Major hospital chain HCA Healthcare reported first-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations on Friday, powered by increased patient demand for healthcare services.
The healthcare giant posted adjusted earnings of $7.15 per share for the quarter, narrowly surpassing analyst predictions of $7.14 per share based on data from LSEG.
The stronger-than-expected financial performance reflects continued high utilization of the company’s medical facilities and services during the opening months of 2024.
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble exceeded Wall Street expectations Friday despite warning that ongoing Middle East conflicts will slash $150 million from annual profits due to rising production costs.
The company behind household brands like Tide detergent and Pantene shampoo reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, driven by robust sales of premium hair care and skincare products. However, P&G cautioned that fiscal 2026 earnings per share will likely fall at the bottom of its projected range of flat to 4% growth.
According to company officials, the financial strain stems from multiple factors including commodity price inflation, raw material exposure, and shipping disruptions tied to Middle East tensions. Oil prices have surged from $60 per barrel before the conflict began to approximately $100 currently, driving up costs for plastic and paper packaging materials as well as transportation fees.
A P&G representative indicated the financial impact could intensify starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 if regional conflicts persist. The company has not yet released its fiscal 2027 projections.
Other major consumer brands including Nestle have similarly flagged increased expenses due to shipping blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, which have contributed to oil price spikes.
Despite cost pressures, P&G saw volume growth across three of its five business divisions during the March quarter, bolstered by new product launches including updated Pantene formulations and Olay skincare lines priced at premium levels in North American and European markets.
Market trends show affluent shoppers continue purchasing higher-end items while budget-conscious consumers shift toward cheaper alternatives amid persistent cost-of-living pressures.
“We’re increasing investments to accelerate momentum with consumers despite the challenging geopolitical and economic environment,” stated Shailesh Jejurikar, who assumed the CEO role at the beginning of this year.
The company’s gross profit margins declined 100 basis points on a currency-neutral basis, marking the sixth consecutive quarterly drop, partially attributed to tariff expenses and continued product development investments.
P&G maintained its forecast of nearly $400 million in tariff-related losses for fiscal 2026. Roughly half of this impact resulted from tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in February.
Company officials plan to pursue refund applications through a process initiated this week, though they noted uncertainty regarding when any refunds might be processed.
Overall organic sales volume increased 2%, with the beauty division leading growth at 5%, while total pricing rose 1% during the third quarter.
French competitor L’Oreal similarly reported strong performance for luxury hair care products and fragrances across North America and Europe, achieving its fastest quarterly expansion in two years.
Meanwhile, Beiersdorf, which produces Nivea products, indicated it may implement price increases during the year’s second half if raw material costs continue climbing.
P&G’s quarterly revenue jumped 7% year-over-year to $21.24 billion, surpassing analyst projections of $20.50 billion according to LSEG data.
Investors who purchased Nvidia stock in 2017 have watched their holdings skyrocket by more than 3,400%, yet a group of shareholders continues pursuing a securities fraud lawsuit against the technology company that has stretched on for nearly eight years.
The legal battle stems from a brief downturn in Nvidia’s stock value during the cryptocurrency market chaos of 2018. Now, the plaintiffs appear closer to a significant legal win as their case advances through the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco following a federal judge’s decision last month to approve class certification.
The California-based chipmaker has petitioned the appeals court to take the rare action of stepping in before lower court proceedings conclude. Nvidia seeks to have the 9th Circuit reverse U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr.’s ruling that certified a group of investors claiming the company understated its reliance on unpredictable cryptocurrency mining revenues during 2017 and 2018.
Nvidia declined to provide a statement. However, the company’s legal representatives from Milbank and Cooley contend in legal filings that the 9th Circuit must urgently address what they describe as two persistently unclear legal issues within the circuit.
The attorneys argue that Gilliam incorrectly interpreted Supreme Court precedent when evaluating whether alleged false statements by company executives actually influenced Nvidia’s share price. Additionally, they claim the judge made an error by approving the class without demanding plaintiffs present a comprehensive damages calculation model – a position that has recently gained support in other federal circuits.
Major players in securities defense law have rallied behind Nvidia’s appeal, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and the National Association of Manufacturers.
According to Sullivan & Cromwell co-chair Robert Giuffra Jr., who submitted a supporting brief on behalf of seven former Securities and Exchange Commission officials and legal scholars backing Nvidia, the case involves what may be the two most frequently disputed matters during class certification in securities litigation.
Legal representatives for the plaintiffs from Kessler Topaz Meltzer and Bernstein Litowitz Berger and Grossmann have not responded to inquiries. In their court documents, they maintain the case meets all necessary criteria for class certification and resembles other recent securities lawsuits in the Northern District of California that received approval.
A group of Nvidia stockholders spearheaded by Stockholm-based investment firm E. Ohman J:or Fonder AB initiated the lawsuit in December 2018 following the company’s failure to meet revenue expectations.
Judge Gilliam threw out the case in 2021, but the 9th Circuit later reinstated it, determining that plaintiffs had sufficiently demonstrated that Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang made statements that were misleading or false, doing so either intentionally or with reckless disregard for the truth.
The Supreme Court accepted the case for review in 2024 but ultimately dismissed it after oral arguments, determining it had been inappropriately granted. The matter then returned to Judge Gilliam’s court.
In his comprehensive 50-page ruling on March 25 approving class certification, Gilliam examined statements made by Nvidia and Huang to investors during 2017 and 2018 regarding the company’s cryptocurrency operations. Huang had stated that cryptocurrency was a minor part of their business, saying the company’s primary focus lay in other areas.
The plaintiffs contend these reassurances concealed reality – that cryptocurrency generated more revenue for Nvidia than the company disclosed. Starting in 2017, as certain cryptocurrency values climbed, Nvidia’s processors became highly sought after for crypto mining, which requires solving intricate mathematical problems to validate cryptocurrency transactions. However, when crypto values dropped, chip demand declined accordingly.
The consequences became apparent in November 2018 when Nvidia announced it had fallen short of its third-quarter revenue goals by 2% due to what it termed a dramatic cryptocurrency decline. The company’s stock value dropped 28.5% across two trading days.
For a securities fraud claim to succeed, plaintiffs must demonstrate they depended on false statements and, importantly, that these alleged misstatements affected stock prices. The challenge lies in establishing whether Nvidia’s earlier general remarks about cryptocurrency actually artificially boosted its stock value.
Nvidia maintains that its November disclosures did not rectify any previous misrepresentations. Referencing the Supreme Court’s 2021 Goldman Sachs Group Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System ruling, the company argues there was a crucial disconnect between earlier broad statements minimizing cryptocurrency’s significance and subsequent specific disclosures about quarterly revenue.
While recognizing some disconnect existed, Gilliam remained unconvinced that the initial comments had no market impact. He referenced analyst observations, who found the November revelations contradicted Nvidia’s previous assurances downplaying cryptocurrency exposure.
Gilliam also dismissed Nvidia’s objections to the plaintiffs’ damages calculation approach. The judge determined that the plaintiffs’ expert had suggested a workable methodology for calculating class-wide damages, even though specifics would be developed later – a conclusion Nvidia claims conflicts with the Supreme Court’s 2013 Comcast Corp. v. Behrend decision.
Comparable disputes are emerging in other jurisdictions. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering the issue in a securities fraud case involving Boeing, while the 6th Circuit last year revoked class certification in a lawsuit against Ohio utility FirstEnergy partly due to problems with the plaintiffs’ damages model.
Either the price-impact question or the damages issue could provide sufficient grounds for the 9th Circuit to consider Nvidia’s appeal – potentially offering the company a crucial opportunity.
During an April 21 status hearing before Judge Gilliam, Nvidia’s attorneys provided little indication about whether the company would be willing to proceed to trial if class certification stands.
Meanwhile, Gilliam directed both parties to provide their best projections for trial duration.
The judge noted that while both sides claim it’s too early to estimate trial length, such planning is necessary for court scheduling purposes.
A recently established conservative super PAC is setting its sights on Republican House members who have endorsed comprehensive immigration reform, potentially creating primary challenges for the 2026 midterm elections.
The Homeland Political Action Committee, led by founder Ryan Girdusky, is specifically targeting GOP lawmakers who have thrown their support behind the bipartisan DIGNIDAD Act, a sweeping immigration reform measure crafted by Florida Republican Representative María Elvira Salazar.
Girdusky characterized the legislation as going against both the president’s agenda and core party principles. While he would prefer to challenge all Republicans backing the measure, he acknowledged that such an approach would be impractical given the party’s narrow House majority.
“We’re not here to burn the party down,” Girdusky explained. “It’s to challenge pro-amnesty Republicans in safe Republican seats and to defend Republicans in challenging seats or in swing districts that need support.”
The DIGNIDAD Act currently has backing from 19 Republican co-sponsors and would permit undocumented immigrants to remain, work, and reside in the United States provided they lack criminal backgrounds. The legislation requires annual fines for those without legal status but stops short of offering citizenship pathways. Additionally, the measure allocates billions in funding to the Department of Homeland Security for border security technology improvements.
Girdusky previously established the 1776 Project PAC, which has accumulated over $5 million primarily from small-dollar contributions since early 2025 to support conservative school board candidates nationwide, based on federal records.
The political operative also hosts a podcast titled “It’s a Numbers Game with Ryan Girdusky.” He gained notoriety in 2024 when CNN banned him following comments to Muslim journalist Mehdi Hasan, saying “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” referencing deadly Israeli strikes against Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, which Girdusky later claimed was meant as humor.
The strategy aims to force House Republicans into a difficult position: either support Trump’s immigration stance or potentially face primary opposition from candidates endorsed by Homeland PAC.
Beyond Salazar, Girdusky’s target list encompasses Republicans in secure GOP districts who support the DIGNIDAD Act, including Representatives Lloyd Smucker from Pennsylvania, along with Marlin Stutzman and Jim Baird from Indiana.
Each of these four lawmakers currently faces primary challengers in their respective contests. While Girdusky has not yet endorsed or financially backed any opponents in these races, he indicated plans to do so if their positions match his organization’s values.
Additional Republicans supporting the DIGNIDAD Act are either stepping down from office, such as Representatives Dan Newhouse from Washington and Neal Dunn from Florida, or competing in competitive races like Representatives Young Kim and David Valadao from California.
None of the Republican representatives’ offices provided responses to requests for comment.
According to Girdusky, Homeland PAC will likely resonate with conservative voters who prioritize immigration enforcement or border security as their primary concerns.
This effort against the legislation underscores a strategic dilemma facing the Republican Party, which finds itself balancing Trump and his supporters’ demands for stringent immigration policies while avoiding the alienation of Latino voters.
Girdusky revealed that Homeland PAC has not secured endorsement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faces his own challenging battle to maintain chamber control in November, based on discussions with Johnson and his political advisors.
Johnson’s political operation representatives did not respond to comment requests.
Latino voters demonstrated significant movement toward Trump in 2024, primarily driven by economic concerns including inflation and elevated living costs. Trump secured approximately 48% of Latino support in 2024, representing a 12-point increase from his 36% showing in 2020, according to Pew Research Center data.
However, most Latinos reported increased difficulty affording daily expenses compared to previous years, based on a national survey of 2,413 Latinos conducted by civic participation organization Voto Latino during late March and early April this year.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign could negatively impact Republicans in November’s elections. Approximately 52% of Americans stated they would be less inclined to support candidates who endorse Trump’s deportation approach.
While Salazar expressed confidence about maintaining her coalition, which includes 20 Democrats, she voiced concerns about Republicans potentially losing House control in November.
“There is a very important coalition of Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing minority in the country,” Salazar stated. “These people feel targeted, and they feel that they are not welcome in the Republican Party and that concerns me.”
Latinos have historically avoided monolithic voting patterns in the United States, noted Daniel Alegre, CEO of Spanish-language media company TelevisaUnivision. However, in recent electoral cycles, Latino voters have emphasized economic issues over partisan allegiance.
“Ignore the Hispanic vote at your own peril,” Alegre warned. “It’s the Hispanic vote in so many of the key races that will determine the control of Congress.”
Delaware Department of Transportation officials are advising drivers of a traffic restriction affecting southbound travel on the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
Construction crews have closed the right lane for southbound traffic on the bridge, with the closure expected to last until 5 PM today.
Motorists should plan for potential delays and consider alternate routes if possible. Drivers using the bridge are encouraged to exercise caution and merge safely into the available left lane.
Military families and veterans took their message directly to the nation’s capital, staging a demonstration demanding an end to the ongoing conflict with Iran. The protest at the U.S. Capitol resulted in dozens of arrests and captured widespread media coverage across the country.
According to NPR reports, several demonstrators expressed concerns that the United States cannot financially sustain involvement in another military conflict. The protesters, many with personal military experience or family members in service, made their voices heard on Capitol Hill as they called for peace.
The demonstration represents growing opposition to military action from those most directly affected by warfare – service members and their loved ones who understand the true cost of armed conflict.
WASHINGTON – Kevin Warsh, nominated to lead the Federal Reserve, has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of inflation measurement methods, but economists warn he may discover the challenge lies not in finding new approaches but in selecting among numerous existing alternatives that often contradict each other.
Recent February data illustrates this complexity perfectly. The Fed’s primary inflation gauge registered nearly a full percentage point above the central bank’s 2% goal. However, the Dallas Federal Reserve’s calculations, using Warsh’s preferred methodology that eliminates extreme outliers such as moving services’ 384% annualized price spike or calculators and typewriters’ 50% price collapse, indicated inflation was much closer to target at just 2.3%.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Fed’s Center for Inflation Research examined median price increase rates and found results similar to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ main figure. The New York Fed’s sophisticated statistical model painted an even grimmer picture, suggesting underlying inflation trends were worsening at 3.1%.
Omair Sharif, who leads Inflation Insights as president and founder, criticized the notion that a perfect inflation measure exists but has been ignored by Fed officials. This perspective “sounded like somebody who has not been in the building for a while and has not looked at inflation research since he left the Fed” in 2011 following his term as governor, Sharif observed.
Sharif pointed out that Warsh’s favored alternative during Tuesday’s Senate confirmation hearing – the trimmed mean approach – currently shows the lowest inflation rate among standard measurements, aligning with President Donald Trump’s expectations for rate reductions. However, this same measure failed to detect inflation’s broadening and acceleration in 2021, a critical oversight that conventional inflation statistics successfully identified.
The Dallas Fed’s trimmed mean calculation, which removes items showing extreme price movements before averaging remaining data, may currently underestimate inflation due to shifts in the comparative distribution between the fastest and slowest price changes.
Krishna Guha, Evercore ISI’s vice chair, noted in his analysis of Warsh’s inflation framework comments that maintaining established measures like the personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy, or core PCE, offers advantages because “it is better known in the market and possibly easier to explain with limited reference to statistics.”
Though core PCE serves as the preferred indicator for inflation trends, the Fed bases its 2% target on headline PCE. Warsh stopped short of explicitly proposing target modifications but suggested focusing should remain “left of the decimal point,” implying acceptance of inflation somewhat above the established goal.
During his hearing, Warsh emphasized his commitment to challenging what he termed “the tyranny of the status quo,” though developing successful “new framework, new tools, and new communications” won’t be straightforward.
The Federal Reserve’s structure makes change difficult, encompassing the Washington-based Board of Governors, an influential economics team, 12 regional banks with distinct staffs and philosophies, plus numerous former officials and staff frequently consulted for research and policy discussions. Current Chair Jerome Powell, despite sharing some of Warsh’s communication concerns, faced significant resistance from colleagues and staff when proposing modifications last year.
However, Fed thinking isn’t completely rigid. When mainstream economists warned in 2022 that rapid rate increases could trigger massive unemployment, research by Governor Christopher Waller and staff economist Andrew Figura demonstrated why such outcomes were improbable, helping ease policymakers’ concerns about aggressive rate hikes to combat inflation.
The Fed completely abandoned its previous approach in 2020, adopting a new framework that demonstrated both its capacity for innovation and the associated risks. This framework was discarded last year after it underestimated inflation at a crucial moment and delayed officials’ response.
Similar to how Powell’s Fed attempted to improve economic outcomes by boosting inadequate inflation to test maximum employment limits through lower rates, Warsh believes he can explore the boundaries of non-inflationary economic growth with reduced rates, based on expectations that artificial intelligence will enhance productivity and reduce price pressures.
During his hearing, Warsh remained cautious about timing specifics, keeping his short-term rate outlook uncertain.
His direction was clear nonetheless. AI could “increase the potential output of the economy,” Warsh told lawmakers concerned that misinterpreting its impact might lead to policy errors and higher inflation. “We don’t know that. We can’t bank on that, but considerable work needs to be done by the Federal Reserve in evaluating this productivity wave.”
Current Fed officials have expressed similar views: AI will bring changes, but at an uncertain pace and magnitude that’s difficult to incorporate into present policy.
Regarding inflation measurement, Warsh will discover extensive ongoing research aimed at improving calculations, plus abundant opinions about optimal methods for distinguishing temporary price fluctuations from the sustained upward movement economists define as inflation.
Separating broad, persistent trends from narrow, temporary changes represents a well-established challenge. Fed officials during the pandemic inflation surge developed numerous approaches to analyze available data for meaningful signals and explored alternative “big data” sources similar to those Warsh mentioned during his hearing.
Government agencies have already integrated additional real-world pricing data from private sources into their indexes, Sharif noted. He suggested that if Warsh seeks rapid improvements to inflation statistics, he should focus on persuading Congress to increase funding and staffing for existing projects at agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“I think what he was going for was we need to understand the data collection for all types of prices. That is a laudable goal. It is what BLS has been doing for many years,” Sharif explained. “But I don’t think you get to some big new trend you never thought of. What he should have said is what everyone says. We will look at a variety of things to get a handle on inflation.”
Federal authorities announced Thursday they have imposed financial sanctions against Kok An, a prominent Cambodian senator with ties to Senate President Hun Sen, along with 28 other individuals and organizations accused of defrauding American citizens out of millions through elaborate romance scams involving cryptocurrency.
According to the Treasury Department, Kok An leveraged his political influence to shield an extensive network of fraudulent operations. These schemes involved criminals posing as potential romantic partners or friends to manipulate vulnerable Americans into handing over their life savings through digital currency transfers, falsely promising substantial returns before stealing the money entirely.
The sanctioned senator controls multiple businesses, including Crown Resorts, plus additional properties that serve as headquarters for these fraudulent operations, Treasury officials revealed.
Federal investigators discovered that human trafficking victims reported being forced to work at these facilities alongside thousands of others, compelled to defraud Americans under threats of physical harm.
“Eliminating fraud is a top priority for the Trump administration,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated. “Treasury will continue to target fraudsters and scam centers that steal billions of dollars from hardworking Americans, no matter where they operate or how well-connected they are.”
The announcement coincided with criminal charges filed by an interagency Scam Center Strike Force against two Chinese citizens connected to cryptocurrency fraud schemes operating from a compound in Myanmar.
These Chinese nationals, who also tried establishing a similar operation in Cambodia, were apprehended in Thailand during 2026 on immigration violations, according to the Strike Force, which includes federal prosecutors, the Justice Department, FBI and Secret Service.
“This is an incredibly aggressive move from a diplomatic standpoint,” explained Brett Erickson, managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors. “The Trump administration is viewing this as a national security threat. These scams are wiping out people’s life savings. This is devastating families.”
The sanctions were revealed just hours after Tether, a major stablecoin company, froze more than $344 million in USDT cryptocurrency allegedly connected to sanctions violations, criminal organizations and other illegal activities. The company said it coordinated with Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and additional law enforcement agencies to implement these restrictions.
Federal task force members also confiscated a social media application used for recruiting human trafficking victims and shut down 503 fake websites designed to facilitate cryptocurrency investment fraud, Treasury Department officials announced.
The State Department has additionally posted a reward up to $10 million for information that leads to seizing or recovering stolen funds from a different Myanmar-based scam operation that received sanctions last November.
Cambodia’s government issued a Friday statement that did not directly address the American government’s actions but declared that “combating online scams has been set as a top national priority.”
Between early 2025 and April 19 of this year, Cambodia completed deportation procedures for 13,039 foreign nationals involved in online fraud schemes, according to the government statement.
A new national survey reveals widespread public anxiety about pesticide safety as the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in a major case involving Bayer’s Roundup weedkiller on Monday.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 4,557 American adults, found that 78% of respondents expressed concern about pesticide use in food crops. The worry crossed party lines, with 81% of Democrats, 78% of Republicans, and 77% of independents sharing these concerns.
The survey comes as German pharmaceutical giant Bayer seeks to limit thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup product causes cancer. The Trump administration has sided with the company in the legal battle.
Additionally, 63% of those polled opposed giving companies protection from lawsuits when they sell products that cause cancer, even if warning labels are included. This opposition was strongest among Democrats at 71%, with 57% of Republicans and 61% of independents also opposing such protections.
Bayer faces tens of thousands of legal claims alleging the company failed to adequately warn users that glyphosate, Roundup’s main ingredient, may cause cancer. While the Environmental Protection Agency has not concluded that glyphosate causes cancer, the World Health Organization has labeled the chemical as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
The case centers on John Durnell, a Missouri man who won a $1.25 million jury verdict after claiming he developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma following years of glyphosate exposure. Glyphosate ranks among the most widely used herbicides in American farming.
At the heart of the legal dispute is whether consumers can pursue state-level lawsuits over inadequate safety warnings when federal agencies have already approved a product’s labeling.
Bayer maintains that state-level lawsuits should be blocked because the EPA has determined Roundup poses no cancer risk and requires no cancer warning. The company argues federal regulations prevent it from adding warnings beyond what the EPA mandates.
Trump administration lawyers have supported Bayer’s position, arguing that federal law takes precedence over state laws that have formed the basis for many lawsuits against the company.
Some state Farm Bureau organizations have warned the Supreme Court that ruling against Bayer could harm farmers if the company stops selling Roundup due to liability concerns.
The poll also revealed broader health anxieties, with 79% of respondents worried about health impacts from chemicals, food additives, and microplastics in drinking water. The online survey, conducted April 15-20, has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
The bipartisan nature of these concerns could create political challenges for Republicans heading into November’s congressional elections, where the party aims to maintain narrow control of both chambers.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appointed by Trump, has been promoting administration efforts to restrict food dyes and encourage healthy eating at campaign events nationwide.
Trump’s support for Bayer has created tension with some supporters of the Make America Healthy Again movement, who prioritize pesticide concerns. Kelly Ryerson, co-executive director of American Regeneration and known online as “The Glyphosate Girl,” attended White House meetings on April 9 where MAHA leaders discussed pesticide issues with Trump and senior officials.
Ryerson warned administration officials that glyphosate represents a major concern for MAHA voters and that backing Bayer could cost Republican votes in the midterms.
MAHA activists have also criticized Trump’s February executive order aimed at increasing domestic glyphosate production, viewing it as another potential threat to midterm support.
Ryerson, scheduled to speak at Monday’s rally outside the Supreme Court, said Trump “has a full understanding of how important the MAHA vote is to midterms.”
Other planned rally speakers include social media personality Vani Hari, known as “The Food Babe,” anti-vaccine activist Del Bigtree, and Democratic Representative Chellie Pingree.
A Vancouver senior citizen is speaking out after she claims medical staff at a Canadian hospital suggested physician-assisted suicide as her initial treatment option when she sought care for intense back pain. Miriam Lancaster, 84, told the Western Standard that after providing her basic medical information, hospital workers inquired whether she would consider ending her life. Lancaster declined the suggestion and ultimately received proper medical care for what was diagnosed as a hairline fracture in her pelvis. The incident has sparked anger among Canadian organizations that oppose assisted suicide.
A major Christian humanitarian organization reports it has delivered close to 300 million pounds of food assistance to Ukraine following the Russian invasion that began in 2022. Samaritan’s Purse continues its relief efforts in the war-torn nation where widespread infrastructure damage has created severe challenges for residents seeking basic necessities.
The ongoing conflict has particularly impacted elderly and vulnerable populations who find themselves cut off from essential services and unable to reach stores for food purchases. Military operations throughout the region have made travel extremely hazardous for civilians attempting to move around their communities.
Officials with Samaritan’s Purse are calling on American Christians to continue offering prayers for the Ukrainian people as the humanitarian crisis persists.
A federal judge in Washington state has denied the state’s motion to throw out a legal case brought by a Christian married couple seeking to become foster parents. Shane and Jennifer DeGross initiated their lawsuit after state officials turned down their application when they declined to accept new state requirements mandating foster families assist children who wish to transition to living as a different gender.
The couple’s legal representation comes from Alliance Defending Freedom, which argues that Washington state officials are prioritizing political beliefs over what’s best for children in the foster care system.
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic’s leading electricity provider ČEZ announced Friday it has entered into an agreement with British company Rolls-Royce SMR for preliminary development of the country’s inaugural small modular nuclear reactor.
According to ČEZ chief executive Daniel Beneš, the collaboration will focus on creating project blueprints and obtaining the regulatory documentation required for construction permits.
Beneš expressed optimism that all necessary governmental approvals will be secured by 2030. Construction of the compact nuclear facility is planned for the location where the current Temelín nuclear power station operates.
