Category: World

DONALD Trump has joked “I’d like to be pope” and revealed his top pick to lead the Vatican.

When asked on Tuesday who should succeed Pope Francis, the US president gave a characteristically bold answer – himself.

Famous for popularizing the red MAGA cap, Trump could trade it for the holy white skullcap.

Trump said: “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice.

“No, I don’t know, I have no preference.

“I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who’s very good.

“So we’ll see what happens.”

While Trump clarified he doesn’t have a firm preference on who should take the position, his favorite “from New York” is widely believed to be Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The Archbishop of New York is the only American considered a serious candidate.

A staunch conservative, Dolan has vocally opposed contraception and condemned the removal of controversial statues during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

He took his vows in 1976 and was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

While Trump’s remark was made in jest, it’s a technical impossibility.

The spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics must be elected from the College of Cardinals, and Trump is not – and never has been – a cardinal.

Currently, around 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to take part in the secretive election in the papal conclave, a centuries-old process steeped in tradition.

They’ll travel from around the world to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where the next leader of the Catholic Church will be chosen in a series of ballots.

While the process of choosing Francis’ successor is highly secretive, several cardinals have been identified as possible top contenders.

They include Italy’s Pietro Parolin, the Philippines’ Luis Antonio Tagle, Hungary’s Peter Erdo and Ghana’s Peter Turkson.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic church, died last Monday aged 88 after fighting for his life in a “complex” health battle.

The pontiff had been hospitalised for weeks at the Gemelli hospital in Rome earlier this year after suffering a bout of bronchitis and double pneumonia.

He was discharged on March 23 after the 38-day stay, and was able to bless crowds of worshippers yesterday on Easter Sunday.

But just hours later, Vatican officials announced the leader of the Catholic Church had passed away.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14131718/watch-moment-trump-pope-reveals-favorite/

It has been 100 days since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Since then, he issued a flurry of executive orders from the Oval Office, upending the United States and its relations with the world. DW has more.

A shootout at a Swedish hair salon on Tuesday (Apr 29) left at least three people dead, police and media said, amid heightened nerves over gun violence in the Scandinavian nation.

The shooting erupted in the centre of Uppsala a day before a spring festival which draws more than 100,000 people to the city, some 60km north of Stockholm.

Police, who confirmed three dead, said the attack was staged by a masked gunman. Media reports said he escaped on an electric scooter after the early evening shootout.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer called the killings “extremely serious” but police would not say if it was the latest episode in a long-running war between gangs. Sweden is also still recovering from its worst mass shooting in February.

“We have three people confirmed dead, but we have not confirmed their identities yet,” police spokesman Magnus Jansson Klarin told AFP.

“We received reports of a masked person on an electric scooter. We are looking into those reports,” he said, adding that door-to-door inquiries were being carried out around the scene of the shooting.

Swedish media said witnesses heard several shots at a hair salon in the centre of the city.

The SVT public broadcaster said one of the victims had been a suspect in an investigation into a planned attack against a relative of a gang leader, Ismail Abdo.

“It’s normally a quiet neighbourhood, I do my shopping here every day,” Elias Sundgren, a student at the local university, told AFP.

GANG VIOLENCE

The shooting came a day before Uppsala holds the Valborg festival to mark the start of spring. While police sealed off the streets around the hair salon – and a drone flew overhead – they sought to reassure the huge number of visitors expected.

“People should not be afraid to come tomorrow,” Klarin said.

“There are 100,000 to 150,000 people expected in Uppsala for Valborg tomorrow, and there are already a whole lot here today.”

On Feb 4, the country was rocked by its worst mass shooting when 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in the city of Orebro and shot dead 10 people before turning the gun on himself.

But the Nordic country has struggled in recent years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Earlier this month, two people were killed in suspected gang violence in Gothenburg. A renowned rapper was shot dead in a gang battle in Gothenburg last year.

Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden. The number of reported gang deaths fell in 2024 however.

In the country of 10.6 million people, 92 cases of deadly violence were recorded in 2024, 29 fewer than 2023, and the lowest level since 2014, according to official data.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/sweden-gun-attack-leaves-three-dead-5098001

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Tuesday (Apr 29) for a “fair” end to the war with Russia without “rewards” for Vladimir Putin, pushing back against demands for Kyiv to make territorial concessions.

“We all want this war to end in a fair way – with no rewards for Putin, especially no land,” Zelenskyy said via videoconference at a summit organised by Poland.

The comment comes amid reports the United States suggested to freeze the front lines and accept the Russian control of the Crimean peninsula that it seized in 2014, something Zelenskyy has refused.

But US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he believed Zelenskyy might concede the Black Sea peninsula as part of a settlement.

Russia has also repeatedly demanded to keep the territory in southern and eastern Ukraine that it occupies and for Kyiv to cede even more land.

Moscow holds about 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory after launching its grinding assault that has killed thousands of people.

Washington has said that this week will be “critical” for peace efforts.

UNCONDITIONAL CEASEFIRE

Zelenskyy later on Tuesday once again called for a full and unconditional ceasefire, which must be the first step before any negotiations.

“They must take clear steps to end the war, and we insist that an unconditional and complete ceasefire must be the first step,” he said in an evening address.

Putin on Monday ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire on May 8-10, which coincides with Moscow’s World War II commemorations, drawing ire from Kyiv, which demanded Moscow pause hostilities immediately.

“Right now, they are worried that their parade is in jeopardy, and rightly so,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address, “but they should be worried that this war is still going on,” he added.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/human-rights-attacks-accelerated-trump-second-term-amnesty-international-5097946

As life in Spain and Portugal stutters back to normal, the big questions are not just what went wrong but how to prevent such a full-scale power failure from happening again.

It was not until 11:15 (09:15 GMT) on Tuesday, almost 23 hours after the system collapsed that Spain’s electricity grid declared it was back to normal.

The trains have started running again although some lines are suspended and most homes have got their power back.

So how did it get back up and running and why did it take so long?

For most of Monday, Spain was in chaos.

The issue appears to relate to two separate connection problems in the south west within moments of each other and then a disconnection from the French network for almost an hour.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez highlighted the sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of electricity at 12:33 on Monday, when about 60% of Spain’s power generation suddenly vanished.

Eduardo Prieto, the director of operations for the grid Red Eléctrica, said the systems had been stable, until a loss of power generation in southwestern Spain.

Only the Canary Islands, the Balearics and Ceuta and Melilla on the North African coast were unaffected.

An increasing number of public figures are blaming a saturation of solar power and an over-reliance on renewable energy.

Minutes before the outage, Spain was running on 60.64% solar photovoltaic generation, with 12% wind and 11.6% nuclear.

However diversified and advanced Spain’s energy mix is, the national power collapse at 12:35 on Monday required an enormous effort to get Spain back up and running.

The initial focus was to get the northern and southern power generating regions working again, which grid operator Red Eléctrica said was key to “gradually re-energising the transmission grid as the generating units are connected”.

The risk lay in overloading the system by turning everything on at the same time and triggering another massive outage.

So everything had to be carefully phased for what experts call a “black start” working out as a success.

The initial focus was on hydro-electric plants, in particular pumped-storage plants with reservoirs full at this time of year and able to produce electricity fast from a standing start.

Combined-cycle gas plants also played a significant part in repowering the grid, but four nuclear power reactors at Almaraz, Ascó and and Vandellós were automatically shut down by the outage, and three others were already offline anyway.

Spain’s neighbours France and Morocco also came to its aid.

Morocco said 900MW of power had been transferred through two high-voltage lines that cross the Strait of Gibraltrar from Fardioua to Tarifa in southern Spain.

French operator RTE said it had been “gradually transferring more electricity to the Spanish border” via its power lines supplying Catalonia in north-east Spain and the Basque country in the north-west.

RTE said the Iberian network had been disconnected from 12:38 to 13:30 on Monday, when the 400kV line to Catalonia was restored. Within minutes, France had supplied 700MW and RTE said it was later able to increase that by up to 2,000 MW.

Power was then eventually restored to Spain’s electricity substations in the north, south and west of the peninsula.

By 19:20 on Monday, the grid operator said more than a fifth of demand had been restored by way of Spain’s own electricity generation and from France.

Electricity provider Endesa said it had restored almost 3.5 million customers by 19:15 and had prioritised hospitals and other strategic infrastructure.

Just over an hour later the head of Red Eléctrica boss Eduardo Prieto said about 9,200 MW of demand – about 35.1% – had been restored.

That figure rose steadily to 61.35% by midnight on Monday and more than 99% by 07:00 on Tuesday.

Spain is only now beginning to count the cost. The CEOE bosses’ organisation has estimated a €1.6bn hit on the economy.

And the political blame game has already begun.

The conservative head of the Madrid community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, said the government’s response had been slow and ineffective, while the leader of her People’s Party Alberto Núñez Feijóo complained of a “lamentable” image of Spain being sent around the world.

Despite all the problems, Spaniards were praised by the government for rising to the occasion and showing solidarity.

Hospitals had back-up diesel-operated generators so they were able to keep critical care going.

Spain’s Guardia Civil police force said it had rescued 13,000 passengers trapped on trains.

Residents in the southern town of Villanueva de Córdoba came to the aid of passengers stranded on a Ouigo train.

Local police in Barcelona returned to the old ways, regulating traffic in the Plaça España because the lights were out.

Passengers on the Barcelona metro had to walk to safety using the torches on their mobile phones when their trains became stuck in tunnels.

A conference centre in Girona was converted into a 180-bed shelter for people stranded by rail disruptions.

Although flights across the country were affected, airports operator Aena kept going throughout the disruption with the aid of generators.

Phone batteries ran down, TVs were on the blink and for many Spaniards their only lifeline to the outside world was from a car or battery-operated radio, as radio stations soldiered on through the blackout.

In Madrid there has been an urgent call for blood donations ahead of the big public holiday weekend.

Pedro Sánchez is determined that lessons will be learned and such a crisis will not happen again.

But energy expert Carlos Cagigal told Spanish TV there was a risk that it might, because Spain’s infrastructure was simply not in a position to cope with all the renewable energy being produced.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c175ykvjxyeo

On a searing afternoon in Vietnam, Tung Linh declared she “basically knows nothing” about the bloody, decades-long war that pitted her country’s Communist-run North against the United States-backed South.

“My grandparents fought in the war and because of that today we can look at the sky and see an airplane and we don’t feel scared, like they did,” says the 20-year-old college student.

Stuck to her right cheek was a little yellow star on a red rectangle – the Vietnamese flag. Like her, Ho Chi Minh City, where she lived, was gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, when the Communists triumphed.

Today’s Vietnam is a remarkably different country than the one American troops withdrew from in defeat – it’s enterprising, it’s growing fast and it’s getting richer.

Its authoritarian Communist leadership has embraced capitalism. They aspire to follow in China’s footsteps, and have ploughed money and effort into becoming a reliable manufacturing hub, even an alternative to China.

But that is a risky ambition during US President Donald Trump’s trade war – it’s partly why he is threatening a 46% levy against the South East Asian nation. That could shatter the country’s economic potential.

Vietnam was a French colony, a Chinese vassal and for 20 years, the proxy battlefield in America’s bloody struggle to stop China spreading communism across South East Asia.

But it cannot escape its geography. Nestled beneath China’s wide rump, it is once again on the frontline in a new American battle –which hopes to stem Beijing’s rise as an economic superpower.

Vietnam is a young country in a hurry. The median age is 33, considerably younger than Thailand or China (40), and far younger than Japan (50).

“I want to do a job that will bring more success to Vietnam,” said Linh in fluent English. She is studying economics and marketing. “And yes, success for me too,” she admits, with a smile, when prodded.

It’s a dream that suits her bustling city – now a sprawling metropolis of 10 million people, Ho Chi Minh City has the same choking traffic, glass-clad skyscrapers, five-star hotels, restaurants and seedy massage parlours as any Asian mega city.

You would be hard put to find traces of the socialist ideology that led to the city’s capture in 1975, when it was the capital of South Vietnam. The victors renamed it city Ho Chi Minh, after the revolutionary father of North Vietnam. But to locals, it is still Saigon.

And when it fell on this day 50 years ago, South Vietnam ceased to exist as North Vietnamese tanks smashed through the tall iron gates of the presidential compound and raised the red flag with a yellow star over the presidential palace.

America’s ally, the southern regime, was vanquished. Its last president had fled the previous day. More than two decades of bitter conflict was over.

The victory had come at an enormous cost. An estimated three million dead and millions more injured. Between 1968 and 1975, a greater tonnage of bombs was dropped on this slender piece of land than in all theatres in World War Two.

But few here want to talk about the war even as they celebrate the anniversary of their “reunification”.

Linh and her friends screamed in delight as a truck carrying soldiers drove past. The shy idols waved back – they were on their way to the barracks after rehearsals for the anniversary parade.

“I am excited because this is the day when we reunited, when we became one country again,” Linh said.

Her answer sounded a little rehearsed, not least because of the government-appointed minder who accompanied the BBC throughout. But her enthusiasm for her future – and her country’s – is not uncommon.

A little further down the road, 18-year-old Minh, who did not want to share her last name, told us she was studying to be a lawyer so she could “become successful”. With a laugh, she added: “And rich!”

When we asked about how young people feel about Americans, the minder winced visibly and tried to stop her answering.

“We’re not angry,” she says. “We don’t hate them. That was the past. Now we want to trade with America. You know globalisation? We want to learn from America.”

Vietnam’s new leaders appear to have the same ambition. In January the country’s new Communist party chief, To Lam, embarked on a program to slash bureaucracy that could impress Elon Musk, who has been overseeing the Trump administration’s controversial cost-cutting team.

The country’s 63 provinces and municipalities are being reduced to 34, and government ministries and agencies cut from 30 to 17. This year, 100,000 government employees are being laid off, according to official estimates.

The ambition is huge. So far only one country in South East Asia, Singapore, has managed to escape the “middle-income trap”, where economic growth slows before countries become rich. Vietnam, whose economy is growing at a steady 5%, intends to be the second. It has flung its doors wide open to investment – and is welcoming back those it once drove from its shores.

After the 1975 victory around two million southern Vietnamese fled the country. Many were ethnic Chinese. They packed on to flimsy boats and set out across the South China Sea. They became known as “the boat people”. Today their descendants make up a diaspora of nearly six million stretching from the United States and Canada to France, Germany, Japan and Taiwan.

“Since 2017, I have promoted many Taiwanese companies to invest in Vietnam, and I myself am an advisor to several large electronics companies that I brought here,” said Lisa Wu, who was born in Saigon but spent three decades in Taiwan. Now she is back.

“The most attractive thing is that the Vietnamese government is very supportive. The electronics industry is expanding out of China and a lot will choose Vietnam.”

It’s no coincidence this shift began around 2018, when Trump declared his first trade war against China.

Two young businesswomen from southern China, who did not want to share their names, tell us they have spent the last two years setting up a shoe factory here: “Now it’s ready to go.”

They plan to export to the US. They are concerned about the possibility of higher tariffs for Vietnam – it currently faces a 10% levy, like most of the world – but “it’s a lot better here than China”, they say with a laugh. Chinese imports to the US face a range of tariffs that go up to 245% for some goods.

Still, Vietnam is feeling the impact, Ms Wu said. “I had several factories preparing to begin operations here this May. But because of the policy change, all have stopped and everyone is waiting.”

Vietnam is again being asked to choose – America or China. But it’s not a choice it can or will make because it needs both.

Less than two weeks ago, they rolled out the red carpet to welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the capital Hanoi. Warm words were spoken of fraternal friendship and support. But relations with their big neighbour are trickier than they may appear. For years, Vietnam has walked a tightrope between Washington and Beijing – the latter’s expansive ambitions can be a threat to neighbours, especially growing economies that are keen to woo US businesses.

As Vietnam insists on “looking forward”, it appears to have almost forgotten the men and women who fought in the jungles and through the hell of American bombs.

But even they say there must be no return to the past. “I used to have a scar here,” says Le Thanh Gian, pointing to his right hand, where a bullet had once lodged.

“There are still some pieces of shrapnel in my body that couldn’t be removed. There were battles where it seemed like we would all be killed. But some of us survived while others fell.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjewggl0yqeo

Nestled in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan sits the picturesque village of Sergele.

For generations villagers have made a living growing pomegranates, almonds and peaches and foraging in the surrounding forests for wild fruits and spices.

But Sergele, located 16km (10 miles) from the border with Turkey, has become increasingly surrounded by Turkish military bases, which are dotted across the slopes.

One, perched halfway up the western ridge, looms over the village, while another in the east is under construction.

At least seven have been built here over the past two years, including one by a small dam that regulates Sergele’s water supply, rendering it off limits to villagers.

“This is 100% a form of occupation of Kurdish [Iraqi Kurdistan] lands,” says farmer Sherwan Sherwan Sergeli, 50, who has lost access to some of his land.

“The Turks ruined it.”

Sergele is now in danger of being dragged into what’s known locally as the “Forbidden Zone” – a large strip of land in northern Iraq affected by Turkey’s war with the Kurdish militant group the PKK, which launched an insurgency in southern Turkey in 1984.

The Forbidden Zone spans almost the entire length of the Iraqi border with Turkey and is up to 40km (25 miles) deep in places.

Community Peacemaker Teams, a human rights group based in Iraqi Kurdistan, says that hundreds of civilians have been killed by drone and air strikes in and around the Forbidden Zone. According to a 2020 Kurdistan parliamentary report, thousands have been forced off their land and whole villages have been emptied out by the conflict.

Sergele is now effectively on the front line of Turkey’s war with the PKK.

When the BBC World Service Eye Investigations team visited the area, Turkish aircraft pummelled the mountains surrounding the village to root out PKK militants, who have long operated from caves and tunnels in northern Iraq.

Much of the land around Sergele had been burned by shelling.

“The more bases they put up, the worse it gets for us,” says Sherwan.

Turkey has been rapidly growing its military presence in the Forbidden Zone in recent years, but until now the scale of this expansion was not publicly known.

Using satellite imagery assessed by experts and corroborated with on-the-ground reporting and open-source content, the BBC found that as of December 2024, the Turkish military had built at least 136 fixed military installations across northern Iraq.

Through its vast network of military bases, Turkey now holds de-facto control of more than 2,000 sq km (772 square miles) of Iraqi land, the BBC’s analysis found.

Satellite images further reveal that the Turkish military has built at least 660km (410 miles) of roads connecting its facilities. These supply routes have resulted in deforestation and left a lasting imprint on the region’s mountains.

While a few of the bases date back to the 1990s, 89% have been constructed since 2018, after which Turkey began significantly expanding its military presence in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Turkish government didn’t respond to the BBC’s requests for interviews, but has maintained that its military bases are necessary to push back the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organisation by Ankara and a number of Western nations, including the UK.

The sub-district capital of Kani Masi, which is only 4km (2.5 miles) from the Iraqi-Turkish border and parts of which are within the Forbidden Zone, may offer a glimpse into Sergele’s future.

Once famous for its apple production, few residents remain here now.

Farmer Salam Saeed, whose land is in the shadow of a large Turkish base, hasn’t been able to cultivate his vineyard for the past three years.

“The moment you get here, you will have a drone hover over you,” he tells the BBC.

“They will shoot you if you stay.”

The Turkish military first set up here in the 1990s and has been consolidating its presence since.

Its main military base, featuring concrete blast walls, watch and communication towers and space for armoured personnel carriers to move inside, is much more developed than the smaller outposts around Sergele.

Salam, like some other locals, believes Turkey ultimately wants to claim the territory as its own.

“All they want is for us to leave these areas,” he adds.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community on Tuesday modeled creations inspired by Lady Gaga’s iconic style at a fashion show in Brazil featuring outfits made either by the models themselves or by the sustainable fashion house “Escola de Divines.”

The fashion show took place at Rio de Janeiro’s Central train station and aimed to publicize the special train schedule for Lady Gaga’s Saturday concert on Copacabana Beach.

It also served as an awareness campaign guiding the LGBTQ+ population on how to stay safe and what to do in cases of violence, as well as tips to preserve sexual health.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/lady-gaga-fashion-brazil-rio-lgbtq-46650d93535d8a03b62db56574bbbb0e

President Donald Trump announced a new fighter jet mission for an Air National Guard base in Michigan on Tuesday, allaying fears that the base could close and delivering a win for a longtime antagonist, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The two even shared a hug.

Whitmer has softened her stance toward Trump in hopes of finding common ground, with securing a new mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base a top priority. Their embrace as the Republican president arrived in Michigan was a remarkable development given how unpopular the president remains with Democrats and the rancor of last year’s hard-fought campaign.

Whitmer, when asked about their hug, described the encounter differently, telling The Associated Press: “I was the first one he greeted. We shook hands and he leaned in to tell me, you know, congratulations and that I was a big reason that we were making an announcement today. And I was grateful for that.”

For decades, Trump said at the air base, Selfridge has “stood as a crucial pillar of North American air defense.”

“In recent years, many in Michigan have feared for the future of the base. They’ve been calling everybody, but the only one that mattered is Trump,” he said. “Today I have come in person to lay to rest any doubt about Selfridge’s future.”

State officials had been pushing for years to replace the base’s aging fleet of A-10 aircraft, which are set to be retired, to help ensure Selfridge remains in operation. Trump said Tuesday that the retiring A-10s will be replaced by 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighters jets that were “fresh off the line.”

During his remarks, Trump said the governor — who shared a brief motorcade ride with him to the base as he arrived in Michigan to mark his 100th day in office — has been “very effective” in advocating for Selfridge. But her own impromptu remarks, Whitmer notably did not name Trump.

“I am really damn happy we’re here to celebrate this recapitalization at Selfridge,” she said. “It’s crucial for the Michigan economy, it’s crucial for the men and women here, for our homeland security and our future. So thank you. I’m so, so grateful that this announcement was made today and I appreciate all the work.”

Located 30 miles north of Detroit, the base generates an estimated $850 million in statewide economic impact and supports about 5,000 military and civilian personnel, according to the office of Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.

For years, Whitmer has pressed multiple administrations — including Trump’s in his first term and former Democratic President Joe Biden’s — to secure a new mission for the base, calling it “a key defense hub and economic anchor.” The Air Force announced in 2017 that Selfridge had lost out on a bid for F-35A Lightning fighter jest.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled separately from the president to Selfridge for the announcement. But military implications aside, Trump’s announcement handed Whitmer a victory — though it remains to be seen what political price she may have paid to secure it.

The governor has been frequently mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. As she works to raise her profile nationally, Whitmer has vowed to find commonality with Trump where she can. But some Democrats view the president and his administration as so harmful that they’d rather see the party oppose Trump and his team whenever possible.

Earlier this month, Whitmer traveled to Washington to meet with Trump to discuss Selfridge and other issues affecting Michigan, including the steep tariffs Trump has imposed on Canada and other U.S. trading partners. The governor said she was unexpectedly ushered into the Oval Office, where she stood awkwardly as the Republican president signed executive orders and assailed his political opponents during a photo opportunity.

During that appearance, a photo captured Whitmer trying to hide her face from the cameras by holding up a folder.

Trump had told Whitmer during her visit that he hoped to keep the base “open, strong, thriving.”

“It’s a great piece of property. It’s a great location, and it’s a great state,” Trump said. “So I think we’re going to come back with a very good answer.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/trump-gretchen-whitmer-selfridge-new-air-mission-e701e6067f538849ca40fd61468b0b3c

Iran has proposed meeting the European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal possibly in Rome this Friday if talks resume with the United States, four diplomats said on Monday, cautioning that there has yet to be a response from the Europeans to the idea.
Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday and after talks with Russia and China last week.

Omani officials have said a new round of U.S.-Iran talks could be held on May 3 in Europe. No formal decision has been taken.
Iran’s reach out to Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, suggests Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of U.N. sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires.
Two E3 diplomats and a Western diplomat said Iran had communicated after last Saturday’s talks with the United States a proposal to meet possibly in Rome on Friday.
Should that not be possible, the Iranians also suggested discussions in Tehran before that date, the diplomats said.

The second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran took place in Rome with Iran saying serious differences remained.
An Iranian official confirmed the proposal, but said the E3 had not responded so far.
The European and Western diplomats said the E3 were assessing whether it was in their interest to meet Iran now or wait to see how talks with Washington developed, but ruled out a meeting in Tehran.
“It is important to remain on the same page with all parties to the 2015 deal. Therefore, meeting the E3 countries this week ahead of the next round of talks with Americans would be useful,” said the Iranian official.

UN SANCTIONS DEADLINE

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday he was ready to travel to Europe for talks, although he suggested that the ball was in Europe’s court after ties had soured between the two sides.

Since September, Tehran and the three European powers have met several times to discuss their ties and the nuclear issue.
The most recent meeting in March was held at the technical level, looking at the parameters of a future deal to secure a rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.
Trump, who abandoned the 2015 pact between Tehran and world powers during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it reaches a new deal swiftly that would prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
The West suspects Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, which it denies. The threat of renewed sanctions is intended to pressure Tehran into concessions, making detailed discussions on strategy between the Americans and Europeans vital, diplomats say.
Because the United States quit the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, it cannot initiate its mechanism for reimposing sanctions, called snapback, at the United Nations Security Council.

That makes the E3 the only participants in the deal who are capable of and interested in pursuing snapback.
When asked whether the proposal to meet Europeans was about snapback, the Iranian official indicated that was partly the aim.
“Talks with the U.S., particularly on the nuclear steps, are not moving fast and obviously we need more time and Tehran is not much in favour of an interim deal, because of lack of trust to American side,” the official said.
“What if under an interim deal, we fulfil our step and the other party does not. We need Europeans to understand that we want a new deal and we are ready to take steps to limit our enrichment but we need time.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-proposes-meeting-with-europeans-before-next-talks-with-us-diplomats-say-2025-04-28/

Now predominantly Muslim, North Africa was once a Christian heartland, producing Catholic popes who left their mark on the Church to this day.

Their papacies were in the era of the Roman Empire, which stretched across modern-day Tunisia, the north-east of Algeria and the coast of western Libya.

“North Africa was the Bible Belt of ancient Christianity,” says Prof Christopher Bellitto, a historian at Kean University in the US.

Many Catholics in Africa are hoping that that the papacy will return to the continent for the first time in more than 1,500 years, as a successor to Pope Francis is chosen.

