President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Friday, March 14, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)2025-03-17T19:19:07Z CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Debates over President Donald Trumps hardline migration policies are focused on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, to some a ruthless transnational criminal organization and to others the pretext for an overhyped anti-migrant narrative. Trump labeled the Tren de Aragua an invading force on Saturday when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a little-used authority from 1798 that allows the president to deport any noncitizen during wartime. Hours later, the Trump administration transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations. Flights were in the air when the ruling came down.The Alien Enemies Act requires a president to declare the United States at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners to whom immigration or criminal laws otherwise protect. It had been used only three times the last time to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II.The Trump administration has not identified the more than 200 immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the United States. Gang gains notoriety in the USFrom the heartland to major cities like New York and Chicago, the gang has been blamed for sex trafficking, drug smuggling and police shootings, as well as the exploitation of the nearly 1 million Venezuelan migrants have crossed into the U.S. in recent years. Trump told Congress this month that a Venezuelan migrant found guilty of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus was a member of the gang.The size of the gang is unclear as is the extent to which its actions are coordinated across state lines and national borders.The Venezuelan gang entered U.S. political discourse after footage from a security camera surfaced on social media last summer showing heavily armed men entering an apartment in the Denver suburb of Aurora shortly before a fatal shooting outside. In response, Trump vowed to liberate Aurora from Venezuelans he falsely said were taking over the whole town. The city initially downplayed concerns. But most of the apartment complex was closed under an emergency order last month after officials said they suspected Tren de Aragua members in the kidnapping and assault of two residents.Most of the men seen in the video have been arrested, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement accusing them of gang membership.The Tren originated in an infamous prisonThe Tren, which means train in Spanish, traces its origin more than a decade ago to an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in the central state of Aragua. It has expanded in recent years as more than 8 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil under President Nicols Maduros rule and migrated to other parts of Latin America or the U.S.Countries such as Peru and Colombia all with large populations of Venezuelan migrants have accused the group of being behind a spree of violence in a region that has long had some of the highest murder rates in the world. Some of its crimes have spread panic in poor neighborhoods, where the gang extorts local businesses and illegally charges residents for protection.The gang operates as a loose network in the U.S. Tattoos, which are commonly used by Central American gangs, arent required for those affiliated with the Tren, said Ronna Risquez, a Venezuelan journalist who wrote a 2023 book about the gangs origins. Trump targets the TrenOn his first day in office, Trump he took steps to designate the gang a foreign terrorist organization alongside several Mexican drug cartels. The Biden administration had sanctioned the gang and offered $12 million in rewards for the arrest of three of its leaders.Trumps executive order Saturday accused the gang of working closely with top Maduro officials most notably the former vice president and one-time governor of Aragua state, Tareck El Aissami, to infiltrate migration flows, flood the U.S. with cocaine and plot against the country. The result is a hybrid criminal state that is perpetrating an invasion of and predatory incursion into the United States, and which poses a substantial danger to the United States, Trumps executive order alleged.Wes Tabor, who headed the Drug Enforcement Administrations office in Venezuela when the gang first came onto law enforcement radar, said Trumps decision to give the DEA and other federal agencies authority to carry out immigrant arrests is a force multiplier that will curtail the Trens activities in the U.S. Tabor said authorities need to build a robust database like it did when combating El Salvadors MS-13 containing biometric data, arrest information and intelligence from foreign law enforcement partners. We have to use a hammer on an ant because if we dont it will get out of control, said Tabor. We need to smash it now. Venezuelan officials protestIn Venezuela, officials originally expressed bafflement at the U.S. interest in the Tren, claiming it had dismantled the gang after retaking control of the prison where the group was born. As Trumps immigration crackdown has intensified, theyve conditioned their cooperation with U.S. deportation flights on progress in other areas in the long-strained bilateral relationship.Last month, authorities gave a heros welcome to some 190 Venezuelan migrants deported by Trump, accusing the U.S. of spreading an ill-intentioned and false narrative about the Tren in the U.S. They said most Venezuelan immigrants are decent, hard-working people and that U.S. officials were looking to stigmatize the South American nation.Over the weekend they protested the use of Trumps invocation of the wartime rules, likening it to the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps.

This photo provided by the United States Geological Survey shows a female Lau banded iguana in Fiji. (Robert Fisher/U.S. Geological Survey via AP)2025-03-17T19:01:00Z NEW YORK (AP) Researchers have long wondered how iguanas got to Fiji, a collection of remote islands in the South Pacific. Most modern-day iguanas live in the Americas thousands of miles and one giant ocean away. They thought maybe they scurried there through Asia or Australia before volcanic activity pushed Fiji so far away. But new research suggests that millions of years ago, iguanas pulled off the 5,000 mile (8,000 kilometer) odyssey on a raft of floating vegetation masses of uprooted trees and small plants. That journey is thought to be a record further than any other land-dwelling vertebrate has ever traveled on the ocean. Scientists think thats how iguanas got to the Galapagos Islands off of Ecuador and between islands in the Caribbean. Initially they thought Fiji might be a bit too far for such a trip, but in a new study, researchers inspected the genes of 14 iguana species spanning the Americas, the Caribbean and Fiji. They discovered that Fijian iguanas were most closely related to desert iguanas from North America, and that the two groups split off around 31 million years ago. The researchers created a statistical model using that information and other tidbits about where iguanas live today and how they may spread. It suggested that the iguanas most likely floated to Fiji from North America. Given what we know now, their result is by far the most strongly supported, said Kevin de Queiroz, an evolutionary biologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved with the new study. The research was published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The journey from North America to Fiji could have taken a few months, but these desert iguanas would have been ideal passengers because they were adept at resisting dehydration and could have snacked on the plants underfoot. If you had to pick a vertebrate to survive a long trip on a raft across an ocean, iguanas would be the one, said study author Simon Scarpetta from the University of San Francisco, in an email.Many Fijian iguana species are endangered, and an invasive green iguana roams the islands today, said study author Robert Fisher of the United States Geological Survey. Figuring out where these creatures came from can equip scientists with the tools to better protect them in the future.-The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN Ramakrishnan is a science reporter for The Associated Press, based in New York. She covers research and new developments related to space, early human history and more. twitter mailto

