Israeli fire kills at least 44 people in Gaza, hits a police station

Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City, April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa Purchase Licensing Rights

An Israeli airstrike hit a police station in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 10 people, local health authorities said, and Israel’s military said it had struck a command centre of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad groups.
Medics said two Israeli missiles hit the police station, located near a market, which led to the wounding of dozens of people in addition to the 10 deaths. The identities of those killed were not immediately clear.

The Israeli military said in a statement apparently referring to the same incident, that it attacked a command and control centre operated by Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad groups in Jabalia, which militants used to plan and execute attacks against Israeli forces.
It accused Palestinian militant groups of exploiting civilians and civil properties for military purposes, an allegation Hamas and other factions deny.
Local health authorities said Israeli strikes have killed at least 34 other people in separate airstrikes across the enclave, bringing Thursday’s death toll to 44.
The Gaza Health Ministry said the Durra Children’s Hospital in Gaza City had become non-operational, a day after an Israeli strike hit the upper part of the building, damaging the intensive care unit and destroying the facility’s solar power panel system.

No one was killed. There was no Israeli comment on the incident.
Israel’s military said on Thursday that one soldier was killed during combat in the northern Gaza Strip, while an officer and a reservist were severely injured.
Gaza’s health system has been devastated by Israel’s 18-month-old military campaign, launched in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023, putting many of the territory’s hospitals out of action, killing medics, and reducing crucial supplies.
Since a January ceasefire collapsed on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, many of them civilians, according to the Gaza health authorities, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as Israel seized what it calls a buffer zone of Gaza’s land.
Efforts by Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have so far failed to reconcile disputes between the two warring parties, Israel and Hamas.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-fire-kills-least-26-people-gaza-hits-police-station-2025-04-24/

Pakistan Fires Across LoC, India Retaliates Amid Pahalgam Massacre Tensions

The Pakistani Army on Friday initiated small arms firing at multiple LoC locations amid rising tensions from the Pahalgam terror attack. The Indian Army swiftly retaliated, with no casualties reported.

Small arms firing at some places on the Line of Control were initiated by the Pakistan Army. (Image: Representative Image)

The Pakistani Army on Friday morning initiated small arms firing at multiple locations along the Line of Control amid escalating tensions from both sides following the Pahalgam terror attack. The Indian Army responded swiftly, with no casualties reported so far.

Further details are being ascertained, according to the Indian Army officials.

The exchange of fire between the two neighbors occurred just days after a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people.
Baisaran Meadows, once a scenic getaway, became the site of a horrific tales terrorists targeted several innocent civilians. What was meant to be a peaceful vacation for many turned into a nightmare they will carry for a lifetime. On April 22, Pakistan-based terrorists gunned down 26 people in Pahalgam, marking one of the most horrific attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.

Addressing his first public event in Bihar since the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the culprits will be punished “beyond their imagination”. While he was speaking in Hindi, at the end, he switched to English and said, “Friends, today from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished.”

India Gets Tough On Pakistan

India on Wednesday asked all Pakistani nationals to leave India within 48 hours after the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam killed 28 people, mostly tourists.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a media briefing announced downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan including expulsion of its military attaches. He also spoke about the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting that took place on Wednesday evening.

President Murmu To Attend State Funeral Of Pope Francis In Vatican City

“President Droupadi Murmu will be visiting Vatican City on April 25 to 26 to attend the state funeral of Pope Francis and offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India,” the MEA said.

President Murmu will travel to Vatican City on Friday on a two-day visit. (File)

President Droupadi Murmu will attend the state funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City this week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

President Murmu will pay a two-day visit to Vatican City beginning Friday.

“President Droupadi Murmu will be visiting Vatican City on April 25 to 26 to attend the state funeral of Pope Francis and offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India,” the MEA said.

Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Easter Monday. He was 88.

“Pope Francis will be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage by millions across the world,” the MEA said.

President Murmu will pay homage to Pope Francis by laying a wreath at Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City on Friday, it said.

“On April 26, the president will attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which will be attended by dignitaries from around the world,” the MEA said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed condolences at the demise of Pope Francis and noted that his affection for the people of India will always be cherished.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/president-murmu-to-attend-state-funeral-of-pope-francis-in-vatican-city-8248824

Elon Musk and Scott Bessent had heated argument in halls of the White House: sources

Musk has had several arguments with Trump’s top administration picks.
REUTERS

The tension between Department of Government Efficiency lead Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent came to a head last week when the two had a heated argument in the halls of the White House, two sources familiar with the tiff told The Post.

The conversation — about the IRS — got so tense, Axios first reported, the two men got in each other’s faces in earshot of President Trump.

“Elon was shouting and rambling and Scott just wasn’t putting up with it,” one source close to the White House said.

A second source close to the White House said that the fight was fundamentally about the different visions the two men have for reform, with Musk taking a more aggressive approach.

“Elon has one mandate: break things in the process of reform.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was also present for the conversation and seemed to take Musk’s side, the source added.

“It’s no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in response.

“Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process,” she added. “And ultimately everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump.”

This isn’t the first time that Musk has had a public dispute with top level Trump administration members.

He was publicly vying on X for Lutnick to be Treasury secretary — arguing that he “will actually enact change” — but Trump went for Bessent instead.

“Bessent is a business-as-usual choice, whereas [Howard Lutnick] will actually enact change,” Musk wrote in November.

“Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt, so we need change.”

Source: https://nypost.com/2025/04/23/us-news/elon-musk-and-scott-bessent-had-heated-argument-in-halls-of-the-white-house-sources/

Musk damaged Tesla’s brand in just a few months. Fixing it will likely take longer

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk walks to the stage to speak at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file)

Elon Musk has been called a Moonshot Master, the Edison of Our Age and the Architect of the Future, but he’s got a big problem at his car company and it’s not clear he can fix it: damage to its brand.

Sales have plunged for Tesla amid protests and boycotts over Musk’s embrace of far right-wing views. Profits have been sliced by two-thirds so far this year, and rivals from China, Europe and the U.S. are pouncing.

On Tuesday came some relief as Musk announced in an earnings call with investors that he would be scaling back his government cost-cutting job in Washington to a “day or two per week” to focus more on his old job as Tesla’s boss.

Investors pushed up Tesla’s stock 5% Wednesday, though there are plenty of challenges ahead.

Who wants a Tesla?
Musk seemed to downplay the role that brand damage played in the drop in first-quarter sales on the investor call. Instead, he emphasized something more fleeting — an upgrade to Tesla’s best-selling Model Y that forced a shutdown of factories and pinched both supply and demand.

While financial analysts following the company have noted that potential buyers probably held back while waiting for the upgrade, hurting results, even the most bullish among them say the brand damage is real, and more worrisome.

“This is a full blown crisis,” said Wedbush Securities’ normally upbeat Dan Ives earlier this month. In a note to its clients, JP Morgan warned of “unprecedented brand damage.”

Musk’s take on the protests
Musk dismissed the protests against Tesla on the call as the work of people angry at his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency because “those who are receiving the waste and fraud wish it to continue.”

But the protests in Europe, thousands of miles from Washington, came after Musk supported far-right politicians there. Angry Europeans hung Musk in effigy in Milan, projected an image of him doing a straight-arm salute on a Tesla factory in Berlin and put up posters in London urging people not to buy “Swasticars” from him.

Sales in Europe have gone into a free fall in the first three months of this year — down 39%. In Germany, sales plunged 62%.

Another worrying sign: On Tuesday, Tesla backed off its earlier promise that sales would recover this year after dropping in 2024 for the first time a dozen years. Tesla said the global trade situation was too uncertain and declined to repeat the forecast.

Here come the rivals
Meanwhile, Tesla’s competition is stealing its customers.

Among its fiercest rivals now is Chinese giant BYD. Earlier this year, the EV maker announced it had developed an electric battery that can charge within minutes. And Tesla’s European rivals have begun offering new models with advanced technology that is making them real Tesla alternatives just as popular opinion has turned against Musk.

Tesla’s share of the EV market in the U.S. has dropped from two-thirds to less than half, according to Cox Automotive.

Pinning hopes on cybercabs
Another rival, Google parent Alphabet, is already ahead of Tesla in an area that Musk has promised will help remake his company: Cybercabs.

One of the highlights of Tesla’s call Tuesday was Musk sticking with his previous prediction that it will l aunch driverless cabs without steering wheels and pedals in Austin, Texas, in June, and in other cities soon after.

But Google’s service, called Waymo, already has logged millions of driverless cybercab trips in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Austin as part of a partnership with ride-hailing leader Uber.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/tesla-trump-musk-evs-doge-cybercab-brand-b9c9151c7852b8f1c10aaacb8fe6c8b8

Indus Waters Treaty paused, Attari border shut: India responds to J&K attack

India has unleashed a sweeping diplomatic offensive on Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror strike by suspending Indus Waters Treaty, sealing Wagah border and shutting border checkpost.

The strong countermeasures were announced after PM Modi held a 2.5 hour-long Cabinet Committee on Security or CCS meeting. (Image: PTI)

In the wake of the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, India on Wednesday announced a series of sweeping diplomatic and strategic countermeasures against Pakistan. Framing the response as a decisive stand against “cross-border terrorism”, the Ministry of External Affairs outlined multiple steps, including the indefinite suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty that had endured three wars, and an immediate shutdown of the Integrated Check Post at the Attari-Wagah border – a crucial link for trade and people-to-people engagement between the two nations.

In a further blow to bilateral ties, Pakistani nationals have been barred from travelling to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, with all previously issued visas declared void. Those already present in India have been directed to leave the country within 48 hours.

Suspension of Indus Waters Cooperation: India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, under which 39 billion cubic meters of water from the Indus River system flows from India into Pakistan annually. The treaty, which governs the sharing of river waters between the two countries, has long been considered a symbol of cooperation even amid years-long conflict.

Closure of Attari-Wagah Border: The Integrated Check Post Attari-Wagah border, a critical point for trade and people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan, has been shut down with immediate effect. Those who have crossed with valid papers have been asked to return back to Pakistan before May 1, 2025.

Restricting SAARC Visa exemption scheme: Pakistani nationals are barred from travelling to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, with all previously issued visas deemed cancelled. Those already in the country are given 48 hours to leave.

Expulsion of Military Advisors: New Delhi has declared the Defence, Naval, and Air Advisers at the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata, giving them a week to exit India. In a similar move, New Delhi will also withdraw its own Defence, Navy, and Air officials from the High Commission in Islamabad.

Reduction of High Commission Staff Strength: India has asked Pakistan to reduce its diplomatic presence in New Delhi to a skeletal staff of 30, slashing the mission’s current operating capacity of 55.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indus-water-treaty-suspended-attari-checkpost-shut-government-response-pahalgam-attack-2713599-2025-04-23

Trump says he has no plans to fire Fed’s Powell; market jumps

President Donald Trump on Tuesday backed off from threats to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after days of intensifying criticisms of the central bank chief for not cutting interest rates.
“I have no intention of firing him,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. “I would like to see him be a little more active in terms of his idea to lower interest rates,” he added.

The de-escalation drew an immediate thumbs up from Wall Street, as equity index futures jumped by nearly 2% on the resumption of trading on Tuesday evening. Stocks, bonds and the U.S. dollar had all slumped on Monday after Trump over the Easter holiday weekend repeatedly attacked Powell for not cutting interest rates further since the president resumed office in January.

“Whether this reflects Monday’s brutal foretaste of what would happen in markets if he did try to fire Powell, or was the plan all along, it is a clear positive,” wrote Evercore ISI Vice Chairman Krishna Guha. “It materially reduces the likelihood of worst case outcomes including stagflation and the morphing of the tariff crisis into a sovereign debt crisis, though these risks remain.”
Also during his question-and-answer volley with reporters on Tuesday, Trump expressed optimism that a trade deal with China could “substantially” cut tariffs, which also provided a boost for investors. He said a deal would result in “substantially” lower tariffs on Chinese goods, suggesting that a final deal will not “be anywhere near” current tariff rates. But “it won’t be zero,” he added.

The combination of the rocky rollout of Trump’s tariffs and, more recently, his repeated barbs at Powell and the Fed had rattled investors and intensified selling of U.S. assets including stocks, U.S. Treasuries and the dollar.
Trump’s broadsides were often accompanied by threatening remarks, such as last week’s social media posting that Powell’s termination as Fed chair “cannot come fast enough” and more personal jabs, such as calling Powell “a major loser.” The threats spooked financial markets that view the Fed’s independence as critical to underpinning its credibility as the world’s most influential central bank and a cornerstone of global financial stability.
But while Trump seems to have set aside those threats for now, his criticisms of Fed rate policy remain just as pointed.
“We think that it’s a perfect time to lower the rate, and we’d like to see our chairman be early or on time, as opposed to late,” Trump said.

OLD FEUD

U.S. President Donald Trump looks on as Jerome Powell, his nominee to become chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Trump’s sour grapes with Powell date back to the Republican’s first term in the White House. Trump elevated Powell from a Fed Board of Governors member to the central bank’s head but was soon irritated by ongoing rate increases under Powell’s watch. Trump openly mused about firing Powell, but was ultimately dissuaded by his advisers.
Whether Trump has the authority is unclear. Powell, for his part, insists that the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 that created the central bank will not allow it. Trump, meanwhile, has said that if he wanted Powell out, he would be gone “real fast.”
The law stipulates that the seven Fed governors, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to staggered 14-year terms, can only be removed for “cause” – long thought to mean misconduct, not policy disagreement.
That said, the law omits reference to limits on removal from its description of the four-year term of the Fed chair, who is one of the seven governors.
Trump’s harsh rhetoric came alongside court cases now proceeding over his firing of officials from other independent federal boards and agencies. Those are being watched closely in Fed circles as potential proxies for whether Trump has the authority to fire Fed officials long presumed to be able to pursue monetary policy free from political influence.
The Fed lowered interest rates by a percentage point late last year to the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%, but has held them unchanged in the two policy meetings convened since Trump returned to the White House. The Fed’s next rate-setting meeting is in two weeks.
Fed policymakers are concerned that the aggressive tariffs rolled out by Trump since early February could rekindle inflation that they had already found harder than expected to return to their 2% target. At the same time, policymakers worry their job could be complicated further if tariffs slow growth and drive up unemployment while also pressuring up inflation.
The result is a wait-and-see posture regarding further rate cuts, though most policymakers still see some rate reductions as likely later this year.
Interest rate futures traders pared bets on Fed policy easing after Trump’s remarks, and now are pricing three quarter-point interest-rate cuts by year’s end, versus the four seen as earlier as more likely.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-no-plans-fire-fed-chair-powell-wants-lower-rates-2025-04-22/

Musk, facing criticism and falling Tesla sales, to cut back DOGE work

Tesla (TSLA.O), CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday he would cut back significantly the time he devotes to the Trump administration from next month and spend more time running his many companies.
The move comes as Musk’s involvement in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency – where he has led efforts to cut federal jobs – has become a political lightning rod, fueling unrelenting protests and vandalism, at Tesla showrooms. Investors have raised concerns about Musk spending too little time managing Tesla, where sales have nosedived.

“The large slog of work necessary to get the DOGE team in place and working with the government to get the financial house in order is mostly done,” Musk told analysts on a conference call. But he said he still intended to spend some 40% of his time on DOGE.
Tesla shares, which had risen 4% in after-hours trading right before an earnings conference call began, spiked to trade up 5.5% on Musk’s comments. The stock has nearly halved from its December peak.
After market close on Tuesday, Tesla reported profitability for its core auto business that topped rock-bottom expectations and said it was on track to produce an affordable car.

But the EV maker said it would have to reassess its growth forecast in three months because it was “difficult to measure the impacts of shifting global trade policy on the automotive and energy supply chains” and that “changing political sentiment, could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term,” it said.
Tariff tensions add further uncertainty. Tesla has paused some China-sourced component imports after U.S. tariffs on the Asian country rose to 145%, Reuters reported. China has responded with tariffs of its own, leading Tesla to suspend new Model S and Model X orders in the country.
Musk, who said on Tuesday he continued to support lower tariffs, added that Tesla was not immune to “macro demand for cars,” adding that economic uncertainty causes people to want to “pause on doing a major capital purchase like a car.”

“Absent the macro issues, we don’t see any reduction in demand,” he said. But tariffs will have an outsized impact on Tesla’s energy business, he said.
While the stronger-than-expected margin in the first quarter – driven by lower costs – offered some relief, Tesla’s auto revenue still slumped by a fifth in the period, and net profit plunged 71%. These metrics both missed Wall Street estimates.

Musk acknowledged the blowback on the company, but brushed off concerns about brand damage hurting Tesla’s first-quarter sales.

ROBOTAXI ON TRACK

Tesla electric vehicles are lined up at a dealership in Durango, northern Spain, October 30, 2023. REUTERS/Vincent West/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Musk’s recent posts on his social media site X have suggested he is slowly re-engaging with his businesses, after spending months talking only about how he was cutting government waste. But his time away from DOGE will be split between money-maker Tesla and his other companies which include SpaceX, xAI and Neuralink.
“I think more attention by Musk on Tesla is a net positive for the stock, but to see a meaningful move in the stock we would need to see a headline more like ‘Musk to leave DOGE to refocus on Tesla,'” said Shawn Campbell, adviser and investor at Camelthorn Investments, who personally holds Tesla shares.
Tesla has said it plans to release a cheaper car – seen as a key catalyst for future growth – in the first half of 2025, using existing platforms and assembly lines, after scrapping plans for a brand-new, low-cost model.
Tesla in its release said the launch of affordable cars was on track for the first half of the year. “The ramp might be slower than we had hoped initially,” Lars Moravy, the vice president for engineering, said on the call, but that there was nothing blocking Tesla from starting production within the publicized timeline.
“The models that come out in the next months will be built on our lines and will resemble in form and shape the cars we currently make. The key is they’ll be affordable and you’ll be able to buy one,” Moravy added.
Reuters reported last week that sources said Tesla’s long-awaited plans for an affordable car include a U.S-made, stripped-down version of its best-selling electric SUV, the Model Y, but the production launch will be delayed by a few months.
Tesla also said the launch of a robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, in June remained on track. The company has been seeking regulatory approvals to that end, but there are serious concerns about safety and related litigation risks that could come with deploying unproven driverless technology on public streets.
Asked about when robotaxi production would ramp up, Musk said he expected millions of Teslas operating fully autonomously by the second half of next year.
Automotive gross margin for the first quarter, excluding regulatory credits, fell to 12.5% from 13.6% in the fourth quarter, according to Reuters calculations, compared with expectations of 11.8%, according to 21 analysts polled by Visible Alpha.
The electric vehicle maker reported revenue of $19.34 billion for the January-March quarter, compared with estimates of $21.11 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-investors-await-details-affordable-electric-car-plans-boost-sales-2025-04-22/

Gunmen kill at least 26 civilians in Kashmir tourist hotspot

Indian army officers stands guard near Pahalgam in south Kashmir after assailants indiscriminately opened fired at tourists visiting Pahalgam, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.(AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

At least 26 people were killed Tuesday (Apr 22) in Indian-administered Kashmir when gunmen opened fire on tourists, security sources told AFP, in the insurgency-hit region’s deadliest attack on civilians since 2000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the “heinous act” in the summer retreat of Pahalgam, pledging the attackers “will be brought to justice”.

The killings come a day after US Vice President JD Vance began a four-day, largely personal visit to India.

A tour guide in Pahalgam told AFP he reached the scene after hearing gunfire and had transported some of the wounded away on horseback.

Waheed, who gave only one name, said he saw several men lying dead on the ground, while a witness who requested anonymity said the attackers were “clearly sparing women”.

Pahalgam lies 90km by road from the key city of Srinagar.

One security source said that foreign tourists were among those shot, but there was no official confirmation.

Other security sources and some Indian media reported late Tuesday that 26 people had died, an increase from the 24 that a senior local police officer had earlier told AFP.

No group has claimed responsibility, but rebels in the Muslim-majority region have waged an insurgency since 1989.

They are seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which controls a smaller part of the Kashmir region and, like India, claims it in full.

Vance offered condolences in a social media post, while President Donald Trump said “the United States stands strong with India against Terrorism.”

Modi, who is in Saudi Arabia, has cut short his trip to return home, foreign ministry officials said.

MALES TARGETED

“The militants, I can’t say how many, came out of the forest near an open small meadow and started firing,” said the witness who asked not to be identified.

“They were clearly sparing women and kept shooting at men, sometimes single shot and sometimes many bullets, it was like a storm,” said the man, who cares for horses that are popular with tourists in the area.

The witness said dozens of people fled as the gunmen opened fire.

“They all started running around in panic”, he added.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “the attack is much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”, with the death toll still uncertain.

“This attack on our visitors is an abomination,” he added in a statement. “The perpetrators of this attack are animals, inhuman and worthy of contempt.”

HOLIDAY DESTINATION

Medics at a hospital in Anantnag said they had received some of the wounded, including with gunshot wounds.

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory, but fighting decreased since Modi’s government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.

“Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” Modi said in a statement.

In recent years, the authorities have promoted the mountainous region as a holiday destination, both for winter skiing, and to escape the sweltering summer heat elsewhere in India.

Around 3.5 million tourists visited Kashmir in 2024, the majority domestic visitors.

In 2023, India hosted a G20 tourism meeting in Srinagar under tight security in a bid to show that what officials call “normalcy and peace” were returning after a massive crackdown.

A string of resorts are being developed, including some close to the heavily militarised de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/militant-attack-india-kashmir-tourists-injured-dead-5080951

What happens if Trump trashes the AGOA pact?

Lesotho is a prominent sub-Saharan African exporter of garments to the USImage: ROBERTA CIUCCIO/AFP

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement at the core of US economic policy on Africa, is soon set to expire.

The US Congress enacted the AGOA Trade Act in May 2000. The pact has been renewed several times, most recently in 2015, when Congress extended it to September 2025.

Since its implementation, AGOA has provided eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for over 1,800 products.

However, trade decisions by the Trump administration, including the imposition of a universal 10% tariff on all countries, threaten the future of AGOA.

Tsonam Akpeloo, President of the Association of Ghana Industries, told DW that Trump’s move could result in people losing their jobs.

“One of our member companies producing fabrics and supplying them to the US market is employing over 5,000 people here in Ghana because of the AGOA, which has a ready market in the US,” Akpeloo said.

“If AGOA is no longer in place, that company will have to pay more taxes and it would mean that the people employed will be affected,” he added.

Trump has imposed steep tariffs on some member countries under AGOA, including Lesotho, with a 50% tariff slapped on the mountainous nation.

Although the tariff imposition is enjoying a 90-day freeze from Trump, experts across the continent are unsure about what lies ahead.

US-Africa trade relations

Between 2017 and 2020, the US was the third-largest destination for Africa’s industrial products after the European Union and intra-African trade, according to the London School of Economics.

Data from the World Economic Forum also suggests that sales from apparel in Kenya under AGOA grew from $55 million (€48 million) in 2001 to $603 million in 2022, accounting for nearly 68% of the country’s total exports to the US.

For these reasons, many fear that an end to AGOA may have a dire impact on the 32 countries trading under the agreement.

If Trump does not renew the pact, economists warn that short-term job losses, hikes in commodity prices and higher costs of doing business will harm African economies.

Is Africa prepared to negotiate with Trump?

“It’s like a big brother is doing you a favor and you have no room to negotiate,” Jane Nalunga, a Ugandan economist, told DW.

For many observers, Africa’s ability to hold a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with the United States is limited.

A area of possible agreement now, experts believe, is the continent’s rare earth minerals, which are of interest to Trump.

For Akpeloo, the continent must refocus on luxury products, such as ornaments and artifacts, which are currently not part of the products with preferential access to the US market.

He also strongly suggests that the continent negotiate an extension to the agreement and prepare measures to mitigate any fallout from its discontinuation.

Strategizing for the future

Economists believe it is better for Africa to negotiate as a collective rather than as individual countries, thereby strengthening the regional value chain.

Ghana’s Tsonam Akpeloo suggests leveraging platforms like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key strategy for the continent’s economic future.

The AfCFTA is the world’s largest free trade area, both in terms of its geographical scope and the number of participating countries. It comprises 54 countries with a combined population of 1.3 billion and a GDP of about $3.4 trillion.

The World Bank projects that by 2025, the framework will lift nearly 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty and increase intra-African trade by 81% if it is implemented effectively.

Boosting intra-African trade

“What needs to be done in Africa now is for the leaders of Africa to begin to analyze and take major steps in favor of securing the continent. The first thing that readily comes to mind is intra-African trade,” Akpeloo said.

Jane Nalunga, Executive Director of the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI), called on Africa’s trade policymakers to return to the drawing board.

“Africa should put its house in order. The failure to do so will continuously shortchange the continent,” Nalunga told DW.

“If we don’t put our house in order, we are going to continue exporting raw commodities, raw materials in the same way so it comes back to us. Whether we get AGOA back or not, it doesn’t matter,” Jane added.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/what-happens-if-trump-trashes-the-agoa-pact/a-72274345

Vance-Modi Talks Focus On Increasing India-US Trade To $500 Bn by 2030, Main Negotiation On Farm Sector

India is expected to sign another free trade agreement with the US on some farm products, but it also wants to increase exports to the country on some products like rice, fisheries, and spices

PM Narendra Modi (R) during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance (L), in New Delhi on April 21. (Image: PMO/PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s endearing meeting with the family of US Vice-President JD Vance on Monday took place alongside some hard business talk. In the short bilateral meeting between the two leaders, the mood was accommodating rather than confrontational, which mirrors the pattern of the US-India trade negotiation.

India has been actively engaged in bilateral trade talks with the United States, for which virtual discussions have been followed up with physical deliberation.

According to top sources, the mood in the bilateral meeting between Modi and Vance was keeping in mind the goal of increasing trade between India and US to $500 billion by 2030. The main area of negotiations is the farm sector.

While India has agreed to buy more oil and natural gas from the US, it has also cut reciprocal tariffs on some agricultural products like pistachios and almonds. But, the US wants more.

The country wants more of its agricultural products to be exported to India. The three main crops, which it wants should have greater access to the Indian markets, are corn, (maize), cotton and soybean.

This is where a bit of a dilemma comes in for India, which is primarily an agrarian economy. The three contentious farm laws had to be rolled back as, politically, the central government cannot afford to alienate farmers. Hence, the focus of the trade talks was also on agricultural exports.

India is expected to sign another free trade agreement with the US on some farm products, but it also wants to increase exports to the US on some products like rice, fisheries, and spices.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/vance-modi-farm-products-agriculture-sector-main-negotiation-india-us-bilateral-trade-talks-ws-l-9308066.html

Pope Francis died of stroke, irreversible heart failure: Vatican doctor

Pope Francis had suffered double pneumonia this year.

Pope Francis died early Monday after suffering a stroke and heart failure, according to a death certificate released by Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli.

The document, made public by the Vatican, stated that the 88-year-old pontiff had slipped into a coma before his death, which occurred early Monday morning.

Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, suffered double pneumonia this year. Earlier on Easter Sunday, he appeared in an open-air popemobile to welcome cheering crowds in St. Peter’s Square, indicating his convalescence was progressing well.

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel.

“At 7:35 (0535 GMT) this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.”

POPE FRANCIS PREFERRED UNDECORATED GRAVE

No date has been announced yet for the funeral, but the Vatican said it would traditionally be expected to occur at some point between Friday and Sunday. A gathering of cardinals is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and could establish the schedule for the funeral then.

The text specified that Francis wanted to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration” but with the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pope-francis-died-of-stroke-irreversible-heart-failure-vatican-doctor-says-glbs-2712496-2025-04-21

Deportation Dilemma: Diplomatic Roadblocks Delay Repatriation Of Illegal Bangladeshi Nationals, Only 1 In 5 Illegal Bangladeshi Immigrants Sent Back Amid Diplomatic Deadlock

Despite a surge in arrests, India’s fight against illegal Bangladeshi infiltration is hitting a dead end literally at the border, Indian security and immigration authorities continue to face mounting challenges in deporting Bangladeshi nationals who enter the country unlawfully.

Deportation delay: Diplomatic hurdles stall repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals in India | Representative Image

Despite a surge in arrests, India’s fight against illegal Bangladeshi infiltration is hitting a dead end literally at the border, Indian security and immigration authorities continue to face mounting challenges in deporting Bangladeshi nationals who enter the country unlawfully. Even after arrests and legal convictions, the repatriation process remains slow, uncertain, and fraught with diplomatic and procedural complications.

Highly placed sources in the Crime Branch, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that several hundred Bangladeshi nationals were arrested over the past year for illegal stay, use of forged Indian identity documents, and links to organised crime. Authorities have taken steps to limit their ability to stay and move freely within the country. Yet, once behind bars, their journey back home hits a diplomatic wall.

Officials admit that while arrests and case registrations have increased, deportation is far from straightforward. A major roadblock is the refusal of the host country Bangladesh to acknowledge and accept these individuals as its citizens. “Even after arrest and court convictions, deportation gets stuck at the verification stage. The Bangladeshi side often fails to confirm their nationality or outright denies their citizenship,” an officer said.

Officials revealed that most of these individuals entered India through porous border routes and secured fake Indian identity documents with the help of organized networks. In most of the cases, the permanent addresses used by these Bangladeshi nationals were found to be bogus.

A critical bottleneck for security agencies is the refusal of the host country to accept deportees. “Even after a Bangladeshi national is convicted in court, the deportation process is not straightforward. There have been cases where the host country Bangladesh has refused to acknowledge these individuals as their citizens, making repatriation nearly impossible,” the senior official said. This admission underscores a growing diplomatic and legal conundrum for Indian authorities, where the lack of documentation and non-cooperation from the Bangladeshi side often leads to indefinite detention or legal limbo for the detainees.

A senior official from the Bureau of Immigration noted that the primary hurdle in the deportation process is identity confirmation. “We cannot deport anyone unless the Bangladeshi government officially verifies their nationality. Without valid documents or cooperation, the process is paralyzed,” the official said. This challenge has led to prolonged detention of many individuals in correctional homes or holding centers, often for months or years. In some cases, courts order the release of detainees if their continued detention is deemed unjustifiable.

Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Affairs, Yogesh Ramdas Kadam, recently presented detailed statistics in the state legislative assembly regarding the arrest and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals in the state.

According to the data, from January 2023 to March 2025, a total of 2,935 illegal Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested across the state. However, only 587 of them have been deported back to Bangladesh. This means that approximately 20% of the arrested illegal Bangladeshi nationals have been deported, as per official records.

In Mumbai, between January and March, 197 cases were registered against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. These cases led to the arrest of over 369 illegal Bangladeshi nationals, but only 17 were deported after completing the lengthy formalities.

Arrest and deportation figures (excluding Mumbai)

2021-

Arrested- 192

Deported- 109

Result- 56.77%

2022-

Arrested- 217

Deported- 77

Result- 35.48%

2023-

Arrested- 573

Deported- 127

Result- 22.16%

2024-

Arrested- 716

Deported- 202

Result- 28.21%

These operations have targeted various districts across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Nanded, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other districts.

Deportation of undocumented migrants requires coordination between multiple Indian agencies including the BSF, local police, immigration authorities, and the Ministry of External Affairs as well as active engagement from the Bangladeshi government. Officials admit that while mechanisms for deportation exist under the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty and bilateral dialogues, ground-level implementation is inconsistent. “We send dossiers for verification, but responses are slow and often inconclusive,” said another source familiar with the process.

Enforcement agencies stress the urgent need for enhanced bilateral cooperation and a reliable verification mechanism. “We need a faster and verifiable identification system and accountable cooperation from both sides,” said a senior immigration official. “Otherwise, the cycle of infiltration, arrest, and stalled deportation will continue.”

DHL to suspend global shipments of over $800 to US consumers

Trucks are parked outside a DHL delivery facility in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Purchase Licensing Rights

DHL Express, a division of Germany’s Deutsche Post (DHLn.DE), said it would suspend global business-to-consumer shipments worth over $800 to individuals in the United States from April 21, as U.S. customs regulatory changes have lengthened clearance.
The notice on the company website was not dated, but its metadata showed it was compiled on Saturday.

DHL blamed the halt on new U.S. customs rules which require formal entry processing on all shipments worth over $800. The minimum had been $2,500 until a change on April 5.