Here, we look at the three previous African popes – and how they got Christians to celebrate Easter Sunday and St Valentine’s Day.

All three have been recognised in the Church as saints.

President Trump wasn’t ready to shake it off Monday.

The commander in chief took a jab at pop superstar Taylor Swift while honoring the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at the White House.

Trump, 78, became the first sitting president to attend the big game when he, Swift and 65,717 others watched the Eagles blow out the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, ending the Chiefs’ dream of becoming the first back-to-back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

“It was incredible. A little surprising,” the president said of the blowout win.

“I was there along with Taylor Swift,” Trump added before asking rhetorically: “How did that one work out?”

The “You Belong With Me” singer, who is in a high-profile relationship with star Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was loudly booed — to her apparent surprise — when she was shown on the big screen during the game.

Moments earlier, Trump was greeted with applause and cheers when he was shown during the pregame performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The blowout loss capped off a rough few months for objects of Swift’s affection. The “Bad Blood” crooner endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump in the 2024 election, having backed Joe Biden four years earlier.

The president took a poke at Swift on social media right after the game, writing on Truth Social: “The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift. She got BOOED out of the Stadium.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/us-news/trump-needles-taylor-swift-while-celebrating-eagles-super-bowl-win/

A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet slipped off an aircraft carrier and sank into the Red Sea as the ship was making a hard turn, possibly to avoid fire from Houthi forces, according to reports.

The $56 million warplane was lost, but the pilot made it out alive.

The jet was being towed out of a hangar on Monday on the USS Harry S. Truman when the carrier suddenly shifted, and the tractor pulling it lost control, sending both the jet and the vehicle overboard.

Initial reports from the scene indicated that the Truman made a sudden turn to evade an attack from Houthi rebels, an official told CNN.

The Houthi rebel group claimed on Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, according to the outlet.

The pilot and the Navy sailor driving the tractor managed to jump free, with only one sustaining a minor injury.

“Sailors towing the aircraft took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft before it fell overboard. An investigation is underway,” the Navy said.

The USS Truman aircraft carrier group has been subjected to constant threats from the Iran-backed terror group in Yemen. It is stationed in the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping in the area, which has been regularly attacked by the Houthis.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/world-news/uss-truman-aircraft-carrier-loses-56-million-fighter-jet-after-it-rolls-off-ship-into-red-sea/

President Donald Trump’s trade war policies are expected to bring about a 35% decline in cargo arriving at the Port of Los Angeles by next week as “essentially all shipments out of China for major retailers and manufacturers have ceased,” according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

Seroka’s warning came during the port’s board of harbor commissioners meeting on April 24, with the executive director saying that retailers and manufacturers typically put in orders to factories in Asia around three to four months in advance of shipments and that Trump’s 90-day pause on the broad “reciprocal” tariffs resulted in no “real difference” for businesses.

The Los Angeles Port head added on Thursday that U.S. exporters are also getting “hit hard” by retaliatory tariffs amid Trump’s trade war. Seroka said the sectors include agriculture, heavy-duty manufacturing and information technology services.

“U.S. ag exporters are having an especially challenging time, so much so that in March, China bought more soybeans from Brazil in one month than ever in their history,” Seroka said.

Meanwhile, major retailers have told Seroka that they have about a six- to eight-week supply of inventory but that “will quickly dry up.” The Los Angeles Port is the major point of entry for cargo ships from China and Southeast Asia into the U.S.

“United States consumers and manufacturers alike will find difficult decisions in the weeks and months to come if policies don’t change,” Seroka said.

The warnings from Seroka come amid continued back and forth over tariffs and possible deals between the U.S. and China. The uncertainty has led to a decrease in shipping volumes from China to North America, with cancellations currently at 50%, according to global logistics firm Flexport.

Trump Trade War: Recession By The Summer?

Meanwhile, asset management firm Apollo Global Management’s (APO) Chief Economist Torsten Slok on Sunday released a report outlining the timeline for Trump’s tariffs to result in empty shelves, layoffs in the trucking and retail sector and a recession this summer.

Trump announced his “liberation day” tariffs on April 2. It takes about 20 to 40 days for container ships to sail to the U.S. from China, according to Apollo. Slok estimates that container ships coming to U.S. ports could come to a stop by mid-May.

It then takes about 1-to-10 days of transit time for trucking/rail to bring goods from the ports to cities. Apollo Global Management predicts that by late May domestic freight demand will “come to a halt” and that there will be “empty shelves,” forcing retailers and others to deal with lower sales.

By early June, Slok forecasts there will be layoffs in the domestic freight and retail industries with a recession hitting the U.S. this summer.

The National Retail Federation, whose members include Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT) and others, forecast earlier this month that U.S. import cargo volume will fall at least 20% year over year in the second half of 2025 as U.S. companies pause orders from China.

Shipping Stocks And Retailers

Big retailers that rely on China-made goods — like Amazon (AMZN), Walmart and Target — are set to feel an impact from Trump’s trade war, as well as the slowdown in shipping.

Amazon reports first-quarter earnings on Thursday with Walmart’s Q1 financials coming on May 15. Target follows with first-quarter earnings and revenue on May 21. Amazon stock is down around 1.4% in April while Target stock has dropped 7.7%. Walmart shares have advanced more than 8%.

Container liners and logistics companies ZIM Integrated Shipping (ZIM) and XPO Logistics (XPO) are down 0.9% and 9.4%, respectively during April’s stock market action.

The 37 stocks in the IBD-tracked Transportation-Ship industry group have collectively declined 17% during 2025. That puts the sector at a weak No. 177 out of 197 ranked industries, with 1 being the best performer and 197 the worst.

Domestic freight company Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) is down 10% in April while peer ArcBest (ARCB) has declined 16.3% during stock market action in April.

Source : https://www.investors.com/news/trump-trade-war-difficult-decisions-as-china-shipments-cease/

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has praised Jalen Hurts as a “terrific guy and player” despite the Philadelphia Eagles’ star quarterback skipping the White House ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.

Hurts’ absence comes after he refused to confirm his attendance when asked by a Time Magazine reporter at Thursday evening’s Time 100 Gala in New York City.

When asked if he would visit the White House on Monday, Hurts stood silently and refused to give a clear answer, saying, “Ummm.”

The Super Bowl-winning Eagles’ were showered with praise by Trump as he congratulated them on accomplishing “football immortality” with their victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

“We’re thrilled to welcome everyone to the White House – special place – and to celebrate Super Bowl 59 champions the Philadelphia Eagles,” Trump said.

“The Eagles have turned out to be an incredible team and incredible group with a fantastic coach and coaches.

“Two years ago the Eagles came incredibly close to football immortality and Super Bowl 57, you remember that game.

“But after a hard fought game you suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs by just three points, it looked like you had the game.”

Trump continued, “This past year, the Eagles were determined to get it back and get it back they did.”

Despite Hurts missing from the South Lawn during the ceremony, Trump acknowledged the quarterback’s stellar season.

“He had a great season and a great game, finished with 32 touchdowns on the year. Turning one stellar performance after the other,” Trump said of Hurts.

“He’s a terrific guy and a terrific player.”

Trump was gifted with a signed Eagles helmet and a jersey with his name engraved in the back with the number 47 embedded.

Hurts’ absence was reported by NBC News hours before the event was scheduled to begin.

SAQUON FLIES ON AIR FORCE ONE

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ star running back Saquon Barkley hung out with Trump on Sunday, a day before the team’s White House visit.

Barkley and Trump were pictured disembarking Marine One on Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The pair then flew back to Washington DC on board Air Force One.

Barkley clapped back at the online backlash he received following his outing with the president.

“Lol some people are really upset cause I played golf and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley wrote on X on Monday.

“Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand.

“Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump!

“Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have [an] amazing day.”

During Monday’s ceremony, Trump praised Barkley as a “handsome guy.”

“The season started off slow, but you soon caught fire with your great coach inspiring you and you got the ball to your superstar running back, who I met yesterday,” Trump said.

FORMER President Barack Obama has been spotted out to dinner without Michelle as speculation about their marriage continues.

Barack, 63, was seen embarking on a night out with his daughters, Sasha and Malia, at a chic restaurant in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Democrat wore his wedding ring and looked glum as he met up with his daughters at the ritzy Japanese eatery Hamasuku in Santa Monica.

The family has been spotted at the restaurant multiple times since 2022, as Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, both live in Los Angeles.

However, the family was missing their matriarch this weekend as Michelle, 61, was nowhere to be found.

It comes a week after Barack and Michelle were spotted together at an Italian restaurant in Washington DC.

The couple’s date night marked the first time the pair, who have been married for 32 years, have been photographed together since December.

Rumors about possible marriage troubles for the former White House couple began to swirl when Michelle was notably absent from Barack’s side at former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral in January.

All living former presidents were at the funeral with their wives except for Michelle.

It was later revealed that she had been on vacation in Hawaii during the event.

Weeks after the funeral, Michelle then skipped President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, as cameras captured Barack entering the US Capitol Rotunda alone.

In February, Michelle and her older brother, Craig Robinson, were also pictured in Los Angeles going out for dinner without Barack.

Michelle and Robinson have a podcast together called IMO, where she has also spoken about her pet peeves with Barack at the start of their marriage, including his lateness.

Despite the growing speculation, Michelle recently shot down divorce rumors in an episode of actress Sophia Bush’s podcast, Work in Progress.

She revealed that she didn’t attend the political events, including Carter’s funeral and Trump’s inauguration, because she is exercising her independence.

“That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people,” Michelle said.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has revealed the truth about a potential run for a third term, promising a 2028 election bid would be a “big shattering.”

Trump has previously said he is “not joking” about another possible term in the White House.

The president boasted about both his power at home and influence abroad in a new interview with The Atlantic.

“The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive,” Trump said, adding, “I had all these crooked guys.”

“And the second time, I run the country and the world,” the president said.

In March, Trump made shockwaves when he suggested that he was serious about a third term as president.

He told NBC News at the time that “a lot of people want me to do it.”

“But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration,” he added.

And just last week, Trump’s real estate company, the Trump Organization, dropped a new version of Trump’s classic “Make America Great Again” hat.

This time, the red hat simply says, “Trump 2028,” which is the next presidential election year.

The $50 hat was modeled by Eric Trump, the president’s second-oldest child, on the company’s official online store.

Kimberly Benza, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization, told the New York Post that the new merchandise was put online “because it’s amazing.”

Trump said in his interview published Monday that it “would be a big shattering” if he ran for reelection.

He added: “Well, maybe I’m just trying to shatter.”

But he then admitted: “It’s not something that I’m looking to do.

“And I think it would be a very hard thing to do.”

The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

It was created in 1951 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected for four consecutive terms.

In the depths of a Chilean rainforest stands the ‘Gran Abuelo,’ an approximately 5,400-year-old tree fighting for survival. A highway project now threatens its existence — and the ecosystem around it.

Empires have risen and fallen, languages have been born and forgotten — but this tree stood the test of time: The 5,400-year-old Gran Abuelo, or great grandfather in Spanish.

Jonathan Barichivich, a renowned Chilean scientist working in France, grew up in the temperate rainforest now protected in Alerce Costero National Park. His grandfather, Anibal, discovered the Gran Abuelo tree in 1972 while working as a park ranger. That moment, he says, changed the course of his family’s history — and the tree’s.

“I took my first steps in this forest with my grandfather. He taught me the names of the plants before I could even read,” Barichivich recalled. “The memories of my childhood are fuel for my scientific passion.”

Now, Barichivich and his mother, along with a team of researchers, are unlocking the secrets stored in the Gran Abuelo and other trees — information that could shape how we understand and fight climate change.

Not just old, but record-keeper of climate patterns

The alerce trees in this forest , also known as Patagonian cypress, or Fitzroya cupressoides, don’t just grow older than many other trees. The species is also one of the most climate-sensitive trees in the world. Each ring inside its trunk is a yearly weather record. Studying their rings allows researchers to reconstruct climate patterns stretching back thousands of years — data unmatched by any other species in the region.

“They are like encyclopedias,” said Rocio Urrutia, a Chilean scientist who has studied these trees for decades. Her research has helped reconstruct temperature records going back 5,680 years.

To determine a tree’s age, scientists frequently use a tool called an increment borer to extract a part of the trunk and count the number of rings that have formed over the years. However, many old trees have long lost the core of their trunk, so scientists have to rely on both the rings they can see, as well as statistical models that project the total number of rings, to come up with a range for the tree’s age.

The scientists also measure how much carbon the forest absorbs and emits. The more the tree grows, the thicker the space will be between each tree ring. And more growth means more carbon capture. These measurements are essential in understanding how forests respond to global warming.

“Forests absorb about one-third of our carbon emissions,” Barichivich explained.

But will that also be the case as the planet continues to grow hotter?

Understanding how trees grow under different weather patterns tells us how much carbon they absorb — which is essential for predicting whether forests can continue to slow global warming in a hotter future.

A new road is threatening the rainforest

But the centuries-old trees have come under threat, as the Chilean government has proposed reopening an old logging road to build a new highway — cutting through a protected national park.

Officials argued the road would connect cities and boost tourism in the region. However, some say this is just smoke and mirrors.

“Connectivity is not the real reason,” Barichivich told DW, adding that there is another existing road nearby. But this proposed new road would link “directly to the port of Corral — used by one of Latin America’s largest pulp exporters.”

The real goal seems to be opening access to timber, many locals say.

Alerce trees are highly valuable due to their durable high-quality, straight-growing wood.

Researchers like Urrutia warn that the road will increase the risk of wildfires. She said that over 90% of fires in the region start near roads.

This is a global phenomenon. In the Amazon, nearly 75% of fires start within five kilometers (about 3 miles) of a road, and in the US, 96% start within 800 meters.

“The Alerce is an endangered species,” Urrutia said. “Every individual tree counts. A major fire could wipe out the last populations.”

Pushing back to save trees, ecosystems

The scientists turned to Science magazine, one of the world’s top academic journals, warning of the danger.

Their findings — clear, urgent, and backed by years of data — were distilled into a single report, published as a letter.

But “it wasn’t just a letter,” Urrutia said. “It was years of research, fieldwork, and community engagement.”

It struck a chord across the global scientific community, prompting researchers around the world to speak out. Combined with pressure from local residents, it was enough to make the government back off — for now.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/in-chile-scientists-set-out-to-protect-ancient-forests-ecosystem-biodiversity/a-72336992

Republican Donald Trump has been US president for 100 days. Which of his promises has he kept? And what do Americans think about their country in transition?

The inauguration on January 20, 2025, marked the start of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Since he took office, so much has changed in US politics that it’s hard to believe it’s only been 100 days, during which numerous 180-degree turns have occurred. Whether it’s fundamental shifts in US foreign policy or putting tariffs on the world’s imports, there has hardly been a single day when the White House hasn’t been a source of urgent “breaking news.”

“No matter what side of the aisle you’re sitting on, I think most people would agree that it’s been relatively busy,” said Patrick Malone, a professor in the department of public administration and policy at American University in Washington, DC. “He definitely came in guns a-blazing.”

There’s a strategy behind all the action, experts say.

Time Magazine calls it “a blitz of power grabs, strategic shifts, and direct attacks” that leaves opponents at home and abroad stunned. American citizens who disagree with Trump’s new direction are unsure of where to begin when it comes to mounting any kind of protest. Should they demonstrate against Trump’s complete disregard for climate change and his plans to increase drilling for oil? Or protest his undermining of the separation of powers, as the administration deports immigrants in violation of court orders made by federal judges?

Or maybe it’s the restrictions being placed on a free press in the US, as certain outlets Trump considers undesirable are banned from White House press conferences, that require protest first? Or maybe it’s the clampdown on freedom of expression as universities and researchers are cut off from federal funding?

This second Trump administration is dividing the country as never before. Yet even as that is happening, many are asking: How many of the promises that Trump made to his followers before the election last November has the US president actually kept?

Ending the war in Ukraine

In May 2023, at an event in New Hampshire, Trump said that if elected, he would end the war in Ukraine immediately.

“They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours,” he said.

But the war is still going, and Trump has had to acknowledge that he wasn’t able to end the conflict. The Trump administration is working unilaterally on some sort of solution, but without the support of the US’s traditional allies, and with compromises that seem to favor the Russians over the Ukrainians. Even during this first phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump seemed to make far-reaching concessions to Russian arguments, even though it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a drubbing from Trump and Vice President JD Vance when he visited the White House for being “ungrateful.” As a result of the fracas, military aid to Ukraine was put on hold, although it has since been started up again.

Recently, President Trump criticized Ukraine for insisting that Crimea be considered part of Ukrainian territory, instead of simply surrendering the peninsula to their enemy, to facilitate a quick peace. In Ukraine, locals impacted by the ongoing war have been shocked at the abrupt about-face of their most important supporter.

It’s not just Ukraine either. America’s Western partners are also concerned about where Trump’s allegiances lie. He has questioned American participation in the NATO military alliance. He has even said that he might not defend NATO countries who he thinks don’t spend enough on their own defense, should Russia attack them. He did take that back eventually, but it has become abundantly clear to European nations that they can no longer rely on the US the way they used to.

Trump: ‘Kick out bloodthirsty criminals’

Immigration policy was one of Trump’s favorite campaign issues. At an event in New York in October 2024, he promised that if elected, he would launch the largest deportation program in US history. Trump said he would “put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.”

In fact, so far at least, Trump’s deportation program has not been particularly quick. In February, Trump’s first full month in office, the US government deported around 11,000 migrants. In February 2021, the first month of Joe Biden’s administration, that number was around 12,000. However, NBC News has reported that fewer people are crossing the southern border with Mexico into the US under Trump.

Trump has definitely made immigration more difficult, says Malone. “Some would consider that a success, some would consider that not consistent with American values.”

Economy: ‘America is back’

Trump campaigned on the promise that the US economy would boom under his leadership. One of his slogans was “make America affordable again” — prices would fall on the first day of his presidency, he promised — much like he said he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of coming into office.

This has happened for some products, such as gasoline. Prices for flights and hotel stays also decreased, as did overall inflation. Meanwhile, the average prices for goods excluding the highly volatile costs of gasoline and food were 2.8% higher in March than a year earlier, the lowest increase in almost four years, according to the AP news agency.

“President Trump’s policies are working at keeping inflation at bay, keeping inflation down,” Stephen Miran, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, the White House’s economic advisory team, said in an interview with CNBC. “Between that and what’s going on with trade — America is back.”

However, for many Americans, shopping at the supermarket remains as expensive as it was at the beginning of Trump’s term. Weekly shopping for a two-person household can cost more than $150 (€130), even in less expensive areas outside of major cities.

Trump’s tariffs: Promise kept, cause for concern?

After his election, Trump announced that he would end the policy of “ridiculously open borders” and the US trade deficit. In April, the Trump administration introduced a series of protective tariffs on almost all goods imported to the US. So: promise kept.

However, this makes some products more expensive for US consumers and jeopardizes established trade relations. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, Americans now view their country’s economic situation and future more critically than they did in February, shortly after Trump took office, and before he announced his tariffs.

At that time, 40% of respondents said they expected the US economy to be in better shape next February, while 37% believed conditions would deteriorate. In April, only 36% thought economic conditions in the US would be better in a year’s time. In contrast, 45% believed the US economic situation would deteriorate.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/100-days-of-donald-trump-us-in-a-whirlwind/a-72369565

The foreign ministers of Brazil, China, Russia and other BRICS members began two days of talks in Rio de Janeiro Monday (Apr 28) aimed at forging a united front to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.

The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the US leader’s sweeping new tariffs.

Top diplomats from the 11-member bloc – which includes Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates – met to hone their agenda ahead of a July leaders summit.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira stressed the importance of dialogue at a time of “humanitarian crises, armed conflicts, political instability and the erosion of multilateralism.”

BRICS’s “role as a group is more important than ever,” he said.

Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 per cent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 per cent on many products.

Beijing has responded with duties of 125 per cent on US goods.

Senior Chinese economic planner Zhao Chenxin said in Beijing Monday the country was on the “right side of history” in the face of what he called Washington’s “unilateralism and bullying.”

BRICS has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception as a group of four powers – Brazil, Russia, India and China – seeking an alternative platform to Western-led international organisations such as the G7.

It now makes up nearly half of the global population, 39 per cent of global GDP and weighs in on issues from Ukraine to Gaza to global trade.

Vieira opened the talks with a call for a “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza, terming Israel’s more than 50-day aid blockade of the territory “unacceptable”.

The group has had generally less to say about the war in Ukraine, issuing general calls for peace while steering clear of condemning Russia’s invasion.

And Vieira on Monday called for a “diplomatic solution” which respects the “principles and objectives” of the UN charter.

RUSSIAN CEASEFIRE

The meeting comes at the start of what the United States has called a “critical week” for talks on ending the Ukraine war.

Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’s funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was “just tapping me along”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by announcing a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10.

The White House, however, suggested the pause was not sufficient, saying Trump had “made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first.”

At the same time the US president has been piling pressure on Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea.

A BRICS challenge to the hegemony of the dollar is expected to feature high on the agenda.

At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100 per cent tariffs if they undercut the US currency.

Speaking to Brazil’s O Globo newspaper ahead of the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said BRICS nations planned to “increase the share of national currencies in transactions” between member states but said talk of transitioning towards a unified BRICS currency was “premature”.

Vieira, whose country has so far been spared the worst of Trump’s trade ire – Brazilian imports to the US are subject to 10 per cent tariffs, a fraction of those imposed on China – also denied any plans to create a new currency.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-trade-war-dominates-brics-meeting-brazil-5095481

Prince Di has a nice ring to it.

Princess Diana once went undercover in male drag to sneak into a gay bar in London with late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, according to a forthcoming biography.

In “Dianaworld: An Obsession,” out Tuesday, author Edward White recalls the legendary night, writing in an excerpt obtained by People that “furtive nocturnal activity plays an important role as moments when she secretly revealed hidden aspects of her true self.”

Per White, the “best-­known example” of this is “when Diana took a trip to one of London’s most famous gay bars.”

White cites comedy actress Cleo Rocos, who befriended Diana in the late ’80s and was present for the night in question, as was late radio personality Kenny Everett, the first DJ to play “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“At some point in the evening, Rocos claims, Diana persuaded them to take her to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a place that Everett warned was ‘not for you  … full of hairy gay men,’” White pens.

“Diana was insistent, however, so Everett helped her disguise herself in male drag: ‘a camouflage army jacket, hair tucked up into a leather cap and dark aviator sunglasses. Scrutinizing her in the half-­light, we decided that the most famous icon of the modern world might just …JUST, pass for a rather eccentrically dressed gay male model.’”

He claims the plan “seemed to work,” as he quotes Rocos in saying, “It was fabulously outrageous and so bizarrely exciting …no one, absolutely no one, recognized Diana.”

According to White, the group “stayed for one drink and left. Diana returned to Kensington Palace and sent back Everett’s clothes the following day.”

Though he acknowledges that the “story sounds far-fetched,” White notes that “there are other, slightly less fantastical tales about Diana disguising herself on nights out, such as when she accompanied Hasnat Khan to Ronnie Scott’s jazz bar in Soho, the princess obscuring her true self beneath a wig and glasses.”

The biographer points out that “the story of Diana in drag at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been taken up as an illustration of her connection with the gay community and a metaphor for her own search for a family in which she felt truly accepted.”

In an interview published earlier this month, Rocos — who was particularly close with Everett — detailed what led to that night at Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

“We’d had a jolly lunch at the Bombay Brasserie in London. Diana always wanted to know what was going on in the world of showbiz, and we always wanted to know what was going on at her house. We all used to shriek with laughter,” Rocos, 62, told the Mirror UK.

“Usually, Diana would go home after lunch. But on this day, she came back to Kenny’s house. I went into the kitchen to make some more cocktails. Diana had kicked her shoes off, and she and Kenny were dancing to the Gypsy Kings. Kenny called Freddie Mercury and said, ‘Di’s here. Come over! We are watching ‘The Golden Girls.’”

Per Rocos, Diana soon inquired about what the group had planned for later that night — and what they were going to wear.

“My brother was a war photographer in El Salvador at the time. He had given me his camouflage jacket, and Kenny was going to borrow that. But Diana put on the jacket, and it looked great on her,” she remembered, adding that Everett “got out a leather cap” before Mercury “gave her some aviator sunglasses.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/28/royal-family/princess-diana-wore-male-drag-to-sneak-into-gay-bar-with-freddie-mercury/

Ivanka Trump and her daughter, Arabella Rose, twinned in blue as President Donald Trump celebrated the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2025 Super Bowl win at the White House.

The socialite was photographed walking on the South Lawn with her 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, Joseph Frederick, in Washington, DC, Monday.

Ivanka looked chic in a double-breasted blazer, a midi skirt and white pumps.

She styled her blond locks straight for the special occasion.

For Arabella’s part, she wore a sleeveless minidress with a flared skirt and white ballet flats.

She appeared to be wearing star-shaped earrings and also wore her brunette hair down.

Joseph, meanwhile, was dressed in an off-white suit.

The three appeared in good spirits as President Trump, 78, welcomed the Super Bowl winners.

The commander-in-chief was seen posing with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive tackle Lane Johnson while holding a signed helmet.

Ivanka’s 8-year-old son, Theodore James, did not appear to be present.

The businesswoman shares her three kids with her husband, Jared Kushner, who also was not in attendance.

The family recently returned from a tropical getaway to Costa Rica.

Earlier this month, Ivanka was photographed surfing the waves in a black bikini while Kushner watched from the shore.

On another day, she sported an orange two-piece while surfing solo, as her sister-in-law Karlie Kloss remained on the sand with Kloss’ husband, Joshua Kushner, who is Jared’s younger brother.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/28/style/ivanka-and-arabella-trump-match-in-blue-for-eagles-white-house-visit/

Canadian prosecutors have charged a 30-year-old Vancouver resident with murder for killing at least 11 people aged between 5 and 65 and injuring dozens after he rammed an SUV through a crowd at a Filipino community festival in the western Canadian city, police said on Sunday.
The man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder by prosecutors in British Columbia and “further charges are anticipated,” according to a post on X by the Vancouver Police.