Earlier this year on April 13, Great Britain Energy – Nuclear, a governmental organization, entered into an agreement with Rolls-Royce SMR to initiate design development for Britain’s first small nuclear reactors.
According to Beneš, the Czech facility will represent the British company’s second small nuclear reactor project, following completion of their initial installation in the United Kingdom.
ČEZ maintains a 20% ownership stake in Rolls-Royce SMR, and the two companies previously established a strategic alliance aimed at developing up to 3 gigawatts of energy capacity within Czech borders.
The Czech government controls nearly 70% of ČEZ shares and is working toward complete ownership of the utility company.
Small modular reactors represent a nuclear technology designed to produce less electricity than conventional large-scale reactors. Proponents argue these compact units can be constructed more quickly and economically than traditional nuclear facilities, with flexibility to match specific regional energy demands.
RUYIGI, Burundi (AP) — Hundreds of Congolese refugees who fled violence in their homeland are now making the journey back across the border from Burundi, taking advantage of enhanced safety conditions after rebel forces pulled back from strategic locations.
The most recent group of 470 individuals crossed into eastern Congo after spending nearly four months at the Busuma refugee facility in Burundi’s Buhumuza province, where they had taken shelter following clashes near Uvira. United Nations data shows these returnees are part of a larger movement, with no fewer than 33,000 Congolese having made the trip home by March.
The M23 rebel organization, which captured extensive territory across North and South Kivu provinces along Rwanda’s border last year, subsequently pulled out of Uvira under mounting international pressure.
President Donald Trump has taken on a significant role in peace negotiations as the United States works to secure lasting ceasefire commitments from both nations, while potentially creating opportunities for American businesses to access Congo’s valuable mineral resources essential for technology ranging from aircraft to smartphones.
A Congolese Embassy representative from Burundi supervised Thursday’s homecoming ceremony, which brought joy to refugees who had endured food shortages and supply deficits at the Busuma facility.
Officials from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees announced the transport operation will extend for several more weeks, with a minimum of two bus groups departing weekly.
“I am happy, very joyful,” Hassan Masemo, one of those returning home, expressed, while thanking Burundian officials for “reopening the border for us.”
UNHCR statistics indicate Burundi currently provides refuge to over 200,000 Congolese displaced persons, with 66,000 residing in the Busuma location alone.
The facility opened in December 2025 to house Congolese civilians escaping the rebel offensive toward Uvira, which led Burundi to shut down the Gatumba crossing point. The border resumed operations following M23’s departure.
“This is being done only for those who are going straight to their homes, because for areas which are not yet safe for return, we are not going to organize the return,” stated Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, UNHCR’s representative in Burundi.
After local administration was reestablished in Uvira, some refugees began voluntary returns in March, which encouraged others to follow their example, she explained.
Eastern Congo’s resource-abundant region has endured generations of conflict as government military units battle more than 100 armed organizations, with M23 representing the most formidable threat.
While neither Rwanda nor M23 have openly confirmed Rwandan military participation alongside the rebels, United Nations investigators have documented proof of their engagement. Rwanda characterizes its actions as protective steps to safeguard its borders from Hutu militants linked to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
SEOUL, South Korea — Prosecutors in South Korea have declined a police request to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the billionaire music executive who chairs the company that manages global K-pop sensation BTS, citing insufficient grounds for detention in a major investor fraud investigation.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency had sought an arrest warrant earlier this week for Bang, who founded and leads Hybe. However, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office determined the police request didn’t provide adequate justification for holding the executive and directed investigators to build a stronger case.
Bang has been prohibited from traveling outside South Korea since August, though authorities don’t consider him a significant flight risk.
The 53-year-old executive faces accusations of deceiving investors in 2019 by suggesting Hybe had no immediate intentions of becoming a publicly traded company, leading investors to sell their stakes to a private equity firm just before the company launched its stock market debut.
Investigators suspect the private equity fund may have paid Bang approximately 200 billion won ($135 million) through a separate agreement that guaranteed him 30% of profits from stock sales following the public offering.
According to Hybe representatives, Bang maintains his innocence. His attorneys have condemned the police effort to arrest him, emphasizing that he has fully participated in the investigation for several months.
The legal challenges facing Bang create unwelcome publicity for Hybe as BTS embarks on a worldwide tour following a nearly four-year break while the group’s seven members completed required military service.
BTS recently performed before thousands of international fans at a free reunion concert in Seoul and has since held shows in Goyang city, South Korea, and Tokyo. The band is scheduled to begin its American tour dates with a performance in Tampa, Florida, this weekend.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declined Friday to engage with reports suggesting the Pentagon might consider disciplinary action against NATO members who don’t back U.S. military operations in Iran.
Spain finds itself potentially targeted after blocking American military forces from utilizing Spanish territory and airspace for Iran-related operations. Spanish officials argue that actions taken by the U.S. and Israel in the Iran conflict violate international law.
Reports indicate the Pentagon may be considering Spain’s suspension from NATO, based on an unnamed U.S. official’s reference to a Defense Department email cited by Reuters.
“Well, we do not work with emails,” Sánchez stated to media during a European Union summit in Cyprus. “We work with official documents and positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States.”
“The position of the government of Spain is clear: absolute collaboration with the allies, but always within the framework of international legality,” he added.
NATO functions through unanimous agreement among members. The alliance’s charter contains no provisions for removing or suspending any of its 32 nations, though countries can voluntarily withdraw after providing one year’s notice to other members. NATO itself plays no direct part in the Iran conflict beyond protecting member territory.
President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with what he perceives as inadequate support from certain NATO allies regarding American Iran operations and assistance with securing the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Trump has publicly questioned America’s continued participation in the military alliance.
EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas expressed confusion about U.S. complaints, noting that Britain and France are spearheading efforts to secure maritime trade in the strait post-conflict.
“When we have had contacts with the American counterparts, then actually their asks for us have been exactly what we are able to offer after the cessation of hostilities,” she explained. “Demining, escorting of ships, all of this that we have been discussing.”
However, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has emphasized that America maintains “long-standing arrangements and agreements with European allies on overflight, on basing” that deserve respect, appearing to criticize countries like Spain and France.
Despite Spain’s restrictions on U.S. military activities tied to the Iran situation, American aircraft have operated through other NATO nations’ airspace and utilized U.S. installations in different member countries for conflict-related missions.
Trump has even suggested potential trade restrictions against Spain due to its base and airspace limitations. Additionally, Spain has disappointed allies by not matching their planned defense spending commitments.
While Elon Musk promotes SpaceX as humanity’s pathway to Mars, internal documents reveal the company’s true focus lies in artificial intelligence development, according to IPO registration materials reviewed by Reuters.
The space exploration firm is using a unique funding strategy compared to tech giants like Google and Microsoft. Instead of relying on established cash flows from existing operations, SpaceX depends on income from rocket launches and satellite services to finance its ambitious AI projects.
Starlink, the company’s satellite internet service, generated $4.42 billion in operating income last year – double the previous year’s figure. These earnings successfully offset losses in SpaceX’s space operations division, which continues heavy investment in advanced satellite-carrying rockets.
This financial success has encouraged Musk to transform SpaceX into an AI-centered enterprise, fundamentally changing how the company allocates resources. During 2025, the AI segment – which houses xAI – consumed 61% of the company’s total $20.74 billion in capital expenditures. Despite this massive investment, the AI unit recorded a $6.4 billion operating loss due to escalating expenses.
Plans for space-based data center networks suggest spending will continue at high levels. “What investors will be looking for is clear visibility on how the business model evolves with this financing and whether it can make the economics of compute work at scale,” explained Melissa Otto, head of research at S&P Global Visible Alpha. “In many ways, SpaceX looks like a super-sized startup.”
SpaceX’s spending, while substantial, remains smaller than Silicon Valley competitors. Technology leaders including Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Oracle plan to invest over $600 billion collectively in AI development this year.
These established tech companies benefit from diverse revenue streams through digital advertising, cloud services, and business software, providing greater financial flexibility and protection against AI market fluctuations.
This distinction becomes crucial as SpaceX prepares its potentially record-breaking public offering, targeting a $28.5 trillion addressable market largely connected to business AI applications. The company seeks to raise $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation but may need additional funding if capital spending continues exceeding revenue growth.
Last year, SpaceX’s capital expenditures more than doubled, surpassing revenue by approximately $2 billion. Industry analysts estimate that launching one million data-center satellites could cost trillions of dollars, potentially widening this financial gap.
“The (financial) overhang matters but it is manageable if the AI revenue ramp arrives on the timeline management is implying,” noted Shay Boloor, chief market strategist at Futurum Equities. “It becomes much riskier once (Starlink) subscriber growth matures or if AI spend keeps scaling faster than monetization.”
Adding complexity is a recently disclosed agreement with AI coding startup Cursor. SpaceX holds an option to acquire Cursor for approximately $60 billion or abandon the purchase while paying $10 billion for a partnership arrangement.
This structure permits SpaceX to postpone the decision until after its IPO, though the financial consequences vary significantly. Choosing the smaller partnership payment would likely cost access to Cursor’s valuable client base but would impact the company’s cash reserves for months rather than years.
Under this scenario, Cursor could enhance SpaceX’s AI operational efficiency without dramatically affecting balance sheet risk, supporting theories that AI investments can become more cost-effective over time.
Neither company has disclosed financing details for the potential deal. A stock-only transaction would preserve SpaceX’s cash position, but any cash component could accelerate the need for additional capital or require significant spending reductions.
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. According to Boloor, the company’s current financial profile reflects its rocket and satellite origins rather than the AI infrastructure company it aspires to become.
“That doesn’t make the story broken but it does mean IPO buyers would be paying upfront for a transformation that still needs to show up more clearly in the numbers,” Boloor concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed the country’s primary intelligence training facility to restore the name of Felix Dzerzhinsky, the controversial figure who established the Soviet Union’s brutal secret police apparatus following the 1917 revolution.
Known as “Iron Felix,” Dzerzhinsky was a Polish aristocrat who became a revolutionary and helped create the oppressive security system that would later be expanded under Josef Stalin. While Russian dissidents view him as a symbol of tyranny, current intelligence officials in Putin’s administration regard him as a heroic figure.
The fall of communist regimes brought symbolic rejections of Dzerzhinsky’s legacy. Celebrating crowds destroyed his statue in Warsaw, Poland in 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down. Two years later, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Moscow residents toppled his monument outside KGB headquarters at Lubyanka Square.
However, “Iron Felix” has now returned to the FSB training institution, following a similar restoration at the Foreign Intelligence Service nearly two years ago.
According to a Kremlin announcement released this week, Putin has mandated that the FSB Academy, formerly called the KGB Higher School, will now operate under the title “F.E. Dzerzhinsky Academy of the Federal Security Service.”
Putin, who served as a KGB lieutenant colonel before entering politics, justified the change by citing Dzerzhinsky’s “outstanding contribution to ensuring state security,” the official decree stated.
Historical records show the KGB Higher School previously carried Dzerzhinsky’s name from 1962 through 1993. Putin himself trained at the facility during 1979 and the early 1980s, according to his official biographical information.
Located in southern Moscow, the FSB academy operates departments covering foreign languages, information security, counterintelligence, operational support, applied mathematics, and specialized equipment.
**REVOLUTIONARY ENFORCER**
Many Russians interpret Dzerzhinsky’s return as evidence of increasing authoritarian control during wartime and Russia’s complete break from its post-Soviet efforts to align with Western nations.
Serving as one of Vladimir Lenin’s most devoted supporters, Dzerzhinsky helped consolidate revolutionary power through merciless Leninist methods: savage persecution of enemies and anyone merely suspected of opposition.
From 1917 until his death in 1926, Dzerzhinsky directed the secret police operations for both Lenin and Stalin, orchestrating the campaign of fear, arrests, violence and killings that became infamous as the “Red Terror.”
He created the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, called the Cheka, which carried out widespread executions without trial during the Civil War period.
His influence remains so significant that contemporary Russian intelligence operatives still identify themselves as Chekists, referencing his security organization, and honor Dzerzhinsky as “Chekist no. 1.”
Some officials anticipate Dzerzhinsky may eventually return to the FSB’s main Lubyanka Square location.
“After the return of Dzerzhinsky to the FSB Academy, many really await the return of Felix Edmundovich (Dzerzhinsky’s) statue to its rightful place on Lubyanka,” said Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defence magazine.
Chinese authorities are implementing new measures that would block major technology companies from accepting American investment dollars without first obtaining government clearance, according to a Bloomberg News report released Friday.
The news outlet cited sources with knowledge of the situation, though Reuters has not been able to independently confirm these details.
According to the report, Chinese government agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission, have recently directed multiple private technology companies to turn down investment from United States sources during funding rounds unless they secure explicit approval beforehand.
The new guidance has reportedly reached artificial intelligence companies Moonshot AI and StepFun, Bloomberg indicated. Additionally, ByteDance, the parent company behind the popular social media platform TikTok, has been instructed that it must obtain clearance before allowing any secondary share transactions involving American investors.
The development represents another layer in the ongoing technological tensions between the world’s two largest economies, as both nations continue to scrutinize cross-border investments in sensitive technology sectors.
Investment money flowing into worldwide stock funds reached its highest weekly level in more than 17 months during the period ending April 22, driven by enthusiasm for artificial intelligence developments and strong quarterly results from major U.S. banking institutions.
Data from LSEG Lipper shows that international equity funds received $48.72 billion in net weekly investments, representing the largest weekly total since November 13, 2024.
Stock prices for TSMC, the globe’s largest contract producer of sophisticated AI semiconductors, and SK Hynix, a supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips, reached all-time highs this week following positive earnings reports.
American stock funds captured $27.98 billion, their strongest performance in four weeks, while European and Asian funds recorded net investments of $18.41 billion and $157 million respectively.
Industry-specific funds pulled in $8.22 billion net, achieving their biggest weekly gains in three months. Technology sectors led the way with $6.21 billion, followed by industrial funds at $1.82 billion, and metals and mining investments totaling $1.02 billion.
Fixed-income fund investments climbed nearly one-third to $12.85 billion, up from the previous week’s $9.78 billion.
Hard currency bond funds attracted $3.13 billion in net investments, marking their largest weekly intake since March 18. At the same time, money leaving short-term bond funds decreased to $2.21 billion from the prior week’s $7.08 billion.
Money market funds experienced their second consecutive week of outflows, losing $20.26 billion after the previous week’s $173.09 billion in net withdrawals.
Gold and precious metals funds continued their recent popularity streak for a fourth straight week, drawing $841 million in net investments.
Developing market funds maintained their appeal for three consecutive weeks, with equity funds gaining $4.34 billion and bond funds receiving $3.64 billion, according to data covering 28,853 combined funds.
Financial markets showed uncertain direction Friday morning as the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the United States and Iran continued to create anxiety among investors, bringing a turbulent week of trading to a close.
Expected negotiations between Washington and Tehran failed to materialize despite widespread anticipation of a second round of diplomatic discussions, leaving the timeline for future talks completely unclear.
President Donald Trump chose to unilaterally extend the current ceasefire agreement with Iran while keeping the naval blockade of Iranian ports in place. Meanwhile, Iran has been intercepting vessels trying to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz.
Market watchers are also experiencing signs of exhaustion from the prolonged uncertainty. While Trump successfully facilitated a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, investors remain cautious and want to see more concrete evidence of sustainable diplomatic progress.
Positive quarterly reports from multiple major companies provided some relief to nervous investors. However, since these financial results only reflect one month of war-related disruptions, some market analysts are questioning whether they accurately predict future performance.
Early morning trading showed the Dow E-minis declining 177 points or 0.36% at 5:19 a.m. ET, while S&P 500 E-minis remained unchanged and Nasdaq 100 E-minis gained 162.25 points or 0.60%.
Energy prices continue to be the primary concern for market stability, with Brent crude futures maintaining levels approximately 47% higher than before the conflict began due to shipping disruptions in the vital Strait of Hormuz passage.
However, some analysts view the current market decline as a potential investment opportunity, suggesting that stock valuations have become more attractive.
Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite recently reached new record peaks as investors maintain confidence that underlying economic conditions remain strong despite ongoing international conflicts.
“Optimal market entry points rarely emerge during periods of comfort or clarity. Rather, the most appealing investment opportunities typically occur during times of market uncertainty,” explained Jeff Schulze, who serves as head of economic and market strategy at ClearBridge Investments.
Individual companies drawing attention in pre-market trading included Intel, which surged 23.3% following predictions of second-quarter revenue exceeding analyst expectations. Competitor AMD also gained 7.3%.
Educational technology company Coursera dropped 10.2% following disappointing first-quarter financial results.
Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek, whose affordable AI model created significant industry disruption last year, unveiled a preview of its anticipated new system designed specifically for Huawei processor technology.
However, American technology stocks that were negatively impacted by the previous model showed resilience in current trading. Microsoft, which backs ChatGPT, increased 0.7%, while semiconductor company Marvell Technology climbed 3.5%.
Good morning, Delmarva! We’re looking at a pleasant start to your Friday with mostly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures reaching around 69 degrees. It’s shaping up to be a nice spring day, perfect for getting outside and enjoying the weather.
However, keep an eye on the sky this afternoon – there’s a slight chance of light rain showers developing after 3 PM. The odds are pretty low at just 20%, and if we do see any rain, amounts will be minimal – less than a tenth of an inch. East winds will be generally light, ranging from calm to about 15 mph.
Tonight, we’ll see our rain chances increase as temperatures drop to around 50 degrees. Looking ahead to Saturday, pack the umbrella! Light rain becomes likely with cooler conditions and highs only reaching 57 degrees. Saturday night will bring more steady rain with lows dipping to 45 degrees.
So enjoy today’s sunshine while you can, Delmarva! The weekend will be a washout, making it perfect for indoor activities. Stay dry and have a great Friday!
Purchasing a home across America has become increasingly challenging for families, and federal lawmakers believe they have identified part of the problem. Congressional representatives are now proposing legislation that would place limits on how many single-family residences corporations can acquire.
The proposed restrictions target corporate entities that have been purchasing residential properties in large numbers, potentially making it more difficult for individual families to compete in the housing market.
Whether these proposed limitations will actually improve home affordability and accessibility for average American families remains to be seen as the legislation moves through the congressional process.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced a fresh proposal to renew controversial surveillance authorities after facing two unsuccessful attempts in recent votes.
The Louisiana Republican revealed his latest strategy to extend the FISA 702 surveillance program as lawmakers work against an April 30 deadline.
The program has generated significant debate among members of Congress, with previous efforts to reauthorize the intelligence-gathering tool falling short of the votes needed for passage.
Johnson’s new approach represents another attempt to find common ground on the contentious surveillance legislation before the current authorization expires at month’s end.
International development organizations have released a sobering assessment indicating that worldwide food insecurity will continue at alarming levels throughout 2026, as armed conflicts, climate-related droughts, and decreased international assistance create a perfect storm for hunger.
The latest edition of the Global Report on Food Crises, marking its tenth year of tracking worldwide hunger patterns, reveals that severe food shortages have increased twofold during the past ten years. For the first time since the report began, two regions – Gaza and Sudan – were officially classified as experiencing famine conditions in 2025.
The comprehensive study documented that 266 million individuals across 47 nations and territories experienced dangerous levels of food shortage during 2025, while 1.4 million people endured the most extreme hunger conditions in Haiti, Mali, Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
The crisis has particularly impacted children, with 35.5 million young people worldwide suffering from acute malnutrition in 2025 alone. Nearly 10 million of these children faced the most severe form of nutritional deficiency.
Examining current conditions, the assessment indicates that crisis-level hunger persists, with only Haiti showing signs of potential improvement from the most catastrophic category due to modest security gains and expanded humanitarian support.
Alvaro Lario, who leads the U.N. International Fund for Agricultural Development and contributes to the annual assessment, emphasized the evolving nature of the crisis. “We are no longer seeing just temporary shocks, but persistent shocks over time,” Lario stated.
He further explained to Reuters: “The main message is that food insecurity is not an isolated issue anymore, but is putting pressure on global stability.”
The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has intensified concerns about food security, according to Lario. He cautioned that extended disruptions to energy and fertilizer markets could impact global food systems and intensify hunger in nations that rely heavily on food imports and are already experiencing crises.
“Even if the conflict in the Middle East were to end right now, we know that a lot of the food price shocks and inflation will happen in the next six months,” he explained.
Beyond Middle Eastern tensions, West African nations and the Sahel region face continued challenges from violence and ongoing price increases, with Nigeria, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso expected to experience particular difficulties.
Nigeria specifically is anticipated to witness one of the most significant rises in food insecurity during 2026, with projections showing 4.1 million additional people will face acute hunger.
In East Africa, insufficient rainfall throughout much of the Horn of Africa region is expected to intensify hardships in Somalia and Kenya, where drought conditions, security threats, elevated food costs and diminished humanitarian support are likely to create deteriorating circumstances.
The report also highlighted concerning trends in international funding, noting that humanitarian and development financing for food-related programs dropped significantly in 2025 and is expected to decline further.
Financial support for humanitarian food initiatives is estimated to have decreased by approximately 39% in the previous year compared to 2024 figures, while development aid contracted by no less than 15%.
Indonesia’s finance minister confirmed Friday that the nation has abandoned any consideration of charging fees to vessels navigating through the Malacca Strait, following international concern over earlier remarks about monetizing the crucial shipping corridor.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa reinforced a statement made Thursday by Indonesia’s foreign minister, emphasizing that the Southeast Asian nation will not implement any tariff system for the strategic waterway.
During a Friday press briefing, Purbaya stated that Indonesia remains committed to following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which establishes international guidelines for maritime passages used by global shipping.
The clarification came after Purbaya created international concern Wednesday when he publicly discussed potential methods for countries to charge vessel fees in the strait, though he had noted such arrangements would not be feasible.
The controversy emerged as Asian policymakers grapple with maritime security challenges following the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East, raising concerns about other critical shipping passages.
The Malacca Strait spans 900 kilometers (550 miles) and borders Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The U.S. Energy Administration has designated it as the world’s largest “oil transit chokepoint,” serving as the most direct maritime route connecting East Asia with the Middle East and Europe.
According to data from Malaysia’s Marine Department, more than 102,500 vessels—primarily commercial ships—passed through the Malacca Strait in 2025, representing an increase from approximately 94,300 ships in 2024.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have instructed their defense departments to move ahead with a troubled European fighter jet initiative worth $116 billion, according to government officials.
The ambitious military aviation program, which includes Spain as a partner, has faced serious obstacles due to public disagreements between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus over who should lead the massive undertaking.
When a journalist questioned whether the FCAS program had failed, Macron responded firmly. “No, not at all,” the French leader stated during an EU summit in Cyprus, where he had met with Merz to address the issue.
“We had a good discussion this morning with the chancellor, and we gave a mandate to our defence ministries to work precisely on several areas, on a range of different issues,” Macron explained. “Not just the future combat aircraft, but various levers of cooperation between our two countries.”
A representative from the German government verified that the two leaders had discussed the matter.
“The Chancellor and the President instructed their defence ministers to continue working on various areas of cooperation and to agree on the next steps. This work will be completed in the coming weeks,” the spokesperson confirmed.
Earlier this week, defense officials from both nations presented conflicting schedules for resolving the fighter jet program’s future, with some suggesting an immediate decision while others requested additional time for negotiations.
The central conflict revolves around which country will oversee the primary fighter aircraft component of a comprehensive system designed to connect manned aircraft with armed drones through advanced digital technology.
Industry experts have anticipated that Germany and France might scale back their joint fighter development while maintaining collaboration on drone technology and the digital infrastructure that would link various military assets including aircraft, unmanned vehicles, and ground-based radar systems. However, abandoning the original plan would create political difficulties for Macron.
German luxury automaker Porsche has completed the sale of its ownership interests in high-end car manufacturers Bugatti and Rimac to an investment consortium headed by a United States-based fund, according to a Friday announcement from one of the purchasing investors.
The transaction involves Porsche selling off a 45% ownership share in Bugatti Rimac, the partnership that houses the legendary Italian brand, along with a 20.6% interest in Rimac Group, according to BlueFive Capital, which participated in the acquisition.
Although BlueFive Capital chose not to reveal the transaction’s dollar amount, Reuters previously reported that Croatia-based Rimac carried a valuation exceeding 2 billion euros, equivalent to approximately $2.34 billion.
“In setting up the joint venture Bugatti Rimac together with Rimac Group, we successfully laid the foundation for Bugatti’s future,” Porsche CEO Michael Leiters stated in the announcement. “Now, with the sale of our stake, we are focusing Porsche on the core business.”
The divestiture comes as Porsche faces mounting financial pressures and the need to reduce expenses while freeing up investment capital.
Porsche AG established the partnership with Rimac during 2021, when the German manufacturer’s former chief executive Oliver Blume promoted the arrangement as combining Bugatti’s hypercar manufacturing excellence with Rimac’s cutting-edge electric vehicle technology.
However, Porsche has since become a financial challenge for its parent company Volkswagen, experiencing a dramatic decline in profit margins that plummeted to just 1.1% in the previous year, compared to 14.1% in 2024. The company has struggled with U.S. trade tariffs and declining sales in the Chinese market.