DHL said business-to-business shipments would not be suspended but could face delays. Shipments under $800 to either businesses or consumers were not affected by the changes.
The move is a temporary measure, the company said in its statement.
DHL said last week in response to Reuters questions that it would continue to process shipments from Hong Kong to the United States “in accordance with the applicable customs rules and regulations” and would “work with our customers to help them understand and adapt to the changes that are planned for May 2.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/dhl-suspend-global-shipments-over-800-us-consumers-2025-04-20/

ANOTHER LEAK? Trump’s defence chief ‘shared top secret war plans’ in ANOTHER group chat with wife and brother in major security breach

DONALD TRUMP’S defence chief “shared top secret war plans” in another Signal group chat with his wife and brother in a major security breach.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to have shared bombshell information on impending US airstrikes on Yemen in the private group.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was said to be in the chatCredit: AFP

It would mark the second time Hegseth has faced accusations of sharing top-secret military information on the messaging app with unofficial individuals.

Last month, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of the Atlantic magazine, revealed he was included in a messaging chain alongside Trump’s vice president JD Vance in the incredible security blunder.

Now, the New York Times reported that the Defence Secretary discussed top-secret information on the same March 15 strikes with the second Signal chat.

The second chat included 13 people, the source said, adding that the chat was dubbed “Defense Team Huddle”.

The bombshell intel shared “included the flight schedules for the F/A-18 Hornets targeting the Houthis in Yemen,” the newspaper reported.

The source also revealed that, compared to the accidental leak where journalist Goldberg was mistakenly included in the group, the chat was actually created by Hegseth.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said: “It included his wife and about a dozen other people from his personal and professional inner circle in January, before his confirmation as defense secretary.”

Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, is a former Fox News producer and journalist.

The group also included his brother Phil and Tim Parlatore, both of who work different roles at the Pentagon.

The messages leaked last month were said to have discussed the strikes against the Houthi terror group in Yemen, with further bombshell claims that Hegseth ripped into America’s European allies, calling them “pathetic free-loaders”.

Several other senior members of the Trump administration were also included such as Hegseth and national security adviser Mike Waltz.

On March 15, Trump ordered the massive attack on Houthi rebels in a stark warning to the militants and their Iranian backers.

The US president ordered a series of airstrikes on capital Sanaa in response to the terror group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.

WAR PLANS LEAKED

Jeffrey Goldberg revealed he was aware of the plans as he published an article today headlined: “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.”

In the story, Goldberg claimed he spoke with Waltz on the Signal messaging app on March 11.

Days later he was invited to join a chain called the “Houthi PC small group”.

Signal is a private messaging app which is often used to keep texts private and untraceable.

Goldberg claimed that when he was added to the chat he was given the callsign “JG”.

He believes this may have been down to Waltz mistaking his number for Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative, due to the initials.

On March 13, Waltz messaged those in the chat and asked them to provide him with the best point of contact from their team who would be able to help with the coming weekend.

Goldberg then revealed a text from Waltz at 8:05am a day later which read: “Team, you should have a statement of conclusions with tasking per the Presidents [sic] guidance this morning in your high side inboxes.”

High side refers to the US government’s classified computer systems.

JD Vance is then said to have messaged the group saying: “I think we are making a mistake.”

He added: “[Three] percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does.

“There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”

Hegseth replied: “I understand your concerns.”

Before arguing “messaging is going to be tough no matter what – nobody knows who the Houthis are”.

Vance then appeared to accept the Pentagon chief’s argument as he wrote: “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”

Then an account believed to belong to Stephen Miller said: “As I heard it, the president was clear: green light, but we soon make clear to Egypt and Europe what we expect in return.”

Following the strikes, an account said the operation was an “amazing job”.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14068384/trump-aides-leak-war-plans/

Thousands of protesters rally against Trump across US

Protesters form a “Impeach & Remove” human banner on Ocean Beach during a protest against US President Donald Trump, in San Francisco, Apr 19, 2025. (Photo: San Francisco Chronicle via AP/Stephen Lam)

Thousands of protesters rallied in Washington and other cities across the US on Saturday (Apr 19) to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies on deportations, government firings, and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

Outside the White House, protesters carried banners that read “Workers should have the power,” “No kingship,” “Stop arming Israel” and “Due process,” media footage showed.

Some demonstrators chanted in support of migrants whom the Trump administration has deported or has been attempting to deport while expressing solidarity with people fired by the federal government and with universities whose funding is threatened by Trump.

“As Trump and his administration mobilize the use of the US deportation machine, we are going to organize networks and systems of resistance to defend our neighbors,” a protester said in a rally at Lafayette Square near the White House.

Other protesters waved Palestinian flags while wearing keffiyeh scarves, chanting “free Palestine” and expressing solidarity with Palestinians killed in Israel’s war in Gaza.

Some demonstrators carried symbols expressing support for Ukraine and urging Washington to be more decisive in opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Since his January inauguration, Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, have gutted the federal government, firing over 200,000 workers and attempting to dismantle various agencies.

The administration has also detained scores of foreign students and threatened to stop federal funding to universities over diversity, equity and inclusion programs, climate initiatives and pro-Palestinian protests. Rights groups have condemned the policies.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-iran-report-progress-nuclear-talks-will-meet-again-5076146

Zelensky says Russian attacks ongoing despite Putin announcing ‘Easter truce’

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has ordered his forces to “stop all military activity” in Ukraine, as he declared an “Easter truce” until the end of Sunday.

He said the 30-hour truce would last until 22:00 BST on Sunday (00:00 Moscow time), adding that Russian forces should be prepared to respond to “any possible violations”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would adhere to the truce, but accused Moscow of breaking it.

“If Russia is now suddenly ready to truly engage in a format of full and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act accordingly – mirroring Russia’s actions,” he said.

“Our actions are and will be symmetrical. The proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day silence remains on the table — the answer to it must come from Moscow,” he wrote on X.

He said fighting continued in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions and Russian drones were still in use, but added that some areas had become quieter.

Zelensky said Ukraine would be ready to extend a truce beyond 20 April, seemingly referring to an earlier proposal from the US for a 30-day ceasefire which Ukraine had already agreed to.

Responding to Putin’s initial announcement, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on X: “Putin has now made statements about his alleged readiness for a cease-fire. 30 hours instead of 30 days.”

“Unfortunately, we have had a long history of his statements not matching his actions. We know his words cannot be trusted and we will look at actions, not words,” he added.

Putin announced the temporary truce at a meeting with his chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov.

“Based on humanitarian considerations… the Russian side announces an Easter truce. I order a stop to all military activities for this period,” Putin told Gerasimov.

“We assume that Ukraine will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to repel possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions.”

The Russian defence ministry said its troops would adhere to the ceasefire provided it was “mutually respected” by Ukraine.

It is not the first time a pause in fighting has been suddenly announced – a previous attempt at a ceasefire during Orthodox Christmas in January 2023 fell apart after both sides failed to agree on a proposal.

Reacting to Putin’s truce announcement, a Foreign Office spokesman in the UK said: “Now is the moment for Putin to truly show he is serious about peace by ending his horrible invasion and committing to a full ceasefire, as the Ukrainian government has called for – not just a one day pause for Easter.”

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people – the vast majority of them soldiers – have been killed or injured on all sides.

The US has been directly talking to Russia as part of its efforts to end the war, but has struggled to make major progress.

Last month, Moscow rejected a proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire that had been agreed by the US and Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump on Friday warned Washington would “take a pass” on brokering further talks on ending the war in Ukraine unless there was quick progress.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c787v5gxny7o

Elon Musk Is Coming: What It Means For Tesla, Starlink, SpaceX, And India

The announcement came after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday

This visit has been long overdue, as it was planned almost a year ago but did not happen. (File pic/Reuters)

Elon Musk, the man behind big brands like Tesla, SpaceX, X, and Starlink, has confirmed that he will visit India later this year. The announcement came after a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

This visit has been long overdue, as it was planned almost a year ago but did not happen.

But there have been fast-paced developments ever since Donald Trump became the US President earlier this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the United States and met Donald Trump, as well as Elon Musk, in a separate meeting this February.

Before this, the PM had met Musk in June 2022 when he invited the billionaire businessman to invest in India in electric mobility and India’s rapidly expanding commercial space sector.

The offer was on the table from Modi again this February — that Musk should invest in India in fields such as innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.

And one soon heard about Tesla’s plans to set up shop in Delhi and Mumbai. India would be eager to learn if Musk plans a Tesla factory in Maharashtra too.

Tesla all charged up

Besides showrooms in Mumbai’s BKC Complex and Delhi’s Aerocity, Tesla is also planning to work on a massive charging site infrastructure for the electric vehicles it will sell in India, apart from facilities for battery cell material manufacturing. The battery cell is a critical component in Tesla vehicles and storage systems.

India is one of the fastest-growing EV markets—a market Musk can’t ignore, India feels.

Over 1.5 million electric vehicles were sold in 2023. With government incentives and a huge tech workforce, India could be the next global hub for Musk’s ambitions. And with the tariffs issue resolving, hopefully with a trade deal between India and the US, Tesla could be the first entrant among Musk’s products into India.

Tesla is anticipated to face a lot of hurdles with China due to the ongoing tariff war. Hence, India is being seen as a good option.

Many are hoping for cheaper Teslas in a competitive market like India.

Starlink to log in

The second big offering from Musk for India could be the Starlink satellite internet going mainstream. This could mean fast internet connectivity for Indians.

Just last week, before Musk’s phone call with the PM, Starlink’s top officials were in Delhi meeting commerce minister Piyush Goyal as well as officials from the telecom ministry. What the company wants is a licence to start satellite communication services in India, but the nation’s security establishment has been raising some issues.

What India desires, as per the country’s latest rules, is for companies like Starlink to set up a command centre here so that communication services can be suspended in a particular area that is sensitive or troubled. This is a national security demand.

Then, there is the need for interception. But Starlink’s top brass coming to India shows Elon Musk’s company is eager to tide over the regulatory issues and make an entry into the massive Indian market, sources say.

The minister, Piyush Goyal, himself said that the discussions with Starlink have covered areas like the company’s cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships, and future investment plans in India.

Musk’s company SpaceX has already signed agreements with Reliance Jio and Airtel for bringing fast internet connectivity to India.

So, the process of Starlink’s impending entry into India seems to be in the last lap.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/elon-musk-is-coming-what-it-means-for-tesla-starlink-spacex-and-india-9305835.html

India halts Pakistan bid for SL naval drills

Pakistan’s naval drill with Sri Lanka near Trincomalee was scrapped after India raised concerns, amid a fresh India-Sri Lanka defense pact.

The joint exercise was planned in the weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this month, when New Delhi and Colombo signed a defence cooperation agreement (File)(PIB India/X)

Pakistan’s effort to conduct a joint naval exercise this year with Sri Lanka in the waters off Trincomalee, a port city where an energy hub is being developed with Indian involvement, was shut down after New Delhi conveyed its concerns to Colombo, people familiar with the matter said.

The joint exercise was planned in the weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka this month, when New Delhi and Colombo signed a defence cooperation agreement, the first of its kind, and another tripartite agreement involving the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the energy hub at Trincomalee, including a multi-product pipeline.

The move by Pakistan, especially the proposal that the exercise be conducted in the waters around Trincomalee, was seen as a deliberate attempt to needle India, the people said on condition of anonymity. It came after Sri Lanka last year imposed a one-year moratorium on visits by foreign research vessels, a measure put in place by Colombo largely because of the activities of surveillance vessels from China, Pakistan’s long-standing ally.

Once the Indian side learnt of the planned joint naval exercise, it was taken up with Sri Lankan authorities by the Indian high commission in Colombo, which strongly conveyed New Delhi’s concerns about such activities in a region where the Indian side has important stakes, the people said.

The joint exercise was quietly scrapped by Sri Lankan authorities despite protests from the Pakistani side, the people said.

There was no word on the development from Indian officials. The officials cited above did not elaborate on the scale of the planned exercise, nor the exact dates.

In February and early March, a Pakistan Navy frigate, PNS Aslat, visited Colombo port. In the March visit, it conducted a “passex”, or passing exercise, with a Sri Lanka Navy warship in the waters off the capital before departing from Sri Lankan waters. This passex focused on communication and tactical maneuvering, according to a readout from the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Indian government has traditionally bristled at port visits to Sri Lanka by Chinese or Pakistani warships. Port visits by Chinese vessels have been more frequent, especially since Beijing controls Hambantota port under a 99-year lease.

In recent years, India has been increasingly concerned by visits to Sri Lanka by sophisticated Chinese surveillance vessels that are capable of monitoring coastal defences and tracking satellite and missile launches.The moratorium imposed by Sri Lanka on visits by such vessels last December, and the people said the Sri Lankan side is yet to take a call on dealing with visits by such vessels.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation signed by New Delhi and Colombo on April 5, during Modi’s visit for talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, marked the first refresh of ties in this important sector since India’s troubled intervention in Sri Lanka’s civil war in the late 1980s, and came at a time when India has been concerned about China’s increasing presence in its strategic backyard.

The MoU will make existing initiatives for defence cooperation more structured and lead to more joint exercises and potential defence industry collaboration.

The tripartite MoU involving India, Sri Lanka and the UAE, signed the same day, will focus on developing an energy hub at Trincomalee, including a multi-product pipeline and further development of a World War 2 oil tank farm partly held by the Sri Lankan subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation.

In 2022, the Sri Lankan government, Lanka IOC, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and a joint venture between the two oil firms signed lease agreements for refurbishing and developing the 850-acre oil storage facility in Trincomalee, a strategic natural harbour on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-halts-pak-bid-for-sl-naval-drills-101745001870101.html

US strikes on Yemeni oil port kill 74 people, Houthis say, in deadliest attack of Trump campaign

File photo of a Houthi security officer inspects the debris of a destroyed building reportedly hit by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen.

US airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said Friday, marking the single-deadliest known attack under President Donald Trump’s new campaign targeting the rebels.

Assessing the toll of Trump’s campaign, which began March 15, has been incredibly difficult as the US military’s Central Command so far has not released any information on the campaign, its specific targets and how many people have been killed.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels strictly control access to areas attacked and don’t publish information on the strikes, many of which likely have targeted military and security sites.

But the strike on the Ras Isa oil port, which sent massive fireballs shooting into the night sky, represented a major escalation for the American campaign. The Houthis immediately released graphic footage of those killed in the attack.

In a statement, Central Command said that “US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorise the entire region for over 10 years.” “This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully,” it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties and declined to comment when asked by The Associated Press regarding civilians reportedly being killed.

The Iranian-backed Houthis later Friday launched a missile toward Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli military said. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and other areas.

The war in Yemen, meanwhile, further internationalised as the US alleged a Chinese satellite company was “directly supporting” Houthi attacks, something Beijing declined to directly comment on Friday.

US strikes spark massive fireball The Ras Isa port, a collection of three oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen’s Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. NASA satellites that track forest fires showed an intense blaze early Friday at the site just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense US airstrikes over the past few days.

The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath, showing corpses strewn across the site. It said paramedic and civilians workers at the port had been killed in the attack, which sparked a massive explosion and fires.

The Ras Isa port also is the terminus of an oil pipeline stretching to Yemen’s energy-rich Marib governorate, which remains held by allies of Yemen’s exiled government.

The Houthis expelled that government from Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, back in 2015. However, oil exports have been halted by the decadelong war and the Houthis have used Ras Isa to bring in oil.

The Houthis denounced the US attack “This completely unjustified aggression represents a flagrant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and independence and a direct targeting of the entire Yemeni people,” the Houthis said in a statement carried by the SABA news agency they control. “It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades.” On April 9, the US State Department issued a warning about oil shipments to Yemen.

“The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organisations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports,” it said.

The attack follows Israeli airstrikes on the Houthis which previously hit port and oil infrastructure used by the rebels after their attacks on Israel.

Oil depot attack deadliest so far known in Trump’s Yemen campaign The attack represented the deadliest known attack so far in the campaign, analysts said. However, “it’s been so difficult to assess the fatalities,” said Luca Nevola, the senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

“Since they are targeting civilian areas, there’s a lot more victims but it’s also difficult to assess how many because the Houthis are releasing these umbrella statements that cover all the victims … or tend to stress only the civilian victims,” Nevola said.

Further complicating the situation is the US strikes hitting military targets, said Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert at the Basha Report risk advisory firm. He pointed to an American attack that Trump highlighted online with black-and-white strike footage, that may have killed some 70 fighters.

“Although the Houthis claimed it was a tribal gathering, they neither released any footage nor named a single casualty, strongly suggesting the victims were not civilians but affiliated fighters,” al-Basha said. “However, the overnight strike on the Ras Isa Fuel Port marks the first mass-casualty incident the Houthis have openly acknowledged and publicised.” Chinese satellite firm accused by US of aiding Houthi attacks Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a briefing with journalists accused Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co Ltd, a commercial satellite image provider, of “directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on US interests.” Bruce did not elaborate in detail, but acknowledged a story by The Financial Times that quoted anonymous American officials saying the firm linked to the People’s Liberation Army has provided images allowing the rebels to target US warships and commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea corridor.

“Beijing’s support, by the way, of that company, the satellite company, even after we’ve engaged in discussions with them about this … certainly contradicts their claims of being peace supporters,” Bruce said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, responding to a question about the allegation, said Friday: “I am not familiar with the situation you mentioned.” However, he insisted China is seen as urging countries “to make more efforts conducive to regional peace and stability.” “Since the escalations in the Red Sea situation, China has been playing a positive role in de-escalating the situation,” Lin said. “Who is promoting talks for peace and de-escalating the tensions, and who is imposing sanctions and pressure?” Chang Guang did not respond to request for comment.

The US Treasury sanctioned the company in 2023 for allegedly providing satellite images to the Russian mercenary force the Wagner Group as it fought in Ukraine as part of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

It remains unclear whether Chang Guang is linked to the Chinese government.

The US government in the past has used images taken by American commercial satellite companies to share with allies, like Ukraine, to avoid releasing its own top-secret pictures.

US strikes are part of monthlong intense campaign An AP review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears more extensive than that under former President Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targetting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.

The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targetting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted.

The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year.

That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees USD 1 trillion of goods move through it. The Houthis also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.

Source : https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/us-strikes-on-yemeni-oil-port-kill-74-people-houthis-say-in-deadliest-attack-of-trump-campaign-article-12998253.html#google_vignette

Iran says nuclear deal is possible if Washington is realistic

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. — Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via Reuters

Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear programme with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday on the eve of a second round of talks with the Trump administration.

“If they demonstrate seriousness of intent and do not make unrealistic demands, reaching agreements is possible,” Araqchi told a news conference in Moscow after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Iran had noted the United States’ seriousness during a first round of talks on the deal, which took place in Oman last week, Araqchi said. The second round is set for Saturday in Rome.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it does not agree to a deal with the United States over its nuclear programme, which Iran says is peaceful but the West says is aimed at building an atomic bomb.

Lavrov said that Russia was “ready to assist, mediate, and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the USA”.

Moscow has played a role in Iran’s nuclear negotiations in the past as a veto-wielding UN Security Council member and signatory to an earlier deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent Araqchi to Moscow with a letter for President Vladimir Putin to brief the Kremlin about the negotiations.

Source : https://www.dawn.com/news/1905063/iran-says-nuclear-deal-is-possible-if-washington-is-realistic

Army Jawan Arrested For Training Accused In Grenade Attack On YouTuber’s House

Singh came in contact with Kamboj through social media platform Instagram, police said.

An Army jawan posted in Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested for allegedly imparting online training to the man who hurled a grenade at the residence of a Jalandhar-based YouTuber last month, Punjab Police said on Thursday.

A court in Jalandhar sent the jawan, Sukhcharan Singh, to five-day police remand, police officials said.

The main accused, Hardik Kamboj, hurled the hand grenade at the house of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu on the intervening night of March 15 and 16. However, the grenade did not explode.

During the course of investigation, it came to light that Singh provided online training to Kamboj on throwing the grenade at the residence of the YouTuber, said Senior Superintendent of Police (Jalandhar Rural) Harvinder Singh Virk.

Singh came in contact with Kamboj through social media platform Instagram, police said.

Singh, who hails from Muktsar district, was named in the FIR and an arrest warrant was secured from a court, the SSP said.

Police said they apprised the Army authorities about Singh’s role in the matter.

A court in Jalandhar sent Singh to five-day police remand. Further investigation in the matter is underway, they said.

Police have so far arrested nine people, including Kamboj, in this case.

Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti claimed responsibility for the attack at Sandhu’s house over his use of alleged derogatory language against the Muslim community.

There have been many explosions targeting police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in the past four to five months.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/army-jawan-arrested-for-training-accused-in-grenade-attack-on-youtuber-house-punjab-jalandhar-8191081

Trump claims tariffs rake in $3B a day — but it’s actually much lower

President Trump’s tariffs have brought in $250 million a day since he took office — a fraction of the daily $3 billion that he bragged his sweeping levies have generated.

The massive disparity comes from figures provided by the Customs and Border Protection — the agency charged with collecting all tariffs, including the controversial “reciprocal” levies, at the point of entry.

“Since April 5, CBP has collected over $500 million under the new reciprocal tariffs, contributing to more than $21 billion in total tariff revenue from 15 presidential trade actions implemented since Jan 20, 2025,” the agency said.

Customs and Border Protection said it has collected over $500 million from the new reciprocal tariffs since April 5.
AFP via Getty Images

Counting separate duties imposed on aluminum and steel imports, and foreign vehicles, that amounts to $250 million for each of the 84 days — through Monday when CBP issued its updated report — since Trump returned to the White House.

The Treasury Department also provided figures that fell short of the president’s estimate.

According to its daily statement of total deposits, the department recorded $250 million under “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” on Tuesday, after netting $305 million the previous day.

Trump claimed Monday that “we were losing $2 billion a day. … Now we’re making $3 billion a day” during a meeting with the president of El Salvador. He has also repeatedly said the tariffs — taxes paid by US firms on imports — are adding $2 billion per day to US coffers.

The Post reached out to the White House for comment.

The discrepancy between what Trump has claimed has been brought in and what the bottom line shows could be due, in large part, to a decrease in imports.

US import bookings on massive container ships dropped 64% from March 24-31 to April 1-8, according to container-tracking software provider Vizion.

Trump announced 10% across-the-board tariffs on most nations and stiffer reciprocal taxes on key trading partners during his “Liberation Day” event in the Rose Garden on April 2. The 10% tariffs went into effect April 5.

He paused the reciprocal tariffs on all countries on April 9 — except for China, which was slapped with a 145% duty after Beijing retaliated with a 125% on US goods.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/17/business/trump-claims-tariffs-rake-in-3b-a-day-but-its-actually-much-lower/

Hamas says it is ready to release all remaining hostages for an end to Gaza war

Hamas wants a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, rejecting Israel’s offer of an interim truce.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s Gaza chief who leads its negotiating team, said the group would no longer agree to interim deals, adopting a position that Israel is unlikely to accept and potentially further delaying an end to the devastating attacks that restarted in recent weeks.

Instead, Hayya said Hamas was ready to immediately engage in “comprehensive package negotiations” to release all remaining hostages in its custody in return for an end to the Gaza war, the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
“Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages),” said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We will not be part of passing this policy.”

Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before it broke down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other.
“Hamas’s comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell,” said National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Israel had proposed a 45-day truce in Gaza to allow hostage releases and potentially begin indirect talks to end the war. Hamas has already rejected one of its conditions – that it lay down its arms. In his speech, Hayya accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with “impossible conditions.”

A child looks on at the site of an Israeli strike on a tent camp sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip April 17, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled Purchase Licensing Rights
Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on January 19. In March, Israel’s military resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.
Israeli officials say that the offensive will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.

ISRAELI STRIKES

On Tuesday, the armed wing of Hamas armed said the group had lost contact with militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander after the Israeli army attacked their hideout. Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.
The armed wing later released a video warning hostages’ families that their “children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army.”
Israeli military strikes killed at least 32 Palestinians, including women and children, across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said.
One of those strikes killed six people and wounded several others at a UN-run school in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command center.
The war was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Parliament Security Breach Accused Tried To Bring Back 2001 Memories: Cops

The breach occurred on December 13, 2023.

The police has told the Delhi High Court that an accused, arrested in the December 13, 2023 Parliament security breach case, had intended to bring back “haunted memories” of the 2001 Parliament attack.

The police made the submissions in its response opposing the bail plea of Neelam Azad, the sole woman accused arrested in the 2023 case.

The police said detailed investigations have categorically established that accused Manoranjan D and his associates had always been planning a disruptive terror attack in Parliament.

The reply was filed before a bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar which heard the bail plea briefly on Wednesday and listed it for further hearing on Thursday.

“Even though the Parliament building, per-se, is open for visitors during its recess periods also, the plan was to strike right on the day when Parliament would be mourning and observing silence in memory of the 2001 Parliament attack. This happens to be the period when the Winter Session of the Parliament usually takes place,” the reply said.

It further said even though the plans to mount an assault in Parliament were being deliberated from as early as 2015, by the time the plan came to fruition, the majestic New Parliament building, a symbol of resurgent, revitalised India, had been inaugurated and was functional.

“In a recorded disclosure statement of accused Neelam, there is a sinister reference from Manoranjan that what they were about to do in the New Parliament will bring back haunted memories of something that had taken place in the Old Parliament,” the police said.

It said the use of “revered patriots and freedom fighters like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose etc.”, in their digital footprints and sundry discussions, was to arrogate patriotism but the interrogations have revealed that the accused had limited or purely “perfunctory knowledge” about the philosophies or lives of these great men.

It said that during their preliminary interrogations, the arrested accused had presented a coordinated, premeditated theory portraying the incident as a means “to raise innocuous public issues”.

The police said in the reply that post the December 2023 incident, there was absolute panic and terror amongst all those who were present in the Parliament.

“It will not be wrong to say that the entire nation, for a few moments, was stunned by the act of the accused persons. Post incident, some parliamentarians came out and interacted with the media that had gathered outside… Similarly, the security personnel present over there got absolutely terrorised by the act,” it said.

Referring to social media chats between the accused and some witness, the police said top level secrecy was being maintained in their inter-se communications and though the word December in the chat was not qualified with December of 2022 or December of 2023 (when the accused could actually commit their intended act), it was clearly indicative of the month of December and Delhi, leaving no other inference that the terror act was planned to coincide with the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack.

The police also sought dismissal of the bail plea on the grounds of being barred by limitation and said there has been a delay of 142 days in the filing of the petition challenging a trial court’s September 11, 2024 order dismissing her bail plea.

The police said the plea was in contravention of the provisions of Section 21 of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act.

This section explicitly stipulates an outer time limit of 90 days for filing any appeal. The delay of more than the permissible period renders this petition ineligible for consideration, it said.

Seeking bail for Azad, her counsel said she was not carrying any explosives in the Parliament and was standing outside.

On the issue of delay in filing the appeal, the counsel said Azad belonged to a poor family and they had no money to come to Delhi.

The trial court had rejected Azad’s bail plea, saying there was sufficient evidence to believe that allegations against her were “prima facie” true.

It noted that all the accused persons — Azad, Manoranjan D, Sagar Sharma, Amol Dhanraj Shinde, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat — already had the knowledge about the threat given by designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu for targeting Parliament on December 13, 2023.

Despite the threat perception, the accused persons being aware of the same carried out the alleged offence in Parliament on the same day, it observed.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before they were overpowered by some MPs.

Around the same time, two other accused — Amol Shinde and Azad — sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting “tanashahi nahi chalegi” outside Parliament premises.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/accused-in-parliament-security-breach-tried-to-bring-back-2001-attack-memories-police-delhi-high-court-8181679

Israel’s Gaza buffer zone means more misery for Palestinians

The Shejaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza City after an Israeli attack on April 9, 2025Image: Khames Alrefi/Anadolu/picture alliance

Israel has continued to tighten its grip on the territory of the Gaza Strip. As a result, more and more of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants are being squeezed into an ever-shrinking space while intense bombardment continues.

On Saturday, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had taken over large swathes of territory in the southern Gaza Strip.

“The IDF has now completed the takeover of the Morag axis, which crosses Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis, making the entire area between the Philadelphia axis and Morag part of the Israeli security zone,” Katz said in a statement.

In a post on X he added that “Gaza will become smaller and more isolated, and more and more of its residents will be forced to evacuate from the fighting zones.” He urged Palestinians to “remove Hamas” to “stop the war.”

The Israeli government had vowed to escalate its offensive and to seize large parts of Gaza to pressure Hamas, designated a terrorist group by many countries, into releasing the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive, and accept new ceasefire terms.

Civilians paying the price

Once again, the civilian population of Gaza is paying the price. Before the war, the Rafah governorate in the southern end of the Gaza Strip was home to some 200,000 people.

When Abdul Rahman Taha returned to his neighborhood in Rafah after the temporary ceasefire took effect in January, he found “only a small part of the house left standing.” The family stayed in the ruins of their former home. By early April, the Israeli military issued displacement orders to residents, and Taha and his family were forced to leave once again.

“Rafah is almost completely destroyed. There are very few houses left. The streets are already in ruins and will have to be rebuilt. Now they’re going to finish the job and destroy what’s left,” said Taha, who is now back living in a tent in Khan Younis in even harsher conditions.

After the first phase of the ceasefire ended in early March, the Israeli government halted all fuel, food, commercial and humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The United Nations warned on Monday that “the humanitarian situation is now likely the worst it has been in the 18 months since the outbreak of hostilities.”

“Just as we thought the war was over, it returned with a vengeance, with blood flowing nonstop, 24 hours a day,” Abu Taha said. “There’s even more chaos. The internal security situation is starting to deteriorate. It is a terrifying feeling.”

The 51-year-old Palestinian is concerned that his hometown is now part of a “security zone.” The newly created Morag Corridor, a land corridor running about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from east to west, cuts off Rafah from neighbouring Khan Younis and from its border crossing with Egypt.

It is named after a former Israeli settlement that was dismantled in 2005, as was the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, which separates southern from northern Gaza. The IDF controls movement between both areas with checkpoints. The military left the area during the ceasefire but was redeployed in March.

Abu Taha hopes that Israel wants to “intimidate people and exert political pressure” rather than prevent him from ever returning home. However, he said, “the problem is that the whole future of Gaza has become unknown.”

The Israeli government has not shared any plans for the day after in Gaza and has depicted its moves as part of its maximum pressure strategy on Hamas. Human rights groups say the Israeli government appears to be laying the groundwork for long-term military control by dividing the Strip into different parts through corridors and expanding an existing buffer zone along Gaza’s border area with Israel.

Renewed displacement of the population

Abu Taha is one of an estimated 400,000 people newly displaced by the latest offensive, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). While hundreds of thousands of displaced people were able to return from the south to the north during the ceasefire in January, many are now being told by the Israeli military to move further west.

According to OCHA, almost 70% of the territory has been placed under “displacement order” or has been designated as “no-go” zones where the Israeli authorities require humanitarian teams to coordinate their movements. The Israeli military has repeatedly claimed the evacuations are to keep civilians out of harm’s way, and some have targeted areas where Palestinian militants have recently fired rockets into Israel.

Defense Minister Katz reiterated over the weekend that “voluntary passage” to other countries would be allowed for “all those who are interested,” in reference to US President Donald Trump’s controversial “relocation plan” for all 2.3 million Gazans — a plan the UN says amounts to forcible transfer.

Expanded buffer zone flattens villages and farmland

In addition to the displacement and division of the territory, Israel has gradually expanded a pre-existing buffer zone inside Gaza that stretches from the north along the border area with Israel in the east to the southern border with Egypt.

Breaking the Silence, which collects testimonies of former IDF soldiers serving in the occupied Palestinian Territories, released a report last week detailing what they describe as systematic destruction of homes, infrastructure and farmland in the buffer zone. They say that the area is now largely off limits to Palestinians.

“We demolished everything: agriculture fields, graveyards, industrial areas, homes, obviously. The assumption in the IDF is that it would give us more security. Why? Because we can see Hamas or Islamic Jihad approaching,” said Nadav Weiman, executive director of Breaking the Silence.