Lo appeared in court on Sunday, hours after police arrested him at the scene of the incident on Saturday evening. Court documents seen by Reuters did not show a plea.
Authorities described Lo as having had a “significant history” of interactions with authorities involving mental health. They said there was no evidence of terrorism.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Interim Chief Constable Steve Rai told reporters at a Sunday press conference.
Police said two dozen people were injured, some critically, and warned that the death toll could rise in coming days and weeks. As of Sunday afternoon, Rai said he did not believe there were any ongoing threats to the community.

More than 100 police officers joined the investigation, as local officials worked with provincial and federal authorities to provide support services. Messages of condolence and support came from across the globe.
“The community will feel this for a long time,” RJ Aquino, chair of the community advocacy group Filipino BC, told reporters. “We want to tell everybody that we’re grieving. We want to tell everybody that we see and hear the support from around the world at this point.”
The attack on Saturday evening took place two days before Canada’s federal election on Monday.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney interrupted his campaigning and traveled to Vancouver on Sunday, where he knelt in front of candles and flowers laid at the scene of the car ramming to pay his respects to the victims. He also attended a church where he lit a candle and observed a moment of silence.

Carney earlier released a statement in which he expressed his condolences to the country’s Filipino community.
“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” he told reporters in Hamilton, Ontario.
“I join all Canadians in mourning with you. I know that Canadians are united with you,” he said.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said at a press conference near the site of the attack on Sunday afternoon that it was hard not to feel rage towards the man who “murdered innocent people” for reasons that were not yet known.
“I want to turn the rage that I feel into ensuring that we stand with the Filipino community, that we deliver what they need, that we stand with those families who have lost loved ones,” he told reporters.
“I know it’s hard to believe it in this moment, but I know we will come back stronger.”
More than 12 hours after the incident, police still did not have a motive for the attack at the festival, which took place without a dedicated police presence or heavy vehicle barriers.

“There were no known threats to the event or to the Filipino community,” Rai said.
The suspect was initially chased down and held by festival-goers until police arrived, witnesses said. The injured were taken to multiple hospitals, police said.
The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. (0300 GMT) in Vancouver’s Sunset neighborhood, an area known for its large Asian population, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero, was taking place.
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck. A photo of the aftermath posted online showed a dark Audi SUV with both front fenders crumpled and the hood pushed up toward the vehicle’s windshield.
While mass casualty attacks are far less common in Canada than in the United States, such incidents have occurred with some regularity north of the border.
At least two of those attacks involved motor vehicles. In 2021, a man killed four members of a Muslim family by running them over with a pickup truck. In 2018, a man drove a rented van into a lunch-hour crowd in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 15 along a sidewalk thronged with pedestrians.

‘HORRIFIC’

Online images from the scene in Vancouver showed the bodies of victims on the pavement alongside a row of colorful food trucks as others attended to them on a roadway littered with debris including what appeared to be a motorized scooter.
A witness who did not wish to be identified said he had seen about 15 people lying on the ground after the SUV plowed into the crowd. The witness said the driver tried to run but was chased down and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived.
“I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev,” Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of food truck Bao Buns, said in an interview with Postmedia.
“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere,” said Vardeh, his voice breaking with emotion. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”
The attack came at the end of the festival, following a concert headlined by Filipino-American rapper Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, according to Mable Elmore, a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, who attended the event.
“Everybody was happy and getting ready to go. And that’s when, that’s when the incident happened,” Elmore told reporters through tears.
“We are in incredible pain,” she said. “We will come together out of this catastrophe through the support and the love from the broad community.”
The festival, celebrated especially in the central Philippines, honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
The government of British Columbia officially recognized April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/multiple-dead-after-vehicle-drives-into-crowd-vancouver-street-festival-police-2025-04-27/

The death toll from a powerful explosion at Iran’s biggest port of Bandar Abbas has risen to at least 40, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, as firefighters worked to fully extinguish the fire.
Saturday’s blast took place in the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, Iran’s biggest container hub, shattering windows for several kilometres around, tearing metal strips off shipping containers and badly damaging goods inside, state media said.

The incident occurred as Iran held a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman.
Fires kept breaking out in different parts of the affected area as of Sunday night, according to state media, with helicopters and fire fighters continuing efforts to extinguish them.
Chemicals at the port were suspected to have fuelled the explosion, but the exact cause was not clear and Iran’s Defence Ministry denied international media reports that the blast may be linked to the mishandling of solid fuel used for missiles.
A spokesperson for the ministry told state TV the reports were “aligned with enemy psyops”, saying that the blast-hit area did not contain any military cargo.

The Associated Press cited British security firm Ambrey as saying the port in March had received sodium perchlorate, which is used to propel ballistic missiles and whose mishandling could have led to the explosion.
The Financial Times newspaper reported in January the shipment of two Iranian vessels from China containing enough of the ingredient to propel as many as 260 mid-range missiles, helping Tehran to replenish its stocks following its direct missile attacks on its arch-foe Israel in 2024.

DEADLY INCIDENTS

Plumes of black smoke rose above the site on Sunday and pieces of twisted metal and debris lay scattered across the blast site.
By early afternoon, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society told state media the fire was 90% extinguished and officials said port activities had resumed in unaffected parts of Shahid Rajaee.

A spokesperson for the country’s crisis management organisation appeared on Saturday to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee, adding that earlier warnings had highlighted potential safety risks.
Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani cautioned against “premature speculation”, saying final assessments would be shared after investigations.
Negligence has often been blamed in a series of deadly incidents that have hit Iranian energy and industrial infrastructure in recent years.
“Did we really have to hold the container here for 3-4 months… until we had 120-140 thousand containers stored in this place?”, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said after arriving in Bandar Abbas on Sunday.
Incidents in the country have included refinery fires, a gas explosion at a coal mine, and an emergency repair incident at Bandar Abbas that killed one worker in 2023.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/death-toll-blast-irans-bandar-abbas-port-rises-25-2025-04-27/

The Chinese coastguard has seized a tiny sandbank in the South China Sea, state media has reported, in an escalation of a regional dispute with the Philippines.

State broadcaster CCTV released images of four officers, wearing all black and holding the Chinese flag, standing on the disputed reef of Sandy Cay in the Spratly Islands.

CCTV said China had “implemented maritime control and exercised sovereign jurisdiction” on the reef earlier in April.

Both China and the Philippines have staked claims on various islands. The Philippines said later on Sunday that it had landed on three sandbanks, releasing an image of officers holding up their national flag in a pose that mimicked the Chinese photo.

It is unclear whether one of the sandbanks the Philippines security forces landed on was also Sandy Cay.

In a statement, the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said it witnessed “the illegal presence” of a Chinese Coastguard vessel 1,000 yards (914 metres) from one of the sandbanks, as well as seven Chinese militia vessels.

“This operation reflects the unwavering dedication and commitment of the Philippine Government to uphold the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea,” the statement said.

The dispute between the two nations has been escalating, with frequent confrontations including vessels colliding and scuffles.

Sandy Cay is near a Philippine military outpost on Thitu Island, also known as Pag-asa, which Manila reportedly uses to track Chinese movements in the area.

There is no sign that China is permanently occupying the 200 sq metre island and the coastguard is reported to have left.

The White House said reports of China seizing the reef were “deeply concerning if true”.

In comments reported by the Financial Times, James Hewitt, US National Security Council spokesperson, warned that “actions like these threaten regional stability and violate international law”, adding that the White House was “consulting closely with our own partners”.

The Chinese move comes as US and Philippine forces are carrying out their annual war scenario drills – called the Balikatan exercises. China has criticised the drills as provocative.

As many as 17,000 personnel are taking part in the coming days. Missiles from the US Marine Air Defense Integrated System were fired off the coast of the northern Philippines on Sunday, the system’s second live fire test and its first deployment to the Philippines. The drills are also set to feature the US anti-ship missile system NMESIS.

The Philippines military says the drills are a rehearsal for national defence but insists they are not directed at any particular country.

“This type of training is absolutely invaluable to us,” said Third Marine Littoral Regiment Officer John Lehane.

The exercise has helped allay fears among some US allies that Donald Trump may upend the years-long military support it has provided in the region.

On a visit to Manila last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was “doubling down” on its alliance with the country and was determined to “re-establish deterrence” against China.

There have been wrangles over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has grown in recent years.

China claims by far the largest portion of territory in an area demarcated by its so-called “nine-dash line”. The line comprises nine dashes which extends hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan. Beijing has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/creqp4lxnl4o

The Army Blackhawk pilot involved in the Washington, DC, plane crash failed to heed her flight instructor’s warning just 15 seconds before the deadly crash that killed 67 people, according to a new report.

Moments before the deadly Jan. 29 crash near Reagan International Airport, Capt. Rebecca Lobach missed an order from co-pilot Andrew Eaves, who was overseeing her training mission, to change course and avoid the descending American Airlines jet, the New York Times reported.

Along with the error, officials found that the pilots “stepped on” some of the air traffic controller’s instructions, meaning they accidentally cut him off when pressing the button to talk over the radio and likely missed important information.

A key moment occurred around 8:46 p.m., when Eaves requested and received approval for the helicopter’s pilots to use their own visuals instead of air-traffic control to avoid other air traffic. The move is common practice to speed things up, but of course comes with the risk of more human error.

During that moment, investigators believe Eaves and Lobach failed to hear that the American Airlines plane was “circling” because one of them was pressing the microphone key to speak to air traffic control when the word came through.

Just 20 seconds before the crash occurred, the air-traffic controller asked the helicopter if it spotted American Airlines Flt. 5342, which was coming up on Runway 33 where the chopper was approaching.

“PAT two-five, do you have the CRJ in sight?” he asked, using the abbreviation for the model of Flt. 5342’s aircraft.

That was the last communication between the plane and the air-traffic controller.

Technology on the Black Hawk that would have allowed air traffic control to better track the helicopter was also found to be turned off that day, common protocol if the training mission had been for real.

But it was a practice mission involving an annual flying assessment for Robach, who was training as if top congressional officials needed to be flown from a Capitol under siege.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army’s director of aviation, said it was clear that multiple factors contributed to the deadly crash.

“I think what we’ll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening,” he said.

Aviation experts have long bemoaned the practice of allowing pilots to navigate on their own, as human error can often lead to tragedy, especially in the exceedingly busy conditions around Reagan airport.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has since openly criticized the long-standing practice and vowed to get rid of it as he likened it to “threading a needle.”

There was also an apparent discrepancy between two of the three Army pilots aboard the doomed chopper about what altitude they were flying at, according to investigators — and they were well above the 200-foot limit for that location.

At one point before the collision, the helicopter’s pilot announced that they were at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot was also heard saying the helicopter was at 400 feet, according to recordings.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/us-news/army-blackhawk-pilot-in-dc-crash-failed-to-heed-flight-instructors-command-15-seconds-before-deadly-collision-report/

President Donald Trump is mulling ways to combat America’s ongoing birth and fertility crisis. One possibility: cold, hard cash.

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Trump told The Post last week when asked about the potential $5,000 “baby bonus” to get more Americans to have kids.

As a mother of six, I can’t help but wonder — will that be retroactive?

The idea calls to mind the meme of a drowning man, hand barely above water, reaching out for help — only to get a high-five before slipping under.

That’s exactly what this proposal feels like: a symbolic gesture in the face of a sinking reality.

A one-time payout of $5,000 — an amount that wouldn’t even cover the cost of one of my births — isn’t a life raft, but a pat on the head as families struggle to stay afloat amid rising costs, child-care shortages and a culture that undervalues parenthood.

American families don’t need a flashy push present. We need durable policy change.

We need tax reform rooted in research, reflecting the real needs of modern mothers and fathers, and support that empowers families to dream bigger, not just survive.

Several Republicans on Capitol Hill are thinking deeply about how to ease that burden.

Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), a father of four, this year introduced the Family First Act to update the IRS’s Child Tax Credit.

His proposal would boost the CTC from $2,000 to $4,200 for each young child, $3,000 for kids aged 6 to 17, and add a new $2,800 credit for pregnant moms.

That’s a policy with potential, recognizing that raising children isn’t a one-time cost, but a long-term commitment.

Nations around the globe are sounding alarms about the birth dearth. Countries like Hungary, South Korea and Iran have launched programs to reverse their demographic decline — with little success.

Meanwhile, according to recently released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, America’s fertility rate has slipped to 1.62 births per woman, far below the 2.1 needed to sustain our population.

And here’s the deeper issue: the problem isn’t just a drop in babies, it’s a drop in marriages.

Since 1970, the US marriage rate has fallen by 60%. While married couples (especially religious ones) still do have children — and statistically have more sex than singletons do — there are simply far fewer of them today.

So maybe instead of a $5,000 baby bonus, Trump should consider a one-time tax break for newlyweds.

Marriage is still the most reliable path to a thriving family, and federal policies should reflect that.

Of course, money alone can’t solve this crisis. We also need a culture shift, a reawakening to the beauty and adventure of family life.

Across our culture, from social media to movies to TV to print, marriage is portrayed as bondage (and not the fun kind, either), and kids as exhausting, soul-sucking thieves of joy.

And while Elon Musk is a loud voice in favor of bringing more progeny into the world, his personal “harem model” isn’t exactly the blueprint for a flourishing society.

The better answer? Pro-family policy and pro-family storytelling.

Moore’s Family First Act, for example, won’t solve the whole problem, but it sends the right message: families matter.

As Moore told me, “Moving toward a pro-family culture will require considering both immediate incentives and lasting policy change.”

Policy isn’t just economics, it’s narrative. It’s messaging.

And right now, American families need more than a one-time payment. They need a plan, and they need to feel seen.

Which brings me to a moment last week, halfway around the world, that somehow felt very close to home: Vice President JD Vance‘s X post of a perfectly imperfect photo of himself, his wife Usha and their squirming, squinting children on their official trip to India.

The caption? “With three little kids staring into the sun, this was actually the best photo we got at the Taj Mahal today” — followed by a laughing emoji.

That’s the kind of positive, pro-family image Americans need to see more of: messy, real and beautiful.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/opinion/trumps-5k-bonus-wont-bring-more-babies-heres-what-will/

A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”

The odd insect is only found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It creeps along spiderwebs, feeding on trapped insects and decorating its silk case with their body parts.

There are other meat-eating caterpillars that “do lots of crazy things, but this takes the cake,” said study author Dan Rubinoff with the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.

A host of caterpillars native to Hawaii use silk glands to spin protective cases studded with lichen, sand and other materials. This one is the first to use ant heads and fly wings.

“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.

Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.

Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/carnivorous-caterpillar-hawaii-bone-collector-624af97c9a1c65fc3a2eac85cf19b4f6

Elon Musk spent years building cachet as a business titan and tech visionary, brushing aside critics and skeptics to become the richest person on the planet.

But as Musk gained power in Washington in recent months, his popularity has waned, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Just 33% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Musk, the chain-saw-wielding, late-night-posting, campaign-hat-wearing public face of President Donald Trump’s efforts to downsize and overhaul the federal government. That share is down from 41% in December.

“It was a shame that he crashed and burned his reputation,” said Ernest Pereira, 27, a Democrat who works as a lab technician in North Carolina. “He bought into his own hype.”

The poll found that about two-thirds of adults believe Musk has held too much influence over the federal government during the past few months — although that influence may be coming to an end. The billionaire entrepreneur is expected to leave his administration job in the coming weeks.

Musk is noticeably less popular than the overall effort to pare back the government workforce, which Trump has described as bloated and corrupt. About half of U.S. adults believe the Republican president has gone too far on reducing the size of the federal workforce, while roughly 3 in 10 think he is on target and 14% want him to go even further.

Retiree Susan Wolf, 75, of Pennsylvania, believes the federal government is too big but Musk has “made a mess of everything.”

“I don’t trust him,” she said. “I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.”

Wolf, who is not registered with a political party, said Musk’s private sector success does not translate to Washington.

“He thinks you run a government like you run a business. And you don’t do that,” she said. “One is for the benefit of the people, and the other is for the benefit of the corporation.”

Much of the downsizing has been done through so-called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which was Musk’s brainchild during last year’s campaign. Thousands of federal employees have been fired or pushed to quit, contracts have been canceled and entire agencies have been brought to a standstill.

Musk has succeeded in providing a dose of shock therapy to the federal government, but he has fallen short of other goals. After talking about cutting spending by $1 trillion, he has set a much lower target of $150 billion. Even reaching that amount could prove challenging, and DOGE has regularly overstated its progress.

He is expected to start dedicating more time to Tesla, his electric automaker that has suffered plummeting revenue while he was working for Trump. Musk told investors on a recent conference call that “now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” he expects to spend just “a day or two per week on government matters.”

Musk, in his work for the administration, has continued a political evolution toward the right. Although the South African-born entrepreneur was never easy to categorize ideologically, he championed the fight against climate change and often supported Democratic candidates.

Now he criticizes “the woke mind virus” and warns of the collapse of Western civilization from the threats of illegal migration and excess government spending.

Musk’s increasingly conservative politics are reflected in the polling. Only about 2 in 10 independents and about 1 in 10 Democrats view Musk favorably, compared with about 7 in 10 Republicans.

In addition, while about 7 in 10 independents and about 9 in 10 Democrats believe Musk has too much influence, only about 4 in 10 Republicans feel that way.

Mark Collins, 67, a warehouse manager from Michigan who has leaned Republican in recent years, said Musk “runs a nice, tight ship” at his companies, “and the government definitely needs tightening up.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/musk-trump-doge-tesla-d1206a96983b30b9cef7b18eaa8c48a7

More than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the United States illegally were taken into custody early Sunday following a federal raid at an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, authorities said.

Video posted online by the Drug Enforcement Administration showed agents announcing their presence outside the building and ordering patrons to leave with their hands up. Other videos showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window. Later, dozens of suspects were shown in handcuffs standing on a sidewalk waiting to be transported.

During his second stint as U.S. president, Donald Trump ’s unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement has pushed the limits of executive power, and he has clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The crackdown has included detaining more than 1,000 international college students, some of whom have seen their legal status restored, at least temporarily. The policies have slowed immigration at the southern border to a relative trickle.

On Sunday in Colorado, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the club-going immigrants into custody, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division.

“Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today,” he said. The city, Colorado’s second largest, lies about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Denver.

More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies responded to the nightclub, which had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and “crimes of violence,” Pullen said at a news conference. Cocaine was among the drugs found, he said.

“When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor,” Pullen said.

An undisclosed number of guns were seized, he said.

Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site, Truth Social. “A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes,” the president wrote.

Pullen estimated more than 200 people were inside the nightclub. Also among those detained were a dozen active-duty military members who either were patrons or working as armed security. Some patrons were arrested on undisclosed outstanding warrants, Pullen said.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/colorado-nightclub-raid-immigration-c0e46855c2a8b18d532560f12158e394

What if your work self didn’t know about your personal life, and your home self had no idea what you did for a living? In Apple TV’s Severance, that’s exactly the deal: a surgical procedure splits the memories of employees into “innies” (who only exist at work) and “outies” (who never recall what they do from nine to five).

On the surface, it sounds like an ideal solution to a growing cybersecurity problem of insider threats, such as leaks or sabotage by employees. After all, if an employee can’t remember what they accessed at work, how can they leak it, sabotage it, or sell it?

As someone who has researched insider threats for the last decade I can’t help but see Severance as a cautionary tale of what happens when we try to eliminate threats without understanding people.

The threat from within

Insider threats really hit prominence in the wake of high-profile incidents like Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, who both leaked top secret government information. These threats are one of the most persistent challenges in security because unlike “traditional” hackers, insiders already have access to sensitive systems and information.

They might act maliciously, stealing trade secrets or exposing data, or accidentally, through phishing links or lost devices. Either way, the consequences can be more serious because of the unprecedented levels of access someone has while working within an organization.

While we often think of the high-profile cases in the first instance, the reality of most insider incidents is far less dramatic. Think of the disgruntled employee who downloads a client database before leaving, or the well-meaning staff member who shares a sensitive file via the wrong link.

In fact, one of the most iconic examples of an insider threat in fiction is Jurassic Park. The entire catastrophe begins, not with a dinosaur, but with a software engineer, Dennis Nedry, who disables the park’s security in an attempt to steal trade secrets. It’s a reminder that even the most sophisticated systems can be undone by a single rogue employee.

Organizations try to manage this through access controls, behavior monitoring and training. But people are unpredictable. Insider threats sit at the messy intersection of human behavior, organizational culture and digital systems.

This is where Severance strikes a chord. What if you could eliminate the human risk altogether, by turning employees into separate, tightly compartmentalized selves? In the show, workers at the shadowy Lumon Corporation have no memory of their job outside the office and vice versa.

In a sense, it’s the ultimate form of “need to know.” An “innie” can’t tell anyone what they do because they don’t know anything beyond their desk. It’s a very elegant, although ethically problematic, solution for someone working in security. However, as the series unfolds, it becomes clear that the levels of control on offer through the process of severance come with a terrible cost.

The problem with control

The innies in Severance are trapped in an endless workday, unable to understand the meaning or value of their tasks. They form bonds, question authority and ultimately rebel. Ironically, it is the severed employees, the ones who are most closely controlled in the company, who become the greatest insider threat to Lumon.

This mirrors something we know from real organizations: excessive surveillance, control and secrecy often backfires. For instance, Amazon has faced repeated criticism over its use of tracking technologies to monitor warehouse workers’ movements and productivity, with reports suggesting this has contributed to high stress, burnout and even rule-breaking as workers try to “game” the system.

A 2022 study published in Harvard Business Review found that employees who feel overly monitored are significantly more likely to break rules or engage in counterproductive behavior – undermining the very goals of workplace surveillance. If people feel undervalued or mistreated, they’re more likely to become disengaged or actively hostile. Security systems that ignore culture and trust are therefore often brittle.

What Severance gets right is that insider threats are emotional and ethical problems as much as technical ones. They stem from how people feel about their role, their autonomy and their identity within a system. This is something that we can’t simply patch within a piece of software.

Lessons from fiction

Thankfully, no company in the real world is proposing surgical memory separation, at least not yet. But in an age of algorithmic management, increasing surveillance, and growing concerns about privacy, Severance resonates. It forces us to ask just how far should we go in the name of security?

The answer isn’t to separate people from their work, but to build systems that are secure and respectful of the people within them; something increasingly backed by research.

That means better design, clearer boundaries and a workplace culture that values openness, not just compliance. For example, implementing clear expectations around work hours and communication norms can help prevent burnout and promote wellbeing.

Encouraging open communication channels, such as anonymous feedback systems, empowers employees to voice concerns without fear, fostering a culture of trust. Additionally, designing physical workspaces that promote collaboration, like open-plan areas and communal lounges, can enhance team cohesion and reflect organizational values.

If we follow the example set by Lumon and try to remove all risk then we lose something far more essential – the humanity at the center of our systems and organizations. Ultimately, removing that human focus could be the most significant vulnerability of all.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/severance-show-cybersecurity-human-risk/

VIRGINIA Giuffre made a tragic admission just weeks before her death aged 41.

The mum-of-three, who was sex trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager, died by suicide at her home in Western Australia on Friday night.

She had spent years speaking out of her abuse at the hands of convicted sex offenders Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Cops confirmed her death was being investigated but was considered “not suspicious”.

Virginia told how she was “ready to go” just weeks before her death when she posted a bruised snap from her hospital bed, claiming she had just “four days to live”.

Her caption read: “I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time. My heart is shattered and every day that passes my sadness only deepens.”

The bus accident story took a twist when cops described the crash as minor and said no major injuries were reported.

Parents of children on the bus also spoke out – reportedly disputing the severity of the incident.

The late mum and activist was reportedly fearful that her enemies were attempting to ruin her reputation in the months before she died.

A friend told Mail Online: “Being discredited was one of the many things distressing her in recent months.”

Virginia was apparently “deeply upset” about being mocked over the bruised image she posted of herself in a hospital bed.

Announcing Virginia’s tragic death on Saturday, her family said the toll of her abuse was “so heavy” it became “unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight”.

They said in a statement: “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia.

“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”

They added: “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.

“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”

Virginia alleged Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17 – a claim Andrew has denied.

Police confirmed emergency services were called to reports of an unresponsive woman at a property in the Perth suburb of Neergabby on Friday night.

Virginia’s brother Danny Wilson paid tribute to his sister on Facebook with a photo of the pair and another man.

And her long-time publicist Dini von Mueffling said her client was “one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know”.

“Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims,” she added.

“It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Virginia, said: “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring.

“The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”

It comes just weeks after Virginia, who was believed to have been separated from her husband, was treated in an Australian hospital following a bus crash.

She was charged with breaching a family violence restraining order in Ocean Reef, near Perth, on February 2, Western Australia Courts said.

Virginia’s case was first heard in Joondalup Magistrates’ Court in northern Perth on March 14, where she did not enter a plea.

The matter was adjourned to June 11 for a plea hearing, according to Western Australia Courts.

American-born Virginia lived in Australia for years, becoming an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in the prolonged downfall of disgraced paedophile financier Epstein.

The mum, who leaves behind three children, sued Prince Andrew in 2021, claiming she was trafficked and forced to have sex with the Duke on three occasions when she was a teen.

It was the first time she had brought action against him after going public with the allegations in 2011.

Though a special tribunal has been created to prosecute Russia’s crimes in Ukraine, there are various hindrances to its functioning. It could take months, if not years, before officials are tried.

Will Russia one day be brought to justice for its crimes in Ukraine? Plans for a special tribunal are in place, but nothing has yet been decided at a political level. Details of the tribunal, to be held under the auspices of the Council of Europe, are still secret. What is certain is that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be prosecuted as long as he is in office, since acting heads of state have immunity. Despite this, the body is being unofficially described as the “Putin tribunal” because international law holds heads of state responsible for any aggression against another country.

The special tribunal can already investigate Russia’s leadership and possibly also that of Belarus, says Jörg Polakiewicz, head of the Directorate of Legal Advice and Public International Law (DLAPIL) of the Council of Europe. However, the Council of Europe does not have the same powers as the United Nations Security Council, which can waive the immunity of high-ranking officials of a country, and in Russia’s case this could include the president, prime minister, and foreign minister.

