red zones show regions of greatest shaking intensity.
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Regions with thick layers of loose soil can be prone to liquefaction during quakes. That process is a deadly interaction between seismic waves and the sediment that temporarily causes the soil to behave like quicksand.
Earlier quakes in this region have triggered landslides and liquefaction that greatly added to the death toll of those past events — and may have contributed to this quake's devastation, although it's too soon to know the extent of the damages.
Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at feedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ
This story was updated March 28, 2025, to correct some mistaken references to the location of the earthquake. It was in Myanmar, not Malaysia.
Carolyn Gramling is the earth & climate writer. She has bachelor's degrees in geology and European history and a Ph.D. in marine geochemistry from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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Fossils of 444 million-year-old creatures whose bodies were preserved "inside-out" have been discovered in South Africa.
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Scientists have found two specimens of a 444 million-year-old "inside-out" fossil with well-preserved soft tissue, according to a new study. Unlike most fossils, the creature's muscles and guts — but not its more durable shell — are preserved in ancient sediment that turned to stone.
The fossil, found 250 miles (402 kilometers) north of Cape Town in South Africa, is a new species of multisegmented arthropod that may have lived in oxygen-poor waters, according to the study, published March 26 in the journal Papers in Palaeontology.
Researchers named the new species Keurbos susanae and nicknamed the fossil "Sue" after its discoverer's mom.
"Sue is an inside-out, legless, headless wonder," lead author Sarah Gabbott, a paleontologist at the University of Leicester in the U.K., said in a statement. "Remarkably, her insides are a mineralized time-capsule: muscles, sinews, tendons and even guts all preserved in unimaginable detail. And yet her durable carapace, legs and head are missing — lost to decay over 440 million years ago."
The researchers found the fossils in the Soom Shale, a site known for producing fossils with well-preserved soft tissues, more than 20 years ago. They had hoped to find additional specimens, but fossils of the species turned out to be quite rare. The silt, clay, and mud in which Sue was preserved were deposited on an ancient seafloor, beneath an ocean low in oxygen but high in dissolved, acidic hydrogen sulfide — suggesting that K. susanae may have been adapted for a low-oxygen environment.
Sue dates back to the Late Ordovician mass extinction (443 million years ago), when cold temperatures and glacier advancement eliminated nearly 85% of marine species.
Researchers are still working to understand how soft tissues in fossils like K. susanae are preserved in the Soom Shale. Clay minerals may have played a role, as could calcium phosphate, a compound commonly found in fossilized muscles. On the other hand, the shells and exoskeletons of species preserved in Soom Shale likely dissolved in the acidic ocean.
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Because the K. susanae specimen was fossilized inside out, scientists still aren't sure of the species' evolutionary history or how it compares to other fossils from the same time period.
"We are now sure she was a primitive marine arthropod, but her precise evolutionary relationships remain frustratingly elusive," Gabbott said in the statement. The fossil's segmented trunk suggests it had limbs of some kind — but comparing Sue to known fossil species would require a sample with part of the exoskeleton preserved.
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Recent quarrying activity has buried the site where Gabbott and her colleagues found Sue, so it's unlikely they'll find other examples of the same species with intact legs or a head, the team said.
"I'd always hoped to find new specimens, but it seems after 25 years of searching this fossil is vanishingly rare — so I can hang on no longer," Gabbott said. "Especially as recently my mum said to me, 'Sarah, if you are going to name this fossil after me, you'd better get on and do it before I am in the ground and fossilized myself'."
Gabbott joked that she named the fossil after her mom because she's a "well-preserved specimen." But the true reason, she said, is that "my mum always said I should follow a career that makes me happy — whatever that may be. For me that is digging rocks, finding fossils and then trying to figure out how they lived what they tell us about ancient life and evolution on Earth."
Skyler Ware is a freelance science journalist covering chemistry, biology, paleontology and Earth science. She was a 2023 AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellow at Science News. Her work has also appeared in Science News Explores, ZME Science and Chembites, among others. Skyler has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Caltech.
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Deep-sea fish adapt to some of the most extreme conditions on Earth. New research analyzing their evolution finds the same mutation across fish species that have evolved on separate timelines — alongside human-made pollutants contaminating the deep sea.
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Fish that survive in extreme deep-sea environments have developed the same genetic mutation despite evolving separately and at different times, researchers say.
The scientists also found industrial chemicals in fish and in the ground in the Mariana Trench, meaning human-made pollutants can reach some of the deepest environments on Earth.
Deep-sea fish have developed unique adaptations to survive extreme pressure, low temperatures and almost complete darkness. These species adapt to extreme conditions through unique skeletal structures, altered circadian rhythms and either vision that's extremely fine-tuned for low light, or are reliant on non-visual senses.
In a new study, published March 6 in the journal Cell, researchers analyzed the DNA of 11 fishes, including snailfish, cusk-eels and lizardfish that live in the hadal zone — the region about 19,700 feet (6,000 meters) deep and below — to better understand how they evolved under such extreme conditions.
The researchers used crewed submarines and remotely operated vehicles to collect samples from about 3,900 to 25,300 feet (1,200 to 7,700 m) below the water's surface, in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific and other trenches in the Indian Ocean.
Tracing the evolution of deep-sea fishes, the researchers' analysis revealed that the eight lineages of fish species studied entered the deep-sea environment at different times: The earliest likely entered the deep sea in the early Cretaceous period (about 145 million years ago), while others reached it during the Paleogene (66 million to 23 million years ago), and some species as recently as the Neogene period (23 million to 2.6 million years ago).
Despite different timelines for making the deep sea their home, all the fishes studied living below 9,800 feet (3,000 m) showed the same type of mutation in the Rtf1 gene, which controls how DNA is coded and expressed. This mutation occurred at least nine times across deep-sea fish lineages below 9,800 feet, study author Kun Wang, an ecologist at Northwestern Polytechnical University, told Live Science in an email.
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This means all these fishes developed the same mutation separately, as a result of the same deep-sea environment, rather than as the result of a shared evolutionary ancestor — showing just how strongly deep-sea conditions shape these species' biology.
Related: How deep is the Mariana Trench?
"This study shows that deep-sea fishes, despite originating from very different branches of the fish tree of life, have evolved similar genetic adaptations to survive the harsh environment of the deep ocean — cold, dark, and high-pressure," Ricardo Betancur, an ichthyologist at the University of California San Diego who was not involved in the new study, told Live Science in an email.
It's an example of convergent evolution, where unrelated species independently evolve similar traits in response to similar conditions. "It's a powerful reminder that evolution often reuses the same limited set of solutions when faced with similar challenges — in this case, adapting to the extreme conditions of the deep sea," Betancur said.
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The expeditions also revealed human-made pollutants in the Mariana Trench and Philippine Trench. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — harmful chemicals used in electrical equipment and appliances until they were banned in the 1970s — contaminated the liver tissues of hadal snailfish, the scientists discovered.
High concentrations of PCBs and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), flame retardant chemicals used in consumer products until they fell out of popularity in the early 2000s, were also found in sediment cores extracted from more than 32,800 feet (10,000 m) deep in the Mariana Trench.
Previous research has also found chemical pollutants in the Mariana Trench, as well as microplastics in the deep sea. The new findings further reveal the impacts of human activity even in this ecosystem that's so far removed from human life.
Olivia Ferrari is a New York City-based freelance journalist with a background in research and science communication. Olivia has lived and worked in the U.K., Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. Her writing focuses on wildlife, environmental justice, climate change, and social science.
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Tomorrow, March 29, North America will witness its first solar eclipse since April 2024. Here are the 13 states where you'll be able to see it.
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The sunrise tomorrow (March 29) will look rather odd from the northeastern coast of North America. With a deep partial solar eclipse already in progress, a crescent sun will appear on the eastern horizon.
Thirteen U.S. states will see the March 29 solar eclipse in some form, with a deeper eclipse visible the farther northeast you go. Coastal New England will get the best views. In Maine, up to 86% of the sun will be eclipsed as it rises. New Hampshire and Massachusetts will see up to 57% and 55% coverage, respectively. Boston will see a 43% eclipse.
If you're not in these states, don't worry: You can get an even better view by watching the entire eclipse onling for free. (Follow the link to find out more).
The eclipse will be more modest in other areas of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. New York City will experience 21% obscuration, and the coverage will be less in Philadelphia (11%); Rochester, New York (8%); and Washington, D.C. (1.2%). Although many observers across the region will be able to glimpse a slight eclipse as the sun rises higher into the eastern sky, the best views will be from a coastal location as far north as possible.
Related: March 29 solar eclipse: Where and when to see the rare sunrise solar eclipse from North America
Note: Because this is a partial eclipse, viewers MUST use protective eyewear at all times, be it a pair of certified solar eclipse glasses, or a backyard telescope equipped with a solar filter.
You'll also need clear sight lines to the sunrise, which will take place slightly to the east-northeast. You can use Time and Date's map and The Photographer's Ephemeris to find suitable locations.
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Seeing an eclipsed sunrise is a rare opportunity in itself, but from some locations, it will be possible to glimpse a "double sunrise" as the silhouette of the moon makes the rising sun look like two separate "horns" emerging from the horizon.
That unusual sight will be restricted to northeastern Maine, southwestern New Brunswick and eastern Quebec. Prime coastal viewing spots include Quoddy Head State Park and South Lubec in Maine; Forestville, Quebec; and St. Andrews, New Brunswick, all of which will host an 83% to 87% eclipsed "double sunrise."
Atlantic Canada will see a smaller eclipsed sunrise, with the eclipse deepening shortly thereafter. Moncton, New Brunswick, will see 84%, with similar obscuration in Halifax, Nova Scotia (82%), and St. John's, Newfoundland (82%). Quebec City will see a 72% eclipsed sunrise, and Montreal and Ottawa, Ontario, will get 46% and 29%, respectively.
No eclipse will be visible in Toronto. The point of maximum eclipse will be close to Akulivik, Nunavik, in northern Quebec, where a 91% eclipsed sunrise will be seen.
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Beyond North America, it's a midmorning event. Reykjavik, Iceland, will experience 67%, but the scene will be much less dramatic in London (31%), Paris (24%), Madrid (20%), Berlin (15%), Vienna (6%) and Rome ( 2%). On the coast of Morocco, from Tangier to Agadir, around 15% to 18% of the sun will be obscured.
The next solar eclipse — another partial one — will occur on Sept. 21, 2025, and will be visible from Antarctica, New Zealand and the southwestern South Pacific. The next partial solar eclipse in North America will be on Aug. 12, 2026 (and will be a total solar eclipse in Spain, Iceland, Greenland, Russia and a small area of Portugal).
Jamie Carter is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor based in Cardiff, U.K. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners and lectures on astronomy and the natural world. Jamie regularly writes for Space.com, TechRadar.com, Forbes Science, BBC Wildlife magazine and Scientific American, and many others. He edits WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com.
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Success with mice does not guarantee success with elephants
Cute, yes. But is this “woolly mouse” really a step toward bringing woolly mammoths back?
Colossal Bioscience
By Jason Bittel
5 hours ago
Scientists working to unlock the secrets of de-extinction recently announced what they say is a turning point for the movement: the creation of transgenic mice with long, luxurious golden locks of tufted fur inspired by the coats of woolly mammoths.
They're called Colossal woolly mice. And yes, they are cute to boot.
Transgenic mice — those that have had their genomes altered through genetic engineering — are not new. But what's novel is the ability to engineer eight edits across seven genes and to do so simultaneously in one animal. The researchers also note that across three experiments, each of which used different combinations of edits, the method worked with high efficiency, resulting in living animals that presented the traits they were bred for.
In other words, the scientists have shown not only that they can make woolly mice, but also that they can do so reliably and repeatedly — a necessity for the project's next steps.
“That's been overlooked [in the immediate aftermath of the announcement] as far as how actually big of a deal that is in genetic engineering,” says Beth Shapiro, chief science officer at Colossal Biosciences in Dallas. She and her colleagues described the team's findings in a paper posted March 4 at bioRxiv.org.
In all, the team created 32 woolly mice, each of which varied slightly in appearance, but reflected the traits the scientists predicted. Shapiro says there were no misfires or surprises in the lot. “Other than that they were so absurdly adorable,” she says.
But what do a few extra-furry mice have to do with bringing mammoths back from extinction? That part is a little more complicated and has led to misunderstandings since the findings were announced. For instance, the New York Post described the woolly mouse as a new species — it isn't — and one post on X with millions of views stated that the scientists “spliced woolly mammoth genes into mice,” which is also not true.
“We did not want to take elephant genes and shove them into a mouse,” Shapiro says, “because that wouldn't make any sense.”
To create the woolly mouse, scientists analyzed the genetic instructions, or genomes, of 121 mammoth and elephant samples to identify genes that may have given woolly mammoths some of their characteristic traits. These include longer, thicker, golden hair, as well as genes associated with lipid metabolism and fatty acid absorption for a life spent in the bitter cold.
“We can do a lot with the mammoth genomes we have. We can line them up on a computer and compare them to elephant genomes and ask where all the mammoths are the same as each other but different from their elephant cousins,” says Shapiro, who is also an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Using these hints about what makes a mammoth a mammoth, the scientists searched for similar traits in mice, either naturally occurring or achievable through genetic engineering. Mice are much easier to work with than elephants, of course. The tiny rodents require little space, breed quickly and have already been extensively studied with regards to their genetics. For instance, scientists have known since 1994 that if you turn off the FGF5 gene, mice will grow much longer hair than usual. Similarly, a gene known as Mc1r makes mice blond, while Frzd6 makes that hair whorly and frizzled.
The final step was transforming edited embryos into living, breathing, gloriously furred mice.
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“Of course, mice are not elephants, which people have helpfully pointed out to us, as if we didn't know that,” says Shapiro, referring to some common critiques her team has received.
This is why, she says, the woolly mice are just one part of the de-extinction goal. Colossal Biosciences, founded in 2021, has also been experimenting directly with Asian elephant cells, because that species is most closely related to extinct woolly mammoths.
Another arm of research focuses on the artificial reproductive techniques necessary to implant a genetically modified elephant embryo into a living elephant and then bring that animal to term. Similarly, the scientists are also working on de-extinction projects for the dodo and a wolflike marsupial known as the thylacine.
“All of this work is happening simultaneously,” Shapiro says.
Jacquelyn Gill, an ice age ecologist at the University of Maine in Orono, does not hide her excitement about the idea of seeing a woolly mammoth in person one day.
“I understand why someone would be compelled to see a mammoth,” Gill says. “I've never seen my study system in person, right? It only exists in my mind's eye, because I study a past that is gone.”
Nor does she reject the idea of de-extinction outright. In fact, Gill says, “the science of de-extinction is exciting and has broad applications.”
However, she is skeptical that what Colossal Biosciences is pursuing will qualify as bringing a woolly mammoth back from the dead.
For starters, despite the discovery of many well-preserved mammoth remains in permafrost —some complete with fur, muscles and skin — thousands of years buried in ice have destroyed every cell. This degradation means researchers cannot clone a mammoth, as has already been achieved in sheep.
“That's a whole pathway to cloning that is cut off from us,” Gill says.
While gene editing may allow altering an Asian elephant in ways that superficially resemble a woolly mammoth, any attempt to do so will probably miss innumerable genetic flourishes that made woolly mammoths a unique species.
“A mammoth is not an elephant in a fur coat,” says Tori Herridge, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Sheffield in England.
While Herridge finds the candidate genes for mammoth fur types and cold adaptation “really exciting and interesting,” she cautions that we still don't know “what makes a mammoth a mammoth.”
“We all know that genes are complicated,” Herridge says. “One gene can affect many things, and many genes can act in concert.” Furthermore, she says, researchers don't yet know if the genes used to dictate hair length, texture or color in the woolly mice will produce the same effects in Asian elephants.
Some troubleshooting can be done in the lab, Shapiro says. For instance, the team is already growing elephant cells in cultures and then testing how those cells respond to things like changes in gene expression. This allows Colossal to learn more about which genes to target without having to grow or experiment on a whole elephant.
The team has also already created elephant pluripotent stem cells, which could potentially be used to create any kind of cell — a crucial step toward assisted reproduction and the ultimate goal of implanting a transgenic elephant embryo into a living host.
Complicating this step is the fact that Asian elephant gestation can last up to about 22 months, meaning the process to create just one transgenic elephant will take significantly longer than that of woolly mice, which are pregnant for just 18 to 21 days. Moreover, Asian elephants are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which will probably restrict how this process unfolds.
Even assuming that all of this will one day be possible, and in numbers sufficient to create a viable woolly mammoth–like herd, other questions remain. For instance, scientists have shown that modern-day elephants are complex animals with established social and cultural knowledge that gets passed down through generations.
“You can't teach a transgenic elephant how to be a woolly mammoth,” Gill says.
And the habitat that mammoths once roamed has changed quite a bit since the Pleistocene epoch, which ended 11,700 years ago.
Back then, the tundra would have been covered in life, Gill says, much like today's Serengeti. Scientists call this biome, once the most widespread on earth, the mammoth steppe. But modern day ecosystems in those northerly regions are less productive and diverse, Gill says. Interestingly, this may have occurred because mammoths were keystone species that changed their environment. The mammoths made the mammoth steppe, in other words. And when mammoths disappeared, the ecosystem disappeared with them.
But if mammoths made an ecosystem once, perhaps they could do it again. De-extincted mammoths could, in theory, reengineer an ecosystem in ways beneficial to them, Gill says. And that theoretical capability is key to one of Colossal Bioscience's goals: Bring back herds of mammoths that will stamp down permafrost and help keep carbon stored in the ground, protecting against further climate change.
“The problem is we don't actually know if that's possible,” Gill says.
For her part, Shapiro acknowledges the legitimate criticisms of Colossal Biosciences' goals but remains optimistic about the future. In fact, one of the company's other projects might succeed first: Bringing back the dodo.
After all, while bird genetics present their own litany of challenges, there's a lot to be said for an animal that requires an egg rather than a surrogate mother, she quips.
And while Colossal Biosciences' founder, Ben Lamm, has stated that he wants to see woolly mammoth calves on the ground by 2028, Shapiro has always stressed that genetics is just one part of the equation.
“We will have elephant cells that are edited and ready to go in early '27, which is what we would need to have something on the ground in 2028,” Shapiro says. “But then there's a lot of hard biology that still hasn't been solved that needs to be solved.”
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R. Chen et al. Multiplex-edited mice recapitulate woolly mammoth hair phenotypes. bioRxiv.org. Posted online March 4, 2025. doi: 10.1101/2025.03.03.641227.
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Scientists have developed an impossibly thin telescope lens that addresses a key astronomical challenge in a new study funded by NASA and DARPA.
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A new type of flat, razor-thin telescope lens could transform deep-space stargazing by making it possible to mount lightweight but powerful telescopes onto aircraft and satellites, scientists say.
Refractor telescopes normally use curved lenses to magnify distant objects through a process called refraction. Similar to a magnifying glass, the curved lens of a telescope bends light and directs it to a focal point, making objects appear larger.
However, traditional lenses quickly become impractical for space telescopes studying stars or galaxies millions of light years away. This is because the further away an object is, the more magnification is required to bring it into focus, and therefore the thicker and heavier the lens needs to be.
That's why scientists have explored flat lenses, which should in theory be lighter and less bulky. The challenge with them, however, is that light interacts with them differently than with curved lenses.
Visible light is a type of electromagnetic radiation, which is transmitted in waves or particles at different wavelengths and frequencies. When light passes through a flat lens, it diffracts, scattering wavelengths in multiple directions and resulting in a blurry, unfocused image.
But a new "multilevel diffractive lens" (MDL) developed by scientists features a multi-level structure consisting of "microscopically small concentric rings." These effectively channel different wavelengths of light towards the same focal point to create a sharp, color-accurate image.
Related: Could we turn the sun into a gigantic telescope?
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The new 100-millimeter (3.9-inch) diameter lens, which has a 200 mm (7.8 in) focal length, is just 2.4 micrometers thick. Optimized for the 400 to 800 nm wavelength range for visible light, this lens is much lighter than a conventional curved lens and eliminates color distortions.
The scientists published their findings Feb. 3 in the journal Applied Physics Letters. The study was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA and the Office of Naval Research.
"Our demonstration is a stepping stone towards creating very large aperture lightweight flat lenses with the capability of capturing full-color images for use in air- and space-based telescopes," lead study author Apratim Majumder, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Utah, said in a statement.
Scientists have designed flat lenses in the past, most notably the fresnel zone plate (FZP), which features concentric ridges etched across the surface. However, the ridges of FZPs break light into separate wavelengths and diffract them at different angles, resulting in color distortions.
The MDL is unique in that its concentric rings exist at varying depths within the lens itself. As light passes through, the microscopic indentations adjust how different wavelengths diffract, preventing them from spreading apart as they normally would. This controlled diffraction brings all wavelengths of light into focus at the same time, resulting in a sharper, color-accurate image.
As well as avoiding the color distortions of FZPs, the researchers said the new flat lens offered the same light-bending power as traditional curved lenses. In the study, they used the MDL to capture images of the sun and moon. Lunar images they took revealed key geological features, while they also used it in solar imaging to capture visible sunspots.
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"Simulating the performance of these lenses over a very large bandwidth, from visible to near-infrared, involved solving complex computational problems involving very large datasets," Majumder said in the statement. "Once we optimized the design of the lens' microstructures, the manufacturing process required very stringent process control and environmental stability."
The researchers said the technology had applications in astronomy, astrophotography and other "long-range imaging tasks" including "airborne and space-based imaging applications." What's more, production may not be far off.
"Our computational techniques suggested we could design multi-level diffractive flat lenses with large apertures that could focus light across the visible spectrum and we have the resources in the Utah Nanofab to actually make them," study co-author Rajesh Menon, professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Utah, said in the statement.
Owen Hughes is a freelance writer and editor specializing in data and digital technologies. Previously a senior editor at ZDNET, Owen has been writing about tech for more than a decade, during which time he has covered everything from AI, cybersecurity and supercomputers to programming languages and public sector IT. Owen is particularly interested in the intersection of technology, life and work – in his previous roles at ZDNET and TechRepublic, he wrote extensively about business leadership, digital transformation and the evolving dynamics of remote work.
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China creates powerful spy satellite capable of seeing facial details from low orbit
Lake Salda: The only place on Earth similar to Jezero crater on Mars
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Engineers are exploring propulsion methods that could enable longer-distance travel
Perhaps someday spacecraft will be able to take humans beyond the solar system.
GLENN HARVEY
By Aaron Tremper
7 hours ago
Pilots in Star Wars enter a dimension, hyperspace, to travel between distant worlds. To merge onto this cosmic highway, ships are equipped with special engines called hyperdrives. With the push of a lever, the spacecraft zooms faster than the speed of light, traversing between star systems in just hours or days. Han Solo and his sidekick Chewbacca make the jump to hyperspace look easy (at least when the Millennium Falcon is in working order).
But Star Wars breaks the laws of physics to achieve such a feat. Off-screen, the technology to reach another star system doesn't yet exist. However, emerging propulsion methods could brighten the future of interstellar travel.
Due to the nature of light and energy, it's impossible to reach the speed of light, nearly 300,000 kilometers per second. It would take an infinite amount of energy. The fastest any human-made object has traveled is only about 0.06 percent of that speed. At that rate, it would take about 6,600 years to reach the nearest exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b, 4.24 light-years away.
A spacecraft traveling at one-tenth of the speed of light could shave the trip down to a quick 40 years. Future engineers could use nuclear power to achieve that, says Scott Bailey, an engineer at Virginia Tech. But developing that technology could take thousands of years.