Leiters, who assumed the chief executive role at the start of this year, now faces significant pressure to implement cost reductions and generate additional capital.
Rimac announced in November that discussions were underway with Porsche regarding the joint venture’s organizational structure.
BlueFive Capital, which manages $15 billion in assets, confirmed Friday that it joined the investment group led by HOF Capital, a U.S.-based fund co-established by Onsi Sawiris.
BlueFive Capital began operations in November 2024 and maintains offices throughout the Gulf region, London, and Beijing, providing private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and financial services to wealthy individuals, institutions, and retail investors.
Following the transaction’s completion, Rimac Group will assume control of Bugatti Rimac and establish a strategic alliance with BlueFive Capital and HOF Capital to facilitate ongoing expansion, according to BlueFive Capital’s statement.
Federal officials have announced an immediate reclassification of medical marijuana under national drug scheduling laws, moving it into a category with reduced restrictions.
The directive from the Trump administration marks a significant shift in how the United States handles cannabis policy at the federal level, representing what many consider a landmark change in the nation’s approach to marijuana regulation.
The rescheduling affects medical cannabis specifically, placing it under less stringent federal oversight than it previously faced under current classification systems.
Three major Texas cities face the potential loss of nearly $150 million in state funding after Governor Greg Abbott issued an ultimatum regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Abbott has warned Houston, Dallas, and Austin that they must modify their police departments’ current policies for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or risk having their state grants revoked.
The governor’s demand puts significant financial pressure on the cities, as the threatened funding represents a substantial portion of their state assistance.
Cannabis industry officials are analyzing the potential consequences of federal marijuana rescheduling for both patients and businesses nationwide. NPR host Michel Martin recently spoke with Gillian Schauer, who serves as executive director of the Cannabis Regulators Association, about what immediate changes consumers and the industry might expect.
The conversation centered on how shifts in federal cannabis classification could reshape the landscape for medical marijuana users and the companies that serve them. Industry leaders are closely monitoring these developments as they could significantly alter how cannabis is regulated and accessed across the country.
A chance encounter at a park bench has blossomed into a meaningful friendship between two women who understand each other’s grief.
Both women, having experienced the loss of their spouses, found comfort and companionship in an unexpected place. What started as a simple meeting on a park bench has developed into a bond that helps them navigate life after loss.
The women spoke about how their friendship began and how it has provided them with support during difficult times. Their story highlights how connections can form in the most ordinary places, bringing people together when they need it most.
Their experience demonstrates the power of shared understanding and how strangers can become sources of strength for one another during life’s most challenging moments.
Destructive blazes continue ravaging communities across South Georgia, where flames have consumed close to 90 residential properties. The ongoing fires show no signs of slowing as they tear through the drought-stricken region.
Months of deteriorating dry conditions have created a perfect storm for fire activity, allowing flames to rapidly advance across the parched landscape. The extended period without adequate rainfall has left vegetation extremely vulnerable to ignition and has hampered firefighting efforts throughout the area.
European Union officials will develop a comprehensive plan for the bloc’s mutual defense agreement following concerns about America’s dedication to NATO, according to announcements made during a summit in Cyprus this week.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of NATO over the Iran conflict, combined with his earlier threats to take control of Greenland from Denmark, has prompted European leaders to strengthen their own security arrangements.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides announced that EU leaders reached consensus during Thursday evening’s summit to create detailed procedures for Article 42.7, the union’s mutual assistance provision.
“We agreed last night that the (European) Commission will prepare a blueprint on how we respond in case a member state triggers Article 42.7. There are a number of questions that we need to have an answer to,” Christodoulides said.
The EU’s mutual assistance agreement differs significantly from NATO’s Article 5 collective defense provision, which serves as Europe’s primary security foundation and includes detailed military planning and operational structures.
France remains the only nation to invoke the EU clause, doing so following the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks that claimed 130 lives. Member countries responded by contributing to EU and international military operations, allowing France to redeploy its forces.
Cyprus has particular interest in strengthening Article 42.7 after a drone attack targeted a British military installation on the island during last month’s Iran conflict. The nation, which currently leads the rotating EU Council presidency, does not belong to NATO.
However, several EU member states worry about appearing to distance themselves from NATO and its established Article 5 defense framework.
“For me it is an absolutely crucial thing that Article 5 is the key of our collective defence and collective security and it will remain so,” Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters on Thursday.
Article 42.7 of the Treaty on the European Union states that “if a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other Member States shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all means in their power.”
“Let’s say France triggers Article 42.7. Which countries are going to be the first to respond to the request of the French government, what are the needs of the government or the country that triggers Article 42.7? All those will be put in a blueprint,” Christodoulides said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas provided leaders with updates on current efforts to develop Article 42.7 procedures during the summit, according to EU sources.
“NATO remains the bedrock of collective defence,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But the EU has tools available that are complementary to NATO – such as sanctions, financial assistance and humanitarian aid – which could come into play in an Article 42.7 situation.”
Kallas’ team is examining various scenarios including hybrid warfare, traditional military attacks, and situations where both Article 42.7 and NATO’s Article 5 might be activated simultaneously, the official added.
BEIJING – Chinese foreign ministry officials on Friday dismissed President Donald Trump’s suggestion that a recently seized Iranian cargo vessel contained materials provided by Beijing.
U.S. forces opened fire on and captured an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to bypass American enforcement of sanctions at Iranian ports. Iranian military officials confirmed the vessel had departed from China and promised to respond to what they characterized as “armed piracy by the U.S. military.”
During a Tuesday interview with CNBC, Trump suggested the intercepted ship “had some things on it, which wasn’t very nice. A gift from China perhaps, I don’t know.”
Beijing’s foreign ministry dismissed those remarks during Friday’s briefing.
“China opposes any accusations and associations that lack a factual basis,” ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
“Normal international trade relations between countries should not be subject to interference and disruption,” he added.
The cargo vessel Touska was boarded and captured by American forces on Sunday. Maritime security experts indicated Monday that the ship likely carried what U.S. officials consider dual-use materials that could potentially serve military purposes.
Japan’s biggest investment banking firm Nomura Holdings delivered consecutive record-breaking annual earnings and stated that Middle East conflicts involving the U.S., Israel and Iran haven’t caused lasting disruption to fundamental growth drivers in Japan’s domestic market.
The Tokyo-based financial services company has spent several years shifting its strategy toward steady fee-generating revenue streams that remain more stable during volatile market periods.
“Markets have been favourable up to now, but there are various risk factors at present,” Chief Financial Officer Hiroyuki Moriuchi said at a briefing.
“For M&A and equity capital markets, some decision making may be held up, but looking at the mid- to long-term, the structural challenges facing Japanese companies, such as a declining population and overseas expansion aims, are unaffected by the situation in the Middle East,” Moriuchi explained.
The investment bank’s quarterly earnings from January through March increased 3% compared to the previous year, reaching 73.9 billion yen, equivalent to $462.60 million. Annual profits climbed to 362.1 billion yen from the prior year’s 340.7 billion yen.
Nomura holds a leading position in Japan’s wealth management sector, supported by a solid foundation of consistent fee income. The company also gained from transaction fees created by market fluctuations during the quarter.
The firm’s wholesale operations, encompassing investment banking and trading activities, achieved its strongest annual revenue performance since launching in April 2010.
A Chinese artificial intelligence company that caused global market turbulence last year has unveiled preview editions of its newest major technology upgrade on Friday, intensifying the competitive battle between China and the United States in the AI sector.
The V4 release from DeepSeek has been eagerly awaited by technology enthusiasts wanting to evaluate its performance against leading American AI systems including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Gemini. Both Anthropic and OpenAI have previously claimed that DeepSeek improperly developed its technology using their innovations.
Technology industry experts had predicted the new model would debut over a month ago during the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
According to DeepSeek, the newly released V4 open-source models come in both “pro” and “flash” editions, featuring significant enhancements in knowledge processing, logical reasoning, and autonomous task execution capabilities – the ability to handle complex operations and workflows independently.
This V4 system follows the V3 model that DeepSeek introduced in the final months of 2024.
However, it was DeepSeek’s specialized reasoning AI system, known as R1, that surprised financial markets when it launched in January 2025. The company maintained it offered better cost efficiency than OpenAI’s comparable model and became representative of China’s progress in matching American technological innovation.
DeepSeek stated that its “V4 Pro Max” edition demonstrates “superior performance” on standard reasoning evaluations compared to OpenAI’s GPT-5.2 model and Google’s Gemini 3.0-Pro. The company acknowledged it performs “marginally” below GPT-5.4 and Gemini 3.1-Pro levels.
Regarding autonomous capabilities, the Chinese firm claimed its V4 “pro” edition could surpass Claude’s Sonnet 4.5 and nearly matches Claude’s Opus 4.5 model according to their internal testing.
The “flash” edition of V4 matches the “pro” version’s performance on basic automated tasks and demonstrates reasoning abilities that closely approach it, DeepSeek reported.
“Based on the benchmark results, it does appear DeepSeek V4 is going to be very competitive against its U.S. rivals,” said Lian Jye Su, chief analyst at the technology research and advisory group Omdia.
Marina Zhang, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney, described DeepSeek’s V4 launch as a “pivotal milestone for China’s AI industry”, particularly as worldwide competition grows more intense in the race for technological independence in essential technologies.
DeepSeek provides a free web-based and mobile chatbot service. Unlike leading models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, it characterizes its technology as “open source” by allowing developers access to modify and expand upon its fundamental technology.
Both V4 editions feature a 1 million token context window, which measures how much data an AI model can process and remember, and operate more efficiently, the company announced. This represents a substantial advancement from previous versions, as the V3 supported only a 128,000 token context window.
A Microsoft report from January revealed that DeepSeek usage has been expanding across numerous developing countries.
Nevertheless, some experts remain doubtful. Ivan Su, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, described V4 as a “competent” successor but noted it doesn’t represent as significant an advancement as the R1 launch.
“Domestic competition has intensified significantly since R1’s release,” Su said. “Against U.S. models, DeepSeek’s own evaluation suggests its capabilities largely match on most fronts, but independent evaluations are needed before final conclusions can be drawn.”
In February, Anthropic accused DeepSeek and two additional China-based AI companies of conducting “industrial-scale campaigns” to “illicitly extract Claude’s capabilities to improve their own models.” The company said they accomplished this through a method called distillation that “involves training a less capable model on the outputs of a stronger one.” OpenAI made comparable accusations in correspondence to U.S. lawmakers.
This week, Michael Kratsios, chief science and technology adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, also accused foreign technology companies “principally based in China” of distilling leading U.S. AI systems and “exploiting American expertise and innovation.”
China’s embassy in Washington responded to the accusations, calling them “unjustified suppression of Chinese companies by the U.S.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Floating naval mines threatening oil vessels in the Persian Gulf. Iranian patrol boats spraying ships with automatic weapons fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States caught in the crossfire.
These scenes aren’t from today’s tense standoff between Iran and America, currently on hold due to an unstable ceasefire. Rather, they describe the “Tanker War” of the 1980s, when Iran attacked commercial shipping during its conflict with Iraq, prompting American warships to provide protection for Kuwaiti oil vessels to maintain global crude supplies.
America might consider adopting a similar approach today and take more forceful action to safeguard vessels traveling through the waterway, which handles 20% of global oil and natural gas shipments during normal times. The military provided limited ship protection in the Red Sea recently for vessels under attack, and President Donald Trump announced this week he has directed American forces to “shoot and kill” Iranian small craft.
However, implementing escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz would present significant challenges. Military capabilities have evolved dramatically since the “Tanker War.” America lacks the same focused, specific objectives it maintained during the 1980s conflict. Additionally, international shipping companies might not trust American naval protection given the U.S. is now directly involved in combat.
The American Navy has extensive experience dealing with small vessel strategies employed by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has adapted to international economic restrictions limiting access to military ships by converting smaller civilian craft for warfare.
The Guard has spent years using boats comparable in size to small fishing vessels to track American aircraft carriers transiting the strait. Rather than carrying fishing equipment, these craft typically mount Soviet-era heavy machine guns on their front sections along with small rocket systems on top.
Iran captured two commercial ships this week using these small boats. Guard footage showed their personnel on patrol craft that appeared tiny next to the enormous container vessels. Guard members fired weapons at the cargo ships before boarding them while carrying automatic rifles.
Apart from their publicity impact, these captures demonstrated that nearly two months into hostilities with America and Israel, despite an American naval blockade of Iranian shores, the Guard can utilize minimal resources to effectively close the strait and threaten the global economy.
The “Tanker War” emerged from the brutal eight-year conflict between Iraq and Iran during the 1980s.
Iraq initially struck Iranian oil facilities and tankers in the Persian Gulf. Iran eventually launched its own systematic campaign against regional shipping, including deploying mines.
Iraq would ultimately strike more than 280 ships compared to Iran’s 168, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. However, Iran’s mine deployment created widespread chaos in the area.
America, which backed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein with intelligence, weapons and other support, initiated “Operation Earnest Will” and began protecting Kuwaiti oil tankers that were redesignated under American flags.
The mission carried significant risks. The Kuwaiti supertanker Bridgeton hit a mine while under American protection at the operation’s beginning. An Iraqi missile attack on the USS Stark resulted in 37 sailor deaths, while an Iranian mine strike injured 10 aboard the USS Samuel B. Roberts. America also mistakenly identified a passenger aircraft as a military jet and destroyed it, killing all 290 passengers and crew on Iran Air flight 655.
Despite these difficulties, the “Tanker War” operation achieved success as Navy vessels escorted approximately 70 convoys through the region.
Repeating such success today would prove extremely challenging.
America would need to ensure it could establish a protective barrier that Iran couldn’t breach — a demanding task since even a single Iranian missile, drone or boat attack would restore the anxiety currently affecting the strait.
“I think even if you compare it with the ‘Tanker War,’ I think just in terms of the way military technology has evolved, especially on that asymmetrical side, it’s much more difficult to secure a waterway now than it was then,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, an analyst with risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
“Unless there is some sort of agreement or unless the U.S. can significantly curb Iran’s ability to launch fast boats, to launch drones, to launch short-range missiles, then this problem just remains unresolved.”
This explains why European nations, despite Trump administration pressure, have stated they won’t participate in ship escort missions until hostilities end.
The Reagan administration also maintained more limited, defined objectives in its Cold War operation, such as keeping the strait open, according to Tom Duffy, a former U.S. diplomat and naval officer.
“In contrast, the American goals (now) have been sort of a kaleidoscope of regime change to all sorts of very maximalist goals,” said Duffy, who recently published a book called “Tanker War in the Gulf.”
Recently, the American Navy provided limited protection for ships traveling through the Red Sea passage to shield them from attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-supported Houthi rebels. However, the Navy concentrated on American-flagged vessels or those transporting supplies for the U.S. government.
During those missions, the Navy encountered its most severe maritime combat since World War II. Using military force to secure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz could result in similarly fierce fighting.
Duffy observed that it remains unclear whether the Trump administration even desires such a confrontation.
“There’s a White House statement this week in which we said that the ceasefire is not in jeopardy because they aren’t attacking U.S. and Israeli ships. That’s a fundamental shift,” he said. “That goes past centuries of U.S. practice and statements about the needs for freedom of the sea.”
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Celebration erupted across Indonesia’s capital Friday as community members, municipal employees, and environmental activists pulled massive nets filled with invasive suckermouth catfish from a city reservoir during a major crackdown on the destructive species.
Officials aim to extract a minimum of 10 tons of these unwanted fish from Jakarta’s water systems, hoping the initiative will help restore ecological balance to the Ciliwung River while drawing public focus to water quality issues.
Throughout the contaminated waterway and along concrete barriers near downtown’s towering buildings, dark silhouettes of these fish attach themselves firmly to river walls. Upon closer inspection, they look almost ancient, featuring armored frames that shine a muted brown color under the cloudy water.
These suckermouth catfish, scientifically called Pterygoplichthys and known locally as ‘sapu-sapu,’ originated outside Indonesia. Brought in years ago for home aquariums due to their algae-eating capabilities, they eventually escaped into Jakarta’s heavily contaminated rivers where they flourished. These creatures can reach lengths of 50 centimeters (nearly 20 inches) and survive 10-15 years.
Scientists have repeatedly cautioned that uncontrolled invasive species populations can upset freshwater environments, especially in crowded metropolitan regions like Jakarta.
Dian Rosleine, an environmental scientist from the Bandung Institute of Technology, explained that these fish demonstrate remarkable adaptability, thriving in polluted environments where native species cannot survive.
‘So, these fish are biological indicators that the water is in poor condition,’ she said.
The Ciliwung previously transported pristine water from West Java’s mountains into Jakarta. Currently, it winds through crowded residential areas, collecting untreated domestic sewage and factory discharge. Concrete barriers have replaced natural riverbanks. When dry seasons arrive, warmer and slower water creates ideal conditions for janitor fish while harming native species, according to Rosleine.
Jakarta officials have launched widespread removal efforts, focusing on these invasive fish throughout municipal waterways. The initiative started last week.
The removal campaign, directed by Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, occurred simultaneously across all five administrative districts of the capital, involving hundreds of workers including firefighters, emergency personnel, and local volunteers. Teams have captured and disposed of more than seven tons of janitor fish citywide within one week.
Friday’s cleanup at a 6-meter-deep (19-foot-deep) water reservoir in East Jakarta’s Ciracas district attracted interested onlookers as municipal crews gathered approximately 320 kilograms (705 pounds) of the invasive species.
Stacks of squirming janitor fish filled red containers beside the reservoir — concrete evidence that meaningful action was finally underway.
‘The janitor fish populations have reproduced at a notable level while also feeding on native species,’ East Jakarta’s mayor, Munjirin, told reporters during Friday’s cleanup visit. ‘The impact extends beyond ecosystem destruction, contributing to structural damage to riverbank and embankment walls.’
Munjirin, who follows the Indonesian custom of using one name, stated that this coordinated effort begins a long-term strategy to manage the species, with regular surveillance and removal scheduled to prevent additional environmental harm.
Nevertheless, he promised to reassess the program’s approach after the Indonesian Ulema Council, or MUI, expressed concerns about apparent cruelty, guaranteeing that all fish will be deceased before disposal.
While supporting the cleanup, MUI’s religious ruling commission cautioned that burying living janitor fish constitutes a breach of animal welfare principles established in Islamic teachings.
Officials remain careful about future steps. Although janitor fish provide food in certain nations, worries about heavy metal pollution mean they cannot be immediately cleared for human consumption in Jakarta. Instead, authorities are investigating options including converting the fish into livestock feed or soil enhancement products.
Anung stated that the disposal process will mandate killing the fish before burial at approved locations, with sanitary protocols implemented to prevent their return to waterways or commercial markets.
The Jakarta governor observed that buried janitor fish can function as organic fertilizer and recommended following Brazil’s approach, where the fish become charcoal to create greater economic value.
However, scientists warn that removal represents just the beginning. Without enhancing sewage treatment and decreasing contamination, the river may rapidly return to previous conditions.
‘The Ciliwung River requires rehabilitation, our major challenge that must be addressed,’ Rosleine said. ‘Addressing the symptoms without tackling the root causes will not provide a lasting solution.’
TOKYO (AP) — Celebrated Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami is breaking new ground with his upcoming release, which will be his first full-length work to spotlight a female lead character as she navigates her way through an extraordinary and puzzling reality.
Set for release on July 3 in both printed and electronic editions, “The Tale of KAHO” follows the journey of Kaho, a 26-year-old who creates children’s picture books.
This upcoming release represents Murakami’s return to novel-writing after a three-year hiatus. His last work, “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” told the story of a man’s quest through themes of romance, grief, and the blurred lines separating reality from the unconscious mind.
According to a Thursday announcement from Shinchosha Publishing Co., Kaho represents the first solitary female lead to anchor a complete novel in Murakami’s body of work.
The novel’s origins trace back to a brief story called “Kaho,” which Murakami performed during a literary event at Waseda University — where he studied — two years ago. He shared the stage with acclaimed female writer Mieko Kawakami, who is known to admire his writing. This initial story appeared in Shincho magazine’s June 2024 issue.
The protagonist Kaho possesses ordinary appearance and intellect but maintains an inquisitive nature. During a meal with a male companion, he delivers a shocking statement: “I’ve never seen one as ugly as you.” Rather than becoming angry, the puzzled and curious Kaho seeks to decode the meaning behind his words.
Following this encounter, strange occurrences begin infiltrating her daily existence.
A promotional preview from the publishing house declares: “I must find the way out of this world,” adding that “Murakami world is in full force.”
Since then, Murakami has continued the character’s story through three additional installments in Shincho magazine, with the most recent appearing in March. These pieces include “The Anteater of Musashi-sakai,” “Kaho and the Termite Queen,” and “Kaho and the Motorcycle Man, and Scarlett Johansson.”
Philip Gabriel provided the English translation of the initial story for The New Yorker magazine’s 2024 publication.
According to the publisher, Murakami has woven these four segments together and breathed fresh energy into them for this 352-page novel.
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Hundreds of mountaineers hoping to conquer Mount Everest find themselves stuck at base camp after a dangerous ice formation has blocked their path up the world’s tallest mountain, Nepalese officials announced Friday.
The unstable ice formation, known as a serac, sits between base camp and the first climbing camp and poses significant danger to anyone attempting to pass, according to Himal Gautam from Nepal’s Department of Mountaineering.
Government officials are collaborating with climbing teams and expedition leaders to evaluate the dangerous conditions while hundreds of mountaineers and their guides remain stranded, unable to continue their ascent.
The mountaineering department has granted climbing permits to 410 international adventurers seeking to reach Everest’s summit during this spring’s climbing window, which concludes at May’s end.
Specialized climbing guides known as “Icefall Doctors” typically complete the annual route preparation by mid-April, installing ropes and placing aluminum ladders across dangerous gaps in the ice.
The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, responsible for deploying the route-setting team, intends to examine the ice formation from the air. “The risk of avalanche is high and they are waiting for the serac to melt down on its own to a safe level,” stated committee Chairman Lama Kazi Sherpa.
This ice formation belongs to the notorious Khumbu Icefall, a continuously moving glacier filled with deep cracks and enormous overhanging ice structures that can tower as high as ten-story buildings. Climbers regard this section as among the most challenging and dangerous parts of the entire Everest ascent.
A similar ice collapse in 2014 triggered a devastating avalanche that claimed the lives of 16 Sherpa guides who were transporting client equipment up the mountain, marking one of Mount Everest’s most tragic climbing disasters.
Next month, hundreds of international climbers along with approximately the same number of Nepalese guides and support staff plan to attempt the summit during brief periods of suitable weather conditions.
Since New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay first successfully climbed the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak on May 29, 1953, thousands of people have reached Everest’s summit.
The crisis between the United States and Iran reached new heights Friday following President Donald Trump’s directive to American forces to fire upon Iranian small vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iranian officials rejected Trump’s assertions about internal political divisions within their country.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf responded with nearly matching posts on social media, stating: “In Iran there are no ‘hardliners’ or ‘moderates’. We are all Iranians and revolutionaries.”
Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the initial military action on February 28, questions remain about which Iranian officials now hold ultimate power among the nation’s civilian leadership and military commanders who currently appear to be running the country.
Trump announced Thursday night that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah following discussions at the White House.
The ongoing conflict has brought oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz to a virtual halt, blocking a waterway that typically handles one-fifth of global oil trade during normal conditions, with no resolution appearing imminent.
European Union foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas warned Friday that current peace talks between Washington and Tehran could result in a less effective deal than agreements reached ten years ago.
Speaking from Cyprus, Kallas said: “If the talks are only about the nuclear (issue) and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPoA was,” referencing the 2015 nuclear accord from the Obama era that Trump withdrew from in 2018.
Kallas emphasized that without addressing Iran’s “missile programs, their support to proxies, and also hybrid and cyber activities in Europe,” negotiators risk creating “a more dangerous Iran.”
Meanwhile, Turkish officials reported that a humanitarian supply convoy departed for Iran on Friday, according to Turkey’s official Anadolu news service.
Van Health Director Muhammed Tosun confirmed that six trucks left the eastern Turkish city of Van to cross at the Gurbulak border checkpoint.
“The materials include medicines and medical supplies,” Tosun explained.
“We previously sent three trucks. With today’s trucks, a total of nine trucks of aid materials will have been delivered to our Iranian colleagues to serve their citizens,” he added.
WARSAW, April 24 – Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has raised serious doubts about America’s willingness to stand by its NATO commitments should Russia launch an assault on European territory, according to statements he made to the Financial Times.
In remarks that highlight mounting concerns across Europe about President Donald Trump’s unpredictable approach to foreign policy and his criticisms of European allies, Tusk emphasized the urgent need for the European Union to transform into a “real alliance” capable of defending the continent.
During an interview published Friday in the British publication, Tusk described the uncertainty surrounding NATO’s readiness as the continent’s most pressing concern. “For the whole eastern flank, my neighbours… the question is if NATO is still an organisation ready, politically and also logistically, to react, for example against Russia if they try to attack,” he stated.
The Polish leader characterized the possibility of Russian aggression as “something really serious” and stressed the immediate nature of the threat.
“I’m talking about short-term perspectives, rather months than years… For us, it’s really important to know that everyone will treat the NATO obligations as seriously as Poland,” Tusk explained.