People line up to make sports bets at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City NJ on Friday March 19, 2021, the first full day of the NCAA March Madness tournament. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry,File)2025-03-17T15:25:01Z WASHINGTON (AP) As March Madness takes over this week, how many people are filling out NCAA brackets and why? A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows what share of Americans typically take a shot at bracket predictions and their motivation for joining in the madness. The survey found that about one-quarter of Americans fill out a mens March Madness bracket every year or some years. But what about the womens tournament? High-profile NCAA womens basketball games have closed the gap with mens tournaments in terms of viewership and there is more money flowing in and around womens sports in general; womens teams will now be paid to play in the tournament, just like men have for years. It all points to higher interest in how womens teams fare even if the bracket frenzy has not quite caught up. The survey found that 16% of U.S. adults fill out a womens tournament bracket every year or some years. And its much more common for bracket participants to only fill out a bracket for the mens tournament than the womens about 1 in 10 U.S. adults only fill out a mens tournament bracket, while only 2% fill out only a womens bracket. Another 14% fill out a bracket for both tournaments at least some years. So, a sizeable chunk of Americans are into NCAA bracketology, but whats behind the hype?Among those who fill out brackets at least some years, about 7 in 10 say a reason for their participation was for the glory of winning, the chance to win money or the fact that other people were doing it. Theyre less likely to be motivated by support for a specific school or team and in particular, to say this was a major reason for their participation. Theres certainly a financial motivation for correctly predicting the Final Four, and its hard to deny NCAA college basketball is in a betting-heavy era. More Americans can legally bet money on the NCAA mens and womens basketball tournaments than in previous years, and many will place a wager on their brackets success. Does that mean Americans think the tournaments are all about wagering, or that its technically gambling to enter a friends-and-family pool with only a modest payout at stake? Most U.S. adults 56% say that if someone enters a March Madness bracket pool for money, they consider that to be gambling. About 2 in 10 say it depends on the amount of money, and another 2 in 10, roughly, say this is not gambling.Who are the March Madness bracket diehards?Men tend to make up the bulk of the regulars who fill out a bracket at least some years. Among the March Madness bracket regulars, about 6 in 10 are men, including about one-third who are men under the age of 45. These bracket regulars are less likely to be women; only about 4 in 10 are women, and theyre about evenly split between being older or younger. Those who only fill out a bracket for the mens tournament are also overwhelmingly men. About 7 in 10 people who fill out a mens bracket and not a womens bracket every year or some years are men. About 4 in 10 are men over 45, and about 3 in 10 are younger men. If you cant beat them, avoid them?Not everyone wants to risk a bracket buster and people avoiding the Madness this month are hardly alone. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they never fill out a mens or womens bracket. This group leans more female: About 6 in 10 bracket avoiders are women. And roughly one-third in this group are women over 45.___The AP-NORC poll of 1,112 adults was conducted Feb. 6-10, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. LINLEY SANDERS Sanders is a polls and surveys reporter for The Associated Press. She develops and writes about polls conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and works on AP VoteCast. twitter

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00545-xExcavations at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, reveal evidence of the systematic use of animal bones as a raw material for prehistoric tools.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00799-5Alba Graciela vila Bernals research focuses on power-storage technologies, but she also builds custom probes to test water quality.

Mohammad Shabir Osmani, pushes one of his families suitcases out of the Sacramento International Airport, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)2025-03-17T20:48:09Z WASHINGTON (AP) When Andrew Sullivan thinks of the people his organization has helped resettle in America, one particular story comes to mind: an Afghan man in a wheelchair who was shot through the neck by a member of the Taliban for helping the U.S. during its war in Afghanistan.I just think ... Could I live with myself if we send that guy back to Afghanistan? said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind. And I thankfully dont have to because he made it to northern Virginia.The charitable organization of U.S. military veterans, Afghans who once fled their country and volunteers in the U.S. is stepping in to help Afghans like that man in the wheelchair who are at risk of being stranded overseas. Their efforts come after the Trump administration took steps to hinder Afghans who helped Americas war effort in trying to resettle in the U.S. No One Left Behind helps Afghans and Iraqis who qualify for the special immigrant visa program, which was set up by Congress in 2009 to help people who are in danger because of their efforts to aid the U.S. during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. President Donald Trump in January suspended programs that buy flights for those refugees and cut off aid to the groups that help them resettle in the U.S. Hundreds who were approved for travel to the U.S. had visas but few ways to get here. If they managed to buy a flight, they had little help when they arrived. The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment.Meanwhile, the situation for Afghans has become more tenuous in some of the places where many have temporarily settled. Pakistan, having hosted millions of refugees, has in recent years removed Afghans from its country. increased deportations. An agreement that made Albania a waystation for Afghans expires in March, Sullivan said. Hovering over all of this is the fear that the Trump administration may announce a travel ban that could cut off all access from Afghanistan. In an executive order signed on Inauguration Day, Trump told key Cabinet members to submit a report within 60 days that identifies countries with vetting so poor that it would warrant a partial or full suspension of travelers from those countries to the U.S. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Monday that the review was ongoing and no list had been finalized. But groups that work with Afghans are worried.When funding was suspended, No One Left Behind stepped in. Their goal is to make sure Afghans with State Department visas dont get stuck overseas. Other organizations many who got their start helping Afghans during the U.S. militarys chaotic withdrawal from Kabul in 2021 are doing the same.To qualify for this visa, Afghans must prove they worked for the U.S. for at least one year. That means tracking down documentation from former supervisors, who were often affiliated with companies no longer in business. They also undergo extensive vetting and medical checks.Our view was, OK, weve got to act immediately to try and help these people, said Sullivan. Weve been in kind of an all-out sprint. The organization has raised money to buy flights and help Afghans when they land. Between February 1 and March 17, the group said it successfully booked flights for 659 Afghans.It also launched a website where visa holders can share information, giving Sullivans group a starting point to figure out where they might live in the U.S. Sullivan and the organizations ambassadors Afghans and Iraqis who already have emigrated to the U.S., many through the special immigrant visa program have gone to Albania and Qatar to help stranded Afghans.Aqila is one of those ambassadors who went to Albania. The Associated Press is identifying Aqila by her first name because her family in Afghanistan is still at risk.Aqila said many of the families didnt know what would happen when they arrived in America. Would they be homeless? Abandoned? One man feared hed end up alone in the airport parking lot because his contact in America a long-haul trucker couldnt come pick him up. She assured him that someone would be there. They gave them cards with contact information for attorneys. They printed papers with information about their rights in English, Dari, and Pashto.No One Left Behind reached out to family members and friends in the U.S. to help with the transition when they landed in America.Mohammad Saboor, a father of seven children, worked as an electrician and A/C technician with international and U.S. forces for 17 years. Two months ago, he and his family boarded a plane to Albania in anticipation of soon being able to go to America. They landed in California on March 12, exhausted but safeThe next day he and his family explored their new apartment in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova. Saboor said he hasnt felt safe in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in August 2021. He worried that hed be killed as retribution for the nearly two decades hed worked with the U.S. and its allies. He wondered what kind of future his children would have in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The family picked the suburb in the hope that the large Afghan population in the Sacramento area would help them get settled and find work. He envisions a bright future in America, where his kids can go to school and eventually give back to the country that took his family in. Arriving in the U.S., he said, gave them a great feeling.I believe that now we can live in a 100% peaceful environment, he said. Sullivan said he hopes there will be exceptions for Afghans in the special immigrant visa program if a travel ban is imposed. Theyve been thoroughly vetted, he said, and earned the right to be here.These are folks that actually served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats for 20 years, he said.Aqila, the Afghan ambassador, said its stressful to hear stories of what people went through in Afghanistan. But the reward comes when she sees photos of those who have arrived in America.You can see the hope in their eyes, she said. Its nice to be human. Its nice be kind to each other. REBECCA SANTANA Santana covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Associated Press. She has extensive experience reporting in such places as Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. twitter mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, bottom center, bats against the Hanshin Tigers during the third inning in an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-03-17T15:58:45Z TOKYO (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani an unprecedented $700 million contract hoping to drive interest and the dollars that come with it from fans across the Pacific.It seems to be working. Hes the main attraction as the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs open the MLB regular season on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Tokyo Dome.Hes also producing off the field, the marquee name at a sprawling souvenir store that fills an exhibition hall in the Tokyo Dome complex.MLB calls the setup its largest ever special-event store.Isnt it crazy? said Lillian Izawa, who did a slow walk through the store, wedged between shoppers and shelves of souvenirs, most carrying Ohtanis name, face or No. 17.Just as thousands of others, Izawa stood for an hour just to get in with fans three or four abreast in a twisting line entering the 30,000-square-foot store. She chose a sunny day. But the lines seemed to grow longer, even on a rainy Sunday in Tokyo. The daily flow will only intensify as Tuesdays and Wednesdays games approach and both the Dodgers and MLB cash in on Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year deal last offseason. Lets call it a Merch Museum dedicated to Ohtani and his two Japanese teammates, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, and the Dodgers. Theres even a small section for Chicago Cubs fans with most of the usual stuff caps, jerseys, t-shirts and MLB knick-knacks.Japanese people will buy anything thats in a limited edition and hard to get, and theyll resell it, said Izawa, a Japanese American from Honolulu and a flight attendant with Hawaiian Airlines. World shopping centerThe souvenir shop illustrates that Ohtani might be intensifying the worldwide interest in baseball.This is an important series, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. It highlights that baseball is on a world stage, a world platform.Rosie Rosas, a Dodgers fans from San Diego, made the trip to Tokyo with her son to visit her husband who works in Japan. Tickets for the Dodgers-Cubs games were impossible. But shopping was not. It doesnt happen very often, games like this, and the Dodgers are champions, Rosas said. And the Japanese players we have are amazing.Ruby Yu and Nick Mah, two Canadians with roots in Hong Kong, traveled from Vancouver on vacation and made Ohtani part of the experience.Things are flying off the shelf, said Ruby as Nick stood alongside with a bag full or goodies.They paid $200 apiece for two tickets to Fridays exhibition game between the Hanshin Tigers and Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won 3-0. The least expensive tickets for the Dodgers-Cubs games are fetching about $1,500 on the secondary market.We knew the Japanese were huge baseball fans, Ruby said.Wearing a blue Chicago jersey, Cubs fan Jason Umbreit was spending modestly in the souvenir shop, happy to have found a corner with Chicago merchandise.I knew it was going to be crowded, and this is the biggest shop Ive ever seen, he said.Hes also among the most fortunate baseball fans on earth. He said he paid only $60 for a ticket for one of the Dodgers-Cubs games.I got the ticket when they went on sale, he said. I was lucky. The prices, the exchange rateThe value of the Japanese yen has fallen drastically in relation to the dollar in the last 2 1/2 years. That means it has become very expensive for Japanese to travel to the United States. The yen buys fewer and fewer dollars, making American prices seem very high for Japanese. Conversely, tourists with dollars find Japan affordable.It means this MLB shop is a useful opportunity for many Japanese fans to buy coveted Ohtani and Yamamoto merchandise. Most suggested the prices though expensive might be cheaper than they are in the United States.Star Dodgers pitchers Yamamoto was asked his reaction to seeing thousands of fans wearing Dodgers garb, some with his name on the back. Or seeing his face on billboards, or inside massive souvenir store.I see the support from my fans and Id like to turn it into positive energy and carry it to the mound, he replied.At the very high end, the store offers Dodgers white or blue jersey for about 75,000 yen about $500. There are also other styles of Cubs and Dodgers jerseys for a bit less about 25,000 yen about $170. Caps and t-shirt are among the favorites, many in the $30-50 range. There are key chains for about $18 and game programs for $20.I think the prices are reasonable, Kohei Matsui said, a 21-year-old Japanese student. He described the crowds and shopping mayhem as beyond what I expected.Japanese all love baseball and Major League Baseball, and we want to see it once in our life, Matsui added. This is the chance.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb STEPHEN WADE Wade has written about sports and the politics of sports around the globe for The Associated Press. He has covered nine Olympics and five soccer World Cups and has been based for AP in Madrid, London, Beijing, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, before moving to Tokyo. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00622-1The recipients, all from African countries, were not the only beneficiaries, says Rafiou Agoro.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00733-9The 2005 finding of cells and blood vessels in dinosaur bone launched a systematic search for fossil remnants of biomolecules, creating innovations in methods and applications.