Controlled fusion could help, says Cole Miller, an astronomer at the University of Maryland in College Park. Controlled fusion harnesses energy from combining atomic nuclei to create a steady supply of power. Researchers have been working on controlled fusion for about 70 years. But so far, these experiments have yet to produce more energy than they consume.
Not all vehicles in the Star Wars universe rely on hyperdrives; some“sun jammers” have huge sails thatcatch stellar winds — the constantstream of charged particles producedby stars — to move throughspace like a ship on the sea.
Recently, the nonprofit Planetary Society tested a similar concept. The crowdfunded LightSail 2 launched in 2019 and orbited Earth for about three years. Rather than relying on solar wind, though, the small craft's solar sails used pressure from sunlight itself. Although light doesn't have mass, it does have momentum. The solar sails intercepted sunlight with thin sheets made of reflective Mylar and other polymers. When speeding photons hit the sail, they bounced.
Using solar sails to propel a large spacecraft would be tough, Miller says. The thrust produced probably wouldn't be strong enough to carry ships ferrying humans. Upscaling solar sails would offer unique benefits, however. Using sunlight would allow a spaceship to accelerate without fuel. And unlike objects on Earth, spacecraft aren't slowed by air friction produced by an atmosphere. This would allow any spacecraft to continue gaining speed as long as it's exposed to sunlight.
For now, spacefarers aren't looking to travel to another star system. But even travel within the solar system, say, to Mars, could use a boost. To safely bring people to and from the Red Planet, some researchers are looking to ion engines. These thrusters create force by shooting charged atoms from the back of a spacecraft. Star Wars' TIE Fighters, like the one flown by Darth Vader, navigate through space battles with them.
But real ion engines work best with straight paths, says Jarred Young, an engineer at the University of Maryland. “It's essentially point-and-click propulsion.”
Ion engines aren't as powerful as the chemical propellants in rockets, which create thrust by combusting fuel and oxygen-releasing substances called oxidizers. But chemical rockets burn for only a short time. Ion engines can last months or even years, possibly helping fuel trips to Mars, if engineers can design strong enough thrusters.
For now, reaching distant new worlds is only possible in fictional galaxies far, far away.
Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at feedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ
Aaron Tremper is the editorial assistant for Science News Explores. He has a B.A. in English (with minors in creative writing and film production) from SUNY New Paltz and an M.A. in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism's Science and Health Reporting program. A former intern at Audubon magazine and Atlanta's NPR station, WABE 90.1 FM, he has reported a wide range of science stories for radio, print, and digital media. His favorite reporting adventure? Tagging along with researchers studying bottlenose dolphins off of New York City and Long Island, NY.
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Lake Salda, in southwestern Turkey, bears a close resemblance to Mars' Jezero crater, which is currently being sampled by NASA's Perseverance rover.
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Name: Lake Salda
Location: Burdur province, southwestern Turkey
Coordinates: 37.54827653569846, 29.685860347540892
Why it's incredible: The lake is the only place on Earth that's similar to Jezero crater on Mars.
Lake Salda is a body of water in Turkey that bears a strong resemblance to Mars' Jezero crater. The stunning lake is the only place on Earth with geology and mineralogy comparable to those of the ancient impact structure on the Red Planet. This striking similarity meant scientists flocked to study its shores before the Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021.
Lake Salda is one of Turkey's deepest lakes, with a maximum depth of 643 feet (196 meters). Its shores are covered in powdered hydromagnesite, a carbonate mineral that's rich in magnesium and is found in caves and on the shores of certain lakes. Notably, this mineral holds clues about ancient microbial life.
"Carbonates are important because they are really good at trapping anything that existed within that environment, such as microbes, organics, or certain textures that provide evidence of past microbial life," Brad Garczynski, a researcher in planetary geology at Western Washington University, told NASA's Earth Observatory.
Related: NASA Mars rover finds 'first compelling detection' of potential fossilized life on the Red Planet
The hydromagnesite on Lake Salda's shores likely eroded from microbialites, which are rock-like mounds that look similar to coral reefs but are made of microbes. The lake still hosts intact microbialites, but these will eventually be reworked and end up as sand on the shoreline, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.
Using data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists detected similar minerals along Jezero's western edge in 2019, suggesting the crater once held a lake. These observations have since been confirmed by the Perseverance rover, which found mineral evidence of a lake that existed inside Jezero crater billions of years ago.
Lake Salda and Jezero crater have something else in common: depositional features known as deltas. Deltas are layers of sediment that accumulate in places where rivers flow into lakes and other bodies of water. The features offer tantalizing clues about how water came to fill Jezero, and studying them in Lake Salda has helped scientists narrow down their search to specific locations in the Martian crater.
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"One of the great things about visiting Lake Salda is it really gives you a sense of what it would have been like to stand on the shores of ancient Lake Jezero," Horgan said.
The area around Lake Salda is home to more than 300 plant species and 30 waterfowl species, making it a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and hikers, according to CNN. The lake is only a short drive from the Pamukkale travertines — stunning limestone formations with thermal pools.
Discover more incredible places, where we highlight the fantastic history and science behind some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
Sascha is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Southampton in England and a master's degree in science communication from Imperial College London. Her work has appeared in The Guardian and the health website Zoe. Besides writing, she enjoys playing tennis, bread-making and browsing second-hand shops for hidden gems.
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After spotting pawprints for two weeks, a gamekeeper and photographer in Pakistan caught a rare glimpse of a family of four snow leopards.
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Incredibly rare footage has captured a mother snow leopard and her three cubs trudging through thick snow in the mountains of northern Pakistan.
Sakhawat Ali, a gamekeeper at the Central Karakoram National Park in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, spotted the elusive animals on March 13 in a remote village called Hushe after two weeks of tracking their pugmarks [pawprints].
"Spotting four snow leopards is a great joy, as it indicates that the snow leopard population is increasing," Ali told Live Science.
Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are an elusive species of big cat that can be found in mountainous areas across 12 countries in Central and Eastern Asia, and sightings are exceedingly rare. Their white coats render them almost invisible against the snowy mountains they call home, and more than 70% of their habitat remains unexplored, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Since late February, Ali said he had been noticing snow leopard pugmarks around the village. "While I was on the roof of my house, I used binoculars to observe the mountains and spotted a female snow leopard along with her four cubs," he said. "I quickly moved closer and filmed them from a distance of about 250 meters [820 feet]."
Related: 50 of the most endangered species on the planet
Snow leopards are usually solo travellers, so seeing four together is exceedingly rare.
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"In the village [of Hushe] we are used to seeing snow leopards, but nobody, not even the elders that I spoke to, have ever seen four snow leopards in one go," Ali told CNN.
Female snow leopards typically have between one and five cubs with each litter, according to WWF. At three months old, the cubs begin to follow their mother out of their dens to learn how to hunt in their environment. However, they stay with their mothers until they are almost 2-years-old, according to San Diego Zoo.
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The big cats are considered vulnerable to extinction, with only 4,000 to 6,000 individuals left worldwide, according to WWF estimates.
The Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization (BWCDO), which shared Ali's video on Facebook, said the sighting was a positive sign of successful conservation efforts in the Hushe Valley area. However, the species still faces numerous threats.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, poaching, habitat fragmentation, prey depletion and climate change all threaten the snow leopard's existence.
Pandora is the trending news editor at Live Science. She is also a science presenter and previously worked as Senior Science and Health Reporter at Newsweek. Pandora holds a Biological Sciences degree from the University of Oxford, where she specialised in biochemistry and molecular biology.
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Scientists uncover 'inside-out, legless, headless wonder' that lived long before the dinosaurs
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A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows rising tuberculosis rates among children in Europe.
On March 24, the WHO announced a 10% increase in new or relapsed tuberculosis cases in children under 15 years of age in the agency's European Region, which covers Europe and Central Asia.
There were 7,500 TB cases recorded in 2023, including more than 2,400 in children under the age of 5, who have higher risks of serious illness or death from the disease.
Childhood cases now account for more than 4% of all people with new or relapsed tuberculosis cases in the European Region.
Overall, WHO officials said more than 172,000 people in the European Region were reported to have new or relapsed tuberculosis in 2023, similar to 2022 levels.
The death rate from tuberculosis declined, but officials said the decrease was at a smaller rate than seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
WHO officials noted the treatment success rate among people with new or relapsed tuberculosis was about 75% in the European Region. They said that figure is well below the 90% success rate set by global targets.
In addition, WHO officials said they are concerned about emerging multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB). They said the treatment success rate in the region for those strains is less than 60%.
They noted several challenges in reversing the trend in tuberculosis cases. These challenges include delays in diagnosis, the need for more effective treatments, and insufficient access to current treatments.
These issues are escalating as funding for international aid is being reduced. The United States, for example, has contributed between $163 million and $816 million annually to WHO in the past decade. In January, the Trump administration announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the WHO and halt funding.
In the face of these obstacles, WHO leaders are urging European and global leaders to scale up efforts to detect and treat people with tuberculosis (TB).
“Ending TB is not a dream. It's a choice. Sadly, the current TB burden and the worrying rise in children with TB serves as a reminder that progress against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile,” Hans Henri P. Kluge, MD, WHO's regional director for Europe, said in a news release.
Health experts in the U.S. agreed with Kluge's assessment of rising TB cases.
“TB cases are rising again in Europe and elsewhere because of disruption of diagnostic and therapeutic services due to armed conflicts, COVID-related avoidance of direct medical care, and a reduction in financial support,” said William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert and a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
“People have to be contacted in order to be diagnosed and, once diagnosed, must take anti-TB medicines for months in order to be cured,” Schaffner told Healthline.
“This takes trained public health workers to provide months-long education, supervision, and support of the patients. If the public health workers are not supported, new cases will not be diagnosed or treated, and they will continue to spread TB to others.”
Monica Gandhi, MD, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, told Healthline there are various reasons for the increase in TB cases in the European Region.
“Even before these funding cuts, TB cases were rising in Europe likely because of failure to complete treatment (which be long and arduous for patients at 6 months or longer), failure to test people for TB, and the increased number of refugees coming into the country, especially from Ukraine (with a relatively higher incidence of MDR-TB),” Gandhi explained.
Experts say the European situation should concern people in the U.S.
“Europe and the U.S. are both in what are called ‘high income' regions and so what happens in Europe often happens in the U.S. as well,” said Gandhi. “Therefore, we should be braced for an increase in TB cases here in the United States and be screening for them going forward.”
“Whatever infectious disease is ‘over there,' it could be imported here,” added Schaffner. “The TB bacteria does not need a passport. Once here, the newly imported TB infection can spread to others in the U.S. and keep the infection going in our own population.”
Jason Andrews, MD, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of medicine at Stanford University, agreed.
“Because we live in such an interconnected world, failure to control TB anywhere will have effects everywhere, so we are seeing either rising cases or slowed progress in TB control in many places,” he told Healthline.
“This is coming at a time when the U.S. is reducing its financial commitments to TB programs worldwide, so many TB experts are worried that things will further worsen.”
WHO officials report that nearly 11 million people globally became ill from tuberculosis in 2023, and more than 1.2 million died from the disease that year.
They estimate that tuberculosis has regained its status as the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent after being replaced at the top by COVID-19 for three years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified more than 10,000 tuberculosis cases in the U.S. in 2024, a slight rise from 2023 and the fourth straight year of an increase.
Tuberculosis, which was once called “consumption,” is a highly infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs.
The disease is spread by bacteria that is transmitted through droplets in the air that can be inhaled by anybody who is in the vicinity.
“It is one of the few predominantly airborne infectious diseases, which means that an individual with TB can infect another person without close contact and without even being in the same room at the same time,” said Andrews.
“So, we can't think about TB as a problem for some specific group or in some specific place. TB is a threat to human health everywhere.”
The tuberculosis bacteria can remain dormant in a person for years before symptoms arise. Those symptoms include:
Tuberculosis can be diagnosed with a skin test or a blood test. A chest X-ray is usually conducted on someone who tests positive for the disease.
Jimmy Johannes, MD, an internist, pulmonologist, and critical care medicine specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in California, said tuberculosis can leave people with permanent lung damage and other after-effects.
He added the disease can be particularly serious for people who are immunocompromised, particularly people living with HIV.
“Tuberculosis is by no means a low-risk proposition for these people,” Johannes told Healthline.
People diagnosed with tuberculosis usually have to take a combination of medications for six to nine months.
If a tuberculosis treatment regimen isn't completed, the disease will likely return, perhaps in a form that is resistant to the original medications.
“Tuberculosis treatments are not simple,” Johannes said.
He added that even after treatment, tuberculosis remains in a person's body. The immune system usually controls the disease in those situations but can flare up again.
“At any time, it can activate,” Johannes said. “It can be a bit of a ticking time bomb inside the body.”
Experts said this stubbornness and seriousness of tuberculosis is what makes it a dangerous disease, but they note it needs to be brought under control.
“In the modern era, we have the accurate diagnostic tests and effective anti-TB drugs to reduce TB to a historical anecdote,” Schaffner said.
“If we have the determination and provide the resources, the world's community could achieve that goal.”
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Tim Winard knew he needed to buy health insurance when he left his management job in manufacturing to launch his own business.
It was the first time he had shopped around for coverage, searching for a plan that would cover him and his wife, who was also between jobs at the time.
"We were so nervous about not being on a company-provided plan," Winard said.
After speaking with an insurance agent, he decided against enrolling in an Affordable Care Act plan because he was concerned about the potential cost. Instead, he chose a short-term policy, good for six months.
Six months later, Winard was still working on starting his business, so he signed up for another short-term policy with a different insurer that cost about $500 a month.
When he needed a colonoscopy, Winard, 57, called his insurance company. He said a representative told him to go to any facility he wanted for the procedure.
Early last year, he had the colonoscopy at a hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois, not far from his home in Addison.
The procedure went well, and Winard went home right afterward.
Then the bill came.
Periodic colon cancer screening is recommended for people at average risk starting at age 45 and continuing until age 75, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. In addition to those for preventive purposes, doctors may order colonoscopies to diagnose existing concerns, as was the case for Winard.
There are several ways to screen, including noninvasive stool tests. A colonoscopy allows clinicians to examine and remove any polyps, which are then tested to see whether they are precancerous or malignant.
$10,723.19, including $1,436 for the anesthesia and $1,039 for the recovery room. After an insurance discount, his plan paid $817.47. Winard was left owing $7,226.71.
Short-term, limited-duration insurance policies do not have to follow rules established under the ACA because they are intended to be only temporary coverage.
As Winard experienced, benefits within the plans can vary, with some setting specific dollar caps on certain types of medical care — sometimes far below what it costs. What's covered can be hard to parse, and the insurer generally gets the last word on interpreting its rules.
While some short-term policies look like comprehensive major medical policies, all come with significant caveats. Most have limits that people accustomed to work-based or comprehensive ACA plans may find surprising.
All short-term insurance carriers, for example, screen applicants for health conditions and can reject them because of health problems or exclude those conditions. Many do not include drug coverage or maternity care.
The fact that short-term plans can cover fewer services, conditions, and patients is why they are generally less expensive than an unsubsidized ACA plan.
"The general trade-off is lower premiums versus what the plans actually cover," said Cynthia Cox, vice president and director of the program on the ACA at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. "But the reason short-term plans are priced lower than a more comprehensive ACA plan is that they can deny people with preexisting conditions and don't have to cover a lot of essential health benefits."
Stunned that he owed more than $7,000 for his colonoscopy, Winard contacted his insurance company, Companion Life Insurance of Columbia, South Carolina.
An insurance representative told him in an email that it classified the procedure and all its costs, including the anesthesia, under his policy's "outpatient surgery facility" benefit.
That benefit, the email said, capped insurance payment "within that facility" to a maximum of $1,000 per day.
That definition surprised Winard, who said he read his policy to mean that there was a cap on what could be charged for the facility itself — not for all the care he received there.
"I interpreted it to be a facility like a recovery room or surgery room," he said. "They defined it to include any services at an outpatient facility."
His plan says it covers colon cancer screening at 80% after patients meet their deductible. It also covers 80% of the cost of drugs provided in an outpatient setting.
Winard, who had met his deductible, said he expected he would pay only 20% toward the cost of his colonoscopy. But he also wondered why the screening, performed at Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital, was categorized by the insurer as a procedure at an "outpatient" facility.
According to the email Winard received from his insurer, his policy's $1,000-a-day limit applies to "treatment or services in a state-approved freestanding ambulatory surgery center that is not part of a hospital, or a hospital outpatient surgery facility."
Elmhurst Health spokesperson Allie Burke said that the hospital has an attached building where same-day outpatient procedures like colonoscopies are performed.
Short-term plans have been sold for decades. But in recent years, they've become a political football.
Out of concern that people would choose them over more comprehensive ACA insurance, President Barack Obama's administration limited short-term plans' terms to three months. Those rules were lifted in President Donald Trump's first term, allowing the plans to again be sold as 364-day policies.
President Joe Biden, calling such plans "junk insurance," restricted the policies to four months — a change that took effect one month after Winard's procedure. Trump is expected to reverse Biden's reversal and again make them available for longer durations.
In December, Winard hired an advocate, Linda Michelson, to help him parse his bill. They wrote to the hospital, offering to pay $4,000 if it would settle the entire bill — an amount Michelson said is about four times what Medicare would pay for a colonoscopy. Winard said the hospital declined the offer.
Spencer Walrath, another Elmhurst spokesperson, wrote in an email to KFF Health News that the hospital's prices "reflect the value of the services we deliver."
Companion Life did not respond to requests for comment. Scott Wood, who identified himself as a program manager and co-founder of Pivot Health, which markets Companion Life and other insurance plans, said in an interview that there was room for interpretation in the billing and that he had asked Companion Life to take another look.
Shortly after Wood's comment to KFF Health News, Winard said he was contacted by his insurer. A representative told him that, upon reconsideration, the bill had been adjusted — although he was given no specific explanation as to why.
His new bill showed he owed only $770.
Short-term plans can be appealing for some people because of the relatively low cost of their premiums, but consumers should read all the plan documents carefully before enrolling. Understand that the plans often won't cover a full range of benefits, and check to see which services are covered and which are excluded. Check whether a policy includes per-day or per-policy-period dollar caps on coverage or other payout limits.
The federal government offers subsidies based on household income for ACA plans, which can make them comparable in cost to cheaper, short-term plans — but with a wider range of benefits.
In hindsight, Winard said he had not understood the difference between ACA policies and short-term plans.
His advice? Don't rely solely on marketing materials, and always get a cost estimate, preferably in writing, before a nonemergency procedure like a colonoscopy.
This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF - the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
KFF Health News
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Mari Villar was slammed by a car that jumped the curb, breaking her legs and collapsing a lung. Amy Paulo was in pain from a femur surgery that wasn't healing properly. Katie Kriegshauser suffered organ failure during pregnancy, weakening her so much that she couldn't lift her baby daughter.
All went to physical therapy, but their health insurers stopped paying before any could walk without assistance. Paulo spent nearly $1,500 out of her own pocket for more sessions.
Millions of Americans rely on physical and occupational therapists to regain strength and motor skills after operations, diseases, and injuries. But recoveries are routinely stymied by a widespread constraint in health insurance policies: rigid caps on therapy sessions.
Insurers frequently limit such sessions to as few as 20 a year, a KFF Health News examination finds, even for people with severe damage such as spinal cord injuries and strokes, who may need months of treatment, multiple times a week. Patients can face a bind: Without therapy, they can't return to work, but without working, they can't afford the therapy.
Paulo said she pressed her insurer for more sessions, to no avail. "I said, 'I'm in pain. I need the services. Is there anything I can do?'" she recalled. "They said, no, they can't override the hard limit for the plan."
A typical physical therapy session for a privately insured patient to improve daily functioning costs $192 on average, according to the Health Care Cost Institute. Most run from a half hour to an hour.
Insurers say annual visit limits help keep down costs, and therefore premiums, and are intended to prevent therapists from continuing treatment when patients are no longer improving. They say most injuries can be addressed in a dozen or fewer sessions and that people and employers who bought insurance could have purchased policies with better therapy benefits if it was a priority.
Atul Patel, a physiatrist in Overland Park, Kansas, and the treasurer of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, said insurers' desire to prevent gratuitous therapy is understandable but has "gone too far."
"Most patients get way less therapy than they would actually benefit from," he said.
Hard caps on rehab endure in part because of an omission in the Affordable Care Act. While that law required insurers to cover rehab and barred them from setting spending restrictions on a patient's medical care, it did not prohibit establishing a maximum number of therapy sessions a year.
More than 29,000 ACA health plans — nearly 4 in 5 — limit the annual number of physical therapy sessions, according to a KFF Health News analysis of plans sold last year to individuals and small businesses. Caps generally ranged from 20 to 60 visits; the most common was 20 a year.
Health plans provided by employers often have limits of 20 or 30 sessions as well, said Cori Uccello, senior health fellow at the American Academy of Actuaries.
"It's the gross reality in America right now," said Sam Porritt, chairman of the Falling Forward Foundation, a Kansas-based philanthropy that has paid for therapy for about 200 patients who exhausted their insurance over the past decade. "No one knows about this except people in the industry. You find out about it when tragedy hits."
Even in plans with no caps, patients are not guaranteed unlimited treatment. Therapists say insurers repeatedly require prior authorization, demanding a new request every two or three visits. Insurers frequently deny additional sessions if they believe there hasn't been improvement.
"We're seeing a lot of arbitrary denials just to see if you'll appeal," said Gwen Simons, a lawyer in Scarborough, Maine, who represents therapy practices. "That's the point where the therapist throws up their hands."
Katie Kriegshauser, a 37-year-old psychologist from Kansas City, Missouri, developed pregnancy complications that shut down her liver, pancreas, and kidneys in November 2023. After giving birth to her daughter, she spent more than three months in a hospital, undergoing multiple surgeries and losing more than 40 pounds so quickly that doctors suspected her nerves became damaged from compression. Her neurologist told her he doubted she would ever walk again.
Kriegshauser's UnitedHealthcare insurance plan allowed 30 visits at Ability KC, a rehabilitation clinic in Kansas City. She burned through them in six weeks in 2024 because she needed both physical therapy, to regain her mobility, and occupational therapy, for daily tasks such as getting dressed.
"At that point I was starting to use the walker from being completely in the wheelchair," Kriegshauser recalled. She said she wasn't strong enough to change her daughter's diaper. "I couldn't pick her up out of her crib or put her down to sleep," she said.
The Falling Forward Foundation paid for additional sessions that enabled her to walk independently and hold her daughter in her arms. "A huge amount of progress happened in that period after my insurance ran out," she said.
In an unsigned statement, UnitedHealthcare said it covered the services that were included in Kriegshauser's health plan. The company declined to permit an official to discuss its policies on the record because of security concerns.
Patients who need therapy near the start of a health plan's year are more likely to run out of visits. Mari Villar was 15 and had been walking with high school friends to get a bite to eat in May 2023 when a car leaped over a curb and smashed into her before the driver sped away.
The accident broke both her legs, lacerated her liver, damaged her colon, severed an artery in her right leg, and collapsed her lung. She has undergone 11 operations, including emergency exploratory surgery to stop internal bleeding, four angioplasties, and the installation of screws and plates to hold her leg bones together.
Villar spent nearly a month in Shirley Ryan AbilityLab's hospital in Chicago. She was discharged after her mother's insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, denied her physician's request for five more days, making her more reliant on outpatient therapy, according to records shared by her mother, Megan Bracamontes.