These comments came as Tusk participated in an unofficial European Union gathering in Cyprus, where leaders are also addressing Middle Eastern conflicts, energy policy responses, and the bloc’s upcoming long-term financial planning.
Looking toward potential changes in EU defense cooperation, Tusk mentioned the possibility of strengthening Article 42.7 of the EU treaty – the mutual defense provision – particularly following the eventual departure of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with Russia.
“What you need if you want to have, not only on paper, a real alliance, is true tools and real power when it comes to defence instruments and mobility of militaries from country to country etc. It’s a very practical problem for today,” he remarked.
Tusk outlined his broader vision for European security, stating: “This is why my obsession now and my mission is to reintegrate Europe. It means common defence… a common effort to protect our eastern borders.”
Activists from Minneapolis made their case directly to Swiss banking officials Friday, demanding the country’s central bank divest from a controversial tech company worth over $1 billion in their portfolio.
Representatives from the Minnesota city addressed the Swiss National Bank’s shareholders meeting in Bern, calling for the institution to sell off its substantial holdings in Palantir Technologies due to the firm’s contracts with federal immigration authorities.
The Swiss bank currently owns 6.24 million shares of Palantir, valued at approximately $1.1 billion, as part of its massive $922 billion foreign investment portfolio, recent SEC documents show.
Palantir, the data surveillance company co-created by tech mogul Peter Thiel, secured a government contract in recent months to build monitoring systems for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The company’s government work has faced increased criticism after two fatal incidents in Minneapolis this January where immigration officers shot and killed American citizens during separate encounters.
Minneapolis city council members made the journey to Switzerland specifically to deliver their municipality’s formal request that the bank cut financial ties with Palantir over its ICE partnerships and surveillance operations.
“Palantir is a threat to our democracy, not just in the United States, but around the world,” stated Janette Corcelius, who represented the Minneapolis delegation at the Swiss meeting after receiving an invitation from advocacy organization BreakFree Suisse.
Palantir officials did not provide a response to requests for comment on the matter.
Company CEO Alex Karp has previously defended the firm’s monitoring technology earlier this year, arguing the systems include protective measures to prevent government abuse of power.
In correspondence with investors, Karp wrote that Palantir’s systems guarantee the “state and its agents can see only what ought to be seen.”
Swiss National Bank representatives refused to discuss specific investments, noting they conduct routine evaluations of all portfolio holdings.
The central bank has accumulated extensive international stock holdings as part of managing currency reserves, purchasing shares based on global market weightings rather than selecting individual corporations.
According to bank policies, the institution avoids investing in companies that severely violate Swiss principles, commit serious human rights violations, or cause systematic environmental harm.
Several major investment firms, including Nordic financial company Storebrand Asset Management, have already divested their Palantir positions over ethical concerns regarding the company’s operations.
“Palantir clearly breaches the SNB’s guidelines,” argued Guillaume Durin from BreakFree Suisse. “The SNB investment gives a halo of respectability to companies like Palantir.”
Federal investigators in India have placed a drone technology firm under scrutiny after arresting government aviation officials and executives from a major industrial conglomerate on bribery charges this week.
The Central Bureau of Investigation took action against personnel from India’s aviation regulatory body and Reliance Industries, claiming corrupt payments were made to fast-track approval processes for importing certain unmanned aircraft.
At the center of the controversy is Asteria Aerospace, an obscure subsidiary within billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s vast Reliance business network. Reliance has stated it neither authorized nor had knowledge of any such financial arrangements, while legal representation for the aviation official has challenged his detention.
India’s unmanned aircraft sector has experienced significant expansion following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration relaxing regulatory restrictions in 2021. The nation now operates approximately 39,000 authorized drones for agricultural monitoring, community mapping, and various government programs.
According to its corporate website, Asteria Aerospace markets itself as a drone technology enterprise delivering “actionable intelligence from aerial data.” The company assists clients in gathering precise information and performing artificial intelligence-driven analysis using geographic imagery collected by unmanned aircraft.
Through its fleet of more than 400 deployed drones, Asteria serves the farming, building, telecommunications, and energy industries. One example includes drone operations for Reliance BP Mobility, where the company studied road traffic patterns and calculated vehicle velocities to determine optimal locations for retail establishments.
Entrepreneurs Nihar Vartak and Neel Mehta established the business in 2011 within Bengaluru, India’s prominent technology center. Reliance purchased the company in 2019 through a $2.45 million transaction.
The acquisition aligned with Reliance’s strategy to invest in cutting-edge technologies, according to company statements. Current ownership data from March 2024 indicates that Reliance Jio Platforms, the conglomerate’s technology division, holds a 74% stake in Asteria.
Reliance Jio Platforms is also preparing for a public stock offering that analysts predict could become India’s largest initial public offering in history.
Financial records show Asteria’s income jumped dramatically from 11 million rupees ($117,000) in fiscal year 2020 to 400 million rupees ($4.24 million) by fiscal year 2024.
Current aviation regulations established in 2021 require all unmanned aircraft systems to obtain proper certification before operating within Indian airspace. Asteria claims to be the first domestic drone manufacturer achieving three distinct certifications from the country’s aviation safety authority.
The company highlighted that its domestically-produced AT-15 drone model was featured during the 77th Republic Day Parade held earlier this year.
Law enforcement officials report they initiated their investigation after receiving information suggesting a Reliance executive and government regulator had agreed upon a $16,000 payment to expedite processing of three import applications submitted by Asteria Aerospace.
French automotive parts manufacturer Forvia announced Friday that its first-quarter earnings took a hit due to declining sales in the Chinese market, resulting in a 2.2% revenue decrease when currency fluctuations are excluded.
The company’s quarterly earnings dropped to 5.14 billion euros ($6.00 billion), primarily attributed to a steep 23.5% decline in China, the globe’s second-largest economy. This downturn stemmed from an unfavorable customer portfolio and a substantial reduction in manufacturing at electric vehicle maker BYD.
Following the earnings announcement, Forvia’s stock price declined 2% during morning trading in Paris.
“Recently, BYD’s growth rate has changed, so we have been driven by them, particularly in the last few years. However, there is now increased competition from other customers, so this is having an impact,” Finance Chief Olivier Durand explained during a media conference call.
Despite the Chinese market challenges, the company managed to exceed the global automotive manufacturing decline of 3.4%, as forecasted by S&P Global Mobility this month, by achieving positive results in all other geographic markets.
The firm also posted 2.2% revenue increases in its Clean Mobility division, which handles emission reduction systems for non-electric automobiles, with growth fueled by partnerships with Stellantis and General Motors throughout North America.
“At the same time, we have continued to make progress on the planned divestiture of our Interiors business, which we expect to materialize in the near term,” Chief Executive Martin Fischer stated in an official announcement.
When asked about a Bloomberg News report suggesting private equity company Apollo was close to acquiring the interiors division for approximately 1.4 billion euros, Durand refused to provide commentary.
Durand verified that after Stellantis exited the Symbio joint venture, Forvia and Michelin would transition to equal ownership at 50-50.
“The execution of the plan will be swift, as we now have the Commercial Court’s homologation decision,” Durand noted.
The company indicated it has experienced minimal effects from Middle Eastern conflicts and maintained its projections through 2026.
In a dominant pitching performance, Tyler Glasnow surrendered only a single hit across eight shutout frames as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 3-0, preventing a series sweep at Oracle Park.
The Dodgers received offensive contributions from Max Muncy, who crossed home plate twice, while Dalton Rushing and Hyeseong Kim each contributed RBI hits. Los Angeles put their first run on the board during the second frame before extending their lead with two additional runs in the fourth inning.
Glasnow improved to 3-0 on the season, recording nine strikeouts before departing after 105 pitches. Tanner Scott completed the shutout in the ninth inning, earning his first save of the campaign. Kim and Kyle Tucker each collected two hits for the Dodgers, with both Muncy and Tucker adding doubles to their stat lines.
San Francisco managed just one safety against the right-handed starter, courtesy of Luis Arraez’s leadoff single in the fourth frame. Giants starter Logan Webb suffered the loss, falling to 2-3 after working seven innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits.
Cubs 8, Phillies 7 (10 innings)
Dansby Swanson delivered a game-winning hit in extra innings, extending Chicago’s winning streak to nine games while Philadelphia suffered their ninth consecutive defeat.
Seiya Suzuki’s third home run in three contests gave the Cubs a 7-6 advantage in the eighth, but Philadelphia’s Adolis Garcia answered with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth to force extra innings. In the tenth, reliever Tanner Banks (0-2) intentionally walked Suzuki before allowing Carson Kelly’s base hit to load the bags. Following Michael Busch’s strikeout, Swanson’s single to right field ended the marathon contest.
Busch contributed a home run and four RBIs, while Suzuki went deep and matched Kelly with three hits each. Chicago accumulated 18 hits in the victory. Brandon Marsh paced Philadelphia with a 3-for-4 performance that included two home runs.
Mets 10, Twins 8
Bo Bichette’s three-hit performance, highlighted by a tie-breaking three-run double in the eighth inning, powered New York past Minnesota in the decisive third game of their interleague matchup.
Brett Baty launched a three-run blast in the opening frame for the Mets, who surrendered a 7-2 advantage before claiming their second straight victory following a 12-game losing streak. New York plated three runs in the second before Carson Benge added a fourth-inning homer.
Ryan Jeffers knotted the score with a grand slam in the eighth for Minnesota, which has dropped six of their last seven contests. Tristan Gray contributed a sixth-inning homer and added an RBI single in the ninth.
Braves 7, Nationals 2
Rookie pitcher JR Ritchie excelled in his major league debut, tossing seven strong innings while Ozzie Albies recorded three hits and four RBIs in Atlanta’s road victory over Washington.
James Wood greeted Ritchie with a leadoff home run on the very first pitch, but the rookie hurler (1-0) limited the damage to two runs on five hits while striking out seven batters. Albies launched his fifth homer of the year in the ninth inning, while Michael Harris II went 3-for-4 and scored twice.
Cionel Perez (1-3) surrendered three runs on one hit and two walks in just one-third of an inning as Atlanta broke a tie with four runs in the seventh. CJ Abrams added a solo shot for Washington’s other tally, while starter Cade Cavalli recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts.
Tigers 5, Brewers 4
Spencer Torkelson’s walk-off solo homer with one out in the ninth lifted Detroit over Milwaukee in dramatic fashion.
Torkelson, who hit his first long ball of the season Wednesday, crushed a 3-1 sinker from Abner Uribe (1-1) over the left field barrier as Detroit captured two of three games in the series. Riley Greene provided a two-run homer while pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones delivered a game-tying solo shot in the eighth.
Blake Perkins drove home two runs for Milwaukee. Gary Sanchez collected two hits, one run and an RBI while David Hamilton added two hits and one RBI.
Padres 10, Rockies 8
Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer in the ninth inning completed a five-run comeback that lifted San Diego past Colorado in a high-scoring affair.
Sheets’ third home run of the season tagged Victor Vodnik (0-2) with a blown save after the reliever allowed five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. Ron Marinaccio (1-0) earned his first MLB victory in two years by working two relief innings.
Colorado’s loss wasted Mickey Moniak’s outstanding performance, as he recorded his second two-homer game of the season against San Diego. Moniak finished 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs, leading a 14-hit offensive attack.
White Sox 4, Diamondbacks 1
Andrew Benintendi’s three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning propelled Chicago past Arizona in Phoenix.
Chase Meidroth drew a leadoff walk against Paul Sewald (0-3) to open the ninth and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before pinch-hitter Edgar Quero also walked, setting the stage for Benintendi. His 410-foot blast landed near the pool area in right-center field.
Chicago belted eight home runs while taking two of three games in the series and has now hit 15 homers over their last five contests. Grant Taylor (1-0) allowed two hits and struck out three after entering in relief of Davis Martin with one out in the seventh.
Yankees 4, Red Sox 2
Cody Bellinger’s pinch-hit two-RBI single helped New York extend their winning streak to six games with a victory over Boston.
Cam Schlittler (3-1) limited Boston to two runs on four hits across eight innings to earn the victory. David Bednar worked a perfect ninth to record his seventh save.
Bellinger came through with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh inning, putting New York ahead 3-2. Aaron Judge followed with an RBI single that scored Jose Caballero, giving the Yankees a 4-2 cushion.
Rangers 6, Pirates 1
Evan Carter’s inside-the-park home run and Jacob deGrom’s stellar pitching performance led Texas past Pittsburgh in the rubber match of their three-game series in Arlington.
deGrom (2-0) recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts across 5⅔ innings while allowing just one run. Corey Seager’s three-run blast off Pittsburgh starter Bubba Chandler (1-2) broke the contest open, doubling the Rangers’ 3-0 lead with one swing.
Chandler departed after four innings, surrendering six runs and seven hits for Pittsburgh. Oneil Cruz connected for a two-out solo homer to end deGrom’s shutout bid.
SEOUL, South Korea — Legal authorities in South Korea have demanded a three-decade prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, claiming he intentionally heightened conflict with North Korea during 2024 through authorized drone missions over Pyongyang to justify implementing martial law domestically.
The ousted conservative leader faces charges of aiding an enemy nation and misusing presidential authority, part of extensive criminal allegations stemming from his brief martial law implementation in South Korea last December.
The sentencing recommendation emerged during final proceedings at Seoul Central District Court, where special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk’s investigative team argued that Yoon and senior military officials orchestrated alleged drone incursions into North Korean territory approximately two months prior to declaring martial law while characterizing liberal opposition as North Korean sympathizers and “anti-state” elements.
Defense attorneys for Yoon, who have consistently rejected these allegations, have not yet responded to the prosecution’s sentencing proposal.
Earlier this year in February, the court imposed a life sentence on Yoon after convicting him on the more severe rebellion charges. Both Yoon’s legal team and prosecutors, who had pursued capital punishment, have appealed that decision.
Cho’s prosecution team stated Friday that Yoon attempted to manufacture a conflict scenario between the two Koreas while orchestrating an authoritarian scheme to eliminate political rivals and “consolidate and prolong his authority.” Legal officials are also pursuing a 25-year sentence for former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, a close ally who assisted in organizing and deploying forces for the martial law announcement.
Pyongyang alleged that Seoul conducted three drone operations over its capital in October 2024, dropping propaganda materials. Kim initially offered an ambiguous denial, though Seoul’s Defense Ministry subsequently stated it could not verify the accuracy of these accusations. Korean Peninsula tensions escalated significantly during this period.
Yoon moved forward with his midnight martial law proclamation on December 3, 2024, broadcasting a televised statement condemning liberals on multiple fronts, particularly regarding their impeachment efforts against his administration officials and reductions to his government’s budget proposal.
The emergency order remained active for approximately six hours until sufficient legislators penetrated a barrier of heavily armed military personnel and law enforcement that Yoon had stationed at the National Assembly. Lawmakers subsequently voted to reverse the declaration, compelling his Cabinet to rescind the directive.
Legislative action suspended Yoon from his position on December 14, 2024, following impeachment by the liberal-controlled parliament, with the Constitutional Court officially removing him in April 2025. Authorities arrested him in July of that year, and he has faced multiple criminal proceedings since then.
Despite its brief duration, Yoon’s martial law order plunged the nation into significant political upheaval, disrupting governmental operations and international relations while destabilizing financial markets. The crisis subsided only after his liberal opponent Lee Jae Myung secured victory in an emergency presidential election last June.
Following his inauguration, Lee endorsed legislation establishing independent inquiries into Yoon’s martial law actions and additional criminal matters involving the former president, his spouse, and their associates.
BANGKOK — During a diplomatic meeting in Bangkok on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reached an agreement to boost their nations’ strategic alliance and broaden cooperative efforts.
According to Thai government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek, both leaders committed to enhancing joint efforts against international criminal activities and online fraud schemes, among other collaborative initiatives.
The spokesperson noted that Anutin expressed gratitude to China for its ongoing support of Thailand, while Wang offered congratulations to Anutin for maintaining his position following recent elections and voiced optimism about the future of Thailand-China diplomatic relations.
The meeting took place at Government House in Bangkok, where Anutin welcomed Wang with a handshake and photo opportunity before their formal discussions began.
Earlier in the day, Wang also held talks with Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, according to government officials.
Wang’s arrival in Thailand occurred Thursday, marking the start of a three-day diplomatic mission that followed his meetings with Cambodian government officials focused on strengthening political and security cooperation between their nations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has announced that Myanmar will be Wang’s next destination on his regional tour.
Thailand and China share significant economic ties, with China serving as Thailand’s largest trading partner. The two nations marked the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relationship last year, and Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn made history in November with the first visit to China by a sitting Thai monarch.
Investment from Chinese companies in Thailand has grown substantially in recent years, driven largely by firms relocating production facilities to Southeast Asia to circumvent U.S. trade tariffs.
Buffalo forward Alex Tuch netted the go-ahead goal just over four minutes into the final period Thursday night, leading the Sabres to a 3-1 road victory against the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup.
The victory marks the second consecutive road team triumph in the best-of-seven series, with Buffalo now holding a 2-1 advantage.
Noah Ostlund and Bowen Byram each contributed a goal and assist for the Sabres, while goaltender Alex Lyon made 24 saves in his playoff debut this season.
Boston’s Tanner Jeannot found the net for the Bruins’ only score, and Jeremy Swayman recorded 25 saves in the losing effort.
In other playoff action, Carolina defeated Ottawa 2-1 in Game 3, with Logan Stankoven extending his scoring streak to three games. The Hurricanes now lead their series 3-0, putting the Senators in a nearly impossible position, as only four NHL teams have ever recovered from such a deficit to win a playoff series. Jackson Blake added Carolina’s other goal, while Taylor Hall recorded two assists and Frederik Andersen stopped 21 shots. Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa, who have trailed throughout all three games, and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves.
Colorado moved to the brink of a sweep with a 4-2 road win over Los Angeles in their Western Conference series. Artturi Lehkonen led the Avalanche with one goal and one assist, while Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar and Brock Nelson also found the net. Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood turned away 24 shots. The Kings got goals from Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe, managing just four total goals through three games. Los Angeles netminder Anton Forsberg stopped 19 shots, and Alex Laferriere added two assists.
Myanmar’s president Min Aung Hlaing announced emergency measures Friday placing 60 districts under direct military authority for 90 days, escalating government control in regions where armed conflict continues following the nation’s transition from junta rule.
The emergency declarations affect districts spanning Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Shan and Rakhine States, along with portions of Saging, Magway and Mandalay regions. These same areas have faced military restrictions and nighttime curfews since the armed forces seized power in 2021.
State media reported the government justified the 90-day emergency period as necessary to “end armed terrorism” and restore “the rule of law” in the affected territories.
Under the new orders, Myanmar’s military commander Ye Win Oo will assume complete executive and judicial control over the designated areas, according to an announcement in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar publication.
The emergency measures represent Min Aung Hlaing’s most significant effort to strengthen authority over battle-scarred regions since taking the presidency in early April, following controversial elections that brought a military-aligned party to power.
The Southeast Asian nation descended into widespread violence after military forces removed the democratically elected administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering mass demonstrations that evolved into organized armed opposition to military rule.
After seizing control in 2021, Min Aung Hlaing’s military government declared nationwide emergency rule, repeatedly extending it until organizing December and January elections that international observers condemned as illegitimate.
MANILA – The Philippines called on Myanmar Friday to expand its prisoner releases to include more political detainees, specifically mentioning former leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was removed from power in a military coup.
As the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines issued a statement on April 24 praising Myanmar’s recent amnesty actions while pushing for additional releases to help foster nationwide political discussions.
“We reaffirm our commitment to assisting Myanmar, as an integral part of ASEAN, to achieve a peaceful and durable solution to the political crisis in the country,” the Philippines stated in the official ASEAN chair’s declaration.
The Filipino government characterized the recent prisoner amnesty as a constructive move toward creating opportunities for broader political engagement across Myanmar’s divided society.
A major Chinese transportation company revealed ambitious plans to launch self-driving taxi services on a global scale, with initial deployments scheduled for next year.
Caocao Inc, which operates ride-sharing services for automotive giant Geely Holding Group, intends to roll out thousands of specially designed autonomous vehicles across international markets in 2025, according to company leadership speaking at this week’s Beijing auto show.
The timeline for the robotaxi program calls for widespread distribution and operation beginning in 2028, with plans to grow the autonomous vehicle fleet to 100,000 units by the end of the decade, Caocao Chief Executive Gong Xin told Reuters on Friday.
The vehicles will be manufactured by Geely specifically for autonomous ride-sharing operations, rather than being converted from traditional passenger cars.
A major British technology services company announced Friday that it anticipates annual financial results will significantly surpass market projections, fueled by robust quarterly performance driven by surging artificial intelligence and data center demand across North America and Britain.
Computacenter, which specializes in helping large organizations acquire, construct and operate IT infrastructure ranging from laptops to massive data centers, reported the positive outlook on April 24th.
The announcement comes as European semiconductor and electrical equipment manufacturers have experienced significant stock gains in recent weeks, with investors flocking to companies positioned to benefit from the ongoing artificial intelligence infrastructure expansion that’s boosting demand for computer chips and related systems.
According to the company, their committed product order backlog continues to show strength, with some clients placing hardware orders well ahead of schedule to guarantee supply amid ongoing component shortages affecting the industry.
Financial analysts have compiled consensus projections for Computacenter’s 2026 adjusted pre-tax profits at 291.3 million pounds (equivalent to $392.24 million), with estimates ranging between 284.5 million and 297.1 million pounds.
ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — French fighter pilots rushed to their aircraft with well-rehearsed precision when the NATO alert sounded, already dressed in flight gear to cut down response time.
The aviators raced in vehicles to aircraft shelters where their combat-ready Rafale fighters waited, climbed into their seats and started the engines, which roared and shrieked to life.
Just minutes after departing from Lithuania’s Šiauliai Air Base, they were flying above the Baltic Sea, first encountering a Russian Il-20 spy plane and then following high-speed Russian bombers with their fighter protection that came close to several NATO nations’ airspace.
During wartime, such encounters could rapidly escalate. However, at present, with Russia and the Western military bloc in disagreement about Ukraine but not engaged in direct combat, aviators from both nations simply observed and recorded each other — maintaining separation like cautious predators with weapons ready but unused, their armaments clearly visible yet not fired.
Part of this strategic display — occurring in airborne choreography that happens beyond public view hundreds of times annually — aims to prevent the tension between NATO and Moscow regarding Russia’s comprehensive assault on Ukraine from escalating to direct military confrontation.
Military leaders and aviators conducting NATO air defense operations along the eastern border of the 32-member alliance state their objective is deterrence rather than aggression. They consider their deployment comforting to the Baltic nations — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — which share borders with Russia and its partner Belarus but lack their own air forces to repel potential Russian aggression.
“It’s a game of cat and mouse, or rather cat and cat,” said Lt. Col. Alexandre, commander of a French air force wing of four Rafales that is sharing the Lithuanian base with another fighter detachment from Romania. Citing security concerns, the French military withheld the commander’s surname.
“We watch each other, scrutinize each other and try to make sure that it doesn’t go any further,” he said.
Member nations rotate responsibility for monitoring Baltic airspace continuously, twenty-four hours daily throughout the week. The French took over the facility that currently houses their temporary command center from a Spanish unit. They will transfer it to Italian successors in August. Each rotating team adds commemorative patches and insignia to a display wall documenting their service.
NATO launches interceptor aircraft to verify identity and potentially take additional measures when Russian planes operate in Baltic airspace with disabled identification equipment and without submitting flight plans or maintaining radio contact with aviation authorities.
“There are plenty of times in which, on purpose or not, they’re not really respecting the ICAO — the International Civil Aviation Organization — rules, regarding flight plans and behavior,” said Col. Mihaita Marin, commanding the Romanian detachment of six F-16s.
“So obviously we are forced to take off and just make sure that they are who they say they are and their intention is peaceful,” he said.
Spring’s arrival, bringing improved weather for aviation operations, has kept French and Romanian pilots occupied since beginning their four-month NATO assignments in early April.
Marin said interceptions “are getting close to daily” and “that will definitely increase as the weather is getting better.”
French flight crews — observed by an Associated Press reporter covering activities at the base — experienced their most active day yet on Monday.
Launched under NATO direction, French Rafales encountered and monitored two Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carrying high-speed, anti-vessel missiles beneath their fuselages that Russia has also deployed in Ukraine, converting them for ground strikes, and which can be fitted with nuclear warheads.
The strategic bombers’ flight lasting more than four hours from a base near St. Petersburg, accompanied by Su-30 and Su-35 fighters, stayed in international airspace but passed the coastlines of NATO members Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, turning around when they neared Denmark.
The French unit reported the Russian aircraft operated without active transponders, filed flight plans or radio communication. Fighter aircraft from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania also launched to maintain surveillance, according to French sources. NATO didn’t respond to requests for comment.
French commander Lt. Col. Alexandre said the reasoning behind Russian pilots’ actions that could threaten other Baltic airspace users remains unclear.
“We don’t know if it’s lack of professionalism or just a means for them to test us,” he said.
“But what is sure is that we need to go every time,” he added. “We cannot say, ‘OK, that’s usual, this time we will just let them pass.’”