“The special tribunal will not try Vladimir Putin in absentia as long as he is president of Russia,” confirmed a representative of the European Union in Brussels. The same applies to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“This is of course absurd,” criticized Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ukrainian human rights organization the Center for Civil Liberties. She and her colleagues have been collecting evidence for more than 11 years and expect those responsible for atrocities to be held accountable.

Immunity for high-ranking officials

A source familiar with how the special tribunal has been set up said that a case against Putin, Mishustin and Lavrov was being built on investigations that have been carried out already. But they said that no arrest warrant could be issued, or charges brought, unless the suspects’ immunity was lifted.

The same source, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that investigations were underway into about two dozen Russian officials on a list drawn up by Ukraine. They said that the tribunal would focus on high-ranking political and military officials responsible for planning, preparing and implementing Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Matviichuk pointed out that it wasn’t just top Nazi leaders who were prosecuted during the Nuremberg trials after World War Two. “It was clear that not just three people were responsible for the crimes,” she said.

The circle of decision-makers in Russia has yet to be defined, but Gleb Bogush of the Institute for International Peace and Security Law at Cologne University said that there was talk of around 20 people. “The court should clarify that,” he said, insisting that there should be a fair trial in which everyone would be heard by an independent court.

Bogush said that the creators of the tribunal had effectively recognized Putin’s privileges by confirming that he was untouchable. He said it would have been better to leave the question of immunity to the judges, and he criticized the Council of Europe for failing to declare Putin an illegitimate president. The decision to grant the president immunity, he argued, was a dangerous signal that could be interpreted as an invitation to ignore the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin.

However, the Council of Europe told DW that it believes that “the formula found for the special tribunal on this issue will be sufficient to ensure accountability and counter impunity,” before adding that personal immunity was by no means “a carte blanche for impunity.”

War began in February 2014

The question remains as to which period the tribunal will take into consideration. “The war did not begin in February 2022, but in February 2014,” said Matviichuk, referring to the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the start of the war in eastern Ukraine before Russia’s full-scale invasion. She said if these were not taken into account, it “would have long-term legal consequences for those who suffered in the eight years before 2022, as well as for the restoration of international law and the return of occupied territories to Ukraine.”

A group of legal experts started drawing up the plan for a special tribunal in 2023 and presented it in March 2025. This plan includes a treaty between Ukraine and the Council of Europe, a statute and an agreement on the management of the tribunal.

DW’s anonymous source said the decision had been made to base the tribunal in The Hague with the consent of the Netherlands and that Kyiv would hand over the results of its investigations. Evidence collected by the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) will also be taken into account. The ICPA, which comprises prosecutors from different countries, was set up in The Hague with the support of the European Commission.

The special tribunal was set up at the Council of Europe because the United Nations was not an option, as Russia would have vetoed any project in the Security Council. The International Criminal Court was also ruled out because its jurisdiction only extends to states that are party to the Rome Statute, which Russia is not.

But this arrangement brings its own complications, as Russia was excluded from the organization because of its invasion of Ukraine. “But the fact that the victim and aggressor were members of the organization at the beginning of the aggression is of great importance for its legitimacy,” said Polakiewicz.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-hurdles-to-special-tribunal-prosecuting-russias-war-of-aggression/a-72363945

Top officials in US President Donald Trump’s administration on Sunday (Apr 27) pressed Russia and Ukraine to make headway on a peace deal following a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican a day earlier.

“It needs to happen soon,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition.”

Rubio said the US would consider in the coming week whether to continue mediating talks “or if it’s time to sort of focus on some other issues.”

Trump and Zelenskyy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met in a Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. The meeting was the first between the two leaders since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February and comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the conflict.

In a Truth Social post later on Saturday, Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin over recent attacks on Ukraine, saying “there was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.”

In a pre-taped interview that aired on CBS News’ ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would continue to target sites used by Ukraine’s military.

When asked about a Russian strike on Kyiv last week that killed civilians, Lavrov said “the target attacked was not something absolutely civilian” and that Russia only targets “sites which are used by the military.”

Zelenskyy wrote on the messaging app Telegram that his top military commander had reported that Russia had already conducted nearly 70 attacks on Sunday.

“The situation at the front and the real activity of the Russian army prove that there is currently insufficient pressure on Russia from the world to end this war,” he said.

DIFFERING PROPOSALS

Ukrainian and European officials pushed back last week against some US proposals on how to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, making counterproposals on issues from territory to sanctions, Reuters reported on Friday.

The primary areas of difference in the two proposals were over the sequencing for resolving questions over territory, the lifting of sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine’s military.

American proposals called for US recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow seized and annexed in 2014, as well as de facto recognition of Russia’s hold on other parts of Ukraine.

In contrast, the European and Ukrainian proposal defers detailed discussion about territory until after a ceasefire is concluded.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday that Ukraine should not agree to the US proposal, saying it went too far in ceding swathes of territory in return for a ceasefire.

Despite the divergent views, Trump’s national security adviser on Sunday said the meeting with Zelenskyy showed his determination to reach a deal.

“That meeting is going to go down in the history books for President Trump, to be a president of peace,” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News’ ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

Waltz said Trump has “expressed his frustration” at the leaders of both nations but remained determined to help negotiate an agreement. He also said the US and Ukraine would eventually reach an agreement over rare earth minerals and that talks continued over the weekend.

Democrats in the US Congress have criticized Trump’s approach to the conflict and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday that he was concerned Trump would “cave in to Putin.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-officials-push-russia-ukraine-peace-deal-after-vatican-meeting-5093316

The US wants to explore “creative solutions” for some critical exports from Singapore, including pharmaceuticals, as both sides discuss concessions on the global tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Sunday (Apr 27).

Mr Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, told reporters that he spoke to his US counterpart, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, on Friday when they identified key areas to address.

“Secretary Lutnick has emphasised several times that he’s prepared to start this discussion with us, because we are a friend, an important trading partner, and because the US trusts Singapore,” he told reporters at One Punggol.

Mr Gan chairs the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, looking into the impact of the tariffs on the country.

He is also the anchor minister for the People’s Action Party (PAP) team contesting Punggol GRC in this General Election.

He said he decided to take some time off the campaign trail to take the call, as it was “an important discussion” to have and one which turned out to be “very good”.

Mr Trump on Apr 2 announced sweeping tariffs on all imports, with a baseline rate of 10 per cent on countries that include Singapore. Dozens of other trading partners, including China, were slapped with higher tariffs.

While there is now a 90-day pause on most of the hefty “reciprocal tariffs”, the baseline 10 per cent duty kicked in on Apr 5.

Mr Gan said Mr Lutnick explained during their call that the 10 per cent baseline tariff is an umbrella one which is “not likely to be subject to negotiation”.

“However, he also pointed out that Singapore being an important trading partner and a friend, he would like to explore creative solutions to see how we can strengthen the bilateral trade between Singapore and the US, particularly with regard to critical exports from Singapore to US, exports that are important to us,” he said.

This could include products such as pharmaceuticals, which is something “very important” to Singapore, contributing over 10 per cent of the country’s exports to the US, said Mr Gan.

Another area discussed is artificial intelligence chips.

Meghan Markle gave a rare glimpse of her children’s bright red hair as they spent quality time together in the garden.

The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram Sunday to share photos of son Prince Archie, 5, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 3, picking flowers.

Markle was all smiles as she grabbed a pink rose for her daughter, who was dressed in a similar color.

Archie, meanwhile, was seen picking a white rose. In another shot, he was pictured holding the flower up to the camera in front of his face.

He sported a blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants for the outing.

“Sunday kind of love….with my little loves,” Markle, 43, captioned the photo carousel.

The “Suits” alum has been sharing more of her life with husband Prince Harry and their kids since she started posting on her new Instagram account earlier this year.

For Valentine’s Day, she shared a sweet clip of Lilibet assisting her in the kitchen by cutting strawberries into hearts and putting them on bagels.

Markle also shared a video of Lilibet and her “auntie” Serena Williams playing Candy Land together.

“When the aunties come to play and celebrate! Love you @serenawilliams,” she captioned the clip.

The “With Love, Meghan” star has also shown her children indulging in a cake that “papa” Harry, 40, brought back from a trip to Ukraine.

Most recently, Lilibet reviewed her mom’s strawberry jam.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/27/parents/meghan-markle-gives-rare-glimpse-of-little-loves-prince-archie-and-princess-lilibet/

In view of the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack, India announced a raft of punitive measures, including the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, closing of the Attari land-border crossing and the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches.

Pakistan minister Hanif Abbasi is the new entrant in the ‘war threat’ club after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Days after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty over cross-border links to the Pahalgam terror attack, that left 26 civilians dead, Abbasi said that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not for display and have been kept “only for India.”
Reacting to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty – a watersharing agreement between Delhi and Islamabad, Abbasi warned of nuclear retaliation. Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, including Ghori, Shaheen and Ghaznavi missiles along with 130 nuclear warheads, has been hidden across the country, Abbasi said.
“If they stop the water supply to us, then they should be ready for a war,” Abbasi was quoted as saying by Pak media outlets. “The missiles we have, they’re not for display. Nobody knows where we have placed our nuclear weapons across the country. I say it again, these ballistic missiles, all of them are targeted at you,” he said.

Earlier, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had claimed that the cash-strapped “would make India pay if Pakistani citizens were harmed.” “If India conducts acts of terrorism in our cities, it will be a tit for tat and we will make them pay,”

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also joined the club over the suspension of Indus Waters Treaty. “The Indus is ours and will remain ours. Either our water will flow through it, or their blood will,” Bhutto was quoted as saying at a public rally on Friday.

26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed after terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF) – an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba opened fire at Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
In view of the cross-border linkages to the Pahalgam attack, India on Wednesday announced a raft of punitive measures, including the suspension of the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty, closing of the Attari land-border crossing and the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pakistan-minister-hanif-abbasi-warning-130-nukes-aimed-at-india-indus-waters-treaty-article-151507961

During a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Chinese foreign minister said China is closely following developments after the Pahalgam attack.

China on Sunday backed its close ally Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests, with foreign minister Wang Yi calling on New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise restrain in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam.

During a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang said China is closely following developments after the terror attack and backs an “impartial investigation” into the incident, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry.

Wang’s comments came against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack on tourists near Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.

India announced a slew of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari. Pakistan said any stopping of river waters will be seen as an “act of war” and unveiled counter-measures such as the closure of its airspace to Indian airliners and suspension of all trade.

“China has always supported Pakistan in its resolute anti-terrorism actions. As a staunch friend and all-weather strategic partner, China fully understands Pakistan’s reasonable security concerns and supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and security interests,” Wang was quoted as saying in the Chinese readout.

China is closely following the “development of the current situation” and “supports an impartial investigation as soon as possible”, Wang said.

Conflict is not in the fundamental interests of India and Pakistan, or conducive to regional peace and stability, and both countries should “exercise restraint, meet each other halfway and promote the cooling of the situation”, he said.

Dar, who is also Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, briefed Wang on the tensions between Pakistan and India over the terror attack and said Islamabad has always been resolute in combating terrorism and “opposed taking actions that may lead to an escalation of the situation”, the Chinese readout said.

Dar said Pakistan is committed to managing the situation in a mature manner and will maintain communication with China and the world community.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Dar rejected India’s “unilateral and illegal actions” and “its baseless propaganda against Pakistan”.

Dar also expressed “appreciation for China’s consistent and unwavering support” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the shared vision of an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” the statement said.

“Both sides reiterated their firm resolve to uphold regional peace and stability, promote mutual respect and understanding, and jointly oppose unilateralism and hegemonic policies,” it said.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the comments by the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers.

In a separate development, external affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his British counterpart David Lammy on Sunday and “discussed the cross-border terrorist attack at Pahalgam”. Jaishankar said in a social media post that he had “underlined the importance of zero tolerance for terrorism”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-vows-support-to-pakistan-calls-for-restraint-after-pahalgam-terror-attack-101745768247847.html

According to the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, overstaying, violating visa conditions, or trespassing in restricted areas could lead to three years in jail.

Any Pakistani, who fails to leave India as per the deadlines set by the government will be arrested, prosecuted and may face a jail term of up to three years or a fine of a maximum Rs 3 lakh or both.

The ’Leave India’ notice to the Pakistani nationals was issued by the government after 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed by Pakistan-linked terrorists at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.

The deadline for exiting India for those holding SAARC visas was April 26. For those carrying medical visas, the deadline is April 29. The 12 categories of visas whose holders have to leave India by Sunday are — visa on arrival, business, film, journalist, transit, conference, mountaineering, student, visitor, group tourist, pilgrim and group pilgrim.

According to the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025, which came into effect on April 4, overstaying, violating visa conditions, or trespassing in restricted areas could lead to three years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 3 lakh.

“Whoever,—(a) being a foreigner, remains in any area in India for a period exceeding the period for which the visa was issued to him or stays in India without a valid passport or other valid travel document in contravention of provisions of Section 3 or does any act in violation of the conditions of the valid visa issued to him for his entry and stay in India or any part thereunder; “(b) contravenes any other provisions of this Act, other than sections 17 and 19, or of any rule or order made thereunder or any direction or instruction given in pursuance of this Act or such order or direction or instruction for which, no specific punishment is provided under this Act, shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with a fine which may extend to three lakh rupees or with both,” the Act says.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called up the chief ministers of all states and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country.

After Shah’s telephonic conversations with the chief ministers, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan held a video conference with the chief secretaries and asked them to ensure that all Pakistani nationals whose visas were revoked must leave India by the fixed deadline.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/pakistanis-failing-to-exit-india-by-deadline-could-face-3-years-in-jail-or-rs-3-lakh-fine-9315441.html

Tens of thousands of people streamed past the tomb of Pope Francis on Sunday (Apr 27), packing the Roman basilica where he had chosen to be buried in a break from tradition.

No pope had been laid to rest outside the Vatican in more than a century, but Francis opted instead for burial in Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), located in the Italian capital’s most multicultural neighbourhood.

His coffin was taken there on Saturday after his funeral Mass in St Peter’s square, with around 150,000 people lining the route through the heart of the city to say their farewells.

The casket was placed in a simple marble tomb in a side aisle of the basilica. Only his name in Latin, “Franciscus”, is inscribed on top, while a reproduction of the plain cross that he used to wear around his neck hangs above the niche.

“I feel like it’s exactly in the way of the Pope. He was simple, and so is his place now,” said Polish pilgrim Maria Brzezinska after paying her respects.

Visitors began queuing well before the Basilica opened at 7am (1pm, Singapore time) and the church rapidly filled with well-wishers after the doors opened. Authorities urged people to leave as soon as they had seen the tomb, saying thousands more were waiting to get in.

Six hours later, 30,000 people had visited St Mary Major, according to the Vatican.

Tourists leaving the basilica at lunch time said they had been queuing for more than two hours and had only a few minutes inside.

In the afternoon, hundreds of cardinals gathered in the church for prayers.

The church was founded in 432 and is the only basilica in Rome that preserves the early Christian structure, although there have been many later additions.

Francis, who died on Apr 21 at the age of 88, was especially attached to it because of his devotion to Mary, Mother of God. He prayed there before and after every overseas trip.

A venerated Byzantine icon of Mary is housed in the Pauline chapel near the tomb. A vase of golden roses, donated by Francis in 2023, sits among candlesticks under the icon. He last visited the chapel carrying a bunch of white roses on Apr 12.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/more-30000-people-pack-rome-church-visit-pope-francis-tomb-5093381

WHATSAPP’S obsession with useless changes continues – and this time it’s really got people’s backs up.

“Abomination,” is one word I saw to describe things on Reddit and I couldn’t agree more.

This isn’t my first rant about WhatsApp.

Last year, I complained about a feature that exposes how many people are currently online in a group – which seems to have been quietly dropped.

Now we’re being subjected to something far more sinister… AI.

Over the last few weeks owner Meta has been rolling out the Meta AI button and feature.

A blue-pink-green hued circle that sits permanently at the bottom right corner of the WhatsApp screen.

WhatsApp told the BBC the feature is “entirely optional” this week – but it’s not like you can remove it.

Tapping the button summons WhatsApp’s pointless AI chatbot that will answer just about anything, except how to get rid of it.

When will Meta stop pushing all this extra guff and let WhatsApp be a chat app?

It’s gradually morphing into its bigger sibling, Facebook, with status updates and communities, already perfectly served elsewhere.

Or, at least give people real choice with an option to hide them.

WhatsApp is powerful because virtually everyone has it, with billions of users across the globe.

It’s the one place where all my family updates are usefully kept – in between useless chatter about the neighbour’s latest disruption or moans about the council not cleaning the street.

We make important arrangements there, share holiday snaps and live location when meeting up, and for that I’m thankful for WhatsApp’s vital role.

But with this latest change, I’m ready to delete WhatsApp unless bosses change course pronto.

A WhatsApp rep told the BBC: “We think giving people these options is a good thing and we’re always listening to feedback from our users.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14115561/whatsapp-delete-new-button-meta-ai/

Toyota Motor (7203.T), said it is exploring the possibility of investing in a potential buyout of key parts supplier Toyota Industries (6201.T), – a buyout that reportedly could cost $42 billion.
“We are currently exploring various possibilities, including partial investment,” the automaker said in a filing with the Tokyo stock exchange on Saturday following reports about the possible buyout.

Bloomberg News reported on Friday that Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda and his founder family have proposed acquiring Toyota Industries in a possible 6 trillion yen ($42 billion) deal.

Toyota Industries, which has a market value of 4 trillion yen, said in a statement it had received proposals about going private through a special purpose company but denied it had received a buyout proposal from the Toyota chairman or the Toyota group.
Two sources familiar with the matter said Toyota Industries is considering tapping Toyota and its group companies as well as major banks to fund a buyout. They also said the proposal did not come from Akio Toyoda or the Toyota group.
The sources, who declined to be identified as the matter is not public, said if Toyota Industries were to go private, it would help improve the Toyota group’s corporate governance as cross-shareholdings would be unwound.

Both Toyota and Toyota Industries said in their statements that nothing has been decided.
Toyota owned 24% of Toyota Industries as of September last year, while Toyota Industries held 9.07% of Toyota and 5.41% of Denso (6902.T), another key Toyota supplier.

Toyota Industries has faced increasing shareholder pressure to unwind its cross shareholdings so that it can boost shareholder returns and make investments.
It has sold some of its cross shareholdings including stock in Aisin (7259.T), another core Toyota group supplier.
One of the sources said going private would also give Toyota Industries the freedom to focus on growth strategies without worrying about shareholder returns.
Cross-shareholdings, where companies hold shares in each other and are very common in Japan, have been under increasing scrutiny from regulators and shareholders as the practice can insulate management from having to serve the interests of general shareholders.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-considers-investing-potential-42-billion-buyout-key-supplier-2025-04-27/

Thousands of Buddhist believers and festival-goers filled downtown Seoul for Yeon Deung Hoe, or the Lotus Lantern Festival. Participants, some dressed in traditional Korean Hanbok clothing, carried lotus lanterns of different shapes and colors.

The festival was originally a celebration rooted in Buddhism but has evolved into an annual cultural event, drawing a large number of participants and spectators each year.

With a history spanning over 1,200 years, the festival is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as well as Korea’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The festival aims to spread the enlightenment of the founder of Buddhism across the world. More than 300,000 people, including both Koreans and international visitors, take part.

Participants gather at the starting point of the parade before proceeding toward the heart of South Korea’s capital. Lanterns of all sizes, handmade by temples across the country, are featured.

The lanterns can be in the shape of Buddha sculptures, dragons, elephants, lotus flowers and phoenixes, lighting up the streets of Seoul at night. Smaller lanterns are carried by monks and followers but larger, themed and Buddhism inspired lanterns are transported by vehicles.

Seoul’s Jogye temple and temples across the countries are lit by colorful lanterns as is the Cheonggye stream featuring paper lanterns.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/buddhists-lotus-lantern-south-korea-34b1ca11887dc06724e4b97bb41d06f3

Katy Perry was called out by fans for debuting a space-inspired “Lifetimes” tour outfit after receiving backlash for being part of the historic all-female Blue Origin flight.

The “E.T.” songstress took to X on Saturday to show off her figure in a cut-out body suit, which appeared to be made out of metal.

Perry’s outfit also consisted of metal arm cuffs, leg covers and a hat of the same material.

“Introducing KP143,” she captioned the photo.

While the pop star, 40, just wanted to give fans a closer look at her out-of-this-world concert apparel, she has been facing backlash about everything she does following her 11-minute trip to space earlier this month.

“Is this what happens after you go to space and back?” one person commented.

“You went to space for [10 to 11] minutes and now you an alien?” another added, as a third chimed in, “Why did you kiss the ground when you [sic] only flight [sic] for [10 to11] minutes with no physical training and zero effort?”

“While I hope your damage control is successful, this isn’t the way,” a fifth wrote.

“You have become insufferable,” a critic claimed, as another agreed, “Wtf. Desperate attempt to stay relevant. Good luck with that astro-nut.”

Perry sported her unique outfit while kicking off her “Lifetimes” tour in Mexico City on Wednesday.

She also wore other space-inspired costumes and busted some robotic moves while belting her 2012 track “Part of Me.”

On April 14, Perry flew into space alongside Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen and Kerianne Flynn.

While around 62 miles above Earth in Jeff Bezos’ rocket, she flaunted a daisy to represent her and Orlando Bloom’s 4-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove.

Perry also went viral when she kissed the ground after landing back on Earth and exiting the rocket.

Aside from fans, several celebrities, including Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski, called out the women for depleting resources and “destroying the planet.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/27/celebrity-news/katy-perry-roasted-by-fans-for-space-inspired-tour-outfit/

Sources close to the talks told Reuters Hamas hoped to build support among mediators for its offer, adding the group might agree to a five to seven-year truce in return for ending the war, allowing for the rebuilding of Gaza, the freeing of Palestinians jailed by Israel and the release of all hostages.

Hamas is open to a years-long truce with Israel in Gaza but is not willing to lay down its arms, an official said on Saturday, as leaders of the Palestinian Islamist militant group met mediators in Cairo for ceasefire talks.

Sources close to the talks told Reuters Hamas hoped to build support among mediators for its offer, adding the group might agree to a five to seven-year truce in return for ending the war, allowing for the rebuilding of Gaza, the freeing of Palestinians jailed by Israel and the release of all hostages.

“The idea of a truce or its duration is not rejected by us, and we are ready to discuss it within the framework of negotiations. We are open to any serious proposals to end the war,” said Taher Al-Nono, the media adviser for the Hamas leadership, in the first clear signal that the group was open to a longer-term truce.

However, Nono ruled out a core Israeli demand that Hamas lay down its arms. Israel wants to see Gaza demilitarised.

“The weapon of resistance is not negotiable and will remain in our hands as long as the occupation exists,” Nono said.

Hamas’ founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction, but it has signalled in the past that it might agree to a long-term truce in return for ending Israeli occupation.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel downplayed chances this week for the new proposal to lead to a breakthrough unless Israel’s core demands were met.

“The war could end tomorrow if Hamas released the remaining 59 hostages and laid down its weapons,” Haskel said in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

Israel has blocked all aid into Gaza and hundreds of thousands have been displaced as its forces have seized territories it has designated as a buffer zone. More than 2,000 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes since, according to health authorities.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/world/hamas-open-to-long-gaza-truce-but-not-to-disarming-3512419

When Donald Trump made a historic return to power earlier this year, it was with the help of voters who represented a diverse coalition of backgrounds – truck drivers, veterans, business owners and more.

They represented a wide range of perspectives that helped explain Trump’s enduring appeal. But 100 days after he took office, how do his staunchest supporters feel now?

The BBC has returned to five of them. Here’s what they had to say about the promises he kept, the pledges he has yet to address, and what they want next.

The death of Virginia Giuffre will leave questions that are now likely to remain unanswered.

Her name will always be associated with the scandals and criminality surrounding the late billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his circle – with Ms Giuffre one of the most prominent among his accusers, revealing the trafficking and sexual exploitation of young women.

The photo of her and Prince Andrew, taken in London in 2001, became emblematic of the royal’s entanglement with Epstein and was central to his disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.

The origins of the picture remain uncertain. But Ms Giuffre’s death adds another layer to the mystery of what must have inadvertently become one of the most widely viewed photos in royal history.

Epstein – who was said to have taken the photo – died in jail facing sex trafficking charges.

Ghislaine Maxwell – who helped him abuse young girls and is pictured to the right of Prince Andrew and Ms Giuffre – is in prison in the US. Prince Andrew has stepped down from all public duties. And Virginia Giuffre, a smiling teenager in the photo, is now dead.

Ms Giuffre – who was born in the US – died by suicide at her farm in Western Australia aged 41, her family said on Friday.

Prince Andrew has always strongly denied any wrongdoing involving Ms Giuffre.

They reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022, in which Prince Andrew paid an undisclosed amount of money.

A statement with the settlement expressed regret on his part – but contained no admission of liability or an apology. Prince Andrew has always denied all the accusations against him.

The prospect of Prince Andrew facing a court hearing in New York was averted by the settlement, but it had been a huge problem for the Royal Family, and Prince Andrew was swiftly removed from all official public roles.

His reputation has never recovered.

At this stage, there is still much that is not known about Ms Giuffre’s last days or her personal circumstances.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yle7pxlyno

THE funeral of Pope Francis saw hundreds of famous politicians and royals flock to Rome as the world debated over who would sit where.

As the world leaders took to their seats earlier this morning a number of secrets around the seating plan soon emerged – including why Prince William was so far back.

Organisers of the funeral publicly admitted they needed to come up with a “master plan” to manage “big egos” of the world and make the day work.

It was initially believed that the Vatican seating planners would place the royals attending in the front rows before having the presidents and prime ministers in the seats behind them.

Past Vatican funerals have seen the leaders arranged into alphabetical order based on their country, per the French interpretation.

It was widely reported yesterday that US President Donald Trump would be in the third row in a move that he may well have considered a damaging blow to his leader of the free world.

But it was far from accurate, with the seating script being totally flipped on its head.

Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron all occupied front row seats – but for various different reasons.

In French, the United States is actually written Etas-Unis, which means this places Trump near the top of the list rather than towards the bottom.

Queen Mary of Denmark was at the start of the row with the King and Queen of Spain close by.