Villar began going to one of Shirley Ryan's outpatient clinics, but by the end of 2023, she had used up the 30 physical therapy and 30 occupational therapy visits the Blue Cross plan allowed. Because the plan ran from July to June, she had no sessions left for the first half of 2024.
"I couldn't do much," Villar said. "I made lots of progress there, but I was still on crutches."
Dave Van de Walle, a Blue Cross spokesperson, said in an email that the insurer does not comment on individual cases. Razia Hashmi, vice president for clinical affairs at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, said in a written statement that patients who have run out of sessions should "explore alternative treatment plans" including home exercises.
Villar received some extra sessions from the Falling Forward Foundation. While her plan year has reset, Villar is postponing most therapy sessions until after her next surgery so she will be less likely to run out again. Bracamontes said her daughter still can't feel or move her right foot and needs three more operations: one to relieve nerve pain, and two to try to restore mobility in her foot by lengthening her Achilles tendon and transferring a tendon in her left leg into her right.
"Therapy caps are very unfair because everyone's situation is different," Villar said. "I really depend on my sessions to get me to a new normalcy. And not having that and going through all these procedures is scary to think about."
Most people who use all their sessions either stop going or pay out-of-pocket for extra therapy.
Amy Paulo, a 34-year-old Massachusetts woman recovering from two operations on her left leg, maxed out the 40 visits covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in 2024, so she spent $1,445 out-of-pocket for 17 therapy sessions.
Paulo needed physical therapy to recover from several surgeries to shorten her left leg to the length of her right leg — the difference a consequence of juvenile arthritis. Her recovery was prolonged, she said, because her femur didn't heal properly after one of the operations, in which surgeons cut out the middle of her femur and put a rod in its place.
"I went ballistic on Blue Cross many, many times," said Paulo, who works with developmentally delayed children."
Amy McHugh, a Blue Cross spokesperson, declined to discuss Paulo's case. In an email, she said most employers who hire Blue Cross to administer their health benefits choose plans with "our standard" 60-visit limit, which she said is more generous than most insurers offer, but some employers "choose to allow for more or fewer visits per year."
Paulo said she expects to restrict her therapy sessions to once a week instead of the recommended twice a week because she'll need more help after an upcoming operation on her leg.
"We had to plan to save my visits for this surgery, as ridiculous as it sounds," she said.
People with commercial insurance plans face more hurdles than those on Medicare, which sets dollar thresholds on therapy each year but allows therapists to continue providing services if they document medical necessity. This year the limits are $2,410 for physical and speech therapy and $2,410 for occupational therapy.
Private Medicare Advantage plans don't have visit or dollar caps, but they often require prior authorization every few visits. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found last year that MA plans deny requests for physical and occupational therapy at hospitals and nursing homes at higher rates than they reject other medical services.
Therapists say many commercial plans require prior authorization and mete out approvals parsimoniously. Insurers often make therapists submit detailed notes, sometimes for each session, documenting patients' treatment plans, goals, and test results showing how well they perform each exercise.
"It's a battle of getting visits," said Jackee Ndwaru, an occupational therapist in Jacksonville, Florida. "If you can't show progress they're not going to approve."
Marjorie Haney's insurance plan covered 20 therapy sessions a year, but Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield approved only a few visits at a time for the rotator cuff she tore in a bike accident in Maine. After 13 visits in 2021, Anthem refused to approve more, writing that her medical records "do not show you made progress with specific daily tasks," according to the denial letter.
Haney, a physical therapist herself, said the decision made no sense because at that stage of her recovery, the therapy was focused on preventing her shoulder from freezing up and gradually expanding its range of motion.
"I went through those visits like they were water," Haney, now 57, said. "My range was getting better, but functionally I couldn't use my arm to lift things."
Haney appealed to Maine's insurance bureau for an independent review. In its report overturning Anthem's decision, the bureau's physician consultant, William Barreto, concluded that Haney had made "substantial improvement" — she no longer needed a shoulder sling and was able to return to work with restrictions. Barreto also noted that nothing in Anthem's policy required progress with specific daily tasks, which was the basis for Anthem's refusal.
"Given the member's substantial restriction in active range of motion and inability to begin strengthening exercises, there is remaining deficit that requires the skills and training of a qualified physical therapist," the report said.
Anthem said it requires repeated assessments before authorizing additional visits "to ensure the member is receiving the right care for the right period of time based on his or her care needs." In the statement provided by Stephanie DuBois, an Anthem spokesperson, the insurer said this process "also helps prevent members from using up all their covered treatment benefits too quickly, especially if they don't end up needing the maximum number of therapy visits."
In 2023, Maine passed a law banning prior authorization for the first 12 rehab visits, making it one of the few states to curb insurer limitations on physical therapy. The law doesn't protect residents with plans based in other states or plans from a Maine employer who self-insures.
Haney said after she won her appeal, she spaced out the sessions her plan permitted by going once weekly. "I got another month," she said, "and I stretched it out to six weeks."
This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF - the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
KFF Health News
Posted in: Healthcare News
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New research uncovers how pairing intermittent fasting or low-calorie diets with high-intensity interval training can boost metabolism, burn fat, and enhance physical performance in postmenopausal women.
Study: Influence of Intermittent Fasting on Body Composition, Physical Performance, and the Orexinergic System in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study. Image Credit: pics five / Shutterstock.com
A recent study published in Nutrients determines how the combination of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with either intermittent fasting (IF) or a low-calorie diet (LCD) improves metabolic health among postmenopausal women.
Menopause leads to numerous physiological changes, some of which include increased visceral fat and reduced muscle mass. These changes, most of which can be attributed to reduced estrogen levels, can lead to systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of metabolic dysfunction.
Various strategies are recommended to postmenopausal women to manage these issues, including a combination of both nutritional and exercise interventions to support metabolic health. IF is a nutritional approach that involves alternating periods of eating with long fasting durations. The 16:8 diet, for example, recommends 16 hours of fasting and an eight- hour eating window during a 24-hour period.
IF also alters the levels of appetite-related hormones like orexin-A (OX-A), which is hypothalamic hormone that maintains energy balance and regulates eating behaviors. Fasting activates orexin neurons, thereby stimulating appetite-increasing hormones like neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP). Both NPY and AgRP exert sympathetic activity that leads to heat production and fat breakdown, which restores energy supplies to cells during fasting-induced stress.
Previous studies have reported that IF supports metabolic flexibility, during which cells throughout the body can transition between using glucose or fat as their primary source of energy. These responses promote the oxidation of fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce inflammation through various biological mechanisms, some of which include increased adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and autophagy, supporting mitochondrial function, and antioxidant effects.
HIIT synergistically improves these metabolic and appetite-related responses by causing acute metabolic stress, even as it enhances cardiorespiratory fitness. Many of the biological mechanisms implicated in the health benefits of HIIT are shared with IF, with higher OX-A levels associated with the combination of both HIIT and IF than either alone. OX-A stimulates brain reward pathways, which provides motivation for more physical activity while improving metabolic flexibility and promoting fat oxidation.
The current study included 30 postmenopausal women with an average age of 57.5 years who were exposed to either the LCD or IF along with HIIT for eight weeks. At baseline, the LCD group had better endurance and flexibility as compared to the IF group. Baseline exercise tolerance and aerobic capacity were higher in the IF group.
Both LCD and IF combined with HIIT improved metabolism, physical performance, and neurohormonal signaling in postmenopausal women. Whereas LCD relied on caloric restriction to reduce fat mass, IF improved metabolic switching and promoted fat burning.
The IF-HIIT group experienced significant improvements in their physical performance parameters, of which included flexibility and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2), at the end of the eight-week study period. Study participants in the IF-HIIT group also exhibited greater mean heart rates and endurance as compared to the LCD-HIIT group.
OX-A levels changed significantly over the intervention period, favoring the IF group. The baseline average OX-A level for the IF group exceeded that of the LCD group.
At eight weeks, OX-A evels tripled in the IF-HIIT group, with an over two-fold increase as compared to LCD-HIIT levels. Nevertheless, LCD was associated with reduced fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity.
The combination of IF and HIIT offers a dual-action strategy, enhancing metabolic flexibility while stimulating the orexinergic system to mitigate the metabolic decline associated with menopause.”
Both IF and LCD provide metabolic benefits, particularly when combined with HIIT in postmenopausal women, which may be due to alterations in the appetite-regulating system. These changes were induced by acute metabolic stress due to HIIT, as well as repeated switching between fat and carbohydrate utilization for energy due to IF.
The study findings suggest that the combination of both IF and HIIT is a promising approach to weight management and metabolic regulation in postmenopausal women. Nevertheless, future research is needed to elucidate how these metabolic and exercise-related shifts occur, as well as the long-term effects of IF and HIIT.
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Dr. Liji Thomas is an OB-GYN, who graduated from the Government Medical College, University of Calicut, Kerala, in 2001. Liji practiced as a full-time consultant in obstetrics/gynecology in a private hospital for a few years following her graduation. She has counseled hundreds of patients facing issues from pregnancy-related problems and infertility, and has been in charge of over 2,000 deliveries, striving always to achieve a normal delivery rather than operative.
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The third-seeded Kentucky Wildcats will take on the second-seeded Tennessee Volunteers in an all-SEC Sweet 16 showdown in the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday. Kentucky is coming off an 84-75 win over Illinois on Sunday, while Tennessee upended UCLA 67-58 in the second round. The Wildcats (24-11), who are 134-56 in 64 NCAA Tournaments all-time, have not reached a Final Four since 2015, their second-longest drought ever. The Volunteers (29-7), who are 30-27 in 28 previous tournament appearances, have never made it to the Final Four.
Tipoff from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is set for 7:39 p.m. ET. This will be the third meeting between the rivals this season, with Kentucky winning both previous matchups. Tennessee is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 144.5. Before making any Tennessee vs. Kentucky picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-168 roll (+1815) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Kentucky vs. Tennessee and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Tennessee vs. Kentucky:
Senior guard Chaz Lanier has had a dominant NCAA Tournament so far. In the 77-62 first-round win over Wofford, he poured in 29 points, while adding five rebounds and two steals. He scored 20 points, while adding four rebounds and two assists in Saturday's win over UCLA. The transfer from North Florida has started all 36 games he has played, averaging 18.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 31.3 minutes.
Senior guard Zakai Zeigler registered a double-double in the win over Wofford. In 36 minutes of action, he scored 12 points, while dishing out 12 assists and making two steals. He had 15 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals against the Bruins on Saturday. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 13.7 points, 7.4 assists, three rebounds and two steals in 34.1 minutes. See which team to pick here.
The Wildcats also boast a strong offense, led by junior guard Otega Oweh. In Sunday's win over the Fighting Illini, he poured in 15 points, while grabbing four rebounds. He had a near double-double in the 76-57 win over Troy in the first round, scoring 20 points and adding eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals in 28.1 minutes.
Senior guard Koby Brea is also having a solid NCAA Tournament. The transfer from Dayton scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win over Illinois on Sunday. He had 13 points, four assists and two rebounds against Troy. In 35 games this season, including 15 starts, he is averaging 11.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.9 minutes. See which team to pick here.
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 152 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Kentucky vs. Tennessee, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tennessee vs. Kentucky spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned nearly $1,900 on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
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This week, Jordon Smith returns to action in the Monster Energy Supercross 250 West division at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Smith was injured in a crash in the Arlington, Texas, Triple Crown race when he crashed in the whoops, breaking four ribs, puncturing a lung, and suffering a laceration to his spleen.
The calendar worked in his favor. Since the series left Arlington four rounds ago, the 250 East riders have hosted two standalone rounds. There has also been an off-week in the schedule, which means Smith missed only the East / West Showdown in Indianapolis, Indiana.
“We are back,” Smith posted on social media. “Been working hard to get healed and back to race shape in the past 4 weeks. Thanks to all the doctors that had a part in helping me get back on the track, and my whole crew back at home with a special thanks to [Katie Smith] for taking care of Blair and [me]! See you guys in Seattle!”
Smith began the season strong with back-to-back podiums in Anaheim 1 and San Diego. He finished fourth in Anaheim 2 and gave Triumph its first victory in his fourth race with the team. Finishing last in the Arlington Triple Crown and missing one round dropped Smith to fifth in the championship standings, 44 points behind leader Haiden Deegan.
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The Memphis Grizzlies announced Friday morning that they've parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins. It's a shocking announcement with just nine games left of the regular season and the Grizzlies sitting fifth in the Western Conference. Assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo will fill in as the team's interim head coach, per ESPN.
"I'm genuinely appreciative of Taylor's contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons," Grizzlies president Zach Kleiman said in a statement. "This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor's leadership. I wish Taylor the very best going forward."
Jenkins has been the head coach of the Grizzlies since the 2019-2020 season. He's amassed a 250-214 (.539) record and is the winningest coach in franchise history, leading Memphis to the postseason three times. He's the longest-tenured head coach without a title, with Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra and Michael Malone being the only other active coaches who have been with their team longer.
Under Jenkins' leadership, the Grizzlies missed the playoffs twice, and last year's absence doesn't really count, given Ja Morant's season-ending injury and other lengthy injuries to key players in their rotation.
This season, they managed to turn things around with a healthier roster, climbing as high as the No. 2 spot in the West. However, as of late, Memphis has struggled, going just 2-4 in their last six games. There was also a recent dust-up between Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama on the bench during a timeout, which resulted in Bane shoving Aldama so hard that he lost his balance and fell back onto the chair. Though, those don't seem to be reason enough to fire a coach who has otherwise been incredibly successful during his time with the team, especially at this point in the season, right before the playoffs start.
Given the stunning timing of the announcement, there's not much information about why the Grizzlies decided to part ways, but we'll surely get more insight soon enough. For now, Memphis will finish out the rest of the season with an interim head coach who has yet to be named.
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Colorado and coach Deion Sanders have agreed on a contract extension through the 2029 season that puts Sanders into the $10 million club as one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. The five-year deal worth $54 million total will put Sanders at $10 million for 2025-26, $11 million for 2027-28 and $12 million on 2029, according to the Boulder Daily Camera.
Sanders most notably received reported interest from the Dallas Cowboys in the last coaching cycle.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue building something special here at Colorado," Sanders said in a statement. "We've just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I'm committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We've got work to do, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base. Lastly, anybody got at least a five-bedroom home with acreage for sale?"
Sanders enters his third year at Colorado after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate coaching career at Jackson State. The Buffaloes improved to 9-4 in 2024 -- their first winning record in a full 12-game season since 2016 -- and pushed for an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game with a 7-2 effort in conference play.
Colorado also finished the year ranked in both major polls for the first time in eight years. Sanders is now 13-12 with the Buffaloes.
While Colorado is trending up under Sanders, 2025 could be a very interesting year for the Buffaloes. Gone are star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy-winning, do-it-all playmaker Travis Hunter. Those two deserve as much credit as anyone for Colorado's turnaround.
Sanders, Deion's son, led the Big 12 and finished fourth nationally last season with 4,134 yards through the air. He also tossed a career-high 37 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions and surpassed 250 yards passing in all but two games. Now there's a chance Sanders will be the first quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hunter could hear his name called well before Sanders, though. Hunter played both cornerback and wide receiver full-time for Colorado, and in addition to his 2024 Heisman win, became the first player in college football history to capture both the Biletnikoff Award as college football's top receiver and the Bednarik Award as the sport's top defensive player.
Colorado often went as Sanders and Hunter did, and the two leave a massive void to fill with their parting. Colorado added some quarterback talent via high school recruiting (five-star prospect Julian Lewis and the transfer portal (former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter), while Hunter's production will have to be picked up by multiple players at different positions. Such was the impact he had.
The Buffaloes also have to identify replacements for standout wide receiver Will Sheppard, top pass-rusher BJ Green II and safety Shilo Sanders, another of Deion's sons. Not that Colorado is a stranger to roster overhaul under Sanders.
There's no doubt that Sanders' magnetic personality makes him one of the most effective recruiters in college football. He was quick to capitalize on the portal when he first arrived in Boulder and overhauled the roster by welcoming a whopping 52 transfers.That included both Sanders and Hunter, and though the group had growing pains throughout a 4-8 2023 season, a solid core of players that affected Colorado's turnaround in 2024.
Sanders signed another 43 transfers ahead of the 2024 season and 17 during the 2025 winter window, highlighted by former Liberty quarterback Salter, the heir apparent to Shedeur Sanders' starting spot. The elder Sanders has not eschewed high school recruiting, either.
He made his first big splash while at Jackson State where, in 2022, he landed Hunter, the first five-star prospect to ever sign with an FCS program. In 2024 Colorado signed three top-100 prospects, including offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, who started immediately at left tackle and earned 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors.
Colorado's 2025 class, which ranked 37th nationally, was comprised of 14 recruits, six of which graded out as four-star prospects. The biggest win was Lewis, a former USC commit and the No. 10 quarterback in the 2025 class, who will compete with Salter for the vacant starting job.
Though Colorado has plenty of holes to fill in 2025, Sanders has attracted more blue-chip talent to Boulder than the program is used to seeing. That could mitigate some of the expected drop-off in production.
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The Grizzlies fired their coach just before the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been one of the better stories of the NBA season. Coming off a 27-win season plagued by injuries, Memphis roared back into the Western Conference playoff picture with Ja Morant back in the lineup and Jaren Jackson Jr. playing at an All-NBA level. The Grizzlies were tracking as the No. 2 seed in the West as recently as the All-Star break, but suddenly the franchise has announced a shocking shakeup weeks before the start of the playoffs.
The Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins on Friday afternoon. Jenkins had been Memphis' coach since 2019, and was on the verge of leading the franchise to his third 50+ win season. Memphis' lead executive Zack Kleinman released this statement, calling it a “difficult decision.”
The @memgrizz today announced they have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins. pic.twitter.com/92PAK2NssN
The Grizzlies are 8-11 after the All-Star break so far. If the season ended today, Memphis would be the No. 5 seed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers.
It's easy to wonder if there's more to this story, because it doesn't make much sense from a basketball perspective with nine games left to go in the regular season. Jenkins helped remake the Grizzlies' offense to be less reliant on pick-and-rolls, and it produced some gorgeous basketball this season. This is a shocking decision.
Much of Jenkins' staff was also let go. This seems like a vote against the Grizzlies' new offense this year:
The Grizzlies parted ways with assistant coaches Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews along with head coach Taylor Jenkins, sources told @ShamsCharania and me. LaRoche had a major influence on Memphis' shift in offensive philosophy this season.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported “Jenkins was called into the Grizzlies office this morning and was fired in person, sources tell ESPN. Stunning dismissal.”
The Grizzlies have promoted assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo to interim head coach.
The Memphis Grizzlies are naming assistant Tuomas Iisalo as the interim head coach, sources tell ESPN. Iisalo, a native of Finland, is a former Finnish professional player and coach. He was head coach of Paris Basketball in 2024, winning the EuroCup and EuruCup coach of the year. pic.twitter.com/nKPCdzh7Ms
We'll update this story as it develops.
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NEWARK, N.J. — What spectacle this city took in Thursday night, a pair of regional-semifinal rarities that boosted the "wow" factor of a 2025 bracket owned by the big boys.
In absence of Cinderella, give us the scintillating.
In the early tip, Alabama put on one of the best offensive outputs this glorious NCAA Tournament has ever staged, with 25 3-pointers on 51 attempts and 113 points against BYU. The singed nets took on even more heat in the nightcap: Duke vs. Arizona. Cooper Flagg and Caleb Love. The matchup meant either Flagg (a freshman) or Love (a fifth-year senior) would walk off the floor for the final time as a college player.
The one thing we ever really want from this tournament is for players and teams to meet the moment. Flagg and Love did precisely that inside the Prudential Center, combining for 65 points on 50% shooting (20 for 40 from the field) and 50% from 3 (8 for 16) to give us one of the best two-player performances on opposite sides of an NCAA Tournament game — ever.
No. 1 seed Duke shot its way past Arizona, a 4-seed, with a rollicking 100-93 victory. Flagg and his teammates get to play for the Final Four on Saturday night against Alabama.
Taking the stage and circumstances heavily into account, Flagg had the best game of his career: 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds, three blocks. The 18-year-old is a mortal lock to be the No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft; the litany of reasons for why that's true were on display dozens of times Thursday night. Flagg's the most well-rounded player in college basketball, and every single facet of his game saw opportunity to emerge against Arizona. The questions about his shooting prowess from November and December have dissipated entirely; he sank three 3s on five attempts and had nine field goals in nine variations of scoring form.
Perhaps Flagg's biggest shot was a hurry-hurry 3 from NBA range he hoisted just before the first-half horn sounded. It cashed, turning what was nearly a tie game 10 seconds prior into a six-point Duke advantage (48-42) going into the break. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd told me afterward this sequence was critical to the final outcome.
COOPER FLAGG BEATS THE BUZZER! pic.twitter.com/kxE4MCd9Uq
"We couldn't solve the puzzle," Lloyd told CBS Sports. "We couldn't keep him in front of us. That's the thing. I don't think people realize how shifty he is with the ball, and he just kept getting downhill over and over again."
The freshman phenom pushed Duke to its first 100-point game in the tournament since 1993. Scan the archives and it's statistically obvious: Flagg's Thursday night in Jersey was the best game by any freshman in the history of the NCAA Tournament. No first-year player had ever scored at least 30 points, had at least five rebounds, five assists and three blocks on a March Madness stage. The last player, period, to do that in this event was Marquette's Dwyane Wade in 2003 vs. Kentucky in the Elite Eight.
Flagg is riveting because his basketball game is so advanced, yet he's incapable of properly explaining how good he is at 18 years old. When asked to lay out how he put on one of the best NCAA Tournament performances ever, Flagg quickly quipped: "Just playing with really good energy, trusting our game plan, trusting my teammates. They put me in some really good spots tonight. Coach, as well, put me in some really good spots. I think just making the right play and just letting the game happen."
The national player of the year race has been compelling for most of this season, but Flagg's found separation vs. Auburn's Johni Broome in the past two weeks. Thursday night was a propulsion to the inevitable.
Cooper Flagg tonight for @DukeMBB:30 points7 assists6 rebounds3 blocks3 threes madeNo other Division I player this century has reached all of those numbers in any regulation game (NCAA Tournament or otherwise). pic.twitter.com/4DMFKtmzwW
On the other side, Love's final college game, the 174th of his ever-fascinating career, wound up with him showing his best against the most apropos of all opponents. The guy who ended Mike Krzyzewski's career in the 2022 Final Four ended his college journey on his terms, albeit in a loss in his 11th and final face-off against Duke.
He not only had a 35-point night — an Arizona tournament record — but also committed zero turnovers against a No. 1 seed. He became the second player to ever get multiple 20-point game vs. Duke in the NCAA Tournament (joining UNLV's Anderson Hunt in 1990 and 1991). He tied Maryland's Juan Dixon with 178 career points vs. the Blue Devils, most ever.
"I think it's only right," Duke coach Jon Scheyer told CBS Sports. "We knew it was going to be him at his best in this game."
Given the history between Love and Duke, Scheyer told me the game plan was to make Love a volume shooter and run him off the 3-point line. Scheyer added that he was dialed into the game, in the moment, but it'd be impossible to not have at least a faint flashback to that New Orleans night in April of 2022.
"I've coached against him enough where I know what he's capable of. Obviously that's in the back of your mind in playing against him," Scheyer said. "Caleb was at the highest level tonight. We tried to make as difficult as we could, but some of the shots he hit, man, there's not much more you can do about it."
