Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa during a joint press conference following their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)2025-03-15T06:02:41Z ANKARA, Turkey (AP) The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assads government has aggravated already tense relations between Turkey and Israel, with their conflicting interests in Syria pushing the relationship toward a possible collision course.Turkey, which long backed groups opposed to Assad, has emerged as a key player in Syria and is advocating for a stable and united Syria, in which a central government maintains authority over the whole country. It welcomed a breakthrough agreement that Syrias new interim government signed this week with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, to integrate with the Syrian government and army.Israel, on the other hand, remains deeply suspicious of Syrias interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, pointing to his roots in al-Qaida. Its also wary of Turkeys influence over Damascus and appears to want to see Syria remain fragmented after the country under Assad was turned into a staging ground for its archenemy, Iran, and Tehrans proxies. Syria has become a theater for proxy warfare between Turkey and Israel, which clearly see each other as regional competitors, said Asli Aydintasbas, of the Washington-based Brookings Institute. This is a very dangerous dynamic because in all different aspects of Syrias transition, there is a clash of Turkish and Israeli positions.Following Assads fall, Israel seized territory in southern Syria, which Israeli officials said was aimed at keeping hostile groups away from its border. The new Syrian government and the United Nations have said Israels incursions violate a 1974 ceasefire agreement between the two countries and have called for Israel to withdraw. Israel has also conducted airstrikes targeting military assets left behind by Assads forces and has expressed plans to maintain a long-term presence in the region. Analysts say Israel is concerned over the possibility of Turkey expanding its military presence inside Syria. Since 2016, Turkey has launched operations in northern Syria to push back Syrian Kurdish militias linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and maintains influence in the north of the country through military bases and alliances with groups that opposed Assad. Turkish defense officials have said Turkey and Syria are now cooperating to strengthen the countrys defense and security, and that a military delegation will visit Syria next week.Nimrod Goren, president of the Mitvim Institute, an Israeli foreign policy think tank, said that unlike Turkey, which supports a strong, centralized and stable Syria, Israel at the moment appears to prefer Syria fragmented, with the belief that could better bolster Israels security.He said Israel is concerned about al-Sharaa and his Islamist ties, and fears that his consolidated strength could pose what Israel has called a jihadist threat along its northern border.Israeli officials say they will not tolerate a Syrian military presence south of Damascus and have threatened to invade a Damascus suburb in defense of members of the Druze minority sect, who live in both Israel and Syria, after short-lived clashes broke out between the new Syrian security forces and Druze armed factions. The distance from Damascus to the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights is about 60 kilometers (37 miles.) Turkey and Israel once were close allies, but the relationship has been marked by deep tensions under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans more than two-decade rule, despite brief periods of reconciliation. Erdogan is an outspoken critic of Israels policies toward the Palestinians, while Israel has been angered by Erdogans support for the Hamas militant group, which Israel considers to be a terrorist group.Following the war in Gaza, Turkey strongly denounced Israels military actions, announced it was cutting trade ties with Israel, and joined a genocide case South Africa brought against Israel at the U.N. International Court of Justice.Aydintasbas said Turkish authorities are now increasingly concerned that Israel is supportive of autonomy demands from Kurds, the Druze and Alawites. Erdogan issued a thinly veiled threat against Israel last week, saying: Those who seek to provoke ethnic and religious (divisions) in Syria to exploit instability in the country should know that they will not be able to achieve their goals.Last week, factions allied with the new Syrian government allegedly including some backed by Turkey launched revenge attacks on members of Assads Alawite minority sect after pro-Assad groups attacked government security forces on Syrias coast. Monitoring groups said hundreds of civilians were killed. Erdogan strongly condemned the violence and suggested the attacks were aimed at Syrias territorial integrity and social stability. Israels deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, said the deadly sectarian violence amounted to ethnic cleansing by Islamist groups led by a jihadist Islamist terror group that took Damascus by force and was supported by Turkey. Israel, Haskel added, was working to prevent a threat along its border from Syrias new jihadist regime.Israels involvement in Syria is deepening, with the country pledging protection and economic aid to the Druze community in southern Syria at a time of heightened sectarian tensions. The Druze, a small religious sect, are caught between Syrias new Islamist-led government in Damascus and Israel, which many Syrians view as a hostile neighbor leveraging the Druzes plight to justify its intervention in the region. Israel says it sent food aid trucks to the Druze in southern Syria and is allowing some Syrian Druze to cross into the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights to work. Al-Sharaa was somewhat conciliatory toward Israel in his early statements, saying that he didnt seek a conflict. But his language has become stronger. In a speech at a recent Arab League emergency meeting in Cairo, he said that Israels aggressive expansion is not only a violation of Syrian sovereignty, but a direct threat to security and peace in the entire region. The Brookings Institutes Aydintasbas said the escalating tensions are cause for serious concern.Before we used to have Israel and Turkey occasionally engage in spats, but be able to decouple their security relationship from everything else, Aydintasbas said. But right now, they are actively trying to undermine each other. The question is, do these countries know each others red lines?A report from the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank led by a former Israeli military intelligence chief, suggested that Israel could benefit from engaging with Turkey, the one regional power with considerable influence over Syrias leadership, to reduce the risk of military conflict between Israel and Syria.__Hazboun reported from Jerusalem. Tia Goldenberg contributed from Jerusalem. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Photo by Humberland. Design by Sam Donndelinger. Subscribe nowFor over 150 years, the United States has been Canadas closest ally. But in the last few months, that relationship has deteriorated as the Trump administration has imposed sweeping tariffs on certain Canadian goods, called former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau governor and threatened to annex the country.This unprecedented strain is occurring as Canada is on the precipice of electing a new leader. On Friday, former central banker Mark Carney was sworn in as Prime Minister. In the coming months, Canadians will decide whether Carney retains this position or if Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre will take over.Polls suggest the election will be tight. Uncloseted Media wanted to investigate both candidates track records when it comes to LGBTQ issues. While Carney has yet to publicly take a stance on queer matters, Poilievre has a colorful past. From flip-flopping on gay marriagewhich he now supportsto echoing the anti-trans rhetoric of the Trump administration and Republicans in the U.S., here is Poilievres complete track record.Early Life: 1990sWhen Pierre Poilievre is about 12 years old, his adoptive parents split up and his father comes out as gay. That was never a source of difficulty for him, Andrew Lawton writes in his 2024 biography about Poilievre. In a Toronto Star op-ed about the biography, columnist Andrew Phillips notes that its surprising there is not more information about this in the biography. Its hard to believe there isnt more to say about events that would be life-shaking for anyone.Member of Parliament: 2004PresentJune 28, 2004Poilievre is elected as a Member of Parliament, representing Ontarios Nepean-Carleton Constituency.April 19, 2005Video by House of Commons. As a conservative member of parliament, Poilievre speaks to the House of Commons against the Civil Marriage Act, which was intended to legalize gay marriage.It is an honour to rise today in support of the traditional definition of marriage. He continues his speech by accusing the Liberal Prime Minister, Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, of [dividing] Canadians with their obsession with imposing gay marriage.Poilievre frames the issue of legalizing gay marriage as being in opposition to the traditional family. He refers to a bishop who opposes gay marriage as pro-family. Despite Poilievres opposition, the Civil Marriage Act passes on June 28, 2005.Photo by Jake WrightDec. 7, 2006Poilievre votes in favor of a Conservative motion that seeks to overturn same-sex marriage by defining marriage as a heterosexual relationship while recognizing existing LGBTQ marriages. The motion is defeated by a vote of 175-123, with 13 conservatives voting against it.Member of Parliament for Carleton: 2020-2022Photo by Andrew ScheerJan. 17, 2020In an interview with the Qubeqois French-language publication La Presse, Poilievre clarifies that his position on gay marriage has changed: "I am in favour of gay marriage. Period. I voted against it 15 years ago. But I have learned a lot, like millions and millions of people across Canada and around the world. I see that gay marriage is a success. The institution of marriage must be open to all citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation," Poilievre states.Video via of Pierre Poilievres X account. Jan. 22, 2020Richard Dcarie, who was an advisor to former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, makes homophobic comments during an on-air interview with CTV News. He says being gay is a choice and declares that the government has a responsibility to encourage the traditional values that we have had for the past years.Poilievre responds to Dcaries comments on X: The comments are as unacceptable as they are ignorant. You do not speak for Conservativesor for Canadians. Being gay is NOT a choice. Being ignorant is.Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada: 2022- PresentSept. 10, 2022Poilievre is elected leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Tonight begins the journey to replace an old government that costs you more and delivers you less with a new government that puts you first: your paycheck, your retirement, your home, your country. By tackling liberal inflation, we will put you back in control of your life and your money.Video courtesy of Global News. June 2, 2023During a press conference in Winnipeg, Poilievre is asked about a Ugandan law seeking to imprison LGBT people, as well as whether he plans to attend a Pride march. The Ugandan law is outrageous and appalling, responds Poilievre. We should continue to give refuge in Canada to LGBT people who are persecuted abroad.Poilievre goes on to acknowledge the beginning of Pride Month in Canada: I wish everyone a happy Pride month because our freedom is something in which all of us can take pride.July 2023At the Calgary Stampede, Poilievre poses for a picture with a man wearing a Straight Pride shirt. Straight Pride is a movement formed in response to the advancement of gay rights, emphasizing the importance of heterosexual relationships over queer ones. After news of the controversial picture spreads, Poilievre says he [doesnt] agree with the T-shirt."Photo courtesy of @BSpence1983s account on XSept. 9, 2023Poilievres Conservative Party approves two new party policies barring transgender youth from what the motion describes as "life-altering medicinal or surgical interventions." The policies pass at the convention by a vote of 69%.According to the CBC, it is not clear which specific procedures and treatments are banned. Poilievrewho, as party leader, is not obligated to adopt policies passed at the conventionrefrains from taking a clear stance. He says he will be studying them carefully and talking with our caucus members. When we've had a chance to do our homework we'll have more to say."Subscribe for LGBTQ-focused journalism.Sept. 2023In June, New Brunswick passes a policy that requires parental consent for students under 16 to be referred to by their preferred name and pronouns. In August, Saskatchewan follows suit, using the notwithstanding clausealso known as Section 33to pass the motion titled the Parents Bill of Rights.In response, a wave of protests break out across the country. While pro-LGBTQ groups feel these policies violate queer students autonomy and privacy, protestors condemn the sexualization of education and push for parents rights.In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau releases a statement on X: Let me make one thing very clear: Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia have no place in this country. We strongly condemn this hate and its manifestations, and we stand united in support of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians across the country you are valid and you are valued.Photo courtesy of Pierre Poilievres X account. In a reply to the post, Poilievre says Trudeau always divides to distract from all he has broken. Framing the issue of LGBTQ policies in schools as one centered around parents rights (a common strategy used in the U.S.), Poilievre accuses Trudeau of demonizing concerned parents.Parents should be the final authority on the values and lessons that are taught to children, says Poilievre. Trudeau should butt out and let parents raise their kids.November 2023In a video taken at a meet-and-greet in a Toronto suburb, Poilievre says to members of the Chinese-Canadian community that Justin Trudeau does not have a right to impose his radical gender ideology on our kids and our schools. What conservatives often label as radical gender ideology often refers to the acceptance and usage of students preferred pronouns and gender identity.Jan. 31, 2024Conservative Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, announces a new plan to ban some elements of gender-affirming healthcare for trans kids. Smiths plan includes prohibiting puberty blockers and hormone therapies for those aged 15 and under, and it bans gender reassignment surgeries for minors aged 17 and under.Only eight chest surgeries were performed in Alberta for reasons of gender dysphoria from 2022-2023. Bottom surgeries were already restricted for minors nationally.Feb. 6, 2024Poilievre pledges his support for Smiths proposals. He says he [thinks] we should protect children and their ability to make adult decisions when theyre adults.Video courtesy of The Canadian Press.Feb. 7, 2024During a news conference on Parliament Hill, Poilievre is asked by a journalist to confirm, in the context of Albertas proposed policy, that he was against the use of puberty blockers for people under 18. He answers, yes. Its important to note that Smiths proposal would only ban blockers for kids under the age of 16.Photo by The Registered Nurses' Association of OntarioFeb. 2024The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) issues an Action Alert titled, Hon. Pierre Poilievre, stop targeting transgender youth! RNAO urges Canadians to sign the alert that accuses Poilievre of echoing and amplifying anti-transgender views across the country.These views are ill-informed and dangerous to the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable youth in our society, the report states.To receive new posts and support investigative LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Feb. 21, 2024Poilievre states that trans women, who he refers to as biological males, are not to be permitted in womens sports leagues and change rooms. In response, Amnesty International, an NGO focused on human rights, condemns Poilievres statement: This shameful rhetoric [puts] trans and gender-diverse people at further risk; it obscures the realities of gender-based violence in Canada.Prime Minister Trudeau also condemns Poilievre, stating, Mr. Poilievre went off against the LGBT community again this morning. Let far-right politicians pick fights with trans kids, Trudeau continues. Shame on them.Feb. 21, 2024Egale Canada, a leading Canadian LGBTQ advocacy group releases a statement saying Poilievres transphobic comments were irresponsible and dangerous. Egale Canada urges Pierre Poilievre, and all of our political leaders, to immediately stop contributing to the spread of harmful disinformation. It is more urgent than ever that we all work together to take action to end the violence against 2SLGBTQI people in our country.March 2024A civil and human rights e-petition is put forward in the House of Commons by Liberal Member of Parliament Randy Boissonnault. The petition asks Poilievre to issue a formal apology for the anti-trans comments on Feb. 21. The petition received 238 signatures, less than half of the 500 signatures required to certify the petition.June 2024Poilievre has yet to appear at a Pride March, which has become a common tradition for Canadian leaders from all partiesincluding Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh and even conservative Premier Doug Ford.June 3, 2024In a media statement, Poilievre says he disagrees with a member of his caucus, Arnold Viersen, who opposes gay marriage and supports abortion restrictions. "Canadians are free to love and marry who they choose. Same-sex marriage is legal and it will remain legal when I am prime minister, full stop, he says.He goes on to say that he will lead a small government that minds its own business, letting people make their own decisions about their love lives, their families, their bodies, their speech, their beliefs and their money. We will put people back in charge of their lives in the freest country in the world."Jan. 21, 2025One day after President Donald Trump signs an executive order proclaiming male and female as the only legitimate sexes, Poilievre says he is only aware of two genders. Poilievre suggests the Canadian government should not have a role to play in conversations about gender identity, stating we should have a government that just minds its own damn business and leaves people alone to make their own personal decisions.Timothy Caulfield, a professor at the University of Albertas Faculty of Law and School of Public Health, calls Poilievres comments ridiculous and adds that Poilievre is trying to align himself with the MAGA sentiment about gender. Caulfield also critiques Poilievre for politicizing LGBTQ rights: Its the Conservatives that have made this a wedge issue, as theyve in the past with culture war topics.Jan. 2025LGBTQ rights organizations in Quebec and across the country speak out against Poilievre, with many in the trans and nonbinary community fearful for their rights if he were to become Canadas next Prime Minister.Trans people are under attack to the degree that we havent seen for decades. And Ill say Im scared for my life right now, trans rights activist Celeste Trianon told CTV News.Additional reporting by Sam Donndelinger and Spencer MacnaughtonIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media