Ed Martin speaks at an event at the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)2025-03-17T21:51:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) The top federal prosecutor for the nations capital, who promoted President Donald Trumps false claims that the 2020 election was rigged, has formed a special unit to investigate election offenses, according to an email sent to lawyers in his office on Monday. Interim District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Ed Martin said the Special Unit: Election Accountability has already opened one investigation and will continue to make sure that all the election laws of our nation are obeyed, according to the email reviewed by The Associated Press. Martin, who is awaiting Senate confirmation to permanently take the position, was involved in the Stop the Steal movement, which was animated by lies about fraud after Trump lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. Martin also served on the board of a nonprofit that raised money for Capitol riot defendants and their families and legally represented at least three defendants in Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot criminal cases, including a Proud Boys member who pleaded guilty to felony charges. In the email announcing the new unit, Martin recounted uncovering voter registration fraud while serving as chairman of the Board of Elections in St. Louis years ago. That led to the implementation of accountability measures to make sure that electronic machines had a paper trail, he wrote. Nearly 20 years later, Americans do not have confidence in our election systems, Martin wrote. One of the best ways to restore that confidence is to protect our systems and demand accountability. Martin did not provide additional details about the investigation his office has already opened, and spokespeople for the office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials at the Justice Department didnt immediately respond to questions about Martins effort, which was first reported by Bloomberg Law. Democrats reacted skeptically to Martin establishing the unit, noting his involvement with Trumps efforts to spread false claims about the 2020 election.California Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees elections, said he is concerned that the unit would be more focused on attacking political enemies than protecting all Americans right to vote in free and fair elections.Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin said Martins new unit is all about installing a nationwide policy of heads I win, tails you lose.If the GOP wins, theres a mandate to trash the Constitution; if they lose, it means the election was stolen, said Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. America is going to have to defend free and fair elections against these autocrats and veteran saboteurs of democracy.The Trump administration had been expected to shift the Justice Departments priorities around investigating voting and elections. The agency has historically targeted voter suppression efforts and state laws that could disenfranchise certain groups, but conservatives have called for an increased focus on voter fraud. The scope of Martins unit is unclear and raises questions about whether he is seeking to investigate cases outside the realm of his authority, which is limited to the District of Columbia, said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research, a Washington-based nonprofit.Im waiting to see more about what this unit actually is, what jurisdiction it purports to claim, what authority it tends to seize and what laws it purports to enforce, Becker said.Voting and elections experts expressed doubts that the new unit would improve Americans confidence in elections. The false idea that there is rampant fraud in U.S. elections undermines public faith in the vote, rather than bolstering it, said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the voting rights program at the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice, There is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. The results were confirmed through multiple recounts, reviews and audits. Trump lost dozens of court challenges, including before judges he appointed during his first term. His allies also have raised the specter of widespread illegal noncitizen voting in U.S. elections, though in reality this form of fraud is exceptionally rare. Republicans in 2024 filed numerous lawsuits ahead of the presidential election about various aspects of vote-casting and voter roll management, setting the stage to contest the results if Trump had lost.Martin has roiled the D.C. U.S. attorneys office since he was appointed to the job in January. He recently demoted senior leaders who handled politically sensitive cases and forced the chief of the offices criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during the Biden administration. Martin has also raised eyebrows for describing federal prosecutors as the presidents lawyers, using his office as a platform for parroting Trumps political priorities and sending warning letters to at least two members of Congress for statements they had made. He recently sent a letter of inquiry to Georgetown University Law Centers dean that warned that his office wont hire the private schools students if it doesnt eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.___Swenson reported from New York. Associated Press writer Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report. ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer is an Associated Press reporter covering the Justice Department and legal issues from Washington. twitter mailto ALI SWENSON Swenson reports on election-related misinformation, disinformation and extremism for The Associated Press. twitter