When Duke traveled to Tucson this past November to face Arizona, Love had a bad game: eight points on 13 shots in a 69-55 home loss. The Sweet 16 gave him an unexpected/proper chance at person redemption, and he seized it. Even with Duke's lead growing to 19 with 13:11 remaining, Love didn't wilt. He scored 21 of his 35 points after the break, including a barrage of 3s that chipped away at Duke's lead.
The Wildcats got the gap as close as 91-86 with less than two minutes to go, but there wasn't enough ground to make up. Duke is too good. Short of a win here, Love got the love he deserved afterward. His teammates at the podium all praised him and his leadership.
"He really took all of us under his wing. He's a leader. He's been through so much and taught us all so much," guard Jaden Bradley said.
"If anybody ever thinks he's not a good teammate, it's not true," forward Henri Veesaar said. "He's the best teammate we had. He's one of the better persons I've ever met. He's pushed me so much over the last two years, I'm so grateful for him."
This is a guy who was nudged out of North Carolina. Look at where the Tar Heels find themselves right now. Their issues extended far beyond Love's alchemy in that locker room in his final season there, in 2022-23. How fulfilling it must be to sit at a podium and hear your teammates and coaches talk about you like this, especially after a loss, the final one of your college life. In the locker room afterward, Love reflected on a career filled with just as much glory as criticism.
"Most importantly, I grew as a person off the court [at Arizona]," Love told CBS Sports. "A lot of it was a lot of preconceived notions about me leaving my other school. Coach Lloyd, my teammates, they all accepted me for who I was as a person, first and foremost."
Love has gone through a beguiling five years. His shot to beat Duke in 2022 will live on in Carolina history, but he wasn't successful — or beloved — enough to begin and end his college career as a Tar Heel. At Arizona, he found peace and a new path. He needed it. His final months at UNC bothered him immensely. He heard all of the disdain. He agonized in private.
"I love that dude," Lloyd said of Love."It was an honor to be associated with him. Never had a bad interaction with him, never had a bad body language, never had a bad attitude. It's just reassuring, because I got to know the true essence of Caleb Love. ... He's a 100th percentile. What he's went through in his young life is it's going to create so many advantages for him, because he's come out of it on the other side."
Love told me everything he heard. It hurt.
"I was a bad teammate. I was a bad person, this, this and this. It was all false," Love said. "I feel like I showed that coming to Arizona. ... We all have life issues that people may not know about it, we may not talk about, and that's something that I I took pride in, because that's what I was going through. I was going through a lot off the court, and I wanted somebody there to help me. My teammates were there for me, and I was there for them."
For as freaky-good as Flagg has been all season, it was fitting to see him counterbalanced by a player five years his senior, who's been through almost all of it at two of the biggest programs in the sport. It would have felt wrong (cursed, even) for Arizona to get blown out by Duke and Love to fall flat in his college finale. Fortunately, the fates found reason to give us the goods and provide Love with a moment he deserved.
I asked him at his locker what it was like to do this in a game against Flagg. To little surprise, Love told me he was as good as any player he's faced.
"He can do pretty much everything on the court," Love said. "He impacts the game in so many different ways. He can take you to the cup. He can pass. He can create for his teammates. He can block shots, rebound, put it on your head. ... He's getting the hype for a reason, so much respect to him. He has a bright future ahead, and I'm sure I'll see him up there in the league."
Love's journey could go any number of directions; maybe one day these two will find each other sharing space on an NBA floor. That would be pretty cool. Whether or not it happens, at least we have this. At least we got the best of Caleb Love on the same night we got the best of Cooper Flagg. One guy earned it, the other sure as hell deserved it.
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Russell Wilson's one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Giants will allow him to earn up to $21.5 million dollars in 2025, but due to the way the incentives are structured, it's going to be almost impossible for him to earn the full $21.5 million.
As a matter of fact, if Wilson wants to earn every dime in his contract, he would have to do something that no other QB in NFL history has done: Go 17-0 during the regular season.
Wilson has a total of $3 million in incentives tied to how many games he wins. According to Sports Illustrated, Wilson will get paid $176,470.59 for every game the Giants win as long as he plays at least 50% of the snaps. To earn the full $3 million, Wilson would have to lead the Giants to a 17-0 record, which makes the incentive almost impossible to earn.
Only two teams have ever gone undefeated in NFL history -- the 1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots -- and neither did it while playing a 17-game schedule. Also, the Dolphins and Patriots both made playoffs the year before they went undefeated, so they had plenty of talent. On the Giants' end, they went 3-14 last season, so if they were to go 17-0 in 2025, it would be the most shocking turnaround in NFL history.
Wilson would actually get $3.75 million if the Giants go 17-0, because he also gets a $750,000 bonus if he leads the Giants to the playoffs while playing at least 55% of the snaps and they would definitely make the playoffs if they went 17-0.
The oddsmakers in Las Vegas definitely don't think 17-0 will be happening: The Giants currently have an over/under of 5.5 ,which is tied for the second-lowest projected total of any NFL team for 2025.
Giants win total up to 5.5 … https://t.co/cPMUudGtVD pic.twitter.com/Ujb3ODz9Rm
If the Giants top that and get to six wins, that means Wilson would earn roughly $1.06 of the $3 million available, which would also mean that he'd be leaving about $1.94 million on the table in unearned money.
The good news for Wilson is that he does have a few incentives that will be slightly easier to earn. According to SI, he can earn a total of $2.5 million if he ends up playing at least 85% of the Giants' offensive snaps on the season. He can also earn $500,000 if he has a completion percentage at 64% or higher, which he's pulled off in four of his past six seasons (He has several other incentives that you can see here).
Wilson will be making decent money, but it's almost guaranteed that he won't be seeing the full $21.5 million in his contract unless the Giants pull off the most shocking season in the NFL's 105 years of existence.
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On a night where the Sweet 16 captured the basketball universe, the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls may have outdone even the wildest March Madness finish you could ever imagine. The Bulls won, 119-117, but it would be impossible to guess how they got there.
At least four shots appeared to be game-winners, only to be upstaged by the next hero. It's worth breaking down the game's final 30 seconds, which were absolutely bonkers.
Let's start with 27 seconds left and the Lakers up by a single point, 111-110. Austin Reaves found himself isolated on Nikola Vucevic (a familiar target for the Lakers throughout the game), and he drove, stopped on a dime, and hit a tough fallaway floater to put the Lakers up by three points.
AUSTIN REAVES COLD BLOODED pic.twitter.com/y7qWt5AeOr
After Josh Giddey airballed a floater on the ensuing possession, Reaves was fouled and made both free throws, creating a seemingly insurmountable five-point lead (115-110) with 13 seconds to play.
But the Bulls weren't having any of that.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan drew up a nice inbounds play that wound up with Vučević throwing a quick pass to Patrick Williams, who knocked down a corner 3 with 10 seconds remaining. That's when all hell broke loose.
On the ensuing inbound pass, LeBron James attempted to get the ball to Reaves, but it was intercepted by Giddey. He threw a quick dime to Coby White, who splashed a wing 3-pointer to give the Bulls an inexplicable one-point lead with six seconds left.
DID THAT JUST HAPPEN!?!?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/5t6d7N1tTq
Game over, right? Not even close.
Reaves struck again on the Lakers' next possession, making a driving layup to give him 30 points and what looked like the game-winner with 3.1 seconds to play.
Instead, Giddey quickly inbounded to Williams, who tossed it right back to Giddey. He took one dribble to halfcourt and let loose a heave which -- of course -- went right through the hoop.
JOSH GIDDEY WINS IT AT THE BUZZER FROM HALF COURT 🚨COMPLETES AN 18-POINT 4Q COMEBACK FOR THE BULLS!!#TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/66AbdWc0rw
Bulls win, 119-117. You could watch a million basketball games in your life and never see another ending like this.
It was the fourth straight win for the Bulls, who are firmly in the mix for the No. 7 seed in the East. Now 33-40, Chicago is two games behind the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks (35-38) and 1.5 games back of the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic (35-39).
Giddey was clearly the hero of the game, but not just for his final shot. He could have moped and hung his head after putting up that airball near the basket, but he bounced back to pick up the clutch steal and assist which turned the game on its head.
For the Lakers, who led by as many as 18 points in the fourth, it was another costly loss as they attempt to navigate the logjam in the middle of the Western Conference. The loss dropped the Lakers to 44-29, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed.
Reaves' 30 points led the team, while Luka Dončić added 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. James finished with 17 points and 12 assists on 8-for-20 shooting.
"Devastation," Lakers coach JJ Redick said when asked for his immediate reaction after the wild finish. "It's a hell of a way to lose a basketball game."
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When most people get invited to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game, they are mainly concerned with not embarrassing themselves (or injuring themselves). However, Ichiro Suzuki is not most people, and when the Mariners asked the soon-to-be enshrined Hall of Famer to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day, he was ready to show folks that he's still got it, even at 51 years old.
Ichiro didn't just wear his jersey unbuttoned over street clothes, he came out in full uniform, indicating this was serious business. From there he went all the way to the rubber and made manager (and former teammate) Dan Wilson step back behind the plate so he could really let it rip, delivering some 84 mph high heat.
Ichiro Suzuki throws this first pitch the only way he knows how:84 MPH on the radar, and in FULL uniform! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/kcxNNJx6L4
You wouldn't expect anything less from Ichiro, whose arm strength was second to none in the outfield during his playing days and still looks to be in terrific shape. You could also see Wilson was a little antsy behind the plate, because he knew Ichiro was about to throw him some gas, and the Mariners manager did a heckuva job climbing the ladder to get to that rising fastball. The Mariners have a few different celebrations of Ichiro planned for this season, including his jersey retirement in August, but they might need to consider holding a bullpen spot open for him to see if he can eat up some innings.
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The Iowa State men's basketball season came to a disappointing end when they were defeated by Ole Miss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A busy offseason has already begun for head coach T.J. Otzelberger and the Iowa State basketball coaching staff, as four players have entered the college basketball transfer portal. The Cyclones have been active in the portal as well, hosting multiple players for visits. Otzelberger is tasked with keeping the Iowa State basketball roster near the top of the Big 12.
The Cyclones have made four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and been near the top of the Big 12 standings in back-to-back campaigns. Which college basketball transfers are Otzelberger and his staff targeting? If you love the Cyclones, or want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Cyclone Alert, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Cyclones.
Cyclone Alert's insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding the Iowa State basketball transfer portal movement, including insights from Alec Busse, who has deep-rooted ties inside the Iowa State program. Get all the inside scoop on the basketball program, plus and VIP intel on Iowa State football, recruiting and more, as well as access to Cyclone Alert's VIPs forums, where you can connect with other Iowa State fans and insiders.
And right now, Cyclone Alert is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Cyclone Alert already has news out on who is coming and going on the Iowa State basketball roster. Head to Cyclone Alert now to see the latest updates.
Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert, who were the top two scorers on the 2024-25 Iowa State roster, join Brandt Chatfield as the only players out of eligibility. Senior guard Nate Heise has already announced that he will return for an extra season of eligibility after averaging 5.1 points this season. Center Dishon Jackson also had a remaining season of eligibility, but he decided to enter the transfer portal this week.
Jackson averaged 8.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, so his departure leaves a void at the starting center position. South Dakota State transfer center Oscar Cluff visited Iowa State on Monday after being an All-Summit League selection this year, and he could be an immediate upgrade at that position. Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson are all expected to return, giving Otzelberger a strong starting point to build around with some transfer portal additions. Get the latest Iowa State basketball roster news from Cyclone Alert.
Otzelberger is expected to go after big names in the transfer portal, and the Cyclone Alert staff has all the latest news involving incoming and outgoing transfers. You can only see the latest updates at Cyclone Alert.
Who are the top names Iowa State basketball is pursuing? Go to Cyclone Alert to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with deep-rooted ties to Iowa State, and find out.
And remember, Cyclone Alert is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership for a limited time, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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When Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball team announced a separation at the end of the year, the Hoosiers were on a four-game losing streak in February. However, Indiana rallied and entered the Big Ten Tournament going 5-2 over its final seven games. A first-round loss in the Big Ten Tournament ended Woodson's Indiana tenure by missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. The hiring of Darian DeVries, 49, signals a new era in Indiana basketball. DeVries led Drake to its first 20-win season in 10 years in his first year at the school and had at least 20 victories in each of his six years before coaching at West Virginia. DeVries added West Virginia's leading scorer from the college basketball transfer portal last year in Javon Small, who had one year of eligibility remaining, so will he find another standout for the 2025-26 Indiana basketball roster? If you love the Hoosiers, or want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Peegs.com, the 247Sports affiliate that covers the Hoosiers.
Peegs.com's insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Woodson's exit and the future of the Indiana basketball program, including insights from Trevor Andershock, Jared Kelly and Jeff Rabjohns, all of whom have deep-rooted ties inside the Indiana program. Get all the inside scoop on the basketball program, plus and VIP intel on Indiana football, recruiting and more, as well as access to Peegs.com's VIPs forums, where you can connect with other Indiana fans and insiders.
And right now, Peegs.com is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Peegs.com already has news out on who is coming and going on the Indiana basketball roster. Head to Peegs.com now to see the latest updates.
It may not be as high-profile as Deion bringing his "luggage", which included a likely first-round pick quarterback in his son Shedeur Sanders, but DeVries is likely bringing family with him to Indiana. Tucker DeVries played for his father at Drake and West Virginia and the senior 6-foot-7 will likely be granted another year of eligibility after playing just eight games at West Virginia before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
The younger DeVries averaged 14.9 points last season while shooting 47.3% on 3-pointers. He was the Missouri Valley Player of the Year as a sophomore and a junior at Drake, so he'd be a viable asset regardless of his last name. Amani Hansberry joined West Virginia from the transfer portal his sophomore year and finished third in scoring (9.8 ppg) and led the team in rebounds (6.5 per game) and said he plans to enter the transfer portal again, so there's another name to keep an eye on if DeVries scoops him up again. Get the latest Indiana basketball roster news at Peegs.com.
DeVries is expected to go after some big names in the transfer portal, and the Peegs.com staff has all the latest news involving incoming and outgoing transfers. You can only see the latest updates at Peegs.com.
Who are the top names Indiana basketball is pursuing under coach Darian DeVries? Go to Peegs.com to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Hoosiers, and find out.
And remember, Peegs.com is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership for a limited time, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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The Eagles and Bills could see huge parts of their offense take a hit.
It appears as though detractors of the Philadelphia Eagles' most unstoppable offensive weapon are going to get their wish. The possibility of banning the “Tush Push” has been on the table since the end of the NFL season, and now it's drawing closer to a reality.
A vote from NFL owners will come next week on whether or not to ban the controversial play, with Dianna Russini of The Athletic saying that there's now momentum behind banning the play. The first push to ban the play came from the Green Bay Packers, but there had been whispers about frustration over the play brewing for several years — peaking this last season as the Buffalo Bills added the Tush Push to their repertoire as well.
It makes for an extremely awkward scenario. Is it that the Tush Push should be banned because it's inherently bad for football? Or is this sour grapes from teams who have been beaten by the play, while lacking the personnel to pull it off themselves? It's this question Atlanta Falcons CEO Rich McKay is grappling with. McKay also serves on the NFL's competition committee as its longest tenured member, and spoke to Yahoo Sports about the upcoming decision.
“The thing that nobody likes about this discussion that we're having … is the idea that the rule is directed towards two teams,” McKay, who's also the Atlanta Falcons' CEO, said Tuesday over Zoom. “We've had many rules over the years that come in about some play or some tactic or something that was just never contemplated, that all of a sudden is introduced and there's a rule put up to say maybe we shouldn't have that tactic or that play.”
A tush push ban would be a targeted blow to the Eagles and Bills who used the play more times in 2024 than the other 30 teams combined. It raises serious questions about whether this is the kind of play the NFL Competition Committee need to get involved in at all — but there is also a risk that the play could fundamentally alter how football is schemed, and how rosters are created.
Related
The heart of the Tush Push comes from a strong interior offensive line, from there it's about using two players behind the quarterback to physically push him through the pile to gain yardage on short down situations, or score at the goal line. It's a simple concept, but as a whole teams around the league have struggled to emulate the success of either the Eagles or Bills. This is largely due to Philadelphia having the offensive line strength to squeeze Jalen Hurts through the pile, while Buffalo is able to utilize Josh Allen's strength and size as a ball carrier to make it work.
We'll know more next week, but it certainly seems like the play is going to be banned.
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Texas basketball used upset wins over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament to sneak its way into the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket. However, after a late collapse against Xavier in the First Four left Texas with a 19-16 record for the year, Rodney Terry was fired after his second season at the helm. Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte acted quickly to name Xavier head coach Sean Miller the next head coach of Texas basketball and now Miller is tasked with reviving a deep-pocketed program with Final Four aspirations.
Miller sandwiched two stints at Xavier around a lengthy tenure at Arizona that yielded three Elite Eight runs, but he'll look for a breakthrough Final Four of his own. To get there, he'll have to hit the ground running in Austin and put Texas' NIL might to work to build a new Texas basketball roster in the college basketball transfer portal. If you love the Longhorns, or want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Horns247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Texas.
Horns247 has two of the most experienced journalists in the Texas market in Chip Brown and Jeff Howe. They have broken countless stories over the last two decades. Newcomer Eric Henry has already made his presence felt in the market, and Hank South and Jordan Scruggs have Longhorns recruiting on lockdown. Get all the inside scoop on the new basketball staff and VIP intel on UT football, basketball and more, plus access to the Horns247 VIP message boards, where you can interact with other fans and program insiders.
And right now, Horns247 is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Horns247 already has news out on who is coming and going on the Texas basketball roster. Head to Horns247 now to see the latest updates.
Steve Sarkisian used a combination of the transfer portal and a handful of dominant high-school recruiting classes to deliver Texas to the College Football Playoff and now the hope is that Miller can do the same. One of the top players to enter the college basketball transfer portal so far is Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent, who averaged 20.6 points and 6.4 assists per game for New Mexico last season. That would be the sort of huge score to launch Texas into contention but he'll have to fend off dozens of top programs to get involved.
However, Miller should have an easier in with Xavier forward Dailyn Swain, who entered the transfer portal after Miller took the Texas job earlier this week. Swain averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the Musketeers this year and he'll have two remaining seasons of eligibility. Ohio State is also in the mix for the former three-star recruit who chose to stay in his home state when he landed at Xavier during his first recruitment. Get the latest Texas basketball roster news at Horns247.
Miller is expected to go after some huge names in the transfer portal, and the Horns247 staff has identified one of his former players who could be a "tailor-made replacement" for a departing star. You can only see who it is at Horns247.
Who are the top names Texas basketball is pursuing under coach Sean Miller, and which one of his former players could give the Longhorns a huge boost? Go to Horns247 to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with decades of experience covering the Longhorns, and find out.
And reminder, Horns247 is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership for a limited time, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is attempting an NFL comeback. Once viewed as a premier pass-catcher from the slot, the 29-year-old Renfrow sat out the 2024 season but a Raiders reunion could be in the works.
NFL Media reports that Renfrow is visiting the Raiders this week, and also visited with the Carolina Panthers. Renfrow is a South Carolina native, and became a Clemson legend by winning two College Football Playoff National Championships -- including in 2017, when he caught the game-winning pass from Deshaun Watson to defeat Alabama.
Renfrow was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he recorded two 100-yard outings in his first NFL season. Renfrow's best season came in 2021, when he caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns -- leading to his lone Pro Bowl selection. That offseason, Renfrow signed a two-year, $32 million extension with Vegas. After catching just 25 passes for 255 yards and zero touchdowns in 2023, which was the worst statistical campaign of his career, Renfrow was released by the Raiders last March.
The Raiders are certainly in the market for wide receivers to pair with new quarterback Geno Smith. Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker are the returning lead receivers for Vegas from last year but the position group as a whole is thin. It's possible the Raiders look to a familiar face for help.
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These are just so dumb.
Whining to the federal government about the Super Bowl halftime show has become as much of a tradition as the game itself. It's a chance for boomers to crack their knuckles and wrinkle their confused brains about music they don't understand, focusing their white-hot anger at bureaucrats to fire off emails about how they don't like modern music, black people — and oftentimes both.
This week the FCC released the 125 complaints about Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show and we read through all of them so you don't have to, picking out the absolute stupidest ones. If you wrote one of these then you're bad, and you should feel bad.
From Columbia, North Carolina
“This have time show is racist there is only African American people in it no Caucasian people in the performance that is racist promoting that one race is superior to another which is not only in ethical it's illegal.”
Every interaction should be a learning experience, so here goes:
From Indiana, Alabama
“this is horrible the half time show should have good music not this junk you are catering to certain people and many people hate this just music get someone that actually has music people listen too get someone like madona. and i think that its racist that there arent any white people in this event. why cant we get some mixed culture in the show. also you could get someone like zack top he has music thats blowing up. there are many great artest that have better music than this guy.”
I mean absolutely not offense to the musician Zach Top, whom I had to look up to find out who this person even is — but I have to disagree with the term “blowing up.” His last album peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. country charts. In addition, I think die hard fans of Zach Top should probably know how to spell Zach Top.
From Fuck off, California
“Your halftime show was a joke. Thank god America brought Trump back to shut you idiots down. Kendrick Lamar isn't real talent and all you woke ass sheep aren't talented and are absolutely garbage. I hope you feel as stupid as everyone saw you as. Worst halftime show ever. GOD BLESS AMERICA, HIS WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. THANK GOD FOR TRUMP AND VANCE. FUCK THE NFL AND ITS WOKE AGENDA. I bet you support p diddy and his pedophilia bullshit. “
I got nothing. Hope you enjoy Thanksgiving alone this year.
From Fort Wayne, Indiana
“The half time show was AWFUL. Who listens and UNDERSTANDS what they are saying. I'm a professional musician and I find this very insulting.”
Call it a hunch, but if you're a professional musician who can't appreciate or understand rap music, even on just a academic level, then it probably explains why you're still performing in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
From Eufuala, Oklahoma
“Complete disgust horrible horrible horrible half time show why do u get a person you can actually understand pure filth won't watch anymore wast of my time”
My favorite part of this specific complaint is that the sender specifically targeted the regional internet company “Vyve Broadband,” as if they specifically organized the Super Bowl halftime show.
From Daytona Beach, Florida
“I want to know why is it that there was not one white person involved???? I felt d discriminated against and why was uncle Sam Black when uncle Sam is white? I felt very discriminated. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It went from happy Super Bowl game to a very disappointed halftime show making me feel very disappointed in my country making me feel very sad and disgusted and very sad and unhappy, even though I have a mixed family, it made me feel even worse about myself being white you made me feel worse than ever and I want to know why is it ok for us white to be called racist and then the Super Bowl turn around and make us feel this way and not include any white people and I have to explain that to my nieces and nephews and kids!!! I am not happy at all . “
Obviously we know this person is just lying, but I still like to imagine a scenario where a heartbroken family needs to have an in-depth talk in the middle of the Super Bowl about why there wasn't a white performer at the halftime show.
From Glen Allen, Virginia
This was the absolute worst halftime show. My complaint is that the FCC and the NFL are racist. They are racists because of the continued patronage toward black music artist.
The phrase “They are racists because of the continued patronage toward black music artist” should be hung in the moron Louvre.
From Whiting, Indiana
“The halftime show was completely inappropriate and Kendrick shouldn't have been allowed to perform not like us given the explicit content and defamation suit “
We found Drake's burner.
From Richmond, Virginia
“Really not suitable for family viewing, extremely disappointing. You should rate that as “R” because my children are asking if those words are ok to say at school.”