A visitor to the city wearing a mask of President Donald Trump poses for a photo in front of a Canadian flag being held by tourists from Toronto showing their support for Canada regarding trade tariffs, in front of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)2025-03-15T12:07:32Z WASHINGTON (AP) A gobsmacked planet is wondering whats next from President Donald Trump on the tariff spree hes set in zigzag motion.In recent weeks, Trump has announced punishing tariffs against allies and adversaries alike, selectively paused and imposed them, doubled and then halved some, and warned late in the week that hell tax European wine and spirits a stratospheric 200% if the European Union doesnt drop a 50% tariff on U.S. whiskey.His ultimate stated goal is clear: to revive American manufacturing and win compromises along the way. But people and nations whose fortunes rise and fall on trade are trying to divine a method to his machinations. So far, hes spurred fears about slower growth and higher inflation that are dragging down the stock market and consumer confidence.His tariff policy is erratic, more erratic than April weather, Robert Halver, head of capital markets analysis at Germanys Baader Bank, said from the floor of the Frankfurt stock market. So, there is no planning certainty at all. The same goes for Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse in Clifton Park, New York, where owner Mark OCallaghan is waiting to see if the prohibitive taxes on European wine over a third of his business really happen. Hes mindful of Trumps seemingly whack-a-mole approach on which countries and goods to hit and how hard. It changes by the hour now, right? OCallaghan said. You know, its hard to navigate and manage, and everything changes so quickly.In Canada, generations of political leaders took it as a point of pride that their country and the U.S. share the worlds longest undefended border, as they liked to say. No more. Trump unifies CanadaTrumps sweeping taxes on Canadian imports come in the context of his wanting the U.S. to absorb its neighbor, an ambition that has united Canadians of the left and right in seething anger. A recent Nanos poll found that the vast majority of Canadians say their opinion of the United States has sunk from a year ago.The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country, Prime Minister Mark Carney said days before his swearing-in Friday. Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie Joly said: If the U.S. can do this to us, their closest friend, then nobody is safe.Trade wars sparked by retaliatory and escalating tariffs typically form in the grind of legislation, as happened with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act nearly a century ago. This round comes from Trumps executive actions, with Congress passive, and can change like the weather, or perhaps even his moods. Thats how March came in like a lion. Watch your mannersPersonal pique is part of it all, suggests Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. If you make him unhappy, he responds unhappy, he told Bloomberg TV, explaining that Trump didnt like it when a variety of countries targeted with new U.S. tariffs retaliated with tariffs of their own.Nor was Trump content when Canada did not show immeasurable respect for his trade grievances, Lutnick told CBS News. Say, Thank you, I want to work it out with you, he added, as if advising Ottawa on how to be properly deferential. I want you to be happy.Trump himself said of Canada, We dont need anything that they have. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S. and a key source of energy, cars and car parts via the integrated North American auto industry, food, critical minerals, fertilizer, lumber and more.His stop-and-start tariffs have shaken the stock market, yielded some concessions and induced whiplash across industries and countries: Heavy taxes on Canadian and Mexican products were announced, shelved for a month one day away from taking effect imposed, then two days later adjusted to exempt, for now, a range of goods covered under the North American trade pact renegotiated in Trumps first term. Trumps aides say the reason for those tariffs is to end fentanyl smuggling and illegal immigration, though the president also wants to close the trade deficit with Americas two largest trade partners. Trump stuck with his new tariffs on China, imposing a 10% penalty then doubling it, drawing retaliatory tariffs of 15% on U.S. farm goods this past week. The U.S. tariffs are also about fentanyl. The prevailing tensions between Canada and the U.S. flared when Ontario, the most populous province, retaliated against the U.S. duties with an announcement that it would add a 25% surcharge on electricity it exports to several states.Trump, who now belittles Canadian sovereignty at every turn, immediately threatened to slam Canada with a 50% tax on steel and aluminum. He then pulled back to a still-hefty 25% when Ontario backed down, in a drama that played out over mere hours.But Wednesday, the global U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum kicked in, and Europe responded. The EU announced duties on U.S. textiles, home appliances, motorcycles, peanut butter, jeans and more. American whiskey, popular overseas, was marked for a 50% tariff. Trumps response: 200% on European wine and spirits and on Champagne.We want toasts, not tariffs, said Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council in the U.S.But escalation appears to be the toast of the day. The U.S. has a new wave of reciprocal tariffs in line against Europe in early April, and exemptions for the auto industry and other industries are set to expire.Theres not much chance March will go out like a lamb.___Associated Press writers Mae Anderson in New York and Josh Boak in Washington and video journalist Daniel Niemann in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed to this report.