Then came the First Lady Melania Trump and her husband.

Next to them was Finland’s Alexander Stubb, who sat between Trump and French President Macron.

The pair had already spoken earlier in the day as Macron, Starmer, Zelensky and Trump all met up prior to everyone taking their seats.

Sat on the very end of the middle section of seats was Zelensky and his wife Olena.

They appeared to have been given special treatment as they bypassed dozens of nations alphabetically to land a front row spot.

This ended up putting Ukraine – which remains the exact same in French – in between Ireland and India.

Zelensky was even greeted by a round of applause as he took his seat in the square, with the crowds expressing their support for Ukraine.

It also left Kyiv’s leader sat just 10 seats away from Trump in the end.

The Vatican didn’t give an official reason for why the Kyiv couple were sat so high up, but spokesperson Matteo Bruni did say: “I believe they filled a vacant place.”

On the other side of seats, a familiar face sat closest to the coffin of Francis in Argentina’s Javier Milei.

Milei, a close pal of Trump, was given the best seat at the event due to him being Argentine, just like the Pope.

As Francis was also known as the Bishop of Rome, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura took the next two seats.

Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, was just behind them.

Leaders of Andorra, Albania and Angola all followed as they started with the first letter of the alphabet.

The placing of Prince William, who was representing the British monarchy on behalf of King Charles, was one of the biggest shocks.

Wills found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and sat two rows behind Milei.

British PM Sir Starmer was placed a number of rows even further back alongside his wife Victoria and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

The reason for his positioning was due to him being the head of a government as opposed to a head of state.

And because of the United Kingdom being far down the list they ended up being squashed in between Qatari and Serbian representatives.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission was also on the same row.

Elsewhere, former US President – and friend of Francis – Joe Biden was sat around five rows behind Trump and Melania.

Sat directly across from the world leaders was the bishops and cardinals who knew Francis best.

The funeral service took place shortly after 9am UK time in St Peter’s square.

It involved a series of words and hymns before the homily part which was led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Giovanni Battista Re.

The end of the mass saw many of the leaders leave Rome and return home – with Trump seen swiftly boarding Air Force One with Melania.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14112314/pope-francis-funeral-seating-plan/

DRESSED in a bathrobe and with a gun pointed at her head, Kim Kardashian pleaded: “Don’t kill me, I have babies” as a gang of armed robbers ransacked her penthouse for jewels.

When reports of the incredible Paris heist emerged in 2016, cynics branded it a publicity stunt.

But nine years on from the $10.6million [£8m] raid, the billionaire businesswoman and reality TV star is about to relive in court how she was bound, gagged and locked in a bathroom during the terrifying ordeal.

On Monday, ten people accused of “armed robbery in an organised gang”, “kidnap” and “criminal conspiracy” will stand trial at Paris Assizes, two miles from the scene of the crime.

As a key witness, Kim, 44, is reportedly willing to face her alleged attackers for the first time since the terrifying raid at the Hotel de Pourtales.

The star of Disney+ show The Kardashians has waited years for justice as the case dragged on, with timetabling problems caused by high-profile terrorist trials sparking backlogs in the courts.

There were also fears that the publicity any trial involving a Kardashian would attract might destroy the upmarket Paris tourism industry amid events such as last summer’s Olympics.

The delays were so long, one of the elderly defendants in the so-called “grandpa gang” facing charges died before he could be tried.

‘They liked her bling’

Now, ahead of the most high-profile jewellery heist case of the past decade, French detectives have revealed to The Sun how they tracked down the accused.

One of the aging crew has already publicly confessed to robbing Kim, who, in 2016, was still married to rapper Kanye West.

This week, Yunice Abbas, 72, revealed that he didn’t know who Kim was until after the raid.

He claimed: “My mate Aomar Ait Khedache, who put me on the job, had simply told me the victim was the wife of a famous rapper.”

Ait Khedache, known as “Old Omar”, 68, has also admitted participating in the heist but denies the prosecution’s accusation that he was the ringleader.

The police dossier shows how a combination of DNA and CCTV analysis, phone taps and geolocation, plus dogged determination by detectives, including physical tailing of suspects, led to the smashing of the gang within two months of the Hollywood-style heist.

The saga began in the summer of 2016, when Ait Khedache got a tip that a “big American star was coming to town” and that she was showing off her fabulous wealth on Instagram.

This was a time when old- school criminals were abandoning traditional heists for so-called saucissons — “sausage raids”, which involve following rich people into their homes, “wrapping them up like sausages” and then forcing them at gunpoint to say where they kept their valuables, before stealing them.

According to prosecutors, the Kardashian tip came from Florus Heroui, 52, who ran a bar in Le Marais, meaning “The Swamp” in English.

Heroui is said to have obtained precise information about Kim’s movements during Paris Fashion Week from Gary Madar, 34, a VIP greeter who regularly met stars as they arrived at Paris Le Bourget airport by private jet.

“I didn’t know who she was. We had nothing against
Kim Kardashian personally. I do regret that we
scared her

Crucially, Madar was trusted and liked by Kim, and had close family links to the car company she always used when in France.

Old Omar was fleeing justice at the time, having been arrested for his alleged involvement in a drugs racket, and was relying on his mistress, Christiane Glotin, 79, for safe houses to stay in.

In 2016, gang members were “ogling Kim’s jewels after Googling pictures on a computer”, a police investigator claimed.

“None of them had much idea who Kim was,” the source added. “But they liked her very expensive bling.”

All were particularly interested in Kim’s 18.88-carat, $4million [£3m] engagement ring, especially after she proudly announced that she “did not wear fake jewellery”.

Scouting out the star’s Paris address was easy, Omar told detectives. The gang allegedly only had to follow Kim’s Mercedes V-Class people carrier to find out that she was staying in the Hotel de Pourtales.

Better known as the “No Address”, Pourtales is a collection of dream apartments which have welcomed multiple A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Madonna.

The tip was that Kim would enjoy some “me time” alone in the Sky Penthouse while allowing her staff and family members out on the town.

This is exactly what happened in the early hours of October 3, when, at 2.20am, three cyclists in fluorescent yellow vests approached the No Address and parked their bikes in the courtyard.

Two more arrived on foot, and all were wearing black balaclavas and police armbands before they confronted the property’s only concierge, Abderrahmane Ouatiki.

Pointing an antique Mauser 7.65mm pistol at his head, the gang led Abderrahmane up to the penthouse, where Kim was lying on her bed.

She was alone after her German bodyguard, Pascal Duvier — who she later sacked — went out dancing.

Kim recalled hearing noises outside the door, later telling officers: “I said, ‘Hello!’, but since no one answered, I knew something was wrong.”

Two “aggressive men” in black police uniforms then burst in with the handcuffed Abderrahmane.

“I remember that I had an indescribable
feeling, as if my heart would leave my body, I thought that I was going to die

Kim tried to call 911, the American police emergency number, but of course it did not work in France.

“He puts a gun directly to her head,” Abderrahmane recalled. “She’s crying, she’s screaming.

“She’s saying, ‘Don’t kill me, I have babies, please, I have babies. I’m a mom. Take what you want’. She’s wearing just a robe and her hair is tied back.”

To prevent Kim from screaming too loudly, the robbers taped her mouth shut before locking her in her bathroom.

They spent 49 minutes in the penthouse before leaving with a haul estimated to be worth around $10.6million [£8m].

As they fled, one accidentally dropped a platinum cross adorned with diamonds that was found the next morning.

After cutting through her ties herself, Kim went to another apartment downstairs, where her stylist, Simone Harouche, had barricaded herself in a bathroom.

Incriminating images

Cops were alerted and took statements from Kim before she was allowed to catch her private jet home.

Detectives soon gathered two genetic fingerprints on the Serflex ties used to restrain Kim and Abderrahmane.

The samples corresponded to the prints of Ait Khedache and Abbas, both of whom had their details all over police forensic databases because of their criminal antecedents.

Painstakingly gathering all video recordings in the area, detectives also found plenty of incriminating images.

They included multiple sightings of a Peugeot 508 which was driven by Ait Khedache’s son, Harminy Ait Khedache, 38.

A police telephone specialist went through 7,591 mobile phone calls made in the Madeleine area around the robbery between October 2 and 3, finding numbers linked to the prime suspects.

These included Didier “Blue Eyes” Dubreucq, 69, who was allegedly the second robber to enter the penthouse, along with Old Omar.

Dubreucq had served 23 years in prison for a post office robbery and for importing two tonnes of Colombian cocaine into Europe via a Saudi Arabian prince’s private jet.

Rather than arrest the suspects straight away, officers from the elite Banditry Repression Brigade of the Paris Judicial Police launched tailing operations, which included placing GPS surveillance devices on their cars.

This is when new “faces” appeared, such as Marceau “Rough Nose” Baumgertner — an alleged Paris fence who has since died.

Known as a market trader with a pet dog called Al Capone, the 70-year-old was recorded as having made trips to Antwerp — the diamond capital of Europe — with Old Omar and Glotin to allegedly sell the jewellery.

Old Omar has told police the gold was melted down and resold, while insisting that he has “no idea” where Kim’s ring ended up.

On January 9, 2017, the BRB burst into all the suspects’ homes, handcuffed them and placed them in custody.

Ait Khedache originally denied wrongdoing, but when he heard of the DNA evidence against him, he made a full confession.

Deeply traumatised by the robbery, Kim avoided Paris for more than a year, so investigating judge Armelle Briand had to travel to the US to interview her.

Kim told Judge Briand: “I remember that I had an indescribable feeling, as if my heart would leave my body.

“I thought that I was going to die.”

According to her recorded testimony, Kim added: “This experience opened my eyes to the fact that the world was no longer a safe place.”

She said her “relationship with valuables had changed”, and that “it’s become a burden to be responsible for such expensive items”.

Despite some confessions, and the legal right of police and prosecution to leak information about the case, all officially remain innocent until proven guilty in connection with the largest jewellery theft committed against a single person in France this century.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14106966/kim-kardashian-face-paris-attackers-trial/

SHOCKING bodycam footage shows the moment the wife of Weezer star Scott Shriner is confronted by cops before being shot.

Jillian Lauren, 51, was charged with attempted murder after a standoff with armed cops who were searching for three suspects over an unrelated hit-and-run near her home in Los Angeles.

She was shot in the shoulder and arrested after allegedly pointing a handgun at officers when she apparently mistook them for armed suspects.

Now, newly released bodycam footage from Los Angeles police shows a chaotic scene leading up to the shooting.

Officers can be heard yelling from behind a fence around Lauren’s garden for several minutes – telling her to drop her gun.

“Ma’am we’re trying to help you,” one says.

“Drop the gun, you’re going to get shot.”

One of the officers then tells the others that Lauren has raised her gun.

“Not at us, but she just lifted it up,” an officer is heard saying.

CCTV from Lauren’s back garden shows her chambering a round and raising the gun – followed by police bullets landing near her feet a moment later.

A 911 call from one of Lauren’s neighbors suggests she thought she was being fired at by a suspect from the unrelated hit-and-run.

The neighbour is heard saying: “There were three men, and one of them shot her, and the cops are looking for him right now.

“They have their guns out.”

Lauren later told police herself she had armed herself after hearing about the three men on the run in the neighbourhood, according to CBS News.

The drama in Lauren’s back garden unfolded after a crash on the 134 freeway in Los Angeles.

Three people fled from the scene into the neighbourhood of Eagle Rock and the cops immediately launched a manhunt for the trio.

As officers searched for them, they found Lauren stood outside her home holding a handgun.

The cops said they yelled at her to drop the gun “numerous times” – but she repeatedly refused.

The police said: “[Lauren] then pointed the handgun at the officers, and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred.”

One officer then reportedly shot Lauren in the shoulder.

After being hit, Lauren is said to have gone back inside her home before coming out with her hands up 30 minutes later.

She was joined by the family’s female babysitter – with them both being taken into custody.

Lauren was charged with attempted murder and released on a $1million bail bond.

Shocking footage shows Lauren laid out on the floor with her arms sprawled out as an officer places her in handcuffs.

A barefooted Lauren is then led away into a police car.

Lauren was later taken to a local hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics to be treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.

Police searched the home and recovered a 9-millimetre handgun.

Lauren has been married to rock icon Scott Shriner since 2005 and the pair share two adopted children.

Weezer first formed in 1992 and features Scott, lead singer and guitarist Rivers Cuomo, drummer Patrick Wilson and rhythm guitarist Brian Bell.

The Say It Aint So hitmakers are set to have one gig in the UK in London this year with it already sold out.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14111761/weezer-star-wife-police-shooting/

China’s foreign minister has hit out at the “extreme selfishness” of tariffs, hinting at the steep levies imposed on Beijing by US President Donald Trump.

“Certain countries” resort to “pressure and coercion, and trigger unjustified trade wars … This extreme selfishness only harms their credibility”, top diplomat Wang Yi told his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov, according to a ministry statement released on Saturday (Apr 26).

This will “only undermine their credibility”, added Wang, who was speaking on Friday on the sidelines of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

The foreign minister also said that Beijing would seek solidarity with other countries on the tariff situation and expose “extreme egoism” and the bullying of certain countries.

Wang said during the meeting with his Uzbek counterpart that China would seek solidarity with other countries and would uphold multilateralism to “inject stability into the world”.

China and the United States, the world’s two biggest economies, are locked in an escalating tit-for-tat trade battle triggered by Trump’s levies on Chinese goods, which have reached 145 per cent on many products.

Beijing has responded with 125 per cent tariffs of its own on US goods.

Also on Saturday, China repeated that it had held no talks with the United States on trade issues, despite Trump’s recent claim that he had taken a call from Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

In an interview conducted on Apr 22 with Time magazine and published Friday, Trump did not say when the call with Xi took place or specify what was discussed.

“He’s called,” Trump said. “And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.”

China’s commerce ministry had already denied on Thursday that Beijing and Washington were conducting economic or trade negotiations.

In a statement posted on WeChat Saturday, Beijing’s embassy in the US capital repeated that assertion, saying “there have been no consultations or negotiations between China and the United States on tariff issues, let alone any agreement”.

The statement did not mention Trump or Xi by name or directly reference Trump’s claim of a call, but said remarks by the United States that a dialogue on tariffs was ongoing were “nothing but misleading”.

“This trade war was initiated by the US side,” the statement said.

“If the US truly wants to resolve the issue through dialogue, it must first correct its mistakes, stop threatening and pressuring others, and completely remove all unilateral tariff measures against China.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/trade-war-tariffs-china-hits-out-extreme-selfishness-us-trump-5091491

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met one-on-one in a marble-lined Vatican basilica on Saturday (Apr 26) to try to revive faltering efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said the meeting could prove historic if it delivers the kind of peace he is hoping for, and a White House spokesperson called it “very productive.”

The two leaders, leaning in close to each other with no aides around them while seated in St Peter’s Basilica, spoke for about 15 minutes, according to Zelenskyy’s office, and images of the meeting released by Kyiv and Washington.

The meeting at the Vatican, their first since an angry encounter in the Oval Office in Washington in February, comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to fighting between Ukraine and Russia.

After Pope Francis’s funeral service, Trump boarded Air Force One and departed Rome. While in the air, he published a social media post in which he took a tough tone on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump posted on Truth Social. Twelve people were killed on Thursday when a missile fired by Russia hit a Kyiv apartment block.

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” Trump wrote.

Following Trump’s remarks, Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham said the Senate is poised to move forward on bipartisan legislation that would impose trade sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other products.

“The Senate stands ready to move in this direction and will do so overwhelmingly if Russia does not embrace an honorable, just and enduring peace,” Graham posted on X.

Trump’s post was a departure from his usual rhetoric that has seen the toughest criticism directed at Zelenskyy, while he has spoken positively about Putin.

In a post on social media platform Telegram, Zelenskyy wrote: “Good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were spoken about.”

He said those topics included: “The protection of the lives of our people. A complete and unconditional ceasefire. A reliable and lasting peace that will prevent a recurrence of war.”

Zelenskyy added: “It was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!”

NO AIDES IN SIGHT

In one photograph released by Zelenskyy’s office, the Ukrainian and US leaders sat opposite each other in a hall of the basilica, around two feet apart, and were leaning in towards each other in conversation. No aides could be seen in the image.

In a second photograph, from the same location, Zelenskyy, Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were shown standing in a tight huddle. Macron had his hand on Zelenskyy’s shoulder.

After Trump and Zelenskyy met in the basilica, the two men joined other world leaders outside in Saint Peter’s Square at the funeral service for Pope Francis, who made the pursuit of peace, including in Ukraine, a motif of his papacy.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who gave the sermon at the funeral service, recalled how Pope Francis did not stop raising his voice to call for negotiations to end conflicts.

“War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone,” the cardinal said.

DIFFERENCES OVER TERRITORY

Trump has been pressing both Moscow and Kyiv to agree on a ceasefire and peace deal. He had previously warned his administration would walk away from its efforts to achieve a peace if the two sides do not agree on a deal soon.

After a round of shuttle diplomacy this week, differences have emerged between the position of the Trump White House on peace talks and the stance of Ukraine and its European allies, according to documents from the talks obtained by Reuters.

Washington is proposing a legal recognition that Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014, is Russian territory, something that Kyiv and its allies in Europe say is a red line they will not cross.

There are also differences on how quickly sanctions on Russia would be lifted if a peace deal was signed, what kind of security guarantees Ukraine would have, and how Ukraine would be financially compensated.

Trump and Zelenskyy have had a rocky personal relationship. At their Oval Office meeting, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three.”

Since then, Kyiv has tried to repair relations, but the barbs have continued. Zelenskyy has said Trump was trapped in a “disinformation bubble” that favoured Moscow, while the US leader accused Zelenskyy of foot-dragging on a peace deal and making “inflammatory” statements.

But the two men need each other. Trump requires Zelenskyy’s buy-in to achieve his stated ambition of bringing a swift peace between Russia and Ukraine, while Kyiv needs Trump to pressure Moscow into diluting some of the more onerous conditions it has set for a truce.

At the Oval Office meeting in February, a reporter who was present from a conservative US news network accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the occasion by not wearing a suit.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-and-zelenskyy-meet-one-one-vatican-basilica-seek-ukraine-peace-5091991

It’s expensive to be her.

Erika Jayne was pictured soaking up the sun on the balcony of her room at The Tryst hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Wearing nothing but a barely-there studded black swimsuit, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star showed off her toned legs and enviable curves.

Immediately after sharing the photos on Instagram Saturday, Bravo stars flooded the comments section to celebrate Jayne.

“Stunner,” Jayne’s “RHOBH” co-star Kyle Richards wrote, while “RHOC” star Gretchen Rossi added three fire emojis.

Reality star Renee Graziano also wrote, “Absolute Showstopper.”

Jayne’s post comes hours after she shared her support for co-star Dorit Kemsley after she filed to divorce her estrange husband, Paul “PK” Kemsley.

“I literally just found out online like everyone else, maybe an hour ago, and, obviously, I reached out to her,” the 53-year-old told Us Weekly on Friday at the grand opening of the Tryst hotel.

“She’s got more important things to do than to talk to me right now.”

Page Six confirmed on Friday that Dorit filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage. They separated in May 2024, but have been co-parenting their two children: son Jagger, 11, and daughter Phoenix, 9.

In her petition, Dorit cited “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for the split and asked for sole legal and physical custody of the kids. She also requested spousal support.

Following Dorit’s filing — which came just hours after PK was pictured kissing “Amazing Race” alum Shana Wall — he seemingly slammed her on social media, saying, “No one plays the victim better than the one who caused the damage.”

Erika, who filed to end her own marriage to estranged husband Tom Girardi in 2020, further told Us Weekly that divorce is “a sad thing.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/26/style/rhobh-star-erika-jayne-rocks-barely-there-swimsuit-for-glamorous-photo-shoot/

US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Apr 26) urged free transit for American commercial and military ships through the Panama and Suez canals, tasking his secretary of state with making progress “immediately.”

Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama Canal but his social media post also shifted focus onto the vital Suez route.

“American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He claimed both routes would “not exist” without the United States and said he had asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “immediately take care of” the situation.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, without directly referencing Trump, said on Saturday that toll fees for the Panama Canal are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), an autonomous governing body that oversees the trade route.

“There is no agreement to the contrary,” he said in a post on X.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said during a visit to Panama City earlier this month that the United States was seeking an agreement under which its warships could pass through the canal “first, and free.”

The United States and China are two of the top users of the Panama Canal.

Egypt’s Suez Canal, a key waterway linking Europe and Asia, accounted for about 10 per cent of global maritime trade before attacks by Yemen’s Huthi rebels on shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Iran-backed rebels began targeting vessels after the start of the Gaza war, claiming solidarity with Palestinians, forcing ships to take a long and costly detour around the southern tip of Africa.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-urges-free-transit-us-ships-through-panama-suez-canals-5092211

Pakistan has initiated “emergency” measures to secure pharmaceutical supplies in response after the suspension of trade ties with India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Pakistani health authorities have initiated “emergency preparedness” measures to secure pharmaceutical supplies in response to the suspension of trade ties with India, according to a media report on Saturday.

In response to India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam attack, Islamabad on Thursday suspended all trade with New Delhi, among other moves.

Geo News reported that India trade halt triggered “urgent measures to secure” pharmaceutical needs in Pakistan and health authorities have initiated “emergency preparedness” measures to secure the supplies.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has confirmed that while there has been no formal notification regarding the ban’s impact on the pharmaceutical sector, contingency plans are already in place, it said.

“Following the 2019 crisis, we had started preparing for such contingencies. We are now actively looking at alternative avenues to meet our pharmaceutical needs,” the report quoted a senior DRAP official as saying.

Currently, Pakistan relies on India for 30% to 40% of its pharmaceutical raw materials, including Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and various advanced therapeutic products.

With this supply chain distributed, DRAP is seeking alternative sources from China, Russia, and several European countries.

The agency aims to ensure the continuous availability of essential medical supplies, including anti-rabies vaccines, anti-snake venom, cancer therapies, monoclonal antibodies, and other critical biological products.

While DRAP’s preparedness offers some reassurance, industry insiders and health experts have warned of a looming challenge if immediate action is not taken to manage the fallout of the trade suspension.

“Pakistan imports some 30%–40% of its pharmaceutical raw material from India. We also import finished products, most importantly, anti-cancer therapies, biological products, vaccines, and sera, especially anti-rabies vaccine and anti-snake venom from India,” a senior official from the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said, requesting anonymity.

The Ministry of Health has yet to receive an official directive clarifying the status of pharmaceutical imports, despite the government’s blanket announcement suspending all trade with India.

The pharmaceutical sector fears that disruption in the supply chain could lead to critical shortages.

The situation is further complicated by the existence of a robust black market, where unregistered and unapproved medicines are smuggled into Pakistan through Afghanistan, Iran, Dubai, and even across the eastern border, the report said.

While these channels fill gaps left by legal imports, they offer no guarantee of quality or consistent supply.

A delegation of pharmaceutical industry leaders travelled to Islamabad on Thursday to appeal for an exemption from the trade ban.

“We had meetings with DRAP and Ministry of Commerce officials to discuss the suspension of trade ties. We urged them to exempt the pharmaceutical sector from the ban, as there are many life-saving products whose raw materials come exclusively from India,” said Tauqeer-ul-Haq, Chairman of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA).

The PPMA delegation also approached the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), arguing that pharmaceutical and health-related trade must be excluded from the ban to protect patients’ lives.

However, some experts see the current crisis as a wake-up call for long-term investment in local production of APIs, vaccines, and biologicals.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pak-scrambles-secure-drug-supplies-trade-with-india-halted-2715685-2025-04-26

The Trump administration appeared to have deported a 2-year-old U.S. citizen “with no meaningful process,” a federal judge said on Friday, as the child’s father sought to have her returned to the United States.
U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty said the girl, who was referred to as “V.M.L.” in court documents, was deported with her mother.

“It is illegal and unconstitutional to deport, detain for deportation, or recommend deportation of a U.S. citizen,” Doughty said.

He scheduled a hearing for May 19 “in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.”
V.M.L. was apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday with her mother, Jenny Carolina Lopez Villela, and older sister when Villela attended a routine appointment at its New Orleans office, according to a filing by Trish Mack, who said the infant’s father asked her to act as the child’s custodian.
According to Mack, when V.M.L.’s father briefly spoke to Villela, he could hear her and the children crying. During that time, according to a court document, he reminded her that their daughter was a U.S. citizen “and could not be deported.”

However, prosecutors said Villela, who has legal custody, told ICE that she wanted to retain custody of the girl and have her go with her to Honduras. They said the man claiming to be V.M.L.’s father had not presented himself to ICE despite requests to do so.
“It is therefore in V.M.L.’s best interest that she remain in the lawful custody of her mother,” Trump administration officials said in a filing on Friday. “Further, V.M.L. is not at risk of irreparable harm because she is a U.S. citizen.”
V.M.L. is not prohibited from entering the U.S., prosecutors added.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The American Civil Liberties Union described V.M.L,’s case -and another similar – as a “shocking … abuse of power.”
“These actions stand in direct violation of ICE’s own written and informal directives, which mandate coordination for the care of minor children with willing caretakers – regardless of immigration status – when deportations are being carried out,” it said.

U.S. President Donald Trump, whose presidential campaigns have focused heavily on immigration, said earlier this month he wanted to deport some violent criminals who are U.S. citizens to El Salvadoran prisons.
The comments raised concern about a proposal that has alarmed civil rights advocates and is viewed by many legal scholars as unconstitutional.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/two-year-old-us-citizen-appears-have-been-deported-with-no-meaningful-process-2025-04-26/

Justin Bieber is mourning the death of his grandfather Bruce Dale.

The “Sorry” singer penned a touching tribute via Instagram to the late patriarch, who died on Thursday, according to an online obituary.

“Papa, I always took all ur money lol. I remember u specifically telling me, gramma gave u an allowance of 20 dollars for the WEEK!” Bieber recalled in his post Saturday.

“I would always convince you to spend on snacks at the hockey game on Friday nights. Reluctantly you always gave it to me,” he added alongside a throwback photo of the duo taken in 2009.

“Corn nuts, skittles, gum balls, chuck a puck, slush puppies.”