Major automaker Stellantis plans to channel most of its investment dollars into four primary brands – Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat – as part of CEO Antonio Filosa’s turnaround strategy scheduled for announcement in May, according to five industry sources.
The global car manufacturer, ranked fourth worldwide in sales, will reveal its long-range plan in Detroit, emphasizing brands with the strongest international appeal and profitability. Sources indicate these four brands will see a “material increase” in their funding allocation.
The remaining 10 brands in Stellantis’ portfolio – the industry’s largest collection including Citroen, Opel and Alfa Romeo – will receive investment to develop vehicles using shared technology from the primary four brands, insiders revealed.
These smaller-volume brands, which previously received more balanced internal funding, will transition to regional or national focus in markets where they already show strength or growth potential, sources told reporters.
The automotive giant faces challenges regaining market position in both U.S. and European markets while confronting increased competition from Chinese manufacturers in Europe and developing markets. Earlier this year in February, the company recorded a 22.2 billion euro ($26.1 billion) writedown after scaling back electric vehicle initiatives.
This strategic overhaul at Stellantis, created in 2021 when Fiat Chrysler merged with PSA Peugeot, has support from major investors including primary shareholder Exor, three sources confirmed.
When contacted, Stellantis highlighted that its brands represent its strength and emphasized its combination of “global scale with deep local roots,” while declining to address the planned reorganization directly.
The company’s market value has dropped significantly to approximately 21 billion euros, barely exceeding electric vehicle startup Rivian’s $21 billion valuation and representing less than half of Volkswagen’s worth.
Industry experts and investors have suggested Stellantis should eliminate certain brands, particularly those with overlapping European presence, to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Brands like Lancia, DS, Citroen and Opel have been mentioned as potential candidates for closure.
However, Filosa, who assumed the CEO role last year with instructions to reverse the company’s declining performance, opposes this approach, viewing these brands as valuable for specific regions or major national markets, four sources indicated.
“Some of those brands could prove useful to the group in the future, should market conditions evolve,” said Marco Santino, a partner at consultancy Oliver Wyman, adding that once a brand had been closed it was “very hard to bring it back to life.”
Previous CEO Carlos Tavares, who oversaw the merger, publicly rejected closing any brands. Following his departure in December 2024, chairman John Elkann concentrated heavily on determining which brands possessed viable futures.
Filosa’s strategy will prioritize investment in Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat as the brands that “really matter” due to their superior sales numbers and profitability, one source explained. His predecessor had maintained that all brands should receive more equal investment distribution, the source added.
The new approach will deploy brands like Citroen, Opel and Alfa Romeo strategically in particular countries and market segments, four sources confirmed.
Regional brands may utilize platforms and technologies created by the core brands while incorporating unique internal and external design elements and performance characteristics to maintain distinctive identity, a fourth source explained. Rebranding certain models for specific local markets represents another option under consideration, two sources noted.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Stellantis was conducting advanced discussions with Chinese partner Leapmotor to jointly create an Opel-branded electric SUV, potentially demonstrating how regional brands could share underlying technology while preserving individual brand characteristics.
A senior Stellantis executive stated the plan’s long-term success would depend more on strategic brand deployment across different markets to gain share rather than reducing the portfolio size.
Stellantis has maintained plans for most models to utilize a limited number of shared “multi-energy” platforms supporting both fully electric and hybrid or gasoline powertrains. However, this approach was designed for a rapid electric vehicle transition that never materialized, according to a former top executive.
While Stellantis might eventually discontinue some brands, analysts noted that automakers historically resist such moves unless absolutely necessary, as General Motors demonstrated with Saturn and Pontiac during its 2008 bankruptcy proceedings.
“At some point Stellantis may have to sunset some brands. But they’re going to have to make that decision based on the forward performance of the core brands,” said Larry Dominique, a consultant and former head of the Alfa Romeo brand in North America. In the immediate term, executives “have to focus on the brands that matter,” he added.
Japan’s Finance Minister announced Friday that the country will establish a specialized cybersecurity team to protect its banking sector from emerging threats related to artificial intelligence technology.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama revealed the plan during a high-level meeting that included representatives from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, central bank, cybersecurity officials, the nation’s three largest banks, and the Japan Exchange Group.
“I told the meeting that this is a crisis that is already at hand, and similar concerns were also voiced by the financial industry,” Katayama stated to news media.
The urgency stems from revelations about Anthropic’s new Mythos AI system, which during testing reportedly discovered “thousands” of significant security weaknesses across all major computer operating systems and internet browsers. This discovery has sparked widespread alarm about existing cybersecurity protections.
Security specialists are particularly concerned because the AI technology can locate and take advantage of unknown security gaps more quickly than organizations can patch them. This speed advantage could dramatically increase cyber threats against banking institutions, which depend on complex, interconnected computer networks that often include older technology systems.
Banking regulators across Asia, Europe, and the United States have already issued advisories urging financial institutions to strengthen their security measures and emergency response plans. However, no actual security breaches connected to this AI model have been documented so far.
Minister Katayama emphasized that the financial sector’s highly connected nature and round-the-clock operations create unique vulnerabilities where problems can escalate more rapidly than in other industries.
“Because of this, a cyberattack can immediately spill over into market disruptions and undermine confidence,” she explained.
NEW DELHI – India’s government has strongly criticized President Donald Trump after he shared a radio show transcript containing derogatory comments about the country in relation to immigration policy.
The controversy stems from remarks made by conservative radio host Michael Savage during his program “The Savage Nation.” Trump posted the show’s transcript on his Truth Social platform Thursday without adding his own commentary.
In the radio segment, Savage discussed birthright citizenship, stating: “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet.”
Savage also claimed: “That there’s almost no loyalty to this country amongst the immigrant class coming in today, which was not always the case. No, they’re not like the European Americans of today and their ancestors.”
India’s foreign ministry responded swiftly to the shared comments late Thursday evening.
“The remarks are obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry.
“They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship, which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Jaiswal added.
The U.S. embassy in New Delhi attempted to address the diplomatic tension, stating: “The president has said ‘India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top’.”
India’s primary opposition party, Congress, denounced the language as “extremely insulting and anti-India. It hurts every Indian.”
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take up this matter with the U.S. President and register a strong objection,” the party posted on social media platform X.
The comments come as Trump has issued directives aimed at limiting birthright citizenship in America, policies currently being contested before the U.S. Supreme Court. The president made an unprecedented appearance at a court hearing on the matter earlier this month.
According to Indian government statistics, approximately 5.5 million people of Indian heritage reside in the United States. Indian Americans and Chinese Americans represent the largest Asian-origin populations in the country.
The diplomatic relationship between Trump and Modi was notably positive during Trump’s previous presidency, though tensions emerged last year when India faced some of the steepest U.S. tariffs imposed on any nation. Many of those trade barriers have since been reduced, and both countries are currently negotiating a comprehensive trade agreement designed to prevent future tariff escalations while expanding bilateral commerce.
China’s foreign ministry has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the radio host’s remarks.
The opening round of the 2026 NFL Draft concluded Friday evening, leaving several talented prospects who were once considered first-round material still waiting to hear their names called. As teams prepare for Saturday’s second round, here are the top players still available:
Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy remains on the draft board after missing all of the 2025 season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Sources indicate his recovery process still requires additional work, which explains his unexpected slide. Despite the injury setback, McCoy’s performance during the 2024 campaign demonstrated elite-level talent that would have likely placed him in the top 10 selections if he had stayed healthy.
Another Tennessee defensive back, cornerback Colton Hood, surprisingly made it through the first round despite being fully healthy. Hood’s explosive speed and physical style of play seemed to make him a natural choice for an early pick. Some analysts wonder if McCoy’s injury situation may be negatively affecting how teams view Hood as well.
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was passed over even though two safeties were selected in round one, which is uncommon. His Group of 5 conference background and questions about his man-to-man coverage skills may have contributed to his slide. However, McNeil-Warren’s zone coverage instincts and athletic ability should make him an attractive early second-round selection.
Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell likely fell due to concerns about his arm length, which measures between 30 and 31 inches depending on the source. Most edge rushers chosen Thursday had more conventional measurements, except for Rueben Bain Jr., who dropped to the 15th pick. Teams willing to overlook the physical limitation will land one of the draft’s most effective speed rushers who excels at turning quarterback pressure into sacks. Howell also performs well when dropping back into pass coverage.
Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald watched four of his Buckeye teammates get drafted Thursday but remained available heading into day two. Teams may view McDonald as limited to run-stopping duties at nose tackle, which could explain his slide. However, clubs needing a reliable anchor for their defensive line should consider McDonald early in round two, especially since his pass-rushing ability may be undervalued.
South Korea’s leading national security official dismissed concerns Thursday that the country’s crucial partnership with the United States faces a crisis, though he admitted recent disagreements need delicate handling.
Speaking to reporters, Wi Sung-lac acknowledged that diplomatic security discussions with Washington have encountered obstacles due to complications involving Coupang Inc, an e-commerce company traded on US markets. However, he emphasized that partnership matters should remain separate from legal proceedings.
The South Korean government has pushed for security agreement discussions with America to continue independently from investigations into Coupang’s data breach incident. Earlier media coverage suggested Washington had threatened to suspend negotiations unless legal protections were guaranteed for Coupang’s leader, Kim Bom.
“It is true that it is affecting South Korea-U.S. security consultations,” Wi stated during his visit to Hanoi, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. He explained Seoul’s stance that legal processes should proceed while security discussions move ahead on a separate track.
While confirming that security negotiations have experienced delays, Wi stressed through Yonhap that Seoul wants discussions to restart immediately.
“The South Korea-U.S. relationship is an alliance and a very close relationship, so various issues arise,” Wi explained.
“There can be differing views, and that is why they need to be carefully coordinated.”
Wi rejected suggestions that current difficulties stem from mounting problems within the partnership, calling such interpretations excessive.
“An alliance is a very close relationship, but like a garden, it must be carefully managed,” he told JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. “We are in that kind of process now.”
Addressing another contentious issue, Wi defended Unification Minister Chung Dong-young against allegations of revealing classified American intelligence when discussing North Korea’s suspected nuclear facility at Kusong, according to Newsis news agency.
Wi explained that while Washington apparently believed shared intelligence had been compromised, Seoul maintains a different position. Though information about the Kusong site represents classified material between both nations, Chung insisted he never received briefings on such sensitive data and instead used publicly available information – a position Seoul supports.
The US embassy has not yet provided comment on these developments.
Law enforcement officials have apprehended two juveniles in connection with an alleged scheme to carry out a deadly assault on a synagogue in the Houston area.
According to authorities, the suspects had developed a plan to use a vehicle to ram into the religious facility during services, with the stated intention to “kill as many Jews as possible.”
The arrests highlight ongoing concerns about threats targeting Jewish communities and places of worship across the United States. Officials have not released additional details about the suspects’ identities due to their age or the specific timeline of the alleged plot.
The investigation remains active as law enforcement continues to examine the full scope of the planned attack.
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Shipping companies are paying unprecedented fees reaching $4 million to expedite passage through the Panama Canal as ongoing Middle East tensions have effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, creating a dramatic transformation in worldwide shipping patterns, according to Panama Canal Authority officials.
The canal typically operates on a reservation system with standard pricing, but companies without advance bookings can secure passage through an auction process where slots go to the highest bidders instead of waiting for days in waters off Panama City.
These auction prices have surged dramatically in recent weeks as conflicts between Iran and the United States have created a bottleneck at the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Vessels are increasingly choosing the Panama Canal route as cargo gets redirected and buyers seek suppliers from different regions to bypass the dangerous Middle Eastern passage.
“With all the bombings, the missiles, the drones … companies are saying it’s safer and less expensive to cross through the Panama Canal,” said Rodrigo Noriega, said lawyer and analyst in Panama City. “All of this is affecting global supply chains.”
Noriega added that Panama’s government is “maximizing what it can earn from the Panama Canal.”
Standard canal crossing fees typically run between $300,000 and $400,000 based on vessel size. Previously, companies seeking faster passage would pay an extra $250,000 to $300,000. In recent weeks, those additional costs have climbed to approximately $425,000 on average.
Canal administrator Ricaurte Vásquez revealed that one unnamed company paid an additional $4 million when its fuel tanker had to alter its route due to continuing geopolitical conflicts.
“It was a ship carrying fuel to Europe, and they redirected it to Singapore, and it needed to get there because Singapore is running out of fuel,” he said.
Additional oil companies have paid more than $3 million above regular crossing charges to speed their transit amid climbing oil prices.
Vásquez explained that vessels aren’t backing up at the canal, but rather the elevated costs stem from sudden route changes and increased urgency as ships need faster transit times amid broader trade disruptions.
Vásquez stressed that these elevated fees aren’t standard market rates, but temporary expenses companies are choosing to absorb.
“They decide how high a price to go,” Vásquez said.
While Panama benefits from increased canal revenue, the country has also faced consequences from the geopolitical crisis.
On Wednesday, Panama’s foreign ministry condemned Iran for illegally capturing a Panama-registered vessel belonging to Italian company MSC Francesca in the Strait of Hormuz.
Panama, which maintains one of the world’s largest ship registries, stated the vessel was “forcibly taken” by Iran. The ship’s current custody status remains unclear.
“This represents a serious attack on maritime security and constitute an unnecessary escalation at a time when the international community is advocating for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open to international navigation without threats or coercion of any kind,” it said.
Analyst Noriega predicted that Panama Canal crossing fees could continue climbing if the conflict persists, especially as oil prices continue their sharp increase. Brent crude oil prices briefly exceeded $107 per barrel this week, jumping from approximately $66 per barrel one year ago.
“No one really foresaw the potential effects (the war) would have on global trade,” Noriega said.
Middle East conflicts are creating jet fuel shortages and driving up costs, prompting airlines across the globe to cancel thousands of flights — creating headaches for travelers who must navigate complex passenger protection rules that differ dramatically by destination.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the travel industry.
“These pressures are arriving at a time when summer travel demand is ramping up, with major events such as the World Cup expected to put additional strain on airports,” said Eric Napoli, chief legal officer at AirHelp, a company that helps travelers secure compensation for flight disruptions and advocates for passenger rights.
Here’s what passengers should understand when facing flight cancellations.
Will I get last-minute notice?
Probably not. Currently, fuel-related cancellations are typically announced days or weeks ahead of time. Lufthansa Group, for instance, announced this week it’s eliminating 20,000 short-haul flights across its network through October.
This advance notice provides travelers more time to make alternate arrangements compared to weather-related cancellations, which usually happen at the last minute.
How should I handle rebooking?
Immediately check your airline’s mobile app or website for rebooking opportunities. For U.S. carriers, this digital approach is typically the quickest and most efficient way to secure alternate seating, according to Tyler Hosford, security director at International SOS, a global risk management and travel security company.
International carriers often have less sophisticated digital platforms, Hosford noted, so passengers should try multiple approaches, including calling customer service or visiting airport counters.
Am I guaranteed a refund or new flight?
Generally, yes. Airlines usually provide either full refunds or rebooking on their next available flight. While specific regulations differ by country, these represent the standard minimum options passengers can expect.
In the United States, airlines must provide full refunds when flights are canceled and passengers choose not to travel, regardless of the cancellation cause. While airlines may offer travel vouchers as alternatives, passengers are legally entitled to complete refunds for airfare and unused add-ons like baggage fees or seat upgrades.
Are compensation rules the same everywhere?
Absolutely not. Passenger protections vary dramatically by region — from the Montreal Convention governing airline liability across more than 140 nations to specific consumer protection legislation in the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Brazil.
European regulations provide some of the strongest passenger protections, including monetary compensation in certain situations. These rules apply to any flight departing from EU airports regardless of the airline, plus passengers flying EU-based carriers into Europe — even when trips originate outside the continent. The United Kingdom maintains similar standards.
The United States and Canada provide more limited protections. Asian policies vary significantly, and travelers may need to depend more on individual airline policies rather than formal government regulations.
Travel experts suggest researching the departure country’s name plus “passenger rights” before traveling to understand available protections.
Will I receive compensation for fuel-related cancellations?
It varies based on local laws and whether the disruption is considered within airline control.
Airlines may blame fuel shortages or rising fuel costs for cancellations. However, compensation eligibility often depends on whether local regulations consider the disruption within the carrier’s control.
Even when cancellations occur, Napoli explained, European Union airlines maintain a “duty of care,” requiring them to provide “necessary support” to travelers, including rebooking services.
“While airlines are citing fuel shortages as a reason for upcoming cancellations, travelers need to know that this does not automatically waive their rights” under EU laws, Napoli said.
How can I prepare for potential disruptions?
Several strategies can minimize disruption impacts.
Register for flight notifications to stay updated, and purchase tickets directly from airlines when possible — resolving problems directly with carriers is much simpler than working through third-party booking websites.
Understanding your options beforehand and developing contingency plans can significantly help when travel plans change.
Maintaining detailed records is essential. Keep everything: boarding passes, receipts, cancellation notifications and all airline communications.
Capture screenshots of app or website updates and online conversations, and write down important details from phone conversations.
Napoli also suggests requesting written confirmation of flight disruptions from airlines, including their stated reasoning.
Should I accept the first rebooking offer?
Not always.
Travel experts say passengers commonly make the mistake of accepting initial offers without exploring alternatives. Research other flights, routes or nearby airports because you might discover faster or more convenient ways to reach your destination.
Can I book my own replacement flight?
Yes, but exercise caution.
When airline rebooking options don’t meet your requirements — particularly if replacement flights aren’t available for several days — you can seek alternatives and request refunds instead.
However, you may need to pay fare differences upfront, and reimbursement isn’t guaranteed later.
Expert tips for smoother travel:
— Schedule flights earlier in the day to have more rebooking alternatives if problems arise.
— Activate flight notifications through tracking applications like Flighty for early cancellation or delay warnings. Sometimes, Hosford noted, these notifications arrive before official airline announcements.
— Research nearby airports as backup alternatives.
— Maintain courteous interactions. Airline representatives may be more helpful when conversations remain calm and respectful.
“Ultimately, the shortage is squeezing the entire system, from travelers to airlines, and is something to watch as the industry looks for any relief ahead of the summer travel season,” Napoli said.
HONG KONG (AP) — Markets across Asia declined Friday morning, mirroring Wall Street’s retreat from record highs, while crude oil prices continued climbing as diplomatic efforts to resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict showed little progress.
American market futures dropped following Thursday’s pullback on Wall Street from historic peaks.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, rising 0.6% to close at 59,504.22, driven by strong technology sector purchases. The index had reached a record intraday peak above 60,000 on Thursday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped 0.8% to 25,714.99, while Shanghai’s Composite index declined 0.5% to 4,071.52.
South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.4% to 6,452.33.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 decreased 0.6% to 8,745.00.
Taiwan’s Taiex surged 2.5% as semiconductor giant TSMC, a major component of the index, climbed more than 4%.
Diplomatic efforts to broker another round of peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran showed minimal advancement, despite President Donald Trump announcing Tuesday that America would indefinitely extend a two-week ceasefire with Iran, just one day before its scheduled expiration.
The Strait of Hormuz, a crucial corridor for international energy transport where approximately one-fifth of global oil and natural gas typically flows before the conflict began, continues to remain mostly blocked, with American naval forces maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports. Following last week’s U.S. port blockade, Iranian forces attacked three vessels in the waterway Wednesday, capturing two of them.
On Thursday, Trump announced that American military forces were expanding mine-clearing operations in the strait and directed troops to “shoot and kill” small Iranian vessels deploying mines in the region.
Crude oil prices have stayed high since the Iran conflict started on February 28.
June delivery Brent crude jumped 3.1% Thursday to close at $105.07 per barrel, reaching above $107 at one point. July Brent delivery, the more actively traded contract, settled at $99.35 after hitting $101.
In early Friday trading, Brent crude gained 0.4% to $99.70 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude increased 0.6% to $96.62 per barrel.
The worldwide energy crisis triggered by the Iran war threatens to accelerate inflation across numerous nations and has rattled international markets. However, Wall Street continues reaching record levels, supported by robust corporate earnings and some hope for a swift conflict resolution.
“With the S&P 500 still hugging record highs, markets are still at ease to give the negotiations more time,” ING Bank analysts Michiel Tukker and Padhraic Garvey wrote in a research note.
Thursday saw Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 fall 0.4% to 7,108.40, ending a multi-week surge that pushed it to new record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average similarly dropped 0.4% to 49,310.32, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite slipped 0.9% to 24,438.50.
Tesla stock tumbled 3.6%, weighing on the broader market despite better-than-anticipated quarterly earnings, as investors worried about significant increases in capital spending as the automaker shifts focus toward artificial intelligence and robotics.
Paramount Skydance shares declined 4.5% after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved its merger with Paramount. Warner Bros. Discovery stock dropped 1.6%.
In early Friday trading, precious metals prices declined. Gold fell 0.7% to $4,689.60 per ounce. Silver decreased 0.8% to $74.92 per ounce.
The U.S. dollar strengthened to 159.83 Japanese yen from 159.71 yen. The euro traded at $1.1677, down from $1.1683.
ENID, Okla. (AP) — Emergency responders mobilized Thursday evening after a confirmed tornado swept through an Oklahoma community, stripping rooftops from structures and toppling electrical infrastructure near Vance Air Force Base, local authorities reported.
The National Weather Service verified the twister’s path through sections of Enid, home to approximately 50,000 residents located close to Oklahoma’s northern boundary. Online footage captured the spinning funnel cloud making ground contact alongside completely destroyed residences.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office reported no deaths and only minor injuries in the hours following the tornado’s passage. Law enforcement personnel conducted house-to-house wellness checks throughout affected neighborhoods.
Vance Air Force Base sustained tornado damage, though officials have not yet determined the full scope of destruction. Base leadership announced via social media that they “are currently conducting accountability procedures to ensure all personnel are safe and accounted for.”
“Please join me in praying for the Enid community, which has been severely impacted by tonight’s tornado,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt posted on social media.
Enid Police Department spokesperson Cass Rains confirmed initial reports indicated residents trapped inside damaged homes and widespread property destruction. The affected Garfield County area encompasses Vance Air Force Base, situated roughly 80 miles north of Oklahoma City.
President Trump has moved forward with reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous substance, delivering substantial benefits to the cannabis industry through tax relief, reduced research obstacles, and potential international export opportunities.
However, this action may represent just the beginning of broader changes. An upcoming administrative proceeding scheduled for late June could extend similar reclassification benefits to state-licensed recreational cannabis markets as well.
“This is a signal that this administration means business on getting this done,” stated Jesse Alderman, a cannabis industry lawyer from Boston working with Foley Hoag.
Thursday’s executive order doesn’t make marijuana federally legal for medical or recreational purposes and will likely encounter court challenges.
The directive does transform cannabis regulation by moving licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I classification — designated for substances deemed medically useless with high abuse potential — to the more lenient Schedule III category.
This represents a major policy reversal for the federal government, which has maintained strict marijuana prohibition even as 48 states have embraced some form of cannabis since California pioneered medical marijuana approval in 1996.
Twenty-four states and Washington, D.C., have legalized adult recreational marijuana use, generating billions in tax income. Forty states operate medical marijuana programs, while eight additional states permit low-THC cannabis or CBD oil for medical purposes.
The executive order acknowledged that medical marijuana oversight has evolved significantly, with most states implementing thorough licensing frameworks covering everything from growing to retail sales.
Douglas Hiatt, a veteran Seattle marijuana defense lawyer, remembered the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, when law enforcement frequently targeted cultivation operations supporting patients.
He accompanied one client, disabled medical marijuana advocate JoAnna McKee, to clandestine meetings with Hells Angels members in wooded areas to obtain cannabis for other patients following police raids — illustrating the extreme measures sometimes necessary to secure marijuana during that era.
“We were watching all these guys die from this horrible disease, and the only thing that helped them keep their pills down was marijuana, and the cops were going after anyone who helped them get it,” Hiatt explained in a Thursday phone conversation. “It was crystal clear from the beginning that it had medical uses. For the feds to admit that now is great. It’s surreal.”
Some medical professionals argue that state legalization has produced increasingly potent cannabis products requiring research rather than looser classification.
Moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III suggests therapeutic value, but there aren’t “massive medical indications for cannabis,” according to Dr. Smita Das, a Stanford University addiction psychiatrist. Additionally, cannabis use disorder — affecting roughly 3 in 10 users per CDC data — continues increasing.
“We’ve already had kind of a decrease in risk perception related to cannabis over the years with the state legalization,” Das explained. “This will probably just add to that.”
The reclassification falls short of what prohibition critics ultimately seek: complete legalization with measures addressing prohibition’s damage, particularly in minority communities that faced disproportionate impacts. Many states have already implemented reforms like criminal record expungement.
State-licensed medical operators can now deduct business expenses on federal taxes for the first time, providing crucial financial relief.
However, in numerous recreational marijuana states, licensed dispensaries serve both markets — creating complex accounting challenges to determine which business expenses qualify for medical-related deductions.
“If this artificial distinction between medical and recreational is maintained, it raises all sorts of questions,” observed sociology professor Josh Meisel, who helped establish the Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.