Your kids aren't asking if they can say those words at school. Stop lying, Richmond.
From Tucson, Arizona
“Stop putting rap in the halftime shows. We hate it!!!! Why not put accomplished musicians in the show who can actually sing. Matchbox 20, Rolling Stones, Adele, Sammy Hagar, Marc Anthony, Dua Lipa, Elton John, Harry Styles. Please give us a better show instead of letting rappers choose rappers every year. Enough already!!!”
Yes, give the people what they want. Matchbox 20 ... in the year of our lord 2025.
From Cincinnati, Ohio
“The haft time show was the worst show in the history of the Super Bowl! You couldn't understand them raping which isn't singing! There were no white people on the stage and at last count black people only make up 18% of the US population.”
Please teach this person how to spell “rapping.”
From Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
“Although I could not understand a word of the performance, I do know they were trying to bad mouth the Trump Administration. I highly suggest that someone review what is being sung or said during halftime. People want to be entertained. There is no reason to have someone give their opinions. Over half the country voted for President Trump. You should respect that.”
I had no idea what was being said, but I KNOW it supports my biases.
From Sandyville, West Virginia
“The performance by Kendrick Lemar was pure and udder filth. He should be fined to the highest extent of the law of violating the FCC standards and be banned from any future televised performance.”
Instead of mocking this person I think they need help with this udder filth problem. According to several blogs the best way to clean cow udders is with a mild dish soap, warm water, and a clean towel. It's also important to wipe from the top of the udder to the tip, rather than the other way around.
From Beverly Hills, California
“Kendrick lamar made fake false and scandalous claims that are unfounded. He sd drake was a pedophile on TV in front of million of ppl, do better, this is a sad day ,when some performer can tell.ppl your a sex offender when there is no victim, no claims if anyone being a victim. You should b sued.”
We found Drake's other burner.
At least we can appreciate this king from Canton, Georgia
“My complaint is that the performance was not long enough”
Totally agree.
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After JuJu Watkins' injury, who are the best players remaining in the Sweet 16? Among them are Flau'Jae Johnson and Lauren Betts.
There are just 16 teams left in the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament. This weekend, teams will battle in Birmingham, Alabama, and square-up in Spokane, Washington. When the dust finally settles on Monday night, we will have four teams going to the Final Four.
Some teams, like TCU, are trying to get there for the first time. Others, like North Carolina and Duke, are trying to end long droughts and have tough paths ahead.
Along the way, stars may emerge for the first time, while elite players will reestablish their status with highlight-worthy plays and clutch moments.
As the Sweet 16 gets underway on Friday, these are the 16 players you need to watch. They'll determine which teams get to the Final Four.
The ACC Rookie of the Year didn't play in Duke's second-round win over Oregon due to an illness, but she and coach Kara Lawson confirmed that she'll play in Friday's clash with rival North Carolina, which is good news for the Blue Devils. In Duke's win over UNC in late February, Fournier finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, notching just the second double-double of her career. She leads Duke in scoring this season and is 13th nationally in points per 40 minutes with 26.8.
The junior forward for the Gamecocks has played some of her best basketball over the past month, scoring in double figures in seven straight games. She's also averaging 9.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists over that stretch, giving South Carolina consistency and reliability in the post. For her play in Greenville, S.C., earlier this month, she was voted MVP of the SEC Tournament.
Brenda Frese brought in seven transfers last offseason to revamp Maryland's roster, but the constant that remains is Sellers. She's the bus driver for this team that will face South Carolina on Friday evening, and if the Terps hope to win they'll need Sellers to play well. The senior guard is one of just three players nationally averaging at least 14 points, three rebounds and four assists per game while shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point land. The others – Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles – are on this list too. Sellers means just as much to her team as they do to theirs.
The fifth-year forward is the heart and soul of this Tar Heels team, which is in the Sweet 16 for the second time in the Courtney Banghart era. One of the best rim-runners in the country, Ustby owns North Carolina's all-time rebounding record and the only triple-double in program history. She's coming off a win against West Virginia where — in her final game in Chapel Hill — she tallied 21 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks. The Tar Heels will go as far as Ustby can take them.
A big reason why Oklahoma is in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 is because of Beers, who is ninth in the nation in field goal percentage with a clip of 64.5 percent. The junior center averages 17.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. She's one of the best combinations of interior scorer, rebounder and rim protector playing in the sport at the moment.
The electric and entertaining junior guard for the Tigers leads the team in scoring with 18.8 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Johnson is the only player in the country that shoots better than 46 percent from the floor, 37 percent from 3-point land and 80 percent from the free throw line while averaging at least 18 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
A fifth-year guard at her third school, Van Lith is enjoying arguably the best season of her career. She's averaging 17.7 points and a career-best 5.5 assists per game as she's led TCU to its first Big 12 title and first-ever appearance in the Sweet 16. Whether or not they can go any further will have a lot to do with how Van Lith plays.
Following the season-ending injury to superstar sophomore guard JuJu Watkins, Iriafen is now the bus driver for the Trojans. Whether they get to the Final Four or not rests on her play. We know that Iriafen is capable of carrying a team offensively though. Last year for Stanford, she had 41 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Cardinal past Iowa State. On Monday night against Mississippi State after Watkins went down, Iriafen piled up a season-high 36 points to go with nine rebounds.
For the second straight season, James is playing her best basketball in March. She's averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game this season to pair with 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She totaled 26 points in N.C. State's second round win over Michigan State, and she'll likely have to put forth a similar performance for the Wolfpack to beat LSU.
Likely a top-five pick in this spring's WNBA Draft, Miles has raised her game this season at Notre Dame, shooting a career-best 40.1 percent from 3-point land while also averaging 15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. Few players have the court vision that Miles does, and she's one piece of a three-headed-monster in Notre Dame's backcourt.
The bus driver for a Texas team that earned a No. 1 seed in this tournament, Booker improved her 3-point shot from her freshman to sophomore season by 11.8 percent. She averages 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and was named SEC Player of the Year.
Arguably the best freshman in the country this season — though Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes has a strong case for that title — Strong has raised the ceiling for this UConn team as a rookie, providing them with a consistent inside presence, filling the shoes left behind by Aaliyah Edwards. She averages 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and has the second-best shooting percentage on 2-point shots this season, making 68.9 percent of her attempts inside the arc. Strong also leads the nation in win shares (8.4) and defensive rating (83.9)
The nation's leading rebounder with 13.5 boards per game, Morrow also averages 18.5 points per game and was tabbed as a First Team All-American by the USBWA. A versatile forward with a strong offensive skillset, Morrow is a great one-on-one player with the ability to score in the paint with relative ease.
For an example of how good Hidalgo is on both ends of the floor, consider she is fourth in the nation in scoring with 24.1 points per game and fourth in steals with 3.7 swipes per game. The ACC Player of the Year was strong for the Fighting Irish in its opening weekend wins, piling up 45 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and seven steals in two games.
The 6-foot-7 center is the nucleus of a Bruins' team that has a program-record 32 wins this season. Betts took home Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Tournament MVP honors in UCLA's first season in the league, while also earning consensus First Team All-American honors.
Who else could it have been? The 2021 National Player of the Year, Bueckers will be a consensus First Team All-American for the third time in her career. This season, her final one at UConn before heading off to the WNBA, she's the only player in the country (minimum 20 games played, at least 20 minutes per game) shooting at least 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3-point land and 90 percent from the charity stripe. Should those numbers hold, she would become just the 10th collegiate player since 2009 to join the exclusive 50-40-90 club.
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The Indiana Pacers lowered the boom on the Washington Wizards on Thursday night, putting up an NBA season-high 162 points in a 53-point win that qualifies as the third-largest margin of victory this season, trailing only the Clippers' 62-point win over Brooklyn and Boston's 54-point win over the Raptors.
On top of that, the 162 points scored by the Pacers is the most by an NBA team in a non-overtime game since 2008. Playing a back-to-back after losing to the Lakers on a LeBron James buzzer-beating tip-in Wednesday night, Indiana set a franchise record with 27 3-pointers while recording an astonishing 48 assists, also the league's high mark this season.
🔥 FRANCHISE RECORD 27 THREES 🔥The Indiana Pacers were dialed in from distance tonight in their high-scoring win! pic.twitter.com/8io57Az9YK
All of the following numbers register as season highs for the Pacers -- who have been one of the best teams in the league since the turn of the calendar and have opened up a two-game lead on the Pistons for the East's No. 4 seed.
The Pacers could've scored even more but started taking shot-clock violations with about a minute and a half remaining. Honestly, they could've basically stopped scoring after the third quarter with a 37-point lead.
Tyrese Haliburton, who has been on a tear for the last month (he's recorded 109 assists against nine turnovers over nine games in March), led the way with 29 points and seven 3-pointers. All told, eight Pacers scored in double figures. Myles Turner had 17, Jarace Walker went for 16 and Obi Toppin pitched in 15.
"They don't ever, ever get talked about enough nationally," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the Pacers after L.A.'s aforementioned win over Indiana on Wednesday. "They're a phenomenal basketball team."
Again, only four teams have won more games since Jan. 1 than the Pacers, and all of them -- the Thunder, Cavs, Celtics and Nuggets -- are title contenders. Nobody is going to go so far as to put the Pacers in that tier, but the conference finals appearance they made last season has been plenty validated.
This team is for real, not because of a blowout like this against a tanking Wizards team, but because of the way Haliburton can control everything offensively and the consistency of a defense that's quietly ranked in the top 10 over the last three months.
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One of the more surprising QB dominoes to fall in the NFL this offseason was the trade of Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. That ended his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, a team that sparked his resurgence in the league as a starter, as they opted to sign Sam Darnold in free agency following the deal. While Seattle may have preferred Darnold over Smith, his new club -- specifically GM John Spytek -- seems over the moon about landing him.
"As we got into it and we evaluated the options in free agency, the other players that maybe were available via trade, ultimately we arrived at a spot where we thought adding Geno made a lot of sense for us," Spytek told the team-operated "Upon Further Review" show, via NFL.com. "It upgraded the position in our opinion. The compensation from a draft capital standpoint wasn't so costly. I mean, I love my picks more than anybody and I gotta remind Coach Carroll how much I love picks. But listen, we used a late third-round pick to hopefully have our starting quarterback here for years to come. And it was too good of an opportunity to pass up."
Specifically, the Raiders sent a 2025 third-round pick (No. 92 overall) to Seattle for Smith. While that's hardly a high price to pay for a starting quarterback on the trade market, there is the variable of the Raiders also needing to extend Smith. The 34-year-old is entering the final year of his current contract, so the two sides will need to come together in order for Smith to live up to Spytek's "for years to come" remark.
Contract aside, the Raiders are a good fit for Smith from the standpoint of the team hiring Pete Carroll as head coach. Carroll was leading the Seahawks when they signed Smith and helped bring his career back to life after naming him the full-time starter in 2022, following the trade of Russell Wilson.
"Obviously, there's a familiarity with coach and with Geno from Seattle, and really Geno played his best football for coach there," Spytek said. "And, when you've watched Geno through the years, he can throw the football with the best of any of them, honestly. You watch some of the throws he makes over and over again downfield, short, intermediate, the touch is there, the arm strength is there."
The presence of Smith does take some of the pressure off of Las Vegas when trying to answer its long-term questions about the position. However, it will be fascinating to see how the Raiders operate in the NFL Draft, especially if Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is available when they are on the clock at No. 6 overall.
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Welcome to our annual MLB Opening Day overreactions! Regulars around these parts know the deal. We're starting off tongue-in-cheek and even sort of mocking people will go nuts over 1 game out of 162 in the regular season being in the books. Lying within, though, we do get the chance to give real, earnest analysis. It's a fun approach to run around the action from Opening Day and hit on several different teams and players.
Let's get to it.
The Dodgers won the World Series last season after having the best regular-season record. This happened despite a pitching staff absolutely ravaged with injuries in the playoffs. Shohei Ohtani was playing on one arm in the World Series. Freddie Freeman was on one leg in the playoffs. Not only did they win it all, but they reloaded in the offseason. We've had to endure months of "no fair!" cries all over social media.
The Dodgers are now 3-0 and things aren't going to quiet down any time soon. They just won a game against reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal of the Tigers, arguably the best pitcher in baseball entering the season. The Tigers even had a lead, but then Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run shot because of course he did. If it wasn't him, it would be one of their other handful of All-Stars or even a member of their loaded supporting cast. They are inevitable.
Yeah, I have no argument about them being the best team in baseball. It's gonna take at least five months of this before I start talking best ever. And it's sure as hell gonna take more than one title in a row -- and just one real-season title since 1988 -- before I start worrying about how things aren't "fair" enough.
The Yankees had multiple starting pitcher injuries in spring training, including the loss of Gerrit Cole for the season due to Tommy John surgery. They signed Max Fried in the offseason, but they could stand to see Carlos Rodón -- he of the six-year, $162 million deal that yielded 1.2 WAR in his first two seasons -- step up.
Thursday, he took Cole's spot as Opening Day starter and got the win. He only gave up one run, on a solo homer, in 5⅓ innings of work, striking out seven.
Hey, he stepped up and the Yankees won. Ace time?
The reality of the situation is Rodón has flashed plenty of good in his time with the Yankees. He's just been inconsistent. One game isn't enough to believe that has changed. Plus, he needed 89 pitches and couldn't finish the sixth inning.
The Mets had an OMG-magical run all the way to the NLCS last season and then added uber-superstar Juan Soto via (a $765 million) free agency in the offseason. They now sport the third-place finisher in AL MVP in the two-hole in their batting order and the NL runner-up leading things off, not to mention the thunder behind them. They were ready to take the league by storm.
And then they actually had to play a game and couldn't even muster a run against the Astros until a sac fly brought one home with two outs in the ninth. Then Juan Soto came to the plate with the tying run on base, himself the go-ahead run, and he struck out to end the game.
Josh Hader shuts the door on Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/8RVg1tN1b2
So much for all that hype, huh?
I do have the Mets third place in the NL East and I have plenty of concerns about their rotation. I don't have many concerns about their offense and one game isn't enough to back me off my prediction that they'll be a playoff team. It was only one game against a very strong Astros team. Framber Valdez is underrated, but he's a sturdy, frontline starter and looked like himself for seven innings. That'll happen.
Adley Rutschman was the Orioles' No. 1 overall pick at the start of their rebuild. He doesn't have to carry the burden alone, as he has help with players like (the currently injured) Gunnar Henderson, but he still feels like the leader. After the All-Star break last season, he hit a paltry .207/.282/.303 with three home runs in 58 games. He was 1 for 8 with two strikeouts as they were swept out of the playoffs. Again.
Thursday was the start of another chance to break through. Rutschman homered in the first and ended the game 3 for 5 with two homers, three RBI and three runs while the Orioles put the hurt on the Blue Jays, 12-2. Jordan Westburg and Tyler O'Neill homered (again) while Cedric Mullins went deep twice. The Orioles pounded out 14 hits and this thing wasn't close for long.
SOOOOOOO BACK pic.twitter.com/i0T49g4nMr
Might Rutschman be back and the Orioles ready to win 100+ games, this time with a deep playoff run?
Maybe, honestly. The Orioles have the talent to be the best team in the American League and though they might need to pick up some starting pitching in front of the trade deadline, again, there's always potential for a team like that to make a deep run.
We're never gonna know that on Day 1, of course, but it was one heck of a start.
Remember that kid in 2019? Fernando Tatis Jr.? For most people, he was just a highly touted prospect whose dad once hit two grand slams in the same inning. And then we all saw him play and, boy, was that ever fun. At age 20, he had 22 homers, 16 steals and 4.0 WAR in 84 games. The off-the-charts potential saw him finish fourth in MVP voting in 2020 and third in only 130 games in 2021. He was bound to win at least one, probably pretty soon. Then the disaster that was 2022 hit. He missed the entire season due to a wrist injury -- the cause of which he initially lied about -- and then had shoulder surgery and was suspended for PEDs.
Yuck.
He came back and has been good since, but not necessarily great and certainly not what we once thought he could be.
Keep in mind he's still only 26 years old.
Thursday, the Padres won over the Braves, 7-4. There were lots of good vibes on the offensive side. Jackson Merrill had a huge hit early and drove home four. Gavin Sheets hit a game-tying homer in the seventh. Manny Machado doubled twice and scored three times. But man, Tatis looked like that kid again.
From the leadoff spot, he was the catalyst, going 3 for 4 with two steals and just generally carrying and electric aura with him. Note: One of the singles should have been a double, as Tatis was stylin' as he watched it fly, thinking it was a homer. He was then bunted to second before stealing third. In all, it wasn't just the stat line. In watching the game, he just felt like the Tatis of old (who was really young).
And you know what? It's entirely possible that's who he is all year. He has it in him.
The Guardians last season weren't supposed to be as good as they were. Just the same as it was in 2022 and several other years in recent memory. Their fan base likes to talk about how the Guardians just do the little things. You know, small ball. They play great defense. They grind you to death. It's not a little thing, but their bullpen was the best in baseball by a mile last year and that doesn't always jump out at you on paper.
This season, the Twins were the computer favorite. Many of us picked the Royals to win the AL Central. Others took the Tigers. Most projection systems had the Guardians fourth (I took them second because I'm tired of being wrong about them, yet I still couldn't pull the trigger for first).
What happens Thursday on Opening Day? Well, it starts with the news that Guardians' ace Tanner Bibee had to be a late scratch due to illness, so they had to throw Ben Lively into the proverbial fire as opening-day starter. The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the third.
Then the Guardians scored one in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. Two of those runs were on sac flies. The latter two were on a home run, though. When the Royals somehow scored a run off Emmanuel Clase in the ninth to tie it, the Guardians dropped the hammer in the 10th with three runs to win it, 7-4.
Those who watched the Guardians often last season came away with a familiar feeling, right?
Obviously, it's still possible the Guardians do end up in fourth place, as the computers projected. Again, this was only one game out of 162. I still maintain their operation is a lot more than numbers and that'll propel them toward the top once again.
The Chicago White Sox in 2024 were the worst team in modern MLB history, finishing 41-121. On paper, they don't look a whole lot better than last year. Not only did the Angels lose to them on Opening Day, but the final score was 8-1 and the Angels had to put in a position player to pitch. Yes, a position player pitched on Opening Day.
How pitiful.
I will say this: The White Sox aren't going to be nearly as bad as last year. I took the over on 53.5 wins. Still, they are going to be terrible.
But I'm not gonna defend the Angels. They haven't made the playoffs since 2014 and haven't won a playoff game since 2009. They have wasted the prime of Mike Trout and wasted what prime they had of Shohei Ohtani. Given their resources, they deserve every ounce of mockery they get.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Arkansas was up 16 points midway through the second half of its Sweet 16 game vs. Texas Tech on Thursday and appeared to be on its way to the Elite Eight. Making it to the West Regional Final would have been anther step in one of the best coaching jobs of John Calipari's career and made the Razorbacks' slow start in Calipari's first season in Fayetteville a distant memory.
Instead, it's the No. 3 seed Red Raiders who will face No. 1 seed Florida for the right to go to the Final Four after completely outplaying No. 10 seed Arkansas the rest of the game in Texas Tech's 85-83 shocking overtime victory at the Chase Center.
"We gave up a lead, but we did that a bunch this year," Calipari said. "Up (16), and all of a sudden you turn around, and it's a two-point game."
Calipari was previously 35-0 in NCAA Tournament games when leading by six or more points at halftime and the Razorbacks' collapse gave the Red Raiders the third-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history.
"I kept telling these guys in timeouts that we're going to win the game," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "I told them we're going to make it when it matters. I believe it with all my heart. That's Red Raider basketball."
Texas Tech outscored Arkansas 27-11 to end regulation and tied the game at 72 to send the game to overtime. In the extra period the Razorbacks fell behind again, but had one more chance to tie or win the game with the clock running down.
After Texas Tech star Darrion Williams converted a hook shot with 7.3 seconds left to give the Red Raiders a two-point advantage, Calipari elected not to use his final timeout and let the final sequence play out.
Arkansas guard DJ Wagner paused for a moment after sprinting with the ball across halfcourt -- almost as if he expected his coach to call a timeout to set up a play.
Wagner drove right, crossed over left and shot a contested shot at the buzzer that missed off the front of the rim, to give Texas Tech the victory.
Calipari defended his decision not to call a timeout with the game on the line.
"I usually let that go," Calipari said. "Now, because it ended the way it did, yeah, I wish I would have called a timeout. But 99% of the time, I let that go because now I know what they're doing, they know what we're doing. That's why we did it."
DARRION WILLIAMS WINS IT FOR @TEXASTECHMBB!!The second-largest comeback ever in the Sweet 16! pic.twitter.com/magJDSUaou
The loss brought Arkansas' late-season run in the rollercoaster first season under Calipari to an end.
"I told them how proud I was of them and there's nothing they could do to disappoint me," Calipari said. "Yeah, there were plays I wish they had done differently or made, but these kids gave everything, even in this game they gave everything they had to try to win the game."
The Razorbacks started 0-5 in SEC play — in even reaching the Sweet 16, they became only the second team in the last 20 years to reach the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament after dropping five consecutive games to begin conference play.
But then the Razorbacks began to turn around their season
Calipari won his highly anticipated return to Kentucky after spending the last 15 years roaming the sidelines at Rupp Arena. His Arkansas team was on the NCAA Tournament bubble down the stretch after losing to last-place South Carolina 72-53 just over two weeks before Selection Sunday.
But Arkansas made the NCAA Tournament and then won both games during the first week of the NCAA Tournament over No. 7 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed St. John's, and it looked like Calipari's team had hit its stride.
"We overachieved (to) what we were supposed to (do) after starting 0-5," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said at his locker.
Maybe Arkansas did overachieve. After all, even making the NCAA Tournament seemed unlikely after Arkansas lost by 18 points to Missouri in mid-January, which dropped the Razorbacks to 0-5 in SEC play.
But what should have been a jubilant celebration in the Arkansas locker room turned into anything but. Instead, it will be remembered as a massive "what if" for Calipari and his team.
While Arkansas was melting down, all Arkansas star Adou Thiero could do was watch. Arkansas' leading scorer had missed his team's last eight games after suffering a knee injury against Missouri last month. Thiero played all five minutes he logged in the first half and finished with one point.
"I felt if I was able to give it a shot, why not go out there and help my team," Thiero told CBS Sports on his decision to play. "We have been through too much this year for me to just watch them. I had to give it a shot."
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The 2025 MLB regular season has arrived. Thursday was Opening Day in Major League Baseball, and 28 of the league's 30 teams were in action. We saw familiar faces in new places, including Juan Soto having a relatively quiet Mets debut that ended with the slugger striking out against Josh Hader in a loss to the Astors.
The Yankees, meanwhile, started their post-Soto era on the right foot, taking down the Brewers with the help of a historic leadoff home run. The Red Sox, Phillies, Giants and Marlins got clutch hits to pick up Opening Day wins, while Adley Rutschman and Fernando Tatis Jr. had big days in victories for the Orioles and Padres, respectively.
Below are five key takeaways from 2025 MLB Opening Day.
The Dodgers escaped Opening Day with a 5-4 win over the visiting Tigers. Pair that dub with their two-game sweep of the Cubs in the Tokyo Series last week, and reigning World Series champs have their first 3-0 start since 2016. They're also the first defending champion to start 3-0 since the 2001 Yankees.