Much of the land now included in the buffer zone was previously agricultural land, raising questions about the long-term impact and whether Gaza can produce at least some of its own food again. According to estimates by Breaking the Silence, the buffer zone is up to 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) wide in some areas, reaching urban neighborhoods such as Shejaiya in eastern Gaza City.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/israels-gaza-buffer-zone-means-more-misery-for-palestinians/a-72252288

More Japanese embracing foreign rice, even before it became a tariff topic

Arata Hirano, owner of the restaurant Shokudou Arata, pours California-grown Calrose rice into a rice cooker to cook rice at his restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, April 14, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Purchase Licensing Rights

When a severe rice shortage sent prices skyrocketing in Japan last year, Tokyo restaurant owner Arata Hirano did what had once seemed unthinkable: he switched to an American variety.
The price of the Californian Calrose rice he buys has doubled since his first purchase last summer, but even so it’s far cheaper than home-grown grains.

“Unless domestic prices fall below Calrose prices, I don’t plan to switch back,” said Hirano, whose restaurant offers meal sets of fish, rice, soup and sides.

His willingness to embrace foreign rice may presage a seismic change in mindset for Japanese businesses and consumers – one that could allow Tokyo leeway to relax some restrictions if rice becomes a thorny topic in tariff talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called out Japan’s high levies on its staple grain.
Wholesale prices for domestic rice have surged about 70% over the past year to hit their highest levels since current records began in 2006. Crops were hit by extreme heat while a tourism boom has added to demand. Worries abound that not much will change this year.
With inflation also raising the cost of living, businesses are now betting that a nation of people known for their discerning palates and pride in their staple grain is open to change.

Supermarket giant Aeon (8267.T), last week began selling an 80-20 American-Japanese blend that’s about 10% cheaper than domestic rice after a test sales-run proved a hit. Fast-food chain Matsuya (9887.T), and restaurant operator Colowide (7616.T), began serving pure American rice this year. At supermarket chain Seiyu, Taiwanese rice has been flying off the shelves since last year.
It’s a sharp contrast to 1993, when the Thai rice the Japanese government imported during an acute shortage was largely shunned, leaving supermarkets with piles of unsold bags.
Rare shortages aside, for most of the past six decades, nearly all of Japan’s so-called staple rice – which is consumed at meals as opposed to rice used for feed or ingredients in other products – has been home-grown. There hasn’t been much need for imports while high tariffs, put in place to ensure Japanese self-sufficiency for its most basic food, have protected local farmers from competition.

Japan limits tariff-free “minimum access” imports of staple rice to 100,000 metric tons a year, or around 1% of total consumption. The U.S. accounted for roughly 60% of that amount last fiscal year, trailed by Australia, Thailand and Taiwan. Anything above that is subject to a levy of 341 yen per kilogramme.
When Trump announced sweeping tariffs on much of the world this month, he lambasted Japan for what he said was a 700% tariff on rice, a reference to that levy. Japanese policymakers called his remarks on the sensitive topic “regrettable”. They also dispute the 700% figure, saying it’s based on outdated international rice prices.
It’s unclear, however, just how much – if at all – rice will be discussed in bilateral tariff negotiations that began this week. Some analysts think Trump’s Republican administration might not be focused on rice as exports to Japan come from California, a Democratic-leaning state. Nor is it clear how much Japan might be willing to yield in opening up its rice market.

In one sign that there might be room for some change, a panel advising the finance ministry on Tuesday proposed expanding imports of staple rice, saying that lifting the 100,000-ton tariff-free cap could help stabilise supply.
That said, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party is unlikely to risk angering farmers, traditionally a strong support base, ahead of upper house elections in July.
“It’s not possible to make big concessions on rice just before the elections,” said Junichi Sugawara, senior fellow at Tokyo-based Owls Consulting Group.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/more-japanese-embracing-foreign-rice-even-before-it-became-tariff-topic-2025-04-16/

Two Indian Nationals Killed by Pakistani Man in Dubai

Union Minister and BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said that he has spoken to Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar about the incident and he has assured full support to the victims’ families.

Premsagar was killed in Dubai. (Photo: Times Now)

Two Indian nationals were killed in Dubai allegedly by a man of Pakistani origin. The two, identified as Ashtapu Premsagar and Srinivas, hailed from Telangana.
Premsagar was from Nirmal district, while Srinivas was from Nizamabad district. The reason for the murder is yet to be known. Authorities in Dubai are investigating the case.

Union Minister and BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said that he has spoken to Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar about the incident and he has assured full support to the victims’ families. “MEA will work towards ensuring the delivery of speedy justice in the matter,” Reddy said.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/two-indian-nationals-killed-by-a-pakistani-man-in-dubai-article-151432546

Harvard: Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grants

Harvard University has rejected numerous demands from the Trump administration to crack down on campus activism.

Harvard: Trump administration freezes $2.2 billion in grantsUS President Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday, it would freeze more than $2.2 billion (€1.94 billion) in grants and $60 million in contracts with Harvard.

It comes only hours after Harvard became the first university to refuse to comply with numerous Trump administration demands.

How did Harvard react to the demands from the Trump administration?
“The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the university’s president, Alan Garber, said in a letter to the Harvard community ahead of the government’s decision.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

In a letter on Friday, the US Department of Education said that Harvard had “failed to live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.”

The department called on Harvard to reduce the influence of faculty, staff and students who are “more committed to activism than scholarship.”

Harvard alumni protest Trump threats
The pressure from the Trump administration prompted a group of alumni to write to university leaders, calling on them to “legally contest and refuse to comply with unlawful demands that threaten academic freedom and university self-governance.”

“Harvard stood up today for the integrity, values, and freedoms that serve as the foundation of higher education,” Anurima Bhargava, one of the alumni behind the letter, said. “Harvard reminded the world that learning, innovation and transformative growth will not yield to bullying and authoritarian whims.”

It also sparked a protest over the weekend from members of the Harvard community and from residents of Cambridge, as well as a lawsuit from the American Association of University Professors on Friday.

In their lawsuit, plaintiffs argue that the Trump administration has acted too hastily, failing to follow steps required under Title VI before it starts slashing grants, and giving notice of the reduction to both the university and Congress.

“These sweeping yet indeterminate demands are not remedies targeting the causes of any determination of noncompliance with federal law,” plaintiffs wrote. “Instead, they overtly seek to impose on Harvard University political views and policy preferences advanced by the Trump administration and commit the University to punishing disfavored speech.”

Trump’s White House targets universities
Several students and faculty members at colleges across the United States have been targeted and detained by federal agents in recent weeks amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on activism at college campuses, which has taken aim at pro-Palestinian student activists and critics of the Israeli government.

The Trump administration said the activism of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, could harm US foreign policy despite being “lawful.”

A US immigration judge ruled on Friday that Khalil can be deported because his beliefs threaten national security.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/harvard-trump-administration-freezes-22-billion-in-grants/a-72245511

The Taliban banned Afghan girls from school. Low-paid carpet weaving is now their lifeline

Carpet weaving is one of few professions open to women since the Taliban government took power in 2021

At a workshop in Kabul where carpets are made, hundreds of women and girls work in a cramped space, the air thick and stifling.

Among them is 19-year-old Salehe Hassani. “We girls no longer have the chance to study,” she says with a faltering smile. “The circumstances have taken that from us, so we turned to the workshop.”

Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, girls over the age of 12 have been barred from getting an education, and women from many jobs.

In 2020, only 19% of women were part of the workforce – four times less than men. That number has dropped even further under Taliban rule.

The lack of opportunities, coupled with the dire economic situation the country faces, have pushed many into long, laborious days of carpet weaving – one of the few trades the Taliban government allows women to work in.

According to the UN, the livelihoods of about 1.2 to 1.5 million Afghans depend on the carpet weaving industry, with women making up nearly 90% of the workforce.

In an economy that the UN warned in a 2024 report had “basically collapsed” since the Taliban took power, the carpet export business is booming.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce noted that in the first six months of 2024 alone, over 2.4 million kilograms of carpets – worth $8.7m (£6.6m) – were exported to countries such as Pakistan, India, Austria and the US.

But this has not necessarily meant better wages for the weavers. Some the BBC spoke to said they had seen none of the profit from a piece sold in Kazakhstan last year that fetched $18,000.

Within Afghanistan, carpets sell for far less – between $100-$150 per square metre. Needing money to help support their families and having few options for employment, workers are trapped in low-paid labour.

Carpet weavers say they earn about $27 for each square metre, which usually takes about a month to produce. That is less than a dollar a day despite the long, gruelling shifts that often stretch to 10 or 12 hours.

Nisar Ahmad Hassieni, head of the Elmak Baft company, who let the BBC go inside his workshops, said that he pays his employees between $39 and $42 per square metre. He said they are paid every two weeks, with an eight-hour workday.

The Taliban has repeatedly said that girls will be allowed to return to school once its concerns, such as aligning the curriculum with Islamic values, are resolved – but so far, no concrete steps have been taken to make that happen.

Mr Hassieni said that, following the rise of the Taliban government, his organisation made it its mission to support those left behind by the closures.

“We established three workshops for carpet weaving and wool spinning,” he says.

“About 50-60% of these rugs are exported to Pakistan, while the rest are sent to China, the USA, Turkey, France, and Russia to meet customer demand.”

Shakila, 22, makes carpets with her sisters in one of the rooms of the modest rental they also share with their elderly parents and three brothers. They live in the impoverished Dasht-e Barchi area, in the western outskirts of Kabul.

She once had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but now leads her family’s carpet-making operation.

“We couldn’t do anything else,” Shakila tells me. “There weren’t any other jobs”.

She explains how her father taught her to weave when she was 10 and he was recovering from a car accident.

What began as a necessary skill in times of hardship has now become the family’s lifeline.

Shakila’s sister, 18-year-old Samira, aspired to be a journalist. Mariam, 13, was forced to stop going to school before she could even begin to dream of a career.

Before the Taliban’s return, all three were students at Sayed al-Shuhada High School.

Their lives were forever altered after deadly bombings at the school in 2021 killed 90 people, mostly young girls, and left nearly 300 wounded.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8qdql7p4eo

Who was trying to mislead IAF aircraft taking aid to Myanmar?

The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Hercules, tasked with delivering aid to Myanmar after the March 2025 earthquake, fell victim to GPS spoofing, raising suspicions about the involvement of foreign actors in the disruption

(File) In this image released by @IAF_MCC via X on Sunday, March 30, 2025, IAF planes prepare for the Operation Brahma, the HADR mission to earthquake-hit Myanmar. PTI

For the Indian Air Force pilots of the C-130J Hercules aircraft that took off from Hindon Airbase with tonnes of relief materials for Myanmar—struck by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake followed by intermittent aftershocks on March 29, 2025—the GPS spoofing encountered in Myanmar’s skies must have come as a surprise. Professional and well-trained as they are, they immediately switched to backup systems, ensuring the safety of both aircraft and crew. They effectively put their training to use under unexpected and challenging conditions.

The origin of this electronic interference is certainly foreign. It sends a clear message to those who attempted this below-the-belt attack on a military aircraft engaged in a peace mission.

The question is: who carried out these dirty attempts targeting aircraft involved in humanitarian missions to Myanmar?

Mapping GPS spoofing over Myanmar

Below is a screenshot from the website GPSJam.org, which uses publicly available flight data to identify areas of likely GPS disruption worldwide. On March 29, 2025, GPS interference levels were indeed high. This kind of interference is not unique to Myanmar, as reports from around the world have revealed an increasing frequency of GPS spoofing incidents. In late August of the previous year, for example, pilots in the West Asia or the Middle East, reported their navigation systems being hijacked by fake GPS signals, causing them to be thrown hundreds of miles off course. This type of interference resulted in a complete loss of navigational capability in some instances, forcing pilots to rely on air traffic controllers for directions, according to an article by Amy Mackinnon in Foreign Policy.

According to GPSJam.org’s data from March 29, there are strong indications of GPS spoofing or jamming activity in the skies over southern Myanmar—particularly around Yangon and the Irrawaddy Delta (marked in blue). A dense red cluster on the map marks areas with significant GPS interference (greater than 10 per cent), pointing to concentrated disruption of satellite navigation systems in that airspace.

These red zones—indicating high interference—are notably concentrated around Yangon and stretch toward the southern coastline. The localised and isolated pattern suggests deliberate electronic interference, possibly involving spoofing, jamming or other forms of electronic warfare. Spoofing, in particular, is a more dangerous phenomenon than jamming, as it involves the transmission of false signals that mislead aircraft systems into calculating incorrect positions. As experts have pointed out, spoofing is particularly dangerous because it can “infect” the aircraft’s inertial reference system (IRS), essentially disabling the aircraft’s ability to navigate properly as Mackinnon wrote in the Foreign Policy.

The Coco Islands: A strategic link

Of particular interest is the area’s relative proximity to the Coco Islands. Though under Myanmar’s control, these islands have long been subject to speculation about the presence of signals intelligence (SIGINT) and radar facilities. Located just north of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Coco Islands are approximately 300 to 400 kilometres southwest of the red hotspot. If equipped with long-range electronic warfare systems, installations there could potentially project interference into Myanmar’s mainland airspace.

The timing and geographic isolation of the interference—especially when the surrounding region shows minimal disruption—suggest a targeted activity. While the exact source remains unidentified, the pattern supports the theory that military or intelligence-linked installations may be involved, either on the Coco Islands or elsewhere in the region. As Todd Humphreys, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, noted, the use of spoofing technology has become increasingly common in regions with heightened military tension, such as the Middle East and Eastern Europe, where it is used as a missile-defence technique, as reported in an article by Matt Berg for Politico.

Deliberate electronic warfare or random interference?

The GPS spoofing over Myanmar on March 29 appears deliberate and concentrated. The data points to a possible operational footprint extending from nearby strategic locations. Given recent developments and infrastructure upgrades in the area, the situation warrants further investigation and monitoring to determine the scope and intent behind the interference.

The IAF’s statement on April 14, 2025, acknowledging “temporary navigational anomalies” experienced by one of its transport aircraft near Myanmar on March 29, significantly reinforces concerns about active GPS spoofing or jamming in the region. This incident, analysed alongside independent GPS interference data and known developments on the Coco Islands, presents a compelling case for a coordinated electronic warfare presence affecting regional airspace.

Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/who-was-trying-to-mislead-iaf-aircraft-taking-aid-to-myanmar-13879803.html

 

White House Under Fire For Posting Musk, Son’s Photo: ‘Does Elon Run The Account?’

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-Xii join US President Donald Trump as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 11, 2025. Photo: AFP

The Trump White House has been criticized on X after the White House’s official X account posted a photo Sunday of Elon Musk and his son, X Æ A-Xii Musk, often called Little X, Sunday.

The photo was taken at UFC 314, which was held in Miami on Saturday. Musk and his son watched the event alongside President Donald Trump. The father-and-son duo were seated ringside beside Trump throughout the event.

White House X Account Posts Musk-X Duo
“Elon Musk and the Undisputed Champion Little X,” the White House official X handle posted Sunday night, along with a photo of Musk and his son X, carrying a UFC world championship belt.

Many X users were pleased with the post, especially those who found X adorable as he copied his dad while he touted a fist.

White House Under Scrutiny Over Post
Others took issue with the fact that the photo was posted on the White House’s official X handle, and some said the post appeared to “exploit” the tech titan’s son.

“This is something the White House should be posting … why exactly?” asked one user.

One user directed her question to singer Grimes, Musk’s former partner, whom he shares three children with, including X. “How does it make you feel to see your kid exploited this way?” the user asked, tagging the Canadian singer.

“Did we forget what account this is? Shouldn’t it be used for pressing matters and announcements? It is an official government account,” one user pointed out.

Source: https://www.ibtimes.com/white-house-under-fire-posting-musk-sons-photo-does-elon-run-account-3769962

Startup Is Planning World’s First Sperm Race in Los Angeles: ‘[It] Isn’t Just a Joke… It’s Something Much Bigger’

The world’s first sperm race will take place before a live audience of more than 1,000 in Los Angeles next week. Ironically, even though thousands of spectators are expected for the match-up, they won’t be able to actually see the participants without a microscope.

The world’s first sperm race. It’s just what it sounds like: a race between sperm. Over on its website, Sperm Racing—the name of the startup organizing the sperm races—explains that it’s built a special microscopic racetrack to face off two sperm samples.

What makes the racetrack unique is that it mimics the reproductive system, copying “chemical symbols, fluid dynamics, [and] synchronized starts.”

Importantly, you won’t be able to actually see the sperm in the race without a microscope, since they’re really small. Not to worry, though Sperm Racing says it’ll be tracking each sperm’s movement with high-resolution cameras to track their microscopic moves.

The winner of the race will be the first sperm to cross the finish line.

A spectacle. Of course, it wouldn’t exactly be a noteworthy event if there wasn’t some spectacle, and that’s exactly what the startup promises to offer.

“We’re turning it into a spectacle. Think press conferences. Weigh-ins. Live-streamed races with play-by-play commentary,” Eric Zhu, one of the startup’s founders, writes in its manifesto. “[A]nd, of course, betting.”

The hype will be experienced in person, too. The startup says that the world’s first sperm race will be held in front of a live audience at the Hollywood Palladium on April 25. More than 1,000 seats are available and the event is expected to sell out, though whether it actually does is still up in the air.

A $1 million investment. If you thought this was a huge joke, you’re not alone. I also thought the founders of Sperm Racing were just out to troll us all.

However, according to Traded, an outlet that publishes news about venture capital and other investments, the startup recently raised $1 million for its sperm race. The round was led by Karatage with participation from Figment Capital and Karman.

A matter of health. While Sperm Racing does place a lot of emphasis on the race itself, the startup says the project is about something much bigger: male fertility.

In its company’s manifesto, Zhu cites that male fertility is declining, adding that “nobody’s really talking about it.” He’s not wrong about the declining part. A 2022 study found that human sperm count had fallen by more than 50% around the world over the last 50 years, sparking controversy and alarm among male fertility experts.

Source: https://www.xatakaon.com/health/startup-is-planning-worlds-first-sperm-race-in-angeles-it-isnt-just-a-joke-its-something-much-bigger

India demonstrates ‘Star Wars’ capability to shoot down drones using laser weapon | Watch

The first successful trial of the Mk-II(A) Laser- Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system took place in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh today.

The Mk-II(A) Laser- Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system can shoot down drones and missiles in seconds(ANI)

India on Sunday conducted a successful trial of a laser-based weapon system that can disable fixed-wing and swarm drones, becoming one of the only four nations to have developed the technology. Apart from India, only the US, China and Russia can disable weapons using the technology.

In the National Open Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, the first successful trial of the Mk-II(A) Laser- Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system took place.

The high-power Laser-DEW is equipped with the technology to shoot down drones and smaller projectiles, the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told ANI.

DRDO’s Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS), Hyderabad, developed the system along with several academic institutions and Indian industries.

DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat told ANI, “As far as I know, it is the United States, Russia and China that have demonstrated this capability. Israel is also working on similar capabilities, I would say we are the fourth or fifth country in the world to demonstrate this system.”

‘Star Wars’ technology
Much like the Death Star in the popular movie series ‘Star Wars,’ the Laser-DEW also demonstrates similar capabilities. According to DRDO chairman Kamat, more such technologies are being developed by the Indian military.

He said, “This is just the beginning of the journey. The synergy that this lab has achieved with other DRDO labs, industry and academia, I am sure we will reach our destination soon.”

The chairman added, “We are also working on other high energy systems like high energy microwaves, electromagnetic pulse. So we are working on several technologies that will give us Star Wars capability. What you saw today was one of the components of Star Wars technologies.”

How does it work?
The Mk-II(A) Laser- Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) is one of the most potent counter drone systems in the world due to its lightning speed of engagement, precision and lethal action within a few seconds.

The laser system engages fixed-wing drones from a long range and can thwart multiple drone attacks at a time, destroying surveillance sensors and antennae.

Once a target is identified by the Laser-DEW system’s radar or its inbuilt Electro Optic (EO) system, it uses an intense beam of powerful light (Laser Beam) to cut through the target, causing structural failures or even more lethal damage.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-joins-us-china-russia-as-only-nation-to-have-star-wars-laser-weapon-101744547925596.html

China urges US to ‘completely cancel’ tariffs

Chinese officials are calling on US President Donald Trump to “completely cancel” his so-called reciprocal tariffs, as a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies grinds on.

This week, Trump announced a 90-day pause on a host of global tariffs he had planned, but increased levies on Chinese imports to 145%.

“We urge the US to take a big step to correct its mistakes, completely cancel the wrong practice of ‘reciprocal tariffs’ and return to the right path of mutual respect,” China’s commerce ministry said in a statement.

The Trump administration seemed ready to offer a concession on Friday by announcing that some electronic products – including those produced in China – would be exempt.

But US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC News on Sunday that such exemptions would only be temporary.

He said the administration planned to impose such levies in a separate “semiconductor tariff”, which he said would be announced at a later date.

“We need to have these things made in America,” Lutnick said.

President Trump chimed in on social media, saying there was no exemption for these products and called such reports false. Instead, he said that “they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket'”.

Trump added: “We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations.”

The comments inject uncertainty into the just-announced tariff exemptions for technology products such as smartphones, computers and semiconductors.

The Chinese commerce ministry had called the exemptions a “small step” by the US, and said that Beijing was “evaluating the impact” of the move.

But the suggestion by Trump administration officials of plans for future levies may dampen hopes of a thaw in the two rivals’ protectionist posture.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was asked on Sunday whether there were any plans for Trump to speak with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“Right now we don’t have any plans on that,” he said during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.

Trump imposed a tariff amounting to 54% on imports of products from China at the beginning of April, before escalating to the current 145% rate.

In its own tit-for-tat tariffs, China imposed levies of 34% on US goods, before increasing it to 84% and then 125%, which took effect on Saturday.

In announcing its latest tariffs, China’s commerce ministry said last week that it would “fight to the end” if the US “insists on provoking a tariff war or trade war”.

Late on Saturday, while travelling to Miami, Florida, Trump said he would give more details of the exemptions at the start of next week.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62z54gwd22o

CARNAGE ON STREETS Shock vids shows Athens turned into WARZONE as petrol-bomb armed mob attack police with 21 cars torched & 72 arrested

SHOCKING videos show a riot in Athens as a Molotov-wielding mob turned part of the city into a warzone overnight, torching cars and clashing violently with riot police.

Street battles broke out just after midnight on Saturday as a group of around 50 people hurled petrol bombs, stones and fireworks at officers outside a police station in Exarchia.

Cops responded with tear gas and flash grenades, but the violence spiralled out of control, with fires raging across Kallidromiou, Benaki, Charilaou Trikoupi and Methonis streets.

Dramatic footage shows cars exploding in fireballs as thick black smoke choked the sky.

Stunned residents, meanwhile, watched the chaos unfold from windows.

A total of 21 cars were torched, with five completely destroyed, and a house and a shop were damaged.

Athens was turned into a warzone overnight after violent protesters clashed with riot police

The entrance and ground floor of an apartment building on Emmanuel Benaki Street caught fire and had to be evacuated.

Fire crews scrambled to contain the inferno, with 18 firefighters and seven engines tackling the blazes.

Garbage bins were also set alight and used as makeshift barricades as the mob battled police in running street fights that lasted over an hour.

Cops detained 72 people and reported one officer injured during the mayhem.

Reporters on the ground for Greek media said the explosion of unrest calmed as rapidly a it started – and was over by early on Sunday.

Cops suspect the riot – which began after crowds spilled out of a local concert hall and turned on a nearby police station – may be linked to ongoing fury over a 2023 train disaster.

Greece has been gripped with fury over the Tempi crash that saw a passenger train slam into a freight train killing 57 people.

Anger has boiled over regarding the crash – with the government accused of mismangement and a cover-up.

It has manifested in numerous angry protests and clashes with police – and a bomb attack on Friday night is also linked the the outrage.

“Incidents occurred on Saturday night in Exarchia where unknown persons attacked police forces,” Greek Police said.

“According to ELAS, the incidents began shortly before midnight when groups of unknown persons attacked police forces at the intersection of Kallidromiou and E. Benaki streets with Molotov cocktails and stones, with the police responding by using chemical weapons.”

Police are now investigating to identify the attackers, as scorched vehicles and charred debris litter the streets of Exarchia.

It comes just a couple of days after a bomb exploded in central Athens after authorities received a tip from an anonymous caller.

The blast took place outside the Hellenic Train offices – Greece’s main railway company that was involved in the tragic 2023 rail disaster.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/14014125/athens-warzone-mob-attack-police/

Tear gas attack at Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland injures 46

More than 1,000 visitors to the Miniatur Wunderland tourist attraction, which is home to what is believed to be the world’s largest model railway, had to be evacuated. It was unclear who was behind the suspected attack.

The building in downtown Hamburg had to be evacuated [FILE: May 27, 2021]Image: Jonas Walzberg/dpa/picture alliance
Tear gas was released at one of Hamburg’s most popular tourist attractions on Saturday, the city’s fire department officials said.

In a statement, the Hamburg Fire Department said it had responded to an alert at Miniatur Wunderland, “where several visitors complained of eye and respiratory irritation.”

After arriving at the scene, firefighters detected “an irritant gas leak” and “immediately” ordered the more than 1,000 visitors in the building to be evacuated.

What do we know about the incident?
Forty-six people were treated at the scene, the fire department said. One person was brought to a nearby hospital.

Visitors were allowed to return about half an hour later after firefighters ventilated the building.

It is unknown who is behind the leak, although a police spokesman said a used canister was found at the scene, according to dpa news agency.

Police have taken over the investigation, the fire department stated added.

Where did the incident take place?
The model railway at Miniatur Wunderland covers more than 1,600 square meters (17,222 square feet) and has a track that is around 17,000 meters (10.5 miles) long.

Miniatur Wunderland, in Hamburg’s city center, was started in 2001 by brothers Gerrit and Frederik Braun.

Almost 1.6 million people from all over the world visited last year.

 

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/tear-gas-attack-at-hamburgs-miniatur-wunderland-injures-46/a-72230286

Apple, Google, Cash App alums ditch Big Tech to build on bitcoin, fueled by VC money and friendly White House

Parker Lewis speaks at the Bitcoin Commons, where he helps lead educational efforts around bitcoin adoption and policy.
Rod Roudi/Bitcoin Commons

AUSTIN — On a Friday morning last spring, Mark Suman called out sick from his job as a senior engineering project manager at Apple and made his way downtown to a place called the Bitcoin Commons, a sort of clubhouse for enthusiasts of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, situated a few blocks south of the Texas State Capitol.

At the time, Suman was, in his words, “an active hobbyist,” tinkering with the technology in his spare time. “I actually played around with it a bit within Apple as well,” he says. “There’s not a lot I can say, other than we were always exploring new technologies, and so I was playing around with some of the open-source bitcoin tools within Apple and doing some exploratory work.”

Suman was there for the annual ‘Bitcoin Takeover’ event. He had followed many of the speakers online and when he saw the gathering pop up on his feed, he took the day off to see it for himself.

“I was sitting in the crowd wanting to get into the space and really build something new and build something novel,” Suman recalled.

What happened instead was the beginning of a professional pivot: he struck up a conversation with a developer after a talk at the Commons, and was introduced to other coders who were winding down a project called Mutiny. Within a few months, Suman handed in his notice at Apple and with the developers he’d met, pivoted into something bigger — co-founding Open Secret, a startup reimagining how user data is stored in the cloud. Instead of relying on centralized databases, the company encrypts data to each individual user — even after it’s uploaded. So if there’s a breach, there’s nothing to steal, Suman explained. No honeypot.

The leap was not without stakes.

“There are plenty of sleepless nights,” he said. “I’ve got a family, I’ve got kids, I’ve got a kid off at university.”

He had spent years working on privacy infrastructure — tackling tough technical problems around user protection at scale — but saw a way to do it better with blockchain. “Apple likes to talk a big game about privacy,” he says. “And having been there, I’ve seen very deep within a lot of their systems that they do care about privacy at every level.”

That vision — and the Commons — helped give him conviction. The builders there were all laser focused on creating something that mattered.

Inside Austin’s bitcoin clubhouse
Bitcoin Commons sits on the second floor of the Littlefield Building at the corner of Congress Avenue and Sixth Street — where the broad boulevard to the Capitol collides with the noisy sprawl of Austin’s nightlife district. It’s an apt metaphor for the space itself.

By day, it serves as a clean, open-plan coworking hub for bitcoin operators and builders. At night, it transforms into a gathering place for rogue developers and off-the-record meetups. Events here draw a blend of venture capitalists, open-source contributors, off-grid energy technicians, and Lightning engineers — developers who build software to make bitcoin faster and cheaper to use. On some afternoons, once happy hour hits, the kitchen in the back converts into a bar.

″Bitcoin is the most important technological innovation in any of our lifetimes, and it needs its due,” said Parker Lewis, one of the stewards of the Commons and the author of a new book on bitcoin called “Gradually, Then Suddenly.”

“And so while bitcoin has no CEO and no marketing team, we here at the Bitcoin Commons and Bitcoiners all over the world help educate people about bitcoin, why it’s important, what’s being built, and present a vision for the future,” continued Lewis.

“The vibe, it’s always high signal,” said Dan Lawrence, CEO of OBM, which manages energy use for industrial-scale mining farms. Lawrence said he was “thankful” that the U.S. government had become a little more pro-bitcoin under the new administration, but added, “No matter what happens anywhere, everybody here is always going to bleed bitcoin.”

This year, the Commons feels different — not because bitcoiners have changed, but because the world around them has. The mood is bullish. Strategic. Triumphant, even.

Bitcoin
’s price mirrored this optimism, surging to an all-time high of nearly $110,000 in January, coinciding with Trump’s inauguration. By early April, it had retraced to the low $70,000s before rebounding to nearly $85,000 as of Saturday morning — volatility that underscores the market’s sensitivity to political developments and investor sentiment.

Just a year ago, the vibe in the Commons was cautious. Even bitcoin — the asset largely spared by securities law — felt the chill of an aggressive regulatory regime. Developers were being arrested around the world. Wallet providers were being pressured. Open-source projects landed on sanctions lists. The question then was, who would be next?

Then came the election. Trump’s return to the White House brought with it a full-court press of pro-bitcoin policy moves. Within his first 100 days, he’d pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht and three co-founders of the BitMEX crypto exchange, established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, and appointed a “crypto czar” to oversee the federal government’s digital asset efforts. Even skeptics found themselves nodding.

“I was in Nashville when Trump spoke,” Suman recalled of the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Tennessee, where Trump made his first major address to the crypto industry. “I wasn’t planning on going. But you know, when someone like that is in town, you go see it.”

Suman says he feels Trump has delivered on his promises to the crypto community for the most part. Still, he remains cautious. “I am not one who embraces politicians,” Suman said. “I’m kind of apolitical as far as which side. So I only trust them until I see how it’s actually playing out in our life. So far, I think it’s going well, but it could really change.”

Kevin Hurley, CTO at Lightspark, says Washington’s stance toward crypto appears to be shifting, with regulators like the SEC taking a less combative approach — moving away from lawsuits and toward clearer capital markets rules. “Hopefully now we’re actually going to have some clarity on what is and what isn’t a security, what can actually be done,” he said.

But even in a friendlier political climate, caution over government involvement remains a feature, not a bug, of the crypto community.

Joe Kelly, CEO of Unchained — a startup that helps clients store bitcoin securely by holding their own private keys — said it’s smart to be careful what you wish for when it comes to the U.S. government owning a lot of bitcoin. “That can go other ways,” he said.

To date, the government’s so-called Strategic Bitcoin Reserve has underwhelmed some digital asset advocates, since it’s limited to bitcoin previously seized in enforcement actions — not newly purchased assets or sovereign investment. Still, the administration has directed the Treasury and Commerce Departments to explore budget-neutral ways to acquire more bitcoin.

Kelly acknowledges a shift in the regulatory atmosphere, but he’s also wary of premature celebration, even with big market wins like the launch of exchange-traded funds that allow investors widespread access to bitcoin.

“If something like the ETF had launched too soon, I think it could have distracted from the people building on the actual technology itself,” Kelly said. “We’ve had the fortune that for most of Unchained’s life there wasn’t an ETF,” he added of the firm’s efforts to educate investors on how to store their crypto.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/12/apple-google-cash-app-alums-ditch-big-tech-to-build-on-bitcoin.html

How India Is Making Bangladesh’s Yunus Pay For Cozying Up With Pakistan, China

In a recent interview with BBC Bangla, Yunus acknowledged that restoring functional bilateral ties with India was crucial for Bangladesh. He stated that the two nations remain ‘historically, politically, and economically’ connected and that their relationship is ‘fundamentally strong’.