Pope Francis shares a light moment with "Telefono Amico" support hotline president Dario Briccola during an audience at the Vatican Saturday, March 11, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP, File)2025-03-15T06:04:22Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Hows Pope Francis doing? Can you give him my get-well wishes? Can I speak with him directly?The nuns who operate the Vaticans switchboard are fielding a growing number of calls with questions like that as the pope remains hospitalized in Rome.They feel like children waiting to know about their father, said Sister Anthony, who runs the operation in a spartan office steps away from St. Peters. Basilica. We tell them to pray for him.The Vaticans central number is public and the sisters of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master make sure all who call it get a real person, not the press 1 for English, 2 for Latin version of the automation thats become the norm at major institutions and businesses worldwide.Its the Vaticans voice a voice that despite the digitalization of communications, the Vatican wants to preserve as a human voice, said Mother Micaela, the orders mother superior. The Pious Disciples sisters are part of the 100-year-old Pauline orders, which are focused on communications, including landmark Catholic publishing operations around the world. In spring 1970, they were called to operate the Vatican switchboard and instructed by the then-mother superior to be a voice that does good because through the phone wire it communicates Christ himself. Today, often with headsets over their veils, the sisters cover the phones for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, in front of large monitors that show the incoming calls country of origin. Gendarmes, the Vaticans police, take the night shift. About a dozen sisters hailing from Italy, the Philippines, Poland and elsewhere take calls from around the world, predominantly in Italian, English and Spanish.Many callers just need to be directed to the right Vatican office or official, and the sisters oblige with the aid of massive yearbooks and directories, as well as a solid knowledge of protocols and a hefty dose of discretion, Sister Anthony said. Those who call asking for financial help are put through to the Vatican almoners office, which has provided aid recently to victims of war in Ukraine, floods in Brazil, and homelessness in Naples in southern Italy. On a recent afternoon, standing by her office chair decorated with a flower-embroidered pillow, Sister Gabriella took a call from a priest inquiring about jointly celebrating a Mass with other priests as part of his jubilee pilgrimage. Since 2025 is a Holy Year for the Catholic Church, with 32 million pilgrims projected to visit Rome, related calls make up a large part of the 50-70 queries the nuns answer daily.But then there are callers with questions the sisters cant just look up or patch through those in distress or angry or hopeless.We never get a call thats the same as the previous one, said Sister Simona, whos worked the switchboard for 15 years.Francis has built a reputation for eschewing formalities from his way of dressing to his personal outreach to the poor and marginalized before his hospitalization that projects more parish priest than head of state and leader of a global religion with 1.4 billion followers. So some callers ask the nuns to just put him on the line. People of simple faith dont understand that the pope cannot speak with everyone, Sister Gabriella said.Others need counseling or comfort. The sisters try to provide it within the boundaries of limited time and not being misconstrued as official Vatican spokespeople.But if I can give consolation or hope, I think thats OK, said Sister Anthony, who came to the Vatican a year ago from her native Philippines, where she was a provincial superior. Some calls are very triggering.Among those calling with concerns about the pope recently was a woman who told Sister Anthony that she is Muslim but likes Francis, and wanted to inquire about his health.Thats very impressive for me, the sister recalled, while adding that some callers are far less friendly. Others are angry with the church, so we listen respectfully. Across the spectrum of callers, the sisters say theyre particularly happy to provide a womans touch.Pope Francis often reminds that the church is a mother, Mother Micaela said. And to be this voice, this sensibility, this feminine approach gives a sense of reliability.About 1,100 women, religious and lay, work at the Vatican. Francis has recently named a few to top posts, even though the priesthood and deaconate and thus the majority of the church hierarchy remain exclusively male.The switchboard sisters find pride in both their unseen service and the increasing visibility of women at the Vatican.For me its a blessing to be in one community with the pope and serving the universal church, Sister Anthony said. Knowing there are more responsibilities for women, we feel very empowered.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Welcome back to the Abstract!In the immortal words of a wise crab: Darling it's better down where it's wetter, take it from me. Thats why were going to be under the sea for most of this weeks column, though the wonderful things that surround us will be 1) massive flesh-eating sharks 2) conveyor belts of whale excrement and 3) alien microbes.Depending on your proclivities, then, you might be alternately relieved or bummed to leave the ocean depths and return to land for one last story about atmospheric oxygen, which is a very handy element for those who dont enjoy asphyxiation (no judgement!). Where did Earths oxygen come from? Scientists make the case for ancient volcano burps. Let em rip.Jaws vs. the Meg: This Time, Its Peer-ReviewedShimada, Kenshu et al. Reassessment of the possible size, form, weight, cruising speed, and growth parameters of the extinct megatooth shark, Otodus megalodon (Lamniformes: Otodontidae), and new evolutionary insights into its gigantism, life history strategies, ecology, and extinction. Palaeontologia Electronica.It's time to check in with the heavyweight champ of sharks: Megalodon. Yes, star of the acclaimed films The Meg, Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark, Shark Attack 3: Megalodon, and Bigfoot vs. Megalodon: The Legends Are Real.Megalodon, which went extinct two million years ago, was a big-ass shark. Indeed, it may have been the biggest-ass shark that ever swam the seas. And now scientists have proposed that this animal was even bigger than previously assumed, measuring an astonishing 24.3 meters (80 feet!) in length and weighing in at 94 tons (188,000 pounds!).Otodus megalodon is represented primarily by its gigantic teeth measuring up to at least 16 cm and possibly as much as about 20 cm in height, said researchers led by Kenshu Shimada of DePaul University. However, the lack of complete fossil specimens has resulted in uncertainty regarding the true size of this prehistoric shark. This paucity of fossil material has hampered our understanding of the biology and ecology of O. megalodon, despite its presumed significant role in shaping the modern-day marine ecosystem as one of the largest carnivores that ever existed.Many previous studies have speculated that Megalodon had a similar body plan to its relative, the 15-foot-long great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which would put the extinct predator around 60 feet in length. Shimada and his colleagues instead suggest that Megalodon likely had a slenderer body than great whites, which would stretch its expanse out another 20 feet.Megalodon compared to extant lineages. Watch out, humans! Image: Shimada, Kenshu et al.First of all, I hope these findings inspire a new franchise called Slendershark that combines Slenderman creepypasta with the Megalodon action/horror subgenre. Youre welcome, Hollywood. Secondly, the team also validated the existing film Jaws vs. The Meg with this little nugget:Additional inferred growth patterns corroborated by the known fossil record support the hypothesis that the emergence of [great white sharks] during the Early Pliocene is at least partly responsible for the demise of O. megalodon due to competition for resources, the researchers said.So as it turns out, the winner of Jaws vs. The Meg is the iconic apex predator that still roams the seas today. Coronate the GwsOAT (Greatest white sharks Of All Time).The Great and (Gross) Whale Conveyor BeltRoman, Joe et al. Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Nature Communications.We move now from the great white shark to the great brown shart. Im talking poop from whales, people. Also on the list: pee, placenta, and dead meat produced by migrating baleen whales like grays, humpbacks, and North Atlantic and southern right whales. All of this delightful corporeal junk contributes to what is known as the great whale conveyer belt, a trail of nutritious remnants that whales leave behind as they migrate from high-latitude feeding ground to their winter breeding grounds in the tropics.Scientists have attempted to quantify the impact of this cetacean excrement flow on surrounding ecosystems and the results are impressive. Migrating whales convey an estimated 3,784 tons of nitrogen per year (mostly from their pee) and 46,512 tons of biomass per year (mostly from their carcasses) to winter grounds, said researchers led by Joe Roman of the University of Vermont.These numbers might have been three times higher before commercial whaling, the team said. To our knowledge, baleen whales provide the largest long-distance nutrient subsidy on the planet.Indeed, the enrichment provided by even one individual female whale is astonishing. On each calving journey, she would leave 77kilograms of nitrogen and 774kilograms throughout her life, the study reports. At the end of her life, her 27-ton body would transport 2,782kg of carbon to the ocean floor creating a huge nutrient pulse.The sea runs on pee. Image: Roman, Joe et al.Many marine ecosystems depend on this vibrant cocktail of urea, feces, afterbirth, and dead bodies. But while the study outlines cool concepts like the whale pump (the vertical movement of nutrients), it also offers a dire warning about the projected decline of the great pee tunnel as baleen whales increasingly struggle with a variety of human-driven pressures.Although many [whale] populations have increased since the demise of commercial whaling, future recovery is imperiled by human actions such as shipping, fishing, and climate change, Roman and his colleagues said. Populations of humpback and right whales in the Southern Hemisphere, for example, will likely peak around 2050 and decline along with changes in ocean temperature, sea ice, and primary productivity. Such changes could disrupt one of the worlds most prominent links between high- and low-latitude marine ecosystems.If we humans dare to disrupt the great whale conveyor belt, we deserve to have some of it hosed into our faces.My Cup of (Alien Moon Water) Runneth OverBouffard, Mathieu et al. Seafloor hydrothermal control over ocean dynamics in Enceladus. Nature Astronomy.We move now from the seas of Earth to the seas of Enceladus, a weird little walnut of a moon that orbits Saturn. Though it is only 300 miles wide, Enceladus is a promising place to look for life because it squirts plumes of its subsurface ocean into space from icy surface geysers, making it theoretically easy for a life-hunting spacecraft to scoop up samples without even having to land. Indeed, the Cassini spacecraft (RIP) already sampled the plumes, but it was not equipped with life-detection instruments.Now, scientists have produced new models that reveal what might be going on under Enceladus ice crust. With the help of Cassini data, the new study models how alien seawater travels from hydrothermal vents around the moons rocky core all the way up to the plumes erupting from its surface, particularly at the South Pole, where ice is thinnest.Enceladus compared to the Moon and Earth. Image: NASAGeophysical and chemical analysis data from the Cassini spacecraft revealed that Enceladus harbours a global salty ocean with continuing hydrothermal activity underneath an ice crust of very uneven thickness: 2025km on average, more than 30km in some equatorial regions and less than 5km beneath the South Pole, said researchers led by Mathieu Bouffard of Nantes Universit.Here we perform three-dimensional numerical simulations of the ocean dynamics, the team said. Our simulations confirm that a strong heterogeneous seafloor heat flux concentrates upwellings at the South Pole, thus efficiently transporting organic matter from hydrothermal vents to erupting plumes.Chemical observations by future missions to Enceladus mayallow the identification of the best spot for collecting materials from the deepest and freshest parts of the ocean, the study concluded.In other words, any life that exists around Enceladuss hydrothermal vents can get a one-way ticket into space if its in the right place at the right time. This moon is potentially an alien sprinkler just waiting for a mission to come sample its watery innards. While concept missions to Enceladus have been proposed, nothing has been formally greenlit, which sort of boggles the mind. What are we waiting for? Lets go chug some moon juice already!The Breath of Life Is a Hot Magma BelchWatanabe, Yasuto et al. Mechanistic links between intense volcanism and the transient oxygenation of the Archean atmosphere. Communications Earth & Environment.Are you ready to emerge from seas filled with massive carnivorous sharks, whale sewage, and putative alien lifeforms? Would you like to breathe the fresh air on land again? We now surface for a story about the atmospheric oxygen that has led to the proliferation of life on Earth.About 2.5 billion years ago, oxygen levels in the ocean-atmosphere system skyrocketed to levels we are familiar with today. This transition, known as the Great Oxygenation Event, was driven by the emergence of photosynthetic bacteria that exhaled oxygen into the world and paved the way for an age of exploding biodiversity.But before this event, during a period called the late Archean, the oxygen levels were much lower, supplied only by transient oxygenation events called whiffs (the actual scientific term). Now, scientists think they have a lead on the origin of at least some of these whiffs: Swaths of land covered in volcanoes known as Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) that frequently erupted for about 500 million years leading up to the Great Oxygenation Event.Here, have some whiffs. Image: 2025 Watanabe et al. CC-BY-NDOur biogeochemical model indicates that a whiff of oxygena transient oxygenation event of the atmosphere during the late Archeancould have been triggered by intense volcanism, said researchers led by Yasuto Watanabe of the Japan Meteorological Agency.The whiffs during the late Archean infer that the Earth system was approaching a tipping point for the permanent oxidation of the atmosphere, the team said. Our results highlight the mechanistic link between planetary volcanic activities and the dynamic evolution of the atmosphere at the dawn of the Great Oxidation Event.In short, the fresh air we breathe today may have originally flowed from the magmatic rumblings of our ancient planet. Your weekend mantra: Inhale. Exhale. Erupt. Whiff. Namaste.Thanks for reading! See you next week.

A message for Pope Francis is seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, March 15, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)2025-03-15T09:42:36Z ROME (AP) Pope Francis entered the fifth week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia on Saturday very much looking ahead as he continued work on a signature priority of his papacy and signs of his recovery remained on a positive trajectory. Working from the Gemelli hospital, Francis has approved a three-year implementation and evaluation process for his reform project that aims to make the church a more welcoming and responsive place. The Vatican office for the synod, or gathering of bishops, released a timetable through 2028 to implement the reforms and said Francis had approved the calendar last week.The Vatican announced Friday that it would provide medical updates on the pope less frequently, in what it called a positive development. It also has ceased issuing brief morning advisories that the pope had slept well and was starting his day. Doctors this week said the 88-year-old pontiff was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but have continued to emphasize that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man. Francis was admitted to the hospital on Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.The first three weeks of his hospitalization were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit. But medical updates this week have focused on his continued physical and respiratory therapy, as well as the rotation from high-flow oxygen through nostril tubes during the day and a non-invasive ventilation mask at night to help ensure his rest. An X-ray this week confirmed that the infection was clearing.With little more to report, doctors on Friday canceled a planned medical update. The next is likely to be issued later Saturday. Doctors have not indicated how much longer Francis will be hospitalized. The pope this week participated in Lenten spiritual exercises from the hospital, which Vatican officials have said implied a lighter workload. He received a cake and hundreds of messages wishing him well on the 12th anniversary of his papacy Thursday. The only public sign of life from the pope since his hospitalization was a recorded audio message thanking people for their prayers for his recovery in a weak and labored voice. It was played in St. Peters Square for the faithful gathered for a nightly recitation of the rosary prayer. For the last four Sundays, the traditional blessing that the pope delivers from a window overlooking St. Peters Square has been released as a text.