Trump directed his administration in December to expedite marijuana reclassification, building on stalled initiatives from the Biden era. Last Saturday, while signing an unrelated executive order regarding psychedelics, the Republican president appeared frustrated with the pace of progress.
American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp president Michael Bronstein described the order as “the most significant federal advancement in cannabis policy in over 50 years.”
However, marijuana legalization opponent Kevin Sabet, CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, argued that while cannabis research is important, “there are many ways to increase our knowledge without giving a tax break to Big Weed.”
Trump has prioritized fighting other drugs, particularly fentanyl, during his second term, authorizing military strikes against Venezuelan and other vessels the administration claims transport narcotics.
Ukrainian authorities reported Friday that a Russian drone assault during overnight hours claimed the lives of an elderly husband and wife in the port city of Odesa, while injuring more than a dozen additional residents.
Emergency response teams described how the bombardment demolished two residential buildings with two floors each and struck another similar structure where the fatalities occurred. The assault also damaged apartment units within a three-floor building, sparking a blaze, according to emergency officials.
“A married couple, both aged 75, were killed in a night-time attack,” Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, said on Telegram.
While Lysak reported that 15 individuals sustained injuries during the bombardment, emergency response officials counted 14 wounded persons.
Medical facilities provided treatment for eight of the injured victims, Lysak noted.
Images shared by Lysak displayed one structure consumed by flames and another building showing significant structural damage with a large opening torn through its exterior wall, along with rescue personnel conducting operations inside the damaged areas.
Former chemical industry sites across northeastern England are experiencing an unexpected renaissance as property owners position their land for the artificial intelligence revolution sweeping through Britain’s real estate market.
The Wilton International site in Teesside exemplifies this transformation. Once home to a thriving petrochemical industry, the location now boasts the essential ingredients for modern AI infrastructure: existing power plants, water access, and electrical grid connectivity.
Sembcorp UK, the site’s primary owner, is collaborating with data center developer Digital Reef to attract major technology companies to establish operations at the location, which sits in one of Britain’s most economically challenged regions.
“We’re trying to develop something quite quickly, and bring jobs and industry and investment back,” explained Mike Patrick, CEO of Sembcorp UK, a division of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries.
This transformation reflects a nationwide trend. Property owners, speculative investors, developers, and even agricultural landowners are repositioning their holdings to benefit from the massive investments technology giants are making in AI infrastructure.
Construction analytics firm Barbour ABI reports that 119 data center proposals have been filed across diverse locations, including abandoned automotive plants, former paint manufacturing facilities, closed hotels, and shopping centers near Heathrow Airport.
The momentum accelerated following a high-profile banquet where King Charles hosted Donald Trump and technology executives during the U.S. president’s visit. Companies including Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia subsequently announced multi-billion-dollar commitments to Britain’s digital infrastructure development.
“The demand that’s come through in the last couple of years – really because of AI – has exploded,” observed Andrew Groves from real estate consultancy Bidwells. “Speculators and promoters have obviously seen it as an opportunity to make greater returns.”
Unlike financial services data centers that require proximity to urban centers for speed, AI facilities primarily need processing power, allowing them to operate from more remote and affordable locations away from London’s premium property markets.
This geographic flexibility has created opportunities for industrial sites far from the capital and sparked interest among rural property owners seeking alternatives to traditional farming income.
The Wilton site represents what industry professionals call “powered land” – property equipped with either independent power generation capabilities or existing high-voltage grid connections, or both.
“Wilton is almost uniquely placed in that it already has a large grid connection and on-site power assets,” noted Peter Ireton, Sembcorp UK’s Business Development Director. “We think we can attract a large off-taker.”
However, many properties aspiring to host data centers lack adequate power infrastructure, creating an unprecedented surge in grid connection applications. Combined with necessary transmission system upgrades, this demand has extended waiting periods for new connections to 12-15 years.
Britain’s energy department reported a 460% increase in connection requests during the first half of 2025. Applications for high-voltage network access reached 96 gigawatts of capacity, with an additional 29 GW requested for local network connections.
To put this in perspective, Britain’s total generation capacity is approximately 72 GW, while peak demand last year was just under 46 GW.
The National Energy System Operator identified 140 data centers in the primary queue in March, representing roughly 50 GW of capacity. Officials indicated that speculative activity is driving demand far beyond network capabilities, delaying legitimate projects and hampering the energy transition.
Some applications come from landowners lacking power infrastructure, planning approval, or identified end users. These “zombie projects” are creating bottlenecks in the system.
“You’ve been seeing an awful lot of people speculating, spending time trying to get power onto a site,” said Tom Glover, head of data centers for EMEA at U.S. real estate company JLL.
Recognizing these challenges, NESO introduced reforms in March to filter out speculative applications and prioritize strategic sectors, including data centers. A similar initiative last year targeting clean energy projects reduced those applications by half.
Real estate brokers report that land with suitable power supply for data centers has always commanded premium prices, but AI demand and grid congestion have driven values even higher recently.
According to British real estate firm Savills, London industrial land typically sells for between 4.5 and 6 million pounds per acre. For data center-suitable properties, prices jump to 8-15 million pounds per acre, according to Savills and other industry sources.
Similar trends are occurring in the United States. A March report by real estate adviser Colliers found powered land selling for up to 2.5 times more than other industrial property, with multiples exceeding three times in northern Virginia and northern California.
Some developers have employed creative solutions to secure power access in Britain. The developer behind a site north of London purchased by U.S. data center operator Equinix partnered with a group holding an allocated connection for battery storage, then converted it to a demand connection suitable for data center use.
“Acquiring a development that has outline planning and a confirmed grid connection just effectively removes the risk,” explained James Tyler, UK managing director at Equinix.
The company plans to invest 3.9 billion pounds ($5.3 billion) in the development – its largest investment outside the United States. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with operations starting in 2031.
Even guaranteed connection dates don’t always provide certainty. Dawn Childs, president of data center developer Pure DC, described how their London project’s connection offer was delayed approximately two years ago, with about one-third of the promised power pushed back more than a decade.
Data compiled by DC Byte for Reuters reveals Britain is lagging behind competing data center markets. Of 61 British projects tracked since late 2022, only 7% are under construction or completed.
In contrast, 46% of German projects monitored by DC Byte are under construction or finished, compared to 40% in France and 24% in the United States.
This performance gap poses challenges for the government, businesses, and major technology companies, all viewing large-scale data centers as crucial for economic modernization and establishing Britain as an AI superpower.
Grid connection delays aren’t the only obstacle. Britain also maintains some of the world’s highest industrial electricity rates.
OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, recently suspended plans for a large data center in northeastern England, approximately 50 miles from Wilton, citing concerns about elevated energy costs and regulatory issues.
Despite these challenges, industry consensus maintains that AI demand remains genuine, creating substantial opportunities for sites offering power, planning approval, and suitable land.
This outlook could benefit Wilton, which maintains an existing 240 MW grid connection and on-site generation assets including gas, biomass, and waste-to-energy facilities.
Sembcorp anticipates integrating nearby solar and wind power into Wilton’s energy mix as data center development progresses, ultimately reaching 1 GW capacity. Digital Reef founder Piers Slater estimates achieving this goal would require approximately 15 billion pounds invested over eight to ten years.
The partners describe discussions with potential data center operators as encouraging.
“Obviously there’s a lot of talk, is it a dot com? Is it a bubble?” Slater reflected. “But what we’re seeing is the adoption of AI – and it’s happening.”
Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies announced Friday that its advanced artificial intelligence computing system will provide complete compatibility with a new AI model from startup company Deepseek.
The telecommunications company stated that its Ascend computing platform, which utilizes Ascend 950 artificial intelligence processors, will offer comprehensive support for Deepseek’s V4 model versions. This announcement followed the AI startup’s release of a preview showcasing its latest technological advancement.
The development represents another step in China’s ongoing efforts to advance its domestic artificial intelligence capabilities through partnerships between established technology firms and emerging AI companies.
Financial markets worldwide continue to grapple with disrupted trading patterns months after the Middle East conflict began, leaving investors without their usual roadmap for making investment decisions.
Wall Street has reached record highs despite ongoing concerns about geopolitical tensions, potential energy supply interruptions, and lasting economic consequences from the war.
Mark McCormick, BMO’s chief foreign exchange strategist, believes market conditions will remain unstable for the foreseeable future, departing significantly from what he calls the “pre-conflict normal.”
“The growth factor is recovering, but remains below late-2025 levels, the rates (monetary policy) factor remains elevated, correlations are shifting, and drawdown risk is rising. Something new is forming,” McCormick explained in his analysis.
The conflict has fundamentally altered how traditional investment categories interact with each other, disrupting long-established patterns that financial professionals have historically used to gauge economic direction.
BOND MARKETS FACE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES
Typically, stock prices and bond yields follow similar trajectories, as investors often protect themselves against economic uncertainty by purchasing bonds when equity markets decline, which drives yields down and creates the opposite effect.
This standard relationship has become increasingly unpredictable since the pandemic began, as rising inflation and expanding government debt have weakened bonds’ effectiveness as protection against stock market volatility.
Before the war erupted, the International Monetary Fund issued a February warning that both investors and government officials needed to reconsider their risk management approaches for “a new era” where conventional protective strategies might prove ineffective.
Short-term bonds, particularly sensitive to inflation trends and interest rate projections, have experienced the most dramatic shifts.
The correlation between two-year Treasury yields and S&P 500 performance over one-month periods has plummeted to approximately -0.8, compared to a five-year average of 0.23. Since hostilities began, this measurement stands at -0.63. European markets show nearly identical disruption between German yields and continental stock performance.
Michael Metcalfe, State Street’s head of macro strategy, noted the absence of expected investor behavior during March market turbulence.
“There definitely wasn’t a move into sovereign fixed income in March, which, at least at the front end, you might have expected,” Metcalfe observed.
“This was a hard test for fixed income, because it was an inflation shock and also potentially a growth shock, which doesn’t help the long-term fiscal concerns,” he added.
GOLD ABANDONS TRADITIONAL SAFE-HAVEN ROLE
Gold has abandoned its historically reliable position as a crisis refuge since warfare commenced, instead moving in unusual alignment with both stock markets and volatile cryptocurrency investments. The precious metal remains approximately 10% below its pre-war valuation.
Historically, gold maintains a strong negative relationship with dollar strength. During periods of increased market volatility that drive investors away from stocks and bonds, the dollar typically benefits significantly, as has occurred throughout this conflict.
Since late February, the connection between gold and dollar performance has weakened to roughly -0.19 from its typical -0.4 average, while gold’s correlation with stock performance has strengthened to about 0.55, up from a five-year average of 0.22.
This shift likely reflects the dollar’s relationship with equity markets, which reached a record -0.94 correlation this week, demonstrating an almost perfect inverse connection compared to the five-year average of -0.28.
Simultaneously, bitcoin’s correlation with stock performance has hit a record 0.96, up from a pre-war average of 0.4, undermining cryptocurrency’s appeal as a portfolio diversification tool.
CURRENCY RELATIONSHIPS BREAK DOWN
Expectations of inflation-driven interest rate increases have led traders to anticipate rate hikes, particularly in European markets, while lowering expectations for rate reductions in America.
Normally, higher interest rates in one region compared to another would strengthen that area’s currency, but even this fundamental relationship has deteriorated.
The European Central Bank is anticipated to raise rates twice this year, while the Federal Reserve appears inclined toward cuts. Despite this, the euro, trading around $1.17, has barely recovered from its war-related declines.
UniCredit analysts noted the unusual nature of current market conditions, stating: “Extraordinary events can have unusual effects on financial markets, often altering traditional relationships between financial variables.” They identified the euro-dollar relationship with rate differentials as one casualty of this disruption.
Using two-year swap rate differences between the U.S. and eurozone, the correlation between rate differentials and euro performance stands at 0.5, up from near zero at year’s beginning and contrasting with a -0.3 average over the past two years.
“We do not think that rate differentials are likely to return to being the key driver for euro/dollar until the war-driven risk premium has dissipated,” UniCredit concluded.
FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS DISCONNECT
Rising petroleum prices would normally increase inflation expectations, yet these projections have actually declined since the conflict began.
The five-year-five-year forward U.S. inflation swap, which measures long-term inflation expectations among investors, currently sits around 2.4%, down from approximately 2.45%. Meanwhile, oil prices remain roughly 40% higher than pre-war levels.
The correlation between these two indicators stands at about -0.7, above the five-year average of 0.2. During 2022’s energy crisis following Russia’s Ukraine invasion, this correlation peaked at 0.7.
Deutsche Bank suggests this reversal might partially result from anticipated increases in U.S. fiscal deficits as Washington finances the ongoing conflict.
“But another possibility is that forward inflation compensation has become increasingly divorced from fundamentals,” the bank concluded.
CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AP) — They came to tackle history’s most devastating nuclear disaster.
After the catastrophic explosion and blaze at the Chernobyl nuclear facility on April 26, 1986, military personnel, emergency responders, construction specialists, mining experts and healthcare workers were called from throughout the Soviet Union. These individuals became known as “liquidators” — a grim Soviet designation for personnel tasked with resolving critical emergencies.
Across a four-year period, 600,000 individuals participated in the hazardous remediation effort. Aircraft circled overhead the exposed radioactive reactor core, releasing sand and additional substances to extinguish the flames. Personnel removed radioactive particles from structures and streets, disposed of contaminated equipment, eliminated forests and even tracked wildlife to prevent radiation dispersal.
Most possessed minimal understanding of the hazards they encountered.
A delegation of these workers residing in Ukraine’s Poltava region made a journey before the disaster’s 40th commemoration for a single-day visit to Chernobyl, spelled “Chornobyl” in their native tongue.
They discussed their unwavering commitment to service, the losses they experienced, and a disaster that continues to affect Ukraine.
Prylipko arrived nine days following the explosion and operated a firefighting vehicle for one month, completing two-hour rotations to minimize radiation contact. He was initially unaware of the dangers but experienced a severe health emergency in 1990 and remained unable to work for twelve months.
Visiting for the first time since his assignment, he found the terrain confusing, with communities eliminated and the reactor encased in protective barriers.
“Back then, the whole place was packed: machinery, helicopters, they were everywhere,” he said. “The road to Kyiv was so crowded you couldn’t pass anyone.”
During summer 1986, Anatolii Krutik was assigned with an army unit to establish barriers around contaminated regions and create “exclusion zones.” He initially traveled to communities in present-day Belarus, which also experienced significant radioactive contamination, before proceeding to Chernobyl to sanitize areas surrounding operational reactors.
During that period, he explained, fear was largely absent.
“No one really thought about it. We didn’t know what it was — this invisible enemy,” he said, adding his comrades saw it simply as their duty after being mobilized.
However, safety measures were virtually nonexistent, Krutik explained, with personnel wearing their arrival clothing and departing in identical garments, without any decontamination protocols.
Vechirko was also dispatched to Chernobyl during summer 1986 to remove contaminated soil, sanitize structures and secure the remaining operational reactors at the location. He has experienced illness throughout much of his life, which he connects to his disaster site work, including persistent vertigo, fatigue and regular discomfort. Due to his declining health, he explained, he lost contact with former colleagues.
“Being back here now, the emotions are overwhelming,” he said. “It’s incredibly sad to compare what this place was to what it is now.”
Between May and September 1986, Harbyz, a medical professional and dental specialist, provided patient care while his unit conducted decontamination operations. He also served in Belarus, which exposed him to the human toll of the catastrophe.
Returning for the first time in decades, he remembered colleagues who have died and the connections established among survivors.
“This 40th anniversary represents both a deep tragedy and a vital chance to reunite with my brothers-in-arms,” he said. “So many of our colleagues have passed away over the years, but those of us remaining hold on. Being back here for the first time in 40 years is overwhelming. I feel a deep sense of pain, and it brings tears to my eyes. It is good that we can meet like this.”
Emergency responder Mykola Chudak worked for six months starting in November 1986, operating within 10 kilometers (6 miles) of the facility.
He emphasized not his personal contributions but the initial emergency personnel who responded immediately, stating they averted a much larger disaster, frequently sacrificing their lives. His assignment was prolonged due to insufficient replacements, and years afterward he was compelled into early retirement because of disability.
For him, Chernobyl holds both individual and patriotic importance.
“Ukraine must always be grateful to the heroes of Chernobyl,” he said. “Being back here, my first feeling is one of immense gratitude for the sacrifice made by my comrades. In many ways, the independence of Ukraine was born on April 26, 1986, in Chernobyl. Without their heroism, an independent Ukraine might not even exist today.”
Lebedynets worked in the armed forces from 1986 to 1991, constructing barriers in contaminated zones. He experienced chronic headaches for the remainder of his life. During his return visit, he paused at Pripyat, the adjacent city for Chernobyl’s employees that has remained vacant since the incident.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Pripyat now,” he said. “I remember those houses when they were full of life, and now everything is overgrown and in ruins. It was such a beautiful city.”
He made connections with Ukraine’s current Russian conflict. “Today’s war is different: You see bullets flying and shells exploding,” he said. “Back then, the enemy was invisible. It tore you up from the inside and shattered your health.”
Tolumnyi explained his firefighting experience from 1987 to 1988 influenced his life and remains fundamental to who he is. He participated in decontaminating structures and machinery in Pripyat. Upon his return, he described experiencing both anguish and appreciation.
For him, Chernobyl’s importance extends beyond the immediate context.
“Those who do not remember the past have no future. I am confident in our country — we have a future because people remember the past,” he said. “The memories are flooding back, but this is our history, and you can’t simply erase it. On the other hand, I also feel a sense of gratitude that I was able to see this place again in my lifetime.”
Buriak worked in a specialized Interior Ministry division in 1988, monitoring Pripyat and surrounding areas to prevent theft. His responsibilities included protecting vacant buildings.
He explained his return journey reconnected him with the sense of responsibility he experienced, while numerous liquidators continue seeking acknowledgment.
“Returning here after 40 years is a massive adrenaline rush for me. It brings back so many memories of my youth and what life was like during those times,” he said. “It was important for me to come back to remember those years and to show my son where I fulfilled my duty to my country.”
In 1989, Taranenko worked as a security specialist, protecting facilities and vacant residences. Assignments were brief due to radiation exposure, and commands were executed without questioning. He has visited multiple times since, despite the sorrow that comes with each trip.
“Back then, that was just how it was: If you were needed, you went,” he said.
He explained he continues receiving treatment for health issues at a veterans medical facility in Poltava and maintains his physical fitness.
“We are military people — once a soldier, always a soldier. That’s how I live my life. You have to hold yourself together,” he said. “You can’t just give up.”
Hluhovstov was deployed to Ukraine and Belarus, where extensive areas required barriers due to soil radiation and abandoned structures.
With grim humor, he laughs about his numerous health conditions. “As my wife says, I have a whole bouquet of ailments,” he says.
Following weeks of hospitalization this year, he recovered and expressed hope to witness Ukraine repel the Russian attack.
“The doctors didn’t know what to do with me, but thank God I survived,” he said. “Now I just hope to live long enough to see the end of this war — long enough to see victory.”
During the week of April 17-23, 2026, significant violent incidents occurred across Latin America that captured international attention.
In El Salvador, suspected gang members underwent judicial proceedings at the nation’s high-security Terrorist Confinement Center, known as CECOT, located in Tecoluca. The facility has become central to the country’s ongoing crackdown on gang violence.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck at one of Mexico’s most famous archaeological sites when an armed individual opened fire on visitors from atop the ancient Teotihuacan pyramids. The attack resulted in the death of a Canadian tourist, while several other people sustained injuries during the incident.
These events were documented in a photo collection assembled by photographer Dolores Ochoa, who operates from Quito, Ecuador.
Zoo Atlanta is preparing to welcome giant pandas once again as China moves forward with its signature diplomatic outreach program.
Beijing revealed Friday its decision to dispatch two giant pandas to the Georgia zoo, marking another chapter in the country’s panda diplomacy initiative amid strained U.S.-China relations. The announcement comes just weeks before President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to China in mid-May.
According to the China Wildlife Conservation Association, the male panda Ping Ping and female panda Fu Shuang will travel from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to begin a 10-year conservation partnership established through an agreement signed with the zoo last year.
While officials haven’t revealed when the pandas will depart China, the conservation association noted that American officials are actively working on facility improvements and other preparations to ensure the animals have optimal living conditions. Chinese specialists are providing technical assistance for these upgrades.
The timing coincides with Trump’s upcoming diplomatic trip to Beijing, where he plans to address various matters including trade relations with President Xi Jinping.
Zoo Atlanta expressed enthusiasm about the partnership in a Thursday statement, saying officials were thrilled to serve as caretakers for the pandas and collaborate with the Chinese association.
“We can’t wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to welcome our members, guests, city, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas,” zoo president Raymond B. King stated.
The new arrangement follows a previous panda partnership between the zoo and China that ended in 2024. During that collaboration, pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang produced seven cubs. Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and their two youngest babies returned to China in October 2024, joining their other offspring who already lived there.
Beijing’s giant panda lending program has historically served as an instrument of the nation’s diplomatic strategy, though conservation goals may be driving the renewed cooperation with American zoos despite current political friction.
The conservation association emphasized Friday that this new collaboration will advance joint achievements in multiple areas, from disease prevention and medical care to scientific knowledge sharing.
These beloved bears have represented U.S.-China friendship since 1972, when Beijing presented a panda pair to Washington’s National Zoo as a gift.
Both the National Zoo in Washington and San Diego Zoo welcomed pandas from China in 2024 as well.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Back in 1972, when Apollo crew members Harrison “Jack” Schmitt and Eugene Cernan touched down on the lunar surface to gather rock and dirt samples, they were making history as the final moon mission of that era.
Even then, Schmitt was thinking ahead to future generations. Speaking through crackling radio transmissions to his fellow astronaut and mission controllers back on Earth, he issued a challenge.
“Well, I tell you Gene, I think the next generation ought to accept this as a challenge. Let’s see them leave footsteps like these someday,” Schmitt said.
Now 90 years old, Schmitt remains one of just four surviving Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon. As a field geologist, he became the first scientist to explore the lunar surface, and his scientific background proved crucial in understanding the moon’s origins and what those discoveries reveal about our solar system.
The veteran astronaut experienced renewed excitement watching the Artemis II crew launch on their recent historic lunar flyby mission. He remains optimistic about new generations returning to the moon and venturing even further into space.
During a recent Associated Press interview, the former New Mexico U.S. senator discussed topics ranging from establishing a lunar base to harnessing new energy sources and whether humanity is alone in the cosmos. He touched on dark matter and quantum entanglement, emphasizing that countless discoveries await us.
“You’ve just got to remember,” he said, “what used to be called supernatural probably should be called unknown physics.”
Schmitt believes establishing a lunar base makes perfect sense for multiple reasons, with geopolitical considerations being paramount. Having a presence in deep space serves as preparation for eventual Mars missions.
The moon contains resources that would significantly reduce Mars mission costs while providing valuable experience. He emphasizes that each new generation must gain both psychological and practical experience working in deep space. The Artemis II mission was particularly valuable because it gave ground personnel and Mission Control real-world experience rather than just simulations.
Schmitt brought extensive knowledge from previous crews and early sample analyses to his mission in the geologically complex Taurus-Littrow valley. This location extends deeper than the Grand Canyon, offering three-dimensional geological features unavailable on earlier missions. Having a field geologist aboard meant more efficient sample collection that could advance understanding of lunar origins and the moon’s relationship to both Earth and solar history.
The moon serves as a historical record of our solar system’s 4.5-billion-year evolution, providing a vast library of knowledge about solar system development and the sun’s activity over that timespan.
Schmitt’s recent research into the lunar debris layer reveals that increased solar activity coincided with an explosion of ocean life on Earth. The warming oceans likely supported this life expansion, leading to greater quantity and diversity, the emergence of mammals, and life’s migration to newly formed continents approximately half a billion years ago.
Lunar samples include titanium-rich basalt lava, similar to formations found in New Mexico but with higher titanium content. This titanium concentration proves crucial for lunar resources, particularly hydrogen and helium.
An isotope called helium-3 could become extremely important for energy production, quantum computing, and cancer therapy applications on Earth. Since Earth has limited helium-3 supplies, the moon could serve as our primary source for this valuable isotope.
Helium-3 offers the possibility of nuclear energy without nuclear waste, a concept scientists have understood for decades. The moon now presents an opportunity to develop this clean nuclear energy alternative.
Both China and the United States show interest in helium-3, making it a significant technological driver in the current space race and Cold War dynamics primarily involving China.
Working on the moon proved surprisingly comfortable for Schmitt. Despite being in a valley deeper than the Grand Canyon with equally high surrounding mountains, the one-sixth gravity made movement much easier than on Earth. Even wearing a pressure suit, walking felt like being a child again, with minimal impact from falls.
The moon provides an easy working environment with proper equipment and life support systems. Schmitt found himself getting somewhat lazy in the low gravity, able to let objects float while performing other tasks. However, this mental adaptation caused problems upon return to Earth, such as dropping a water cup on the aircraft carrier after splashdown. It took about three days to readjust to Earth’s gravity.
Long-term lunar living appears very feasible, though establishing permanent civilization would require addressing radiation concerns through available protective methods. Mars missions present different challenges, likely requiring fusion rockets to reduce travel time.