Teoscar Hernández, coming off a career-high 33 homers in 2024, hit a go-ahead three-run bomb off reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Later in the game, the peerless Shohei Ohtani contributed his second homer of the season -- he also homered against the Cubs in his native Japan -- to give the Dodgers an essential insurance run. Here's a look at his opposite-field shot:
On the Detroit side, Spencer Torkelson had a homer and four walks. The Tigers managed some traffic on the bases against Blake Treinen in the ninth, but came up short in their comeback attempt.
The Baltimore Orioles brought their bats to Opening Day in Toronto as they racked up six home runs on Thursday in the eventual 12-2 throttling of the Jays. That put the O's in elite Opening-Day company. Here are the digits of note:
Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins each homered twice, and Jordan Westburg made it No. 6 with his eighth-inning homer. The headliner, though, is new Oriole Tyler O'Neill, who extended his own MLB record by homering on Opening Day for the sixth straight year. Here's a look:
Last year, the Orioles ranked second in the majors with 235 home runs -- only the Yankees had more, with 237 -- so they're accustomed to bringing the thunder. And now they're on pace for 972 homers this season! Not coincidentally, Blue Jays pitchers last season gave up the second-most homers in the league (208). Only the Rockies, who play at a mile above sea level, gave up more.
Power, needless to say, will be essential to the post-Corbin Burnes Orioles' hopes in the AL East. So far, so good on that particular front, at least from the Baltimore standpoint.
The Washington Nationals fell to the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in extras on Opening Day, but Nats starter MacKenzie Gore more than did his part. Regard the lefty's line for the day: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 13 SO, 0 BB.
Gore joins no less a moundsman than Bob Gibson as the only Opening Day starters in AL/NL history to strike out 13 or more batters with no walks and no runs allowed. Gibson turned that elusive trick back in 1967. Gore's career-high 13 Ks also set the Nationals/Expos franchise record for most Opening Day strikeouts. The record had belonged to Max Scherzer, who K'd 12 in the 2019 season opener.
Unfortunately for Gore and the Nats, the Phillies got to the Nats bullpen and then broke through with four runs in the 10th to notch the come-from-behind win. Gore's outing, though, raises hopes that he's ready to take the next step toward ace-dom.
Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates, last year's rookie phenom and one of this year's NL Cy Young hopefuls, was in Miami on Thursday to square against Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, the 2022 NL Cy Young winner making his first regular-season start since undergoing the Tommy John surgery that cost him all of last season. The Alcantara sub-plot is that the deep-rebuilding Marlins are almost certainly going to trade him at some point, which adds a layer of importance to his starts.
As for Skenes, he made history from the jump. Via MLB.com: "Skenes became the youngest Pirate to make an Opening Day start since at least 1900 (22 years, 302 days), and the youngest across baseball since José Fernández for the Marlins in 2014. Skenes is the fastest No. 1 overall pick to make his first Opening Day start, eclipsing Mike Moore (No. 1 pick in 1981, Opening Day starter in '84) and Stephen Strasburg (No. 1 pick in 2009, Opening Day starter in '12)."
In 5 ⅓ innings, Skenes allowed two runs, both earned, on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Good results, but Skenes is of course capable of much more.
As for Alcantara, he allowed two earned on two hits in 4 ⅔ innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. Command and control are sometimes the last things to return after Tommy John, so some fits and starts are to be expected. On the other hand, Alcantara averaged 97.2 mph with his sinker and on multiple occasions topped 99 mph. As for the secondary stuff, it looked like it does on his best days:
Potential trading partners, start your engines. Nothing wrong with either performance on Thursday, but better and more dominant days are ahead for this duo.
As for the rest of this game, the Marlins wound up prevailing on a walk-off knock by Kyle Stowers – the first Opening Day walk-off win in franchise history.
When he stepped to the plate Thursday, Austin Wells became the first catcher to hit leadoff in the 124-season history of the New York Yankees. And, when he crossed the plate later in the inning, he became the first player to hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day for the Yankees regardless of position. Wells gave New York a quick 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer against the Brewers:
"It was awesome, it was a really cool experience for myself not doing it ever," Wells said about hitting leadoff after New York's win (NY 4, MIL 2). "It was cool to hear the fans and just be the first batter of the season."
Catchers do not hit leadoff often for obvious reasons. They tend to be slow and not especially good hitters, so most find themselves at the bottom of the lineup. Jason Kendall started 453 games at leadoff in his career, far and away the most by a catcher. Roger Bresnahan is a distant second with 66 career starts at leadoff.
Wells, 25, slugged 13 home runs and finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting last season, and the Yankees don't have an obvious leadoff candidate. They gave Wells a look atop the lineup in spring training and he slugged four leadoff homers. That earned him the job and he went deep to start Opening Day.
Nine innings after Wells' leadoff blast, Devin Williams closed the door on his former team, but not before the Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth. Williams struck out Christian Yelich representing the go-ahead run to end the game.
Randy Arozarena tied it up with a solo home run on an 0-2 pitch earlier in the frame, and then Jorge Polanco gave Seattle a 4-2 lead with this homer:
Polanco's now 3 for 3 on the night.
The A's have two runs to the Mariners' one, and both A's runs have come via a Tyler Soderstrom home run. Here's his second of the evening in Seattle:
The 23-year-old Soderstrom hit nine homers in 63 games last season, so he's got some pop. As a former consensus top-100 overall prospect, he's also got some ceiling.
Happ hits the first Cubs home run of the year, and keep in mind they already played two games in Japan. This one gives the Cubs a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning.
He doubled home two earlier to get the scoring started, so he's 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run, accounting for all four Cubs runs, and six total bases.
The Diamondbacks scored in the first when Ketel Marte, who doubled, was driven home by Josh Naylor. The Cubs rallied for three in the second with an Ian Happ two-RBI double and Kyle Tucker RBI single. And then Eugenio Suarez homered to lead off the bottom of the second for the D-backs. It's 3-2 Cubs, for now. I'll go out on a limb and guess this won't be the final score.
A's get their first hit of 2025. Still 0-0 vs. Seattle in the third.
The A's gold jerseys remain very good.
Just before the A's and host Mariners began their seasons, newly elected Hall of Famer and M's legend Ichiro Suzuki brought effort and intensity to his ceremonial first pitch. Regard:
Ball, but message delivered.
Blake Treinen gets a strikeout and foul out to avert any possible crisis and the Dodgers beat the Tigers, 5-4. They are now 3-0.
Gleyber Torres singled and then Spencer Torkelson drew a one-out walk. The Tigers have the tying run at second and go-ahead run at first with one out against Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen.
I do, obviously, have to tip my cap and say congrats on being the first 3-0 team in baseball history. That is, of course, if they hold on to this vaunted one-run lead.
Just a quick note here: The Dodgers are the best team in baseball, just as they were last year. I'm still going to push back as hard as possible to all the people crying "no fair" until they win more than, say, ONE real World Series since 1988.
Shohei Ohtani, the reigning NL MVP and author of the first 50-50 season in MLB history, already has one homer to his credit this season, as he hit a bomb against the Cubs during the season-opening Tokyo Series. Then on Thursday he put another on the board in the seventh inning against the Tigers. Here's a look:
Yep, that's an opposite-field no-doubter by one of the best hitters on the planet. That also may prove to be a crucial insurance one for the Dodgers in the first home game of the season.
With his Dodgers down 2-1 in the fifth and facing perhaps the best pitcher in baseball (that would be Tarik Skubal of the visiting Tigers), slugger Teoscar Hernández put the world champs back on top with a three-run blast off a first-pitch fastball. Here's the color-television proof that it happened:
Hernández, back in town on a three-year contract, is coming off a career-high 33 homers in 2024, and he's apparently still got that thump.
Coming off a disappointing 2024 season and the subject of trade discussions throughout the winter, Nolan Arenado has much to prove this season. One positive sign was the much improved bat speed he showed during spring training. Then on Opening Day against the Twins, Arenado did this to give the Cardinals a needed insurance run:
That's big velocity in a tough spot, but Arenado turned it around. Getting back to the airborne pull power that's been his calling card is important, and the above is a fine example of it.
The Cardinals' center fielder made an impressive snare to save one and perhaps two runs in a tight game against the Twins. Dig it:
I gotta say, getting walked off on a Paul Skenes start day is about as wretched a start to the season as you can have as the Pirates. Pittsburgh's bullpen blew a two-run lead in the eighth and then served up Kyle Stowers' walk-off single in the ninth:
Sandy Alcantara took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in his first big league start since Sept. 2023. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner of course missed the entire 2024 season with Tommy John surgery. Alcantara was terrific and so was Skenes. He matched Alcantara pitch-for-pitch most of the game. It was decided by the bullpens.
The win snaps a four-year Opening Day losing streak for Miami.
Raise that banner, Los Angeles Dodgers:
The Reds led Thursday's opener against the Giants in Cincy most of the way. It was 3-0 early and then the Giants cut to 3-2 in the fourth. That remained the score all the way until the ninth, when a Patrick Bailey single tied the game and then Wilmer Flores came through with the big blow, a three-run shot to give the Giants a 6-3 lead.
The Reds would rally in the ninth, but only get one run back. Matt McLain would fly out to deep left as the tying run to end the game. The Giants prevailed, 6-4.
Here's evidence of that particular claim:
Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell cracked the Opening Day roster, and he got to work quickly when it comes to recording his first major-league hit. Here's a look:
The Sox are hoping to get big contributions from their impressive young talent on hand or on the way soon. Campbell, whom CBS Sports ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball coming into this season, is a big part of those hopes. So far, so good.
Of all the big-name sluggers in San Diego for Braves-Padres, it is Gavin Sheets with the game-tying blast in the seventh. 4-4.
Considering his strong underlying batted-ball metrics and elite plate discipline, Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar could have a big year provided he stays healthy. Speaking of which, he went yard against the Twins on Opening Day:
With their Opening Day win, the White Sox are above .500 for the first time since March 30, 2023.
Jordan Walker with a 116.5 mph single in St. Louis.
The new Yankees closer struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich to end the threat, the ninth and the game.
The Yankees took a 4-1 lead into the ninth, and now former Brewers closer Devin Williams has loaded the bases with no outs against his former team on a single, a double, and a walk.
It's a two-homer Opening Day for Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. His second of the day, off Toronto reliever Yariel Rodríguez, spanned an impressive 415 feet. Here are the relevant moving pictures:
It's Baltimore in a romp so far.
The Phillies were completely dominated through six innings by Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore. It was 1-0 Nats through those six innings. Former Nationals player and current Phillies superstar Bryce Harper came to the plate in the seventh and tied things up.
That was Harper's sixth career Opening Day homer, which is tied for the most among active players. Take note that Tyler O'Neill hit his sixth straight Opening Day home run earlier on Thursday. The record is eight from Adam Dunn and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
So Harper tied the game and then Alec Bohm made an out before Kyle Schwarber, another former Nationals player, came to the plate and gave the Phillies the lead.
Just like that, it was 2-1 Phillies. That's what this lineup can do in a hurry when you let them hang around.
In six innings. He threw 93 pitches, gave up one hit, and zero walks against a very good Phillies lineup. It's been a very long time since the last 13-strikeout, 0-walk performance on Opening day:
The 13 strikeouts are also the Nationals' franchise record on Opening Day. Max Scherzer had 12 one year.
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NEWARK, N.J. -- What's so glorious about sport is how frequently it gives us something that seems so rare, it feels sent from another dimension. As if it could never happen again.
What transpired at the Prudential Center on Thursday night surely applies.
Who knows how long it will take, if ever, for the world to witness something equal to or better than what the second-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide accomplished here. Nate Oats' sniper-minded squad sank an NCAA Tournament-record 25 3-pointers against No. 6 seed BYU en route to a record-setting and program-defining 113-88 win in the East Regional semifinals.
"That was a fun game if you like offense," said Oats in a tone not nearly loud enough to match the volume of what his team accomplished over the prior two hours. "I do believe that the record for 3s made in a game is held by Troy right out of Alabama with 28. We wanted to get to 28 tonight, but 25 is not bad."
Alabama's 25 triples broke the mark of 21 held for 35 years by Loyola Marymount, a team that changed how the game was played at a time when the 3-point shot was considered by most to be an accent, not a feature.
In its Sweet 16 game Thursday, Alabama deployed the shot like a blowtorch set to high, flaming the Cougars and rolling the Tide into the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season.
The nation's highest-scoring offense (91.1 points per game) managed to outdo its expectations by 22 points in a game that was said to be a race to 100. That was a half-truth. Sure, Alabama hit 100 and won the game, but it was over many minutes before the Tide ripped their way to the century mark.
"I loved watching them play," Oats said of those famous Lions teams coached by the revolutionary-minded Paul Westhead. "That was my freshman year in high school that year. I remember Bo Kimble shooting left-hand free throws in honor of Hank [Gathers]. I loved watching them play. They got up-and-down. Maybe part of the reason we coach the way we coach. It's a little more fun that way."
Beyond the 25 treys, it was making that many on 51 attempts, a 49% hit rate, which is also an NCAA Tournament record for that good of a percentage on 40-plus 3-point attempts. Consider the heretofore nearly unconsidered: Alabama would have defeated BYU if it didn't sink a single 2-point shot. Its 75 points on 3s and 18 points off foul shots would have rendered a 93-88 victory in their favor.
To that end, Bama's 10 2-point shots set a record in a game adorned with them: It was the fewest made shots inside the 3-point arc by a team that scored 100-plus in an NCAA Tournament gave ever … by six makes. (Kentucky made 16 in a 100-71 win over East Tennessee State in the first round of 2010.)
It had been even longer since a team reached 110 points in the NCAA Tournament. That was North Carolina, back in 2008, against a No. 16 seed. did it against a sixth-seeded BYU team that was 11-1 in its previous 12 coming into this game.
It had been even longer since a team reached 110 points in the NCAA Tournament. That was North Carolina, back in 2008, against a No. 16 seed. Bama did it against a BYU team that was 11-1 across its previous 12 games coming into this contest.
The triples came down like meteorites, one after another after another.
The performance was so phenomenal, Alabama set the 3-point record with 7:41 to go. Mark Sears, who made that triple, drained 10 of them -- one shy of the record -- while totaling 34 points. The preseason All-American had the best game of his five-year college career. He also became the third player to have at least three NCAA Tournament games of 25-plus points and 5-plus assists, joining BYU's own Jimmer Fredette and another guy who was pretty good in his day, Providence's Billy Donovan.
He's also the lone claimer to scoring at least eight 3-pointers and dialing in eight assists in an NCAA Tournament game. It was a ferocious swing against his recent trends; Sears was shooting 14% on 3s in his previous six games.
"I was just in a zone," Sears said. "Once I seen the first 3 fell in, I felt the basket was as big as an ocean, and every time I shot, I felt like it was going in. Just lost myself in the game and just let everything else happen."
"His gravity that he has on [a] defense is something I never played with before," said teammate Chris Youngblood, who had five 3-pointers of his own while compiling 19 points. Aden Holloway had 23 points off the bench, including six from beyond the arc.
Sears' 34-point, 8-assist night also marked the first Sweet 16 game in which a player met those thresholds since Chris Mullin in 1985. That St. John's team made the Final Four.
This Alabama team is one win away from advancing to its second straight national semifinal.
The Tide polished off one of their best games -- dare we say their best? Considering the circumstances -- in program history. They put up 51 first-half points, the most the Cougars had ever allowed in 52 NCAA Tournament games.
"People ask me how many 3s would you like to get off every game," Oats said. "Well, kind of depends on how they guard us. If they guard us like we knew BYU was going to and stay heaving in the gaps, we'll take 50, 51."
The Alabama team we saw on Thursday put on the best shooting performance of its season, of this entire college basketball season. It's not repeatable, but if the Tide can tap into something even remotely close again, no one is beating this team when it plays that well.
Alabama's 113 points in 40 minutes on 1.43 points per possession equates to a maniacal March Madness manifestation, one we can only hope the 86-year-old Westhead was watching and cackling along to, wherever he found himself on Thursday night. If he was watching, he must have been as thrilled and amazed as the rest of us -- but perhaps not the least bit surprised.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Maryland coach Kevin Willard declined to say whether he had spoken to Villanova administrators about its open coaching vacancy following a season-ending 87-71 loss to No. 1 seed Florida in the Sweet 16 on Thursday.
Willard, who just finished his third season in College Park after arriving from Seton Hall, has been rumored as the top candidate at Villanova following the firing of coach Kyle Neptune earlier this month. Willard is believed to be supremely interested in a return to the Big East and to a school that revolves around hoops, but he has also made it clear he's fighting for better resources at Maryland, which would mean a hearty commitment of NIL and forthcoming revenue-share dollars, a sticky fight at a Big Ten school that also wants to compete in football.
"I don't know what I'm doing," Willard said. "I haven't talked to my agent, my wife. I made a promise to this team. Just focus on this team, and that's what I've done. I haven't talked to anyone. I have an agent, I'm sure he's talking to people. That's what agents like to do."
The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for the Maryland athletic department. Athletics director Damon Evans was hired away by SMU to serve in the same role, news which Willard officially broke in one press conference. Willard had been frustrated with Evans over the school's commitment and plan with basketball resources, which was made clear in a postgame rant following his team's 81-49 first-round win over Grand Canyon about his frustration with the administration over NIL funds.
When asked Thursday whether Maryland can do anything to keep him, Willard then implied he may miss the athletics director who he had not been on the same page with.
"Right now my biggest concerns in life right now are I don't know who my boss is going to be," Willard said. "The guy who brought me here, who I really like, appreciative of him bringing me to College Park, is not here. I don't know who we are going to hire. In today's day and age, that worries me a little bit. My honesty got me in trouble, might as well keep getting in trouble."
When asked if Willard had been offered the job at Villanova, his answer was blunt. Instead, he went on a tangent about how Maryland Vice President for Marketing and Communications Brian Ullmann "deserves a raise."
"The only person I've talked to about my job is with him," Willard said. "He has been absolutely phenomenal. I'm not even sure if he's going to be here."
With Maryland's season officially in the books, all eyes are on Willard on what comes next.
"This is going to be a family decision," Willard said. "I love College Park, I love Maryland. But at this point in (my) career, you're looking at things. … I have not even talked to anyone."
Guard Rodney Rice told reporters Willard had been transparent with the team and that the noise had not distracted Maryland's players.
"He said he was staying, he's fighting for some changes," Rice said.
"So I have not even — no, I don't know what I'm doing. I'll just be honest with you. I haven't talked to my agent. I haven't talked to my wife. I made a promise to this team that I was going to just focus on this team and that's all I've done. So I haven't talked to anybody. I have an agent. I'm sure he's talking to people because that's what agents like to do. But I don't know."
"Right now my biggest concerns in life right now — I don't know who my boss is going to be. It's the guy that brought me here who I really liked and appreciative of him bringing me to College Park is not here anymore. And I don't know who we're going to hire. In today's day and age, that worries me a little bit. I'm just being honest. My honesty got me in trouble, might as well keep getting me in trouble. So this is going to be a family decision. I love College Park. I love Maryland. But when you're at this point in your career and you're looking at things, I have to take everything into consideration moving forward. But I have not even talked to anybody, so I don't know what I'm doing."
"I have no idea."
"I'll be honest with you, my guy, (VP for Marketing and Communications) Brian Ullman, deserves a raise, because he's been phenomenal. The only person I've talked about in my job is with that man over there wearing the muscle hat. He has been absolutely phenomenal. But I'm not even sure if he's going to be here. So it's just one of those things right now."
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The Golden State Warriors are getting hit with some tough injuries at a bad time as they have lost two straight and fallen into the Play-In Tournament with 10 games to play.
They've been without Stephen Curry for these last two losses after he suffered a pelvic contusion, and just when Curry is expected back on Friday in New Orleans, news broke on Thursday that Gary Payton II is out indefinitely with a torn ligament in his left thumb.
The Warriors will of course take this tradeoff, Curry for Payton, but the latter is arguably the biggest loss Golden State could suffer at this point of the season outside of its three stars -- Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. And the most worrisome part is nobody's sure how long Payton will be out.
If we're going full optimist, Payton is set to be reevaluated in a week and would be able to return soon thereafter; ESPN is calling it a pain-tolerance injury once this initial week off passes. That sounds better than a grade two or three tear, which would lead to significant missed time for Payton.
But it's still vague. Pain tolerance isn't just about being tough. There's a performance aspect to it. And if you're still of the impression that Payton is mostly a defensive player who can better withstand a shooting-hand injury, you're mistaken.
Payton is a crucial two-way player for the Warriors, who rely on him not just to pester their opponent's best perimeter player but also to be an elite cutting and capable shooting cog in the ever turning wheel that is their offense. He's been a double-digit scorer on 46% 3-point shooting this month, and he's made 43% of his 3s since Jan. 1.
Payton is often the 3-point outlet defenses dare to beat them as they devote multiple defenders to Curry and rotate to bigger threats. It makes sense statistically, but he has a way of burning defenses with timely shots. Energy. Physical, above-the-rim finishing. Passing. Payton brings a little bit of everything, and is playing 21 minutes a game in March.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr says Jonathan Kuminga, recently back from his own extended injury absence, will take on Payton's role of guarding the opponent's best player, but he's a guy the Warriors need more offense from. Pressing guys full court and generally devoting the amount of energy Payton does to defense is going to tax Kuminga, as it would anyone.
Hopefully it won't be for long, because Payton has long graduated from the fringe NBA player he once was. He is a legitimately irreplaceable player for these Warriors. He's often the fuel for their big runs, creating havoc on the defensive end and filling lanes in transition.
You hear the description "winning player" a lot, and Payton epitomizes the high compliment. This season, every Warriors lineup that includes Payton and has played at least 50 non-garbage possessions together is basically killing opponents to the tune of a plus-24.4 point differential per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass.
That's not an accident. Outside of Curry, Green and Butler, no player is more often involved in good things for the Warriors than Payton. If they're rolling, chances are Payton is on the floor and right in the middle of the action.
It won't be easy without him. All the Warriors can hope is that he won't be out for long, because their margin for error to rise above the play-in line is zero. And if they make it to a first-round series, if this is still an issue in the playoffs -- whether Payton is out or even back at a reduced level -- Golden State becomes a lot less threatening as a contender.
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No. 2 seed Alabama rode a record-setting outside shooting performance to an 113-88 win over No. 6 seed BYU in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. The Crimson Tide broke a 35-year old mark for most 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game with 25, the most in Division I this season, as they torched the Cougars in a fast-paced offensive battle.
Alabama broke the previous all-time record for most 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game held by Loyola Marymount after it hit 21 shots from deep in a 149-115 second-round victory over Michigan in the 1990 NCAA Tournament. Loyola Marymount was a team on a mission in the 1990 Big Dance, as the Lions reached the Elite Eight as a No. 11 seed following the shocking death of star Hank Gathers in the WCC Tournament.
Mark Sears and Aden Holloway led the charge for the Crimson Tide by becoming the first teammates to each hit six or more 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game.
Sears finished 10 of 16 from deep and came within one make of tying LMU's Jeff Fryer's all-time NCAA Tournament record of 11 made 3-pointers set in that game vs. Michigan.
Alabama surpassed LMU's longstanding mark with 7:41 remaining when Sears hit a triple from the left wing to put the Crimson Tide ahead 97-76. Alabama took 51 of its 66 (77.2%) shots from beyond the arc. That also set a record for highest percentage of a team's field goal attempts to come from 3-point range in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous mark of 74.5% set by Iona in 2019.
EVERY ALABAMA THREE FROM THEIR RECORD BREAKING PERFORMANCE 🤯26 THREES. UNREAL. 😱#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/WED47pcxew
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As if the Dodgers' star-studded roster isn't intimidating enough, they had a star fan deliver their latest World Series trophy in style ahead of their Opening Day game against the Tigers.