Rep. Chuck Edwards talks during a town hall in Asheville, N.C. on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)2025-03-15T14:26:43Z HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) One after another, callers on a telephone town hall with U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga pressed the Michigan Republican about possible cuts to Social Security. Among them was a retired teacher and coach from West Michigan who said he and his wife, both with disabilities, have struggled to access their benefits. The man, identified only as Michael from Allegan, said he feared that office closures and massive layoffs of federal workers part of an effort by President Donald Trump and Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency to slash government spending will make it even harder.We worked our entire life, he said. But we cant get any help because we cant get through to anybody.Huizenga pledged throughout the meeting: Let me just reiterate, Social Security is not being touched.Similar exchanges have played out across the political battleground of Michigan and elsewhere in the U.S. in recent days, as widespread cuts prompt fears among constituents about the popular program, which provides monthly benefits to retirees and some children. Its left Republicans scrambling to reassure voters and play down Musks comments about Social Security and his ability to make cuts. The GOP also has accused Democrats of fear-mongering on the matter. Its clear the issue has resonated. Of the 13 questions Huizenga took, nine were related to Social Security. In a nearby mid-Michigan district that was among the most competitive U.S. House races last year, a poll taken at the beginning of first-term GOP Rep. Tom Barretts telephone town hall showed Social Security and Medicare as the top issue for attendees. And at a fiery in-person town hall in Asheville, North Carolina, one of the first questions Rep. Chuck Edwards fielded was on how he would ensure the protection of our Social Security benefits. After the question was read, the room of about 300 people erupted in applause. While Trump has repeatedly said he will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits, the administration has begun layoffs affecting over 10% of the Social Security Administration workforce and the closure of dozens of offices nationwide. Musk, the worlds richest man and one of Trumps most influential advisers, has called Social Security the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time. He hinted that it could be a primary target in his broader effort to downsize the federal government, saying in an interview on Fox Business Network that most of the federal spending is entitlements and thats the big one to eliminate. The White House insisted Musk was only referring to fraud. Democrats, struggling for a unified message against Trump, see an opportunity. Polling indicates that cuts to Social Security would be unpopular, including within Trumps base. A solid majority of Republicans said the U.S. is spending too little on Social Security in a January AP-NORC poll, and only about 1 in 10 said too much is being spent on the program.In her rebuttal to Trumps joint congressional address earlier this month, Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin warned that the president could very well come after your retirement. Potential cuts to critical government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security brought Leslie Boyd out to listen to Edwards town hall in North Carolina on Thursday. Those programs need to be improved instead of cut, Boyd said before the event, and she hoped Edwards had the courage to stand up for that.Boyd, 72, said she has some savings, but depends on Social Security. I paid into that my entire career, Boyd said. I worked from the time I was 16. I paid into that, its mine and I want it.Asked about the program inside the packed meeting, Edwards began by saying President Trump has made it clear before he was interrupted by jeers. He then shifted to discuss his own viewpoint on the program instead.Im not going to vote to dissolve your Social Security. Im not looking to, Edwards started to say before being drowned out by shouting. He continued, Thats a promise thats been made to the American people. Those folks who have worked all their life and paid into that certainly deserve to reap the rewards. Several attendees continued to yell at Edwards, demanding he stand up to Musk. Barrett opened a telephone town hall in his mid-Michigan district Monday night by addressing the flood of concerns over DOGE he said his office had been receiving. Barrett stressed that Musk is merely an adviser and said programs are temporarily paused and under review.I want to be very clear that this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, he said. Again, this does not include Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Its important to keep in mind that DOGE is only giving recommendations. Republican leaders have cautioned lawmakers against in-person town halls, contending without offering evidence that paid activists were disrupting events. Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain, a staunch Trump ally, claimed Democratic donors had organized the disruptions.Yet even in tightly controlled telephone town halls, where questions are often screened in advance by congressional staffers, Social Security was a top concern. During McClains Monday call, a caller named Beverly, who said her handicapped son relies on Medicaid, expressed her fears: Im really concerned about that being cut, I guess.Let me put your mind at ease. Do not listen to the Democrats that are fearmongering, said McClain, who represents a heavily Republican district north of Detroit. There are no cuts to Medicaid.During the town hall with Huizenga, a caller named Val from Berrien County, Michigan, voiced her frustration, warning that office closures could cause some beneficiaries to slip through the cracks.Suddenly theyre going to find themselves without the means to cover their housing, or the means to get the care they need or to be able to get food on the table, she said.___Associated Press writer Makiya Seminera contributed from Asheville, N.C. JOEY CAPPELLETTI Cappelletti covers politics and state government for The Associated Press in Michigan. He is based in Lansing. twitter mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani connects for a two-run home run in the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)2025-03-15T11:06:41Z TOKYO (AP) Japanese star Shohei Ohtani showed off some prodigious power in his return to the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night.In an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants, the three-time MVP belted a two-run homer to right field in the third inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-0 lead, setting off a roar from the roughly 42,000 fans in attendance.He always seems to rise to certain occasions, expectation to put on a performance, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Once again, he delivered.Ohtani led off the game with a walk and came to bat for a second time in the third inning. He didnt get his best swing on the ball, but the 6-foot-4, 210-pound slugger was still able to launch a slider from Yomiuris Shosei Togo 391 feet, which was plenty of distance to get it over the fence.The 30-year-old is just 4 1/2 months removed from surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder but has recovered remarkably fast. His big swing at the Tokyo Dome is another sign that hes feeling good heading into his eighth big league season, his second with the Dodgers. I was a bit out front on it, but it went out at a good angle and I thought it was going to be a home run, Ohtani said, through a translation. The Dodgers put on quite a power display in the third with Michael Conforto, Ohtani and Teoscar Hernndez all going deep to give Los Angeles a 5-0 advantage. Conforto said it was great to go deep in his first at-bat, but the conversation quickly switched to Ohtani. Its really amazing, Conforto said. In every big moment, he seems to just do what the fans want him to do.Los Angeles beat Yomiuri 5-1.The Dodgers are playing in Japan as part of the Tokyo Series. The team is playing two exhibition games against Japanese teams before starting the regular season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday.In 2024, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to have at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in one season. He played several seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan before coming to the U.S. in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb DAVID BRANDT Brandt is an Associated Press sports writer based in Phoenix. He covers a wide variety of sports including the NBA, NFL and MLB. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, meets with President Nayib Bukele at his residence at Lake Coatepeque, El Salvador, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)2025-03-15T16:05:15Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps administration will pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison for one year about 300 alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, in one of the first instances of the Central American country taking migrants from the United States.The agreement follows discussions between El Salvadors President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvadors notorious prison. Bukeles government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 as part of his crackdown on gang violence in the small country.Memos detailing the transfer did not disclose how the Trump administration identified the roughly 300 people as members of Tren de Aragua, a gang Trump repeatedly highlighted in the campaign and declared to be a terrorist organization. The Republic of El Salvador confirms it will house these individuals for one (1) year, pending the United States decision on their long term disposition, wrote El Salvadors ministry of foreign affairs in a memo obtained by the Associated Press. The Central American nation and Trump administration last month struck a deal to house migrants detained in the United States. The Trump administration contended that El Salvador could even house American citizens, though the U.S. cannot deport citizens to another country. Rubio and Bukele discussed the specifics of the new transfer, which include a cost of about $20,000 to house each prisoner for the year. A State Department document also suggests that it may set aside $15 million to send to El Salvador to house additional members of the gang.The Salvadoran memo also confirmed the country would take two men it said were members of the MS-13 gang, an organization that was initially comprised of Salvadoran migrants to the U.S. and had gained an increasing foothold in El Salvador prior to Bukeles crackdown. One man, Cesar Eliseo Sorto Amaya, was convicted of double homicide in El Salvador before he was caught illegally entering the United States, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The other was charged under President Joe Bidens administration with being a high-ranking leader of the MS-13 gang.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a fire engine and school buses burn after a Russian drone hit them when firefighters were putting out the fire at a lyceum following Russian drone attack in Bohodukhiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)2025-03-15T08:54:37Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russia and Ukraine traded heavy aerial blows overnight, with both sides reporting Saturday more than 100 enemy drones over their respective territories.The attacks comes less than 24 hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine.Putin told a press conference on Thursday that he supported a truce in principle but set out a host of details that need to be clarified before it is agreed. Kyiv has already endorsed the truce proposal, although Ukrainian officials have publicly raised doubts as to whether Moscow will commit to such a deal.Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Saturday, after virtual talks between Western allies hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy voiced Ukraines support for the 30-day full ceasefire proposal to discuss a longer-term peace plan, but said Russia would attempt to derail talks with conditions and buts. Starmer has told allies to keep the pressure on Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine, hailing Ukraine as the party of peace. Starmer said Putin will sooner or later have to come to the table. In a statement earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy had accused Moscow of building up forces along the border.The build up of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy. It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war, he said. However, Zelenskyy stressed that if Russia did not agree with the U.S. proposal there would be specific, harsh and straightforward response from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.He also said that Kyivs troops were maintaining their presence in Russias Kursk region after Trump said Friday that thousands of Ukrainian troops had been surrounded by the Russian military.The operation of our forces in the designated areas of the Kursk region continues, Zelenskyy said. Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops. Ukraines air force said Saturday that Russia had launched a barrage of 178 drones and two ballistic missiles over the country overnight. The attack was a mixture of Shahed-type drones and imitation drones designed to confuse air defenses. Some 130 drones were shot down, while 38 more failed to reach their targets.Russia attacked energy facilities, causing significant damage, striking energy infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa regions, Ukraines private energy company DTEK said in a statement on Saturday. Some residents were left without electricity.The damage is significant. Energy workers are already working on the ground. We are doing everything possible to restore power to homes as soon as possible, the energy firm said.Falling drone debris in Russias Volgograd region sparked a fire in the Krasnoarmeysky district of the city, close to a Lukoil oil refinery, according to Gov. Andrei Bocharov, who provided no further details. Nearby airports temporarily halted flights, local media outlets reported. No casualties were reported. The Volgograd refinery has been targeted by Kyivs forces on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, most recently in a drone attack on Feb. 15.___ Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report. ___Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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)2025-03-15T17:35:42Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has signed into law legislation funding the government through the end of September, ending the threat of a partial government shutdown and capping off a struggle in Congress that deeply divided Democrats.Harrison Fields, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a post on X that Trump signed the continuing resolution Saturday.The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Bidens presidency, though with changes. It trims non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with 10 members of the Senate Democratic caucus helping the bill advance to passage despite opposition from within their party most vocally from colleagues in the House, who exhorted them to reject the bill out of hand. Senate Democrats argued for days over whether to force a shutdown, livid that Republicans in the House had drafted and passed the spending measure without their input. Democrats said the legislation shortchanges health care, housing and other priorities and gives Trump wide leeway to redirect federal spending even as his administration and the Department of Government Efficiency rapidly dismantle congressionally approved agencies and programs. In the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse than letting the funding bill pass. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would have given the Trump administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired.A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive, Schumer said. Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate.Passage of the funding bill through the House earlier in the week was a victory for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to hold Republicans together and muscle the bill to passage without support from Democrats something theyve rarely been able to achieve in the past.