PM Modi with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the interim government of Bangladesh.

New Delhi’s withdrawal of the trans-shipment facility it had granted to Bangladesh for exporting various items to the Middle East, Europe and various other countries except Nepal and Bhutan has hit Dhaka hard. The move came in wake of the increasingly ‘anti-India stance’ of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The Foreign Ministry, however, said the privilege offered to Dhaka was withdrawn as it begun causing significant operational issues at Indian ports and airports
Among the worst affected by the withdrawal of the trans-shipment facility is the Bangladesh garment exporters, who had been reeling under huge stress due to global demand. “Primarily, finished branded ready-made garments were entering India for air transport to Europe and the US from Delhi and Mumbai airports. Bangladeshi exporters used air freight for high-value cargo to ensure faster delivery to clients. Traditional sea freight often involves delays due to congestion,” PCASWA secretary Kartik Chakraborty said told news agency PTI.
Transshipment cargo from Bangladesh for re-export through India grew by 46 per cent between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscals at the Petrapole Land Port in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, according to official data.

New Delhi’s move is seen as retaliation against the increasingly “anti-India stance” of the Muhammed Yunus-led interim government.

During his recent four-day trip to China, Yunuus described India’s Northeast as a “landlocked” region reliant on Dhaka for access to the ocean — remarks that triggered strong diplomatic backlash.
In a sharp rebuttal to Yunus, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the role of India’s cast 6,500-km coastline and its geographical linkages with five Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) members.

“India shares borders not only with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines,” Jaishankar said in a statement.
India Is Among 15 Sources Of FDI For Bangladesh
India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner, and a foremost development partner with a development portfolio of US $8 billion. Dhaka relies substantially on foreign funds for its development and sustenance. However, amid increasing anti-India sentiment, trade has declined due to border closures, customs clearance issues, and increased security surveillance hindering the smooth flow of goods between the two countries.

Apart from that, several projects aimed to boost connectivity between both countries have also been put on hold, and public transportation has remained suspended since last June. This has not only led to losses for traders sending goods across the border, but has also created challenges for Bangladeshis looking for medical treatment in India.
India-Bangladesh Relations and the Pakistan Wildcard
While Yunus has publicly reassured that “there is no problem in our basic relationship (with India),” his government has repeatedly blamed India for the domestic chaos in Dhaka to shift responsibility.
Breaking the Awami League’s Hilsa diplomacy, Farida Akhter, the Yunus government prohibited the sale of Hilsa to India ahead of the Durga Puja, stating that there would not be enough for the domestic population. This decision – which appeased anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh – affected Hindu celebrations across the border, raising doubts over the interim government’s commitment to protecting the rights of its Hindu minorities.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/how-india-is-making-bangladeshs-yunus-pay-for-cozying-up-with-pakistan-china-article-151407027

India Successfully Conducts Trials Of Long-Range Glide Bomb ‘Gaurav’

The trials, conducted from April 8 to April 10, successfully demonstrated a range close to 100 km with pinpoint accuracy, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The trials are paving the way for the induction of the weapon into the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the release trials of the long-range glide bomb “Gaurav” from the Sukhoi aircraft. “Gaurav” is a 1,000-kg class glide bomb designed and developed indigenously by the DRDO.

The trials, conducted from April 8 to April 10, successfully demonstrated a range close to 100 km with pinpoint accuracy, the defence ministry said on Friday.

The trials are paving the way for the induction of the weapon into the Indian Air Force (IAF), it said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented the DRDO, the IAF and the industry partners concerned for the successful development trials of “Gaurav”.

The LRGB has been developed indigenously by the DRDO

He said the development of the long-range glide bomb will further enhance the capabilities of the armed forces to a great extent.

“The DRDO successfully conducted the release trials of Long-Range Glide Bomb (LRGB) ‘Gaurav’ between April 8 to 10 from Su-30 MKI aircraft,” the ministry said.

“During the trials, the weapon was integrated to multiple stations in different warhead configurations, with land target on island,” it added.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-successfully-conducts-trials-of-long-range-glide-bomb-gaurav-8143101

PHONE HOME? Mystery tower spotted at Area 51 on Google Maps as onlookers insist it’s ‘alien tech’ straight out of hit sci-fi film

A MYSTERIOUS tower at Area 51 has been spotted on Google Earth, leading social media users to insist it’s “alien technology” straight out of a famed sci-fi film.

Area 51 – a highly classified US Air Force base in Nevada – has been shrouded in alien conspiracies, so it’s no wonder that onlookers are now suspecting something extraterrestrial is afoot with the peculiar installation.

A mysterious tower at Area 51 has been spotted on Google Earth, leading social media users to insist it’s ‘alien technology’ straight out of a famed sci-fi filmCredit: Google MapsThe triangular tower created a shadow in the photo taken by Google Maps.

People on Reddit and Facebook were quick to make assumptions about the mystifying building.

“Obviously alien technology. It pops out when the Earth is done,” one Reddit user said.

In a Facebook discussion about the bizarre tower, one person referenced the hit sci-fi film 2001: A Space Oddessy.

“A Monolith just like in 2001 a Space Oddessy,” the Facebook user said.

Another wrote: “Marker for aliens it is safe to land here.”

“UFO charging dock,” a third said.

One Facebook user was convinced that the tower was a radar cross-section test pylon held at the Tonopah Test Range.

“It is part of a classified U.S. military installation used for stealth and radar signature testing,” he claimed.

Multiple people jested that it was a Carvana car vending machine.

While the tower image sparked a lot of jokes, it adds to the ever-growing conversation about the possibility of alien life and whether the US government knows more about it than they are letting on.

DOC REVEALS NEW ALIEN INFO
An alien documentary titled The Age of Disclosure premiered at South by Southwest last month.

It delved into 80 years of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) research and included reporting of an alleged top-secret program in which US officials have been working on reverse-engineering alien tech, per The Washington Post.

The film, directed by Dan Farah, included dozens of interviews with government officials, scientists and other experts.

Marco Rubio, who now serves as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, said in the film, “We’ve had repeated instances of something operating in the airspace over restricted nuclear facilities, and it’s not ours.”

“And we don’t know whose it is…Just that statement alone deserves inquiry, deserves attention, deserves focus,” he said.

The film shows a bipartisan call on the government to declassify certain UFO studies for the advancement of society.

There is a big critique of the film, however.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/14006885/area-51-alien-conspiracies-tower-google-maps/

 

US envoy meets Putin for talks – as Trump urges Russia to ‘get moving’ on Ukraine

Despite Russia playing down expectations of a breakthrough at the talks, Sky’s Ivor Bennett believes the meeting – Mr Witkoff’s third with Vladimir Putin this year – is significant as a sign of the Trump administration’s “increasing frustration at the lack of progress”.

Putin meets US envoyDonald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has met Vladimir Putin for talks in Russia – as the US president called on Moscow to “get moving” with ending the war in Ukraine.

Mr Witkoff, who has been pressing the Kremlin to accept a truce, visited Mr Putin in St Petersburg after earlier meeting the Russian leader’s international co-operation envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Mr Putin was shown on state TV greeting Mr Witkoff at the city’s presidential library at the start of the latest discussions about the search for a peace deal on Ukraine.

Before Friday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down expectations of a breakthrough and told state media the visit would not be “momentous”.

However, Sky News Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett said he believes the meeting – Mr Witkoff’s third with Mr Putin this year – is significant as a sign of the Trump administration’s “increasing frustration at the lack of progress on peace talks”.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump issued his latest social media statement on trying to end the war, writing on Truth Social: “Russia has to get moving. Too many people ere [sic] DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – A war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!”

Dialogue between the US and Russia, aimed at agreeing a ceasefire ahead of a possible peace deal to end the war, has recently appeared to have stalled over disagreements around conditions for a full pause.

Secondary sanctions could be imposed on countries that buy Russian oil, Mr Trump has said, if he feels Moscow is dragging its feet on a deal.

Mr Putin has said he is ready in principle to agree a full ceasefire, but argues crucial conditions have yet to be agreed – and that what he calls the root causes of the war have yet to be addressed.

The Russian president wants to dismantle Ukraine as an independent, functioning state and has demanded Kyiv recognise Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and other partly occupied areas, and pull its forces out, as well as a pledge for Ukraine to never join NATO and for the size of its army to be limited.

Zelenskyy renews support calls after attack on home city

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his appeals for more Patriot air defence systems after the deaths of 20 people, including nine children, who were killed when a Russian missile hit apartment buildings and a playground in his home city of Kryvyi Rih last week.

Speaking online at a meeting of the so-called Ramstein group of about 50 nations that provide military support to Ukraine, named after a previous meeting at America’s Ramstein air base in Germany in 2022, Mr Zelenskyy said recent Russian attacks showed Moscow was not ready to accept and implement any realistic and effective peace proposals.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/putin-meets-us-envoy-for-talks-as-trump-calls-for-russia-to-get-moving-to-end-war-in-ukraine-13346557

Apple airlifts 600 tons of iPhones from India ‘to beat’ Trump tariffs: Report

Analysts have warned that US prices of iPhones could surge, given Apple’s high reliance on imports from China, the main manufacturing hub of the devices, which is subject to Trump’s highest tariff rate of 125%.

Apple logo and Donald Trump Credit: Reuters Photo

New Delhi: Tech giant Apple chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones, or as many as 1.5 million, to the United States from India, after it stepped up production there in an effort to beat President Donald Trump’s tariffs, sources told Reuters.

The details of the push provide an insight into the US smartphone company’s private strategy to navigate around the Trump tariffs and build up inventory of its popular iPhones in the United States, one of its biggest markets.

Analysts have warned that US prices of iPhones could surge, given Apple’s high reliance on imports from China, the main manufacturing hub of the devices, which is subject to Trump’s highest tariff rate of 125 per cent.

That figure is far in excess of the tariff of 26 per cent on imports from India, but which is now on hold after Trump called a 90-day pause this week that excludes China.

Apple “wanted to beat the tariff,” said one of the sources familiar with the planning.

The company lobbied Indian airport authorities to cut to six hours the time needed to clear customs at the Chennai airport in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, down from 30 hours, the source added.

The so-called “green corridor” arrangement at the airport in the Indian manufacturing hub emulated a model Apple uses at some airports in China, the source said.

About six cargo jets with a capacity of 100 tons each have flown out since March, one of them this week just as new tariffs kicked in, the source and an Indian government official said.

The packaged weight of an iPhone 14 and its charging cable come to about 350 grams (12.35 oz), Reuters measurements show, implying the total cargo of 600 tons comprised about 1.5 million iPhones, after accounting for some packaging weight.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/apple-airlifts-600-tons-of-iphones-from-india-to-beat-trump-tariffs-sources-say-3487832

OpenAI Slaps Elon Musk With Countersuit, Calls His $97B Takeover Bid a ‘Sham’ to Hijack AI Power

In February, Elon Musk made a $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI’s acquisition. Unfortunately, it did not turn out well for the tech billionaire as Sam Altman replied with a cold “No, thank you” response.

The ChatGPT maker wants to teach Musk a lesson. Recently, it sued Musk in a countersuit that alleges that the Tesla owner is engaged in bad-faith practices to stall the company’s progress and hijack its AI technology for his own benefit.

In a recent document, OpenAI lawyers contend that Musk’s persistent onslaught against the company, a recent “hostile takeover bid” included, is a concerted effort to impede OpenAI’s mission and future development.

The countersuit, which was brought on Wednesday, April 9, claims Musk should be restrained from taking any additional illegal action and held liable for the damage already done to the AI company.

Elon Musk, formerly a co-founder of OpenAI, has been in “bad terms” with the company since last year. In his first lawsuit, he accused OpenAI of becoming detached from its purpose of creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) for humanity and becoming interested in generating profits.

Musk’s role, which has continuously questioned the direction of the company, eventually led to him taking legal action against OpenAI.

OpenAI For-Profit Mission
In December, OpenAI released a blog post titled “Elon Musk Wanted an OpenAI for-profit,” which underlined the sharp contrast in vision between Musk and the present leadership. The post presented evidence that Musk’s aspiration for a more profit-oriented model had been a key factor in the legal conflict, The Verge reported.

Musk’s $97 Billion Offer Was Rejected
In early 2025, Elon Musk made another significant move, offering a staggering $97.4 billion to purchase OpenAI. Musk framed the offer as an opportunity to restore OpenAI’s original mission to be an open-source, safety-focused organization. However, the offer was swiftly rejected by OpenAI’s board, calling it a “sham bid.”

He even threatened to drop the takeover bid if OpenAI’s nonprofit status remained.

Source: https://www.techtimes.com/articles/309950/20250410/openai-slaps-elon-musk-countersuit-calls-his-97b-takeover-bid-sham-hijack-ai-power.htm

Inside Trump’s Plan to ‘Get’ Greenland: Persuasion, Not Invasion

The island’s population might not be easily convinced as the president tries to clinch one of history’s greatest real estate deals.

Greenland’s economic and strategic value have grown as warming temperatures melt Arctic ice.Credit…Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated PressPresident Trump’s longtime goal of claiming Greenland for America has shifted from rhetoric to official U.S. policy as the White House moves forward on a formal plan to acquire the Arctic island from Denmark.
The plan mobilizes several cabinet departments behind Mr. Trump’s years of talk about wanting Greenland, whose economic and strategic value have grown as warming temperatures melt Arctic ice.
Greenland’s size — 836,330 square miles — also offers Mr. Trump, a former Manhattan developer, the chance to clinch one of history’s greatest real estate deals.
Danish officials angrily insist that the sparsely populated island is not for sale and cannot be annexed. But Mr. Trump has made clear his determination to control it.
“We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it,” he said in an address to Congress last month.
“One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” Mr. Trump added.

The White House’s National Security Council has met several times to put Mr. Trump’s words into action, and recently sent specific instructions to multiple arms of the government, according to a U.S. official.
The plan’s full details are unclear. But despite Mr. Trump’s allusions to the possible use of force, the deliberations led by the security council never seriously considered military options, the official said.
The policy instead emphasizes persuasion over coercion, and features a public relations effort aimed at convincing Greenland’s population of 57,000 that they should ask to join the United States.
Mr. Trump’s advisers have discussed using advertising and social media campaigns to sway public opinion on the island, according to another person briefed on the matter.
It may be an uphill battle. In an election last month, an opposition political party that favors quick independence and closer ties with the United States finished in second place but with just a quarter of the vote.
The U.S. messaging campaign will include an unlikely appeal to Greenlanders’ shared heritage with the native Inuit people of Alaska, nearly 2,500 miles away, the official said.
Greenland’s Inuit population is descended from people who migrated from Alaska hundreds of years ago, and the island’s official language is derived from Inuit dialects that originated in Arctic Canada.

Mr. Trump’s advisers have already begun making their public case, arguing that Denmark has been a poor custodian of the island, that only the United States can protect it from encroachment by Russia and China, and that America will help Greenlanders “get rich,” as Mr. Trump has put it.
The Trump administration is also reminding Greenland that the United States has defended it before.
Last month, Mr. Trump posted a slick 90-second video on social media celebrating the “blood and bravery” of U.S. troops who took positions on the island during World War II to prevent a feared Nazi invasion after Germany occupied Denmark.
Although Denmark hoped that American forces would leave after the war, they never did, and the United States still maintains a military base there.
The Trump administration is also studying financial incentives for Greenlanders, including the possibility of replacing the $600 million in subsidies that Denmark gives the island with an annual payment of about $10,000 per Greenlander.
Some Trump officials believe those costs could be offset by new revenue from the extraction of Greenland’s natural resources, which include rare earth minerals, copper, gold, uranium and oil.

Trump officials argue that American capital and industrial might can gain access to the island’s largely untapped mineral wealth in a way that Denmark cannot. “This is about critical minerals,” Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told Fox News in January. “This is about natural resources.”

Source: https://archive.is/2025.04.10-164931/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/us/politics/trump-greenland-denmark.html#selection-1023.0-1026.0

Ex-Navy Chief On Rafale Jets And Chinese Threat In Indian Ocean

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, spoke to NDTV on the induction of the Rafale fighter jets, explaining how it will add a “kinetic push in the Navy’s striking power”.

The Navy will induct 26 Rafale-M fighter jets (Representative)

The Indian Navy will soon get 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft, a significant upgrade in its fighter fleet in over a decade. Sources told NDTV that a government-to-government deal of Rs 63,000 crore will be signed soon between India and France to finalise the deal.

The Navy currently operates the MiG-29K fighter jets for its two aircraft carriers – INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. The Navy will induct 26 Rafale-M fighter jets – 22 single-seater fighters and four double-seater trainer aircraft.

“Rafale – A Kinetic Push”

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, spoke to NDTV on the induction of the Rafale fighter jets, explaining how it will add a “kinetic push in the Navy’s striking power”. The former Navy chief also spoke on Chinese aircraft carrier deployments in the Indian Ocean and on the debate over whether aircraft carriers are more vulnerable to attacks than they have ever been.

On a question about what the Rafale addition means for the Navy, Admiral Prakash said, “It’s going to add a huge punch, kinetic punch to Indian Navy’s striking power in many dimensions, air defense, anti-shipping strike, electronic warfare, you name it. The Rafale is a fine and capable aircraft. It’s a welcome addition. The Rafale is probably half a generation or a generation ahead of the MiG-29K. So it’s going to add a punch to the fleet at sea.”

To a follow-up question on how it adds a punch to the fighter fleet, Admiral Prakash explained, “The MiG-29K was an adaptation of a land-based fighter, the MiG-29. And when we got it, it was virtually in a prototype state. It took a few years to sort out all the bugs to achieve stable operations. But the Rafale comes about 10 years after the MiG-29. So it’s electronics, it’s data fusion, and the weapons it carries will certainly make it a more capable aircraft than the MiG-29.”

“It will certainly add to the kinetic punch of the fleet at sea, to the aircraft carriers. When we acquired the Vikramaditya and the Vikrant, we hadn’t factored in the acquisition of the Rafale, or for that matter, any other fighter other than the MiG-29K, perhaps the Tejas.”

The Indian Air Force operates 36 Rafale fighter jets in two squadrons –  The 17 Squadron (the Golden Arrows) and the 101 Squadron (The Falcons), based in Ambala and Hashimara, respectively. The 4.5 generation multi-role fighter aircraft is capable of conducting all combat aviation missions like air superiority, close-air-support, ground attack missions, electronic warfare, etc.

According to its manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, all the variants – Rafale C (Air Force) and Rafale-M (Marine) have the maximum airframe and equipment commonality.

‘MiG-29 Was A Hobson’s Choice For Us’

Admiral Prakash, who was closely involved during the induction of the INS Vikramaditya, further explained the reason behind the induction of the MiG-29 into the Navy and said it was more of a “Hobson’s choice for us”.

INS Vikramaditya was a Kiev-class aircraft carrier and was named Admiral Gorshkov in Russia. The acquisition of Gorshkov had been under consideration since 1994, and 10 years later, in 2004, a deal was signed between India and Russia.

Admiral Arun Prakash oversaw the induction of the aircraft carrier into the Navy. Speaking to NDTV, the former Navy chief said, “When we were negotiating for the Gorshkov, which later became the Vikramaditya. That was the late 1990s. Then, firstly, there were no ski-jump capable aircraft available other than the Sea Harrier, which we already had. And the Russians were just developing the MiG-29 and the Sukhoi-27. We went to the French; we sent a team to France to evaluate the Rafale, and they said, Sorry, at this point, we cannot offer you the Rafale-M. And of course, those days, the political situation did not allow us to even contemplate acquiring, say, an F-18 or something. Of course, apart from the fact that the F-18 had not been proved off the ski-jump.”

“Our choices were limited. And then, when we started negotiating for the Vikramaditya-Gorshkov, the MiG-29 was more or less a Hobson’s choice for us. So we had to take it. It’s only subsequently that the Americans offered the F-18; they proved it off the ski-jump, the French proved the Rafale off the ski-jump, and they came to India to go out to do it. And then we had these options available.” The MiG-29K fighter jets were inducted into the Naval fighter fleet in 2013, and in 2016, India phased out the last remaining Sea Harriers after almost 30 years of years.

The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet underwent operational demonstration tests at the ski-jump facility at INS Hansa in Goa in 2022. However, with India’s decision to opt for the Rafale, the US fighter jet failed to secure a place in the Indian Air Force or Navy.

Admiral Prakash said the Rafale fighter jets will be an addition to the naval variant of the India-made Tejas fighter jet, which is still in trials for the sea and the future Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF).

In its 2015 report, the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) highlighted issues with the MiG-29K’s airframe, its RD MK-33 engine and its fly-by-wire system, and said the “Aircraft were being technically accepted despite having discrepancies/anomalies.”

Chinese Threat In The Indian Ocean?

To a question on whether it’s just a matter of time before Chinese carrier battle groups deploy in the Indian Ocean region, Admiral Prakash said, “Yes, the fact that we’ve not seen a Chinese task force cruising around in our waters is because they lack air cover, integral air cover. But as soon as they have three aircraft, they’ve already got two, and a third one is doing trials. But as soon as they can spare an aircraft carrier, which will provide air cover, organic air cover to their forces, maritime forces, I do not doubt that they will put in an appearance in our waters.”

“The fact that they’ve got birthing facilities in Djibouti, where they set up their first overseas base, means that they’ve got logistic support of their own, not just in Pakistan (Gwadar port), which is an ally.”

China has commissioned two aircraft carriers – Liaoning and Shandong – the former is a Soviet-era aircraft carrier, which Beijing commissioned in 2012, and the latter is its first domestically built carrier. The third aircraft carrier, Fujian, is China’s largest and most advanced aircraft carrier ever built, with a potent aircraft launching system. Fujian underwent sea trials and is yet to be commissioned.

The US Department of Defence, in its latest report on Chinese naval modernization, said Beijing is reportedly building a fourth aircraft carrier similar to Fujian and is expected to be nuclear-powered

Admiral Prakash said if China comes into our waters, then the nearest base is at least 3,000 nautical miles away in Hainan, leading to an extended logistical
Chain for them. So if a need arises for them for technical assistance and logistical support, then “Djibouti is a great reassurance” for the Chinese Navy and “if they get Gwadar, it will be a bonus.”

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/exclusive-ex-navy-chief-arun-prakash-on-rafale-jets-and-chinese-threat-in-indian-ocean-8129116

Kim Jong Un’s Sister Says North Korea Denuclearisation Is A ‘Daydream’

Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister slams US-led efforts to take away North Korea’s nuclear weapons, saying the idea of denuclearising the country was a ‘daydream’ Photo: AFP

Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister slammed US-led efforts to take away North Korea’s nuclear weapons, saying the idea of denuclearising the country was a “daydream”.

Her remarks come after the top diplomats of South Korea, Japan and the United States issued a statement on the sidelines of a NATO meeting last week in which they “reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation” of the isolated state.

In a statement published Wednesday by the official Korean Central News Agency (KNCA), the sister of ruler Kim Jong Un said that any discussion of convincing the North to give up its nuclear weapons is “nothing but a daydream that can never come true”.

“If anyone openly talks about dismantling nuclear weapons… it just constitutes the most hostile act of denying the sovereignty of the DPRK,” Kim Yo Jong said Tuesday.

“It only fully exposed the uneasiness of the US, Japan and the ROK, in a desperate plight of having to talk about ‘denuclearization’ in chorus,” she said, referring to the South by its official name.

The statement was Kim’s second in a little over a month.

In early March, she condemned Washington over the visit of a US Navy aircraft carrier to the South Korean port of Busan, accusing US President Donald Trump’s administration of “carrying forward the former administration’s hostile policy”.

Source: https://www.ibtimes.com/kim-jong-uns-sister-says-north-korea-denuclearisation-daydream-3769323

CHINA AT THE FRONTLINE More than 150 Chinese ‘recruited on Tiktok’ are fighting for Putin in Ukraine, Zelensky says after two were captured

Chinese fighter Zhang Renbo said it was his first combat experienceCredit: Telegram

MORE than a hundred Chinese soldiers are fighting alongside the Russians after being recruited on TikTok, President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed.

He said that Kyiv had details of more than 150 Chinese nationals deployed at the frontlines after claiming Ukraine’s army captured two Chinese citizens fighting in the eastern Donetsk region.

A video shared by Zelensky today showed a snippet from interrogations of the two captured Chinese fighters.

The clip also showed pictures of two Chinese passports – understood to belong to them.

In the short five-minute clip, one of the Chinese fighters, named Zhang Renbo, revealed details about his fight against the Ukrainians.

He said: “It was my first combat experience. I was given an AK-47. Before that I have never had a weapon.”

Zelesnky claimed Russia was seeking to recruit Chinese fighters by openly advertising on TikTok and other Chinese social networks.

The Ukrainian intelligence released a document containing the alleged names and passport details of 168 Chinese citizens that Kyiv said had been recruited by Russia’s army.

Zelensky said he believed there were “many more” and that further information was being gathered.

“It is clear how they recruit them. One of the schemes is through social media, in particular TikTok and other Chinese social networks, where Russians distribute commercials,” Zelensky said.

He did not accuse Beijing of having directly sent the soldiers, but said Chinese authorities were “aware” they were being recruited.

The president said: “The ‘Chinese’ issue is serious. There are 155 people with names and passport details who are fighting against Ukrainians on the territory of Ukraine.”

“Beijing is aware of this.”

Zelensky had earlier published a video of one of two alleged captured Chinese citizens wearing military fatigues and with their hands tied off.

In the video, the prisoner mimicked combat sounds and uttered several words in Mandarin.

The Ukrainian army said Chinese ID cards and contracts for Russian military service had been found on them.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian had earlier rejected Zelensky’s previous claim that “many” Chinese citizens had been recruited by Russia to fight as “absolutely groundless”.

He said: “The Chinese government has always asked its citizens to stay away from areas of armed conflict [and] avoid involvement in armed conflicts in any form.”

He added that Beijing was verifying relevant information about the captured Chinese citizens with Kyiv.

Zelensky said he had received signals that Washington viewed Chinese nationals fighting for Russia as “unacceptable”.

It comes at a time when both the countries are involved in a brutal tit-for-tat war of trade.

The president added that China’s involvement in the war is a “clear signal” that Putin wants to drag the war.

“He is looking for a way to continue the war. This definitely requires a reaction. A reaction from the United States, Europe, and everyone in the world who wants peace.”

China is one of the biggest allies of Russia and has been accused by the West of helping Vladimir Putin with weapons.

However, Beijing has repeatedly denied the allegations that it has helped the Kremlin fight against the Ukrainians.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/13977182/chinese-recruited-tiktok-putin-ukraine/

Modi govt launches game-changing new Aadhaar app with face ID, QR code features | All you need to know

Aadhaar verification becomes as simple as making a UPI payment, Vaishnaw said in a post on X.(Representational Image)

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday launched the highly anticipated Aadhaar app in a move to make Aadhaar more accessible and secure.

The new app, which the union minister announced on X, combines face ID authentication and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring the digital Aadhaar service to Indian citizens through a mobile application.

This app, built in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), features QR code-based instant verification and real-time face ID for authentication. This will eliminate the need for people to carry physical photocopies or cards.

Aadhaar verification becomes as simple as making a UPI payment, Vaishnaw said in a post on X.

How will the new Aadhaar app benefit Indians?

With the advent of the Aadhaar app, users will no longer need to carry around a physical Aadhaar card or hand over photocopies of it during travel, hotel check-ins, or even shopping.

The app will soon be out of the Beta testing phase and widely implemented nationwide.

Instead of showing physical photocopies of their Aadhaar, the new app would enable individuals to verify their identity after the QR code scan.

“No need to hand over Aadhaar photocopy at hotel receptions, shops or during travel. The Aadhaar App is secure and shareable only with the user’s consent. 100 per cent digital and secure,” the Minister said.

With the new Aadhaar app, users will be allowed to share only the necessary data, giving them complete control over their personal information.

Verification will be as simple as a UPI payment

In addition to the Face ID-based authentication, the new Aadhaar app will also offer a QR code verification feature, making Aadhaar verification quicker and more efficient.

Just as UPI payment QR codes are widely available at almost every point of payment in India, Aadhaar verification QR codes, too, would soon be available at ‘points of authentication.’

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/modi-govt-launches-game-changing-new-aadhaar-app-with-face-id-qr-code-features-all-you-need-to-know-101744136361867.html

 

Titanic scan reveals ground-breaking details of ship’s final hours

The digital scan shows the bow sitting upright on the sea floor

A detailed analysis of a full-sized digital scan of the Titanic has revealed new insight into the doomed liner’s final hours.

The exact 3D replica shows the violence of how the ship ripped in two as it sank after hitting an iceberg in 1912 – 1,500 people lost their lives in the disaster.

The scan provides a new view of a boiler room, confirming eye-witness accounts that engineers worked right to the end to keep the ship’s lights on.

And a computer simulation also suggests that punctures in the hull the size of A4 pieces of paper led to the ship’s demise.

“Titanic is the last surviving eyewitness to the disaster, and she still has stories to tell,” said Parks Stephenson, a Titanic analyst.

The scan has been studied for a new documentary by National Geographic and Atlantic Productions called Titanic: The Digital Resurrection.

The wreck, which lies 3,800m down in the icy waters of the Atlantic, was mapped using underwater robots.

More than 700,000 images, taken from every angle, were used to create the “digital twin”, which was revealed exclusively to the world by BBC News in 2023.

Because the wreck is so large and lies in the gloom of the deep, exploring it with submersibles only shows tantalising snapshots. The scan, however, provides the first full view of the Titanic.

The immense bow lies upright on the seafloor, almost as if the ship were continuing its voyage.

But sitting 600m away, the stern is a heap of mangled metal. The damage was caused as it slammed into the sea floor after the ship broke in half.

The new mapping technology is providing a different way to study the ship.

“It’s like a crime scene: you need to see what the evidence is, in the context of where it is,” said Parks Stephenson.

“And having a comprehensive view of the entirety of the wreck site is key to understanding what happened here.”

The scan shows new close-up details, including a porthole that was most likely smashed by the iceberg. It tallies with the eye-witness reports of survivors that ice came into some people’s cabins during the collision.

Experts have been studying one of the Titanic’s huge boiler rooms – it’s easy to see on the scan because it sits at the rear of the bow section at the point where the ship broke in two.

Passengers said that the lights were still on as the ship plunged beneath the waves.

The digital replica shows that some of the boilers are concave, which suggests they were still operating as they were plunged into the water.

Lying on the deck of the stern, a valve has also been discovered in an open position, indicating that steam was still flowing into the electricity generating system.

This would have been thanks to a team of engineers led by Joseph Bell who stayed behind to shovel coal into the furnaces to keep the lights on.

All died in the disaster but their heroic actions saved many lives, said Parks Stephenson.

“They kept the lights and the power working to the end, to give the crew time to launch the lifeboats safely with some light instead of in absolute darkness,” he told the BBC.

“They held the chaos at bay as long as possible, and all of that was kind of symbolised by this open steam valve just sitting there on the stern.”

A new simulation has also provided further insights into the sinking.

It takes a detailed structural model of the ship, created from Titanic’s blueprints, and also information about its speed, direction and position, to predict the damage that was caused as it hit the iceberg.

“We used advanced numerical algorithms, computational modelling and supercomputing capabilities to reconstruct the Titanic sinking,” said Prof Jeom-Kee Paik, from University College London, who led the research.

The simulation shows that as the ship made only a glancing blow against the iceberg it was left with a series of punctures running in a line along a narrow section of the hull.

Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable, designed to stay afloat even if four of its watertight compartments flooded.

But the simulation calculates the iceberg’s damage was spread across six compartments.

“The difference between Titanic sinking and not sinking are down to the fine margins of holes about the size of a piece of paper,” said Simon Benson, an associate lecturer in naval architecture at the University of Newcastle.

“But the problem is that those small holes are across a long length of the ship, so the flood water comes in slowly but surely into all of those holes, and then eventually the compartments are flooded over the top and the Titanic sinks.”