Bieber, 31, continued, “Shout out to the jr b referees Beatty, Fagon, Flanagan lmfao. For enduring all of my grandpa’s heckling for all of your horrible referee calls lmfao. My grandpa wasn’t shy in letting them know that they were being pieces of s—s.”

The “Lonely” singer, whose mental health has sparked concern in recent months, also noted, “I can’t wait to see u again soon in heaven.”

He added, “Until then I know ur watching down probly still heckling Beatty or Fagon for missing that cross check call in the corner there lmfao.”

“I will miss u. I will ache. And I’ll sit and let myself remember all of the wonderful times we’ve had,” Bieber concluded the heartfelt post.

Dale’s obituary states he died “peacefully” at the Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth. He’s survived by his four children: Candie Toper, Chris Mallette, Chris Dale and Pattie Mallette — Bieber’s mother.

The Grammy winner and his wife, Hailey Bieber, are listed among Dale’s three grandchildren. Their son, Jack Blues Bieber, whom they welcomed in August 2024, was also named with Dale’s great grandchildren.

Dale spoke about his relationship with his famous grandson in an emotional February 2018 interview at the Steps to Stardom Exhibition at Stratford Perth Museum in Bieber’s hometown where he recalled going to the singer’s first show.

“I don’t know,” he answered when asked what makes him emotional about Bieber. “It just happens. I can sit and talk with anybody about anything, but when it comes to talking about him, I just get emotional.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/26/celebrity-news/justin-bieber-mourns-death-of-his-grandfather-cant-wait-to-see-you-again-soon-in-heaven/

Some 250,000 attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome on Saturday, including world leaders and ordinary people. DW’s religion correspondent Christoph Strack was there.

“He is like our father, he’s everything to us. That’s why we’re here, because of our love for him,” said Barbara Quarante, who was standing on the edge of St. Peter’s Square. She had arrived the day before as a part of a group of 13 from Calabria in southern Italy, and spent the night in the open air. At her feet, some of the adolescents in the group were still lying in their sleeping bags.

She was determined to bid farewell to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88. “We know that he is with Jesus,” Quarante told DW. “And he can pray for us. We feel united with him.”

Her friend Caterina Longordo said that the pope had “reached young people” and done a lot for them, addressing “the environment and social topics.” That’s why the adolescents had also wanted to come. She added that, despite being an Argentinian by birth, Francis had always been a kind of Italian pope, given that he had ancestors from Piedmont in northern Italy.

Just saying goodbye

According to the Vatican, more than 250,000 people crowded into St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets to attend the pope’s funeral. Just six days earlier, Francis had greeted the crowds and given the papal Urbi et Orbi blessing on Easter Sunday from the balcony of the Loggia of Blessings of St Peter’s Basilica.

He died the next day. Tens of thousands of mourners lined up to pay their respects and see his open coffin in the altar of the same building, where Francis had lain in state for three days. The coffin was then sealed to prepare for the funeral.

In his 12 years as pope, Francis was vocal about global politics and expressed his opinions openly, sometimes clashing with world leaders. Ordinary people found the man who wanted to act as a pastor extremely approachable. Everywhere in Rome, there were banners saying “Grazie, Francesco.”

Myrna Domingo, a 72-year-old from the Philippines, who has worked for the same Roman household for 42 years, told DW that she wanted to say “thank you” to the late pope. Each year during Advent the large Filipino community of Rome celebrated Simbang Gabi, a traditional series of masses in anticipation of Christmas, and the pope had allowed them to do this at St Peter’s and had once even made a surprise appearance among them.

Luthbert Sunjo, a 29-year-old from Cameroon, who has been studying in Rome for a year and wants to become a priest said that he had seen the pope three times but always at a distance. “I want to say goodbye to him, that’s all I can say,” he said, adding that this was “a great day” for him as he had been allowed to distribute the Eucharist at the mass for Pope Francis.

“A great man,” said Anthony Di Castro, a 21-year-old from the US state of Wisconsin who is studying psychology in Rome, and had come to the funeral with his friends. “He’s a pioneer of Catholic leadership, in so many ways,” he told DW, explaining that he had last seen the pope on Easter Sunday.

Canonization of Carlo Acutis postponed

There were many young people in the crowd because the pope had intended to canonize Carlo Acutis on Sunday. The young British-born Italian teenager, known for his devotion to the Eucharist, died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Pope Francis beatified him in 2020, though the canonization has now been postponed.

There were representatives from 150 countries in attendance, including heads of state, royals and politicians. Not since the funeral of Pope John Paul II had there been so many prominent guests. They included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

It was revealed after the ceremony that Trump and Zelenskyy had met at the Vatican, the first encounter since their spat in the Oval Office in February.

‘With a heart open to all’

Giovanni Battista Re, the current Cardinal Dean of the College of Cardinals, had the special role of presiding over the funeral service. “He was a pope in the midst of the people with a heart open to all,” the 91-year-old preached. “He was also a pope attentive to what was new in society and to what the Holy Spirit was arousing in the Church.”

Some 135 cardinals are expected to meet in around two weeks’ time to elect Francis’ successor. Though they are currently united in mourning for the late pope, they did not all agree with his more progressive views, and a battle has already begun over the future of the Church.

‘Don’t forget to pray for me’

The pope is always also the Bishop of Rome, and the city’s residents were close to Francis’ heart. Since his first Sunday in office on March 17, 2013, he concluded every Sunday lunchtime prayer in St. Peter’s Square with the words “Don’t forget to pray for me. Have a good Sunday. And buon appetito.”

Many Romans liked that, whether they had any connection with the Catholic Church or not.

Final resting place is Santa Maria Maggiore

Francis is the first pope in almost 150 years not to be buried in St Peter’s Basilica. He chose the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, not far from Rome’s main train station, as his final resting place. He frequented the church more than 130 times, often visiting it to pray before and after his trips abroad.

Minutes after the funeral mass had ended, a long convoy set off from the Vatican through the ancient city of Rome. The Popemobile carrying the coffin rolled through the city center, crossed the Forum and past the Colosseum.

Many tens of thousands of people stood along the route. Police officers saluted. Hundreds held up their smartphones and took pictures or made films, others clapped. Rome was unusually quiet, except for the noise of helicopters overhead.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/grazie-francesco-pope-buried-in-rome/a-72364882

Pakistani troops opened “unprovoked” fire at Indian posts across the Line of Control last night as tensions escalated between the two countries over the massacre of 26 civilians at a tourist hotspot in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. This is the second time in two nights that Pakistani troops have tried to provoke the Indian side.

Indian Army reported the firing from multiple posts from across the Line of Control, the de facto boundary separating Indian and Pakistani armies in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Officials said Indian troops retaliated appropriately to the Pakistani firing.

No casualties were reported in the exchange of fire, the Indian Army said in a statement.

“On the night of 25th-26th of April 2025, unprovoked Small Firing was carried out by multiple Pakistan Army post all across the Line of Control in Kashmir. Indian troops responded appropriately with small arms. No casualties reported,” the statement read.

Speculative firing was reported yesterday as well, with military sources suggesting that Pakistani troops were trying to check the alertness of Indian soldiers amid calls within India to take decisive action against terror hotspots across the LoC.

The ceasefire violations follow a string of measures taken by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. In the Tuesday massacre, at least 26 civilians vacationing in Baisaran meadow, known as “Mini Switzerland”, were shot dead by five terrorists. The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the attack. 26/11 mastermind and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed was the handler of the foreign terrorists who carried out the attack, sources suggest.

Taking strict action, India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, citing “sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan”. In a strong message from Delhi, Water Minister CR Patil threatened that “not a drop” of the Indus water would flow to Pakistan.

Vowing to punish every terrorist, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Indian troops will pursue them to the ends of the earth. Those involved in the terror attack and the conspirators will receive a punishment bigger than they can imagine, he has said.

India and Pakistan have also pulled their diplomatic staff and stopped visa services for each other’s nationals. Visitors now have a short deadline to return to their homeland, and cross-border visits are unlikely to resume until the situation defuses.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pakistan-violates-loc-ceasefire-again-indian-army-retaliates-8259222

VOLODYMYR Zelensky has landed in Italy as world leaders and royals gather for Pope Francis’ funeral today.

The Ukrainian leader landed early on Saturday morning – joining the world’s elite attending the historic funeral.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump and his wife Melania were pictured emerging from Air Force One at Fiumicino Airport near Rome on Friday night.

The US President will join British Prince William and French President Emmanuel Macron for the service in St Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis’ coffin was officially sealed in a private ceremony after three days of public viewing, which saw around 250,000 faithfuls pay tribute to the late pontiff.

The ceremony was conducted by Cardinal Kevin Farrell and attended by several Cardinals and Holy See officials.

A white cloth was first placed over Francis’ face, while a bag of coins minted during his lifetime was placed inside along with a one-page account of his papacy.

The account was read aloud by the master of liturgical ceremonies before being rolled up into a tube and placed in the coffin.

The funeral service will take place at 9am UK time today.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14103213/pope-francis-funeral-updates-news-vatican/

DRESSED in a bathrobe and with a gun pointed at her head, Kim Kardashian pleaded: “Don’t kill me, I have babies” as a gang of armed robbers ransacked her penthouse for jewels.

When reports of the incredible Paris heist emerged in 2016, cynics branded it a publicity stunt.

But nine years on from the $10.6million [£8m] raid, the billionaire businesswoman and reality TV star is about to relive in court how she was bound, gagged and locked in a bathroom during the terrifying ordeal.

On Monday, ten people accused of “armed robbery in an organised gang”, “kidnap” and “criminal conspiracy” will stand trial at Paris Assizes, two miles from the scene of the crime.

As a key witness, Kim, 44, is reportedly willing to face her alleged attackers for the first time since the terrifying raid at the Hotel de Pourtales.

The star of Disney+ show The Kardashians has waited years for justice as the case dragged on, with timetabling problems caused by high-profile terrorist trials sparking backlogs in the courts.

There were also fears that the publicity any trial involving a Kardashian would attract might destroy the upmarket Paris tourism industry amid events such as last summer’s Olympics.

The delays were so long, one of the elderly defendants in the so-called “grandpa gang” facing charges died before he could be tried.

‘They liked her bling’

Now, ahead of the most high-profile jewellery heist case of the past decade, French detectives have revealed to The Sun how they tracked down the accused.

One of the aging crew has already publicly confessed to robbing Kim, who, in 2016, was still married to rapper Kanye West.

This week, Yunice Abbas, 72, revealed that he didn’t know who Kim was until after the raid.

He claimed: “My mate Aomar Ait Khedache, who put me on the job, had simply told me the victim was the wife of a famous rapper.”

Ait Khedache, known as “Old Omar”, 68, has also admitted participating in the heist but denies the prosecution’s accusation that he was the ringleader.

The police dossier shows how a combination of DNA and CCTV analysis, phone taps and geolocation, plus dogged determination by detectives, including physical tailing of suspects, led to the smashing of the gang within two months of the Hollywood-style heist.

The saga began in the summer of 2016, when Ait Khedache got a tip that a “big American star was coming to town” and that she was showing off her fabulous wealth on Instagram.

This was a time when old- school criminals were abandoning traditional heists for so-called saucissons — “sausage raids”, which involve following rich people into their homes, “wrapping them up like sausages” and then forcing them at gunpoint to say where they kept their valuables, before stealing them.

According to prosecutors, the Kardashian tip came from Florus Heroui, 52, who ran a bar in Le Marais, meaning “The Swamp” in English.

Heroui is said to have obtained precise information about Kim’s movements during Paris Fashion Week from Gary Madar, 34, a VIP greeter who regularly met stars as they arrived at Paris Le Bourget airport by private jet.

“I didn’t know who she was. We had nothing against
Kim Kardashian personally. I do regret that we
scared her

Crucially, Madar was trusted and liked by Kim, and had close family links to the car company she always used when in France.

Old Omar was fleeing justice at the time, having been arrested for his alleged involvement in a drugs racket, and was relying on his mistress, Christiane Glotin, 79, for safe houses to stay in.

In 2016, gang members were “ogling Kim’s jewels after Googling pictures on a computer”, a police investigator claimed.

“None of them had much idea who Kim was,” the source added. “But they liked her very expensive bling.”

All were particularly interested in Kim’s 18.88-carat, $4million [£3m] engagement ring, especially after she proudly announced that she “did not wear fake jewellery”.

Scouting out the star’s Paris address was easy, Omar told detectives. The gang allegedly only had to follow Kim’s Mercedes V-Class people carrier to find out that she was staying in the Hotel de Pourtales.

Better known as the “No Address”, Pourtales is a collection of dream apartments which have welcomed multiple A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Madonna.

The tip was that Kim would enjoy some “me time” alone in the Sky Penthouse while allowing her staff and family members out on the town.

This is exactly what happened in the early hours of October 3, when, at 2.20am, three cyclists in fluorescent yellow vests approached the No Address and parked their bikes in the courtyard.

Two more arrived on foot, and all were wearing black balaclavas and police armbands before they confronted the property’s only concierge, Abderrahmane Ouatiki.

Pointing an antique Mauser 7.65mm pistol at his head, the gang led Abderrahmane up to the penthouse, where Kim was lying on her bed.

She was alone after her German bodyguard, Pascal Duvier — who she later sacked — went out dancing.

Kim recalled hearing noises outside the door, later telling officers: “I said, ‘Hello!’, but since no one answered, I knew something was wrong.”

Two “aggressive men” in black police uniforms then burst in with the handcuffed Abderrahmane.

“I remember that I had an indescribable
feeling, as if my heart would leave my body, I thought that I was going to die

Kim tried to call 911, the American police emergency number, but of course it did not work in France.

“He puts a gun directly to her head,” Abderrahmane recalled. “She’s crying, she’s screaming.

“She’s saying, ‘Don’t kill me, I have babies, please, I have babies. I’m a mom. Take what you want’. She’s wearing just a robe and her hair is tied back.”

To prevent Kim from screaming too loudly, the robbers taped her mouth shut before locking her in her bathroom.

They spent 49 minutes in the penthouse before leaving with a haul estimated to be worth around $10.6million [£8m].

As they fled, one accidentally dropped a platinum cross adorned with diamonds that was found the next morning.

After cutting through her ties herself, Kim went to another apartment downstairs, where her stylist, Simone Harouche, had barricaded herself in a bathroom.

Incriminating images

Cops were alerted and took statements from Kim before she was allowed to catch her private jet home.

Detectives soon gathered two genetic fingerprints on the Serflex ties used to restrain Kim and Abderrahmane.

The samples corresponded to the prints of Ait Khedache and Abbas, both of whom had their details all over police forensic databases because of their criminal antecedents.

Painstakingly gathering all video recordings in the area, detectives also found plenty of incriminating images.

They included multiple sightings of a Peugeot 508 which was driven by Ait Khedache’s son, Harminy Ait Khedache, 38.

A police telephone specialist went through 7,591 mobile phone calls made in the Madeleine area around the robbery between October 2 and 3, finding numbers linked to the prime suspects.

These included Didier “Blue Eyes” Dubreucq, 69, who was allegedly the second robber to enter the penthouse, along with Old Omar.

Dubreucq had served 23 years in prison for a post office robbery and for importing two tonnes of Colombian cocaine into Europe via a Saudi Arabian prince’s private jet.

Rather than arrest the suspects straight away, officers from the elite Banditry Repression Brigade of the Paris Judicial Police launched tailing operations, which included placing GPS surveillance devices on their cars.

This is when new “faces” appeared, such as Marceau “Rough Nose” Baumgertner — an alleged Paris fence who has since died.

Known as a market trader with a pet dog called Al Capone, the 70-year-old was recorded as having made trips to Antwerp — the diamond capital of Europe — with Old Omar and Glotin to allegedly sell the jewellery.

Old Omar has told police the gold was melted down and resold, while insisting that he has “no idea” where Kim’s ring ended up.

On January 9, 2017, the BRB burst into all the suspects’ homes, handcuffed them and placed them in custody.

Ait Khedache originally denied wrongdoing, but when he heard of the DNA evidence against him, he made a full confession.

Deeply traumatised by the robbery, Kim avoided Paris for more than a year, so investigating judge Armelle Briand had to travel to the US to interview her.

Kim told Judge Briand: “I remember that I had an indescribable feeling, as if my heart would leave my body.

“I thought that I was going to die.”

According to her recorded testimony, Kim added: “This experience opened my eyes to the fact that the world was no longer a safe place.”

She said her “relationship with valuables had changed”, and that “it’s become a burden to be responsible for such expensive items”.

Despite some confessions, and the legal right of police and prosecution to leak information about the case, all officially remain innocent until proven guilty in connection with the largest jewellery theft committed against a single person in France this century.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14106966/kim-kardashian-face-paris-attackers-trial/

Apple plans to shift the assembly of all iPhones sold in the United States to India as early as next year, pivoting away from China to avoid steep tariffs, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

US President Donald Trump’s trade war is pushing tech companies to diversify their supply chains. Apple is positioning India to play a key role in its manufacturing strategy, even though its suppliers in the country currently produce only a small share of iPhones sold globally.

Analysts had previously warned that consumer goods such as iPhones could be among the hardest hit by Trump’s broad tariffs and said US iPhone prices might rise sharply due to Apple’s heavy dependence on Chinese imports.

Higher prices could squeeze Apple’s margins and give Android smartphone makers a competitive edge.

Earlier this month, Washington granted tariff exclusions for smartphones, computers and other electronics mostly imported from China, offering some relief to tech firms such as Apple.

The company sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with Counterpoint Research estimating a fifth of the total imports of the device to the US coming from India, and the rest from China.

Foxconn and Tata, Apple’s main suppliers in India, operate three factories, with two more under construction.

In March, Foxconn and Tata shipped nearly US$2 billion worth of iPhones from India to the US, a record high, according to customs data.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/apple-shift-iphone-assembly-india-us-trump-tariffs-china-5088456

Not everyone thinks Katy Perry is out of this world.

Footage of the pop star robotically dancing on the opening night of her “Lifetimes” tour in Mexico City on Wednesday has gone viral on social media, where fans mercilessly roasted the cringeworthy choreography.

In a minute-long clip shared on TikTok, Perry backed up to the audience to shake her rear end, cheekily lay on the stage to raise one leg in the air and listlessly performed what appeared to be robot-inspired moves to her song “Part of Me” in a space-age cone bra and thigh-high boots.

“People are paying to see this?” an X user complained.

“so shockingly bad,” another lamented.

“This clip is not impressive. This looks more like somebody who’s come out of retirement after 30 years and trying to pull the same moves off they did when they were young and popular,” a third X user wrote in part.

The ruthless comments were all over TikTok, too, with one person writing, “This is the worst choreography I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Another quipped, “it’s giving school talent show,” while another comment read, “This looks like an SNL skit.”

One more commenter observed, “She’s struggling. No energy here. Hope she finds her groove.”

Some fans couldn’t resist referencing Perry’s Blue Origin flight as part of an all-women crew on April 14.

“Guess those 11 mins she spent in space could have been better spent on choreography,” commented a TikTok user, to which an X user agreed, “too much space travel. She’s not used to being back on the ground.”

The singer, 40, directly addressed backlash she received for her space jaunt by reportedly asking onstage Wednesday, “Has anyone ever called your dreams crazy?”

She also flew over the stage, wore spacesuit-inspired costumes and posed for selfies with fans pointedly dressed up in blue NASA space suits.

Page Six reached out to “Lifetimes” tour choreographer Kaylie Yee and creative direction company Squared Division for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/25/entertainment/katy-perry-roasted-for-choreography-on-lifetimes-tour/

Lawyers plan to argue at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming sex trafficking trial that the disgraced music mogul was merely living a “swinger” lifestyle and isn’t a rapist like the feds have made him out to be.

“There’s a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said at a Friday pre-trial hearing for the rapper in Manhattan federal court, per The Post.

Agnifilio argued that Combs’ belief that it was acceptable to have multiple partners or to hire escorts proves that he did not intend to commit a crime.

“Many people think it’s appropriate because it’s common.”

Judge Arun Subramanian ruled from the bench that Combs’ lawyers will be able to make their swinger argument, but they are not allowed to name other notable figures who are believed to have allegedly hired sex workers or participated in the proposed “lifestyle.”

The update comes as federal prosecutors revealed on Friday that Combs, 55, rejected a plea offer ahead of his trial. Details about the plea were not provided in court.

The “Last Night” rapper is currently facing charges of racketeering, transportation to engage in prostitution and sex trafficking as prosecutors allege the Bad Boy records founder forcibly coerced women to engage in sexual activity at his infamous “Freak-Off” parties.

Many witnesses, including Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, are expected tot take the stand during his eight to ten-week trial to give “graphic testimony” about “years’ worth of beatings, drug-fueled coercive sex marathons, and multiple rapes.”

Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he was taken after his September 2024 arrest.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/25/celebrity-news/sean-diddy-combs-is-a-swinger-but-not-a-rapist-lawyer-argues-as-rapper-rejects-plea-deal-ahead-of-trial/

The 24-year-old US national was arrested on March 31 for allegedly entering the North Sentinel Island without authorisation, police had said.

A US national, arrested in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering a prohibited tribal reserve area of the North Sentinel Island on March 31, was on Friday granted bail by the sessions court here.

The accused was granted bail with two sureties.

“Today, bail hearing of accused… was put up before the Hon’ble Court of Sessions Judge at Port Blair. After hearing both prosecution and defence, accused… was granted bail with two sureties, of which one surety should be local having registered landed property,” a statement issued by the ANI police said.

“The accused person has to meet the investigation officer twice in a week and his passport and visa not to be released till further orders of the Hon’ble Court. It means he will remain here in Port Blair till further hearing,” it said.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-tourist-arrested-for-entering-north-sentinel-island-granted-bail-8256457

Donald Trump said there have been tensions between India and Pakistan, and the two countries will figure it out between themselves “one way or the other”.

US President Donald Trump on Friday reacted to the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, saying that it was a “bad one”.

Responding to a question aboard Air Force One on the way to Rome, Trump said there have always been tensions between India and Pakistan, and the two countries will figure it out between themselves “one way or the other”.

“I am very close to India, and I’m very close to Pakistan, and they’ve had that fight for a thousand years in Kashmir. Kashmir has been going on for a thousand years, probably longer than that. That was a bad one (terrorist attack),” Trump was quoted as saying by ANI.

“There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years. It’s been the same, but I am sure they’ll figure it out one way or the other. I know both leaders. There’s great tension between Pakistan and India, but there always has been.”

Pahalgam terror attack
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated over the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 persons, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The assault is one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.

Following the attack, India announced a raft of measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches and the immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/donald-trump-reacts-to-pahalgam-terror-attack-india-pakistan-us-101745607884197.html

Israel’s destructive military campaign in Gaza has released a silent killer: asbestos.

The mineral, once widely-used in building materials, releases toxic fibres into the air when disturbed that can cling to the lungs and – over decades – cause cancer.

Nowadays, its use is banned across much of the world, but it is still present in many older buildings.

In Gaza, it is found primarily in asbestos roofing used across the territory’s eight urban refugee camps – which were set up for Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli war – according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

In October 2024, UNEP estimated that up to 2.3 million tons of rubble across Gaza could be contaminated with asbestos.

“The Gaza rubble is a very, very toxic environment,” says Professor Bill Cookson, director of the National Centre for Mesothelioma Research in London. “People are going to suffer acutely, but also in the longer term as well, things that children may carry throughout their lives.”

“The lives lost now are not going to end here. The legacy is going to continue,” says Liz Darlison, CEO of Mesothelioma UK.

When asbestos is disturbed by something like an air strike, its fibres – too small to see with the human eye – can be breathed in by those nearby and can then work their way through to the lining of the lungs.

Over many years – usually decades – they can cause scarring which leads to a serious lung condition known as asbestosis, or, in some cases, an aggressive form of lung-cancer named mesothelioma.

“Mesothelioma is a terrible, intractable illness,” says Prof Cookson.

“The really worrying thing,” he adds, “is that it’s not dose related. So even small inhalations of asbestos fibre can cause subsequent mesothelioma.

“It grows within the pleural cavity. It’s extremely painful. It’s always diagnosed late. And it’s pretty well resistant to all treatments.”

Typically, those who contract mesothelioma do so 20 to 60 years after exposure – meaning it will take decades before the possible impact across the territory is felt. A higher level, or longer period, of exposure is believed to accelerate the progression of the disease.

Dr Ryan Hoy, whose research into dust inhalation was cited by the UNEP, says it is extremely difficult to avoid breathing in asbestos fibres because they are “really tiny particles that float in the air that can get very, very deep into the lungs.”

They are even harder to avoid, he says, because Gaza is so “densely populated”. The territory houses approximately 2.1 million people and is 365 sq km (141 sq miles) – about one quarter of the size of London.

Experts on the ground there say people are unable to manage the risks posed by asbestos or dust inhalation due to the more immediate dangers of Israel’s military offensive.

“At this point in time, [dust inhalation] is not something that is perceived as a worrying thing by the population. They even don’t have things to eat, and they’re more afraid to be killed by the bombs,” says Chiara Lodi, medical co-ordinator in Gaza for the NGO Médecins Sans Frontières.

“The lack of awareness about the risks of asbestos, combined with the ongoing challenges [people in Gaza] face in trying to rebuild their lives, means they are unable to take the necessary measures to protect themselves,” a Gaza-based spokesperson for the NGO SOS Children’s Villages said.

Many are “not fully aware of the harmful effects of the dust and debris”, they added.

After a previous conflict in Gaza in 2009, a UN survey of the territory found asbestos in debris from older buildings, sheds, temporary building extensions, roofs and the walls of livestock enclosures.

There are several types of asbestos ranging from so-called “white asbestos”, which is the least dangerous, to “blue”, or crocidolite, which is the most. Highly-carcinogenic crocidolite asbestos was previously found in Gaza by the UN.

Globally, around 68 countries have banned the use of asbestos, though some maintain exemptions for special use. It was banned in the UK in 1999, and Israel banned its use in buildings in 2011.

As well as mesothelioma, asbestos can cause other forms of lung cancer, larynx and ovarian cancer.

A further, lesser known risk is that of silicosis, a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust, usually over many years. Concrete generally contains 20-60% silica.