Residents walk on a street during a general blackout in Havana, Cuba, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)2025-03-15T16:51:39Z HAVANA (AP) Millions of people in Cuba remained without power Saturday after a failure of the nations electric grid left the island in the dark the previous night.The massive blackout is the fourth in the last six months as a severe economic crisis plagues the Caribbean country. The Ministry of Energy and Mines, in a statement on social media, attributed the latest outage to a failure at a substation in the suburbs of Havana, the capital.Lzaro Guerra, director of electricity at the ministry, said on national television that power was already being generated to support vital services such as hospitals.A statement from the Cuban Electricity Union released Saturday said the strategy was to create microsystems that will connect to each other to gradually restore electricity across the country. Several of these were already operating in the provinces of Guantnamo, Santiago, Las Tunas and Pinar del Ro. Internet and telephone service were intermittent more than 12 hours after power went out around 8 p.m. local time Friday.Cuba suffered similar blackouts in October, November and December. The latest was the first of 2025 but in mid-February authorities suspended classes and work activities for two days due to a shortage of electricity generation that exceeded 50% in the country. Experts have said the electricity disruptions are a result of fuel shortages at power plants and aging infrastructure. Most plants have been in operation for more than 30 years. The outages come as Cubans are experiencing a severe economic crisis that analysts have blamed on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a program of domestic measures that triggered inflation and, above all, the tightening of sanctions by the United States.Many Cuban families use electric equipment to prepare their meals. The outage could cause food to thaw in refrigerators and possibly spoil due to the islands tropical climate.When I was about to start cooking and making some spaghetti, the power went out. And now what? Cecilia Duquense, a 79-year-old housewife who lives in the working-class neighborhood of Central Havana, said Saturday.

The Chicago River is dyed green as part of annual St. Patrick's Day festivities Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)2025-03-15T18:42:27Z CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago River is once again glowing kelly green as the city opens its annual St. Patricks Day celebrations.Thousands lined the river and packed bridges Saturday and erupted in cheers as members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union Local 130 sprayed dye into the water from boats, carrying on a tradition they began some 63 years ago.The dyeing immediately precedes the annual downtown St. Patricks Day parade. The day which falls on Monday this year celebrates Irish culture. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is credited with having brought Christianity there in the fifth century.The dye is nontoxic. While the river stays bright for several hours, some trace of color can remain for days.A second St. Patricks Day parade was scheduled for Sunday on Chicagos South Side.

Villanova's Kyle Neptune watches during an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Villanova, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)2025-03-15T15:31:12Z The AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season!Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Villanova fired Kyle Neptune on Saturday after a three-year run where he succeeded Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright and failed to ever make the NCAA Tournament.Neptune went 54-47 overall and 31-29 in the Big East in three seasons with the Wildcats, including a 19-14 record this season. The Wildcats who won two national championships under Wright lost to UConn on Thursday night in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden.It was the first major decision made by Eric Roedl, a Villanova alumnus hired earlier this season as the athletic director.Since coming to Villanova, I have been struck by Kyles tireless work ethic and his dedication to the student-athletes he served, Roedl said in a statement. We are grateful to Kyle for his long service to Villanova and his mentorship to the many outstanding young men he has coached. Neptune felt the heat this season as the Wildcats once a perennial Big East winner and national title contender slid into mediocrity and out of national prominence. Not even regular-season wins over St. Johns and UConn could offset the overall lack of consistency in a season that also included losses to Columbia and Saint Josephs. The 40-year-old Neptune served under Wright on the Villanova coaching staff before accepting the head coaching position at Fordham in 2021. Neptune went 16-16 in his lone season at Fordham. Wright, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, guided Villanova to titles in 2016 and 2018 and led the Wildcats to two other Final Four appearances. He went 520-197 in 21 seasons at the school and has remained a steady presence at Villanova games. He now works for CBS.The Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season for the first time since Wrights first three seasons more than 20 years ago. Wright was given the grace period Neptune was not in large part because this was no rebuild on the Main Line the program boasted healthy NIL coffers and had the nations leading scorer this season in Eric Dixon. Villanova could still play in the new College Basketball Crown tournament later this month in Las Vegas.Assistant Mike Nardi will serve as interim head coach.The program that once anchored its success on the Villanova Way a mini-dynasty built on NBA-ready upperclassmen has become discombobulated under the roster chaos born of NIL money and the transfer portal. The yearly roster turnover has done little to build the culture where senior stars once taught the new kids the concept of Villanova basketball that was once a championship hallmark under Wright.Well-liked and respected by all in the program, Neptune had downplayed criticism throughout his tenure, insisting over the last two seasons as fan unrest grew on the suburban campus that he didnt hear fans who booed him at times during pregame introductions or the horde that chanted Fire Neptune!Wright floored Villanova when he retired at 60 years old just weeks after leading the Wildcats to a Final Four in 2022. Neptune was hired the same month. He first came to Villanova in 2008, serving two seasons as video coordinator. Neptune returned as an assistant coach in 2013 and worked under Wright as Villanova rose into a perennial Final Four contender. That success as an assistant never carried over once Neptune got the top job. Villanova now will look to hire only its fifth coach since 1973.The question is, will ties to Wright even matter as the search for a new coach ramps up or will Villanova look outside the program for a fresh start?___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball DAN GELSTON Gelston is an an Associated Press sports writer covering major college and pro sports in Philadelphia, including the 76ers, Flyers, Eagles, Phillies and Villanova. twitter mailto

Smoke rises from a location reportedly struck by U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman2025-03-15T18:48:43Z WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemens capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, promising to use overwhelming lethal force until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom, Trump said in a social media post. No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country fully accountable for the actions of its proxy. It comes two weeks after the U.S leader sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the two countries on Irans advancing nuclear weapons program that Trump has said he will not allow to become operational. The Houthis reported a series of explosions in their territory Saturday evening. Images circulating online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing in waters off Yemen in response to Israels blockade on Gaza. There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then. Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of additional consequences for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire in the war isnt extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.The Houthis had described their warning as taking hold in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.The Houthis targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year, when a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza took effect. The attacks greatly raised the Houthis profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemens decade-long stalemated war thats torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation.The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Israels military declined to comment.The Houthi media office said the U.S. strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Sanaas northern district of Shouab. Sanaa residents said at least four airstrikes rocked the Eastern Geraf neighborhood in Shouab district, terrifying women and children in the area.The explosions were very strong, said Abdallah al-Alffi. It was like an earthquake.The Saturday operation against the Houthis was conducted solely by the U.S., according to a U.S. official. It was the first strike on the Yemen-based Houthis under the second Trump administration, and it comes after a period of relative quiet in the region. Such broad-based and pre-planned missile strikes against the Houthis were done multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region. The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.Trump announced the strikes as he spent the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk, Trump said.___Baldor reported from Washington and Magdy reported from Cairo. AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed from Washington. MICHELLE L. PRICE Price covers the White House. She previously covered the 2024 presidential campaign and politics, government and other news in New York, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. She is based in Washington. twitter mailto LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Henry Carmona, 48, right, who fled Venezuela after receiving death threats for refusing to participate in demonstrations in support of the government, stands with friends and a reporter following a press conference by Venezuelan community leaders to denounce changes to the protections that shielded hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, including Carmona, from deportation, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)2025-03-15T18:41:27Z A federal judge on Saturday blocked the Trump administration from using an 18th century law known as the Alien Enemies Act to deport five Venezuelans, kicking off a blizzard of litigation over the controversial move even before the president has announced it.President Donald Trump has widely signaled he would invoke the 1798 Act, last used to justify the internment of Japanese-American civilians during World War 2.On Saturday, the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward filed an extraordinary lawsuit in federal court in Washington contending the order would identify a Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, as a predatory incursion by a foreign government and seek to deport any Venezuelan in the country as a member of that gang, regardless of the facts.James E. Boasberg, chief judge of the D.C. Circuit, agreed to implement a temporary restraining order preventing the deportation for 14 days under the act of the five Venezuelans who are already in immigration custody and believed they were being moved to be deported. Boasberg said his order was to preserve the status quo. Boasberg scheduled a hearing for later in the afternoon to see if his order should be expanded to protect all Venezuelans in the United States. Hours later, the Trump administration appealed the initial restraining order. The unusual flurry of litigation highlights the controversy around the Alien Enemies Act, which could give Trump vast power to deport people in the country illegally. It could let him bypass some protections of normal criminal and immigration law. But it would face immediate challenges along the lines of Saturdays litigation because it has previously only been used during wartime. The law requires a formal declaration of war before it can be used. But immigration lawyers were alarmed by a flurry of activity Friday night. Last night, it appears the government was preparing to deport a number of Venezuelans they had no legal authority to deport, said Ahilan Arulanantham, an immigration lawyer in Los Angeles who filed two petitions to block deportations that night. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

People gather in front of the Serbian parliament during a major anti-corruption rally led by university students in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic)2025-03-15T10:24:00Z BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) At least 100,000 people descended on Belgrade on Saturday for a mass rally seen as a culmination of months-long protests against Serbias populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government.Large crowds of flag-waving protesters clogged the downtown area of the capital despite occasional rain, with people hardly able to move and many stuck hundreds of meters away from the planned protest venue. Following apparent sporadic incidents between protesters and the police, university students who have been leading the peaceful protests for the past four months abruptly called for an end to the demonstration Saturday, saying they no longer can guarantee safety at the rally. Most of the protesters dispersed, but thousands remained on the streets as tensions surged.Police said the crowd reached 107,000 people at the peak of the protest. Serbian independent media described the rally as the biggest ever in the country, saying the numbers were much higher. All public transport in Belgrade was canceled as protesters streamed into the city from various directions. The rally was part of a nationwide anti-corruption movement that erupted after a concrete canopy collapsed at a train station in Serbias north in November, killing 15 people. Almost daily demonstrations that started in response to the tragedy have shaken Vucics firm grip on power in Serbia like never before in the past 13 years in charge. Many in Serbia blamed the crash on rampant government corruption, negligence and disrespect of construction safety regulations, demanding accountability for the victims. Saturdays rally was dubbed 15 for 15, referring to the date of the protest and the number of people killed in the city of Novi Sad on Nov. 1. The crowds fell silent for 15 minutes in the evening to honor the victims. Ahead of the demonstration, Vucic repeatedly warned of alleged plans for unrest while threatening arrests and harsh sentences for any incidents. A deafening sound of whistles, drums and vuvuzelas filled the air on Saturday. Some protesters carried banners that read, Hes Finished! Crowds chanted Pump it Up, a slogan adopted during past four months of student-led protests.I expect that this will shake his authority and that Vucic will realize that people are no longer for him, Milenko Kovacevic, a protester, said.The massive rally is not the endgame in a struggle for a more democratic Serbia, Dejan Simic, another protester, said. This is just the beginning of the end, a process which I hope will end soon, he said.Protesting university students have been a key force of the anti-graft movement with their call for justice. Students determination has struck a chord among the citizens who are disillusioned with politicians and have lost faith in the state institutions. Hundreds of police deployed in cityOn Friday evening, tens of thousands of people staged a joyous welcome for the students who have been marching or cycling for days from across Serbia toward Belgrade. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told state RTS broadcaster that 13 people were detained overnight. He said police detained six opposition activists for allegedly plotting to stage a coup and stir unrest. By Saturday morning people were assembling in various parts of the city as they marched toward the center. The entire downtown zone was flooded with people hours before the scheduled start of the gathering.Reflecting the tensions, police said they arrested a man who rammed his car into protesters in a Belgrade suburb, injuring three people. Hundreds of police officers were deployed inside and around government buildings and in front of the presidential palace. Many railway and bus links toward Belgrade have been canceled, in an apparent effort to prevent people from attending the rally. The transport company said the cancellation was made for security reasons.Several reporters from neighboring Croatia as well as Slovenia have been turned back from Serbias border under explanation that their presence at the rally represents a security risk. Vucic claims West is backing protestsVucic has rejected earlier proposals for a transitional government that would prepare an early election. Fueling fears of clashes, Vucics supporters have been camping in central Belgrade in front of his headquarters. They include ex-members of a dreaded paramilitary unit involved in the assassination in 2003 of Serbias first democratic Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, as well as soccer hooligans who are known for causing violence. Private N1 television on Saturday broadcast footage of dozens of young men with baseball caps going into the pro-Vucic camp.Vucic has been claiming that Western intelligence services were behind almost daily student-led protests with an aim to oust him from power. He has presented no evidence for the claims. Previous student-led rallies in other Serbian cities have been peaceful while drawing huge crowds.