Unfortunately the damage cannot be seen on the scan as the lower section of the bow is hidden beneath the sediment.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy6gjwd0g6o

RISE AGAIN Saudi’s insane plan for world’s tallest skyscraper ‘The Rise Tower’ – a $5b project twice the height of Burj Khalifa

SAUDI Arabia is planning an insanely tall skyscraper – and it is set to double the height of the world’s current tallest building.

Rise Tower, which will stand a whopping 2,000 metres (1.2 miles) tall and cost an eye-watering $5billion, is the crown jewel of Saudi Arabia’s futuristic North Pole megaproject.

The North Pole project, which is described as the ‘city of the future’, will host a 2 kilometre tall towerCredit: Rise

The breathtaking feat will double the height of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which is 828 metres (0.5 miles) tall, and surpass the upcoming 1,000 metre (0.6 miles) high Jeddah Tower.

The 678-storey tower is part of the ambitious North Pole development in Riyadh and is designed by Foster + Partners.

The Public Investment Fund has now formally called on international contracting firms to submit bids for project management.

The ridiculously big building is yet another ambition of eco-mad Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

The bidding comes as Saudi Arabia is looking to complete another bold step in its Vision 2030 program.

The groundbreaking tower will host luxury hotels, entertainment venues, fine dining and much more.

It also aims to become a global tourism and business destination while setting new benchmarks in sustainable urban planning.

The North Pole project is poised to become Riyadh’s next major economic hub and will span a massive 300 square kilometres.

It has been dubbed as the “city of the future”.

It has been envisioned as a fully integrated city, blending residential, commercial and industrial zones.

The design for the tower was announced in August 2023.

Saudi Arabia Holding Co. CEO Mohammed AlQahtani shared plans for the megacity.

He said: “The North Pole project seamlessly blends modernity with the beauty of nature, delivering a unique living experience.

“The project is poised to usher in a remarkable transformation, redefining the region’s economic and social landscape.

“Anticipated to generate new job opportunities, attract foreign investments, and elevate living standards, this visionary project aims to elevate Riyadh’s global standing as a modern metropolis.”

North Pole will also feature advanced transportation infrastructure, including a high-speed metro system and self-driving vehicles.

The urban design will emphasise vertical living, creating a dynamic city with world-class facilities.

Sustainability will be key to the development, with the city powered by renewable energy sources and integrated with green spaces.

The project aims to be another environmental milestone for eco-mad Saudi Arabia who have launched a line of megalomaniac developments in recent years.

Megacity The Line for example will be a car-free, three-dimensional metropolis, according to a top boss on the build.

While Aquellum promises to be a futuristic community hidden in an upside down skyscraper in a mountain.

Saudi Arabia has been forced to scale back on multiple projects and has faced major delays across most of their developments.

The country’s projects have also been plagued with ethical controversies relating to their work practices.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13962953/saudi-skyscraper-plan/

‘A little miracle’: First baby born in UK to woman with transplanted womb

A “miracle” baby girl has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother using a donated womb.

The baby’s mum, Grace Davidson, 36, was born without a functioning uterus, and received her sister’s womb in 2023 – in what was then the UK’s only successful womb transplant.

Two years after that pioneering operation, Grace gave birth to her first child in February. She and her husband, Angus, 37, have named their daughter Amy after Grace’s sister, who donated her womb.

Holding baby Amy – who weighed just over two kilos (four and a half pounds) – for the first time was “incredible” and “surreal”, new mum Grace says.

“It was quite overwhelming because we’d never really let ourselves imagine what it would be like for her to be here,” she says. “It was really wonderful.”

Grace and Angus, who live in north London but are originally from Scotland, hope to have a second child using the transplanted womb.

The couple initially wished to remain anonymous, but following the safe arrival of baby Amy are now speaking to the BBC about their “little miracle”.

The surgical team told the BBC they have carried out three further womb transplants using deceased donors since Grace’s transplant. They aim to carry out a total of 15 as part of a clinical trial.

Baby Amy is the first child born in the UK to a woman who has had a womb transplant

Grace was born with a rare condition, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, where the womb is missing or underdeveloped, but with functioning ovaries. When the BBC first spoke to her in 2018, she was hoping her mother could donate her uterus to allow her to have children – but it proved to be unsuitable.

The BBC met Grace and husband Angus again in 2019 when one of Grace’s two sisters, Amy Purdie, was being assessed to find out if she could donate her womb to Grace. Amy and her husband already had two children and did not want any more.

Prior to surgery both sisters had counselling. Grace and Angus also had fertility treatment and still have several embryos in storage. Grace says she was given the option of surrogacy or adoption, but carrying her own baby felt “really important”.

“I have always had a mothering instinct,” she says, “but for years I had been suppressing it because it was too painful to go there.”

The first baby born as a result of a womb transplant was in Sweden in 2014. Since then around 135 such transplants have been carried out in more than a dozen countries, including the US, China, France, Germany, India and Turkey. Around 65 babies have been born.

Originally scheduled to take place in late 2019, the sisters’ transplant operation fell through and then looked in doubt for several years during the Covid pandemic.

When it eventually took place, in February 2023, it took a team of more than 30 medics around 17 hours to remove Amy’s womb and transplant it to Grace.

Isabel Quiroga, the surgeon who led the transplant team at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, says although the procedure carried risks for both sisters, it was “life-enhancing and life-creating – and you can’t have better than that.”

Amy says she did not feel the sense of loss some women experience after a hysterectomy, because of the “dramatic” and immediate benefits to her sister. Grace had her first ever period within two weeks of the transplant and became pregnant on the first attempt at IVF.

It was “incredible” to feel her baby’s first kick, she says, adding the entire pregnancy had been “really special”.

Baby Amy was born by Caesarean section at Queen Charlotte’s hospital in west London on 27 February. Grace and Angus say they hope to have a second child – as soon as the medical team say the time is right.

The donated womb will be removed after the birth of a second child. This will allow Grace to stop taking the daily immunosuppressants she is currently on to ensure her body does not reject her sister’s womb. Taking these drugs can increase the risks of developing some cancers, especially if taken over many years – but surgeon Isabel Quiroga says these risks should return to baseline once the womb is removed.

Prof Richard Smith, a gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College London, who led the organ retrieval team, has been researching womb transplantation for more than two decades.

He says his team is thrilled about the birth of baby Amy and that she will give hope to many of the 15,000 women in the UK of childbearing age who do not have a functioning uterus, of whom around 5,000 were born without a womb.

Mr Smith heads a charity called Womb Transplant UK, which paid the NHS costs for Grace’s transplant operation. All the medical staff gave their time for free.

He told the BBC around 10 women have embryos in storage or are undergoing fertility treatment, a requirement for being considered for womb transplantation. Each transplant costs around £30,000, he says, and the charity has sufficient funds to do two more.

The surgical team has permission to perform 15 womb transplants as part of a clinical trial, five with living and 10 with deceased donors. No details have been made public about the three women who have so far received wombs from deceased donor organs. NHS Blood and Transplant told the BBC extra consent is sought from families for such rare donations.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78jd517z87o

THE HIGH LIFE First look inside ‘quadplex’ penthouse atop world’s skinniest skyscraper as it goes on sale – with Picasso art included

A LUXURY penthouse on top of the world’s skinniest skyscraper has hit the market for an eye-watering £85million.

The magnificent apartment features a stunning view of New York City and boasts five bedrooms and six bathrooms.

The penthouse has 360 degree views of Central Park and New York CityCredit: @111west57st / instagram

The lavish apartment is on the top floor of Manhattan’s Steinway Tower that was once home to the historic Steinway & Sons piano company.

The 1920s piano store was converted into a series of luxury apartments in 2022 – and this five bed penthouse is the pick of the lot.

Arranged over four floors, the pad “quadplex” is designed to make the most of the unrivalled views of New York City.

The property boasts two terraces and a multitude of floor-to-ceiling windows throughout.

The bottom floor, which is on the eightieth story, comprises a luxurious entertaining suite – sure to impress any guest.

But it’s the crown suite which is the most impressive – complete with a bar and screening room.

The penthouse’s interior oozes luxury with an abundance of marble, limestone, blackened steel and velvet throughout.

And to top it all off, original artworks by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse adorn the walls.

If you’re still not convinced the property also comes with 82-foot swimming pool, letting you swim among the clouds.

The Steinway Tower is the world’s skinniest skyscraper with a height-to-width ratio of 24:1.

The tower is an impressive 1,428ft tall but just 57ft wide.

Its design is inspired by New York’s Gilded Age – when the city experienced a period boasted great wealth.

But what really makes the tower stand out is the way its colour and texture changes in the light.

Steinway Tower is an addition to Steinway Hall, once a cultural hub in Manhattan.

The new construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2022.

Steinway tower sits on New York’s Billionaire’s Row, next to the infamous Central Park Tower – the second-tallest building in the city behind One World Trade Center.

Central Park Tower is home to the world’s tallest penthouse which hit the market for £250million.

The penthouse – known as The One Above All Else – is located at 1,416 feet at the top of the tower.

The impressive property has 23 rooms and even offers a view of the Empire State Building.

Dubai is planning to unveil a new skinny skyscraper which will be the second-skinniest in the world after the Steinway Tower.

The Muraba Veil will stand at a huge 1,247 feet high but will only reach 74 feet across.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13953041/luxury-penthouse-skyscraper-sale-picasso-art/

American Nightmare Unfolds: Why 300000 Indians In US Are ‘In a State Of Panic’

According to Open Doors 2024 report, over 300,000 Indian students were enrolled for higher education in the US during the 2023-24 academic year with close to a third of them eligible for OPT.

In what appears to be bad news for Indian students in the US, those enrolled as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students are facing the threat of leaving the country once they complete their studies. The threat is based on a new bill that was introduced in Congress recently to end Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorisation.
Notably, the bill was introduced amid several anti-immigrant moves, which also included mass deportations by the Trump administration.
The bill has caused considerable anxiety among current F-1 and M-1 visa holders in the US. Many are actively seeking employment that will help them get hold of H-1B visas, typically sponsored by major US and Indian tech firms. This urgency is underscored by the Open Doors 2024 report, which indicates that over 300,000 Indian students were enrolled for higher education in the US during the 2023-24 academic year with close to a third of them eligible for OPT.

According to Poorvi Chothani of LawQuest, a Florida-based immigration law firm, “OPT allows students to find jobs in the US for one year after they graduate and may be extended for another two years provided you are a STEM graduate and are working with a qualified US employer.”

“If the bill goes through, OPT could end abruptly without an option to transition to another work visa. Students may have to leave the US immediately,” Chothani told ET.
At present, non-STEM graduates are mandated to leave the country a year after completing their studies.
Individuals holding OPT visas should either expedite their H-1B visa application if their lottery entry is successful or seek employment opportunities abroad. Additionally, international students should anticipate post-graduation departure requirements similar to those in the United Kingdom.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/us-visa-why-donald-trumpo-new-bill-has-put-300000-indians-in-us-are-in-a-state-of-panic-article-151367574

Pamban Bridge inauguration highlights: PM Modi inaugurates new rail bridge in Rameswaram

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Rameswaram on April 6, 2025. | Photo Credit: L.. Balachandar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly constructed Pamban bridge on April 6, 2025. It will replace a 110-year-old structure that once connected Rameswaram to the Indian mainland.

The idea of linking India and Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, through the Adam’s Bridge route was first explored in 1876. However, the plan was shelved due to high costs. Eventually, a more feasible plan was approved in 1906: a railway line from Madurai to Dhanushkodi via Rameswaram, and a steamer service from Dhanushkodi to Sri Lanka.

The Pamban bridge, India’s first sea bridge, was an engineering marvel of its time. Standing 12.5 meters above sea level, it stretched across 145 piers and featured a double-leaf bascule span—a Scherzer rolling lift bridge—that opened for ships to pass through.

Source :https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-modi-pamban-bridge-inaugration-rameswaram-highlights-april-6-2025/article69418926.ece

North Korea stages first international marathon in six years

Some 180 foreign runners are participating in this year’s Pyongyang International MarathonImage: Kim Won Jin/AFP/Getty Images

For the first time since 2019, foreign athletes are competing in the Pyongyang International Marathon, with roughly 200 foreign runners from countries such as China and Romania joining local competitors for a race through the streets of the North Korean capital.

In 2019, some 950 foreign runners joined the race.

North Korea closed its borders when the coronavirus hit and has been very slow to reopen. Although it has allowed groups of Russian tourists into the country, the capital has largely remained closed to the outside world.

The event is one of several in the country that will celebrate the April 15, 1912, birthday of the nation’s founder, Kim Il Sung, grandfather of the nation’s current leader, Kim Jong Un.

Simon Cockerell, who runs Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based company that touts itself as the race’s exclusive travel partner said, “The Pyongyang Marathon is an extremely unique experience as it provides an opportunity to interact with locals.”

Cockerell calls North Korea “a complex and fascinating place,” saying, “while it is definitely not for everyone, it definitely appeals to those curious about the experience of visiting such a country and seeing what they can.”

The race began with locals greeting participants at Kim Il Sung Stadium before the starting gun. Runners will head past landmarks and out into the countryside before returning to a crowd of 50,000 at the stadium.

The marathon, which is listed on the website of global governing body World Athletics, is the largest international sporting event in the country.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-stages-first-international-marathon-in-six-years/a-72154880

Tariffs: Why is there a ‘bloodbath’ on Asian markets?

Major indexes from Shanghai to Tokyo and Sydney to Hong Kong plunged when they opened on Monday

Asian stock markets are plummeting as the shockwaves from US President Donald Trump’s tariffs continue to reverberate around the world.

Major indexes from Shanghai to Tokyo and Sydney to Hong Kong plunged when they opened on Monday. “It’s a bloodbath,” one analyst told the BBC.

As a region that manufactures so many of the goods sold globally, Asian countries and territories are being hit directly by the tariffs.

They are also particularly sensitive to the impact of fears that a global trade war could trigger a slowdown or even a recession in the world’s biggest economy.

By midday, Japan’s Nikkei 225 benchmark index was down 6%, the ASX 200 in Australia was 4% lower and the Kospi in South Korea was 4.7% lower.

Slumps in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were exacerbated as investors caught up with the big falls seen in other markets on Friday as they were closed for public holidays.

The Shanghai Composite was down more than 6%, while the Hang Seng and Taiwan Weighted Index plunged by around 10%.

“Tariffs are feeding into expectations around inflation and a recession,” said Julia Lee, Head from FTSE Russell – a subsidiary of the London Stock Exchange Group.

Goldman Sachs has raised its estimation of a US recession within the next 12 months to 45% – up from a previous estimate of 35% – as the investment banking giant lowered its economic growth forecast for the country.

Other Wall Street firms have also revised their recession forecasts in the wake of Trump’s tariff announcement. JPMorgan now sees a 60% chance of a US and global recession.

A significant slowdown in the US economy would have major repercussions for Asian exports as the US is such an important market for goods from the region.

“Asia is bearing the brunt of the US tariff hike. While there could be some room for negotiation, a new regime of higher tariffs are here to stay,” Qian Wang, Asia Pacific chief economist, at investment firm Vanguard.

“This is negative to the global and Asia economy, especially those small open economies, both in the short term and long term.”

Countries from Vietnam to Bangladesh have become highly-reliant on the US as an export market.

Trump’s announcement last week included a 46% tariff on Vietnam and 37% on Bangladesh.

Several major US brands produce goods in Vietnam, including Nike and Lululemon.

Bangladesh exports $8.4bn (£6.5bn) of garments a year to the US, according to trade body the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

“Asia is likely to feel a disproportionate brunt of this turmoil because Asia sends more exports to the US than to other markets,” said Frank Lavin, a former Undersecretary for International Trade at the US Department of Commerce.

On Friday, the global stock market turmoil deepened, after China hit back at tariffs announced by Trump.

All three major US stock indexes in fell by more than 5%, with the S&P 500 dropping almost 6%, capping the worst week for the US stock market since 2020.

In the UK, the FTSE 100 plunged almost 5% – its steepest fall in five years, while exchanges in Germany and France faced similar declines.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c934qzd094wo

India’s first vertical lift sea bridge to open today: What you need to know

The new Pamban Bridge was built to handle more traffic, ensure durability, and improve maritime navigation, boosting regional connectivity and growth.

The new Pamban Bridge, connecting Rameswaram with mainland India, that will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Ram Navami (April 6).(PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, April 6, marking the opening of India’s first vertical lift railway sea bridge.

Spanning the Palk Strait, the 2.07 kilometre bridge will facilitate smoother connectivity and is set to be unveiled on the occasion of Ram Navami.

It replaces the original Pamban Bridge, built in 1914, which was a cantilever structure with a Scherzer Rolling Lift span connecting Rameswaram Island to mainland India.

Over time, the bridge became insufficient for growing transportation demands and was affected by the harsh marine environment. However, in 2019, the Centre sanctioned the construction of the new bridge, designed to meet modern transportation needs while preserving the cultural significance of the region.

The new Pamban Bridge is a technologically advanced structure designed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a public sector unit under the ministry of railways.

Key features of the bridge:

  • The 72.5-meter navigational span can be raised up to 17 meters to allow larger ships to pass.
  • The bridge is 3 meters higher than the existing one, improving sea connectivity.
  • It is built with materials designed to ensure durability, including stainless steel reinforcement and high-grade protective paint.
  • The bridge’s substructure is designed to accommodate two tracks, with the superstructure currently supporting a single line.

FRAUD FACTORIES Disturbing truth behind text scam ‘cities’ where 1000s of trafficked workers are forced at gunpoint to target Americans

The U.S. Sun is given a harrowing insight into the nightmares suffered by thousands of people duped into become scammers

Alleged scam center workers sit next to dismantled IT and electronic appliances during a crackdown operation in Myanmar two months agoCredit: AFP

SCAM factories where thousands of trafficked workers are held for 16-hour shifts have been exposed as the source of fraud messages sent en masse to unwitting Americans every day.

The so-called employees are allegedly beaten, electrically shocked, and held at gunpoint as they send the messages from call center “cities” on the other side of the world on the Myanmar/Thailand border.

Through first-hand accounts and bombshell revelations, investigative reporter Denise Chan helped expose the multi-billion dollar empire of syndicates that traffick people with promises of amazing jobs, before trapping victims in a living hell.

Chan has laid bare to The U.S. Sun the nightmare uncovered in her podcast series Scam Factory which follows two Filipino siblings, Charlie and Max, on their journey and attempted escape from a nightmare situation.

The show follows Charlie, who helps her younger brother Max land a dream job abroad.

But when Max arrives, the job does not exist.

Instead, he is trapped in a heavily-guarded compound where armed guards have shoot-to-kill orders.

For Charlie, the only way to free her beloved brother is to dive deeper into the underworld.

With the help of Thai based Colonel Dominador Matalang, reporter Chan worked tirelessly to help the pair escape the hell of being sucked into the scam culture.

“At its heart,” Chan says, “this is a family story.”

According to a recent report by the United States Institute of Peace, there are an estimated total of more than 300,000 scammers in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos that account for at least $40 billion in stolen funds worldwide.

The fallout from Myanmar’s 2021 military takeover has turned the once-quiet border with Thailand into a hotbed of crime and corruption.

Ruthless Chinese crime syndicates have swooped in, cutting deals with warring factions to replace lush rainforests with shady high-rise hubs dedicated to pulling off massive online scams.

While officials fail to crack down, Myanmar’s militia bosses and Chinese gangsters are smuggling tens of thousands of desperate workers across the border to fuel their criminal empires, according to shocking reports from the United Nations.

Working in conjunction with a local Thai reporter, Los Angeles based Chan was told about how Charlie and Max had just escaped from one of the gleaming new compounds built with dirty money.

Strips of restaurants and hotels have sprung up out of nowhere and, according to Chan, give this nondescript area of Myanmar, which was unaffected by the recent devastating earthquakes.

Initially, Max was told about a job opportunity in Cambodia from friends and, desperate to boost his very modest income, accepted without hesitation.

Max was making about $250 a month driving his family van and doing gig work. This job was offering $1,000 a month.

“The salary was so enticing,” admitted Chan.

SUCKED IN
The adverts mentioned a customer service role for an online gambling casino abroad, which would also appear randomly in chat groups on the likes of Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook.

Interested parties would be told about travelling to Bangkok, with travel and accommodation costs included.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything. We’ll post you up, and then we’ll get you to the compound,” the scammers tell their targets.

As the unwitting employees head onto the bus, they are driven to the border and taken on a boat across the river to Myanmar. The drivers play dumb, stressing they don’t speak the same language, Chan explained.

As the magical mystery tour deepens, worried texts are exchanged with the recruiters. The answers would come back with fake reassurance.

“At that point, they don’t really have any other options,” stressed Chan. “They just have to trust what they’re being told and go along with it. That’s how many of them end up in these compounds.”

They are just luring you until you will be trapped.

Colonel Dominador Matalang
Upon arrival, the now bewildered men and women who’ve been cooped up in a bus for eight hours are greeted by the sight of a “micro city” which has sprung up in the middle of nowhere.

There are mid-rise buildings with dorms and offices, but also casinos, hotels, streets of restaurants, and karaoke bars. It’s like a fully functioning city.

“It’s bizarre,” admitted Chan. “They’re specifically designed to support these scam operations. It’s a whole infrastructure built around exploiting people.”

The luxury amenities, which began springing up during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when employment and loneliness levels rose exponentially giving scammers a golden opportunity to strike, are for the bosses but the sheer scale, according to the investigative reporter, is “shocking.”

Chan says the pace of building in the last five years has been “insane.”

With Myanmar in the midst of a civil war, it’s allowed the scammers to wreak havoc with people’s lives.

“For law enforcement, especially from outside jurisdictions, it’s nearly impossible to operate in these areas,” continued Chan.

“The lack of centralized control and oversight makes it a hotbed for these kinds of operations.”

PUBLIC ATTENTION
Two high profile incidents involving a Hong Kong pop star and a Chinese actor who became entangled in the plots have forced leaders from China and Thailand to come forward, saying they’re committed to cracking down on these operations.

At the end of February, 7,000 people were freed from several compounds in Myanmar.

Nevertheless, people like Max have already been sucked into the nightmare.

Upon arrival at the compounds, many are able to put the hellish start to the journey to one side after being greeted with the gleaming amenities offered.

Guides usher people to their accommodations, and told to relax before starting work the next day.

It didn’t take long, however, for the fear to set in.

Immediately once entering the office, cell phones were taken away and given to the bosses who would scroll through and monitor their communications. Everything was tightly controlled, they claimed.

They were under constant surveillance. CCTV cameras were everywhere, and their bosses also monitored their computer screens. They’d be given a list of leads and instructed to start contacting people. It’s essentially a numbers game—they’re texting as many people as possible, trying to build relationships and see who takes the bait.

The Colonel admits physical violence is commonplace. Victims are beaten, electronically shocked, and put in “dark rooms” and “water jails.”

They are, continued the Colonel, sold openly between the companies, mainly when their performance is low in scamming, or they complain too much.

All victims were told that they owed the company money.

The fee the companies claim includes food, accommodations, travel, and other items that were agreed upon as being “free.”

Bosses added the cost they used to purchase victims onto victims’ debt.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/13943749/scam-factory-texts-americans-violence-myanmar/

SpaceX tourists return to Earth after historic flight

Bitcoin investor Chun Wang took three people on board his private SpaceX flight, which went on a novel journey around the Earth’s poles.

Four space tourists, who orbited the north and south poles, have returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.Four space tourists have safely arrived back on Earth after completing a novel space route on board one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX capsules.

Bitcoin tycoon Chun Wang, who chartered the SpaceX flight, and three others splashed down off the Southern California coast on Friday, pumping their fists in celebration of the successful voyage.

After taking off on Monday, it became the first human spaceflight to circle the globe above both the North Pole and South Pole – and the first Pacific splashdown for a space crew in 50 years.

The crew passed over the icy masses roughly every 40 minutes from 270 miles in the air.

The Dragon capsule was kitted out with a domed window that provides 360-degree views of the polar ice caps and everything in between.

The Chinese-born Mr Wang, now a citizen of Malta, had invited three associates – Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge and Australian polar guide Eric Philips – to join him on his private flight.

They all met in Svalbard, the Norwegian Arctic archipelago, he wrote on X.

Mr Wang declined to say how much he paid for the three and a half day trip. But the price tag reportedly comes in at $55m (£42m) per person.

It is the sixth fully private space mission for Elon Musk’s space company.

SpaceX and its Dragon craft have dominated the emerging market for private space tourism.

Dragon is the world’s only capsule built by a private company – rather than a state-run organisation – that routinely flies missions in orbit.

Its rival, Boeing’s Starliner capsule, has been held up in development.

‘So epic’

“It is so epic because it is another kind of desert, so it just goes on and on and on all the way,” said researcher Ms Rogge in a video posted by Mr Wang on X while gazing down from miles above Earth.

All four suffered from space motion sickness when they first reached orbit, but adjusted by day two, according to Mr Wang.

The private astronauts conducted 22 research experiments during their mission, including exiting the capsule without the normal assistance from ground crew in a bid to demonstrate how easily people could walk off a spacecraft on the moon or Mars.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/spacex-tourists-return-to-earth-after-historic-flight-13342197

Virgin Atlantic flight carrying over 250 passengers stranded in Turkey lands in Mumbai

Passengers upon their arrival at the Mumbai airport after being stranded for more than 40 hours at a Turkey airport, Friday, April 4, 2025. Over 250 Virgin Atlantic passengers, including Indians, who landed in Mumbai were stuck at the Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey after their Mumbai-bound aircraft from London was diverted to the airport on Wednesday. Credit: PTI Photo

After being stranded for more than 40 hours at a Turkey airport, over 250 Virgin Atlantic passengers, including Indians, landed at the Mumbai airport late in the evening on Friday.

The passengers were stuck at the Diyarbakir Airport in Turkey after their Mumbai-bound aircraft from London was diverted to the airport on Wednesday.

Sources said the flight landed at around 9 pm at the Mumbai airport.

“With all necessary technical approvals now secured, the plane departed Diyarbakır Airport at 13:00 local time on Friday 4th April, operating as flight VS1358. Customers are now en route to Mumbai, with an expected arrival at approximately 20:49 local time,” the spokesperson said in a statement earlier in the day.

Over 250 passengers were stuck at the airport. An A350-1000 aircraft was operating the flight that has over 300 seats, according to sources.

“We’re sorry that Virgin Atlantic flight VS358 from London Heathrow to Mumbai on 2nd April was disrupted following an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey.

“Due to the nature of the landing, the aircraft required extensive technical inspection before the aircraft was cleared to operate. The safety and security of our customers and crew remains our highest priority, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and prolonged delay,” the spokesperson said in the statement on Friday.

A passenger, who was among those stranded at the airport, told PTI on Thursday that all passengers were sitting on the floor, and there were no blankets available.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/virgin-atlantic-flight-carrying-over-250-passengers-stranded-in-turkey-lands-in-mumbai-3478949

Satellite images confirm deforestation in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli area

Last week, trees across a significantly large area–touted as the lungs of Hyderabad–were felled near the Hyderabad Central University campus to make way for an IT park. Satellite images confirm the extensive deforestation.

A geospatial analysis of the forest land suggests trees and vegetation over an area of nearly 2 sq km could have been removed between March 30 and April 2. Reports say about 50 earthmoving machines were deployed for the clearing operation in Kancha Gachibowli in Ranga Reddy district.

Protests erupted soon after the machines were spotted, with students rushing to the area, climbing on bulldozers and raising slogans against the police and the state government.

After protests from students and faculty of the Hyderabad Central University, and environmentalists, the Telangana High Court and the Supreme Court on Thursday put a stay on the clearing operation on the 400-acre land. According to official statements, the project is expected to attract investments of up to Rs 50,000 crore and generate employment for around five lakh people.

However, critics argue the environmental cost is too high, and a political row has erupted in the state over the issue. “If they don’t step back and change this decision, we will march to HCU with the people of Hyderabad in full force,” said Bharath Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR), as he extended his party’s support to the protests. The BRS, now in opposition, has promised to reclaim the land and convert it into a sprawling eco-park if brought back to power.

KTR defended his previous government’s environmental record, stating: “We turned Hyderabad into a green city, earning national and international awards. Telangana became the number one state in India for green cover growth. We planted 270 crore saplings and increased Hyderabad’s green cover by 7.7%.”

The confrontation between police and protesters drew widespread condemnation from student groups and environmental activists, who demanded stronger action from the government to halt the destruction of green spaces.

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, took suo motu cognisance of the situation and issued a stern order halting all activity on the 400-acre plot, except measures to protect existing trees.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/satellite-images-show-deforestation-in-hyderabad-kancha-gachibowli-forest-area-2703984-2025-04-04

Prison, exile, impeachment: The scandalous history of South Korea’s presidents

Yoon is being investigated for treason over his botched martial law attempt

Yoon Suk Yeol, who was officially removed from office on Friday, follows a line of former South Korean leaders who have had their reputations marred or terms interrupted by scandal.

Among them are presidents who have faced indictment, exile and imprisonment.

Yoon, who was South Korea’s public prosecutor, in fact led a probe that landed former president Park Geun-hye in prison.

Now apart from being impeached, Yoon is also being investigated for treason over his botched martial law attempt last December. Some analysts believe that, ironically, the move was driven by his fear of prosecution.

Here is a list of former South Korean presidents whose political careers ended dramatically.

Forced into exile

Before he became South Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee spent some three decades as a pro-independence activist against Japanese rule.

But his presidency was polarising.

While some respect him for having laid the foundations for a modern country after World War Two, critics condemn his authoritarian streak. Shortly after his inauguration in 1948, he implemented laws to curtail political dissent; he has also been blamed for the killing of civilians during the Korean War.

The opposition rejected Rhee’s re-election in 1960 and accused him of rigging the vote. This escalated into violent student-led protests, which saw some demonstrators shot dead by police, and ultimately forced Rhee to resign.

Rhee left the country for Hawaii in May that year, where he died in 1965.

Assassinated by close aide

Born to a poor rural family in the early years of the Japanese occupation, Park Chung-hee joined the military and was posted to Manchuria (a historical region of north-eastern China) where he served until the Japanese surrendered.

Park led a coup in 1961 to overthrow Rhee’s successor, Chang Myon, and later became president. Park led the country for 18 years through a period of rapid economic development known as the “miracle on the Han river”. It was during this time that the government opened doors to foreign investment, while also helping to develop now-famous conglomerates like Hyundai, LG and Samsung.

However, he moved towards greater authoritarianism later in his term. In 1972, he suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly and made himself “president for life”.

Despite Park’s economic achievements, South Korea in the 1970s was rocked by growing protests against his iron-fisted rule, where dissenters were brutally punished.

Park was assassinated at a dinner party in October 1979 by his own spy chief and lifelong friend Kim Jae-kyu.

Jailed for treason, a coup and a massacre

Military commander Chun Doo-hwan gained power in 1980 after yet another coup. He presided over a brutal military crackdown in the south-western city of Gwangju, which at the time was the centre of an uprising against martial law in South Korea. More than 200 pro-democracy demonstrators were either killed or disappeared.

During Chun’s term, the country saw growth rates hovering around 10% each year. However, he is mostly remembered as a dictator who was unapologetic till the end.

In 1983, Chun survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by North Korea forces, who bombed a ceremony he was at during a state visit to Myanmar. The attack killed 21 people and injured dozens more.

In 1988, Chun picked his coup comrade Roh Tae-woo, also a former general, as his successor.

The pair were convicted in 1996 of corruption, as well as their roles in the coup and the Gwangju massacre. Defending the coup while on trial, Chun said he “would take the same action, if the same situation arose”.

Chun was handed a death sentence – which was later commuted to life imprisonment – while Roh was sentenced to 17 years in jail. Both men were pardoned in 1997 after serving just two years in prison.

Took his own life during a bribery probe

Born to a poor family, Roh Moo-hyun educated himself and passed the bar exam to become a lawyer without having attended law school. He was appointed a judge in 1977 but later left the bench to become a human rights lawyer, where he advocated for student activists accused of being pro-communist.

In 2002, Roh won the presidential election as an underdog, with early polls giving him just 2% of the vote. He tried to shape South Korea as a “middle power” among other stakeholders in the region, and championed a so-called sunshine policy of engaging North Korea with trade and aid shipments.

After leaving office in 2007, he returned to his hometown in the south-east and ran a duck farm. However, he took his own life 14 months later, as corruption investigators closed in over allegations he accepted $6m in bribes.