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00827-4Spending on research, including at the NIH, will see modest cuts this year. But the threat of big reductions in future remain.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00794-wIs a revolution of standards in public life the key to tackling our intertwined environmental crises? A compelling book argues it is.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)2025-03-17T21:45:22Z HOUSTON (AP) A Texas midwife has been arrested and accused of providing illegal abortions, marking the first time authorities have filed criminal charges under the states near-total abortion ban, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday.Maria Margarita Rojas has been charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony, as well as practicing medicine without a license, which is a third-degree felony.Paxton alleges that Rojas, 48, illegally operated at least three clinics in the Houston area where illegal abortion procedures were performed in direct violation of state law.In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our states pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted, Paxton said in a statement. Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable. Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore, whose office is located northwest of Houston, referred the case to Paxton for prosecution, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. Waller County court records show Rojas was arrested on March 6 and she was released on bond the next day.Court records did not list an attorney for Rojas who could speak on her behalf.A woman reached by phone at one of Rojas clinics said Monday she did not know who Rojas was. Messages left at Rojas two other clinics were not immediately returned. On their Facebook pages, the clinics advertise various services, including physical exams, ultrasounds and vaccines. Texas is one of 12 states currently enforcing a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Texas ban allows exceptions when a pregnant patient has a life-threatening condition. Opponents of the ban say it is too vague when it comes to when medically necessary exceptions are allowed. A bill has been filed in the current Texas legislative session to clarify medical exceptions allowed under the law. The charge of illegal performance of an abortion carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison while the charge of practicing medicine without a license carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.Paxtons office said it has filed a temporary restraining order to close Rojas clinics.In the U.S., there have been few, if any, criminal charges filed alleging the operation of illegal abortion clinics since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and opened the door to state abortion bans.A Louisiana grand jury earlier this year indicted a New York doctor on charges that she illegally prescribed abortion pills online to a Louisiana patient. Paxton has filed a civil lawsuit against the same doctor under a similar accusation.___Associated Press reporter Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this report.___Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00452-1It can be hard to say no to service requests in academia. Natures Careers team sought advice on how to ensure researchers dont get stuck doing unpaid labour.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00791-zThe importance of diversity in science is an unshakeable reality that the scientific community must stand by.

A website called DOGEQUEST has posted on a searchable map what it claims to be the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of Tesla owners across the United States, and says it will remove the data if an individual proves that they have sold their Tesla. The map also includes the addresses of Tesla dealerships, the rough locations of Tesla superchargers, and the personal information of employees of the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).The veracity of much of the data is unclear. 404 Media has verified that at least some of the people listed on the site do appear to be Tesla owners or supporters of the company or Musk, but it is not clear if every person listed is. The addresses of several Tesla dealerships checked by 404 Media were correct. 404 Media found some plots on the map dont correspond correctly to their real world locations.Do you know anything else about this site? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at +44 20 8133 5190. Otherwise, send me an email at joseph@404media.co.Regardless of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the data, the site is likely to intimidate some Tesla owners and is the latest salvo in escalating protests against Tesla. Every weekend, people are participating in Tesla Takedown protests across the country; Tesla dealerships, cars, and superchargers have also been vandalized all around the U.S. It also comes as broad sentiment against the company and people who drive its vehicles is especially negative, with even Cybertruck owners themselves documenting the constant flipping-off or insults they receive. Teslas stock price has fallen 44 percent since President Donald Trump was inaugurated and was down nearly 5 percent on Monday. Last week, Trump promoted Tesla cars in front of the White House, and both Musk and Trump have tried to intimidate protesters, with Trump even saying that violence against Tesla dealerships would be considered domestic terrorism.A screenshot of the site.DOGEQUEST is the ultimate hub for enthusiasts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)! Our innovative platform allows users to explore an interactive map of DOGE landmarks, the website reads. Leveraging our cutting-edge artificial intelligence algorithms, DOGEQUEST goes a step further by connecting like-minded Tesla owners with one another, facilitating a vibrant community through shared contact information, it adds. It is not clear where the alleged Tesla owner data has been sourced from.Under a heading that reads Is DOGEQUEST a protest platform? the website says If you're on the hunt for a Tesla to unleash your artistic flair with a spray can, just step outsideno map needed! At DOGEQUEST, we believe in empowering creative expressions of protest that you can execute from the comfort of your own home.The sites cursor is a molotov cocktail.DOGEQUEST claims that it will remove a persons data if they provide proof that theyve sold their Tesla. Under the heading I want my information removed, the site says Absolutely! Just provide us with proof that you've sold your Tesla.An email sent to that address seeking comment went unanswered.Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00692-1From owl surveys to peer review, Israels researchers are maintaining regional and international ties despite boycotts and the risk of war resuming.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00798-6Scientists around the world are recognizing that their research method isnt the only way.

Palestinians Ali Marouf and his mother Aisha cook on fire on the roof of their destroyed house by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-03-17T20:56:31Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israels defense minister says Israel has resumed fighting in Gaza and is vowing to press ahead until all remaining hostages are released.In a brief statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the gates of hell will open in Gaza if hostages arent released.We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals, he said.Gazas ministry of health said at least 44 people were killed in the new wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday. Israel said it was striking Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. It was not immediately clear if the operation was a one-time pressure tactic or if the 17-month-old war was being resumed altogether. This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators, Netanyahus office said. Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza, he said. In Gaza, explosions could be heard at various locations and ambulances were arriving at Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza. The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released roughly three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. But since the first phase of the ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the nearly 60 remaining hostages and ending the war altogether. Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war, and early this month cut off the entry of all food and aid deliveries into the besieged territory to put pressure on Hamas.The war erupted with Hamas Oct 7, 2023, cross-border attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gazas population. The territorys Health Ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength, Netanyahus office said.The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes. But the territory is coping with vast destruction, with no immediate plans to rebuild. A resumption of the war threatens to reverse any progress made in recent weeks toward halting Gazas humanitarian crisis. While the ceasefire largely halted the fighting, Israel has left troops in Gaza throughout the past two months and continued to strike targets, claiming that Palestinians were trying to carry out attacks or approaching troops in no-go zones. A number of strikes earlier Monday killed a total of 10 people, according to Palestinian officials. Two strikes in central Gaza hit around the urban refugee camp of Bureij. One struck a school serving as a shelter for displaced Palestinians, killing a 52-year-old man and his 16-year-old nephew, according to officials at nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the casualties were taken. The Israeli military said it struck militants planting explosives. An earlier strike killed three men in Bureij. The Israeli military said the men were trying to plant an explosive device in the ground near Israeli troops. Gazas Hamas-led government said the men were collecting firewood.In Syria, meanwhile, Israel seized a zone in the south after the fall of longtime autocrat Bashar Assad in December. Israel says it is a preemptive security measure against the former Islamist insurgents who now run Syria, though their transitional government has not expressed threats against Israel.Strikes in the southern Syrian city of Daraa killed three people and wounded 19 others, including four children, a woman and three civil defense volunteers, the Syrian civil defense agency said. It said two ambulances were damaged. Other strikes hit military positions near the city. The Israeli military said it was targeting military command centers and sites in southern Syria that contained weapons and vehicles belonging to Assads forces. It said the materials presence posed a threat to Israel.In Lebanon, Israel said it struck two members of the Hezbollah militant group in the southern Lebanese town of Yohmor, who it said were observation operatives. Lebanons state news agency reported two people killed in the strike and two wounded.The military later said it carried out further strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, without specifying where. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect in late November ending the 14-month war between the two sides, and each side has repeatedly accused the other of violating the deal.Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. The ceasefires first phase saw an exchange of some hostages held by Hamas in return for the freeing of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefires more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. ___AP reporter Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00795-9Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00819-4The bioplastic was malleable, but is more expensive to produce than are plastics made from fossil fuels.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00717-9Inherited repeat mutations in the HTT gene expand in neurons over decades before crossing a toxic threshold, revealing a long time window for therapy.