The Voice of America building, Monday, June 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)2025-03-15T17:17:23Z President Donald Trumps administration on Saturday began making deep cuts to Voice of America and other government-run, pro-democracy programming, with a press advocacy group saying all VOA employees have been put on leave.On Friday night, shortly after Congress passed its latest funding bill, Trump directed his administration to reduce the functions of several agencies to the minimum required by law. That included the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which houses Voice of America, Radio Free Europe and Asia and Radio Marti, which beams Spanish-language news into Cuba.On Saturday morning, Kari Lake, the failed Arizona gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate whom Trump named a senior adviser to the agency, posted on X that employees should check their email. That coincided with notices going out placing Voice of America staff on paid administrative leave. Later, Reporters Without Borders said the notices extended to everyone who works for VOA.The advocacy group said it condemns this decision as a departure from the U.S.s historic role as a defender of free information and calls on the U.S. government to restore VOA and urges Congress and the international community to take action against this unprecedented move. The Agency for Global Media also sent notices terminating grants to Radio Free Asia and other programming run by the agency. Voice of America transmits United States domestic news into other countries, often translated into local languages. Radio Free Asia, Europe and Marti beam news into countries with authoritarian regimes in those regions like China, North Korea and Russia. Combined, the networks reach an estimated 427 million people. They date back to the Cold War and are part of a network of government-funded organizations trying to extend U.S. power and combat authoritarianism that includes USAID, another agency targeted by Trump. The latest reductions are especially provocative because the Agency for Global Media is an independent agency chartered by Congress, which passed a law in 2020 limiting the power of the agencys presidentially appointed executives. Trump has already taken several moves to gut congressionally-mandated programs, setting up a potential Supreme Court showdown over the limits of presidential power. Trumps order requiring reductions also includes several other, lesser-known government agencies such as the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a nonpartisan think tank, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The Trump administration has already made several controversial moves regarding Voice of America, including suspending a respected journalist who noted criticism of Trump and canceling contracts that allowed VOA to use material from independent news organizations, such as The Associated Press. ___Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)2025-03-15T21:04:53Z U.S. President Donald Trump says he has ordered airstrikes against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, and issued a warning to Tehran. Heres why.Threat to global shippingThe Houthi rebels started attacking military and commercial ships on one of the worlds busiest shipping corridors shortly after the war in Gaza began between Hamas and Israel in October 2023. The Houthis said they were targeting vessels on the Red Sea with links to Israel or its allies the United States and the U.K. in solidarity with Palestinians, but some vessels had little or no link to the war.The Houthis targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, until the current ceasefire in Gaza took effect in mid-January. Other missiles and drones were intercepted or failed to reach their targets, which included Western military ones. The attacks paused during the ceasefire, but the Houthis on Wednesday said they would resume against any Israeli vessel after Israel cut off all aid supplies to Gaza to pressure Hamas during talks on extending their truce. The rebels said the warning also affects the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea. No Houthi attacks have been reported since then.These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk, Trump said Saturday while announcing the airstrikes in a social media post. Threat to the U.S.The earlier Houthi campaign saw U.S. and other Western warships repeatedly targeted, sparking the most serious combat the U.S. Navy had seen since World War II.The United States under the Biden administration, as well as Israel and Britain, previously struck Houthi-held areas in Yemen. But a U.S. official said Saturdays operation was conducted solely by the U.S.The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of Saturdays mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region. Trump said the strikes were to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom.The focus on the Houthis and their attacks have raised their profile as they face economic and other pressures at home amid Yemens decadelong stalemated war, which has torn apart the Arab worlds poorest nation.Pressure on IranSaturdays strikes also were meant to pressure Iran, which has backed the Houthis just as it has supported Hamas and other proxies in the Middle East.Trump vowed to hold Iran fully accountable for the Houthis actions.The State Department earlier this month reinstated the foreign terrorist organization designation for the Houthis, which carries sanctions and penalties for anyone providing material support for the group.The Trump administration also has been pressing Iran to restart bilateral talks on Irans advancing nuclear weapons program, with Trump writing a letter to the countrys supreme leader. Trump, who unilaterally withdrew America from Irans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, has said he will not allow the program to become operational. Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon.Trump has also levied new sanctions on Iran as part of his maximum pressure campaign against the country and has suggested that military action remains a possibility, while emphasizing he still believes a new nuclear deal can be reached.___Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Justice Department in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Pool via AP)2025-03-16T00:36:27Z President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II, granting himself sweeping powers under a centuries-old law to deport people associated with a Venezuelan gang. Hours later, a federal judge halted deportations under Trumps order.The act is a sweeping wartime authority that allows non-citizens to be deported without being given the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge.Trump repeatedly hinted during his campaign that he would declare extraordinary powers to confront illegal immigration and laid additional groundwork in a slew of executive orders on Jan. 20.His proclamation on Saturday identified Venezuelas Tren de Aragua gang as an invading force. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, blocked anyone from being deported under Trumps proclamation for two weeks and scheduled a Friday hearing to consider arguments. What is the Alien Enemies Act?In 1798, with the U.S. preparing for what it believed would be a war with France, Congress passed a series of laws that increased the federal governments reach. Worried that immigrants could sympathize with the French, the Alien Enemies Act was created to give the president wide powers to imprison and deport non-citizens in time of war.Since then, the act has been used just three times: during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.During World War II, with anti-foreigner fears sweeping the country, it was part of the legal rationale for mass internment in the U.S. of people of German, Italian and especially Japanese ancestry. An estimated 120,000 people with Japanese heritage, including those with U.S. citizenship, were incarcerated during the war. What brought this to a head on a Saturday?The American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward preemptively sued Trump late Friday in federal court in Washington, D.C., saying five Venezuelan men being held at an immigration detention center in Raymondville, Texas, were at imminent risk of removal under the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg blocked their deportation, prompting an immediate appeal from the Justice Department.Almost simultaneously, the Trump administration agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to imprison about 300 alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang for one year.The agreement with El Salvador followed discussions between that countrys president, Nayib Bukele, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvadors notorious prisons. Bukeles government has arrested more than 84,000 people, sometimes without due process, since 2022 in a crackdown on gang violence.ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said two flights Saturday may have carried people deported under Trumps proclamation, one to El Salvador and one possibly to Honduras. Boasberg said any such flights would have to be returned midair to the United States. The US isnt at war, is it?For years, Trump and his allies have argued that America is facing an invasion of people arriving illegally. Arrests on the U.S. border with Mexico topped 2 million a year for two straight years for the first time under President Joe Biden, with many released into the U.S. to pursue asylum. After hitting an all-time monthly high of 250,000 in December 2023, they plunged to less than 8,400 this February the lowest levels since the 1960s.The act, Trump said in his inaugural address, would be a key tool in his immigration crackdown.By invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, he said. As commander in chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions.Critics say Trump is wrongly using the act to target non-state actors, not foreign governments.Invoking it in peacetime to bypass conventional immigration law would be a staggering abuse, the Brennan Center for Justice wrote, calling it at odds with centuries of legislative, presidential, and judicial practice.Summary detentions and deportations under the law conflict with contemporary understandings of equal protection and due process, the Brennan Center said. Does illegal immigration constitute an invasion?Its a new and untested argument. Trump has warned of the power of Latin American criminal gangs in the U.S., but only a tiny percentage of the people living illegally in the U.S. are criminals.Trump, in his wartime declaration on Saturday, said Tren de Aragua is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion of predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. He said the gang was engaged in irregular warfare against the United States at the direction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Tren de Aragua originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nations economy came undone last decade. Last month, the Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua and seven other Latin American crime organizations as foreign terrorist organizations, upping pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and on anyone aiding them.Congress research arm said in a report last month officials may use the foreign terrorist designations to argue the gangs activities in the U.S. amount to a limited invasion. This theory appears to be unprecedented and has not been subject to judicial review, the Congressional Research Service said.The Venezuelan government has not typically taken its people back from the U.S., except on a few occasions. Over the past few weeks, about 350 people were deported to Venezuela, including some 180 who spent up to 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.___Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A person waves an Irish flag while watching the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Boston's South Boston neighborhood. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)2025-03-14T21:13:07Z NEW YORK (AP) If its March, and its green, it must be St. Patricks Day. The day honoring the patron saint of Ireland is a global celebration of Irish heritage. And nowhere is that more so than in the United States, where parades take place in cities around the country and all kinds of foods and drinks are given an emerald hue.In fact, it was among Irish American communities that the day became the celebration it is, from its roots as a more solemn day with a religious observance in Ireland.But even in America, it was about more than a chance to dye a river green (looking at you, Chicago) or just bust out a favorite piece of green clothing, it was about putting down roots and claiming a piece of the countrys calendar. Who is St. Patrick and why does he even have a day?Patrick was not actually Irish, according to experts. Born in the late fourth century, he was captured as an adolescent and ended up enslaved in Ireland. He escaped to another part of Europe where he was trained as a priest and returned to Ireland in the fifth century to promote the spread of Christianity. Several centuries later, he was made a saint by the Catholic Church and like other saints had a day dedicated to him, which was March 17. He became Irelands patron saint, and even when religious strife broke out between Catholics and Protestants, was claimed by both, says Mike Cronin, historian and academic director of Boston College Dublin. How did an Irish saints day become an American thing? The short answer: Irish people came to America and brought their culture with them. St. Patricks Day observances date back to before the founding of the U.S., in places like Boston and New York City. The first parade was held in Manhattan in 1762.While the day was marked with more of a religious framing and solemnity in Ireland until well into the 20th century, in America it became the cultural and boisterous celebration it is today, marked by plenty of people without a trace of Irish heritage.It was because people in Ireland started seeing how the day was marked in the U.S. that it became more of a festival in the country of its origin rather than strictly a religious observance, Cronin says, pointing to the parades, parties and other festivities that are held.Oh, and by the way, for those who like to shorten names: Use St. Paddys Day, not St. Pattys Day. Paddy is a nickname for Pdraig, which is the Irish spelling of Patrick.Why is it such a big deal?Holidays arent simply days to watch bands go by, or wear a specific outfit or costume.Being able to mark a holiday, and have others mark it, is a way of putting down roots, showing that youve made it in American culture, says Leigh Schmidt, professor in the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. Youve made your claim on that American calendar, in American civic life, by having these holidays widely recognized.The spread of St. Patricks Day celebrations in the U.S. was a way for Irish immigrant communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and opposition, to stake that ground, he says: Its a kind of immigrant Irish way of combating nativist antagonism against them. Whats with four-leaf clovers, anyway?A popular sight around the holiday is the shamrock, or three-leaf clover, linked to Ireland and St. Patrick.The lucky ones, though, come across something thats harder to find: a four-leaf clover. Thats because it takes a recessive trait or traits in the clovers genetics for there to be more than the normal 3 leaves, says Vincent Pennetti, who has been fascinated by the plants since high school.Four-leaf clovers are real. They are rare, he says.That doesnt mean they cant be found. People just have to keep their eyes open and get really good at noticing patterns and breaks in the patterns, and they just start jumping out at you, he says. Katie Glerum finds them. She says its not unheard of for her to be somewhere like out in a park and see one. She usually scoops it up and often gives it to someone else, to a positive response.If it happened every day, then I probably would be less excited about it, she says. But yeah, when it happens, it is exciting. DEEPTI HAJELA Hajela writes about the ways in which America is changing as part of the APs Trends+Culture team. She is based in New York City.