Public opinion on Roh improved considerably after his death. Polls by Gallup Korea have consistently ranked him the most beloved president in the country’s history.

Jailed for corruption

Former Hyundai CEO Lee Myung-bak entered politics in 1992 and was elected mayor of Seoul a decade later. He won the election by a landslide in 2007, even though a business scandal from his days at the automobile conglomerate resurfaced in the days leading up to the vote.

Lee led the country through the global financial crisis and won its bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics. His term ended in 2013, and he was succeeded by the country’s first female president Park Geun-hye, who is the daughter of assassinated former leader Park Chung-hee.

The younger Park drew on her father’s reputation as the man who pulled South Korea out of poverty. However, a corruption scandal involving a confidante, Choi Soon-sil – the daughter of a Shamanistic cult leader – led to her impeachment in 2016 and arrest a year later.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93gqwek5jyo

L2 Empuraan controversy reaches Parliament; Suresh Gopi says team was ‘never pressured’ to make 24 cuts

On Thursday, actor-BJP MP Suresh Gopi spoke about L2 Empuraan at the Rajya Sabha and addressed claims of political pressure on film’s team.

Suresh Gopi addressed claims that the ruling party was responsible to the cuts made to L2 Empuraan.(Sansad TV-ANI)

The controversy surrounding Prithviraj Sukumaran and Mohanlal’s film L2 Empuraan has reached the Parliament. BJP MP-actor Suresh Gopi addressed the 24 cuts made to the film, claiming that no one from the team was ‘pressured’ into making the changes in the film. Here’s what he said.

Suresh Gopi addresses L2 Empuraan controversy
MP John Brittas claimed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that ‘political pressure’ was exerted on the film for its depiction of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Suresh responded to his claims and said, “A matter of fact…which is the only truth, which I have to let Indian nationals know. There was no censor pressure on the producers of Empuraan.”

Suresh also claimed that his name was removed from the thank you card of the film during the cuts because he asked for it, “I was the first person to call the producers and ask them to delete my name from the thank you card at the beginning of the film. This is the truth. I am ready to take any punishment if this is found false. It was the decision of the producers, and the lead actor of the film, with the permission of the director of the film to remove 17 portions from the film.”

This is not the first time the actor-politician has spoken about the film. He spoke to the press and said, according to ANI, “Okay, so what is the controversy? Who has raised the controversy? It’s all business. Screwing up the psyche of the people and making money. That’s all.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/others/l2-empuraan-controversy-reaches-parliament-suresh-gopi-says-team-was-never-pressured-to-make-24-cuts-101743691277400.html

India ranks 36 out of 170 nations on readiness for frontier technologies global index

The report further noted that Brazil, China, India, and the Philippines are developing countries outperforming in technology readiness.

Two young Indians working. Representative image. Credit: iStock Photo

United Nations: India ranks 36th out of 170 nations on a global index measuring a country’s readiness for frontier technologies, improving its ranking from last year, according to a UN report.

The 2025 Technology and Innovation Report, issued by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), stated that India ranked 36th in 2024 on the ‘Readiness for Frontier Technologies’ index, improving its position from 48th in 2022.

The index combines indicators for ICT deployment, skills, research and development (R&D) activity, industrial capacity, and access to finance.

India ranks 99th for ICT, 113th for skills, 3rd for R&D, 10th for industrial capacity, and 70th for finance. Bhutan, India, Morocco, the Republic of Moldova, and Timor-Leste improved their positions in human capital due to more years of schooling and a greater share of high-skill employment in their working populations, the report said.

The report further noted that Brazil, China, India, and the Philippines are developing countries outperforming in technology readiness.

“It might be expected that countries with higher per capita GDP are better prepared for frontier technologies. Overall, this is true but… some countries perform far better than their levels of income may suggest, as indicated by their distance from the regression line of the index score on GDP per capita,” it said.

Developing countries need to prepare themselves for a world that is rapidly being reshaped by AI and other frontier technologies. A useful measure in assessing national preparedness to use, adopt, and adapt frontier technologies is the UNCTAD Frontier Technologies Readiness Index.

“Developed countries lead the ranking, but some developing countries, notably Singapore, China, and India, hold prominent positions.” The report also notes that China, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States show scientific strength in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The United States leads the world in terms of private investment in AI, at $67 billion in 2023, or 70 per cent of global AI private investment. The only developing countries with significant investments were China in second position, with $7.8 billion, and India in tenth position, with $1.4 billion.

The report noted that AI is expected to reach $4.8 trillion in market value by 2033, becoming a prominent force in digital transformation.

However, access to AI infrastructure and expertise remains concentrated in a few economies. Just 100 firms, mainly in the US and China, account for 40 per cent of global corporate R&D spending. AI could impact 40 per cent of jobs worldwide, offering productivity gains but also raising concerns about automation and job displacement.

The benefits of AI-driven automation often favour capital over labour, which could widen inequality and reduce the competitive advantage of low-cost labour in developing economies.

However, AI is not just about replacing jobs – it can also create new industries and empower workers. Investing in reskilling, upskilling, and workforce adaptation is essential to ensure AI enhances employment opportunities rather than eliminating them, the report said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-ranks-36-out-of-170-nations-on-readiness-for-frontier-technologies-global-index-3477586

TRUMP CARD Trump unveils new $5m ‘Gold Card’ visa and says VIP ticket to America will be available to ultra rich ‘in two weeks’

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has unveiled his administration’s new $5 million “gold card” visa, adding that the VIP ticket to the US will be available within two weeks.

In February, the Republican announced his plans to begin selling the visas to foreigners who want to move to America and create jobs, which he dubbed “green-card-privileges-plus”.

US President Donald Trump holds a card as he speaks to reporters while in flight on board Air Force OneCredit: AFP

He gloated to reporters abord Air Force One: “For $5 million, this could be yours.

“That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is?

“It’s the gold card – the Trump card.”

Trump claimed he was the first buyer of the bombshell card but was unsure on who the second buyer was.

He added that the card will be out in “less than two weeks, probably”.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made the claim last month that over 1,000 gold cards had been sold.

He also said that over 37 million people globally have the means of buying one.

The EB-5 program grants investors the opportunity to apply for permanent U.S. residence if they “make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States” and intend to generate or sustain 10 permanent full-time jobs.

Lutnick described the EB-5 program as “full of nonsense, make-believe and fraud,” adding, “It was a way to get a green card that was low priced.”

Once vetted, gold card holders “can invest in America and we can use that money to reduce our deficit,” he said.

The president projected that the gold card will attract “very high level people” who contribute to job creation.

With these cards, “you’re getting big taxpayers, big job producers, and we’ll be able to sell maybe a million of these cards, maybe more than that,” Trump said.

The US currently offers a range of visas for foreigners who want to live and work in the country, each with its own set of requirements and limitations.

For those seeking long-term residency, the Green Card application process can be rigorous and time-consuming, often taking years.

It’s unclear, however, how long a ‘Gold Card’ would take to obtain and what additional measures – other than financial – would be needed to qualify.

The EB-5 visa program was created by Congress in the 1990s – but with different threshold requirements compared to today.

Referring to the $36.5 trillion national debt, Lutnick explained previously: “There’s a line for EB-5 of 250,000 right now.

“200,000 of these gold green cards [at $5 million] is $1 trillion to pay down our debt.”

Who will qualify for the gold visa?

Trump previously revealed this route was for people “of wealth or people of great talent”.

He also announced this program will be a way to bring in investors who will build companies and provide jobs.

He did not give specific job creation requirements but said applicants will go through vetting to ensure they are “wonderful, world-class global citizens”.

Trump did not confirm if there will be a cap on the number of gold visas handed out but he suggested around one million could be sold to generate money for the government.

How much will the visa cost and what will people get for that money?

This new visa will set the wealthy back around $5million per application.

The program will not give buyers American citizenship straight away.

Gold visa recipients will be lawful residents of the US and will have the right to work towards citizenship.

Typical green card holders must spend five years in the US before they can apply for a US passport.

Has the US previously had a similar visa?

EB-5 visas are open to foreign nationals who invest $1million in an American business that employs at least 10 people.

This path, which was introduced in 1990, gave these rich internationals green cards and the eventual route to citizenship.

The EB-5 has a limit of 10,000 visas per year for people who “make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States”.

IAF’s Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes Near Gujarat’s Jamnagar, 1 Pilot Dead; Watch Videos

IAF’s Jaguar Fighter Jet Crashes Near Gujarat’s Jamnagar, 1 Dead; Watch Videos |

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot lost his life, while another remains in critical condition following the crash of their two-seater Jaguar fighter jet near Gujarat’s Jamnagar Airfield. The IAF confirmed the tragic incident on Thursday, stating that the aircraft crashed during a routine night training mission late Wednesday in Suvarda village, approximately 12 km from Jamnagar city.

Videos Of Crash Site Go Viral

Footage circulating on social media showed the crash site engulfed in flames, with debris scattered over a vast area. The cockpit and tail section of the aircraft were spotted separately, consumed by fire.

IAF Issues Statement On Crash

The aircraft reportedly suffered a technical malfunction, compelling the pilots to eject. Despite their efforts, one pilot succumbed to his injuries, while the other is undergoing medical treatment at a hospital in Jamnagar. The IAF expressed deep sorrow over the loss and conveyed its condolences to the deceased pilot’s family. “IAF deeply regrets this loss of life and stands resolutely with the grieving family,” read the official statement.

A Court of Inquiry has been initiated to investigate the cause of the crash. The IAF stated that the pilots’ actions ensured no harm was caused to the airfield or nearby civilian areas.

Crash Took Place During Training Sortie

Reports quoting officials confirmed that the ill-fated Jaguar was on a scheduled training sortie when it met with the accident. The aircraft, known for its twin-engine configuration, has been an integral part of the Indian Air Force since its induction in the late 1970s. Designed for deep penetration strikes and ground attack missions, the Jaguar has played a vital role in India’s defence operations over the decades.

Another Jaguar Jet Crash Reported Earlier This Month

In a similar incident reported earlier this month, an Indian Air Force (IAF) Jaguar fighter aircraft crashed near Baldwala village in the Morni Hills area of Haryana’s Ambala district on March 7. The aircraft had taken off from the Ambala airbase for a routine training sortie when it encountered a system malfunction, prompting the pilot to eject.

 

Slovakia calls for culling hundreds of bears

In 2024, there were 1,900 reported bear attacks on humans in SlovakiaImage: Jakub Mrocek/Zoonar/picture alliance

Slovakia approved on Wednesday a plan to allow the killing of 350 bears, as Environment Minister Toma Taraba said bear attacks on humans are on the rise.

The move comes after the remains of a 59-year-old man were discovered in central Slovakia on Sunday. Authorities later determined he was mauled by a bear.

The brown bear population in Slovakia’s forests is estimated to be around 1,300.

A state of emergency has been called in 55 of the country’s 72 counties over “undesirable” bear presence, which allows the Environment Ministry to issue permission for the cull of the animals.

In approving the cull, Taraba said on Wednesday that 800 bears was a “sufficient number” for the small European country.

Last year, attacks by bears on humans reached 1,900, the government said, with officials allowing the culling of 144 bears as a result.

“We can’t live in a country where people are afraid of going to forests, where people become food for bears,” Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

Conservationists decry cull, call for prevention

Environmental organizations have criticized the move to kill the bears, saying it violates the country’s international obligations.

Slovakia must follow an EU directive that allows culling only of problem bears damaging property or attacking people and only if there is no other solution.

Slovakian journalists from the Jan Kuciak Investigative Center have said there was cause to believe that in 2024 hunters may have killed bears that had not attacked people, based on a study of 50 cases.

Conservationists called on the government to instead focus on preventative measures and teaching people how to stay safe in the outdoors.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/slovakia-calls-for-culling-hundreds-of-bears/a-72120366

Assisted dying: California man invites BBC to witness his death as MPs debate new law

This is the last picture of Wayne with his wife Stella (right) and children Emily and Ashley (left), taken on the day of his death

It’s 10am, and in a little over two hours, Wayne Hawkins will be dead.

The sun is shining on the bungalow where the 80-year-old lives in San Diego, California with his wife of more than five decades, Stella.

I knock on the door and meet his children – Emily, 48, and Ashley, 44 – who have spent the last two weeks at their father’s side.

Wayne sits in a reclining chair where he spends most of his days. Terminally ill, he is too weak to leave the house.

He has invited BBC News to witness his death under California’s assisted dying laws – because if MPs in London vote to legalise the practice in England and Wales, it will allow some terminally ill people here to die in a similar way.

Half an hour after arriving at Wayne’s house, I watch him swallow three anti-nausea tablets, designed to minimise the risk of him vomiting the lethal medication he plans to take shortly.

Are you sure this day is your last, I ask him? “I’m all in,” he replies. “I was determined and decided weeks ago – I’ve had no trepidation since then.”

His family ask for one last photo, which I take. As usual, Stella and Wayne are holding hands.

Shortly after, Dr Donnie Moore arrives. He has got to know the family over the past few weeks, visiting them on several occasions alongside running his own end-of-life clinic. Under California law, he is what is known as the attending physician who must confirm, in addition to a second doctor, that Wayne is eligible for aid in dying.

Dr Moore’s role is part physician, part counsellor in this situation, one he has been in for 150 assisted deaths before.

On a top shelf in Wayne’s bedroom sits a brown glass bottle containing a fine white powder – a mixture of five drugs, sedatives and painkillers, delivered to the house the previous day. The dosage of drugs inside is hundreds of times higher than those used in regular healthcare and is “guaranteed” to be fatal, Dr Moore explains. Unlike California, the proposed law at Westminster would require a doctor to bring any such medication with them.

When Wayne signals he is ready, the doctor mixes the meds with cherry and pineapple juice to soften the bitter taste – and he hands this pink liquid to Wayne.

No one, not even the doctor, knows how long it will take him to die after taking the lethal drugs. Dr Moore explains to me that, in his experience, death usually occurs between 30 minutes and two hours of ingestion, but on one occasion it took 17 hours.

This is the story of how and why Wayne chose to die. And why others have decided not to follow the same course.

We first met the couple a few weeks earlier, when Wayne explained why he was going ahead with the decision to have an assisted death – a controversial measure in other parts of the world.

“Some days the pain is almost more than I can handle,” he said. “I just don’t see any merit to dying slow and painfully, hooked up with stuff – intubation, feeding tubes,” he told me. “I want none of it.”

Wayne said he had watched two relatives die “miserable”, “heinous” deaths from heart failure.

“I hate hospitals, they are miserable. I will die in the street first.”

Wayne met Stella in 1969; the couple married four years later. He told us it was something of an arranged marriage, as his mother kept inviting Stella for dinner until eventually the penny dropped that he should take her out.

They lived for many years in Arcata, northern California, surrounded by sweeping forests of redwood trees, where Wayne worked as a landscape architect, while Stella was a primary school teacher. They spent their holidays hiking and camping with their children.

Now Wayne is terminally ill with heart failure, which has already brought him close to death. He has myriad other health issues including prostate cancer, liver failure and sepsis which brings him serious spinal pain.

He has less than six months to live, qualifying him for an assisted death in California. His request to die has been approved by two doctors and the lethal medication is self-administered.

It was during our first meeting that he asked the BBC to return to observe his final day, saying he wanted terminally ill adults in the UK to have the same right to an assisted death as him.

“Britain is pretty good with freedoms and this is just another one,” he said. “People should be able to choose the time of their death as long as they meet the rules like six months to live or less.”

Stella, 78, supports his decision. “I’ve known him for over 50 years. He’s a very independent man. He’s always known what he wants to do and he’s always fixed things. That’s how he’s operating now. If this is his choice, I definitely agree, and I’ve seen him really suffer with the illness he’s got. I don’t want that for him.”

Wayne would also qualify under the proposed new assisted dying law in England and Wales. The measures return to the House of Commons later this month, when all MPs will have a chance to debate and vote on changes to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

The proposed legislation, tabled by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, says that anyone who wants to end their life must have the mental capacity to make the choice, that they must be expected to die within six months, and must make two separate declarations – witnessed and signed – about their wish to die. They must satisfy two independent doctors that they are eligible.

MPs in Westminster voted in favour of assisted dying in principle last November but remain bitterly divided on the issue. If they ultimately decide to approve the bill, it could become law within the next year and come into practice within the next four years.

There are also divisions here in California, where assisted dying was introduced in 2016. Michelle and Mike Carter, both 72 and married for 43 years, are each being treated for cancer – Mike has prostate cancer that has spread to his lymph nodes, and Michelle’s advanced terminal ovarian cancer has spread throughout much of her body.

“I held my mother’s hand when she passed; I held my father’s hand when he passed,” Michelle told me. “I believe there’s freedom of choice however for me, I choose palliative care… I have God and I have good medicine.”

Michelle’s physician, palliative care specialist Dr Vincent Nguyen, argued that assisted dying laws in the US state lead to “silent coercion” whereby vulnerable people think their only option is to die. “Instead of ending people’s lives, let’s put programmes together to care for people,” he said. “Let them know that they’re loved, they’re wanted and they’re worthy.”

He said the law meant that doctors have gone from being seen as healers to killers, while the message from the healthcare system was that “you are better off dead, because you’re expensive and your death is cheaper for us”.

Some disability campaigners say assisted dying makes them feel unsafe. Ingrid Tischer, who has muscular dystrophy and chronic respiratory failure, told me: “The message that it sends to people with disabilities in California is that you deserve suicide assistance rather than suicide prevention when you voice a desire to end your life.

“What does that say about who we are as a culture?”

Critics often say that once assisted dying is legalised, over time the safeguards around such laws get eroded as part of a “slippery slope” towards more relaxed criteria. In California, there was initially a mandatory 15-day cooling off period between patients making a first and second request for aid in dying. That has been reduced to 48 hours because many patients were dying during the waiting period. It’s thought the approval process envisaged in Westminster would take around a month.

‘Goodbye,’ Wayne tells his family

Outside Wayne’s house on the morning of his death, a solitary bird begins its loud and elaborate song. “There’s that mockingbird out there,” Wayne tells Stella, as smiles flicker across their faces.

Wayne hates the bird because it keeps him awake at night, Stella jokes, hand in hand with him to one side of his chair. Emily and Ashley are next to Stella.

Dr Moore, seated on Wayne’s other side, hands him the pink liquid which he swallows without hesitation. “Goodnight,” he says to his family – a typical touch of humour from a man who told us he was determined to die on his terms. It’s 11.47am.

After two minutes, Wayne says he is getting sleepy. Dr Moore asks him to imagine he is walking in a vast sea of flowers with a soft breeze on his skin, which seems appropriate for a patient who has spent much of his life among nature.

After three minutes Wayne enters a deep sleep from which he will never wake. On a few occasions he lifts his head to take a deep breath without opening his eyes, at one point beginning to snore softly.

Dr Moore tells the family this is “the deepest sleep imaginable” and reassures Emily there is no chance her dad will wake up and ask, “did it work?”

“Oh that would be just like him,” Stella says with a laugh.

The family start to reminisce about hiking holidays and driving around in a large van they converted to become a camper. “Me and dad insulated it and put a bed in the back,” says Ashley.

On the walls are photos of Emily and Ashley as small children next to huge carved Halloween pumpkins.

Dr Moore is still stroking Wayne’s hand and occasionally checking his pulse. For a man who Emily says was “always walking, always outdoors, always active”, these are the final moments of life’s journey, spent surrounded by those who mean most to him.

At 12.22pm Dr Moore says, “I think he’s passed… He’s at peace now.”

Outside, the mockingbird has fallen silent. “No more pain,” says Stella, embracing her children in her arms.

I step outside to give the family some space, and reflect on what we have just seen and filmed.

I have been covering medical ethics for the BBC for more than 20 years. In 2006, I was present just outside an apartment in Zurich where Dr Anne Turner, a retired doctor, died with the help of the group Dignitas – but California was the first time I had been an eyewitness to an assisted death.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rgd4yrz3eo

‘Everyone Is Disturbed…’: SC Refers To Video Of Girl Running With Books During UP Demolition Hearing

During the hearing, the court took note of a viral video of an eight-year-old girl who was seen clutching her books and running as a bulldozer razed shanties in UP’s Ambedkar Nagar.

Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government (File)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government and the Prayagraj Development Authority for 2021 demolition drive and termed it “illegal” and “insensitive”.

During the hearing, the court took note of a viral video of an eight-year-old girl who was seen clutching her books and running as a bulldozer razed shanties in UP’s Ambedkar Nagar.

“There is a viral video where a small girl can be seen outside a demolished house. Everyone is very disturbed by such visuals,” Justice Ujjal Bhuyan remarked during the hearing, as reported by Live Law.

The video, which surfaced last week on X, showed a girl child clutching books and running away from a shanty during a demolition. As per the news agency PTI, the video is from an anti-encroachment drive in Jalalpur, Ambedkar Nagar. The police has stated that the demolition was carried out to remove encroachments from village land based on an ejection order of the Jalalpur tehsildar court.

The bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice Bhuyan, who slammed the government and authorities for the demolition of the houses of a lawyer, a professor and three others in Prayagraj in 2021, expressed concern over the manner in which demolitions were being conducted in Uttar Pradesh.

The apex court also asked the authorities to pay a fixed compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each homeowner who approached the court in such cases within six weeks.

The bench further said that such cases shock the conscience, adding that the residential premises of the appellants have been high-handedly demolished.

“We will record this whole thing as illegal and we will say that as far as rights in the land are concerned, we are not offering any comment,” Justice Oka said, adding, “And fix compensation of 10 lakhs in each case. That is the only way to do this. So that this authority will always remember to follow due process.”

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/everyone-is-disturbed-supreme-court-refers-to-video-of-girl-running-with-books-during-up-demolition-hearing-9283172.html

The man mourning 170 loved ones lost in Myanmar’s earthquake

Soe Nay Oo was an imam in Myanmar but had been working for a human rights group in Thailand after fleeing the 2021 coup

As the call to prayer rang out in Sagaing last Friday, hundreds of Muslims hurried to the five mosques in central Myanmar.

They were eager to hold their last Friday prayers for Ramadan, just days away from the festive period of Eid that would mark the end of the holy month.

Then, at 12:51 local time (06:21 GMT), a deadly earthquake struck. Three mosques collapsed, including the biggest one, Myoma, killing almost everyone inside.

Hundreds of kilometres away, the former imam of Myoma mosque, Soe Nay Oo, felt the quake in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.

In the following days, he found out that around 170 of his relatives, friends and members of his former congregation had died, mostly in the mosques. Some were leading figures in the city’s close-knit Muslim community.

“I think about all the people who lost their lives, and the victims’ children – some of them are young children,” he told the BBC. “I can’t hold back my tears when I talk about this.”

More than 2,700 people have died in the quake which happened near Sagaing and Mandalay, Myanmar’s second city. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers continue to pull out bodies from rubble.

While the area was known for its ancient Buddhist temples, the cities were also home to a significant Muslim population.

An estimated 500 Muslims died while praying in their mosques, according to figures given by the country’s leader, Min Aung Hlaing, on Monday.

Eyewitnesses in Sagaing have told the BBC that the road where the mosques were, Myoma Street, was the worst hit in the city. Many other houses on the street have also collapsed.

Hundreds of people have sought shelter by the side of the road, either because they are now homeless, or are too afraid to go back to their homes in case there are aftershocks. Food supplies are reported to be scarce.

In Myoma alone, more than 60 people were said to be crushed in the collapse, while scores more died in the Myodaw and Moekya mosques. More bodies were still being pulled out on Tuesday.

There are indications that the worshippers had tried to escape, according to Soe Nay Oo, who has received multiple reports from surviving members of his community.

He currently lives in the Thai city of Mae Sot with his wife and daughter, after escaping from Myanmar soon after a coup that took place in 2021.

There were bodies found outside of the main prayer hall, he said, in the area where worshippers wash themselves. Some were also found clutching other people’s hands, in what looked like attempts to pull them away from the crumbling building.

Among the many loved ones Soe Nay Oo lost was one of his wife’s cousins. Her death, he said, was “the most painful thing that I have endured” in his 13 years as an imam.

“She was the one who showed her love to us the most,” said Soe Nay Oo. “Everyone in the family loved her. The loss is unbearable for us.”

Another of his wife’s cousins, a well-respected businessman who had performed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, also died.

“He always called me Nyi Lay [‘little brother’ in Burmese]…When I married my wife, he said we are family now and he always treated me like his own little brother,” said Soe Nay Oo.

“He was always there for us whenever we needed him. I have lost those whom I love like brothers like him.”

Some of the close friends who died include Soe Nay Oo’s former assistant imam, whom he remembered for his strong work ethic and remarkable talent in reciting the Quran.

The principal of the local public school, who was also the only female trustee of the Myoma mosque, also died. She was remembered by Soe Nay Oo as a generous soul who would often pay for mosque programmes out of her own pocket.

He said every time he hears of yet another person from the community who died, he experiences a new wave of grief. “I feel devastated… it always comes to my mind, the memories I cherish of them.

“Even though they were not close relatives, they were the ones who always welcomed me, followed my prayers, and who prayed together.”

The fact that they died during Ramadan is not lost on him. “All the departed have returned to Allah’s home, I would say. They will be remembered as martyrs accordingly,” he said.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2e98xep10o

Volcano erupts in Iceland, triggering tourist evacuation

Smoke spews as a volcano errupts near Grindavik, Reykjanes, Iceland, April 1, 2025. CIVIL PROTECTION OF ICELAND/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

A volcano erupted to the south of Iceland’s capital on Tuesday, spewing lava and smoke in a fiery display of orange and red that triggered the evacuation of tourists and residents, although air traffic continued as normal.
Referred to as a land of ice and fire for its many glaciers and volcanoes, the North Atlantic island nation has now seen 11 eruptions south of Reykjavik since 2021, when dormant geological systems reactivated after some 800 years.

“Warning: An eruption has begun,” the Icelandic meteorological office said in a statement.
The outbreak penetrated protective barriers close to the Grindavik fishing town, triggering an evacuation of those residents who had returned following previous eruptions, although most houses have stood empty for over a year.
“There is lava coming within the barrier at the moment, but it’s a very limited eruption so far,” said Rikke Pedersen, head of the Nordic Volcanological Center.
Emergency services also evacuated the nearby Blue Lagoon luxury spa in the hours ahead of the eruption, as geologists had warned it was imminent.

Pedersen said the outbreak was similar in size to an eruption from January 2024, which spewed lava into Grindavik.
The eruptions on the Reykjanes peninsula so far have not directly affected the capital city Reykjavik and have not caused significant dispersal of ash into the stratosphere, avoiding air traffic disruption.
Icelandic experts predict that the so-called fissure eruptions, characterised by lava flowing out of long cracks in the earth’s crust rather than a single volcanic opening, could repeat themselves for decades, or even centuries.
The North Atlantic island, home to nearly 400,000 people, attracts thousands of tourists every year who come to explore its rugged nature, including geysers, hot springs and volcanoes.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/volcanic-magma-eruption-begins-iceland-meteorological-office-says-2025-04-01/

42-year-old Indian man threatens to kill cabin crew on Singapore flight, arrested

An Indian man was arrested for threatening to kill cabin crew.( Representational image)

An Indian man was arrested after he threatened to kill a cabin crew member on a Singapore-bound flight and otherwise engaged in unruly behaviour while under the influence of alcohol. According to a report in news website Mothership, Singapore police will be charging the 42-year-old Indian national in court on April 1.

According to the police, the man started behaving in a threatening manner while onboard the flight on February 27. Details of the incident were shared in a police statement released on March 31.

Charges against the Indian man

Police said that the Indian man caused a disturbance on the flight to Singapore by grabbing a passenger seated next to him. He also annoyed other flyers by forcefully pushing the seat in front of him. He was believed to be acting under the influence of alcohol.

His aggressive behaviour continued when flight attendants attempted to calm him down. He later grabbed the wrist of a male cabin crew member and verbally threatened to kill him.

The 42-year-old man became compliant only after he was told that the plane would turn around if his aggressive behaviour continued. The crew then put him in restraints for the rest of the journey.

The Indian man was arrested after the flight landed at Singapore’s Changi Airport. He will now be charged with multiple offenses, including using criminal force to a person, being intoxicated onboard jeopardising good order and discipline, and criminal intimidation if the threat is to cause death. The last charge carries a jail term of up to 10 years or with a fine or both.

“Physical aggression, verbal threats and attempt to interfere with the crew’s duties can compromise flight safety,” the police reminded all flyers, adding that the department would not hesitate in taking action against anyone who endangers passengers or crew members on board.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/42yearold-indian-man-threatens-to-kill-cabin-crew-on-singapore-flight-arrested-101743477121181.html

 

OpenAI Says It Raised $40 Bn At Valuation Of $300 Bn

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says his artificial intelligence firm is working on a more open model, as it faces pressure from rivals like Meta and DeepSeek AFP

OpenAI on Monday said it raised $40 billion in a new funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300 billion, the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup.

The infusion of cash comes in a partnership with Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group and “enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further,” the San Francisco-based company said in a post on its website.

“Their support will help us continue building AI systems that drive scientific discovery, enable personalized education, enhance human creativity, and pave the way toward AGI (artificial general intelligence) that benefits all of humanity,” the company said.

AGI refers to a computing platform with human-level intelligence.

The company plans to scale its infrastructure and “deliver increasingly powerful tools for the 500 million people who use ChatGPT every week.”

The funding news came the same day OpenAI announced it was building a more open generative AI model as it faces growing competition in the open-source space from Chinese rival DeepSeek, and Meta.

The move would mark a strategic shift by OpenAI, which until now has been a fierce defender of closed, proprietary models that do not allow developers to modify the basic technology to make AI more adapted to their goals.

OpenAI and defenders of closed models — which include Google — have often decried open models as riskier and more vulnerable to nefarious uses by malicious actors or non-US governments.

OpenAI’s embrace of closed models has also been a bone of contention in its battles with former investor Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest person, who has called on OpenAI to honor the spirit of the company’s name and “return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was.”

Putting pressure on OpenAI, many large companies and governments have proved reluctant to build their AI products or services on models they have no control over, especially when data security is a concern.

The core selling point of Meta’s family of Llama models or DeepSeek’s models is addressing these worries by letting companies download their models and have far greater control to modify the technology for their own purposes and keep control of their data.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said earlier this month that Llama hit one billion downloads, while the release of DeepSeek’s lower-cost R1 model in January rocked the world of artificial intelligence.

“We’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but other priorities took precedence. Now it feels important to do,” OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said on X of the decision to build a more open model.

Source : https://www.ibtimes.com/openai-says-it-raised-40-bn-valuation-300-bn-3768344

Elon Musk claims he’s ‘given’ alleged baby mama Ashley St. Clair $2.5M, $500K per year — despite not knowing ‘if the child is mine or not’

Elon Musk fired back at Ashley St. Clair — the conservative influencer claiming to have given birth to the Tesla and SpaceX boss’ 13th child — on Monday after she accused the world’s richest man of cutting back on child support payments.

“I don’t know if the child is mine or not, but am not against finding out,” Musk wrote on X. “ No court order is needed.”

“Despite not knowing for sure, I have given Ashley $2.5M and am sending her $500k/year,” the Department of Government Efficiency chief claimed.

Elon Musk hit back at alleged baby mama Ashley St. Clair on Monday.
REUTERS

St. Clair charged that Musk was being a “petulant man-child” in a response to Musk’s tweet, denying that he’s willing to take a paternity test.

New Income Tax Slabs, TDS, & Rebate Reforms From April 1? All You Need To Know, Right Here

In the Union Budget 2025, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced significant changes to the income tax structure, aiming to provide relief to the middle class and boost economic growth. These new rules will come into effect from 1st April 2025, marking the start of the new financial year. The government has revised the tax slabs, increased tax rebates, and made several changes to improve cash flow for taxpayers.

Revised Tax Slabs for the New Tax Regime

Under the new tax regime, the government has introduced a significant change for those earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually. These taxpayers will no longer have to pay any tax. The new tax slabs are as follows:

– Up to Rs 4 lakh: No tax

– Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh: 5% tax

– Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh: 10% tax

– Rs 12 lakh to Rs 16 lakh: 15% tax

– Rs 16 lakh to Rs 20 lakh: 20% tax

– Rs 20 lakh to Rs 24 lakh: 25% tax

– Above Rs 24 lakh: 30% tax

Additionally, salaried individuals will receive a standard deduction of Rs 75,000, further reducing their taxable income. These changes will only apply to those following the new tax regime.