Given billions of sun-like stars in the universe, Schmitt believes life could statistically have originated elsewhere, though Earth’s life-supporting conditions are truly unique. The precise alignment of factors suggests involvement of an infinitely intelligent creator.
Regarding potential alien visitation, Schmitt remains skeptical. If advanced beings could reach Earth, he believes they would communicate more effectively than current evidence suggests. While he considers it plausible, he finds it unlikely.
Schmitt would eagerly travel to Mars, with one condition: his wife Teresa would accompany him. He believes Mars missions will prove fantastic for future explorers.
Youth education, particularly in mathematics, remains extraordinarily important for space exploration. NASA has become younger since the shuttle era, and the commercial sector has developed new technologies and approaches that NASA is integrating into deep space exploration strategies.
DENVER (AP) — A Colorado woman who operated a funeral home with her former husband is set to be sentenced Friday for her role in concealing almost 200 decaying bodies, a horrific case that prompted state lawmakers to implement stricter regulations on a previously unregulated industry.
Carie Hallford is expected to receive a prison term of 25 to 35 years under a plea deal when she appears before District Judge Eric Bentley in Colorado Springs for corpse abuse charges.
Her former spouse, Jon Hallford, was handed a 40-year prison sentence in February for the same charges, with relatives of victims calling him a “monster” during that proceeding for allowing their loved ones’ remains to decay.
At Return to Nature funeral home, Carie Hallford served as the primary contact with grieving families at their Colorado Springs location. Meanwhile, Jon Hallford handled most operational duties at a separate facility in Penrose, south of Colorado Springs, where residents began reporting strange smells in 2023.
Investigators discovered corpses stacked throughout the insect-infested Penrose facility in different stages of decay.
This incident represents the most shocking among several criminal cases involving Colorado funeral establishments, as investigators uncovered the Hallfords’ extravagant lifestyle and systematic customer fraud.
Only months before the Penrose discovery, a mother-daughter team running a funeral business in Montrose, western Colorado, received federal prison terms for allegedly trafficking body parts and providing families with counterfeit ashes.
In 2024, Denver police arrested a financially struggling former funeral director who stored a deceased woman’s body in a hearse at a residence for two years, where officers also discovered cremated remains of at least 30 individuals.
Additionally, last year state inspectors discovered 24 decomposing bodies and numerous bone containers behind a concealed door at a Pueblo funeral establishment operated by the Pueblo County coroner and his sibling. This marked the first inspection of that facility under new regulations requiring routine examinations of all funeral homes.
During her March sentencing for related federal fraud charges, Carie Hallford requested mercy, claiming she suffered abuse and manipulation during her marriage.
However, she faces Friday’s hearing with little compassion from victims like Crystina Page, whose son David passed away in 2019. His remains deteriorated for years inside the unrefrigerated Penrose building alongside other bodies before their discovery.
“Jon Hallford was the monster under the bed, but Carie was the one who fed the monster,” Page stated. Page and other families received fraudulent ashes rather than their loved ones’ actual cremated remains.
The divorced couple also received federal fraud sentences — 18 years for Carie and 20 years for Jon. Both have filed appeals.
State officials and industry leaders reported this week that legislative reforms enacted by Colorado are proving effective.
Following the Hallford scandal, the state required mandatory inspections and established a licensing framework for the industry. These modifications place Colorado “in the middle of the pack” regarding regulation compared to other states, according to Sam Delp from the state Department of Regulatory Agencies, which supervises the funeral sector.
“We were the only state in the country that didn’t regulate them,” stated Delp, who leads the agency’s Division of Professions and Occupations.
Matt Whaley, president of the Colorado Funeral Home Directors Association, noted that consumers have become more vigilant following extensive media coverage of Return to Nature and other criminal cases.
Family members now frequently request to witness their loved one’s cremation process rather than simply receiving ashes afterward, Whaley explained.
“The confidence level of a funeral professional in the state of Colorado is questioned, and we’ve got to work hard, one family at a time, to build that trust back,” he said.
Blanca Eberhardt, a licensed funeral director with previous experience in Indiana, Texas and Hawaii, remembered relocating to Colorado and being shocked by the poor treatment of corpses at a Pueblo funeral home where she was employed. For Eberhardt, this experience validated Colorado’s reputation for lacking fundamental regulations like director licensing and regular inspections.
“The joke has been for the last 40 years if you lose your license in another state, just move to Colorado,” she explained.
Each late summer, massive white polar bears congregate near Kaktovik, a small Alaska Native community positioned above the Arctic Circle, where they feed on whale remains left by local hunters while awaiting winter’s freeze of ocean waters.
This remarkable wildlife display previously drew over 1,000 visitors annually to Kaktovik, the sole community within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The phenomenon became known as “last chance tourism” – opportunities to witness extraordinary wildlife before climate change potentially eliminates them.
The coronavirus outbreak and federal restrictions on boat excursions effectively shut down Kaktovik’s polar bear tourism due to worries about overwhelming the small community. However, village officials now seek to restart the industry, believing it could generate millions for the local economy while providing residents additional income – if proper protections are established for both community life and the bears.
“We definitely see the benefit for tourism,” said Charles Lampe, president of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp, which owns 144 square miles (373 square kilometers) of land. “The thing is, it can’t be run like it was before.”
Dating to the early 1980s, any Kaktovik resident with watercraft and local knowledge could guide tourists to observe bears roaming the flat, barren barrier islands offshore or feeding on bowhead whale carcasses left by subsistence hunters.
Visitor numbers surged following the 2008 federal designation of polar bears as a threatened species. Arctic warming is destroying sea ice that bears need for seal hunting, with scientists predicting most polar bears could disappear by century’s end.
Rising tourism prompted federal permit and insurance requirements that began excluding local operators, Lampe explained. Outside companies took over, eventually bringing tourist crowds to Kaktovik – population roughly 250 – during the six-week viewing period.
The community’s two hotels and restaurants lost revenue when major operators started flying visitors from Fairbanks or Anchorage for single-day visits. Residents complained about tourists staring at them or walking through private property.
Limited aircraft capacity created problems, with locals sometimes competing with tourists for flights to larger cities for medical care, forcing those unable to board into costly overnight hotel stays.
Kaktovik suspended tourism during the pandemic. In 2021, federal authorities stopped boat tours entirely, primarily due to concerns about tourist impacts on bear behavior and community disruption.
Alaska Native leadership is currently negotiating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to address these issues and restart the industry, possibly by 2027. The agency stated to The Associated Press that it’s collaborating with Kaktovik “to ensure that any future opportunities are managed in a way that prioritizes visitor safety, resource protection, and community input.”
Proposed changes include limiting how long boats can remain near bears. Extended exposure makes bears comfortable around humans, Lampe noted, creating dangerous situations when bears enter the village seeking food.
At tourism’s peak, removing bears from town became more difficult despite the bear patrol using non-lethal ammunition. The patrol killed approximately three to four bears yearly, compared to maybe one annually before the tourism increase, Lampe said.
“Our safety was at risk,” Lampe said.
In 2023, a polar bear killed a 24-year-old woman and her 1-year-old son in Wales, western Alaska. This marked Alaska’s first fatal polar bear attack in nearly three decades in the only U.S. state where the species lives.
Since halting Kaktovik boat tours, bears appear more wary of humans again, Lampe observed.
Bear tourism overlaps with Kaktovik’s subsistence whaling season. When crews land whales, butchering typically occurs on nearby beaches. While the community welcomes visitor observation or participation, some recorded or photographed without permission, which is disrespectful, Lampe said.
Sherry Rupert, CEO of the American Indigenous Tourism Association, recommended Kaktovik develop two- or three-day experiences.
Native communities prepared for tourists “want them to come and be educated and walk away with a greater understanding of our people and our way of life and our culture,” she said.
Roger and Sonia MacKertich of Australia sought the world’s best polar bear viewing location when they visited Kaktovik in September 2019. They stayed several days, took an elder-guided walking tour, and purchased local artwork including a polar bear hoodie.
For Roger MacKertich, a Sydney-based professional wildlife photographer, boat tours watching bears on barrier islands or swimming were the experience highlight. The bears ignored their presence.
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro may be expected to cruise to reelection, but the Democratic leader has much more at stake this election cycle than just his own political future.
As Shapiro begins ramping up his campaign activities, he’s working to help Democrats secure control of Pennsylvania’s state legislature for the first time in decades. He’s also backing his preferred candidates in competitive congressional primary races, attempting to shape his party’s roster for the midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.
These efforts mirror those of other potential Democratic presidential contenders who are testing their political influence in ways that could impact both their futures and their party’s direction.
Other governors have had mixed results with similar strategies. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker successfully supported his preferred candidate in his state’s U.S. Senate primary. Maryland Governor Wes Moore was unsuccessful in convincing lawmakers to redraw congressional maps, while California Governor Gavin Newsom secured redistricting through a voter referendum last year.
When questioned about potentially building his resume for a future White House bid, Shapiro dismissed both inquiries and Republican attacks on the subject.
“The only thing I am focused on is beating my opponent for governor and helping other Democrats get elected here and sending a clear message to Donald Trump that the chaos, cruelty and corruption that he’s been engaged in is not something that we support here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told The Associated Press after addressing Democrats at a crowded coffee shop in small-town Lock Haven.
While Shapiro has never publicly stated interest in a presidential run, he does express desire to influence his party’s direction. Democrats must learn how to “get stuff done” to improve people’s lives, he explained, and he wants to be “part of that conversation.”
Republican state treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is challenging Shapiro for governor, accused him of being unable to conceal his presidential ambitions — which she claims hurts Pennsylvania.
“We all know that he’s more interested in Pennsylvania Avenue than helping Pennsylvania families,” she said in an interview. “He thinks if he can hand Pennsylvania on a platter to the Democratic Party, then maybe they take a harder look at him.”
That strategy might work.
Pennsylvania presents unique political challenges, and Democrats nationwide are watching Shapiro’s success there, according to Paul Begala, a Democratic campaign strategist, commentator and former senior aide to President Bill Clinton.
This election provides Shapiro with a chance to showcase his political strength.
“Right now, Democrats, the thing they want the most is a winner, and a very close second is a fighter,” Begala said. “This election is an opportunity for him to show that.”
Before this year’s campaign season, Shapiro consolidated his influence over the Pennsylvania Democratic Party by securing the election of his chosen chair and contributing over $900,000 this election cycle to party coffers.
He’s positioned to surpass his own state fundraising records and regularly tells voters that Pennsylvania represents the “center of the political universe” in the battle for U.S. House control.
Democrats aim to capture four House seats in Pennsylvania. Shapiro has endorsed candidates including Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, state firefighters’ union president Bob Brooks, and former television news anchor Janelle Stelson, who came close to winning two years ago.
Shapiro has already produced a campaign advertisement for Brooks, who faces a competitive four-candidate primary to challenge freshman Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie.
Shapiro’s endorsements haven’t deterred other Democratic candidates from running.
Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor competing against Brooks, released a campaign statement that indirectly referenced the governor, stating Crosswell has “no party machine behind him, no power broker network, no favors to call in.”
Regarding his endorsement strategy, Shapiro stated: “I’m just focused on trying to elevate good people. Hopefully they’ll all win.”
Republicans are deploying their own high-profile supporters.
Garrity revealed that the White House requested a list of people she wants to visit Pennsylvania.
President Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several Cabinet members have already toured the state’s competitive congressional districts. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently conducted a fundraising tour through Pennsylvania.
“We know the majority runs through Pennsylvania and the speaker is focused on doing everything he can to help those members defend their seats,” said Greg Steele, a spokesperson for Johnson’s political operation.
Johnson will likely return to Pennsylvania, having made it his final campaign stop before the 2024 election.
Trump and Vance may also return, while the president continues monitoring Pennsylvania developments. Tuesday evening, he used social media to claim credit for a decision by coal-fired power plant owners not to close their facilities, calling it a “BIG WIN for the Great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which I love.”
As Shapiro launches his campaign efforts, he’s proving to be a significant draw even in Pennsylvania’s remote areas. This month, he helped fill a ballroom for Centre County Democrats and the coffee shop for Clinton County Democrats.
“I saw brand-new people, I saw people who have not been engaged in the party in years,” said Bre Brannan, Clinton County’s Democratic Party chair. The audience included Republicans and independents as well, she noted.
Shapiro tells audiences that with a Democratic “trifecta,” he could accomplish more, pointing to legislation Republicans have blocked. This includes increasing Pennsylvania’s extremely low minimum wage and expanding legal protections for LGBT residents. He’s also promoting a housing affordability initiative this year.
Gaining complete control of the state Legislature would represent a significant achievement. Democrats maintain a one-seat majority in the state House and haven’t controlled the state Senate in more than 30 years.
Few Democrats being considered for the 2028 presidential race have opportunities to demonstrate political strength and party-building skills in swing states.
This opportunity could help Shapiro establish his credentials when presidential campaign season begins and potential candidates seek institutional support, endorsements and donor commitments.
Investing money in down-ballot races and flipping seats may not impress average voters, but activists, donors and other elected officials value such efforts greatly, strategists explain.
Success would enhance Shapiro’s position as candidates compete in the “perception campaign” to appear as the strongest contender, said Democratic campaign strategist Mike Mikus.
“It doesn’t guarantee anything,” Mikus said. “But it is definitely something to bring to the table when you’re lining up donors, endorsements and finance chairs, things like that. It’s compelling to them.”
Multiple tornadoes tore through northern Oklahoma on Thursday, leaving at least 10 people with injuries, according to reports from KOCO News, an ABC affiliate.
The severe weather system brought substantial destruction to the region, with emergency responders launching search and rescue missions in the aftermath. Vance Air Force Base in Enid was among the areas that sustained damage from the tornado activity.
Rescue teams continue working in the affected areas as officials assess the full extent of the damage from Thursday’s severe weather outbreak.
Stock prices for Indian technology giant Infosys dropped significantly on Friday following the company’s announcement of disappointing revenue growth projections extending through fiscal year 2027.
The tech firm’s shares declined by up to 3.3% during trading, with concerns mounting over the company’s ability to navigate current market challenges. By mid-morning, the stock remained down 1.9% and ranked as the second-worst performer on India’s Nifty IT index.
Industry analysts point to cautious spending patterns related to artificial intelligence investments, combined with broader economic uncertainties, as key factors contributing to slower demand recovery across the technology services sector.
Growing concerns about energy security are fueling increased demand for lithium, according to the chief executive of Australia’s leading independent lithium mining company, PLS.
CEO Dale Henderson announced Friday that his company achieved remarkable success in the third quarter, nearly doubling lithium production while surpassing analyst projections. The mining operation reported an impressive 86% jump in spodumene concentrate production.
“In aggregate, what we’re seeing in the sector is deepening and broadening demand and strong tailwinds for lithium operators,” Henderson told Reuters.
The executive’s optimistic outlook stems from recent discussions with customers and industry leaders during a trip to China, which confirmed data indicating a rebound in electric vehicle sales.
Henderson highlighted robust interest from the stationary battery market and emerging electric mobility sectors, including electric trucks, as additional drivers of demand growth.
Investors responded positively to the news, with PLS shares climbing as much as 6.2% to A$6.030 before settling at A$5.890 as of 0225 GMT.
The company achieved record-breaking results in the quarter ending March 31, producing 232,436 dry metric tons of spodumene concentrate. This figure significantly exceeded the Visible Alpha consensus forecast of 215,000 dmt and nearly doubled the previous year’s output of 124,978 dmt.
The exceptional performance was largely attributed to strong recovery operations at the Pilgangoora facility in Western Australia, where lithium recovery rates averaged approximately 75%.
Spodumene shipments also showed substantial growth, reaching 195,691 dmt during the quarter compared to 125,468 dmt in the same period last year.
Looking ahead, PLS announced intentions to increase production at its Ngungaju plant in Western Australia to steady-state levels during the September quarter, while planning major maintenance work for the current quarter.
Henderson revealed that the company is engaged in discussions with major chemical manufacturers regarding supply contracts and is working to secure additional offtake agreements similar to its benchmark deal with China’s Canmax announced in February.
Operating costs showed improvement, declining 11% sequentially to A$520 per metric ton, though the company expects costs to rise in the current quarter due to restart expenses at the Ngungaju facility.
RBC Capital analyst Kaan Peker praised the results in a research note, calling it “a clear beat, driven by stronger-than-expected production and a meaningful cost outperformance.”
The Perth-based mining company maintained its 2026 production target of 820,000 to 870,000 tonnes.
In additional news, PLS secured a funding grant worth up to A$38.1 million ($27.17 million) from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), which will help offset operating expenses during the validation phase of its Mid-Stream Demonstration Plant.
Tennessee Titans shock with Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at pick 4
Bettors who wagered on Tate becoming the first Buckeye selected likely cashed in big. Tennessee faced multiple roster holes and had already invested significantly in mid-round wide receivers during last year’s draft, making the position an unlikely priority for the franchise.
Tate brings an excellent fit to Tennessee’s receiving corps, offering a legitimate top-tier option alongside Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who demonstrated potential but couldn’t quite provide enough support to boost quarterback Cam Ward’s early performance. Connecting their franchise signal-caller with an elite receiving target early in the draft could signal positive developments for Tennessee’s offensive unit.
Kansas City Chiefs surprise with LSU CB Mansoor Delane at selection 6
While teams making moves to climb the draft board wasn’t shocking in a talent class lacking elite prospects, most observers expected Kansas City’s potential trade-up would target pass rush help. The Chiefs did lose several cornerbacks during the offseason, but their aggressive move for Delane caught many off guard.
Nevertheless, head coach Andy Reid should be pleased to add Delane to the roster, considering the team’s limited depth at outside corner positions. The defensive backfield should gain stability through Delane’s versatile coverage skills.
Los Angeles Rams stun with Alabama QB Ty Simpson at number 13
The first-season Alabama quarterback has landed in an ideal developmental situation. Working under Rams head coach Sean McVay’s guidance while learning behind established starter Matthew Stafford for the next year or two, Simpson appears positioned to reach the peak form he displayed during his final college campaign’s opening half. Los Angeles is providing him extensive time to grow, which makes sense for a prospect many analysts believed couldn’t contribute immediately. Nevertheless, this pick stunned observers who view the Rams as legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year.
Minnesota Vikings take risk on Louisville DL Caleb Banks at pick 18
Had Banks not missed most of the 2025 season due to foot problems, this selection wouldn’t have raised eyebrows. However, Banks sustained another foot injury during the NFL Combine, leading many to believe his draft value had plummeted significantly.
Minnesota’s front office apparently focused on the exceptional athletic ability Banks demonstrated at the combine and seized the opportunity to select him. Whether this proves to be a brilliant high-upside gamble or a costly mistake remains to be determined through medical evaluations and time.
BEIJING – A Chinese artificial intelligence company made headlines Friday with the announcement of its newest AI technology upgrade.
DeepSeek, the Beijing-based startup, revealed through its WeChat social media platform that it has begun testing its latest V4 artificial intelligence system. The updated technology will offer both professional and flash editions, according to company officials.
This latest release marks the next step forward from the company’s V3 system, which launched in December 2024. The AI startup gained significant attention last year when its previous model went viral across social media platforms.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to address a cryptocurrency conference this Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a White House announcement made Thursday evening.
The exclusive gathering at the private club has drawn sharp criticism and examination from Democratic lawmakers. Since taking office again in January 2025, Trump has implemented several policies favorable to the cryptocurrency industry.
According to the conference website, Trump will serve as the main speaker for the event. Attendance is reportedly restricted to only the top 297 holders of a digital currency called $TRUMP, a meme coin created in honor of the Republican president.
When details about this conference became public earlier this month, several Democratic senators voiced concerns about potential ethical issues. They stated that Congress needs to “take steps to prohibit and prevent these egregious conflicts of interest.”
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Adam Schiff, and Richard Blumenthal issued a joint statement saying: “It is essential that Congress fully understand the extent to which President Trump and his family are profiting off of his cryptocurrency ventures.”
The president has business interests in multiple cryptocurrency projects, including the meme coin bearing his name and a company called World Liberty Financial that is managed by his family members.
Trump has rejected any allegations of improper conduct regarding these business activities.
BEIJING, April 24 – South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor announced Friday its plans to introduce 20 new vehicle models across China during the next five years, marking an aggressive strategy to regain its position in the world’s biggest automotive marketplace.
The automaker has faced significant challenges in China, battling declining market share and fierce rivalry from local electric vehicle manufacturers that have dominated the competitive landscape.
Hyundai, which ranks as the globe’s third-largest automotive manufacturer alongside its partner Kia Corp based on sales figures, unveiled its renewed Chinese market strategy during the Beijing auto show.
The company introduced its China-exclusive electric SUV, the IONIQ V, which incorporates technology developed by Chinese autonomous driving company Momenta. Additionally, Hyundai announced plans to debut another SUV model during the first six months of next year.
According to the company, this five-year plan to debut 20 new models through its partnership with Beijing Automotive Group represents Hyundai’s “most ambitious product expansion” effort in the Chinese market.
The automaker confirmed its goal of reaching 500,000 annual vehicle sales in China, which would more than double its present sales volume in the country.
To strengthen its local market presence, Hyundai revealed expanded partnerships with autonomous driving firm Momenta and battery manufacturer CATL, following similar strategies employed by other international automotive brands competing in China’s intensely competitive market.
Prosecutors in South Korea are demanding a 30-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to Yonhap news agency reports from Friday. The charges center on accusations that he directed a drone mission over Pyongyang as part of a scheme to justify his martial law declaration in December 2024.
The Seoul Central District Court will issue its verdict at a future date yet to be announced.
This criminal case represents just one of eight legal proceedings currently facing Yoon, who was removed from office last year after his shocking martial law announcement that stunned a nation widely regarded as among Asia’s strongest democracies.
According to prosecutors, the drone mission escalated tensions between the two Koreas militarily, and when one of the aircraft went down, it created the possibility that classified military intelligence about the operation and South Korean defense capabilities could be compromised.
Through his legal team, Yoon has rejected all accusations, maintaining that he never engaged in any conduct that might have sparked armed conflict with North Korea.
The former leader faced indictment in November on multiple charges, including providing assistance to an enemy nation – a charge that can be applied even without direct collaboration if South Korea’s military security is compromised or if an opponent receives aid.
BEIJING – The luxury German automaker Mercedes-Benz is preparing to showcase its strategy for surviving China’s brutal automotive marketplace at this year’s Beijing auto show, as CEO Ola Kaellenius declares the company won’t engage in aggressive price cutting despite mounting competitive pressures.
The Stuttgart-headquartered manufacturer, along with other established European brands like BMW, is working to regain its footing in the globe’s biggest automotive market as aggressive local competitors offering cheaper alternatives continue gaining ground, leading to declining sales for traditional foreign brands.
“I wouldn’t count on the intensity of competition suddenly disappearing – and that’s not our plan,” Kaellenius told reporters on the eve of the show.
The company’s approach centers on technological advancement and building stronger local partnerships with suppliers and development teams rather than competing solely on price.
Kaellenius emphasized that Mercedes will resist entering into price battles with Chinese manufacturers, stating the company would rather sacrifice certain sales numbers in lower-tier markets if competing there makes “less economic sense.”
Chinese automotive companies such as BYD have successfully challenged foreign manufacturers’ historical control over budget vehicle segments using affordable electric models, and are now targeting luxury markets, creating additional challenges for Mercedes, which saw regional sales plummet 27% during the first quarter.
The German automaker’s China strategy includes launching seven fresh models through 2027 and introducing sophisticated driver assistance technology developed alongside Chinese technology partner Momenta. The Beijing show will feature the premiere of an updated electric GLC model with two configurations designed specifically for Chinese buyers.
“It would be completely wrong to believe that pedigree does not matter. It does matter,” Kaellenius said when asked whether Mercedes’ heritage carried the same weight in a tech-driven market.
However, he acknowledged that younger Chinese customers show greater willingness to explore different automotive brands, describing the situation by saying, “It’s a complete roller coaster market.”
Kansas City executed the first trade-up of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday evening, exchanging picks with Cleveland to secure LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with the sixth overall selection.
The deal saw Kansas City surrender the ninth overall pick along with third-round (74th) and fifth-round (148th) selections to move up three positions. Cleveland used the acquired ninth pick to draft Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, marking the first lineman selected in the draft.
The move addresses a critical need for Kansas City, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and recently traded two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles.
Delane became the evening’s first cornerback selected after earning unanimous All-American honors in 2025. During his final season at LSU, he recorded two interceptions, broke up 11 passes, and made 45 tackles across 11 games. The Virginia Tech transfer compiled impressive career totals including eight interceptions, 27 pass breakups, 191 tackles, and seven tackles for loss over four college seasons.
Dallas also made moves on draft night, trading up one spot to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11. The Cowboys sent picks 12, 177, and 180 to Miami, which immediately selected Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.
The Cowboys continued their draft-day activity by dealing the 20th pick to division rival Philadelphia in exchange for the 23rd selection and two fourth-round picks (114th and 137th overall).
Philadelphia used their acquired pick to select USC receiver Makai Lemon, who became the third wide receiver drafted despite falling past several teams needing help at the position. Lemon posted 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 79 catches during his junior season with the Trojans. He joins DeVonta Smith on a Philadelphia roster amid widespread speculation that disgruntled star A.J. Brown will be traded to New England after June 1.