A farmer holds an opened cocoa pod at a plantation in Tanjung Rejo, Lampung province, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)2025-03-16T02:04:28Z TANJUNG REJO, Indonesia (AP) The loud whirr of a chainsaw sounds through the forest as a small group of farmers gathers around a tree filled with red seed pods. With one slow stroke, a severed knobby branch hits the ground.Now it will help the tree grow new fruit, farmer Tari Santoso says with a smile.Thousands of cocoa farmers across Indonesia like Santoso are working with businesses and other organizations to protect their crops from the bitter impacts of climate change and underinvestment that have pushed cocoa prices to record levels.Cocoa trees are high maintenance: Grown only near the equator, they require a precise combination of steady temperatures, humidity and sunlight. It takes five years for a tree to start producing the seeds that are processed into cocoa used to make chocolate and other delectable foods.Climate change raises the risks for farmers: Hotter weather hurts yields and longer rainy seasons trigger the spread of fungus and deadly pests. Increasingly unpredictable weather patterns have made it harder for farmers to deal with those challenges. So farmers are switching to other crops, further reducing cocoa supplies and pushing prices higher: In 2024, prices nearly tripled, reaching about US$12,000 per ton, driving up chocolate costs and leading some chocolate makers to try growing cocoa in laboratories. Indonesia is the third-largest producer of cocoa in the world, behind Cote DIvoire and Ghana, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, farmers are joining with businesses and nongovernmental organizations to develop better growing practices and improve their livelihoods. Sitting in the shade of his forest farm in south Sumatra, 3 miles (5 kilometers) from a national park where Sumatran tigers and rhinos roam, farmer Santoso is working with Indonesian chocolate maker Krakakoa. After he began working with the company in 2016, Santoso starting using practices that helped his cocoa trees flourish, regularly pruning and grafting new branches onto older trees to promote growth and prevent the spread of disease. He is using organic fertilizer and has adopted agroforestry techniques, integrating other crops and trees such as bananas, dragon fruit, coffee and pepper, into his farm to foster a healthier ecosystem and invest in other income sources. It wasnt very successful before we met Krakakoa, Santoso said. But then, we received training ... things are much better.Krakakoa has trained more than 1,000 cocoa farmers in Indonesia according to its founder and CEO, Sabrina Mustopo. The company also provides financial support. Santoso and other farmers in Sumatra said the partnership helped them to form a cooperative provides low-interest loans to farmers, with interest paid back into the cooperative rather than to banks outside of the community. Cocoa farmers who need bigger loans from government-owned banks also benefit from partnering with businesses, as the guaranteed buyer agreements can provide collateral needed to get loans approved, said Armin Hari, a communications manager at the Cocoa Sustainability Partnership, a forum for public-private collaboration for cocoa development in Indonesia. Dozens of other businesses, the government and nongovernmental organizations and cooperatives are also working with cocoa farmers to better cope with climate change, benefiting thousands, Hari said. He pointed to a collaboration between Indonesias National Research and Innovation Agency and the local division of international chocolate maker Mars, which have released a new variant of cocoa that produces more pods per tree.Challenges still remain, said Rajendra Aryal, the FAOs country director for Indonesia. Fewer people see cocoa farming as a lucrative business and instead are planting other crops such as palm oil. And many small-scale farmers still cannot get loans, he said.But Aryal said he hopes that continued collaboration between farmers and others will help.If we can look at the major issues these (farmers) are facing ... I think this sector could be, again, very attractive to the farmers, he said. Despite the challenges in Indonesia, I see that there are opportunities.___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. VICTORIA MILKO Milko is an Associated Press multimedia reporter covering the nexus of the energy transition, climate change and human rights across Asia-Pacific. twitter mailto

Farooq Ahmad Shaksaaz searches for a favorite cassette tape at his tailor shop in the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)2025-03-16T03:05:09Z SRINAGAR, India (AP) Farooq Ahmad Shaksaaz presses a button on his 1970 Sharp cassette player, and with a hefty clack the machine whirrs to life. As the Kashmiri tailor stitches, the machine crackles for a moment before Ghulam Ahmad Sofis otherworldly voice fills his shop with verses about divine love and the pain of separation from the beloved creator of the universe.Shaksaaz, a tailor in the Kashmiri city of Srinagar, inherited his passion for local Sufi music from his grandfather along with a meticulously preserved collection of audio cassette tapes from the 1970s, which he often listens to as he works. Hes part of a small, dedicated community that believes cassette tapes are the best way to listen to and archive the Sufi music of Indian-controlled Kashmir, where music inspired by local and central Asian Muslim saints has long been a deep expression of spirituality and emotion. Many people turn to the music for spiritual guidance, or seeking an escape from the regions long periods of street battles, shutdowns and security clampdowns. For decades, cassette players have carried the soul-stirring poetry of Sufi saints and the mystical melodies of Kashmiri instruments like the sarangi and santoor, and its long been a local ritual for families to gather around the warm hum of a tape player. Even today, the regions traditional Sufi music gatherings are often recorded only on the disappearing audio format, which was widely used from the 1970s to the 1990s. While the music is increasingly available on digital formats, many Kashmiris say that its best heard on cassette tapes. There is something unique about this machine that for me plays recordings of spiritual guides, said Abdul Ahad, a carpet weaver. It is a sacred ritual in itself to press the play button of a cassette player to listen to a song on spiritual moorings. Many of the most beloved albums were released by local record labels during the heyday of the audio cassette, but dedicated devotees of the genre are still bringing tape recorders to gatherings. Digital recorders are often unwelcome at these nightly music sessions, as Sufi music lovers say they blur together the distinct sounds of the different instruments.It is a different experience to listen to music on a tape recorder, said Abdul Hamid Khan. Tapes are smooth and you can feel the sound of every instrument, you dont get that feel in these new players.Still, as tapes wear out and more music moves to digital streaming platforms and smartphones, the tactile and deeply personal listening experience of cassettes is becoming harder to keep going. Many families have been forced to part with their players due to mechanical failures, while others struggle to preserve their cherished cassette collections, some of which hold rare and irreplaceable recordings passed down through generations. Some collectors have turned to digitizing their old recordings to safeguard them for future generations.Only a few shops in Srinagar, the regions main city, sell tape recorders or blank tapes, and the availability of spare parts and skilled repair technicians has drastically dwindled. A handful of mechanics in the Kashmir Valley still cater to a dedicated population of Sufi music lovers, painstakingly restoring machines made by beloved Japanese brands like Sharp and Kenwood in the last century.Mohammad Ashraf Matoo, a self-taught mechanic, has spent years keeping decades-old cassette players running even as spare parts become increasingly scarce. He purchases non-functional recorders to extract usable components, and manufactures some parts himself to keep his customers devices going. Once repaired, a well-functioning tape recorder is sold for a price between $150 and $850, depending on its brand and condition.Shaksaaz, a lifelong Sufi music devotee, called it a personal mission to preserve the legacy of cassette tapes. It is a bridge to the past, a way to remain connected to our spiritual and cultural roots in this ever modernizing and digital world, he said. AIJAZ HUSSAIN Hussain is a senior reporter for The Associated Press covering the Kashmir conflict, Indian politics and strategic affairs, and climate. He has worked for the AP for nearly two decades. twitter mailto

Aminata Doumbia, president of the women's group, sits next to a pit on farmland that was leased with help from USAID but has not yet been cultivated because the funding has ceased in Kimbirila-Nord, Ivory Coast, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)2025-03-16T05:22:43Z KIMBIRILA-NORD, Ivory Coast (AP) With its tomato patches and grazing cattle, the Ivory Coast village of Kimbirila-Nord hardly looks like a front line of the global fight against extremism. But after jihadis attacked a nearby community in Mali five years ago and set up a base in a forest straddling the border, the U.S. committed to spending $20 million to counter the spread of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group here and in dozens of other villages.The Trump administrations sweeping foreign aid cuts mean that support is now gone, even as violence in Mali and other countries in the Sahel region south of the Sahara has reached record levels and sent tens of thousands refugees streaming into northern Ivory Coast. Locals worry they have been abandoned. Diplomats and aid officials said the termination of aid jeopardizes counterterrorism efforts and weakens U.S. influence in a part of the world where some countries have turned to Russian mercenaries for help. In Kimbirila-Nord, U.S. funding, among other things, helped young people get job training, built parks for cattle to graze so they are no longer stolen by jihadis on Malian territory, and helped establish an information-sharing system so residents can flag violent encounters to each other and state services.What attracts young people to extremists is poverty and hunger, said Yacouba Doumbia, 78-year-old chief of Kimbirila-Nord. There was a very dangerous moment in 2020. The project came at the right time, and allowed us to protect ourselves. Seize a narrow prevention windowOver the last decade, West Africa has been shaken by extremist uprisings and military coups. Groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have conquered large areas and killed thousands in the Sahel and have been spreading into wealthier West African coastal states, such as Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo.In 2019, President Donald Trump signed the Global Fragility Act that led to the initiatives in northern Ivory Coast. The U.S. goal in this area was to seize a narrowing prevention window, according to this years congressional report about the implementation of the bipartisan legislation.Experts say local concerns help drive the popularity of extremist groups: competition for land and resources, exclusion, marginalization and lack of economic opportunities. Across the region, Islamic extremists have recruited among groups marginalized and neglected by central governments.Ivory Coast is one of the few countries that still resist the terrorist threat in the Sahel, said a U.N. official working in the country who was not authorized to speak on the matter publicly. If we do not continue to support border communities, a minor issue could send them into the arms of extremists.Trump issued an executive order in January directing a freeze on foreign assistance and a review of all U.S. aid and development work abroad. He charged that much of foreign aid was wasteful and advanced a liberal agenda. Everyone was just looking out for themselvesIn 2020, when the jihadis struck a Malian village 10 kilometers (6 miles) away, Kimbirila-Nord in many ways fit the description of a community susceptible to extremism.The lives of Malians and Ivorians were intertwined. People crossed the border freely, making it easy for extremists, who like residents spoke Bambara, to access Kimbirila-Nord. Many residents did not have identity cards and few spoke French, leaving them with no access to states services or official information. Different ethnic groups lived next to each other but were divided by conflicts over scarce natural resources and suspicions toward the state. And young people did not have opportunities to make money.We were very scared when the extremists attacked, said Aminata Doumbia, the head of the villages female farmers cooperative. Everyone was just looking out for themselves.The Ivorian government runs a program that provides professional training, grants and microloans. But access is difficult in villages such as Kimbirila-Nord.Kimbirila-Nord is home to refugees from Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Sifata Berte, 23, fled there with his family two years ago from Mali. He is not eligible for the government-run program, but got training through the project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and now works as an apprentice in an iron workshop. Other things the USAID-funded project set up included a network of community radios in local languages, so people could get access to information. It also used mobile government trucks to help tens of thousands of people across the region get their identity documents. And it brought people together with microcredit cooperatives and with a special committee of ranchers and farmers that helps resolve tensions over land. Its thanks to the project that we can sleep at night, Doumbia, the village chief, said. We learned how to be together. Equal Access International, an international nonprofit, designed and implemented the U.S.-funded project.The USAID project also has been the only direct source of information on the ground in northern Ivory Coast on violent events for the U.S.-based Armed Conflict and Location & Event Data Project, the main provider of data on violence in the Sahel.The village had big plans Ivory Coast became known as a target for extremists in 2016, when an attack on the seaside resort of Grand Bassam killed tourists. In 2021, a string of attacks occurred near the countrys northern border, but the violence has been largely contained after Ivorian authorities, Western governments and aid groups rushed into this impoverished and isolated part of the country with military build up and development projects.In 2024, the U.S. Africa Command provided over $65 million to projects in Ivory Coast, most of which focused on counterterrorism and border security in the northern part of the country, according to the groups website. The Pentagon said in a statement that it was not aware of any budget cuts that have undermined counterterrorism training or partnership programs in Africa.Ivory Coast has the second-highest GDP per capita in West Africa, but according to the U.N. it remains one of the worlds least developed countries. Many in remote villages like Kimbirila-Nord do not have access to running water.At first we thought that we only had to solve these problems with a military solution, Famy Rene, the prefect of Korhogo, the regions capital, said. But we saw that this was not enough. We had to put in place programs that strengthen the resilience of the population.Residents of Kimbirila-Nord had big plans before the U.S. froze aid. The U.S. was supposed to finance the first well in the village, help create a collective farm, and expand vocational training, Now they fear they have been left alone to deal with extremists.If you forget, they will come back, said Doumbia, the village chief. As long as there is war on the other side of the border, we must remain on a high alert.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. MONIKA PRONCZUK Pronczuk covers 22 countries across Central and West Africa for The Associated Press. She is based in Dakar, Senegal. twitter mailto