Dr Hoy says the sheer amount of dust in Gaza could lead to an “increased risk of respiratory tract infections, upper and lower airway infections, pneumonia, exacerbations of pre-existing lung disease like asthma,” as well as, “emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can be worsened by acute exposure to dust”.

For years, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York have been used as a case-study by health experts to examine the effects of a large toxic dust-cloud on a civilian population.

“The Twin Towers were not in the middle of a war zone,” says Ms Darlison, “so it was something we were able to measure and quantify easier”.

As of December 2023, 5,249 of those who were registered with the US government’s World Trade Center Health Programme have died as a result of aerodigestive illness or cancer – a far higher figure than the 2,296 people who were killed in the attack itself. A total of 34,113 people were diagnosed with cancer over the same period.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8y4j91l83o

As Elon Musk’s tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency winds down, it’s clear Americans owe him a debt of gratitude — despite the left’s unhinged hate campaign against him.

On Tuesday, Musk announced that he’s taking a step back from his role at DOGE starting next month and “allocating far more of [his] time to Tesla.”

His exit was always planned; so-called “special government employees” like Musk can only legally stick around in advisory roles for 130 consecutive days.

But his announcement served another purpose: soothing panicky Tesla shareholders, who have seen the company’s net income tank 71% in the last quarter, with many blaming his break from the company combined with his alliance with Orange Man.

Musk always knew he’d be risking harm to Tesla but was willing to make the sacrifice for the good of the nation.

Yet a shocking number of Trump-Musk haters actually waged sociopathic attacks on Tesla vehicles and innocent dealerships and owners.

Democratic leaders encouraged this terroristic insanity, either with their silence or by smearing Musk as a big, bad “oligarch” and thus stoking the flames.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ghoulishly gloated over Tesla’s falling stock prices, just weeks before a Minnesota government employee was busted for causing $21,000 in damage to random Teslas.

One would think progressives would cheer the guy who built Tesla into the biggest seller of electric vehicles in the United States, a project he took on explicitly to fight climate change.

Quite frankly, getting Americans to buy EVs in the first place is a miraculous feat, considering they’re far less popular than their gas-powered counterparts.

Did that earn him some points with progressives? Fat chance.

And building Teslas isn’t Musk’s only act taken to help his fellow man. He also:

• Sent hundreds of Starlink satellites to help with rescue efforts after Hurricane Helene.

• Dispatched Starlink-fitted Cybertrucks to LA to maintain internet connectivity for locals after the devastating wildfires in January.

• Sent a SpaceX rocket to save two American astronauts stranded in space thanks to NASA and Boeing bungling.

Leftists’ instinctive love of government largesse has blinded them to the huge benefits of DOGE, but Musk’s work there has been heroic, too.

A Hawaii boat captain who rebuilt her whale-watching tour business after losing three boats in the deadly 2023 Lahaina wildfire captured iPhone footage of her dog barking excitedly when a humpback swam near them over the weekend and poked its head out to greet Macy, a golden retriever.

Chrissy Lovitt and Macy, 11, were in a fishing boat about 2 miles (roughly 3 kilometers) off Lahaina on Saturday when they spotted a humpback whale in the waters.

“And he heard her barking and he just swam over to meet her,” Lovitt recalled Tuesday. “And it was the best day of her life.”

In the video, Macy is seen barking frantically as the whale nears the boat. The whale’s head emerges and it appears to turn and look at the excited dog.

“She’s been barking at whales her whole life, but they haven’t wanted to do anything with her,” Lovitt said.

Macy is Lovitt’s trusty companion when she leads a boatload of tourists to marvel at whales. “She loves the ocean,” said Lovitt, now a Maui boat captain for 25 years. “She grew up on it.”

Macy is “obsessed with sea life and whales,” Lovitt added. “She’s 11 and I know we don’t get forever with her. But this has been on her bucket list so I’m just super happy for her.”

Lovitt had just started a whale-watching tour business when the massive inferno wiped out most of Lahaina, including her three boats, equipment and vehicles. On the day of the fire Aug. 8, Lovitt and her partner were trying to secure their boats in the fierce winds when the flames arrived. They had no choice but to head out in the ocean on a boat. There, Lovitt said, they helped the U.S. Coast Guard rescue people who were forced to jump in the water to flee the flames.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/whale-watching-dog-lahaina-wildfire-hawaii-c881db8ba9c8455be336bc811acb6d68

Federal agents arrested a Wisconsin judge and charged her with obstruction for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant evade arrest.

Announcing her arrest, FBI director Kash Patel accused Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan of “intentionally misdirecting” immigration agents away from a Mexican man they were trying to arrest last week.

“Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public,” Patel wrote on X.

During a preliminary court hearing on Friday, Dugan’s lawyer said she “wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety”.

The judge has been charged with obstruction and concealing an individual to avoid arrest, and faces a maximum of six years in prison if convicted on both charges.

Dugan was released on her own recognisance pending a hearing on 15 May.

The charges stem from events that played out in Dugan’s courtroom last week.

On 17 April, an immigration judge issued a warrant for the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national facing three misdemeanour battery counts stemming from a domestic fight, according to court documents filed in the case by the FBI.

The following day, Flores-Ruiz appeared in the Milwaukee court for a scheduled hearing, and six officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency arrived at the courthouse to make the arrest.

The agents identified themselves to court officials and waited outside Dugan’s courtroom, but according to the FBI affidavit, the judge became “visibly angry, commented that the situation was ‘absurd,’ left the bench, and entered chambers” when she learned of their presence.

In the hallway outside the court, Dugan and the unnamed agents then argued over the type of arrest warrant that had been issued, before the judge instructed them to report to the office of the county’s chief judge.

While several agents were in the office, affidavit says, the judge ushered Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer to a side door meant for jury members leading out of the courtroom.

But two agents remained near the courtroom and spotted Flores-Ruiz attempting to escape, the affidavit says.

Flores-Ruiz, who authorities say had previously been deported from the US in 2013, managed to exit the courthouse but was arrested just minutes later after a short foot chase.

Dugan’s arrest came one day after a former judge in New Mexico was taken into custody accused of harbouring an alleged Venezuelan gang member in his home.

“I think some of these judges think they are beyond and above the law and they are not,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News in an interview on Friday.

“And if you are destroying evidence, if you are obstructing justice, when you have victims sitting in a courtroom of domestic violence, and you’re escorting a criminal defendant out a back door, it will not be tolerated.”

Reaction to the arrest largely split along partisan lines.

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, called it a “gravely serious and drastic move”.

“Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by,” Baldwin said in a statement. “By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line.”

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also criticised the arrest, calling it “showboating” and warned that it would have a “chilling effect” on court proceedings.

Wisconsin’s Republican US Senator, Ron Johnson, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “I would advise everyone to cooperate with federal law enforcement and not endanger them and the public by obstructing their efforts to arrest criminals and illegal aliens.”

Dugan was first elected as a judge in 2016, and was re-elected to a second six-year term in 2022.

Judicial elections in Wisconsin are non-partisan, however Dugan was endorsed by Milwaukee’s Democratic mayor.

The obstruction charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while the concealment charges can be punished by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly5xx017vko

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) – set up to cut US government spending – claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office.

“We’re talking about almost $200bn and rising fast,” Trump told the BBC when talking about Mr Musk’s cost-cutting drive on 23 April.

Doge’s website says it is focusing on cancelling contracts, grants and leases put in place by previous administrations, as well as tackling fraud and reducing the government workforce.

BBC Verify has looked at the agency’s biggest claimed savings, examining the figures and speaking to experts.

Our analysis found that behind some of the large numbers, there is a lack of evidence to back them up.

How does Doge report savings?
In October, Mr Musk pledged to cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal government budget. He subsequently halved this target and on 10 April talked about making savings of $150bn from “cutting fraud and waste” by the end of the next financial year in 2026.

The US federal budget for the last financial year was $6.75tn.

Doge publishes a running total of its estimated savings on its website – which stood at $160bn the last time the site was updated on 20 April.

However, less than 40% of this figure is broken down into individual savings.

We downloaded the data from the Doge website on 23 April and added up the total claimed savings from contracts, grants and leases.

Our analysis found only about half of these itemised savings had a link to a document or other form of evidence.

US media has also highlighted some accounting errors, including Doge mistakenly claiming to have saved $8bn from cancelling an immigration contract which in fact had a total value of $8m.

Doge says it is working to upload all receipts in a “digestible and transparent manner” and that, as of 20 April, it has posted receipts “representing around 30% of all total savings”. It also lists some receipts as being “unavailable for legal reasons”.

What’s the evidence behind the biggest saving?
BBC Verify examined the four largest savings listed on the Doge website which had receipts attached.

The department claims these add up to $8.3bn, but after examining the evidence provided and speaking to people familiar with federal contracts, this figure appears to be overstated.

For three of the savings, Doge links to documents on the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS). This is a database which records contracts given out by the US government.

The documents show a contract’s start and end date, the maximum amount the government has agreed to spend, and how much of that has been spent.

David Drabkin, a federal contracts expert who helped develop the FPDS database, said the maximum figure listed should be treated with caution.

“FPDS does not reflect the actual paid price until some period of time after the contract has been completed and the contract actions have been recorded,” he says.

“For example, when buying research and development into a vaccine no one really knows how much that’s going to cost – so when a price is set, it’s not a definite price but rather an upper limit.”

So if Doge counts the maximum figure, that can represent projected spending over a number of years, rather than a direct saving from the country’s yearly spending.

Doge’s largest listed individual saving is $2.9bn.

It comes from cancelling a contract – which started in 2023 under President Biden – for a facility in Texas to house up to 3,000 unaccompanied migrant children.

Doge appears to have taken the “total contract value” until 2028 – the end date listed – and subtracted the amount spent so far to get the $2.9bn figure.

But the contract was reviewed annually, meaning renewing it until 2028 was not guaranteed.

A source familiar with this contract – who spoke on condition of anonymity – told BBC Verify that Doge’s figure is “based on speculative, never-used figures” and that the actual spending depended on how many children were placed at the facility and the services they required.

“In truth, the government never incurred those costs and could never reach that ceiling amount. The real, documentable savings from early termination were approximately $153 million”, they estimated.

They say this figure comes from tallying up the $18m per month fixed running costs (for things like staffing and security at the facility) from February – when Doge announced the cut – to November – when the contract was subject to annual review.

They also told us that the site – which closed on the same day as the Doge announcement – never reached its maximum capacity of 3,000 children, and about 2,000 stayed at the Texas facility at its peak, before numbers fell significantly as border crossings decreased.

We contacted the Administration for Children and Families and the Department for Health and Human Services which awarded the contract but are yet to hear back.

What about the other big savings?
The second largest saving listed by Doge comes from cancelling a contract between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and an IT company called Centennial Technologies which it claims was worth $1.9bn.

The document which Doge links to has a total contract value of $1.9bn and all of the other cost fields, including the amount already spent, are for $0.

However, Mr Drabkin told us this does not necessarily mean that nothing had been spent on the contract.

He said several government departments have poor recording keeping, meaning the amount spent during some contracts might not always be updated in a timely fashion.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4j33klz33o

Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to invest A$1.2bn (£580m) in a strategic reserve for critical minerals if he wins next month’s election, as trade tensions escalate.

The announcement came after China imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, essential to the production of advanced technologies – including electric vehicles, fighter jets, and robots.

China’s controls apply to all countries but were widely seen as retaliation to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Albanese said Australia would prioritise minerals that are key to its security, and that of its partners, including rare earths. But could his plan challenge China’s dominance?

What are rare earth minerals and why are they important?
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements – named “rare” because they are notoriously difficult to extract and refine.

Rare earths, like samarium and terbium, are critical to the production of technologies set to shape the world in the coming decades – including electric vehicles and highly advanced weapons systems.

Albanese’s proposed reserve includes rare earths as well as other critical minerals of which Australia is a top producer – like lithium and cobalt.

Both China and Australia have rare earth reserves. But 90% of rare earth refining – which makes them usable in technology – takes place in China, giving the country significant control over supply.

And that has spooked Western governments.

Why is China restricting the export of rare earth minerals?
Beijing said its restrictions on rare earths were in response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports to the US, currently at 145%.

But analysts say Washington’s inability to secure the supply of rare earths has become one of the Trump administration’s chief anxieties, especially as diplomatic tensions with Beijing have deepened.

Around 75% of US rare earth imports came from China between 2019 and 2022, according to the US Geological Survey.

Philip Kirchlechner, director of Iron Ore Research in Perth, Western Australia, told the BBC that the US and EU had “dropped the ball” on recognising the importance of the rare earths over recent decades, as China swiftly developed a monopoly over refinement.

“China has its foot on the blood vein… of US and European defence systems,” he added.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, this week said that China halting exports of rare earths used in advanced magnets was affecting the company’s ability to develop humanoid robots, in an early symbol of the pain Beijing has the power to inflict on US companies.

Could Australia’s proposal change the game?
Albanese’s proposal says that minerals in the reserve will be available to both “domestic industry and international partners”, in a likely reference to allies such as the US and EU.

But Kirchlechner, while welcoming the move as “long overdue”, added that the proposal is “not going to solve the problem”.

The fundamental issue is that even if Australia stockpiles more critical minerals, the refining process of rare earths will still largely be controlled by China.

Lithium – not a rare earth, but a crucial metal in the production electric vehicle batteries and solar panels – is a good example. Australia mines 33% of the world’s lithium, but only refines and exports a tiny fraction. China, on the other hand, mines just 23% of the world’s lithium, but refines 57% of it, according to the International Energy Agency.

Australia has been investing in refining rare earths as part of its Future Made in Australia plan, aimed at leveraging the country’s critical minerals reserves to drive the green transition.

Arafura Rare Earths, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, last year received A$840m in funding to create the country’s first combined mine and refinery for rare earths. And in November, Australia opened its first rare earths processing plant, also in Western Australia, operated by Lynas Rare Earths.

But the country is expected to depend on China for refining until at least 2026, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, headquartered in Washington.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86je4vyg36o

In the statement, Pan also said China’s central bank will lower the reserve requirement ratio and policy rate ‘as warranted by economic and financial developments at home and abroad, as well as financial market performance’

China’s central bank governor on Friday criticized the U.S. for threatening global financial stability with its “recent abuse” of tariffs, in the wake of recent moves seen by both sides as efforts to de-escalate their trade war.

“The recent abuse of tariffs by the United States has severely violated the legitimate rights and interests of other countries, seriously undermined the rules-based multilateral governance system, dealt a heavy blow to the global economic order, and hurt the long-term stability and growth of the global economy,” People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng said in a statement at the conclusion of the International Monetary Fund’s steering committee meeting.

“It has also triggered sharp fluctuations in global financial markets,” which has threatened global financial stability and posed challenges to emerging and developing nations, he said.

Pan added that there was an urgent need for countries to strengthen policy coordination and promote trade liberalisation.

China exempted some U.S. imports from its steep tariffs in a sign the trade war between the world’s top two economies could be easing, though Beijing quickly knocked down U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that negotiations were under way.

In the statement, Pan also said China’s central bank will lower the reserve requirement ratio and policy rate “as warranted by economic and financial developments at home and abroad, as well as financial market performance.”

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/chinas-central-bank-governor-criticises-us-tariff-abuse-at-international-monetary-fund-meeting/cid/2096039

Thousands of people marched through the former Auschwitz Nazi German death camp in Poland on Thursday in an annual ceremony organisers said would be joined by 80 Holocaust survivors to mark the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation.
The March of the Living follows a three-kilometre (1.86 mile) route to the crematoria of Auschwitz-Birkenau as participants pay tribute to the millions of Jews who died and call for an end to antisemitism and intolerance.

“In days when antisemitism is raising its ugly head, when there is hatred towards Israel and when cries rise for the destruction of Israel, we must stand strong and remind and promise the world: never again,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog told a news conference before the march.
The participants, many draped in Israeli flags, passed through the notorious “Arbeit macht frei” (work sets you free) gate at the entrance to the camp as the march began.

Antisemitic incidents have increased along with protests against Israel in parts of Europe, North America and Australia since Israel launched its war on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza after Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

“We both expressed our hope that the war taking place in the Gaza Strip, which was started by Hamas’ attack on Israel, will be able to end, that the hostages who are still in Hamas hands will be able to return home,” Polish President Andrzej Duda, standing alongside Herzog, told the news conference.
More than 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, perished in gas chambers or from starvation, cold and disease at Auschwitz, which Nazi Germany set up in occupied Poland during World War Two.
More than three million of Poland’s 3.2 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of the Jews in Europe killed during the Holocaust.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/holocaust-survivors-march-auschwitz-80-years-after-camps-liberation-2025-04-24/

Mourners stood in line for hours on Thursday to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral on Saturday.
Huge queues snaked around St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding roads, before being funnelled through the heart of the basilica in a single column leading to the central altar, where Francis’ open-topped coffin is placed on a dais.

The viewing started on Wednesday and the Vatican had expected to close the doors at midnight, but ended up letting the faithful in until 5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT), before reopening again at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT).
“After 3-1/2 hours in line, we had sore feet and tired legs. But we did see Francis, and the experience, while exhausting, was spiritually affirming,” said Richard Lamb of New Jersey in the USA, visiting with his wife Peggy, both devout Catholics.
“We walked with groups from Italy, Spain, England, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Poland, the U.S., the Philippines … it was a long, sublime experience,” he said.

Francis died aged 88 on Monday morning in his rooms at the Vatican’s Santa Marta guesthouse, ending an often turbulent, 12-year reign in which he sought to overhaul a divided institution, battling with traditionalists who opposed his many changes.
“He was a wonderful pope,” said Rome resident Alessandra Caccamo, as she queued outside the Vatican. “I’m going to miss him so much, because it’s like I’ve lost a piece of me.”
By 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) more than 90,000 people had paid their respects, Vatican officials said.
There was no stopping for a lingering view once the faithful got to the foot of the coffin, which was flanked by Swiss Guards in red-plumed helmets, as ushers swiftly moved people on.
Only clerics and special guests were allowed to sit for a while on pews set up on either side of the casket, including players from the city’s AS Roma soccer team, all wearing matching dark suits.

FUNERAL PLANS

More than 130 delegations, with 50 heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and 10 reigning monarchs are expected in St. Peter’s Square for Saturday’s funeral, the Vatican said, with millions more expected to watch on television across the globe.
Authorities in Rome started ramping up security ahead of the ceremony. A police source told Reuters snipers would be placed on rooftops, with drones watching from the sky and an army device readied to neutralise hostile flying objects.
A conclave to choose a new pontiff cannot start before May 6. Cardinals gathering in Rome have assumed temporary control of the Church, each taking an oath of secrecy not to reveal their discussions about a future pope.
This does not stop the powerful prelates from talking to reporters about their vision for the 1.4-billion member Church.

“A chapter in the Church’s history has been closed,” Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller told Italian daily La Repubblica in an interview published on Thursday.
Mueller is one of the 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the secret conclave. A former head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, Mueller is known for his traditionalist views and often clashed with Francis.
The German cardinal said that there was “unanimous appreciation” for the late pope’s work on migrants and the poor. However he said that the task was to choose a successor to St. Peter, the first pope, rather than Francis, indicating he favoured a change of direction.

The Vatican said on Thursday a group of “poor and needy” had been invited to welcome the pope’s casket to Rome’s St. Mary Major — a church some 4 km (2.5 miles) from St. Peter’s where, in a break from tradition, Francis wanted to be buried.
“The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” the Vatican said.
The heart of Rome is expected to be closed to traffic on Saturday to allow the funeral motorcade to make its way slowly to St. Mary Major, giving Romans a chance to say a final farewell.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/st-peters-basilica-reopens-faithful-bidding-farewell-pope-2025-04-24/

U.S. President Donald Trump wasted no time implementing his agenda as his second Oval Office term commenced. As part of his “Make America Great Again” policies, Trump has shredded the playbooks that have governed international trade and, indeed, the world order for decades.

His erratic, and often confusing, rollout of tariffs has hit countries ranging from the largest U.S. trading partners, like Canada, Mexico and China, right down to tiny icy islands inhabited only by penguins. The result – almost unprecedented market volatility and serious damage to investor trust in U.S. assets.

The mighty S&P 500 is flirting with bear-market territory, while the dollar falls toward four-year lows. More worryingly from the point of view of broader market stability, U.S. Treasuries, the bedrock of the global financial system, are bruised from one of their worst selloffs in decades.

As Trump seeks to rewrite the rules for global trade, security and international relations, a whole range of dynamics have emerged as the 47th president approaches 100 days in office on April 30.

President Donald Trump’s administration moved a Venezuelan man who had worked in construction in Philadelphia to Texas for possible deportation after a federal judge had issued an order blocking his removal from Pennsylvania or the United States, according to court records.
A plane transporting the man took off on April 15 from an airport in the state capital Harrisburg about a half hour after U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines issued an order temporarily blocking the administration from moving him out of her western Pennsylvania judicial district or the country, Justice Department lawyer Laura Irwin told an April 17 hearing, conducted as a conference call.

The Venezuelan, referred to in court papers as “A.S.R.,” was then brought to the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, according to the government and American Civil Liberties Union, which represents him.
The administration has not been accused of violating the order by Haines, appointed by Trump during his first presidential term, by sending the man to Texas. But his transfer demonstrates the administration’s aggressive tactics to try to swiftly deport Venezuelan migrants it accuses of being members of the criminal gang Tren de Aragua even as various courts including the Supreme Court impose restrictions.

Representatives of the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Details about the transfer of A.S.R. were revealed in three court filings by his lawyers and a transcript of the April 17 hearing, all previously unreported.
He was believed to be among dozens of Venezuelans at the Bluebonnet facility who the Trump administration had tried to deport last week under a 1798 law called the Alien Enemies Act that historically has been used only in wartime, the ACLU said.
That deportation effort was blocked by an emergency ruling by the Supreme Court last Saturday.
Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act in March as legal justification for deporting hundreds of men his administration accused of being Tren de Aragua members to a prison in El Salvador under an arrangement in which the United States is paying the Central American nation $6 million. It is part of Trump’s hardline approach toward immigration.

A FEBRUARY ARREST

U.S. officials have interviewed white South Africans seeking refugee status about their troubles with land disputes, crime and perceived racism, while refugees from other countries are being deported or barred from the United States.
Some of the South African applicants have taken part in a first round of interviews in Pretoria, three of them told Reuters, describing positive encounters with U.S. officials who seemed well disposed towards them and their accounts of persecution.

U.S. officials have interviewed white South Africans seeking refugee status about their troubles with land disputes, crime and perceived racism, while refugees from other countries are being deported or barred from the United States.
Some of the South African applicants have taken part in a first round of interviews in Pretoria, three of them told Reuters, describing positive encounters with U.S. officials who seemed well disposed towards them and their accounts of persecution.

The order came after Trump had suspended all U.S. refugee admissions, citing security and cost concerns. Thousands of Afghans, Congolese and others fleeing conflict were blocked after they had been vetted and cleared.
The International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency that helps people displaced by conflict, natural disasters or other major crises, declined a U.S. administration request to assist in resettling Afrikaners, the person familiar with the matter said.
The IOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Accounts from applicants who have been interviewed, the number of people approved so far and the request to the IOM have not previously been reported.
Two U.S. refugee officers travelled to Pretoria to conduct interviews, said two U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials, adding that some applicants who said Black South Africans had persecuted them had gained preliminary approval.

“I imagine some (applications) will be denied, as we do in all cases,” said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss internal details about the process. “But I think there is administrative pressure to approve these.”
Thrilled about Trump’s order, Mark emailed the U.S. embassy the next day, stating that he and his father had suffered grave injuries in a 2023 attack on their family farm.
Some time later, he received an email inviting him in. He and his wife flew to Pretoria for the interview, which lasted 55 minutes, he said. He saw the names of about a dozen other applicants signed in at the embassy.

EMPOWERMENT LAWS

Mark, who is in his 50s and worked in the food industry abroad for decades, said he had told U.S. officials that Black empowerment laws had left him unemployable. The laws are intended by the government to correct past exclusion of Black South Africans from the economy under apartheid.

Reuters was unable to independently verify Mark’s account or those of two other applicants who described their interviews and experiences of hardship.
The assertion that white South Africans are discriminated against, or even the victims of a “white genocide”, has spread in far-right circles for years and been echoed, by Trump’s white South African-born ally Elon Musk.
Trump himself suspended aid to South Africa on the basis that it was being “terrible” to “long time farmers”, an apparent reference to white farmers.
“They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT,” he wrote, on Truth Social.
People who espouse such views often cite employment laws, violent attacks on white farmers and a law enabling land expropriation for redistribution.
Out of 26,000 murders in South Africa last year, just 44 were linked to farming communities, according to police statistics. Crime researchers say the overwhelming majority of murder victims are Black.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that crime deliberately targets a particular race in this country,” said Chrispin Phiri, a spokesperson for the South African foreign affairs ministry.
A third official at the Department of Homeland Security, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there had been eye-rolling by some U.S. refugee officers about the Afrikaners’ claims.
The official said it had been well-established in the past that there was no persecution of white South Africans and that claims of economic harm did not warrant refugee status.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of DHS, said in a statement that “all relevant evidence” would be considered to determine if applicants met the legal definition of a refugee.

PET DOGS

According to the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United States, over 67,000 people have expressed interest in Trump’s offer. As of 2024, there were just 70 South African refugees and 2,043 asylum seekers in the United States, according to U.N. data which does not identify their race.
After Trump’s order, hundreds of white South Africans joined informal WhatsApp groups where they share information about the process and ideas about life in America.
In one, reviewed by Reuters, applicants discussed potentially chartering a flight for their pet dogs.
One resettlement interviewee, a farmer who said her family were driven off their land following violent attacks by neighbours, got an hour-long interview at the embassy, where officials asked her what race the trespassers were and what the police did.
“We didn’t have the sense we were rushed at all,” she said. “They were very sensitive to what we’d been through.”
She offered to provide documentation but the interviewers responded that they did not need it, she said.
A third farmer said she was invited for an interview after writing to the U.S. embassy that she feared for her life “every day”. She said her grandfather was murdered by his farm workers and she panics every time she hears a sound in the night.