With their original pick at 23, Dallas selected UCF defensive lineman Malachi Lawrence, who recorded 20 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles during his 39-game college career.
BOSTON — When Cam Schlittler took the mound at Fenway Park wearing a New York Yankees uniform, the hometown crowd’s reaction was far more civil than the online harassment he’s endured.
The 25-year-old right-hander delivered a masterful performance against his childhood team, holding the Boston Red Sox to just four hits across eight innings as New York completed a three-game sweep with a 4-2 victory Thursday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
Growing up in Walpole as a Red Sox supporter and later playing college baseball at Northeastern, Schlittler recently revealed to the New York Post that he and his family have been receiving death threats online.
During his pre-game warmup in the bullpen, Yankees digital content producer Cody Charneski accompanied Schlittler with a camera. The pitcher noted that the presence of cameras seemed to keep fan behavior more respectful.
“There was a couple things but, again, Cody is out there with the camera, so I think that’ll limit that,” Schlittler explained. “Not too bad. I think you overestimate how many genuine people are out there compared to online. So it’s a good feeling. I had a lot of buddies out there watching.”
Family members and friends could be seen celebrating enthusiastically when Schlittler struck out Jarren Duran on his 96th and final pitch of the night.
The performance improved Schlittler’s record to 3-1 while surrendering just two runs (one earned) with five strikeouts, one walk, and dropping his ERA to 1.77. The eight-inning effort marked his longest appearance in 20 regular-season starts.
This outing matched his previous dominance over Boston, when he threw eight scoreless innings to eliminate the Red Sox in last year’s American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised his young pitcher’s mental approach. “He’s got a great demeanor about him. He’s very even keeled and very adaptable, but also competitive and very confident. All great traits,” Boone said. “He’s always looking forward to his day out there. He’s a very confident guy and I think it’s meaningful for him to come back to where he grew up.”
Before warming up, Schlittler tossed a baseball to a fan sitting in the front row near right field. During the game, another supporter displayed a yellow sign reading “Walpole Loves Schlittler.”
“For the most part, really respectful,” Schlittler said of the fan treatment.
When the public address announcer introduced Schlittler as New York’s starting pitcher, the crowd responded with a mix of applause and jeers. Cody Bellinger, whose pinch-hit two-run single sparked a three-run seventh inning rally, commended how his teammate has handled the intense scrutiny.
“I think he handled it great,” Bellinger said. “He’s such a young kid, and this rivalry, it is — it’s different when you wear these two uniforms and he’s just done a tremendous job pitching and handling everything that comes with it.”
In that playoff elimination game, Schlittler recorded 12 strikeouts to end Boston’s 2025 season.
“There were plenty of distractions to be had before his playoff start last year, and he obviously handled that really well,” Boone reflected.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora remembered that postseason performance vividly. “He was throwing hard that day,” Cora said before Thursday’s series finale. “From pitch one, we had to be almost perfect. We didn’t put too much pressure on him.”
A mother and her five children walked free Thursday after spending more than 10 months in federal immigration detention, setting a record for the longest family detention period during President Trump’s current term in office.
Federal Judge Fred Biery from the Western District of Texas issued the release order Thursday for Hayam El Gamal and her children, who range in age from 5 to 18 years old.
The family was placed in federal custody last June following a firebombing incident in Boulder, Colorado, where El Gamal’s former husband, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, faces charges. The attack targeted an event honoring Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and resulted in injuries to an 82-year-old woman who later died from her wounds.
“The El Gamal family is free,” declared Eric Lee, the attorney representing the family during their detention in Texas.
As part of their release conditions, both El Gamal and her oldest daughter, 18-year-old Habiba Soliman, must wear electronic ankle monitoring devices.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, strongly opposed the court’s decision. Officials characterized the ruling as coming from an “activist judge” who was “releasing this terrorist’s family onto American streets.”
According to NBC News reports, El Gamal ended her marriage to Soliman following his arrest and publicly denounced the attack. Federal investigators have been examining “to what extent” the family may have known about the planned assault, though the family’s legal representatives maintain they had no advance warning of Soliman’s intentions and argue the detention was unlawful.
The family’s attorneys raised serious concerns about deteriorating health conditions during the extended detention, claiming inadequate medical treatment was provided. Lee reported that El Gamal required emergency room treatment earlier this month due to “excruciating pain,” where a CT scan revealed “fluid around the heart.” The legal team also stated that all five children were experiencing depression.
Homeland Security officials countered that the family received proper medical attention and due process throughout their detention.
Civil rights organizations have consistently criticized conditions within ICE detention facilities, describing them as inhumane based on detainee complaints.
Since Trump resumed office, at least 47 individuals have died while in ICE custody. Civil rights advocates have condemned the administration’s immigration enforcement approach, citing violations of due process and free speech protections, while arguing the policies create dangerous conditions especially for minority communities.
The Trump administration defends these measures as essential for controlling unauthorized immigration and strengthening national security.
Fernando Mendoza faces his biggest challenge yet: transforming the struggling Las Vegas Raiders into championship contenders.
Las Vegas selected the Indiana quarterback with Thursday’s first overall pick in the NFL Draft. The 22-year-old becomes the focal point of the franchise’s rebuilding efforts after his remarkable season with the Hoosiers, where he captured the Heisman Trophy and guided the program to its inaugural national championship.
During his final college campaign, Mendoza threw 41 touchdown passes against just six interceptions while completing 72% of his attempts, leading Indiana to a flawless 16-0 season that few predicted. The Hoosiers entered the year holding the FBS record for most losses in history with 715 defeats.
Las Vegas’s choice came as no shock given their dismal 3-14 finish in 2025. The selection had been widely anticipated for months as the Raiders searched for their franchise quarterback. The remaining question centers on whether Mendoza will immediately claim the starting role or learn behind veteran Kirk Cousins initially.
While the Raiders’ selection lacked drama, the remainder of the top 10 delivered plenty of unexpected moves.
New York’s Jets surprised many by choosing Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey second overall. Bailey recorded 14.5 sacks across 14 games last season, leading the Jets to overlook heavily favored edge rusher Arvell Reese.
Arizona made another stunning move at third overall, selecting Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Despite having other pressing needs, the Cardinals couldn’t pass on Love’s explosive ability after he averaged 6.9 yards per rush and scored 18 rushing touchdowns.
Tennessee continued the surprises at fourth overall by choosing Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate over top defensive prospects. Tate hauled in 51 receptions for nine touchdowns during the 2025 season.
Speaking about his new partnership with Titans quarterback Cam Ward, Tate expressed confidence in their future connection.
“I’m a reliable target for him,” Tate stated. “Whenever he needs me, I’m there for him. I’m always open.”
The New York Giants capitalized on Reese’s slide, grabbing him fifth overall to bolster what could become one of the league’s most formidable pass-rushing groups.
“The Giants told me they’re going to get unique with me,” Reese commented. “They said they’re going to use me in a bunch of unique ways. I’m looking forward to that.”
The evening’s first trade materialized when Kansas City moved up three spots from ninth to sixth, sending Cleveland their third-round selection (74th overall) and fifth-round pick (148th overall) to make the jump.
The Chiefs then chose LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane with their acquired pick.
Delane revealed that Kansas City had kept their interest quiet throughout the pre-draft process, apparently as a strategic deception.
“They said they just wanted to keep it quiet and make that sneak move,” Delane explained. “And they made the best move in the draft. So I’m excited.”
Washington continued the Ohio State trend at seventh overall by selecting linebacker Sonny Styles, making him the third Buckeye chosen among the top seven picks. New Orleans followed at eighth by drafting Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Two offensive linemen completed the top 10 selections.
Cleveland used the ninth pick to select Utah tackle Spencer Fano. The Giants then utilized their second first-round selection to choose Miami Hurricanes tackle Francis Mauigoa tenth overall.
Dallas moved quickly when Ohio State safety Caleb Downs dropped beyond the top 10. The Cowboys traded up one position to 11th overall, sending Miami the 12th pick plus two fifth-round selections (177th and 180th overall) to secure Downs for their secondary.
Miami responded by taking Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor with the 12th pick, making him the third offensive lineman selected.
Los Angeles delivered another shock at 13th overall by choosing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. The Rams saw an opportunity to secure their future signal-caller, who will develop under head coach Sean McVay and veteran starter Matthew Stafford.
“Two of the greatest minds in offense,” Simpson said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Baltimore selected Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane 14th overall, while Tampa Bay chose Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. with the 15th pick.
Bain Jr. openly expressed his frustration about falling to the 15th selection and spoke passionately about proving the Buccaneers made the correct decision.
“I know I’m the best in the country, and I’m going to show it,” he declared.
The Jets added Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq 16th overall, followed by Detroit selecting Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller with the 17th pick.
The NBA handed Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker a hefty $35,000 penalty on Thursday for publicly blasting a referee’s work following his team’s playoff defeat, though the league also gave him some vindication in the process.
Officials announced they were overturning a technical foul assessed against Booker during the late stages of the third quarter, stating it had been “improperly assessed.”
The controversy stemmed from Phoenix’s 120-107 defeat to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, which put the Suns in a 2-0 hole in their Western Conference quarterfinal matchup against the defending champions. Following that loss, Booker didn’t hold back when discussing the game’s officiating.
“It’s definitely something that has to be looked at,” Booker said postgame. “I heard (Oklahoma City’s Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech, and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James (Williams) was terrible tonight.”
The veteran guard continued his criticism, stating, “Whatever I get fined for, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration comes from.”
The financial penalty came from NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones. The league’s statement also responded to Booker’s accusations of bias, declaring, “Following an investigation including multiple interviews and video review, the league found no basis to any claim of bias or misconduct by game officials.”
Despite defending the officials’ conduct, the NBA acknowledged the technical foul against Booker should never have been called.
In Wednesday’s contest, Booker contributed 22 points and seven rebounds, following up his 23-point, six-rebound performance in the series opener. During the regular season, the guard averaged 26.1 points, 6.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds across 64 starts.
Throughout his 11-year NBA career, all spent in Phoenix, Booker has earned five All-Star selections. His career statistics include 24.6 points, 5.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game over 737 appearances, with 712 as a starter.
Following intense public backlash, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced Thursday he will decline a controversial $1 million position that was set to begin after his retirement.
Both UK President Eli Capilouto and Barnhart released joint statements confirming that Barnhart will not take the executive in residence role with the UK Sports and Workforce Initiative. The position drew sharp criticism from Governor Andy Beshear, who described it on social media Tuesday as “a new $1 million job that has no defined duties.” Major Kentucky athletics donors also voiced opposition to the arrangement.
“Mitch Barnhart came to me earlier this week to share his concern that the discussion surrounding his future role leading our sports workforce initiative has become a distraction from the work of our university,” Capilouto said in a statement. “Mitch and his family care deeply about this institution and our state, and they want the focus to return to the work that matters most for our students and the Commonwealth.”
Capilouto confirmed that the 66-year-old Barnhart will proceed with his planned retirement on June 30 but will “step away” from the university role they had designed for him. They will negotiate his departure terms according to his existing contract. Initial reports indicated Barnhart would have received $950,000 per year through August 2030.
“The compensation associated with his departure will be supported entirely by private funds — not athletic funds, not funds that would go toward NIL opportunities or university funds — that I will raise,” Capilouto said. “Mitch’s impact on this university has been profound, and I am grateful for his decades of leadership and service.”
Barnhart has led the Wildcats’ athletic program since 2002, making him the SEC’s longest-serving athletic director currently in position.
Last August, Barnhart received a contract extension running through 2028. Reports indicate his agreement contained provisions allowing him to transition from his athletic director duties in July 2026 to take on a different university role, such as serving as a special assistant to Capilouto.
In Thursday’s announcement, Barnhart explained his decision to change course.
“With our family previously having made the decision to retire in June from the position of Athletics Director, we were very excited about beginning the Workforce Initiative, developing a new program and pouring into the next generation of leaders in sports,” Barnhart said. “Work has already begun on the Initiative but recently it has become apparent that now is not the right time and we would never stand in the way of what we deem best. The world of sports is dynamic and ever-changing. It is my hope that this initiative will continue in the future.”
Under Barnhart’s leadership, the Wildcats captured six national titles: men’s basketball in 2012, women’s volleyball in 2020, and rifle team championships in 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
The Kentucky football program achieved two 10-win seasons during his tenure in 2018 and 2021, reaching its highest point with a No. 7 Associated Press ranking in 2022.
The Sports Business Journal recognized Barnhart as Division I Athletic Director of the Year in 2019.
However, recent struggles in major sports programs have created challenges. Kentucky’s football team’s decline resulted in the dismissal of head coach Mark Stoops in December following 13 seasons. Despite being the most successful football coach in school history with an 82-80 record, Stoops’ teams struggled to 4-8 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025.
Kentucky faced a substantial buyout obligation of approximately $37.7 million to Stoops, representing 75% of his remaining contract value.
The men’s basketball program, long considered the crown jewel of Kentucky athletics and among college basketball’s elite programs, experienced upheaval when accomplished coach John Calipari departed in 2024 after 14 seasons, despite winning the 2012 national championship. His successor, Mark Pope, has struggled to meet the high standards expected in Lexington.
“I am losing confidence and growing increasingly concerned with the management and decision-making at the University of Kentucky,” Beshear said in a statement on Tuesday. “My concerns include the creation of a new $1 million job that has no defined duties and the announcement that the new dean of law was the only candidate not recommended by law school faculty.”
Financial markets across Asia displayed inconsistent performance Friday as crude oil costs continued climbing, driven by persistent tensions between the United States and Iran that have left investors uncertain about regional stability.
The MSCI Asia-Pacific stock index excluding Japan climbed 0.3% and appeared headed for a weekly increase of 0.8%, while Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.45%. However, markets in South Korea, China and Hong Kong posted declines.
U.S. market futures showed Nasdaq advancing 0.6% and S&P 500 rising 0.1% after Thursday’s cash session closed lower, while European futures pointed to losses with EUROSTOXX 50 down 0.65% and FTSE falling 0.9%.
The inconsistent market performance highlighted investor anxiety as trading this week has alternated between optimism for conflict resolution and concerns about prolonged instability.
“The thing is, a ceasefire is a funny term to use in conjunction with a blockade and rolling tensions and animosities,” explained Vishnu Varathan, who serves as Mizuho’s head of macro strategy for APAC.
Tehran demonstrated its control over the crucial Strait of Hormuz Thursday by releasing footage showing commandos boarding a large cargo vessel from speedboats. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced he had directed the Navy to “shoot and kill” Iranian vessels placing mines in the waterway while increasing mine-clearing operations.
These aggressive statements followed Trump’s recent decision to extend indefinitely what was originally planned as a two-week ceasefire with Iran to permit additional diplomatic discussions.
“It’s not going to be a linear de-escalation of violence and oil prices and volatility around the entire supply shock,” Varathan noted.
“(Investors) have just been looking for excuses to put on optimistic trades opportunistically. I don’t think anybody in the market truly believes that this will be over in a week or two.”
Energy markets saw prices increase as the Strait of Hormuz standoff continued. Brent crude futures surged more than 1% to reach $106.21 per barrel, while U.S. crude advanced 1% to $96.77 per barrel.
Investors showed little reaction to news that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to extend their ceasefire for three additional weeks following high-level discussions at the White House.
Currency movements remained relatively subdued Friday, though the dollar was positioned for weekly gains due to renewed demand for safe-haven assets.
The euro traded at $1.1684 and was tracking toward a nearly 0.7% weekly loss, while the British pound held steady at $1.3469 but faced a modest weekly decline.
Multiple central banks including the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of England will announce policy decisions next week, with market participants watching closely for commentary on how the conflict might affect inflation and economic growth.
“In view of the demand destruction implied by higher energy prices, there may be an understandable reluctance by many G10 policymakers to push ahead with rate hikes over the coming months,” said Jane Foley, who leads FX strategy at Rabobank.
The Bank of Japan will also convene next week, with expectations that the central bank will maintain current interest rates.
Currency traders focused attention on the yen, which approached the critical 160-per-dollar threshold that many analysts view as likely to trigger government intervention.
The Japanese currency weakened slightly to 159.78 per dollar and was positioned for a 0.7% weekly decline.
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama issued fresh intervention warnings Friday, emphasizing “decisive action” in coordination with the United States.
“Lower market liquidity during Golden Week, which comes directly after the BOJ meeting, may provide an opportunity for FX intervention and a knee-jerk appreciation in the yen within the 150–160 range,” explained Carl Ang, a fixed income research analyst at MFS Investment Management.
Japanese markets will close for several days during the annual Golden Week holiday period extending into early May.
Gold prices remained unchanged at $4,691.60 per ounce.
Delaware State University softball coach Daniel Stockdale has earned recognition as one of the nation’s top 10 Black head coaches in Division I athletics, according to an announcement made on April 23, 2026.
The prestigious designation acknowledges Stockdale’s exceptional leadership and significant impact within collegiate softball. This recognition places the Delaware State coach among an elite group of African American coaches making their mark at the highest level of college athletics.
The honor reflects Stockdale’s dedication to developing student-athletes both on and off the field while representing Delaware State University’s commitment to excellence in its athletic programs.
This achievement adds to the growing recognition of diversity and leadership within college sports, particularly highlighting coaches who are making significant contributions to their programs and student-athletes’ development.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza expressed overwhelming joy Thursday night after the Las Vegas Raiders selected him with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft, calling the opportunity to join the franchise “ecstatic.”
The selection came as no surprise, as Mendoza captured the Heisman Trophy this past season while guiding the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record and their first national championship. Now the 22-year-old signal-caller says he’s ready to advance to professional football.
“College was fantastic and I’m so blessed to have had that career, but now I step into the great game in the NFL,” Mendoza stated. “I look forward to earning it and proving it every day.”
RAIDERS SEEK TURNAROUND
Las Vegas is counting on Mendoza’s precision throwing, smart decision-making, and durability to help resurrect a franchise with a rich history but recent struggles. The organization is coming off a disappointing 3-14 campaign where they managed just 241 points, the fewest in the league, and haven’t secured a postseason victory since before Mendoza was even born.
Raiders General Manager John Spytek emphasized that selecting Mendoza wasn’t simply handing him the starting role, but rather the result of extensive evaluation where the quarterback excelled at every level of assessment.
“He’s a hard-working, driven and extremely smart young man,” Spytek commented.
The rookie quarterback will have the unique opportunity to learn from Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion, while competing with veteran Kirk Cousins and 2023 draft selection Aidan O’Connell in the quarterback competition.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Raiders supporters are hoping Mendoza represents the long-term answer at quarterback that has eluded the organization for years.
“I expect fans to see a guy who comes out and gives his best to Raider Nation,” Spytek explained. “He’s going to compete his tail off with Kirk and with Aidan. As we’ve said, this is a meritocracy in the NFL. The best guy will play. But we expect him to come in ready to roll — that’s the kind of person he is.”
During his final collegiate season, Mendoza posted impressive numbers, completing 71.5% of his throws for 2,980 yards while contributing 39 total touchdowns. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called his name from the stage in Pittsburgh, Mendoza embraced his mother and displayed a wide grin while donning his new Raiders hat.
“What a great organization, what a great legacy,” Mendoza said about the Raiders, who have reached five Super Bowls and claimed three championships. “There are so many great teammates, coaches and owners I’m looking forward to talking to. I’m ecstatic for the opportunity.”
In an unprecedented legal proceeding, 486 suspected gang members are facing trial simultaneously in El Salvador, with defendants watching court hearings on large screens from inside maximum-security facilities where they remain restrained with handcuffs and leg shackles.
The historic mass trial represents the largest of its kind under President Nayib Bukele’s aggressive anti-gang campaign. Since implementing emergency powers in April 2022, Bukele has suspended constitutional protections and authorized the detention of more than 91,000 individuals, mostly suspected members of MS-13 and Barrio 18 criminal organizations.
El Salvador became the only Latin American nation to permit mass trials after Bukele’s New Ideas party enacted legislation allowing such proceedings. The current defendants are housed across five different correctional facilities, including the high-security CECOT prison that opened in 2023 as a cornerstone of the president’s zero-tolerance approach.
At CECOT, inmates wear white uniforms and have shaved heads, with some displaying tattoos associated with MS-13. Armed security personnel maintain constant surveillance of the facility.
Legal authorities have charged the alleged gang members with involvement in more than 47,000 criminal acts spanning from 2012 to 2022, encompassing extortion schemes, weapons trafficking, and murder.
However, the mass trial defendants face charges solely for gang association and will receive sentences based on membership rather than specific crimes, according to Ana Maria Mendez, Central America director for the Washington Office on Latin America. Following standard practice for El Salvador’s criminal courts, the proceedings remain closed to public observation.
“There is no way to see and verify that the information the prosecutors present is true. Secrecy is now the norm in El Salvador,” Mendez stated.
Given the volume of detained individuals and extended pre-trial periods, mass trials will likely become standard practice in El Salvador, she predicted.
Salvadoran defense attorney Roxana Cardona criticized the process, saying “Mass trials are just formalities. They violate the right to defense, which allows lawyers to sit down with their accused clients and build a defense strategy. In mass trials, that is completely lost.”
Neither a Bukele representative nor the attorney general’s office responded to requests for comment.
Bukele has justified mass trials as essential tools in combating gangs that previously controlled large portions of the nation. His hardline crime policies have earned widespread approval from Salvadorans, establishing him as one of Latin America’s most popular political leaders.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued fresh concerns Tuesday regarding rights violations during El Salvador’s emergency period and urged authorities to discontinue using emergency measures for crime fighting.
Government officials attribute the gang crackdown conducted under emergency authority to reducing last year’s homicide rate to 1.3 per 100,000 residents, down from 7.8 in 2022.
Chinese technology company Xiaomi announced Friday that it has shipped 26,000 units of its new SU7 electric sedan series since the vehicle’s March debut.
Speaking to reporters at the Beijing Autoshow, Xiaomi Chief Executive Officer Lei Jun revealed that the company had secured 60,000 confirmed orders for the next-generation SU7 sedans through April 23. Jun also announced plans to unveil the company’s YU7 GT series by the end of May.
The Chinese electronics manufacturer, which has built a massive consumer base in China, is now directly competing with Tesla as it pursues a high-end approach in the electric vehicle sector. The company has set its sights on expanding into the European market next year, marking its initial international expansion effort.
Crude oil markets surged Friday morning as investors reacted to heightened military activity in the Middle East, with Iran demonstrating its control over a critical shipping route that handles a fifth of the world’s oil and gas traffic.
Brent crude climbed $1.23 to reach $106.30 per barrel, marking a 1.17% increase by early morning trading, while West Texas Intermediate gained $1.07 to $96.92, up 1.12%.
Thursday’s trading session saw both oil benchmarks close with gains exceeding 3%, surging $5 per barrel following reports of air defense systems activating over Tehran and internal political tensions between Iran’s hardline and moderate factions.
President Donald Trump commented that Iran might have enhanced its military capabilities “a little bit” during a recent two-week ceasefire period, while asserting that American forces could neutralize such weaponry within 24 hours.
According to analysis from Haitong Futures, the current ceasefire appears to be serving as preparation for potential warfare. The firm warned that if diplomatic discussions between the United States and Iran don’t achieve significant breakthroughs by month’s end and hostilities resume, oil markets could reach new annual peaks.
Following the breakdown of peace negotiations Thursday, Iran broadcast footage showing special forces in speedboats taking control of a massive cargo vessel, demonstrating Tehran’s dominance over the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
While global leaders and investors seek lasting peace, Trump indicated he wouldn’t establish a specific timeline for resolving the Iranian conflict, expressing his desire to negotiate “a great deal.”
“Don’t rush me,” Trump responded when questioned about his patience for achieving a comprehensive peace agreement with Iran.
Energy analyst Mingyu Gao from China Futures warned that extended disruptions to Strait of Hormuz shipping could drive worldwide crude oil and refined product stockpiles below typical five-year seasonal minimums by late May or early June, potentially adding supply shortage premiums to oil pricing.
In a Thursday social media announcement, Trump revealed that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a three-week ceasefire extension following high-level discussions between both nations’ representatives at the White House.
Prior to this development, Israeli officials had indicated readiness to resume military operations against Iran.
Delaware Department of Transportation crews have temporarily closed the right lane on southbound Route 896 for construction activities between the Interstate 95 interchange and Old Baltimore Pike.
The lane restriction will remain in place until 6 a.m., according to DelDOT traffic alerts.
Motorists traveling through the area should expect delays and are advised to use caution while navigating through the construction zone. Drivers may want to consider alternate routes or allow extra travel time during the closure period.
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Salisbury University’s nationally-ranked baseball squad delivered a commanding performance Thursday afternoon, defeating Penn State Harrisburg 10-2 at Nittany Field to extend their winning streak to six games.
The Sea Gulls, currently ranked 12th in the nation, showcased their offensive power by scoring eight consecutive runs during their last four innings at the plate, transforming what had been a competitive contest into a decisive victory over the Lions.
The dominant finish highlighted Salisbury’s ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities and pull away from opponents in crucial moments of the game.