Ice Cube brought the Los Angeles cool -- and the Commissioner's Trophy -- to Dodger Stadium on Thursday.
Ice Cube delivered the World Series trophy to the Dodgers' home opener 🤩 pic.twitter.com/EHV2gG1Oht
Ice Cube, the rapper and actor whose real name is O'Shea Jackson Sr., is one of the most recognizable Los Angeles sports fans, and he's become closely connected with the Dodgers' latest World Series triumph. He performed ahead of the 2024 World Series Game 2 against the Yankees and then performed (and celebrated with manager Dave Roberts) at the championship parade a few days later.
While it was Opening Day across MLB, the reigning champs entered Thursday 2-0 thanks to a pair of wins over the Cubs in the Tokyo Series.
After a 4-1 World Series win over the New York Yankees, the Dodgers had one of the most fruitful offseasons in MLB, adding prized Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki and two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell among others while retaining Teoscar Hernàndez.
The Dodgers are a significant favorite to win the 2025 World Series, but no MLB team has repeated since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000.
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Florida State guard Ta'Niya Latson, the leading scorer in the country this season at 25.2 points per game, is entering the transfer portal, her agents told ESPN on Thursday. The Seminoles' season came to an end in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament when they lost to LSU.
Per Andraya Carter, Florida State had been preparing for such a scenario due to Latson's incredible play and her ability to command a major NIL deal. While Latson will keep an open mind about a return to Tallahassee, the Seminoles are likely looking at a rebuild even if she does come back due to the impending departures of seniors Makayla Timpson and O'Mariah Gordon -- their second- and third-leading scorers.
Latson is the best player in the portal thus far and will be highly sought after by many of the top programs. As we wait for her to make a decision, here are some potential landing spots.
FSU has to be included on the list. Perhaps Latson and her camp are just paying lip service to the program, but if she was 100% gone, she would have said that.
Latson has spent three seasons playing for coach Brooke Wyckoff, who has helped turn her into one of the best players in the country. While Latson may not compete for a national title if she goes back to Tallahassee, she'll have the ball in her hands all the time and will get to showcase her skills for WNBA teams in a system where she's comfortable.
There's certainly a case to be made that if she wants to protect her draft stock she should stay at Florida State.
Shortly after the news broke that Latson was entering the portal, South Carolina's Raven Johnson was already starting her recruiting pitch. Johnson played with Latson in high school at Westlake in Atlanta, where the duo won multiple state championships.
"I'd tell her, let's run it back," Johnson said. "I'm definitely gonna try to get her to come here. I'm gonna be in her ear. I would be happy. We all would be happy to play with her."
Dawn Staley has built the Gamecocks, who are vying for back-to-back national championships and their third title in four years, into one of the premier programs in the country. Any player would be interested in playing for her, and Latson also has the personal connection with Johnson. Plus, if there's anything the Gamecocks really need, it's a go-to scorer, and Latson would obviously fill that role.
JuJu Watkins went down with a torn ACL in USC's second-round win over Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament earlier this week. The injury is a devastating blow to the Trojans' national championship hopes, not just this season, but next season as well.
The program has not announced a long-term timeline for Watkins' recovery, but there's a good chance she misses the entire 2025-26 campaign. Even in a best-case scenario, she would likely not be back on the court until sometime in January or February.
No one in the country can replace what Watkins does on both ends of the floor, but Latson would give the Trojans, who are also losing Kiki Iriafen to the WNBA, a legitimate No. 1 option on the offensive end. It's unclear if either party would be interested, but in theory Latson makes a lot of sense as a one-year stop-gap for Lindsay Gottlieb and Co.
When Latson was going through the recruiting process in 2021, she took an official visit to Austin and had Texas among her final choices. Vic Schaefer was in charge then and remains the Longhorns' coach. He would ostensibly still have interest in coaching Latson after all.
The bigger question is whether Latson would want to join the Longhorns. If she does, the on-court fit is obvious.
Texas earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but are not considered one of the primary title contenders due to its offense. The Longhorns have the lowest 3-point rate in the country and really struggle to score outside of the paint on a consistent basis. While Latson is not a prolific outside shooter, her ability to create her own shot from the perimeter would give the Longhorns a major boost on the offensive end. Plus, Texas is set to lose multiple guards in Rori Harmon and Shay Holle.
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Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala's fairytale run at this year's Miami Open has come to an end after the 19-year-old lost to US star Jessica Pegula in the semifinals on Thursday.
Eala had made history with a string of impressive results at the tournament, where she beat grand slam champions such as Iga Świątek, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys.
The current world No. 140 had hopes of reaching her first WTA final but saw that dream dashed by world No. 4 Pegula, with the American winning in three tight sets – 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3.
Despite losing, Eala wore a beaming smile on her face before walking off the court, with the crowd applauding her for a memorable run.
“To have a week like this, the stars need to align and they did this week, and hopefully I can keep that up, that is my goal now, to keep this up,” Eala said, per BBC Sport.
Eala has been one of tennis' most exciting prospects for some time, winning the US Open girls' singles title in 2022 and the girls' doubles titles at the 2021 French Open and 2020 Australian Open.
Her 2022 victory vaulted her to stardom back home and led to her gracing the cover of Vogue Philippines soon after.
Three years on and it seems Eala has finally found her feet on the senior tour.
Her dream run in Miami saw her became the first Filipina to reach a WTA semifinal and she will also become the first Filipina to break into the world's top 100 after reaching the final four.
“She's really good. She's a really good tennis player, goes for her shots, takes the ball early, competes really well, she's beaten a lot of top players this week,” Pegula said after winning the match.
“I don't think she needs me to tell her that she's a great player, that we're not going to see enough of her. We definitely are, and she proved that tonight.”
Pegula will now face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Miami Open final.
Sabalenka booked her ticket in straight sets – 6-2, 6-2 – against Jasmina Paolini in the other semifinal on Thursday.
Despite all the success in her career, Sabalenka has never reached the final of the Miami Open but was grateful for elements of her game clicking during an impressive semifinal performance.
“I definitely say that this was one of the best matches in the season so far,” Sabalenka said after a dominant display where she hit 31 winners.
“I don't know. I was just so focused on myself, on the things I had to do today.
“It felt like everything was just, like, going smoothly my way. Yeah, super happy with the performance. I felt like I was in the zone.”
The Miami Open final will take place on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
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Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was a fan of Filipino tennis player Alex Eala long before she became the breakthrough star of the Miami Open this week.
Spoelstra, who is of Filipino descent, met Eala and her family two years ago. She was 17 years old at the time, ranked No. 219 in the world, and had just lost to Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania in the Miami Open Round of 128 at Hard Rock Stadium.
She, her family and her agent attended a Heat game against the New York Knicks and visited with Spoelstra. He urged her to keep chasing her dream. They also posed for a photo with the coach and Bam Adebayo.
Spoelstra continued to follow her career and on Wednesday attended her stirring upset of No. 2 Iga Swiatek, the third Grand Slam winner she took down during her remarkable run this tournament. Eala, 19, entered as a 140th ranked wild card and had won just two WTA matches during her career before last week.
“Great deal of pride,” Spoelstra said before the Heat's 122-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks Thursday, when asked what it was like to watch Eala's match.
“I mean, the country is exploding over her story. I think it's one of the most inspiring things ever that a world-ranked tennis player comes out of a small place in the Philippines. I had the fortune of meeting her here two years ago. She came to one of our games, nobody knew who she was. She was just a fan, and it was her first time in the Miami Open. And then right now what she's doing is just absolutely magical.”
Spoelstra was grateful that the Heat schedule this week allowed him to get away for an afternoon to see Eala play in person.
“We won that game when she came here two years ago, and I said, ‘OK, I owe her one.' I'll be at one of your matches,” he said. “Unfortunately, it's taken two years. But hey, I'm glad I waited because [Wednesday] was incredible. It was so inspiring. I was able to watch the match with her family, her agent, her coach and just seeing the pride of everybody in that circle. It's really inspiring. … It was a special day and she's still going. It's a magical ride.”
Eala's magical ride ended at 12:45 a.m. Friday after a nearly-three hour semifinal against No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States. Pegula prevailed 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3 and will play top ranked Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday's final.
After the match, Filipino fans who stayed at Hard Rock Stadium for the late match waved flags and cheered for Eala. She broke into a huge smile, waved, and made a heart with her hands. Her amazing run had come to an end, but one gets the feeling there will be much more to come.
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A hotel owner from the same tourist region where 14-year-old Miller Gardner was found dead explained how her business has already been impacted in the tragic aftermath.
Lamia Funti, who owns Casa Lamia Restaurant & Lodge in Costa Rica's Manuel Antonio region, exclusively told Us Weekly how attitudes have shifted since Miller, the son of former Yankees player Brett Gardner, died at a nearby resort on Friday, March 21.
“That has affected us terribly,” Funti told Us on Friday, March 28. “Everyone is affected a lot, everyone knows about the situation. At the moment, I have had 12 cancellations, which is huge. Usually, we barely have cancellations.”
Funti said the cancellations started rolling in on Monday, the day after Miller's parents, Brett and Jessica, announced their son's death.
The hotel owner said reservations have been “super low” this week and cancellations greatly impact next week's outlook, as well.
“The concern would be if this drags on,” Funti said. “That could be terribly damaging, especially with the arrival of the low season and everything. It's already affecting us, everyone who owns hotels has said the same thing.”
Funti told the story of a friend in the United States who “organizes group travels to Costa Rica.”
After news of Miller's death, group members requested to “cancel everything in Manuel Antonio and they went to the Caribbean and other places.”
The Gardner family was staying at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort, roughly two miles from Casa Lamia.
In a Thursday, March 27, statement to Us Weekly, Costa Rica's National Chamber of Tourism attempted to calm potential travelers' nerves about Miller's death and insisted hotel business had not been impacted.
“We express our deepest sympathy to the family of the young man who passed away,” said Shirley Calvo, executive director of the Chamber of Tourism. “We are truly saddened by this situation.”
The statement continued, “So far, no cancellations or impacts on tourism activity have been reported as a result of this unfortunate event. While various speculations have circulated regarding the possible causes of death, we believe this is an isolated and uncommon case in our country.”
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Miller and all the members of his immediate family became severely ill after dining at a restaurant off the resort's premises on the evening of Thursday, March 20.
They were all administered medication by a doctor once back at the resort. Miller was found dead in his hotel room the next morning.
A cause of death for Miller has not been determined. Officials estimate results will take at least two or three months.
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Andy Cohen wasn't the only one a little taken aback by Craig Conover's PSA to America about the cast of Summer House on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Thursday, March 27.
“It is an incredible word salad,” Kyle Cooke told Us Weekly during an exclusive interview at the Milk-Bone x Jif Peanut Butter collaboration event in New York City on Friday, March 28. “I'm not quite sure what to make of it because there's a lot to still unfold on Summer House. So he, maybe, put the cart ahead of the horse.”
On Thursday, host Andy, 56, pointed out to Craig, 36, that there were signs that his now-ex-girlfriend Paige DeSorbo was unhappy in their relationship on season 9 of Summer House, which is currently airing. Craig maintained that he was shocked by Paige, 32, ending things and accused the cast of flipping the script.
“I, obviously, was surprised when she left me. I'm just kind of focused on moving forward. I've seen that they made up a couple stories, so it seems like after the breakup didn't go how — her side of things, I think, convinced her that the breakup was going to go a certain way and through choices that she made after the breakup, things turned on her,” Craig said “I haven't done anything but try to move on in my life and I'm really happy in the chapter that I'm in, but it seems like her and her band of friends have just decided — who were all friends of mine, I mean I was a great friend to all of them, Ciara [Miller], Amanda [Batula], Kyle — and now, the vitriol is nasty. I just want to encourage America to never act like that because I think it's disgusting.”
Kyle, for his part, feels like Craig is the one “really committed to this war.”
“I'm in touch with Shep [Rose]. I'm in touch with Austen [Kroll],” he said of Craig's Southern Charm costars.
The two Bravo casts have been filming with each other on and off for their respective shows and the spinoff Winter House for years, with the crossovers becoming consistent when Craig and Paige started dating in 2021. On the most recent episode of Summer House, which aired on Wednesday, March 26, fans saw the long-awaited sit down between Kyle and Craig over the latter's involvement in a rival canned cocktail company. (Kyle launched LoverBoy on Summer House in 2018, while Craig became an investor in Spritz Society in 2024.)
“Ultimately, I was so over it by then. I realized that there was really no talking sense or helping Craig see my side,” Kyle told Us on Friday. “I just wanted to try and prioritize the friendship, and a lot of that was because of Paige. I was kind of walking on eggshells [around Craig] much like the entire Southern Charm cast. In retrospect, I didn't have to because Craig and Paige are no longer together. But I thought it would've been the end of it.”
Kyle claims that Craig “hasn't talked to me since” that weekend in the Hamptons during summer 2024. (Craig and Paige split in late November 2024, going public with the breakup before the end of the year.)
“I actually texted him when they broke up, just checking in, saying, ‘Hey, I'm sorry. I know we had a rough year, but I was rooting for you guys and I'm here if you need me,'” Kyle said. “He not only did not respond, he just unfollowed me after the outreach. You only do what you can do.”
Kyle also noted that he learned new things about Craig's collab following the Charleston resident's visit to the summer house.
“I didn't realize that the collab he was working on was called Lemon Ice Tea. His whole lie was that he thought I only did teas. He didn't know my Spritz line — even though he was part of the launch and has been drinking them for four years. He didn't know I launched Espresso Martinis — even though I launched it in Winter House. [He said] he thought I only did teas,” Kyle said. “And I was like, ‘OK, that's a lie, but we're just gonna leave it there.' That was how he justified his Spritz collab. And then what did he do? He launched a Lemon Ice Tea. So I think people can start to understand why I was like, ‘Wtf?' I didn't decide to call him out on all the lies in that damn dingy 'cause I was just so over it and it's just not worth my time.”
As fans continue to debate the fallout over Craig and Paige's breakup (and Spritz wars), Kyle was joined by wife Amanda at Friday's event with their dogs, Ryder and Reece.
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“We're at the Milk-Bone, Jif collab in Union Square. Ryder, I don't think she's ever had this much stimulation. She's very food motivated. She's three and a half. We rescued two sisters, and if there's one thing that they can smell from the opposite end of our apartment, it's peanut butter,” Kyle explained. “So the Milk-Bone Jif collab is probably the collab that makes the most sense — and I've seen a lot of collabs and I've done some collabs. If you can eat Jif, your dog can eat Jif. This is a very convenient alternative to straight up giving your dog peanut butter.”
Friday's event also included a unique museum experience showcasing pretend Milk-Bone collaborations, including a Barking Bar, sneaker collab, the “Butt Bit” (a fitness band for your dog's tail), a human dog bed and a selfie stick made out of a real stick.
“I think one of the funniest things I've seen all day is the selfie stick. I tried to take it off the wall,” Kyle joked. “But then they had these hilarious names for canned flavored water. One of 'em is [called] tennis ball. They have a thirst trap, which is a camera at the bottom of the bowl. I think that is absolutely hilarious.”
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A restoration of a Lucio Fulci classic and a debut novel by Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins round out our picks for the weekend of March 28.
I can still vividly recall piling onto the couch with my roommates to watch the premiere of this new show called Grey's Anatomy. Hard to believe that was 20 years ago, as of yesterday — or that we weren't injured by the metal springs practically protruding out of that hideous yellow sofa. I digress. The point is, it's been two decades of Grey's and Shondaland — something EW celebrates this week with a package of exclusive features. From a series of couples interviews (including Katherine Heigl and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) to a preview of Bridgerton season 4, we've got all the Shondaland hits represented. Come dance it out with us! —Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-ChiefBridgerton season 4Bridgerton season 4
P.S. If you want to receive the Must List in your inbox, sign up for our "Entertainment Weekly and Awardist" newsletters. You'll receive all three each week — the trifecta of entertainment news.
Vanessa Clifton/Netflix
Michelle Buteau's Netflix sitcom is funnier than ever in season 2. Their love lives are hilariously messy, but the show's core trio remains #FriendshipGoals, navigating life obstacles together while constantly hyping each other up. Buteau's Mavis may have her flaws, but her curvaceousness is, refreshingly, never depicted as one for any of her sexual admirers. Standout episodes see the besties trip out with Anderson .Paak at Afropunk and shine a light on trans joy with Peppermint. The comedy is pro-Black, pro-fat, pro-queer, pro-sex, and pro-bad boss bitch, and we love it for that! —Jillian Sederholm, News Director
Apple TV+
This Apple TV+ cringe-com follows newly installed studio exec Matt Remick (Seth Rogen), who needs to make blockbusters (think Kool Aid: The Movie) but yearns to make art. Co-starring Catherine O'Hara, Ike Barinholtz, and Kathryn Hahn, and packed with A-list cameos, this is a ruthlessly funny satire by and for movie junkies. —Kristen Baldwin, TV Critic
Seth Rogen tells EW how David Zaslav inspired Bryan Cranston's executive in The Studio
Wiley
Black, Fat, Femme podcast host Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins takes readers to school in their honest and hilarious debut novel. In using their own journey through the gender spectrum, they not only uplift queer Black voices in media, but educate and inspire. —Yolanda Machado. Staff Editor
Jeremy Daniel
Joshua Harmon's splendid memory play is now appearing in the cozy confines of the New York City Center. Heart, humor, and hurt combine in the playwright's (played by Andrew Barth Feldman) real-life tale of growing up caught in the crossfire between his traumatized mother (Jeanine Serralles) and eccentric/alcoholic grandmother (a sublime Joanna Gleason). —Dalton Ross, Editorial Director
Arrow Video
Inveterate boutique label Arrow Video has added a sparkling new gem to its collection, a 4K restoration of Lucio Fulci's magnum opus, featuring new audio commentary, essays, interviews with giallo icons Barbara Bouchet and Florinda Bolkan, and more. —Ryan Coleman, News Writer
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Sandra Lee is sticking up for Meghan Markle.
The 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex has recently been facing a lot of criticism over her new Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan.
In a new interview, the 58-year-old former Food Network star defended the show and praised Meghan.
Keep reading to find out more…“I was actually surprised about the backlash to the show. It didn't seem fair,” Sandra told Us Weekly. “[I've been] in the lifestyle space for years. We have mixed relatable and unrepeatable elements [too].”
“Megan's show is very well done [and] beautifully filmed,” Sandra raved. “[It has] calming, serene content — and she even used my trick of using a plastic bag as a piping bag for her cake! I'm happy for her. Her crew is doing a great job.”
Sandra, who hosted the the hit show Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee on Food Network for 15 seasons, then offered Meghan “good luck” following news that With Love is coming back for a second season.
“Keep on going, and inspire people to make beautiful things,” Sandra added.
If you missed it, Meghan and this star shot down feud rumors.
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It's not hard to make the connection between Ariana Grande's new song, “Hampstead,” and her relationship with boyfriend Ethan Slater.
Grande, 31, and Slater, 32, met while filming Wicked in London in 2022. The singer was living in the city's Hampstead neighborhood at the time. She's spoken publicly about that period, even calling out the “places and pubs” referenced in the song.
“I was in Hampstead when I was here, and I loved my walks on the Heath,” she told Radio 1 in a March 2025 interview. “I loved meandering around and visiting different shops and places and pubs.”
The song, a bonus track on Grande's Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead, begins with Grande referencing one of said pubs as she appears to sing about the misconceptions about her relationship with Slater. Both were married to other people when they met on set, with Grande later separating from husband Dalton Gomez after two years of marriage. Slater and his now ex-wife, Lilly Jay, who share a 2-year-old son, divorced in July 2023.
The next month, sources told Us Weekly that there was no overlap between the relationships.
“I left my heart at a pub in Hampstead / And I misplaced my mind in a good way,” the song begins. “Threw away my reputation but saved us more heartache / Yes, I know it seems f—ed up, and you're right / But quite frankly you're still wrong about everything / So far off, your seat's nowhere near the table / But I find something sweet in your peculiar behavior /'Cause I think to be so dumb must be nice.”
Grande has previously slammed the negativity she attributed to “disreputable tabloids” that has made it difficult for her to navigate her personal life.
“I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie,” she told Vanity Fair in September 2024. “A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years. So, of course, I understand why it was a field day for the tabloids to sort of create something that paid their bills.”
“That was definitely a tough ride,” she added.
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She went on to defend Slater after seeing “so many people believe the worst version” of their relationship timeline.
“No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about,” she said. “There is no one on this earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls— tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead released on Friday, March 28.
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Craig Conover is trying to move forward by saying goodbye to his past.
While appearing on the Thursday, March 27, episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Conover, 36, revealed the fate of the engagement ring he purchased for Paige DeSorbo before they split.
“I just returned it this morning,” he told host Andy Cohen. “Diamonds are down right now so [the jeweler] was like, ‘Do you care if I hold it?' I just don't need custody of it anymore so I took it back to the guy.”
While close friend Austen Kroll was visibly shocked by the revelation, Shep Rose tried to crack a joke when he asked, “Can I borrow $100?”
In December 2024, DeSorbo, 32, announced on her “Giggly Squad” podcast that her romantic relationship with Conover was over after three years of dating.
Two months later, Southern Charm viewers learned that Conover had purchased an engagement ring before his breakup.
“I'm gonna propose,” he said in a preview of the Bravo reality show. “She asked me to buy her a ring and, like, I did.”
Since the split was confirmed, many cast members from both Southern Charm and DeSorbo's Summer House have weighed in on what went wrong.
Conover, however, is trying his best to move forward. Part of that process is dating someone new.
“I've been seeing someone,” he teased on WWHL. “I've been reminded that the universe works in crazy ways and everything happens for a reason.”
While a lot has transpired since DeSorbo first confirmed the breakup at the end of 2024, Conover remains grateful for the relationship and is choosing to focus on the positive memories.
“When Paige did her first breakup podcast, she said I was the best boyfriend she ever had, and I truly believe we had a wonderful relationship,” he said. “I think I was one of the most supportive people in her life.”
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When asked to comment on the speculation surrounding what went wrong, Conover explained that he didn't want to respond to what other Bravo stars were saying.
“I have my memories and we had a great relationship, and now I'm moving on in my life,” he shared. “I obviously was surprised when she left and I'm just kind of focused on moving forward. … I haven't done anything except try to move on with my life. I'm really happy in the chapter that I'm in.”
Southern Charm airs on Bravo Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET while Summer House airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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Jason Lee was ready to make an acting comeback after a “long hiatus” — and Netflix's The Residence was the perfect show for his return.
“It had been a long, long time since I had worked that much. I took a long break,” Lee, 54, who plays Tripp Morgan in the murder mystery series, exclusively told Us Weekly. “So it was just exciting to be back on a set. The trailers, the sound stages, all the actors and the cameras — it was just a fun and exciting energy to be a part of.”
Lee, best known for playing the titular character on My Name Is Earl, was thankful that the Netflix opportunity came up when it did, saying, “The character was great and it was a cool thing to do after having been on such a long hiatus.”
He added: “I had done some voiceover work and some cameo stuff with Kevin Smith, which I always do. But I took a pretty long break. So The Residence came at the right time and it felt like the right character and group of people and project to dive back in.”
After stepping back from on-camera work, Lee knew he wanted to play Tripp.
“[That] was the most sort of ‘on screen' I've been in a long time. It felt like the right thing to do at that time,” he continued. “I was totally nervous. They had already been shooting and then on My Name Is Earl, that was a much smaller cast. There we did 90-plus episodes so it becomes family and you're very familiar with everything.”