Nature, Published online: 17 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08858-7Author Correction: B-cell-specific checkpoint molecules that regulate anti-tumour immunity

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00500-wSingle-use plastics are everywhere but two researchers are redefining the norm and championing sustainability.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00681-4In this era of anti-science activism, its wise to take steps to protect your research and reputation in the digital realm.

Activists unfurl a large banner in support of Ukraine outside the European Council building ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)2025-03-18T04:01:50Z FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) With U.S. support for Ukraine in doubt, Kyivs European allies are weighing whether to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian assets and use the money to compensate Ukraine, support its military and help rebuild shattered homes and towns.For now, the assets are still on ice, with opponents of seizure warning that the move could violate international law and destabilize financial markets.Here are key things to know about the debate surrounding the Kremlin assets that were frozen shortly after Russias full-scale invasion in early 2022: What are the assets and where are they?Originally, the money was in short-term government bonds held as reserves for the Russian central bank. By now, most of the bonds have have matured and turned into cash piling up in custodian banks. Some 210 billion euros are in European Union member states, with the biggest chunk, some 183 billion euros, at Euroclear, a Belgian clearinghouse for financial transactions. Other amounts are at financial institutions in Great Britain, Japan, France, Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Singapore.So far, the Group of Seven democracies have used the interest on the frozen cash to fund $50 billion in upfront assistance to Ukraine by borrowing against future interest income. That solution avoids legal and financial complications associated with outright confiscating the money and giving it it to Ukraine. Who is calling for seizing the assets and why?Some of Ukraines friends Poland, the United Kingdom and the Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia want to do more by taking the principal as well, given the enormous damage Russia has done. The World Bank estimates that reconstructing Ukraine will cost $524 billion over 10 years, already more than the total of the Russian assets. If one or more Western governments resists seizing the assets, the others that want to could still go ahead. Meanwhile, Ukraines allies in Europe are contemplating stepping up their financial aid in the wake of statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that Europe must take care of its own security. Several of those allies France and Belgium, for instance are already saddled with troublesome debt levels above 100% of gross domestic product. Why do France, Germany and Belgium oppose seizing the assets?European leaders say seizing the assets now would mean they couldnt be used as a bargaining chip in any peace deal or to help enforce a ceasefire.French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said Tuesday that it was against international law to seize assets in central banks. If Russian assets were seized without legal grounds, it could pose a risk to European financial stability, he said.I advocate great caution when it comes to those frozen assets, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said at a March 6 EU summit. At the moment, that is actually a chicken that also lays golden eggs. Those windfall profits are going to Ukraine.Opponents of seizure also fear that countries and investors would hesitate to use European financial institutions if they are afraid assets could be seized, undermining the euros role as an international currency for state reserves. More specifically, governments worry that countries such as Saudi Arabia and China may sell European government bonds in response, said Elina Ribakova, an economist with the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. That would raise borrowing costs for governments already deep in debt.She favors seizure, however, arguing that the European Central Bank has tools to thwart any unjustified bond selloff by purchasing government bonds.Also looming over the issue are memories of the 2010-2012 European government debt crisis, in which borrowing costs spiked and raised concerns the euro currency could break up.There is a good deal of PTSD in the EU around messing with the EU sovereign bond market because of that, said Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute in London. Would confiscating the assets be legal under international law?Some experts argue that seizure would be an appropriate countermeasure. Thats a specific legal term referring to an action that would normally be illegal but which is justified as a means to push Russia to stop its own violations of international law.There is no dilemma between using an aggressors assets to protect its victim and maintaining a commitment to the rules-based order, wrote Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and Britains former ambassador to Belarus, in a legal analysis.Other scholars say confiscation would not be a legitimate countermeasure.One reason: justifying a countermeasure as compensation for damages instead of merely as pressure to behave would be a very significant expansion of the way we have used countermeasures in the past, said Ingrid Brunk, professor of international law at Vanderbilt University Law School. I would term it as a violation of international law on countermeasures. Additionally, Brunk said international law grants strong protection to central bank reserves against seizure a principle that has been absolutely sacrosanct for a century.At a time when countries agree on almost nothing, this is a widely, universally accepted rule, Brunk said, cautioning against destabilizing one of the few ironclad bases for the international financial system.Keatinge said the legal question is a 50-50 call. It boils down to a question of political will.Have other countries frozen assets been confiscated in the past?Frozen state assets were used to compensate victims of Iraqs 1990 invasion of Kuwait and Irans 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Those actions were legally justified because they were part of post-conflict peace deals: a U.N. resolution in the case of Iraq, and by diplomatic accords in the case of Iran, noted Brunk.What has Russia said or done about the frozen assets?The Kremlin has repeatedly warned that the seizure of Russian assets would be illegitimate and erode investors confidence. We view those intentions as unlawful, and any attempt to fulfill them would entail very serious legal consequences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier this month.Russia could, in theory, seize the assets of the estimated 1,800 Western companies that continue to do business in Russia. Recent legislation would enable state seizure of companies based in countries designated as unfriendly, Russian news media report.However, theres less to seize on Russias end. Foreign companies have suffered more than $170 billion in losses since 2022, often as they decided to leave Russia or scale back there, according to the Kyiv School of Economics.___Burrows reported from London. Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report. EMMA BURROWS Burrows is an Associated Press reporter covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is based in London. twitter

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte speaks to the press during a visit by Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia at the government palace in Lima, Peru, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo, File)2025-03-18T04:11:07Z LIMA, Peru (AP) Perus president declared a state of emergency in the capital on Monday and ordered the deployment of soldiers to help police address a surge of violence, amid widespread outcry a day after the killing of a popular singer.President Dina Boluartes government published a decree saying that the state of emergency will last 30 days, and authorities will restrict some rights, including the freedom of assembly and movement. That means the police and the army would be able to detain people without a judicial order.Peru has seen an increase of killings, violent extortion and attacks on public places in recent months. Police reported 459 killings from January 1 to March 16, and 1,909 extorsion reports in January alone. But outrage crested after the killing Sunday of Paul Flores, the 39-year-old lead singer of the cumbia band Armonia 10. In Congress, opposition lawmakers requested a vote of no confidence against Interior Minister Juan Jos Santivez for what they say is a lack of a plan to fight rising violence. The vote is expected to be discussed in the Congress plenary later this week. Flores was shot to death early Sunday when assailants attacked the bus he and bandmates were traveling after a concert in Lima. Cumbia is a Latin music style that people dance to the rhythm of drums, maracas and other instruments.The attack against the popular singer was not the only violent event over the weekend. On Saturday, an object exploded at a restaurant in the capital, injuring at least 11 people.Boluartes government previously decreed a state of emergency in an attempt to stem the violence between September and December.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00812-xThe US government has begun slashing US$400 million in research grants at Columbia University over pro-Palestinian campus protests.

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00357-zA Nature special.