Tax Rebate under Section 87A

A major relief for taxpayers under the new regime is the increase in the tax rebate limit under Section 87A. The rebate amount has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 60,000. This means that individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually will now pay zero tax, thanks to the enhanced rebate, raising the tax-free income limit.

Changes in TDS and Rent Income

To ease the financial burden on taxpayers, changes have been made to the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) system. The TDS limit for senior citizens has been doubled to Rs 1 lakh. Additionally, the tax rebate for rental income has been increased to Rs 6 lakh, providing relief to house owners, especially in urban areas where rent income tends to rise.

Updated Tax Return (ITR-U) Filing Time Extended

The government has also extended the deadline for filing updated tax returns (ITR-U) from 12 months to 48 months. This extension will allow taxpayers more time to file any missed returns without facing heavy penalties.

‘Pissed off’ at Putin, Trump threatens tariffs on Russian oil if Moscow blocks Ukraine deal

Oil tanker SCF Primorye, owned by Russian state shipping company Sovcomflot, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin and will impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on buyers of Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump told NBC News he was very angry after Putin last week criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s leadership, the television network reported, citing a telephone interview early on Sunday.

Since taking office in January, Trump has adopted a more conciliatory stance towards Russia that has left Western allies wary as he tries to broker an end to Moscow’s three-year-old war in Ukraine.
His sharp comments about Putin on Sunday reflect his growing frustration about the lack of movement on a ceasefire.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault … I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said.

“That would be, that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump said. “There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump later reiterated to reporters he was disappointed with Putin but added: “I think we are making progress, step by step.”
Trump said he could impose the new trade measures within a month.
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow. Russia has called numerous Western sanctions and restrictions “illegal” and designed for the West to take economic advantage in its rivalry with Russia.
Trump, who spent the weekend at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, told NBC News he planned to speak with Putin this week. The two leaders have had two publicly announced telephone calls in recent months but may have had more contacts, the Kremlin said in video footage last week.

The White House had no immediate comment on when the call would take place, or if Trump would also speak with Zelenskiy.
Trump has focused heavily on ending what he calls a “ridiculous” war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but has made little progress.
Putin on Friday suggested Ukraine could be placed under a form of temporary administration to allow for new elections that could push out Zelenskiy.
Trump, who himself has called for new elections in Ukraine and denounced Zelenskiy as a dictator, said Putin knows he is angry with him. But Trump added he had “a very good relationship with him” and “the anger dissipates quickly … if he does the right thing.”
GROWING PRESSURE TO END WAR
Trump’s comments followed a day of meetings and golf with Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Saturday, during Stubb’s surprise visit to Florida.

Stubb’s office on Sunday said he told Trump a deadline needs to be set for establishing a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire to make it happen and suggested April 20 since Trump would have been in office then for three months.
U.S. officials have been separately pushing Kyiv to accept a critical minerals agreement, a summary of which suggested the U.S. was demanding all Ukraine’s natural resources income for years. Zelenskiy has said Kyiv’s lawyers need to review the draft before he can say more about the U.S. offer.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One he thought Zelenskiy was “trying to back out of the rare earth deal…. if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.” Trump also told reporters that Ukraine would never be part of NATO.
Trump’s latest tariff threats would add to the pain already facing China, India and other countries through trade measures imposed during his first two months in office, including duties on steel, aluminum and cars. More duties on imports from the countries with the largest trade surpluses are slated to be announced on Wednesday.
William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce Department official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the haphazard way Trump was announcing and threatening tariffs leaves many questions unanswered, including how U.S. officials could trace and prove which countries were buying Russian oil.
Trump set the stage for Sunday’s news with a 25% secondary tariff imposed last week on U.S. imports from any country buying oil or gas from Venezuela.
His remarks to NBC suggest he could take similar action against U.S. imports from countries that buy oil from Russia, a move that could hit China and India particularly hard.
The U.S. has not imported any Russian barrels of crude oil since April 2022, according to U.S. government data. Before that, U.S. refiners bought inconsistent volumes of Russian oil, with a high of 98.1 million barrels in 2010 and low of 6.6 million in 2014, according to a review of EIA data since 2000.
India has surpassed China to become the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian crude, which comprised about 35% of India’s total crude imports in 2024.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-threatens-secondary-tariffs-russian-oil-if-unable-make-deal-ukraine-2025-03-30/

COPS STILL CLUELESS Inside the Ocean’s Eleven-style $30m cash heist that rocked US with fears culprit will stay on run as long as DB Cooper

THE methodical Ocean’s Eleven-style heist where burglars stole as much as $30 million in cash from a money storage facility could take years to crack, a former FBI agent has told The U.S. Sun.

Like something out of a Hollywood film script, thieves managed to sneak into the Gardaworld building in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, on the evening of Easter Sunday 2024, undetected and without triggering any alarms.

The elaborate, well-thought-out plan resulted in one of the largest cash heists in the history of Los Angeles.

FBI officials believe the stealthy suspects used a ladder to scale the building’s roof, where they gained access to the facility through a hatch, before entering the vault area where the money was stored.

On the morning of April 1, 2024, aerial footage captured an apparent hole on the south side of the building that had been boarded up, as a pile of debris laid on the grass.

Terry Rankhorn, a former FBI special agent who spent decades investigating cyber, fraud, and wire fraud cases, told The U.S. Sun the hole in the wall was likely the thieves’ exit point.

“They probably had hand carts on a truck outside,” Rankhorn speculated.

“They pulled up, shuttled the money out on that and made away with it. In Los Angeles, that’s reasonably close proximity to the Mexican border.

“If I were guessing, the smart move would have been to get it across the border because it’s probably going to be easier to get there.

“You can’t just walk into a bank with 25 million dollars in money and deposit it without drawing a significant amount of scrutiny.”

Rankhorn said it could be years before names connected to the March 31, 2024, heist begin to emerge.

“The people who did it will be discovered, but we just have to wait and be patient with it,” he added.

“We can’t put a time or say, if you haven’t found him in a year, you haven’t found him. Well, that’s just not the case.

“[The FBI] looked for D.B. Cooper for decades and never stopped looking until the point where he couldn’t reasonably still be alive.”

D.B. COOPER MYSTERY

The unsolved mystery surrounding infamous hijacker D.B. Cooper began on November 24, 1971, when a middle-aged man identifying himself as Dan Cooper purchased a one-way $20 ticket from Northwest Orient flight from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle.

Carrying a black attache case and a brown paper bag, Cooper boarded Flight 305 sometime after 2:30 pm local time, took his seat in the last row, 18E, and ordered himself a drink.

Sometime after takeoff, at around 3 pm, Cooper handed a note to a flight attendant, identified as 23-year-old Florence Schaffner, sitting in a jump seat behind him, revealing that he had a bomb in his suitcase.

The mild-mannered hijacker requested four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills in exchange for the 36 other passengers on board.

The president of Northwest Orient authorized the payment of the ransom and ordered the six crew onboard to comply with Cooper’s orders.

For approximately two hours, Flight 305 circled above Seattle to give authorities enough time to scramble together the ransom money and the parachutes, and mobilize other emergency personnel.

Upon landing, per Cooper’s instructions, one representative from the airline was permitted to board the plane. They dropped off the items and the cash, and the passengers were permitted to disembark.

The plane was then refueled and Cooper ordered the pilots to fly southeast in the direction of Mexico City at the minimum airspeed possible without stalling the aircraft.

Flight 305 took off for a second time at 7.40pm and, shortly after, Cooper ordered all remaining crew to stay in the cockpit as he made his way towards the aft ramp in the tail of the plane.

One stewardess caught a glimpse of Cooper standing in the aisle, tying what appeared to be the bag of money around his waist.

That was the last anyone ever saw of Cooper. He’d later become known as DB Cooper when a journalist at the time accidentally mistyped Dan as DB in a report and the name stuck.

A little after 8 pm, somewhere over southwest Washington, a light flashed up on the instrument panel in the cockpit, indicating the rear exit door had been opened.

With that, Cooper was gone, parachuting out into the stormy night sky with his ransom and the briefcase and brown paper bag he’d boarded the plane with.

Despite a massive search, no trace of Cooper or his parachutes was ever found.

‘INFINITE MEMORY’

Rankhorn, who spent 21 years in the FBI, said that despite the meticulous heist, the suspects – like DB Cooper – will never be out of the woods and will eventually make a mistake.

“These people, congratulations, you have 20 to 30 years of looking over your shoulder and more than likely you will be caught in the end,” the former federal agent told The U.S. Sun.

“They may think that, Ok, I’ve waited a year, I’ve waited two years, now I can start buying luxury items. Well, if the FBI is involved, the FBI has infinite memory.

“They never forget the people that they’ve been looking for. They’ve been looking for people for 30 years and sometimes will find them.

“So, you’re never as a criminal out of the woods. If you’re involved in this case, you have to look over your shoulder for literally the rest of your life.

“There is no grace period. There’s no statute of limitations on this.”

Rankhorn continued, “In any criminal endeavor, the number of people that you involve in it exponentially increases your chance of discovery.

“There was a famous pirate named Captain Kidd who famously said three people can keep a secret when two of them are dead.

“And what that means is that when people execute a crime like this, a really spectacular crime, people like to talk.

“And oftentimes, the criminal pathology, the people that are drawn to this life of crime, they have impulse control.

“So, they’re going to be more likely to either brag out of ego or brag when they’ve had too many drinks under their belt.”

Rankhorn reckons the problem the thieves will encounter is how to spend the stolen cash.

“Their biggest problem comes in on how to actually use the money,” he added.

“And that sounds like a silly statement, but there’s a great TV series called Ozark, where that in there a money launderer tells some criminals who came into quite a bit a cash and said, well, what you have is a lifetime supply of groceries because you can’t carry a suitcase around of money and just pay with everything in cash.

“We are in an increasingly more and more digital economy where it’s fairly rare to pay cash for things.

“And some things are fairly or reasonably impossible to pay in cash.

“You don’t buy a house in cash, you don’t buy a nice, expensive car with cash.

“You don’t rent cars with cash. You don’t buy airline tickets with cash.”

However, Rankhorn suspects the burglars have already integrated the cash into the banking system through money launderers, which he believes they set up before the heist.

“They will probably sit on this substantially for probably a year. In the meantime, they’re probably already have integrated it into the banking system because as a criminal, you don’t want to sit on a fungible asset,” he said.

“Liquid assets like cash are dangerous because other criminals will come and kill you and take it, or your colleagues will kill you and take it.

“So, they probably have it already integrated into the banking system, if they have any brains at all. And they’re just waiting, abiding their time to try to begin spending.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13869679/oceans-eleven-cash-heist-los-angeles-exclusive-fbi/

Why India’s Relief Mission To Earthquake-Hit Myanmar Was Named ‘Operation Brahma’?

The death toll jumped to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed

India on Saturday delivered 15 tonnes of relief materials to Myanmar under its ‘Operation Brahma’ that was launched after a powerful earthquake hit the neighbouring country as well as Thailand.
India sent the relief materials to the Myanmarese city of Yangon in a C130J military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The supplies included tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, solar lamps, generator sets and essential medicines.
“The first aircraft carrying 15 tons of relief material took off at around 3 am from Hindon Air Force Base. It reached Yangon at around 8 am IST. Our ambassador was there to receive the relief material and thereafter, he handed it over to the Chief Minister of Yangon… Thereafter, two aircraft with search and rescue personnel and equipment, along with canines, were left. One of them has left and the other one is in the process of leaving…” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing on Saturday.

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand on Friday. The quake’s epicenter was located at 96.07°E, 21.93°N, near the Sagaing region in central Myanmar. A second quake, with a magnitude of 6.4, shook the area 12 minutes later. The tremors were so intense that they reached Bangkok, where residents felt strong shaking.

Why India’s Relief Mission to Myanmar Was Named ‘Operation Brahma’?

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India’s relief mission to Myanmar was named after Lord Brahma. “Today we launched Operation Brahma. Brahma is a god of creation, at a time when we are extending a helping hand to the Government of Myanmar, to the people of Myanmar to rebuild their country in the wake of the devastation. This particular name of the operation has a special meaning,” he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Indian naval ships INS Satpura and INS Savitri are carrying 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and headed for the port of Yangon.
In a social media post, Jaishankar also said that an 80-member strong search and rescue team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) departed for Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw. They will assist the rescue operations in Myanmar, he added. India has deployed NDRF abroad on two previous occasions — during the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2023 Turkiye quake.

Back-To-Back Earthquakes Claim 1000 Lives

The death toll jumped to more than 1,000 on Saturday as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the scores of buildings that collapsed when it struck near the country’s second-largest city.

The US Geological Survey and Germany’s GFZ centre for geosciences said that depth of earthquakes that jolted Myanmar on Friday was shallow 10 kilometres, according to preliminary reports. Shallower earthquakes tend to cause more damage.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/what-is-operation-brahma-first-responder-india-delivers-15-tonnes-of-relief-to-myanmar-article-151313973

 

Hundreds of thousands join mass opposition protest in Istanbul

Hundreds of thousands of people joined a massive opposition protest in Istanbul on Saturday, rallying to defend democracy after the arrest of city mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, AFP correspondents at the scene said.

Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition CHP which organised the protest, told demonstrators there were 2.2 million people in the crowd, but AFP was not able to independently confirm the figures.

Protesters gathered for a mass rally in Istanbul on Saturday at the call of Turkey’s main opposition CHP over the jailing of city mayor and top party figure Ekrem Imamoglu whose arrest has sparked the country’s biggest street demonstrations in over a decade.

The mass protests over Imamoglu’s March 19 detention have prompted a repressive government response that has been sharply condemned by rights groups and drawn criticism from abroad.

The rally in Maltepe on the Asian side of Istanbul comes on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr celebration marking the end of Ramadan, which starts Sunday.

Widely seen as the only Turkish politician capable of challenging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box, Imamoglu was elected as the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race on the day he was jailed.

Under a cloudless blue sky, protesters with posters of Imamoglu could be heard chanting: “Everywhere is Taksim, resistence is everywhere!” on board ferries crossing the Bosphorus to the Asian side of the city, an AFP correspondent said.

The slogans were referring to the city’s iconic Taksim Square, the epicentre of massive protests in 2013.

Opposition leader and CHP head Ozgur Ozel told France’s Le Monde newspaper he planned to make Saturday rallies a weekly feature in cities across Turkey, with others to be held in Istanbul every Wednesday.

“We believe the arrests will slow down from now,” he told the daily, saying he was “ready to take the risk of spending eight to 10 years in prison if necessary. Because if we don’t stop this attempted coup, it will mean the end of the ballot box.”

The protests over Imamoglu’s arrest quickly spread across Turkey, with vast crowds joining mass nightly rallies outside Istanbul City Hall called by the CHP, that often degenerated into running battles with riot police.

Although the last such rally was Tuesday, student groups have kept up their own protests, most of them masked despite a police crackdown that has seen nearly 2,000 people arrested.

Young protesters remain defiant but speak of growing fear as police crack down on the demonstrations. © Angelos Tzortzinis, AFP

In Istanbul, at least 511 students were detained, many in predawn raids, of whom 275 were jailed, lawyer Ferhat Guzel told AFP, while admitting that the number was “probably much higher”.

The authorities have also cracked down on media coverage, arresting 13 Turkish journalists in five days, deporting a BBC correspondent and arresting a Swedish reporter who flew into Istanbul to cover the unrest.

Although 11 journalists were freed Thursday, among them AFP photographer Yasin Akgul, two more were detained on Friday as was Imamoglu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, who was later granted conditional release.

Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, who flew into Turkey on Thursday to cover the demonstrations, was jailed on Friday, his employer Dagens ETC told AFP, saying it was not immediately clear what the charges were.

‘Accusations 100 percent false’

Unconfirmed reports in the Turkish media said Medin was being held for “insulting the president” and belonging to a “terror organisation”.

“I know that these accusations are false, 100 percent false,” Dagens ETC’s editor-in-chief Andreas Gustavsson wrote on X account.

In a post on social media, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said Stockholm was taking his arrest “seriously”.

Turkish authorities held BBC journalist Mark Lowen for 17 hours on Wednesday before deporting him on the grounds he posed “a threat to public order”, the broadcaster said.

Turkey’s communications directorate put his deportation down to “a lack of accreditation”.

Source : https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250329-turkey-opposition-calls-mass-rally-in-istanbul

Elon Musk protesters gather at Tesla showrooms

Protesters opposing billionaire Elon Musk gather outside a Tesla dealership in Acton, London, UK, [File:Jaimi Joy/Reuters]
Crowds protesting billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of the US government under President Donald Trump have been congregating outside Tesla dealerships throughout the US, and in some cities in Europe, in the latest attempt to put a dent in the enormous fortune of the world’s richest man.

The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, where he’s gained access to sensitive data and shut down entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending.

Most of Musk’s estimated $340bn fortune consists of the stock he holds in the electric vehicle company that he continues to run while also working alongside Trump.

Tesla Takedown has been organised by a group that includes disillusioned owners of the carmaker’s vehicles, celebrities such as actor John Cusack, and at least one Democratic Party lawmaker, Representative Jasmine Crockett from Dallas.

Earlier protests were somewhat sporadic.

But Saturday’s demonstrations mark the first attempt to surround all 277 of the carmaker’s showrooms and service centres in the US in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company’s sales.

In front of the New York store in Manhattan, between 500 and 1,000 people gathered, demanding Musk’s resignation from government.

The protesters were gathered at the call of environmentalists from Planet Over Profit, who believe that “stopping Musk will save lives and protect our democracy.”

For Amy Neifeld, a 70-year-old American psychologist who had not taken to the streets since the anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1970s, Elon Musk is leading the United States towards “fascism”.

“I’m Jewish and I grew up with a deep awareness of what fascism is. And it’s only gotten worse since the election” of Donald Trump, she told the AFP news agency.

“We have to do something very quickly, because he’s moving very quickly,” Neifeld added.

In London, about two dozen protesters held signs lambasting Musk outside a Tesla dealership as passing cars and trucks tooted horns in support.

One of the signs displayed at the London protest showed a photo of Musk next to an image of Adolf Hitler making the Nazi salute — a gesture that Musk has been accused of reprising shortly after Trump’s January 20 inauguration.

A person in a tyrannosaurus rex costume held another sign with a picture of Musk’s straight-arm gesture that said, “You thought the Nazis were extinct. Don’t buy a Swasticar.”

“We just want to get loud, make noise, make people aware of the problems that we’re facing,” Cam Whitten, an American who showed up at the London protest told The Associated Press.

Some people opposed to Musk have gone beyond protests and set Tesla vehicles on fire and committed other acts of vandalism that US Attorney General Pam Bondi has decried as “domestic terrorism”. Musk indicated he was dumbfounded by the attacks during a March 20 company meeting and said the vandals should “stop acting psycho”.

Crockett and other Tesla Takedown supporters have been stressing the importance of Saturday’s protests to remain peaceful.

But police were investigating a fire that destroyed seven Tesla vehicles in northwestern Germany early Saturday morning. It was not immediately clear if the blaze, which was extinguished by firefighters, was related to the Tesla Takedown protests.

Meanwhile, a growing number of consumers who bought Tesla vehicles before Musk allied himself with Trump have been looking to sell or trade in their cars, while others have slapped on bumper stickers seeking to distance themselves from the billionaire’s efforts to prune or shut down government agencies.

Source : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/29/elon-musk-protesters-gather-at-tesla-showrooms

‘PM Modi Is A Smart Man’: Trump Hopes US-India Tariff Talks ‘Work Out Well’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump met for the first time since the latter’s return to the White House on January 20 for his second term as US President.

Days ahead of the April 2 deadlines, US President Donald Trump, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘smart man’, emphasised that the tariff talks between India and the US would “work out very well”.
“Prime Minister Modi was here just recently and we have always been very good friends,” the US president said in the White House Friday.
“India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world. It’s brutal, it’s brutal. They’re very smart. He (Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think it’s going to work out very well between India and our country, Trump said.

“And I want to say you have a great prime minister,” he added.

The remarks assume significance since Trump has repeatedly criticised the high tariffs charged by India and other countries on American goods.
At present, officials from India and the US are engaged in a negotiations to crack a trade deal.

A team of US officials, headed by Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, is in Delhi for negotiations on the proposed bilateral trade agreement with India. The negotiations are likely to conclude on Saturday.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pm-modi-is-a-smart-man-trump-hopes-us-india-tariff-talks-work-out-well-article-119685267

Musk’s xAI buys Musk’s X social media platform for $33 billion

A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the X logo are seen in this illustration taken January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Elon Musk’s xAI artificial intelligence firm has acquired Musk’s X, the social media outfit formerly known as Twitter for $33 billion, marking the latest twist in the billionaire’s rapid consolidation of power.
The all-stock deal announced on Friday combines two of Musk’s multiple portfolio companies, which also include automaker Tesla and SpaceX, and potentially eases Musk’s ability to train his AI model known as Grok.

Musk announced the transaction in a post on X, saying: “The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt).”

“xAI and X’s futures are intertwined,” he wrote. “Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.”
Neither X nor xAI spokespersons immediately responded to requests for comment. Much of the deal’s specifics remained unclear, such as how investors may be compensated, how X’s leaders would be integrated in the new firm or the prospect of regulatory scrutiny.

“This development feels surprising and somewhat unexpected,” PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said. “To a certain extent, it closes a chapter in the turbulent saga of X.”
“The choice of $45 billion is not a coincidence,” said D.A. Davidson & Co. analyst Gil Luria. “It is $1 billion higher than the take-private transaction for Twitter in 2022” and he can share the value of the xAI business with Twitter co-investors.
Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, has also consolidated his power in Washington, D.C. by overseeing the Trump administration’s cost-cutting efforts as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. That has also put him in the position to potentially influence agencies that oversee his business dealings.

An investor in xAI, and now in the combined entity, told Reuters they were not surprised by the deal, viewing it as Musk consolidating his leadership and management at his own companies. The investor declined to be named.
Musk did not ask investors for approval but told them that the two companies had been collaborating closely and the integration will drive deeper integration with Grok.

OPENAI RIVALRY

Musk’s xAI startup was launched less than two years ago and recently raised $10 billion in a funding round that valued the company at $75 billion, according to a media report.
In February, Musk, 53, made a $97.4 billion bid with a consortium for the ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which was rejected, with OpenAI saying that the startup was not for sale. Musk co-founded OpenAI with CEO Sam Altman in 2015.
Musk competes directly with the popular OpenAI platform and has sued in federal court in California to prevent his rival from converting from a non-profit to a for-profit business. A judge earlier this month denied Musk’s request for a preliminary injunction that would prevent the changeover.

The wide release of AI software has set off a flurry of investment and competition in Silicon Valley. In an effort to be more efficient, companies are seeking ways to integrate the software into nearly every part of their operations.
As competition in AI intensifies, xAI has been ramping up its data center capacity to train more advanced models, and its supercomputer cluster in Memphis, Tennessee, called “Colossus,” is touted as the largest in the world.
xAI introduced Grok-3, the latest iteration of its chatbot, in February, as it tries to compete with Chinese AI firm DeepSeek and Microsoft-backed OpenAI. The X platform can serve to further distribute xAI products, while also providing a real-time feed of users’ musings, screenshots and other data.

TWITTER FREED

Musk clinched a deal in 2022 to buy X, then Twitter, for $44 billion, ending its run as a public company since its 2013 initial public offering, declaring that “the bird is freed” once the acquisition closed.
He gutted the company’s workforce after the acquisition, prompting advertisers to flee the platform and a rapid decline in revenue. Recently, brands have been returning to X as Musk’s influence grows in the Trump administration.
The seven banks that extended $13 billion in loans to Musk to buy X kept the debt on their books for two years until they could sell it all at once last month, according to a source familiar with the transactions.
This was made possible after a surge in investor interest for exposure to AI companies along with X’s improved operating performance over the previous two quarters, among other factors, according to two people familiar with the matter.
After the merger, investors who bought the debt from the banks will profit, said Espen Robak, founder of Pluris Valuation Advisors, which specializes in illiquid assets. “For sure the debt is worth more now, if not fully paid off.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/musks-xai-buys-social-media-platform-x-45-billion-2025-03-28/

At least 144 killed in Myanmar after earthquake – as 100 missing in Bangkok skyscraper collapse

At least 144 people have been killed and 730 others injured in Myanmar following a powerful earthquake, according to the head of the country’s military government.

“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said on television.

The 7.7 magnitude quake struck around 12.50pm local time (6.20am UK time) on Friday at a shallow depth of six miles, with the epicentre about 10 miles from the second city of Mandalay.

There were also aftershocks, with one measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude 12 minutes later.

Neighbouring Thailand was also rocked by the earthquake, with eight people killed in the capital Bangkok, after a 33-storey skyscraper, which had been under construction, collapsed.

Rescuers searching through the rubble of the tower block for survivors have said more than 100 people were missing.

Footage showed the high-rise in the Chatuchak area crashing to the ground as people ran away from the scene.

In Myanmar, buildings in five cities and towns collapsed, along with a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, state media reported.

Images showed the destroyed Ava Bridge over the Irrawaddy River, with its arches leaning into the water.

Rescue workers at the scene of the collapsed building in Bangkok. Pic: AP

A rescue worker from the Moe Saydanar charity group said it had retrieved at least 60 bodies from monasteries and buildings in Pyinmanar, near the capital Naypyidaw, and more people were trapped.

‘Building collapsed in front of my eyes’

“We all ran out of the house as everything started shaking,” a Mandalay resident said.

“I witnessed a five-storey 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.”

Another Mandalay resident said destruction stretched across the whole city, and one neighbourhood, Sein Pan, was on fire.

Roads were damaged, phone lines disrupted and there was no electricity, they said.

Other eyewitnesses said three people died while praying when a mosque partially collapsed in the Bago Region. Images have also emerged of a destroyed temple in Naypyidaw.

Meanwhile, local media has reported that at least two people died and 20 were injured after a hotel collapsed in Aung Ben.

Civil war in Myanmar

The natural disaster comes as the country is in the grip of a civil war.

The ruling military junta said a state of emergency has been declared in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region and northeastern Shan State, Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, and Bago Region.

The junta added in a statement: “The government has ordered a rapid investigation of the damage in these areas, We will carry out relief and relief operations promptly. We will also work to provide necessary disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.”

Getting aid into war-ravaged Myanmar will be difficult

By Cordelia Lynch, Asia correspondent, in Bangkok

I was in the office in Bangkok at around 1.30pm when I felt the tremors.

Lights start to swing, the windowpanes shook and people rushed downstairs to evacuate the building.

The prime minister has established a “war room”- a very rare move, to help respond to the impact of the tremors.

The damage in Myanmar appears far worse though.

And this in a country ravaged by civil war.

Getting information from there is very challenging. Getting aid into affected areas will be too.

The Red Cross has said downed power lines are adding to challenges for their teams trying to reach Mandalay and Sagaing regions and southern Shan state.

Tremors also affected Laos, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/dozens-killed-in-earthquake-with-100-missing-after-skyscraper-collapse-13337081

“We’ll Be Ruined In 3-6 Months If…”: P Chidambaram’s Warning On US Tariffs

Congress leader P Chidambaram asked the government to spell out India’s response to US President Donald Trump’s threat of tariff war, alleging that no discussion in parliament or consultation with Opposition parties has been held over the matter.

He called for finding common ground with other nations that share the same interests in pushing back against Mr Trump, and warned that if Mr Trump starts picking out individual countries and applying different tariffs, the affected nations could be left to fend on their own.

In an interview to NDTV, Mr Chidambaram said if the Indian government’s perception is that America is taking one step forward and two steps backwards, it must have a policy to counteract that.

“I mean, it can’t be in uncertainty. Of course, Americans are uncertain, let’s assume so. But you must have alternative scenarios. What if they take one step forward? What is our response? What if they take two steps backward? What is our response? And that response need not be made public to the whole world, but at least there must be a statement in parliament, or there must be a consultation with opposition parties. We are completely in the dark,” Mr Chidambaram, who was Union finance minister under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, told NDTV.

“In fact, my information is, most ministers are in the dark. Who is involved in making this reactive policy to America’s uncertain policy? I don’t know. Nobody seems to know,” he said.

Mr Trump’s decision to slap a 25 per cent tariff on all auto imports has cast uncertainty over India’s nearly $7 billion of exports to the US, which industry fears could squeeze margins. Automobiles and car parts imported to the US would face a 25 per cent tariff starting April 2.

While India is not a big exporter of cars to the US, Tata Motors’ luxury car subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is deeply entrenched in the American market. Indian auto ancillary firms will see the biggest hit as they export a lot of components to the US.

About a fifth of the revenue of India’s auto component sector is derived from exports. Of this, 27 per cent is to the US market alone.

“I think the government is making sort of impromptu, unilateral, knee-jerk decisions. For example, in the Budget speech, they got rid of the 2 per cent tax. Day before yesterday, the finance minister announced that the 6 per cent digital service tax, popularly known as the Google tax, will go. Now, what more are they going to concede to Mr Trump?” Mr Chidambaram said.

“If you don’t wish to have a public discussion in parliament, then you should at least invite the principal opposition parties which are represented in parliament and take leaders into confidence of what alternative scenarios are being worked out,” he added.

Mr Chidambaram defended his comment that most ministers are in the dark on this matter.

“I think at the moment, only the external affairs minister and perhaps the commerce minister who went on a delegation to the US are privy to what is going on. I don’t think other ministers know. I’m sure the agriculture minister does not know. I’m sure the industries minister does not know. But they are making concessions? I don’t know. Are you making concessions on agriculture? Are you making concessions on industrial goods? Are you making concessions on intellectual property? I don’t think anybody knows,” the former Union finance minister said.

He said India should put its interest first, but many countries are finding common ground in acknowledging that unilateral tariffs imposed by the US are unacceptable.

“There are WTO rules; there are multilateral and bilateral trade agreements; there are international laws and conventions. So if you want to rewrite the tariffs of several countries, you must hold a discussion. This is what Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada is doing. He has taken his parliament into confidence, at least the leaders into confidence. And he says we will coordinate with the European countries and respond to Mr Trump’s unilateral tariffs,” Mr Chidambaram said.

“Now, I’m sure the oil producing countries are also coordinating among themselves. We are a major agricultural exporter. We are a major textile exporter. We also export a lot of industrial goods. So we must band together with countries which are in the world market for agricultural exports, textile exports, and industrial goods exports, and evolve a common approach. You see, if he [Mr Trump] picks one country at a time, and imposes tariffs, it will ruin the economy of that country.

“Suppose he picks India, and he leaves other countries out. Suppose President Trump picks India and says, ‘these are the tariffs from goods exported from India’, we’ll be ruined. In a matter of three to six months, our economy will be ruined.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/we-will-be-ruined-in-3-to-6-months-if-what-p-chidambaram-warned-about-donald-trump-us-tariffs-threat-8026813#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

CARNAGE AT SEA Deadly submarine, bloody shark attacks & 16 dive boat accidents – how Red Sea has been cursed with tourist disasters

THE Red Sea submarine tragedy which killed six is the latest in a string of disasters to hit the Egyptian tourist hotspot.

A series of deadly accidents – from dive boats sinking to shark maulings – has tainted the holiday resort destination’s image.

This shows the submarine moments after it sunk off the coast pf Hurghada, Egypt, killing sixCredit: Alamy

The carnage has even prompted a warning from the UK government to would-be travellers about the perils of the Red Sea.

Six people died and 39 were miraculously rescued after the Sindbad pleasure submarine sank off the Egyptian resort city of Hurghada on Thursday.

Bombshell first images of the sunken sub just moments after the tragedy showed it floundering on the sea bed.

Reviews of previous trips in the sub revealed it had scraped and bumped along the sea floor.

And past passengers described it as “the worst experience ever” with the vessel being in “terrible condition”.

But this is far from the first boating calamity on the Red Sea.

There have been as many as 16 dive boat accidents in the past five years – often attributed to dodgy, over-modified equipment.

Live-aboard dive boats have been proven especially dangerous – and were the focus of the government’s warning.

The Sea Story boat capsized and sank in November 2024, killing 11 of the 44 onboard.