Lee found a large production like The Residence more intimidating, adding, “Here I am after a long hiatus as one piece of a huge ensemble cast and it is a massive Netflix and Shondaland production. Looking around at this monstrous production and I'm like, ‘I'd better step up because there's a lot of people and a lot of moving parts.'”
He continued: “To my absolute delight, everybody on set was so cool and friendly and welcoming. From the cast to the crew, it felt like a kind of very warm welcome return to being on a set to that extent.”
Lee became a household name after starring on My Name Is Earl from 2005 to 2009, a role which earned him Golden Globe nominations in 2006 and 2007. He also starred in Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl, Clerks II and more.
“That's the fun thing about acting is that there's so much variety and so many options. Ultimately, guest spots on TV shows are always fun. Indie films are cool and it's been a while since I've done a small movie outside of cameos, but I'm also writing a lot as well,” Lee told Us. “I've been developing some things for me to hopefully be in — as well as produce. I'm in the [acting] pool again. It was one foot at first with The Residence and then another and then I finally just dove into the deep end and I'm back in. It's been a lot of fun having that part of my brain click back on now.”
Inspired by The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower, The Residence is an eight-part series that premiered earlier this month and kept Us on the edge of our seats as renowned detective Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba) was tasked with finding out who is responsible for the Chief Usher A.B. Wynter's (Giancarlo Esposito) death at the White House.
Lee's character, Tripp, was one of the suspects since he was the President's brother. Despite not being (fully) responsible for Wynter's death, Tripp was still very much involved, which was fun for Lee to explore.
“I didn't want to know [whether Tripp did it] because, personally, I didn't want to know who did it. Then also it's in Tripp's nature to be a little aloof,” he noted. “I definitely didn't want to know and I'm glad I didn't until literally much later.”
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Lee admitted that while he would have enjoyed playing the mystery murderer — he didn't see that being Tripp, saying, “He's too dumb to have been the killer. He's too much of an idiot. He's too much of a deadbeat. The way he has that sort of moment when he is talking to Detective Cupp about how he knows that she knows he didn't do it because he's too dumb to do something like that — that was funny and that was fulfilling enough for him to not have been the killer. That was interesting for me.”
He continued: “I just tried to assert him as being a breath of fresh air — albeit very rude and pushy. I also acknowledged that he was the guy that thinks he's entertaining people but he's actually the kind of guy that you move away from. That's kind of sad. It got layered too, which was great.”
The Residence is currently streaming on Netflix.
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A source is sharing some new insight into Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's relationship.
If you forgot, the 38-year-old Transformers actress and the 34-year-old musician got engaged in January 2022. They called it quits in November 2024, just weeks after announcing they were expecting a baby together.
Following the baby's birth on March 27, a source is sharing an update on where Megan and MGK currently stand.
Keep reading to find out more...“Whatever issues they have, Megan and MGK both are on the same page when it comes to co-parenting," the source told People. “Right now they're amicable."
"No one would be surprised if they gave their relationship another try down the line,” the insider added. “But right now they're focused on what's best for their daughter.”
Hours before announcing the birth of their baby girl, MGK got publicly slammed by Megan's ex-husband Brian Austin Green.
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Kelly Clarkson famously won the first season of "American Idol" and has since become one of its most successful winners, but she did not initially know what she had signed up for.
During a recent interview on Kylie Kelce's podcast, "Not Gonna Lie," the 42-year-old singer shared she was not aware that what she was doing was going to be televised until later on in the audition process.
"For all of us in that first season, we literally didn't ... I didn't even know it was a TV show until my third audition," she explained. "Like, we were literally trying to pay our bills. We're like, 'Oh, this might work. I might meet someone or whatever.' Nobody knew it was gonna amount to anything."
She went on to explain that when she was competing as a 19-year-old, the only thing on her mind was to potentially make enough money "to pay my electric bill," or to be able to "afford the deductible on my car that was bashed in that I couldn't afford."
Kelly Clarkson Confesses She's ‘Lost' A Lot As She Returns To Talk Show After Mysterious Absence
Although there were other singing competition shows on television at the time, such as "Pop Stars," Clarkson explained the contestants on the first season of "American Idol" had no idea what could come from being on the show. She said "it was a different thing" from even the second season, because her first single "Miss Independent" had already come out, and the incoming contestants had seen the potential for success.
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Following her big win, Clarkson released her debut album, "Thankful," in 2003. Its success led her to release her second album, "Breakaway," which included some of her biggest hits, such as "Since U Been Gone," "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You." She has since won three Grammy Awards and received 17 nominations.
Later in the interview, Kelce brought up the opening segment on her talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," called "Kellyoke," during which Clarkson sings covers of other artists' popular songs. She then defended current artists against people who claim she sings their songs better than they do.
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"If I sang those songs right now that I sang on ‘Idol,' 20 some years ago, they would sound better now. I was all right, but it's just like you're a better singer because you have time and experience, and I've been given the time for that," she said. "They don't have that anymore for artists. I'm just saying, I sound different than I sounded then."
When Kelce told her, "You were outstanding then too," Clarkson responded, "I don't agree. I've seen it, and I was like, ‘How did I win?' It makes me sweat thinking about it."
The "Stronger" singer then explained how lonely it was to be the first winner, saying "I had no one…it was hard." While she didn't name any names, she shared that people in the industry "were really mean" and "hated talent shows."
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"They didn't like it," she told Kelce. "It took the industry kind of by storm, the talent shows. It was a very unlikable thing in the industry concerning the populous. Now there's so many."
Her experiences helped shape her judging style when she signed on to appear on "The Voice" as a coach during its 14th season in 2018, alongside Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Alicia Keys.
"People like us who have been there in that audition process and just being so judged instantaneously, on maybe not your best performance, but you know you can do better … it's a grueling thing and it's unforgiving in a lot of ways," Clarkson said. "And a lot of pressure for these artists that I don't think a lot of artists that sell tons of records would be able to handle. It's a different thing."
Original article source: 'American Idol' winner Kelly Clarkson didn't know show was televised when she signed up
The Hollywood Reporter is set to debut a Spanish-language edition in partnership with Tasty Media.
As part of a multiyear licensing deal, The Hollywood Reporter en Español will offer original content highlighting the best in Ibero-American cinema and television for Spanish-speaking readers.
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“Expanding our best-in-class editorial to markets outside the United States has been a major priority for the THR brand,” said Shirley Halperin, co-editor-in-chief at The Hollywood Reporter. “We're excited to have The Hollywood Reporter en Español join us in the endeavor of delivering impactful entertainment news to Spanish-speaking readers throughout the Americas, Europe and beyond.”
“We are thrilled to expand The Hollywood Reporter‘s footprint across Latin America and Spain,” added Alison Smith-Pleiser, vice president international, THR. “This initiative allows us to celebrate and highlight the rich tapestry of Hispanic culture through original content while delivering culturally relevant journalism to Spanish speaking audiences. We are excited to extend THR's global reach through our online platform and new Spanish edition, connecting with new audiences in a meaningful way.”
This collaboration with Tasty Media — which aims to put a spotlight on Hispanic culture — furthers THR's mission to expand globally and expand awareness with influential audiences worldwide.
“For over a century, Spain and Latin America have enriched the world with their visual artistry, impactful film festivals and iconic cultural moments. Today, Spanish-speaking markets represent a significant segment of the industry and play a crucial role in global media and art. We are proud to uphold and continue the legacy of one of the greatest journalism institutions of all time,” said Diego Ortiz, CEO of Tasty Media.
“Spanish-language content is now consumed globally, and our mission is to amplify and showcase the richness of our culture. With editorial teams in various countries, we aim to deliver localized content and provide comprehensive coverage of all the news in Hispanic entertainment, film and television. Our goal is to create outstanding experiences for the well-established creative industries that embrace our language,” he added.
The launch of The Hollywood Reporter en Español follows THR's expansion into Italy, India and Japan. It also comes on the heels of a wealth of recognition for The Hollywood Reporter, including wins for best website at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards and the SoCal Journalism Awards in 2024.
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Tyler Hilton was impressed with “nerdy” Taylor Swift's talent when they first met when she was a teenager — but didn't necessarily see her extreme stardom coming.
While on tour and promoting his new children's book, Hilton, 41, spoke to Us Weekly and his past with the now mega pop star came up.
“I was doing an interview with a country magazine and they were talking about this girl Taylor Swift that just came out who was, like, 15. I heard her song ‘Tim McGraw' and I was so into it. That first record was so good to me,” Hilton, who was in his early 20s at the time, recalled. “It sounds so dumb, but you have to be brave enough to write the lyrics like she did on that first record. They're just not something that a professional songwriter would think. ‘When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song.' I just would never use Tim McGraw on a song. It's so cool. I told [the magazine], ‘Oh, by the way, that little thing you did on that new girl Taylor Swift, I'm actually a huge fan of her song. She's such a good songwriter. … How many 15 year olds are actually good songwriters?'”
It turned out that Swift, now 35, was a “big fan” of Hilton, who was touring, guest-starring on One Tree Hill and had appeared as Elvis in 2006's Walk the Line.
“I didn't know this, but she had watched all my videos on YouTube, like, all these little skits I did. Her manager reached out and was like, ‘Wait, this girl Taylor Swift is actually a huge Tyler fan. She's freaking out that you mentioned her in this magazine.' And I was like,'Oh, that's so adorable,'” Hilton continued, explaining that Swift's manager invited him to her show at “a little country bar in Southern California.”
Hilton attended and Swift revealed that she had been performing his cover of “Missing You” on stage. She asked him to perform with her that night in 2007.
“[She was] a very forward 15-year-old,” he said. “She literally corners me on stage and goes, ‘I didn't want to ask you backstage 'cause I was afraid you'd say no, but would you be in my next music video?' … That's how I ended up in the ‘Teardrops On My Guitar' music video. And after that she was like, ‘Oh, I'm doing some shows, would you want to come open for me?' And she just kept getting bigger and bigger.”
Hilton and Swift stayed in touch as she found success with the release of her singles.
“I was just charmed by her and her family. We became close and then when I moved to Nashville, they let me live on their boat and live with them for a little while when I first moved to Nashville,” he recalled. “They were just, like, the Swifts — like, my buds — and their little teenage daughter was a fan. And I was like, ‘Aw, that's so sweet.' And now she's the biggest star in the world.”
Hilton was on the boat “for a few weeks” before he found an apartment.
“She was playing me songs in her bedroom out of her diary for her second record,” he told Us. “She was playing me ‘White Horse' and it was crazy because I'm in her bedroom and I'm like, ‘Whoa, this girl is actually, like, princess, fairy, unicorn girl.' It's not an act — she actually had her songs written in, like, a fluffy diary and she is that nerd, you know what I mean? That's what's so sweet about her and I think is responsible for her longevity — it's not an act. She's actually that much of a nerd and it's so endearing.”
Hilton admitted he “actually can't believe she became as famous” as she did.
“We all collectively thought she was so adorable. It is like when the nerdy girl in high school becomes famous, she is that earnest,” he said. “She's like, ‘Do you wanna hear another song outta my diary?' I'm like, ‘Oh, OK.' And they were all really good, but it was just like, ‘This is so funny.'”
As Swifties know, the Grammy winner has since released 11 studio albums. Hilton, for his part, has dropped five albums of his own and his first children's book, Daddy: Live in Concert, is out April 8. He got the idea for the book after performing for his daughter, Winnie, now 5, during the pandemic at home with his wife, director Megan Park.
“It didn't matter that I was a professional musician. Like, what if there was a book just about a dad whose daughter thought, ‘Oh, my God, my dad's the biggest rock star in the world,'” Hilton explained. “And my daughter has never seen me tour or anything like that until this last year. I could have just been any random guy to her. And she was still like, ‘Oh, my God.' I thought it was the greatest thing ever. I just thought it'd be so fun if there was this book from the little kid's perspective — it's a the version of like, ‘My dad could beat up your dad,' but it's like, ‘My dad is the biggest rock star in the whole world and he's playing a concert at my house tonight.'”
Hilton and Park also share son Benny, born in 2024.
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“[Writing a song and a book is] actually so similar. A song's a little harder because you have to do the music and stuff too, but I feel like I could write a thousand children's books,” Hilton added. “It was not easy, but it came very naturally to me. And don't get me wrong, I got a lot of help. … But even the editing process was so fun.”
While Hilton “loves” songwriting, he noted that a lot of that process comes from a “lovesick” or “yearning” place.
“They help me work through sadness or whatever, but children's books, it's like, ‘Wow, you're returning to the drawing board. You're back in kid world,'” he told Us. “It's such a fun, refreshing world.”
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Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are heading to the altar – and some major Hollywood stars might be there to witness it.
Rumors have been swirling that the Amazon billionaire and his fiancée of two years will be tying the knot this summer in Venice. Reports have surfaced that wedding invitations have already been sent out.
"News: After a nearly two-year engagement, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have sent out formal invitations for a wedding this summer in Venice, per sources familiar," Dylan Byers of Puck News reported on X last week.
Bezos and Sanchez have several celebrities as friends who will likely be attending their lavish wedding.
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez Mail Out Invitations For Wedding: Report
Leonardo DiCaprio and Bezos have a long history of friendship and possibly will be one of the couple's elite wedding guests.
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DiCaprio and Bezos, along with Sanchez and DiCaprio's supermodel girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, were photographed on the billionaire's mega yacht in Italy last year.
According to Page Six, DiCaprio and Bezos have been pals for years and find "common ground in the fight against climate change and their work in environmental activism."
Bezos' yacht, known as Koru, is estimated to be worth $500 million and is 417 feet long. It homes an on-deck swimming pool, a movie theater, lounges and multiple business centers spread out between the three decks, per Luxuo.
W Magazine reported that a portion of Sanchez and Bezos' wedding could occur on his mega-yacht in Italy.
Also on the trip to Italy in 2024 were Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
This is not the first time Bloom and Perry have been spotted vacationing with Sanchez and Bezos. In 2023, the two couples were photographed in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Kim Kardashian and her mom, Kris Jenner, are longtime friends of Bezos and Sanchez and could be expected to be on their wedding guest list.
In 2023, Sanchez shared a few photos from Kim's birthday celebration.
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"What an absolute blast it was celebrating you," Sanchez said, tagging the reality television star. "Your kind heart shines equally as bright as your beauty, and it's a constant reminder of the incredible person you are, both inside and out. Wishing you endless happiness in the year ahead! Happy Birthday!"
At the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars party, Kardashian, Jenner, Sanchez and Bezos were photographed with Lenny Kravitz, Sofía Vergara and Demi Lovato.
Kim also mingled with the soon-to-be newlyweds at this year's Vanity Fair Oscars party.
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Jenner has a longer history with Sanchez. They were first photographed together at the opening of the Endless Youth & Life boutique in Beverly Hills in 2010. Jenner's ex, Caitlyn Jenner, was also in the photo.
Eva Longoria could also be attending the Bezos-Sanchez wedding.
Bezos, Sanchez and Longoria posed with television producer Cris Abrego at the 2024 Bezos Courage and Civility Awards.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Brooks Nader and Sanchez have been longtime friends, which may imply she will be attending the wedding. In July, Sanchez uploaded photos from a weekend in New York with Nader.
Sydney Sweeney liked the post back in 2024.
It appears Sweeney and Sanchez are friendly because at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars party, the duo and Bezos posed for a picture together.
Sofía Vergara, Jessica Alba and Kelly Sawyer Patricof were also in the shot.
Bezos and Sanchez reportedly met in the mid-2010s but didn't go public with their relationship until 2019 – once Sanchez separated from her then-husband, Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, and Bezos divorced Mackenzie Scott.
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W Magazine reported that Sanchez's 30-carat engagement ring is estimated to be anywhere between $3 million and $5 million. The outlet reported that Sanchez had two engagement parties – one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.
Photos captured Robert Pattinson attending Bezos and Sanchez's Los Angeles engagement party with Suki Waterhouse in December 2023, according to Page Six.
It's unclear how close Bezos and Pattinson's friendship is, but if he was invited to the engagement party, it may be safe to predict his attendance overseas for the big day.
Original article source: Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez's star-studded wedding guest list is Who's Who of Hollywood
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Ariana Grande has been on an emotional journey over the years and she's singing about finding love again on her song “Warm” from the deluxe version of the Eternal Sunshine album.
On the new song, Ari sings about being in a blissful state of mind in her personal life and feeling ready to welcome love back into her safe place.
“It's so good, it's so close, I can taste it / On my lips, this is your invitation / If you dare, meet me up here / Meet me up here,” she sings in the bridge.
In the chorus, Ariana sings, “‘Cause I'm cool on my own / But it's warmer in your arms.”
Head inside to listen to the full song and read the lyrics…
Listen to the full song of “Warm” below.
Read the “Warm” lyrics below!
Gisele Bundchen is enjoying some downtime following the birth of her third child.
The 44-year-old supermodel had lots of leg on display in a dress with a high slit while spending the day on a boat on Thursday (March 27) in Miami, Fla.
Gisele was joined by her 37-year-old Jiu-Jitsu trainer boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, and some other friends.
It was confirmed in February 2025 that Gisele and Joaquim welcomed their first child as a couple. She was previously married to former football player Tom Brady and shares two children with him - 15-year-old son Benjamin and 12-year-old daughter Vivian.
While we know that Gisele and Joaquim welcomed a baby boy, we don't know any other details yet about the little one.
Browse through the gallery to see the photos of Gisele Bundchen and Joaquim Valente on a boat in Miami…
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Rashida Jones is looking back at her time on The Office.
The 49-year-old actress joined the NBC comedy in season three as Karen Filippelli, a love interest for John Krasinki‘s Jim. She had a heavily recurring role in that season, and returned a few more times in seasons four, five and seven.
During a recent appearance on the Good Hang podcast with her Parks and Rec co-star Amy Poehler, Rashida reflected on being let go from The Office.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I had done a year on The Office and they let me go, which made sense. It made sense,” she said.
Amy reacted, “You had such a tough job there, because everybody wanted Jim and Pam (Jenna Fischer), and then guess who shows up? A very likable, cool… and everyone was like, ‘Oh no, wait.'”
“It did not feel that way,” Rashida chimed in. “People did not like me. Like, fans were not about it.”
There is a new The Office spinoff in the works and an actor from the original is set to reprise his character!
If you missed it, Rashida will next be seen on the small screen in the upcoming seventh season of Black Mirror, which is premiering in just a couple weeks.
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Nicole Kidman is opening up about one special gift!
The 57-year-old Lioness actress dished in a new interview about a gift that she likes to get for people that are very special to her.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I love giving flowers, but I like growing them in the garden. I grow roses. My greatest gift to someone can be a bunch of my own wild roses,” she tells People while promoting her upcoming thriller movie Holland.
“So if you get that, it means you're super special. There's only a few of them though,” Nicole continued.
She also noted that her favorite flowers at the moment are tulips and daffodils, and some of her favorite fragrant varieties include night-blooming jasmine, honeysuckle, gardenias, hyacinths and lilacs.
In fact, she says, “I'd like to have a flower shop.”
Nicole and some of her co-stars premiered Holland earlier this month at the SXSW Festival.
The movie is currently available to stream on Prime Video. Watch the trailer here!
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Rejection is part of the game on reality dating shows — but Farmer Wants a Wife star John Sansone didn't expect to face it on his first 24-hour date.
Warning: Spoilers below from season 3, episode 2, of Farmer Wants a Wife.
During the Thursday, March 27, episode of the reality series, John, 26, romanced Samantha Riehl on what he thought was the perfect date. John described Samantha, 24, as a “little bit of a firecracker,” exclusively telling Us Weekly that his first impression of the California native (who resides in Dallas) was “a very good-looking girl.”
“Then when we were sitting there on our first speed date, she kind of, like, gave me a, I dunno, different perspective on who I was dating there,” John recalled. “Everybody else seemed very eager to impress me or was very shy. She seemed the opposite. It was definitely a unique situation there.”
He confessed he was “intrigued” which is why what transpired on their date was such a surprise.
When John and Samantha were on their date, she confessed to him, “I don't ever want to feel like I have competition. I don't ever want to feel threatened.”
The revelation threw John for a loop because Samantha had willingly signed up for a dating show in which he would be spending time with other women. When John asked Samantha, “Are you actually looking for a guy?” she said, “Yeah, of course.”
She described her ideal man as “one that is unlike anyone else I have ever met,” which led John to lean in for a kiss.
“I cannot kiss you on camera, there is a reason for that,” Samantha said after rejecting his advance. “I'm going to marry someone someday, it might be you, it might not be you and I do not want something of me kissing another man on television. If it's you, we don't have anything to worry about.”
John admitted he “thought this was going a different way,” but Samantha stood her ground. “Those are my values and that is what I believe and I don't want that of me on the internet anywhere because I want my husband to have more than that,” she added.
While John acknowledged that he respected her wishes and beliefs on the show, he told Us it definitely took him by surprise.
“Every signal under the sun said it was time to kiss her,” John exclusively told Us of that moment. “But some people — to each their own.”
He continued, “I obviously respect their decision in the sense that everybody has their own opinions and stuff.”
John played coy about how the lack of intimacy might affect Samantha's chances of being his final pick. “It is a reality dating show, so we'll see if that works out,” he teased.
Samantha, for her part, told the cameras on Thursday's episode, “I think romance and intimacy is something that you can't rush, it takes time. That's just a boundary that I have and I will not be crossing it.”
While John and Samantha's fate is up in the air, he has plenty of other women to focus on. One of the other ladies who caught his attention right from the start is Lily, who is 23 years old and hails from Houston.
“Lily was very sweet. She showed up, very soft-spoken and nice and that was my first impression,” John told Us. “I was just like, this girl's very, very kind. We had a connection pretty early.”
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John is one of four farmers looking for love on season 3 of Farmer Wants a Wife. Outside of Samantha and Lily, viewers will see him date Lindsey from Kailua, Hawaii, Kaylee from Houston, Chloe from Raleigh, North Carolina, Claire from Chicago, Taylor from Tampa, Florida, and Abby from Charleston, South Carolina.
Farmer Wants a Wife airs on Fox Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
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Tom Hardy poses for a photo with Pierce Brosnan and Guy Ritchie at the premiere of their new series MobLand held at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Thursday (March 27) in London.
The 47-year-old actor leads the cast of the upcoming crime drama, while Guy, 56, is a director and executive producer.
Along with Tom and Pierce, they were joined by their co-stars Helen Mirren, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver with husband Raza Jaffrey, Anson Boon, Mandeep Dhillo, Jasmine Jobson, Geoff Bell, Daniel Betts, Lisa Dwan, Emily Barber, Luke Mably, Annie Cooper, Bradley Turner and Emmett Scanlan.
Guy's wife Jacqui Ainsley and son Rocco Ritchie were also in attendance.
Keep reading to find out more...
Here's a synopsis: Power is up for grabs as the Harrigans and Stevensons, two warring London crime families, clash in a kill-or-be-killed battle that threatens to topple empires and ruin lives. Caught in the crossfire is Harry Da Souza, the street-smart ‘fixer' as dangerous as he is handsome, who knows too well where loyalties lie when opposing forces collide. As kingdom goes up against kingdom, lines will be crossed - and the only saving grace is a bet-your-life guarantee: family above everything.
MobLand is set to premiere on Sunday (March 30) on Paramount+ in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, with more territories later this year.
If you missed it, Tom, Pierce and Helen were seen filming a funeral scene back in January!
Check out the trailer and some first look photos below...
Browse through the gallery to see more photos from the MobLand premiere...
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