This image taken from NASA video shows the SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague, and Russian astronaut Alexander Gorbunov, undocking from the International Space Station on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (NASA via AP)2025-03-18T05:07:58Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) NASAs two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station their home since last spring departing aboard a SpaceX capsule alongside two other astronauts. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, weather permitting.The two expected to be gone just a week or so after launching on Boeings new Starliner crew capsule on June 5. So many problems cropped up on the way to the space station that NASA eventually sent Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming into February. Then SpaceX capsule issues added another months delay. Sundays arrival of their relief crew meant Wilmore and Williams could finally leave. NASA cut them loose a little early, given the iffy weather forecast later this week. They checked out with NASAs Nick Hague and Russias Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo. Well miss you, but have a great journey home, NASAs Anne McClain called out from the space station as the capsule pulled away 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Pacific. Their plight captured the worlds attention, giving new meaning to the phrase stuck at work. While other astronauts had logged longer spaceflights over the decades, none had to deal with so much uncertainty or see the length of their mission expand by so much.Wilmore and Williams quickly transitioned from guests to full-fledged station crew members, conducting experiments, fixing equipment and even spacewalking together. With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts. Both had lived on the orbiting lab before and knew the ropes, and brushed up on their station training before rocketing away. Williams became the stations commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month. Their mission took an unexpected twist in late January when President Donald Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate the astronauts return and blamed the delay on the Biden administration. The replacement crews brand new SpaceX capsule still wasnt ready to fly, so SpaceX subbed it with a used one, hurrying things along by at least a few weeks.Even in the middle of the political storm, Wilmore and Williams continued to maintain an even keel at public appearances from orbit, casting no blame and insisting they supported NASAs decisions from the start. NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing after the shuttle program ended, in order to have two competing U.S. companies for transporting astronauts to and from the space station until its abandoned in 2030 and steered to a fiery reentry. By then, it will have been up there more than three decades; the plan is to replace it with privately run stations so NASA can focus on moon and Mars expeditions. Both retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams stressed they didnt mind spending more time in space a prolonged deployment reminiscent of their military days. But they acknowledged it was tough on their families.Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughters senior year of high school; his older daughter is in college. Williams, 59, had to settle for internet calls from space to her mother. Theyll have to wait until theyre off the SpaceX recovery ship and flown to Houston before the long-awaited reunion with their loved ones.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Injured Palestinians wait for treatment at the hospital following Israeli army airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammad Jahjouh)2025-03-18T03:37:48Z Follow the APs live coverage on the Israels latest operation in Gaza. DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 200 deaths.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israels actions.Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength, Netanyahus office said.The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive. Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the hostages to an unknown fate. In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement. In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young boy sat with a bandage around his head as a health worker checked for more injuries, a young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged. Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territorys 2 million Palestinians to try to pressure Hamas to accept it.Nobody wants to fight, Palestinian resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. Everyone is still suffering from the previous months, he said. U.S. backs Israel and blames HamasThe White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately or pay a severe price.An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was striking Hamas military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the ceasefire went into effect.Israels defense minister, Israel Katz, said the gates of hell will open in Gaza if the hostages arent released. We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals, he said. Explosions could be heard throughout Gaza. Khalil Degran, a spokesman for the Health Ministry based at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza, said at least 200 people had been killed. The territorys civil defense agency said its crews were having a difficult time carrying out rescue efforts because various areas were being targeted simultaneously. Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalledThe strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the ceasefire.But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war altogether. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas governing and military capabilities and frees all hostages.Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume the war.This comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators, Netanyahus office said early Tuesday.Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized the Israeli attacks. The international community faces a moral test: either it allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza, he said. Gaza already was in a humanitarian crisisThe war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gazas population. The territorys Health Ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and children.The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes.A renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from the fighting. The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel over the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of the hostages released by Hamas returned emaciated and malnourished, putting heavy pressure on the government to extend the ceasefire. The released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the ceasefire to return all remaining hostages, and tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all hostages.Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahus announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israels internal security agency, the Shin Bet. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt by Netanyahu to divert blame for his governments failures in the Oct. 7 attack and handling of the war. Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the ceasefire.Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to begin on the ceasefires more difficult second phase, in which the remaining hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.___Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Nature, Published online: 14 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00707-xThe drop in body temperature that occurs during a torpid state is linked to molecular markers of longer life in mice.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00757-1In the wake of the Trump administrations funding freezes and job cuts, some researchers are planning their next move.

Cranes load a cargo ship at the Panama Canal's Balboa Port in Panama City, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix, File)2025-03-18T04:37:41Z HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs leader has waded into a controversy over a prominent conglomerates decision to sell its Panama Canal port assets to a consortium including American investment bank BlackRock Inc., a deal that has angered Beijing and highlights how escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington can leave the Chinese financial centers business leaders trapped in the middle. Chief Executive John Lee told reporters at a weekly news briefing that CK Hutchison Holdings in-principle agreement to sell its controlling stake in a company operating ports at both ends of the Panama Canal was being discussed extensively and concerns raised about the deal deserve serious attention. He did not specify what the concerns were.(The) government urges foreign governments to provide a fair and just environment for enterprises, he said. We oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations. Lee avoided a direct mention of U.S. President Donald Trump and also stopped short of criticizing CK Hutchison or tycoon Li Ka-shings family, which owns a controlling stake in the conglomerate. His comments followed a somewhat veiled backlash from Beijing. Since last Thursday, Beijings offices handling Hong Kong affairs have reposted two commentaries by a Beijing-backed local newspaper that blasted the deal. That has raised questions over the sale. One of the newspaper commentaries suggested the deal is a betrayal to all Chinese and disregards national interests. The other described great entrepreneurs as patriots, but suggested that businesspeople who dance with predatory American politicians to reap quick profits were doomed to infamy.The articles signaled Beijings disapproval of the deal, though its actual impact remains unclear. Posting of the articles has been seen as an indirect attack on the conglomerate by Chinese leaders. Trump, who has alleged Chinese interference with the operations of the critical shipping lane, hailed the deal, saying his administration would reclaim the Panama Canal. Panama President Jos Ral Mulino accused him of lying. Lee said any business transaction must comply with Hong Kongs laws. The city will handle it according to the law, he said without elaborating. Increasing influence from Beijing is adding to pressure on business leaders in the former British colony, that was returned to Chinese rule in 1997. CK Hutchison did not comment on Lees remarks or the articles. It was due to report its 2024 financial results on Thursday, but said it did not plan a news conference. The company surprised market watchers when it announced March 4 that it would sell all shares in Hutchison Port Holdings and in Hutchison Port Group Holdings to the consortium in a deal valued at nearly $23 billion, including $5 billion in debt. Hutchison said the transaction was purely commercial and unrelated to other developments surrounding the Panama Ports. The deal, if approved, will give the BlackRock consortium control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere. The transaction requires approval by Panamas government. It does not affect a trust that operates ports in Hong Kong or any other ports in mainland China.Panama says it has full control over the shipping lane and Hutchisons operation of the ports does not amount to Chinese control over the canal. Selling it to a U.S.-based company does not represent any U.S. reclaiming of the canal, it says.The United States built the canal in the early 1900s, seeking a faster way for commercial and military vessels to travel between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter. Trump has claimed that Carter foolishly gave the canal away. Some 70% of the sea traffic that crosses the Panama Canal leaves or goes to U.S. ports. KANIS LEUNG Leung covers Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China for The Associated Press. She is based in Hong Kong. twitter