‘WHITE VICTIMHOOD’

The South African government said Trump’s order failed to recognise the country’s painful history of colonialism and apartheid, and it was ironic that it offered refugee status for people from the most economically privileged part of society.
Afrikaners make up about 60% of the country’s white minority, which itself makes up 7.2% of South Africa’s total population of 63 million.
Neither the administration nor the embassy in Pretoria responded to questions about whether white South Africans who are not Afrikaners would qualify for U.S. resettlement.
The average white household in South Africa owns 20 times the wealth of the average Black household, according to the Review of Political Economy, an international academic journal. Official data shows that unemployment rates are far higher among Black citizens.
Three-quarters of South Africa’s private land is still white-owned and not a single expropriation has taken place.
“The idea of white victimhood suggests that bad things happening to white people are infinitely worse than the same things happening to anybody else,” said Nicky Falkof, head of the Centre for Diversity Studies at the University of Witwatersrand.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us-focuses-persecution-claims-white-south-africans-seek-resettlement-2025-04-24/

US President Donald Trump has said he is “not happy” with deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv and that President Vladimir Putin should “stop” – but has not said if further action might be taken against Russia.

Overnight into Thursday, the attacks on the Ukrainian capital killed at least 12 people and injured 90 others.

The US president said he is “putting a lot of pressure” on both sides to end the war in Ukraine, following the deadliest attacks Kyiv has seen since last July.

It is the latest road bump in efforts to advance a peace deal between the two countries – something the US president said he would be able to quickly do as part of his election campaign last year.

In rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!”

The attack has come at a time of growing pressure on Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russian occupation of its territory as part of a peace deal.

On Thursday, Trump appeared alongside Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the White House and said he had “no allegiance to anybody” only an “allegiance to saving lives”.

While he admitted frustration with Putin, Trump said he would wait a week “to see if we have a deal” – but that “things will happen” if the bombings do not end.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to hold talks with Putin in Moscow later on Friday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the attacks during a visit to South Africa, saying he felt the US could be more forceful with Russia to secure a ceasefire.

South Africa and Ukraine woo each other – as relationships with Trump turn sour
“We believe that if more pressure is applied to Russia, we’ll be able to make our positions closer,” Zelensky told reporters.

When asked if he would be willing to make any concessions, Zelensky said the fact that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate with Russia at all is a “huge compromise” and a “ceasefire must be the first step”.

“If Russia says it is ready to cease fire, it must stop massive strikes against Ukraine. It is Ukrainians who are running out of patience, because it is us who are under attack, and no one else,” he added.

The attack caused Zelensky to cut his trip short and return home.

In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation TV programme, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “we only target military goals or civilian sites used by the military”.

Lavrov provided no evidence to back his claim.

He added that some elements needed to be “fine tuned” for Russia to agree to the US-proposed peace deal.

Before the attack on Kyiv, the week had seen a fraying of the already imperilled relationship between Trump and Zelensky – as the US president has suggested the need for Ukraine to make land concessions as part of a peace deal.

On Wednesday, Trump claimed a deal to end the war was “very close”, but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms “will do nothing but prolong” the conflict.

Ukraine has long said it will not give up Crimea, a southern peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

On Wednesday, US Vice-President JD Vance laid out the US vision for a deal, saying it would “freeze the territorial lines […] close to where they are today”, and added that Ukraine and Russia “are both going to have to give up some of the territory they currently own”.

Trump criticises Zelensky as Ukraine refuses Russian control of Crimea
When asked by reporters at the White House this week about whether the administration was looking to recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, Trump said he just wanted to see the war end.

Recognising Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea would not only be politically impossible for Zelensky to accept, it would also be contrary to post-war international legal norms that borders should not be changed by force.

“We’ve shown them the finish line,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday in the Oval Office, where he appeared alongside Trump and the Norwegian prime minister.

“We need both of them to say yes, but what happened last night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end.”

President Zelensky’s visit to South Africa, during which he met President Cyril Ramaphosa, signalled a dramatic improvement in the once-strained relations between the two nations.

Ramaphosa said during a news briefing alongside Zelensky that he was deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He also reiterated South Africa’s commitment to speaking to all parties in the conflict.

He added that he had spoken to both Putin and Trump on the need to bring an end to the conflict.

Ramaphosa, in the briefing, did not go into whether Ukraine should cede territory to Russia.

The US was one of Ukraine’s closest allies until the re-election of Trump in November. Now Ukraine is keen to broaden its pool of international partners – particularly in Africa where many countries have strong links with Russia.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crld4gkk428o

Indonesia is on an ambitious mission to offer free meals to 80 million school children – but that hasn’t exactly gone according to plan.

Nearly 80 students across two high schools in Cianjur, south of the capital Jakarta, fell ill after eating the meals this week. Most of those who ended up in hospital have since been discharged.

This is the latest in a series of food poisonings that have been linked to the programme, a signature policy of President Prabowo Subianto.

Authorities investigating the case say the suspected cause is negligent food preparation. Samples from the vomit of students have been sent for lab testing, and police say they have questioned people handling the food, from cooks to packers to delivery workers.

A 16-year-old student told local media that the shredded chicken in the meal had an “unpleasant odour”. “I felt dizzy, nauseous and vomited,” he said.

Across the world, programmes offering free meals to students have proved to be effective in improving health, academic performance and attendance.

But Indonesia’s $28bn (£21bn) version – shaping up to be the most expensive of its kind – has become the target of food safety concerns and heated anti-government protests.

In February, when thousands took to the streets to protest at budget cuts, they aimed their ire at the hefty price of Prabowo’s free school meals: “Children eat for free, parents are laid off,” read one of their protest signs.

The man who would become Pope Francis always bought his shoes in the same small store. And now, the remarkably ordinary footwear that surprised and charmed millions has brought pride to his old Buenos Aires neighborhood — and to his cobbler.

The simple black shoes — a stark contrast to the flashy ruby red slippers of Francis’ predecessor, former Pope Benedict XVI — are among the pope’s personal effects that have captured attention as his death this week triggers an outpouring of emotion around the Roman Catholic world.

The seemingly comfortable loafers offer a powerful reminder of Francis’ humility, simplicity and lack of ceremony that helped him relate to ordinary people wherever he went.

A third-generation cobbler

The Muglia family men were the first cobblers in the middle-class Flores neighborhood of western Buenos Aires. Their shop, Muglia Shoes, opened in 1945, just a few years after Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio to Italian immigrant parents.

There wasn’t much competition, so when a young Bergoglio came in to buy shoes, it was Juan Jose Muglia’s grandfather who sold him the first pair. Bergoglio was in his 20s then, serving as a Jesuit priest at the Basilica of San José de Flores just around the block.

“My father, my grandfather, they told me stories about how Father Jorge came from the church around the corner to buy these shoes, they were the ones he liked, he wore them all the time,” Muglia, 52, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

“They’re simple, it’s the kind of shoes that waiters like to wear today, Muglia said, holding up a pair of the handmade lace-up loafers. “They can last you years and years.”

When Muglia took over after his father’s death, he added a poster of Elvis Presley, a Harley Davidson motorbike and a vinyl turntable to give the place a hipster note.

A time gone by

The racks now display newer fashions like pointy boat shoes and bright patent leather numbers.

But much of the shop remains the same, including the pinewood-paneled walls, floor-to-ceiling shelves of cream-colored shoeboxes and, of course, the leather black loafers with grippy, nonslip soles that Francis repeatedly purchased, inspiring local Catholic priests to do the same.

“Priests came here from all the basilicas in the city, some young priests even came from Rome to buy them,” said Muglia.

They sell for around $170 today — far more than the price-tag Francis saw — due to Argentina’s runaway inflation.

When Francis became pope in 2013, Muglia said he offered to send the pontiff off to St. Peter’s with a new pair of his favorite shoes. But he recalled Francis saying that his feet had become too swollen in his old age and he needed to find a more customized fit that he could depend on in Rome.

Papal footwear

Rather than adopt the typical papal shoes — red velvet or silk — as pope, Francis didn’t stray from his Flores roots.

He chose normal black shoes with an orthopedic sole — a far cry from the Byzantine era, when pilgrims customarily kissed a decorative cross embroidered on the papal shoe, and from the era of Pope Benedict, whose bespoke leather slippers in a succulent tomato red prompted Esquire Magazine to name the former pontiff “Accessorizer of the Year” in 2007, prompting intense speculation about the designer brand.

As years passed, beyond the occasional priest or parishioner who dropped into Muglia Shoes, few ever wondered about the brand of Francis’ plain footwear.

But that changed when Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, setting off a frenzy of interest about his Flores roots. Around the world, Francis was remembered for paring down the papacy’s inherited pomp to become more accessible — swapping the fur-trimmed velvet cape that popes had worn since the Renaissance for a simple white cassock, and preferring a Ford Focus to the usual papal limo.

As word spread about his original footwear and local journalists flooded the neighborhood, Muglia said curious customers have bombarded him with requests. He placed a framed portrait of Francis prominently in his window.

“It was a world of people,” Muglia said. “They came from everywhere.”

A neighborhood remembers

In Flores, the mourning for Francis feels personal. Residents remember him as someone who lived frugally, visited and advocated for the city’s poorest and could often be found sharing Argentina’s signature yerba maté drink with old friends and strangers.

At the newspaper stand just down the block from Muglia Shoes, vendor Antonio Plastina, 69, recalled how he and Francis made small-talk “like any two Argentines, a bit of this and that, some politics mixed with soccer.”

“He was a marvelous person, those are beautiful memories,” Plastina said, his eyes welling up. After becoming archbishop and cardinal, Francis still made the half-hour drive to Flores from downtown Buenos Aires every Sunday before church.

He always bought the two main Argentine daily papers, Plastina said, and read the news with a cup of coffee at the quiet cafe across the street, now a mattress store on a traffic-clogged intersection.

Although the crowds that poured into Flores upon learning of Francis’ death largely tapered out by Thursday, they left a mass of bouquets and handwritten notes to their beloved pontiff at the iron-barred windows of Membrillar 531, the modest house where Francis grew up as the eldest of five siblings.

“My vision is going but my memory is long,” said Alicia Gigante, 91, Francis’ neighbor and family friend, who stopped at the house on Thursday morning, leaning on her daughter for support.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/argentina-pope-francis-buenos-aires-c3bb4f5b7d83ca0d02c355ffa8001317

President Donald Trump will meet with The Atlantic magazine editor-in-chief who was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat with administration officials discussing air strikes against the Houthi group in Yemen.

Trump said on social media Thursday that he would be meeting Jeffrey Goldberg, and two of Mr Goldberg’s colleagues, Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, later in the day.

“I am doing this interview out of curiosity, and as a competition with myself, just to see if it’s possible for The Atlantic to be ‘truthful,” Trump wrote.

Trump claimed the journalists were “not exactly pro-Trump writers” and questioned whether they were “capable of writing a fair story on ‘TRUMP’?”

In the post, Trump said the interview would be for a story titled “The Most Consequential President of this Century”. When contacted by the BBC, The Atlantic had no comment.

The interview comes a month after Mr Goldberg published a story about being added to a secret group chat on the encrypted texting app Signal. In the text chain, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top US officials discussed the details of an upcoming attack against the Houthis.

The scandal rocked the White House. Then, in April, the New York Times and others reported that Hegseth had shared information about the same military action in a second private Signal group chat, which included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

Trump has continued to stand by his defence secretary and others involved in the incident, telling reporters earlier this week: “Pete’s doing a great job … Everybody’s happy with him.”

Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer Rauchet, is a former Fox News producer and holds no official position within the Pentagon.

His brother, Phil, and personal lawyer Tim Parlatore, both hold positions at the Department of Defense. But it is not clear why any of the three would require advanced warnings about sensitive US strike plans.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yrwdw124do

Mr. Perfectly Fine?

Taylor Swift’s ex Joe Jonas replied to a fan’s comment on TikTok that pointed to one of her diss tracks about him from way back in 2008 — and people are divided about whether the DNCE frontman is in on the joke.

In other Swiftie news, the singer is among the top nominees on the just-announced American Music Awards nominations list. She’s won a whopping 40 out of 49 AMAs she’s been nominated for over the course of her career, so odds are high she’ll win big at the May ceremony.

Two Taylor Swift songs were featured in the “Summer I Turned Pretty” Season 3 teaser.

On Thursday, Prime Video released the first trailer for the highly anticipated forthcoming season of the hit teen drama, which follows the love triangle of Belly (played by Lola Tung) and brothers Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher (portrayed by Gavin Casalegno and Christopher Briney, respectively).

In the clip, Swift’s “Daylight” from the album “Lover” played as different images of Belly and Jeremiah’s blossoming romance flash across the screen.

The teaser concludes with the pop star’s hit “Red (Taylor’s Version)” as Belly answers the door to see Conrad.

“Hey,” Conrad said as Belly stood at the door with her mouth open.

Swift’s song then played the lyrics, “I once believed love would be burning red.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/23/celebrity-news/taylor-swift-live-updates-4-23-2025/

Comedian Bill Maher candidly responded to Larry David’s satirical essay comparing President Trump to Adolf Hitler.

The “Club Random” podcast host, who labeled the politician as “gracious and measured” following a meeting in March, was forced to address David’s remarks on Thursday’s episode of “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”

“This wasn’t my favorite moment in our friendship,” he shared, explaining he didn’t want to get into the drama too deeply, but argued that David was wrong for playing the “Hitler” card.

“The minute you play the Hitler card, you’ve lost the argument,” Maher, 69, added.

“Also, I must say, c’mon man, Hitler, Nazis? Nobody has been harder on and more pressing about Donald Trump than me,” the talk show host continued, referring to his past criticism of the 47th president.

“I don’t need to be lectured on who Donald Trump is. Just the fact that I met him in person didn’t change that. And the fact I reported honestly is not a sin either.”

“But to use the Hitler thing, first of all, I think it’s kind of insulting to six million dead jews,” Maher said, referring to the Holocaust. “That should kind of be in its own place in history.”

“It’s an argument you kinda lost,” he added. “It’s not completely logically fair, but Hitler has really kinda gotta stay in his own place.

“He is the [greatest of all time] of evil and we’re just going to have to, I think, leave it like that.”

Reps for David, 77, weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.

Earlier this week, the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star slammed Maher in an opinion piece published in the New York Times.

David wrote about a man who was invited to dinner “with the world’s most reviled man, Adolf Hitler” and finds the latter to be personable despite having previously disagreed with the dictator.

“Here I was, prepared to meet Hitler, the one I’d seen and heard — the public Hitler,” he wrote. “But this private Hitler was a completely different animal. And oddly enough, this one seemed more authentic, like this was the real Hitler. The whole thing had my head spinning.”

“I’m so thankful I came. Although we disagree on many issues, it doesn’t mean that we have to hate each other … I gave him a Nazi salute and walked out into the night,” the actor added.

While David didn’t refer to Maher or Trump, the Times opinion editor Patrick Healy made the comparison in an article published on April 21.

David’s inspiration for the piece seemingly stemmed from Maher’s description of meeting Trump on March 31 during an episode of his “Real Time with Bill Maher” series earlier this month.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/04/24/celebrity-news/bill-maher-reacts-to-larry-davids-insulting-op-ed-comparing-trump-to-hitler/

THE disturbing cause of the massive wildfires that have blazed through New Jersey has been uncovered, according to officials.

Joseph Kling, 19, has been arrested and accused of sparking the inferno that torched 15,000 acres in the Pine Barrens and sent plumes of smoke wafting through the tri-state area.

Kling, who is from Waretown, about an hour south of New York City, allegedly started the tragedy by not properly putting out a bonfire.

According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, King started the fire in the Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area by burning wooden pallets.

By Tuesday morning at around 10 am, officials spotted a cloud of smoke erupting from the area and discovered a blaze was spreading.

They used GPS to find where the fire started, and then traced it back to the teen.

Kling’s arrest was announced on Thursday, and he appeared straight-faced in a mugshot.

In the three days the fire has burned, around 15,000 acres in Ocean County have been reduced to a crisp, and thousands have been forced to evacuate.

The blaze had been contained by 50% on Thursday, but grew to more than 23 square miles.

Officials now fear it’s the largest wildfire the city has seen in over 20 years.

Roads and businesses have shut down, and at least one commercial building has been destroyed in the tragedy, according to ABC affiliate WCAU.

The blaze moved quickly through the heavily wooded Pine Barrens as a months-long drought and low humidity came in the middle of peak forest fire season.

The one million-acre forest is mainly uninhabited, but officials have warned that residential areas in America’s most densely populated state could be at risk, the Associated Press reported.

“This is still a very active fire,” Shawn LaTourette, New Jersey’s commissioner of environmental protection, said Wednesday.

“As we continue to get this under full control the expectation is that the number of acres will grow and will grow in a place that is unpopulated.”

No one has been injured or killed by the fires, and the 5,000 people who were asked to evacuate have returned home safely.

Power was briefly cut off to 25,000 people to protect the fire crews, but it has since been restored.

POLLUTION LOOMS

Areas in New York City and Long Island are expected to have higher-than-normal pollution levels thanks to the clouds of smoke.

Residents in the area have been warned to stay indoors if they want to avoid exposure.

Horror images have captured the tall flames towering over rows of trees and encroaching on buildings.

Video taken from busy highways shows the flames erupting from the side of the road and blowing into power lines.

Kling has been charged with arson and aggravated arson.

In February, Kling was one of eight people who faced charges after a fight broke out at a construction site, according to the Lacey Township Police Department.

He was charged with two counts of simple assault and endangering an injured victim.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14096435/joseph-kling-nj-fire-ocean-county-arson-evacuations/

China on Thursday sent three astronauts to its permanent space station Tiangong to replace the crew stationed there since last October.

The Shenzhou-20 spaceship took off at 5:17 p.m. local time (0917 GMT) from Gobi Desert in northwestern China, according to state media.

The crew currently aboard Tiangong is scheduled to return on April 29th. The teams rotate roughly every six months.

China is striving to become a leading celestial power, aiming to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, build a base there and explore Mars.

In order to achieve what President Xi Jinping describes as the Chinese people’s “space dream”, Beijing has invested billions of dollars into its space program in recent years.

Crew to hold experiments in physics and medicine

Leading the crew is Chen Dong, who has already completed two missions before and is flying to space for a third time now. He will be accompanied by former air force pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie, both first timers in space.

Besides space walks and general maintenance on the space station, the crew wants to install protective equipment against space debris, an increasing threat for space activities.

Also, experiments in both physics and medical sciences are planned. For the first time, they will bring planarians aboard, a kind of aquatic flatworms with great regenerative abilities.

“The results [of examining the planarians in space] could help address problems related to injuries sustained in space environments,” said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of China’s national space agency (CMSA) at a press conference on Wednesday.

China seeks space partners

China has been excluded from the International Space Station, as the US banned their space agency NASA from collaborating with Beijing, citing national security concerns.

China has increasingly sought space partners elsewhere.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/china-sends-3-astronauts-off-to-space/a-72335837

US President Donald Trump’s online store is selling merchandise branded with the slogan “Trump 2028” for the country’s next presidential election.

The hats, T-shirts and can coolers are available for purchase despite the fact that the US Constitution prohibits presidents from serving three terms.

Trump, who will be 82 in 2028, has not ruled out running in the next presidential election. He has also said he is considering breaching the constitution in order to do so.

What else do we know about the ‘Trump 2028’ merchandise?

The US president’s son Eric Trump was pictured in a photo on social media on Thursday wearing one of the red caps, which costs $50 (about €44).

The T-shirts, available in navy blue and red, are priced at $36, while the koozies are available for $18.

Product description alongside the newly available apparel says: “The future looks bright! Rewrite the rules.”

What does the US Constitution say?

The 22nd Amendment was adopted after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected four times.

Roosevelt died at the age of 63, at the beginning of his fourth term, on April 12, 1945.

The amendment, which came into effect in 1951, states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

While Trump appears set on a third term, amending the country’s highest law would require a two-thirds majority in both Congressional chambers.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-selling-2028-election-merch-despite-term-limit/a-72342558

Members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet will likely move to limit the influence of Department of Government Efficiency employees and reassert control over budgets and staffing once Elon Musk steps back from DOGE, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The Department of Government Efficiency, created by executive order the day Trump took office and helmed by billionaire Musk, has spearheaded efforts to shrink the federal workforce and slash the deficit via mass firings, contract cancellations and reduced services to Americans across the federal government.

Thousands of people poured into St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state for three days ahead of his funeral on Saturday.
Crowds stretched down the main boulevard leading through Rome into the Vatican, pressing forward slowly in warm spring sunshine as people took their turn to see the late pontiff in his open coffin.

The body of the 88-year-old pope, who died two days ago in his rooms at the Vatican’s Santa Marta guesthouse after suffering a stroke, was brought to St. Peter’s in a solemn procession earlier on Wednesday.

Red-hatted cardinals, bishops, candle-carrying friars and helmeted Swiss Guards walked slowly into the vast square in front of the basilica as a choir chanted psalms and prayers in Latin while a bell gently tolled.
As the coffin crossed St. Peter’s Square, a crowd of several thousand broke into repeated applause – a traditional Italian sign of respect at such events.
“He’s like a member of the family. Somebody very close to our hearts, somebody who made the Church very accessible to everybody and inclusive to everybody,” said Rachel Mckay, a pilgrim from Britain.
Vatican officials helped 14 white-gloved, black-suited pallbearers carry the coffin up a stone incline, before the procession passed through St. Peter’s giant bronze doors and into the hushed interior of the ornate, cavernous church.

Francis, who had only recently left hospital after five weeks being treated for double pneumonia, last appeared in public on Sunday, when he delighted onlookers gathered to celebrate Easter by being driven around the packed square in his white, open-topped popemobile.

MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS
As the formal ceremony to bring the pope’s body to the basilica was ending, Sr. Genevieve Jeanningros, a nun from the Roman seaside town of Ostia, stood by his casket and cried.
Jeanningros, known for her work with the LGBTQ community, had hosted Francis for visits in Ostia several times.
Crowds were guided through the central nave of the basilica to come forward and offer respects.
Francis was dressed in red vestments, his hands clasped together holding a rosary, and a white mitre on his head.
Alex Lenrtz, a U.S. pilgrim who was among the first public mourners to stand in line, said he felt a mixture of emotions.

“It’s just such a surreal (feeling) … and seeing the body and just remembering everything that he stood for is very important.”
Francis’ body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica until Friday evening. The Vatican had originally planned to close Wednesday’s visits at midnight (2200 GMT), but said it may extend the timeframe, due to a “high flow” of pilgrims.
In the first 8-1/2 hours of viewing, some 19,430 people filed infront of the coffin, with thousands more waiting patiently in a line that snaked around the security barriers across the cobbled esplanade outside the church.
Saturday’s funeral will draw heads of state and government from around the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who clashed repeatedly with the pope on social issues such as immigration.
Leaders from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Ukraine, Brazil, EU institutions and Francis’ home nation of Argentina have also confirmed their presence, among many others.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-francis-body-lies-state-st-peters-ahead-funeral-2025-04-23/

The European Union is presenting itself as a safe destination for academics facing funding cuts in the US as it tries to attract top talent with higher grants and freedom for research.

As US President Donald Trump freezes billions in funding for top universities until they give in to a list of demands, the European Union (EU) sees a chance to attract the finest scientific minds and scholars to the bloc.

The EU commission and several European universities have announced a slew of programs aimed at offering academic freedom to US researchers if they relocate to Europe, especially those targeted by the Trump administration in the fields of immunology and communicable diseases, climate change and social sciences involving gender studies, diversity and migration.

European academics have said that, as their counterparts in the US faced political interference and job loss, they were compelled to act and offer whatever help they could.

European universities open doors to US researchers
“It is outrageous, unjustified,” Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), the bloc’s public body for scientific and technological enquiry, told DW over the phone. “I have many friends and colleagues in the US and it is just shocking to see what’s happening there.”

Jan Danckaert, Rector, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), described it as “painful.”

“Researchers should be protected as much as possible from political influence. But in the US we see precisely the opposite. The government is interfering for political reasons,” Danckaert told DW.

VUB has allocated funding and established a contact point for information for outstanding scholars looking to relocate to Brussels, particularly “excellent researchers currently working in the US who see their line of research threatened.”

“We thought that it might be good to specifically advertise in the United States,” he said, “because US scholars see an abrupt funding cut and they might be interested in continuing their line of research with us in Brussels.”

The VUB has already received dozens of inquiries from US scholars.

Aix Marseille University (AMU) in France has launched the Safe Space for Science program to recruit up to 15 American scientists who may feel threatened or hindered in their research and wish to continue their work in an environment conducive to innovation, excellence, and academic freedom.

“We believe we can raise up to €15 million ($17 million) for a three-year program and will work with local institutions to host around fifteen researchers,” a statement by Eric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University, reads on the college website.

The EU promises easier visas, more funds for relocation
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, stated that the EU was closely monitoring recent developments across the Atlantic and stood ready to assist.

“Europe sees you,” she said, reassuring American scholars as she presented Europe as an attractive location to pursue their research.

In a letter signed by twelve European governments, including Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Greece and two Baltic nations, member states called on the commission to come up with concrete measures to attract US scholars.

In response, the EU has said it is working on a new visa strategy , to be released by the end of this year and has launched a new project to provide higher allowances and longer recruitment periods for top researchers who relocate to Europe.

In parallel, the EU has decided to double the grant money provided to scientists and scholars chosen by the ERC, which assesses applications from all over the world. The increase in relocation costs comes at a time when researchers in the US are facing a battle with their government.

Zaharieva stated that the ERC currently offers a €1 million top-up for relocation costs, but the EU will increase this amount to €2 million this year. This will increase the starting total grant to €3.5 million and the advanced grant to €4.5 million for each grantee over a five-year period, allowing them to establish a research team if necessary. Any grantee must have held a PhD for at least two years.

ERC President Maria Leptin told DW that the additional funding for researchers moving in from outside Europe, now set to increase, helps cover “unusual costs” such as “moving a lab or research team to Europe or purchasing expensive equipment” required for a research project. But added that the grants were not a “freebie” but merit-based.

In addition, the EU has decided to enshrine freedom of scientific research within the EU law to enhance its appeal among scholars and offer the certainty they need to move their lives abroad.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-seeks-to-attract-american-scholars-as-trump-freezes-funds/a-72311714