Two more boats run by the same firm – Dive Pro Liveaboard – have sunk in the past three years.

Scuba Scene was destroyed by a fire in April 2022 with 36 onboard, and the same happened to Sea Legend in February 2024.

The passengers and crew of those voyages were lucky to all escape alive.

Holidaymakers also contend with the constant threat of shark attacks in the Red Sea, with some killed in horror maulings.

A Romanian woman called Elisabeth Sauer, 68, was mauled to death by a tiger shark in July 2022.

She had been snorkelling in shallow waters – as tourists often do – when the killing machine pounced on her.

Disturbing images showed a red stain of blood growing in the water following the attack.

Then a 24-year-old Russian man was dragged into the water and savaged to death by a 10ft-long beast in June 2023.

The man’s head and hand were reportedly later found inside the shark’s digestive system.

And an EU diplomat, Italian Gianluca di Gioia, 48, was ripped apart in December 2024.

Meanwhile, Peppino Fappani, 69, a retired dentist, tried to fight off one of the beasts by jabbing it in the eye – sustaining gruesome wounds to his right hand in the struggle.

A stark warning from the UK government issued in November 2024 read: “Over the last 5 years, 16 accidents have occurred involving liveaboard dive vessels operating in the Red Sea.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13887100/red-sea-disasters-submarine-sharks-boats/

Six Russians dead, 39 tourists rescued after submarine sinks in Red Sea off Egypt

https://www.tbsnews.net/

Six Russians died on Thursday and 39 foreign tourists were rescued when a viewing submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, the local governor’s office said on Facebook, adding that no passengers or crew were still missing.
The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine, named “Sindbad”, had 50 people onboard: 45 tourists of different nationalities from Russia, India, Norway, and Sweden, and five Egyptian crew members.

“Most of those on board were rescued and taken to their hotels and hospitals in Hurghada,” the Russian consulate in Hurghada said.
The submarine was equipped with large portholes to let passengers see the Red Sea’s spectacular corals and marine life, and was able to descend to a depth of 25 metres, according to the company’s website.
The pleasure craft was a far cry from the extreme adventure submersible that imploded thousands of metres below the Atlantic near the sunken Titanic in June 2023.
The Red Sea is a major hub for Egypt’s crucial tourism industry, a pillar of the economy, in which Russian tourists play an increasing part. Egypt also attracts tourists with its great pyramids of Giza and cruises on the Nile in Luxor and Aswan.

Successive Egyptian governments have waged successful crackdowns on Islamist militant groups who hurt the tourism industry with attacks on foreigners in the past.
Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province Governor Amr Hanafy as saying.
The submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, was licensed and so was the crew captain, he said.
There have been several recent incidents of tourist boats capsizing. Last June, a boat sank after suffering severe damage from high waves, though no casualties were reported.
And in November, a tourist boat capsized while carrying 31 tourists and 13 crew on a multi-day diving trip. Local media reported that at least 11 people had died in the incident, which was also blamed on high waves.

At the time, the governor of the Red Sea province said the boat, the Sea Story, had passed a safety inspection eight months earlier.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/six-foreigners-killed-sinking-tourist-submarine-off-egypts-red-sea-resort-city-2025-03-27/

Which Indian companies will be impacted by Donald Trump’s 25% auto tariff? | Know all details

US President Donald Trump has announced a 25 per cent tariff on overseas auto imports, which is expected to impact Indian companies such as Tata Motors, Eicher Motors, Sona BLW, and Samvardhana Motherson.

Cars wait to be loaded onto the Eco Napoli, a hybrid Ro-ro ship built by Jinling Shipping in Nanjing for the Grimaldi Group, at the port in Yantai, in China’s eastern Shandong province on March 26, 2025. (AFP)

These firms export auto components to Europe, Japan, South Korea, and China, which supply vehicles to the United States, MoneyControl reported.

Tata Motors does not have direct exports to the US, but its subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has a strong foothold in the American market.

According to JLR’s FY24 annual report, the US accounted for 22 per cent of its overall sales. In FY24, JLR sold nearly 400,000 vehicles worldwide, with the US being one of its top markets, the report added.

The company’s vehicles sold in the US are primarily manufactured in the UK and other international plants, which will now be subject to a 25 percent tariff.

Meanwhile, Eicher Motors, the maker of Royal Enfield motorcycles, could also feel the impact, as the US is an important market for its 650cc models.

As one of India’s leading auto component manufacturers, Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd has a strong footprint in both Europe and the US.

It supplies parts to major American automakers, including Tesla and Ford. However, with established manufacturing units in the US and Europe, the company is relatively shielded from the impact of import tariffs, unlike firms that rely solely on exports, the report added.

Sona Comstar manufactures automotive systems and components, including differential gears and starter motors. The company derives about 66 percent of its revenue from the US and European markets. To mitigate risks, Sona BLW has been diversifying its export base by expanding into China, Japan, and South Korea, aiming for these Eastern markets to contribute over 50 per cent of its revenue within five years.

Other key component makers with significant export exposure include Bharat Forge, Sansera Engineering Ltd, Suprajit Engineering, and Balkrishna Industries.

In the financial year 2024, India exported auto components worth $21.2 billion, contributing to the global auto component market, which stands at $1.2 trillion.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/which-indian-companies-will-be-affected-by-donald-trumps-25-auto-tariff-know-all-details-101743046192268.html

JD Vance announces trip to Greenland and accuses Denmark of ignoring island ‘for far too long’

US vice president JD Vance will fly to Greenland this week, after accusing American and Danish leaders of ignoring the island “for far too long”.

He will join second lady Usha Vance and energy secretary Chris Wright as part of a delegation to visit the Pituffik space base, the US military base in Greenland.

Originally, Ms Vance had planned to attend a popular dog-sled race in Greenland – a move Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen criticised as putting “unacceptable pressure” on the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Announcing the change in destination to the US base, Mr Vance said he didn’t want his wife to “have all that fun by herself,” before adding that “a lot of countries have threatened” the world’s largest island.

Mr Vance then said: “We’re going to check out how things are going there.

“Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world.”

JD Vance said ‘we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland’. File pic: Reuters

The vice president also claimed US and Danish leaders had “ignored Greenland for far too long” and that “we think we can take things in a different direction”.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, he has regularly floated the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States.

Greenland’s strategic location, at the northeastern tip of the North American continent and as the gateway to the Arctic Ocean. as well as its rich mineral resources, would benefit the US.

It also lies along the shortest route from Europe to North America, and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system.

The governments of both Greenland and Denmark have voiced opposition to such a move.

Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede told the newspaper Sermitsiaq his nation has tried “all diplomatic and democratic options”, but Mr Trump’s mission is “to own and control Greenland”.

On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accused the US of putting “unacceptable pressure” on Greenland.

Waltz omitted from announcement

White House national security adviser Mike Waltz was originally set to take part in the Greenland visit.

However, his name was omitted from the latest announcement, according to the Associated Press (AP).

It comes after a US journalist was added to a Signal group chat where US officials discussed airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

It is unclear if he is still going, or whether his travel plans were altered after the leak.

Speaking on Tuesday evening, Mr Waltz said he took responsibility for creating the group, adding: “I built the group. So look, that’s the part that we have to figure out…

“Embarrassing? Yes, but Pete [Hegseth, US defence secretary] and I are veterans.”

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/jd-vance-announces-trip-to-greenland-and-accuses-denmark-of-ignoring-island-for-far-too-long-13335925

 

The Atlantic publishes more texts on US Yemen attack plan

The Signal group chat discussed plans to strike the Houthis in YemenImage: Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA/picture alliance

American news magazine The Atlantic has published what it says is a full transcript of a Signal chat in which top defense and Trump administration officials discussed airstrikes on Yemen.

The Atlantic first published details of the group chat on Monday.

Amid the political fallout, members of the chat including Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe downplayed the incident and told a Senate hearing that no classified information had been shared in the Signal chat.

This prompted The Atlantic to release the full transcripton Wednesday.

The transcript includes the names of those involved in the chat, except for one CIA officer whose name was withheld by the magazine on request from the agency.

Trump administration hits back at story

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly responded to Wednesday’s disclosure. The White House says Trump still has “confidence” in his national security team.

“The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans’,” she posted on social media.

“This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

The screenshots published on Wednesday also confirmed that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was responsible for adding Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to the chat — something Waltz had earlier admitted to.

On Wednesday, Waltz reiterated his claims that the chat contained “no locations,” “no sources and methods,” and “no war plans.”

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said the transcript showed that Goldberg “oversold” the significance of the magazine’s story.

“It’s very clear Goldberg oversold what he had,” Vance posted on social media.

Timing of Yemen strike shared in chat

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly denied sharing war plans in the Signal chat.

But the transcript shows that he texted the start time for a planned killing of a Houthi militant in Yemen on March 15 as well as other details of imminent US strikes.

Hegseth posted the following timeline in a single message:

“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME _ also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”
“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”
“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts _ also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”
“We are currently clean on OPSEC”
“Godspeed to our Warriors.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/the-atlantic-publishes-more-texts-on-us-yemen-attack-plan/a-72044541

Strong winds fan South Korea wildfires as death toll climbs to 18

Smoke rises from a wildfire that devastates the area, in Andong, South Korea, March 25, 2025. Yonhap via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

At least 18 people have died as multiple wildfires rage across South Korea’s southeastern region, with thousands of firefighters aided by the military deployed in a bid to contain one of the country’s worst forest fires in decades.
The deadly wildfires have spread rapidly and forced more than 27,000 residents to flee their homes, the government said. The blazes, fuelled by strong winds and dry weather, have razed entire neighbourhoods, closed schools and forced authorities to transfer hundreds of inmates from prisons.

“We are deploying all available personnel and equipment in response to the worst wildfires ever but the situation is not good,” Acting President Han Duck-soo said, adding that the U.S. military in Korea was also assisting.
As of Wednesday at 5 a.m. (2100 GMT), 14 people had died in a wildfire starting from Uiseong county, while four other deaths were linked to another fire from Sancheong county, according to the Safety Ministry.
Many of those who had perished were aged in their 60s and 70s, said Son Chang-ho, a local police official.
The Uiseong fire, only 68% contained and exacerbated by gusty winds, shows “unimaginable” scale and speed, said Lee Byung-doo, a forest disaster expert at the National Institute of Forest Science.
Dry conditions were expected to persist in the wildfire-hit region on Wednesday, the Safety Ministry said.
Climate change is projected to make wildfires more frequent globally, Lee said, citing the unusual timing of wildfires that ravaged part of Los Angeles in January and a recent wildfire in northeast Japan.
“We have to admit large-scale wildfires are going to increase and for that we need more resources and trained manpower,” he told Reuters.
South Korea relies on helicopters to help extinguish wildfires due to its mountainous terrain, but Lee said there was a need to bring in other fire-fighting aircraft and drones that can operate at night.
Eight Russian helicopters out of the Korea Forest Service’s fleet of 48 used in fire-fighting had been taken out of operation since last year due to an inability to import parts from Russia because of sanctions related to the Ukraine war, Yoon Joon-byeong, a Democratic Party lawmaker said in October, using data from the forest service.
Kim Jong-gun, a spokesperson for the Korea Forest Service, said the agency planned to secure more wildfire-fighting helicopters, responding to criticism about a lack of equipment and helicopters on the ground.
He said that 4,919 firefighting personnel were being deployed on Wednesday, including hundreds of police officers and military units, while 87 helicopters were being used.

25 years of Putin: Russia’s president cements his power

Vladimir Putin has served as either prime minister or president of Russia since August 9, 1999. How has the former KGB officer managed to continuously expand his power?

Putin has strengthened his grip on power over a quarter of a centuryImage: Maxim Shemetov/REUTERSIn what was largely a formality, Vladimir Putin was confirmed in office in the Russian presidential elections with 52.9% of the vote on March 26, 2000.

The result of the elections was a foregone conclusion. When Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned from office on December 31, 1999, Putin, who had been prime minister since August 9, 1999, also took over the office of president as per the constitution.

Putin has now been in power for 25 years, taking a strategic approach to his rise to become the autocratic and undisputed ruler of Russia, even if he was not president for a few years.

A vacancy in the Kremlin
As the Russian constitution at the time did not allow a president to rule for more than two consecutive terms, there was a vacancy in the elections on May 7, 2008.

Putin’s confidant Dmitry Medvedev, former Chairman of the Gazprom Supervisory Board, replaced Putin in office. One day later, Russia’s parliament, the Duma, elected Putin as the new head of government with 87.1% of the vote at Medvedev’s suggestion. Even though Medvedev now held the highest office, Putin continued to pull the strings behind the scenes.

In the course of these 25 years, the Russian president has transformed his country into the “strongest personalized dictatorship in the world,” said Russian political scientist Mikhail Komin.

He told DW that this was only possible because, over the quarter century he has been in power, Putin has persistently undermined all of Russia’s political institutions.

Regional control as the foundation of power
It all began with the abolition of regional autonomy, Komin explained. The Kremlin created its instrument of control in the Russian regions, laying the foundation for a consolidation of power.

Another Russian political scientist, Grigory Nishnikov, based in Finland, shares this view. “If we think back to the Russia of the early Putin years, we can point to several autonomous centers of power, both constitutional and informal, such as the oligarchs,” he told DW. “They all formed a sort of counterweight to the Kremlin.”

Putin destroyed all this, said Nishnikov, centralized everything, and focused Russia’s system of power on himself.

However, he believes this isn’t the only reason why the Russian president has remained in power for so long. There have been plenty of events over the past 25 years that could have been dangerous for Putin, namely:

•           the protests in Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square following the 2011 parliamentary election,

•           the risk of instability in Crimea after the Ukrainian peninsula was annexed in 2014,

•           the unrest that followed the controversial pension reform in 2018,

•           massive protests in support of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny across Russia over the next few years,

•           the start of the war in Ukraine in early 2022, accompanied by protests on the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

However, every act of popular resistance was followed by even greater repression. “And new adversaries were always eliminated in the course of these events,” said Nishnikov. As a result, he does not believe there is anyone left now who could challenge Putin.

Putin and Trump: Brothers in spirit?
In terms of foreign policy, there are signs of a rapprochement between the United States and Russia, which began when US President Donald Trump had his first term in office (2017- 2021). The first personal meeting between Trump and Putin took place in July 2018 at the Russia-US summit in Helsinki.

“For Putin, Trump is the greatest gift of his political life,” explained political scientist and historian Helmut Müller-Enbergs in an interview with the German news platform T-Online.

That, said the expert from the University of Southern Denmark, has become evident during negotiations to reach a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Putin, said Müller-Enbergs, essentially offered Trump “[Ukraine’s] raw materials and the prospect of a fulfilled election promise” to end the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also recently hinted to the international press that Trump and Putin have a close relationship and speak to each other more often than previously assumed.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/25-years-of-putin-russias-president-cements-his-power/a-69844205

TWISTED FIRESTARTERS FBI launches Tesla Task Force to hunt ‘psycho terrorists’ who are torching Elon Musk’s cars in ‘armageddon’ across US

THE FBI has launched a special task force to investigate the rising wave of attacks against Tesla cars.

The announcement comes hours after multiple incendiary devices were uncovered at a Tesla showroom in Texas – thwarting a potentially devastating attack.

The word “RESIST” painted at a Tesla building after an incendiary attack on several cars on March 18, in Las VegasCredit: GettyA skyrocketing amount of recent attacks has also prompted the investigation.

The attacks are a response to Elon Musk’s appointment as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Trump’s administration.

There have been at least 80 reported cases of vandalism or arson in the U.S. and Canada, as well as peace protests at showrooms.

The latest attack – which targeted a showroom in Dallas, Texas, where Tesla is headquartered – was prevented thanks to an anonymous call.

FBI head Kash Patel said on X: “The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response.

“This is domestic terrorism.

“Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”

Musk addressed worried employees last Thursday.

He said: “If you read the news, it feels like, you know, Armageddon.”

The boss added that anyone burning Tesla vehicles was “psycho” and should “stop being psycho!”

Furious Trump called out the attacks and defended Tesla, saying that anyone convicted of such crimes could serve their sentence in El Salvadorian prisons.

The Central American nation is infamous for its treatment of inmates in sprawling megaprisons.

The investigation also comes after the Tesla attack epidemic even spread to Europe.

Several of their vehicles were set ablaze on March 14 in Germany, just days after Trump stood in support of Musk’s cars in front of the White House.

Over the weekend, a man was arrested for allegedly driving his car toward anti-Musk protesters outside a Tesla showroom in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday.

A U.S. protest group called Tesla Takedown is calling for demonstrations on Saturday, March 29, outside of the nearly 300 Tesla showrooms in the country.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/13862635/fbi-tesla-taskforce-car-attacks/

Canada says China and India may seek to meddle in election

The flags of India and Canada. For representational purposes. Credit: iStock Photo

China and India are likely to try to interfere in the Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan have the potential to do so, the country’s spy service said on Monday.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service made its comments at a time when Ottawa’s relations with both India and China are chilly. Beijing and New Delhi have denied previous allegations of interference.

Canada was slow in responding to efforts by China and India to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections, but their outcomes were unaffected by the meddling, an official probe said in a final report released in January.

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, told a press conference that hostile state actors were increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to meddle in elections.

“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she said.

Earlier this month Beijing announced tariffs on more than Rs 22,289 crore ($2.6 billion) worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products last year.

Canada said last week that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Canada last year expelled six Indian diplomats – including the head of mission – over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

“We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” said Lloyd.

The Chinese and Indian diplomatic missions in Ottawa were not immediately available for comment.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/canada-says-china-and-india-may-seek-to-meddle-in-election-3461242

HIGH ALERT BOMBS found at Tesla dealership after anonymous call as SWAT swarms showroom and FBI issues new threat over 48 attacks

MULTIPLE incendiary devices have been uncovered at a Tesla dealership, according to police.

Police responded to the Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas, on Monday morning after receiving reports of suspicious devices at the location.

The Austin Police Department’s bomb squad unit was deployed to the dealership, where they determined the devices were incendiary.

Incendiary devices are weapons or munitions designed to set fire to objects or cause burns, according to the United Nations’ Office for Disarmament Affairs.

Authorities collected the devices without incident.

The FBI was assisting Austin police at the showroom, according to CNBC.

Federal agents launched a 10-person task force on Monday as 48 attacks on Teslas have been reported so far this month, according to the New York Post.

The agency called the acts “domestic terrorism” and plans to deploy personnel from the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and eyeing a blog that reportedly calls for more attacks.

A growing number of videos online have also circulated of people defacing and damaging Tesla vehicles on the roads.

The attacks have come following Tesla chief executive Elon Musk’s appointment as head of the Department of Government Efficiency in the Trump administration.

Since his appointment, Musk has slashed federal jobs and budgets in an effort to reduce government spending and bring down the national debt.

‘HATRED AND VIOLENCE’

The billionaire, 53, has blamed Democrats for the attacks on his auto company, calling the incidents “coordinated.”

“It’s really come as a quite a shock to me that there is this level of real hatred and violence from the left,” Musk told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on March 18.

“I thought the left, you know, Democrats, were supposed to be a party of empathy, the party of caring.

“And yet they’re burning down cars. They’re firebombing dealerships.

“They’re firing bullets into dealerships. They’re just smashing up Teslas.”

There has been no evidence to support Musk’s claims.

Tesla attacks

A series of attacks have targeted Tesla showrooms and vehicles starting in early 2025.

The FBI has started investigating the attacks as potential domestic terrorism.

The recent attacks have been linked to people protesting CEO Elon Musk and his work in Donald Trump’s administration.

Some of the attacks include:

  • January 20 and February 19 – Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, attacked with Molotov cocktails and gunfire
  • March 3 – Seven Tesla charging stations set on fire near Boston
  • March 9 – Four Cybertrucks burned in a parking lot in Seattle, Washington
  • March 18 – A Tesla service center is set on fire with Molotov cocktails in Las Vegas
  • March 24 – Multiple bombs found inside a Tesla showroom in Texas

President Trump has called the destruction of Tesla property domestic terrorism and vowed to send those responsible for the attacks to El Salvador’s terrorism confinement center, CECOT.

“I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump said.

“Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”

TESLA ATTACKS ON THE RISE

Three people have been arrested in recent weeks in connection with the attacks on the electric vehicle company.

A man was arrested after throwing approximately eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla showroom in Salem, Oregon, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In South Carolina, another man was arrested after authorities said he wrote profane messages against Trump and his administration on Tesla charging stations before lighting them on fire.

And in Colorado, a woman was charged for attacking Tesla vehicles with Molotov cocktails and writing the words “Nazi cars” at a showroom in Loveland.

In early March, four Cybertrucks were set ablaze at a Tesla lot in Seattle, Washington.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/13858758/bombs-found-tesla-dealership-texas-austin/

Hillary Clinton Gives Perfect Response After Trump Admin’s War Plans Leak

Mangel Ngan/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton gave a withering response to the revelation that top Trump officials had leaked national security secrets on a group chat.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she wrote alongside a side-eye emoji.

On Monday, The Atlantic published a bombshell report revealing that Trump administration officials—including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz—had discussed highly confidential war plans in a group chat on the commercial messaging app Signal. Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg had inadvertently been added to the chat.

For Clinton, whose 2016 campaign was dogged by relentless attacks over her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state, the irony is rich.

Some of the same officials involved in Monday’s fiasco were among those who, during the 2016 campaign, fueled a political firestorm over Clinton’s use of the private email server at the State Department, which the FBI ultimately deemed “extremely careless” but not criminal.

Rubio blasted Clinton in a Fox News interview in 2015, saying, “The exposure of sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies by communicating in an insecure manner is incompetence, it is malpractice, it’s inexcusable.”

Waltz, who was the one to invite Goldberg to the group chat, was still bringing up Clinton’s emails in 2023.

“Biden’s sitting National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan sent Top Secret messages to Hillary Clinton’s private account. And what did DOJ do about it? Not a damn thing,” he posted on X at the time.

Trump has repeatedly called for Clinton to be jailed for her use of a private email, leading chants of “lock her up!” at rallies.

FBI Director James Comey opened an investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email 11 days before the election. Although the investigation reached the same conclusion—that Clinton had been “careless” but not acted criminally—two days before voters went to the polls, Clinton maintained it was “the determining factor” in her loss.

By using the Signal app—which is not approved for sharing classified information—to discuss highly sensitive plans about national security, the administration may have violated several laws, according to Goldberg.

Source : https://www.thedailybeast.com/hillary-clinton-responds-after-trump-admins-war-plan-leak/

 

China promotes business potential to Apple, Pfizer and other US companies

Chinese Premier Li Qiang poses for a family photo with attendees of the China Development Forum at Diaoyutai Guesthouse in Beijing, China March 23, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights

China sought to reassure foreign corporate chiefs of the country’s business potential when Vice Premier He Lifeng met with the heads of Apple (AAPL.O), Pfizer (PFE.N), Mastercard (MA.N), Cargill and others on Sunday.
He also met with pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly (LLY.N), medical device company Medtronic (MDT.N), and specialty glass maker Corning (GLW.N), a commerce ministry statement said.

Beijing is keen to woo foreign investment amid heightened geopolitical tensions, as policymakers try to boost domestic consumption in a slowing economy to offset the impact of U.S. tariffs.

“China will continue to improve the business environment and welcome more investment by multinational companies in China, sharing opportunities for development,” He told the business leaders, describing China’s economy as “highly resilient” and “full of vitality”.
The statement did not specify where they met. Many foreign CEOs are in Beijing to attend a business forum on Sunday and Monday, with some expected to meet President Xi Jinping on Friday, sources have told Reuters.
In a further push to encourage investment, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said smartphone maker Apple was welcome to deepen its supply-chain cooperation with China. The council’s chairman, Ren Hongbin, met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Sunday.

The Trump administration has imposed 20% tariffs on all Chinese goods since taking office in January, accusing Beijing of not doing enough to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States, straining relations between both.
At the China Development Forum, Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday urged countries to open their markets to combat “rising instability and uncertainty”, and promised more active macroeconomic policies.
U.S. Republican Senator Steve Daines, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, met Li on Sunday with seven senior executives from U.S. companies. Daines called the meeting a chance for them to air their views on the business environment in China directly to Li.

Some 86 company representatives from 21 countries came to the forum this year, with American firms making up the largest group of attendees, state broadcaster CCTV said.
A source said fewer American CEOs are attending the forum compared with last year.
But some CEOs were optimistic about investing and doing business in China, state-backed Global Times reported.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/chinas-vice-premier-reassures-apple-pfizer-cargill-others-business-potential-2025-03-24/

Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel has struck the largest hospital in the territory’s south

Israel’s military struck the largest hospital in southern Gaza on Sunday night, killing two people, wounding others and causing a large fire, the territory’s Health Ministry said.

The strike hit the surgical building of Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the ministry said, days after the facility was overwhelmed with dead and wounded when Israel resumed the war in Gaza last week with a surprise wave of airstrikes.

Those killed in Sunday night’s strike included a 16-year-old boy who underwent surgery two days ago, according to the Health Ministry. Also killed was Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, who was being treated at the hospital, Hamas said in a statement.

Israel’s military confirmed the strike on the hospital, saying it hit a Hamas militant operating there. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in densely populated areas.

Like other medical facilities around Gaza, Nasser Hospital has been damaged by Israeli raids and strikes throughout the war.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the war, the Health Ministry said earlier Sunday.

The military claimed to have “eliminated” dozens of militants since Israel ended a ceasefire Tuesday with strikes that killed hundreds of people on one of the deadliest days in the 17-month war.

Israel’s unrest over Gaza and political issues grew Sunday, with anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as his government voted to express no confidence in the attorney general, seen by many as a check on the power of his coalition.

“I’m worried for the future of this country. And I think it has to stop. We have to change direction,” said Avital Halperin, one of hundreds of protesters outside Netanyahu’s office. Police said three were arrested.

‘Displacement under fire’

Israel’s military ordered thousands of Palestinians to leave the heavily destroyed Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in the southern city of Rafah. They walked to Muwasi, a sprawling area of squalid tent camps. The war has forced most of Gaza’s population of over 2 million to flee within the territory, often multiple times.

“It’s displacement under fire,” said Mustafa Gaber, a journalist who left with his family. He said tank and drone fire echoed nearby.

“The shells are falling among us and the bullets are (flying) above us,” said Amal Nassar, also displaced. “The elderly have been thrown into the streets. An old woman was telling her son, ‘Go and leave me to die.’ Where will we go?”

“Enough is enough. We are exhausted,” said a fleeing Ayda Abu Shaer, as smoke rose in the distance.

The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it lost contact with a 10-member team responding to the strikes in Rafah. Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh said some were wounded.

Israel’s military said it had fired on advancing “suspicious vehicles” and later discovered some were ambulances and fire trucks.

In Gaza City, an explosion hit next to a tent camp where people had been told to evacuate. “My husband is blind and started running barefoot, and my children were running,” said witness Nidaa Hassuna.

Strikes kill Hamas leader

Hamas said Salah Bardawil, a well-known member of its political bureau, was killed in a strike in Muwasi that also killed his wife. Israel’s military confirmed it.

Hospitals in southern Gaza said they received a further 24 bodies from strikes overnight, including several women and children.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said 50,021 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including 673 people since Israel’s bombardment on Tuesday shattered the ceasefire.

Dr. Munir al-Boursh, the ministry’s general director, said the dead include 15,613 children, with 872 of them under 1 year old.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up over half the dead. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

Ceasefire in tatters

The ceasefire that took hold in January paused more than a year of fighting ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostage. Most captives have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

In the latest ceasefire’s first phase, 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others were released in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces allowed hundreds of thousands of people to return home. There was a surge in humanitarian aid until Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza earlier this month to pressure Hamas to change the ceasefire agreement.

The sides were supposed to begin negotiations in early February on the ceasefire’s next phase, in which Hamas was to release the remaining 59 hostages — 35 of them believed to be dead — in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Those talks never began.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-03-23-2025-6cf589a317118f69855d5faa97330803

Turkey protesters met with tear gas and rubber bullets at rallies after president’s main rival jailed

Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled Istanbul’s streets on Sunday for a fifth night of protest against the arrest of the Turkish president’s main rival.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was detained on Wednesday and formally arrested and jailed pending trial over corruption charges earlier on Sunday.

Police used pepper spray and fired rubber bullets into the crowd that gathered outside Istanbul’s city hall.

Reporting from Istanbul on Sunday evening, Sky News’ special correspondent Alex Crawford described the protests as “relatively peaceful” but said they were “the biggest protests Turkey has seen in more than a decade”.

The huge demonstrations have continued despite a ban on gatherings in Istanbul imposed this week – but many protesters hid their faces with masks.

Most protesters did not want to speak on camera as they were scared of being recognised, Crawford said, but they took to the streets because “they feel their democracy is being eroded”.

She said questions remained over how long authorities would allow these protests to continue – and whether they will escalate into a real crisis for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The protests have now entered their fifth day. Pic: AP

The protests intensified after Mr Imamoglu was charged on Sunday with running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging. A request to detain Mr Imamoglu on terror-related charges was denied.

Following the ruling, he was transferred to Silivri prison, west of Istanbul.

Mr Imamoglu has labelled all of the claims “unimaginable accusations and slanders”.

Many view his detention as a political move to remove him from the 2028 presidential race – deepening concerns over the country’s democracy and the rule of law.

The Turkish government denies Mr Imamoglu’s arrest was politically motivated and says the courts are independent.

Mr Erdogan has served as Turkey’s president since his Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2003.

Its biggest opponent in the next election looks set to be the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which this weekend began holding a primary presidential election to endorse Mr Imamoglu, their only presidential candidate.

The party also set up solidarity boxes where non-members could show their support – and at the time of last night’s protest, more than 13 million had done so, according to the CHP.

In a post on social media, Mr Imamoglu praised the result, saying the people had told Mr Erdogan: “Enough is enough.”

“That ballot box will arrive and the nation will deliver a slap to the administration it will never forget,” he added.

Mr Imamoglu – who could be prevented from running for president if he is convicted – was one of 48 people jailed pending trial this weekend. The others being held include a key aide and two Istanbul district mayors.

While the protests have largely been peaceful, there has been some violence in Istanbul, as well as other cities including Ankara and Izmir.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/turkey-protesters-met-with-tear-gas-and-rubber-bullets-at-rallies-after-presidents-main-rival-jailed-13334597

Supreme Court Releases Video Showing Burnt Cash At Justice Yashwant Varma’s House; Delhi Judge Denies Links To Money

The report, made available on the Supreme Court’s website, includes visuals purportedly showing semi-burnt currency allegedly found in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s official residence during a firefighting operation on March 14, the night of Holi. The materials were shared with Justice Upadhyaya by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora.

Supreme Court Releases Video Showing Burnt Cash At Justice Yashwant Varma’s House; Delhi Judge Denies Links To Money |

The Supreme Court on Saturday night released a report, along with three images and a video, regarding the alleged discovery of unaccounted cash at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. The disclosure follows an internal investigation initiated by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna. Additionally, Delhi High Court Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya was directed not to assign judicial work to Justice Varma amid the controversy.

The report, made available on the Supreme Court’s website, includes visuals purportedly showing semi-burnt currency allegedly found in the storeroom of Justice Varma’s official residence during a firefighting operation on March 14, the night of Holi. The materials were shared with Justice Upadhyaya by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora.

Justice Varma Denies Links To Cash

Justice Varma, however, has vehemently denied any connection to the cash. “I was shocked to see the video as it depicted something that was not present at the site when I last saw it. This appears to be a deliberate conspiracy to malign me,” Justice Varma stated, questioning the authenticity of the evidence presented.

In a detailed response to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice, Justice Varma explained that the fire broke out in a storeroom located near the staff quarters of his government-allotted residence, reported NDTV. According to him, the space was a common storage area for household items, including old furniture, crockery, and garden tools, and was neither locked nor directly connected to his main residence.

On the night of the fire, Justice Varma and his wife were in Madhya Pradesh, while only his daughter and elderly mother were at home. He returned to Delhi the following day via an IndiGo flight from Bhopal. His daughter and private secretary alerted the fire department when the blaze erupted. He noted that during firefighting efforts, all family members and staff were kept at a safe distance and did not witness any cash at the scene.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/supreme-court-releases-video-showing-burnt-cash-at-justice-yashwant-varmas-house-delhi-judge-denies-links-to-money

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