President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)2025-03-18T04:02:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump is set to hold talks on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he looks to get buy-in on a U.S. ceasefire proposal that he hopes can create a pathway to ending Russias devastating war on Ukraine.The White House is optimistic that peace is within reach even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains skeptical that Putin is doing much beyond paying lip service to Trump as Russian forces continue to pound his country.The engagement is just the latest turn in dramatically shifting U.S.-Russia relations as Trump has made quickly ending the conflict a top priority, even at the expense of straining ties with longtime American allies who want Putin to pay a price for the invasion.Its a bad situation in Russia, and its a bad situation in Ukraine, Trump told reporters on Monday. Whats happening in Ukraine is not good, but were going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace. And I think well be able to do it. In preparation for the Trump-Putin call, White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow to discuss the proposal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework. The U.S. president said Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing dividing up certain assets between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict. Trump, who during his campaign pledged to quickly end the war, has at moments boasted of his relationship with Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russias unprovoked invasion, all while accusing Zelenskyy of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in Europe since World War II.Trump has said that swaps of land and power plants will be part of the conversation with Putin. Witkoff and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that U.S. and Russian officials have discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia power plant in southern Ukraine. The power plant has been caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. The U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the nuclear power plant, Europes largest, fueling fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The nuclear power plant is a significant asset, producing nearly a quarter of Ukraines electricity in the year before the war. I can say we are on the 10th yard line of peace, Leavitt said. And weve never been closer to a peace deal than we are in this moment. And the president, as you know, is determined to get one done.But Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, questioned whether Putin is ready to end the war or will hold out for potential further concessions as Trump grows impatient.After a disastrous Feb. 28 White House meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump temporarily cut off some military intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine. It was restored after the Ukrainians last week signed off on the Trump administrations 30-day ceasefire proposal. The U.S. has been consistently offering in some form preemptive concessions that have been weakening the American and Ukrainian negotiating position, Bowman said. I think theres a real danger here that the administrations approach is boiling down to sticks for Ukraine and carrots for Putin.Zelensky in his nightly video address on Monday made clear he remains doubtful that Putin is ready for peace.Now, almost a week later, its clear to everyone in the world even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war, Zelenskyy said.In his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has frequently focused on who has the leverage. Putin has the cards and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said repeatedly.Trump, who has long shown admiration for Putin, has also made clear hed like to see the U.S.-Russia relationship return to a more normal footing. The president during his recent contentious meeting with Zelenskyy grumbled that Putin went through a hell of a lot with me, a reference to the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in which he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump on Monday again underscored his view that Ukraine is not in a strong negotiating position. He said Russian forces have surrounded Ukrainian troops in Russias Kursk region amplifying an assertion made by Russian officials thats been refuted by Zelenskyy.Ukraines army stunned Russia in August last year by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land. But Ukraines forces are now in retreat and it has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia. Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Ukrainians are on their back foot but refutes Russian claims that they have encircled his troops in Kursk.Trump suggested that hes taken unspecified action that has kept Russia from slaughtering Ukrainian troops in Kursk.Theyre surrounded by Russian soldiers, and I believe if it wasnt for me they wouldnt be here any longer, Trump said.Leavitt is one of three Trump administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00815-8Leopard-spotted rocks are an intriguing signal of microbial life on Mars. Plus, should the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment be retracted more than 50 years on?

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00709-9Fears are rising that infectious diseases such as measles could make a comeback now that the anti-vaccine advocate is in charge of the US public-health system.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00782-0The device, to be tested in more people, could be used as a temporary measure for those waiting for a donor organ.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00779-9Failure to agree on global grants to help low- and middle-income countries to achieve net-zero emissions cannot be the end of the story. An urgent solution is needed.

The body of a Palestinian killed in an Israeli army airstrikes is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)2025-03-18T07:29:53Z TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) The relative calm of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, when Israel launched dozens of attacks on targets across the Gaza Strip. Palestinian hospital officials say more than 320 people have been killed, including women and children. Israel says the operation is open-ended and expected to expand, raising fears of the 17-month-old war fully reigniting.Heres what to know about how the strikes came about and what might come next. What happened to the ceasefire? The ceasefire agreed to in mid-January was a three-phase plan, the first of which actually ended two weeks ago. Israel balked at entering substantive negotiations over the second phase, which were meant to lead to a long-term ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of all hostages taken by Hamas in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war.The ceasefire was supposed to continue as long as talks over the second phase went on, according to the agreement reached after more than a year of negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.During the first phase, Hamas returned 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces also withdrew to buffer zones inside Gaza, and hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to northern Gaza. No further hostage releases were called for under the agreement until the second phase. Hundreds of aid trucks had been entering daily. But two weeks ago, Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel, electricity and other supplies to the territorys around 2 million people to pressure Hamas to accept a new proposal. The new plan would require Hamas to release half its remaining hostages the militant groups main bargaining chip in exchange for a ceasefire extension and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Israel made no mention of releasing more Palestinian prisoners a key component of the first phase. Hamas refused the new proposal, accusing Israel of trying to sabotage the existing agreement. Is the ceasefire over? Unless mediators step in, Israels surprise attack could mean a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly threatened to resume the war, said he ordered the strikes because of Hamas rejection of the new proposal. He said Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israels actions.Hamas accused Netanyahu of upending the ceasefire agreement and exposing the remaining hostages to an unknown fate. In a statement, it called on mediators to hold Israel fully responsible for violating and overturning the agreement.The attack came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. No major fighting has occurred in Gaza since the ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19, but Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military said had entered unauthorized areas, engaged in militant activities or otherwise violated the truce. What is Netanyahus situation? Netanyahu has come under mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israels internal security agency. Families of hostages still held in Gaza expressed concern Tuesday over their loved ones. We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas, the Hostages Families Forum said.But Netanyahu has also faced demands from his hard-line allies not to allow any deal in Gaza that falls short of Hamas destruction. Negotiations with Hamas over a second phase could have brought pressure for compromises over how Gaza will be ruled in the future. Netanyahus critics say his firing of the security agency chief and a string of other dismissals are part of a broader campaign aimed at undermining independent government institutions. They say hes doing this to maintain power while on trial for alleged corruption and facing public pressure to accept his own responsibility for policy failures in the lead-up to Hamas surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. What else is happening?A resumption of fighting in Gaza could have repercussions around the region. Yemens Iran-backed Houthi rebels denounced the Israeli strikes, saying the Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle indicating a possible resumption of the Houthis strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.The United States launched a new airstrikes over the weekend targeting the Houthis in Yemen in retaliation for its attacks on shipping. At least 53 people were reported killed. ore.U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran would suffer the consequences for any further Houthi attacks, threatening to widen the conflict further. New Gaza violence could also shake the ceasefire that Israel reached with Hezbollah in November, which stopped months of deadly exchanges of fire over the Israeli-Lebanon border. ___Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Lee Keath in Cairo and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. DAVID RISING Rising covers regional Asia-Pacific stories for The Associated Press. He has worked around the world, including covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and was based for nearly 20 years in Berlin before moving to Bangkok. twitter mailto TIA GOLDENBERG Goldenberg is an Associated Press reporter and producer covering Israel and the Palestinian territories. She previously reported on East and West Africa from Nairobi. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00705-zA well-timed atmospheric river dropped enough snow on Greenland for its ice sheet to lose 8% less mass than expected.

Nature, Published online: 13 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00781-1A huge haul of 128 newfound satellites might be a hint of past collisions in the planets orbit, or something else.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08711-xMelting and squeezing pure metals between two sapphires covered in molybdenum disulfide produces diverse two-dimensional metals at the ngstrm thickness limit.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08688-7An analysis of habitat fragmentation using a dataset of more than 4,000 species worldwide shows that fragmentation reduces biodiversity at all scales, and that increases in diversity do not compensate for the loss of diversity.

This U.S. Army image provided by the U.S. Dept. of Defense shows Medal of Honor winner US Army Major General Charles Calvin Rogers. (U.S. Army via AP)2025-03-18T01:15:07Z The Pentagon said Monday that internet pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were mistakenly taken down but staunchly defended its overall campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers DEI. A Defense Department webpage honoring Black Medal of Honor recipient Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers was taken down last week. The department actually temporarily changed the web address to insert deimedal-of-honor, which then led to a 404 - Page not found message, according to a screenshot captured by the Internet Archive on March 15. A U.S. official said the website was mistakenly taken down during an automated removal process. But its not the only one. Thousands of pages honoring contributions by women and minority groups have been taken down in efforts to delete material promoting diversity, equity and inclusion a step that Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended at a briefing Monday. I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, is frankly, incorrect, Parnell said. Our shared purpose and unity are our strength. And I say this as somebody who led a combat platoon in Afghanistan that was probably the most diverse platoon that you could possibly imagine. But it isnt resonating that way with veterans or communities who honor those groups and raises questions as to whether the administrations fixation on getting rid of images that highlight the contributions of women, minorities and members of the LGBTQ community will ultimately backfire and hurt recruiting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump have already removed the only female four-star officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and removed its Black Chairman, Gen. CQ Brown Jr. The full throttled attack on Black leadership, dismantling of civil rights protections, imposition of unjust anti-DEI regulations, and unprecedented historical erasure across the Department of Defense is a clear sign of a new Jim Crow being propagated by our Commander in Chief, said Richard Brookshire, co-CEO of the Black Veterans Project, a nonprofit advocating for the elimination of racial inequities among uniformed service members. Rogers, a native of Fire Creek, West Virginia, was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1970 by then-President Richard Nixon, becoming the highest-ranking Black service member to receive the countrys greatest military honor. He was wounded three times while serving in Vietnam. Rogers joined the U.S. Army in 1951, six months before the racial desegregation of the U.S. military.He remained outspoken throughout his life about the discrimination Black service members faced. In a 1975 interview with the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia, Rogers described how difficult it was for them to rise into leadership positions and said the struggle for equal treatment in the military wasnt over. We still have and will have what the Department of Defense describes as institutional racism, he said. The story of Rogers web page removal was first reported by The Guardian. It was back online Monday night.Another page that was removed featured the World War II Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, U.S. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge said Monday.According to the Army, the 4,000 men who made up the unit were mostly American-born children of Japanese immigrants, known as Nisei soldiers. Their losses were so great the whole unit had to be replaced nearly 3.5 times, according to the Army. In total, about 14,000 men served, ultimately earning 9,486 Purple Hearts, 21 Medals of Honor and an unprecedented eight Presidential Unit Citations.But their story was removed in accordance with a Presidential Executive Order and guidance from the Secretary of Defense when the service took down a website celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. The Army is tirelessly working through content on that site and articles related to the 442nd Infantry Regiment and Nisei Soldiers will be republished to better align with current guidance, Surridge said in a statement. The Army remains committed to sharing the stories of our Soldiers, their units, and their sacrifice. The mostly Japanese American segregated unit was highly decorated despite facing prejudice after Japans attack on Pearl Harbor. After the removal of the 442nd page was reported by the Honolulu Advertiser and other media outlets, the U.S. Armys website prominently displayed a page with a spotlight label Monday featuring the units history.After Japans Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans were viewed with suspicion and initially prevented from enlisting for military service. Nearly 110,000 were sent to internment camps. Congress presented 442nd members and other Japanese American veterans of World War II its highest civilian honor the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. The erasure of the 442nd content also drew congressional ire. Democrat Hawaii Rep. Ed Case wrote Friday in a letter asking for the pages to be restored that it is clear that the Army is intentionally removing these websites based solely on race without any consideration of or respect for historical context.The Japanese American Citizens League also denounced the decision, calling it an attempt to erase the legacy of thousands of soldiers who gave everything for a country that doubted them.Bill Wright, whose father was an officer in the 442nd, said the pages removal is just one example of whats happening across Department of Defense websites reflective of current politics. We dont have any control over that except at the ballot box, he said, adding that it wont deter him and others from continuing to educate people about the unit.Mark Matsunaga, a former Honolulu journalist whose Japanese American father and uncles served in World War II, said he was grateful to see the 442nds webpage restored, but that one act doesnt solve the larger problem. Theyre still eliminating all kinds of content photos, articles, social media posts that all help Americans to understand how diverse their military is, he said. Clearly this is part of an attempt to whitewash history. TARA COPP Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia. twitter mailto

Policemen watch as vehicles are torched during communal clashes sparked by protests demanding removal of the tomb of 17th-century Muslim Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in Nagpur, India, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo)2025-03-18T09:00:13Z NEW DELHI (AP) Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of a western Indian city on Tuesday, a day after sectarian clashes were sparked by Hindu nationalist groups who want to demolish the tomb of a 17th-century Muslim Mughal ruler.Clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra states Nagpur city broke out on Monday during a protest led by Hindu nationalist groups demanding the demolition of the tomb of Aurangzeb, a Muslim Mughal ruler who has been dead for more than 300 years.Lawmaker Chandrashekhar Bawankule said at least 34 police personnel and five other people were injured and several houses and vehicles were damaged during the violence. Senior police office Ravinder Singal said at least 50 people have been arrested so far.Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtras top elected official, said the violence began after rumors were spread that things containing religious content were burnt by the protesters, referring to the Quran. Aurangzebs tomb is in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar city, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Nagpur. The city was earlier called Aurangabad, after the Mughal ruler. Aurangzeb is a loathed figure among Indias Hindu nationalists, who accuse him of persecuting Hindus during his rule in the 17th century, even though some historians say such stories are exaggerated.As tensions between Hindus and Muslims have mounted under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scorn for Aurangzeb has grown. Modi has made references to Aurangzeb in the past, accusing him of persecuting Hindus. Such remarks have led to anxieties among the countrys significant Muslim minority who in recent years have been at the receiving end of violence from Hindu nationalists, emboldened by a prime minister who has mostly stayed mum on such attacks since he was first elected in 2014.Tensions over the Mughal ruler have intensified in India after the release of Bollywood movie Chhaava, an action film based on a Hindu warrior who fought against Aurangzeb. The film has been lambasted by some movie critics for feeding into a divisive narrative that risks exacerbating religious rifts in the country. While there have long been tensions between Indias majority Hindu community and Muslims, rights groups say that attacks against minorities have become more brazen under Modi. They also accuse Modi of discriminatory policies towards the countrys Muslims.Modis ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party denies this.Hindu extremists have also targeted Muslim places of worship across the country and laid claim to several famous mosques, arguing they are built on the ruins of prominent temples. Many such cases are pending in courts.Last year, Modi delivered on a longstanding demand from Hindu nationalists and millions of Hindus when he opened a controversial temple on the site of a razed mosque in northern Indias Ayodhya city. The 16th-century Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 by Hindu mobs who believe Ram, one of Hinduisms most revered deity, was born at the exact spot. SHEIKH SAALIQ Saaliq covers news across India and the South Asia region for The Associated Press, often focusing on politics, democracy, conflict and religion. He is based in New Delhi. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00797-7Why failing to control defunct satellites leaves everyone at risk from their impacts.

Nature, Published online: 18 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00821-wJapan needs a fresh approach to innovation