This image made from video by NASA shows the docking of the SpaceX capsule to the International Space Station Sunday, March 16, 2025. (NASA via AP)2025-03-16T04:05:26Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Just over a day after blasting off, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering the replacements for NASAs two stuck astronauts.The four newcomers representing the U.S., Japan and Russia will spend the next few days learning the stations ins and outs from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Then the two will strap into their own SpaceX capsule later this week, one that has been up there since last year, to close out an unexpected extended mission that began last June.Wilmore and Williams expected to be gone just a week when they launched on Boeings first astronaut flight. They hit the nine-month mark earlier this month.The Boeing Starliner capsule encountered so many problems that NASA insisted it come back empty, leaving its test pilots behind to wait for a SpaceX lift. Their ride arrived in late September with a downsized crew of two and two empty seats reserved for the leg back. But more delays resulted when their replacements brand new capsule needed extensive battery repairs. An older capsule took its place, pushing up their return by a couple weeks to mid-March.Weather permitting, the SpaceX capsule carrying Wilmore, Williams and two other astronauts will undock from the space station no earlier than Wednesday and splash down off Floridas coast. ___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.

Destruction from a severe storm is seen Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Wayne County, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)2025-03-16T05:45:30Z PIEDMONT, Mo. (AP) Violent tornadoes and high winds decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.S. Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing trapped neighbors found five bodies scattered in the debris Friday night outside what remained of his aunts house in hard-hit Wayne County, Missouri. Scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people in the state, authorities said.It was a very rough deal last night, Henderson said Saturday not far from the splintered home from which he said they rescued his aunt through a window of the only room left standing. Its really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night.Coroner Jim Akers of nearby Butler County described the unrecognizable home where one man was killed as just a debris field. The floor was upside down, he said. We were walking on walls.Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced six people died in three counties and three more people were missing late Saturday as storms moved further east into Alabama, where damaged homes and impassable roads were reported. Officials confirmed three deaths in Arkansas, where Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp did the same in anticipation of the storms shift eastward. Dust storms spurred by the systems early high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. Extreme weather encompasses a zone of 100 million people The extreme weather conditions were forecast to impact an area that is home to more than 100 million people, with winds threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and fanning the wildfire risk in warmer, drier places to the south.Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state and nearly 300 homes were damaged or destroyed. Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference that some 266 square miles (689 square kilometers) had burned, sharing that he lost a home of his own on a ranch northeast of Oklahoma City. To the north, the National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) were expected, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) possible. Winds were expected to cause whiteout conditions.Still, experts said its not unusual to see such weather extremes in March. Tornadoes have been widespreadSignificant tornadoes continued late Saturday, with the region at highest risk stretching from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle, the Storm Prediction Center said.Bailey Dillon, 24, and her fiance, Caleb Barnes, watched from their front porch in Tylertown, Mississippi, as a massive twister struck an area about half a mile (0.8 kilometer) away near Paradise Ranch RV Park. They drove over afterward to see if anyone needed help and recorded video of snapped trees, leveled buildings and overturned vehicles.The amount of damage was catastrophic, Dillon said. It was a large amount of cabins, RVs, campers that were just flipped over. Everything was destroyed.Paradise Ranch said via Facebook that all staff and guests were safe and accounted for, but Dillon said the damage extended beyond the RV park itself.Homes and everything were destroyed all around it, she said. Schools and buildings are just completely gone.Some images from the extreme weather went viral online. Tad Peters and his father, Richard Peters, had pulled over to fuel up their pickup truck in Rolla, Missouri, on Friday night when they heard tornado sirens and saw other motorists fleeing the interstate to park. Whoa, is this coming? Oh, its here. Its here, Tad Peters can be heard saying on a video. Look at all that debris. Ohhh. My God, we are in a torn ... His father then rolled up the window. The two were headed to Indiana for a weightlifting competition but decided to return home to Norman, Oklahoma, about six hours away, where they then encountered wildfire.___Walker reported from New York, and Reynolds reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, Jeff Roberson in Wayne County, Missouri, Gene Johnson in Seattle and Janie Har in San Francisco contributed.

A 28-year-old mother of four who was gang-raped by armed men while collecting firewood, enters a makeshift house in Juba displacement camp, South Sudan, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)2025-03-16T04:30:18Z JUBA, South Sudan (AP) After being gang-raped by armed men while collecting firewood, the 28-year-old tried in vain to get help. Some clinics were closed, others told her to return later and she had no money to access a hospital.Five months after the assault, she lay on a mat in a displacement camp in South Sudans capital, rubbing her swollen belly. I felt like I wasnt heard ... and now Im pregnant, she said. The Associated Press does not identify people who have been raped.Sexual assault is a constant risk for many women in South Sudan. Now one aid group is trying to bridge the gap with technology, to find and help survivors more quickly. But its not easy in a country with low connectivity, high illiteracy and wariness about how information is used.Five months ago, an Israel-based organization in South Sudan piloted a chatbot it created on WhatsApp. It prompts questions for its staff to ask survivors of sexual assault to anonymously share their experiences. The information is put into the phone while speaking to the person and the bot immediately notifies a social worker theres a case, providing help to the person within hours. IsraAID said the technology improves communication. Papers can get misplaced and information can go missing, said Rodah Nyaduel, a psychologist with the group. When colleagues document an incident, shes notified by phone and told what type of case it is. Tech experts said technology can reduce human error and manual file keeping, but organizations need to ensure data privacy. How do they intend to utilize that information, does it get circulated to law enforcement, does that information cross borders. Groups need to do certain things to guarantee how to safeguard that information and demonstrate that, said Gerardo Rodriguez Phillip, an AI and technology innovation consultant in Britain. IsraAID said its data is encrypted and anonymized. It automatically deletes from staffers phones. In the chatbots first three months in late 2024, it was used to report 135 cases.When the 28-year-old was raped, she knew she had just a few days to take medicine to help prevent disease and pregnancy, she said.One aid group she approached scribbled her information on a piece of paper and told her to return later to speak with a social worker. When she did, they said they were busy. After 72 hours, she assumed it was pointless. Weeks later, she found she was pregnant.IsraAID found her while doing door-to-door visits in her area. At first, she was afraid to let them put her information into their phone, worried it would be broadcast on social media. But she felt more comfortable knowing the phones were not personal devices, thinking she could hold the organization accountable if there were problems.Shes one of tens of thousands of people still living in displacement sites in the capital, Juba, despite a peace deal ending civil war in 2018. Some are afraid to leave or have no homes to return to.The fear of rape remains for women who leave the camps for firewood or other needs. Some told the AP about being sexually assaulted. They said there are few services in the camp because of reduced assistance by international aid groups and scant government investment in health. Many cant afford taxis to a hospital in town. U.S. President Donald Trumps recent executive order to freeze USAID funding during a 90-day review period is exacerbating the challenges. Aid groups have closed some services including psychological support for women, affecting tens of thousands of people.Technology isnt widely used by aid groups focused on gender-based violence in South Sudan. Some organizations say that, based on survivors feedback, the ideal app would allow people to get help remotely.Stigma surrounding sexual assault further complicates efforts to get help in South Sudan. Its especially hard for young girls who need to get permission to leave their homes, said Mercy Lwambi, gender-based violence lead at the International Rescue Committee. They want to talk to someone faster than a physical meeting, she said.But South Sudan has one of the lowest rates of mobile access and connectivity in the world, with less than 25% of market penetration, according to a report by GSMA, a global network of mobile operators. People with phones dont always have internet access, and many are illiterate.You have to be thinking, will this work in a low-tech environment? What are the literacy rates? Do they have access to devices? If so, what kind? Will they find it engaging, will they trust it, is it safe? said Kirsten Pontalti, a senior associate at Proteknon Foundation for Innovation and Learning, an international organization focused on advancing child protection.Pontalti has piloted two chatbots, one to help youth and parents better access information about sexual reproductive health and the other for frontline workers focused on child protection during COVID. She said technology focused on reporting abuse should include an audio component for people with low literacy and be as low-tech as possible.Some survivors of sexual assault say they just want to be heard, whether by phone or in person.One 45-year-old man, a father of 11, said it took years to seek help after being raped by his wife after he refused to have sex and said he didnt want more children they couldnt afford to support.It took multiple visits by aid workers to his displacement site in Juba before he felt comfortable speaking out.Organizations need to engage more with the community, he said. If they hadnt shown up, I wouldnt have come in.___For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse___The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. SAM MEDNICK Mednick is the AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan. twitter

This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)2025-03-16T09:23:14Z CAIRO (AP) Iran on Sunday once again denied aiding Yemens Houthi rebels after the United States launched a wave of airstrikes against them and President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would be held fully accountable for their actions.The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least 31 people, including women and children, and wounded over 100. The rebels said one strike hit two homes in northern Saada province, killing four children and a woman. The rebel-run Al-Masirah TV showed images of what it said were the bodies.The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles and drones at Israel in what the rebels said were acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with Hamas, another Iranian ally.The attacks stopped when a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire took hold in Gaza in January, but the Houthis had threatened to renew them after Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza this month. The U.S. and others have long accused Iran of providing military aid to the Houthis and the U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry it said were bound for the militant group, which controls Yemens capital, Sanaa, and the countrys north. Gen. Hossein Salami, head of Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, denied his country was involved in the Houthis attacks, saying it plays no role in setting the national or operational policies of the militant groups it is allied with across the region, according to state-run TV. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, urged the U.S. to halt the strikes and said Washington cannot dictate Irans foreign policy.Trump on Saturday had vowed to use overwhelming lethal force until the Houthis cease their attacks on shipping along the vital maritime corridor. The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israels latest blockade on Gaza. There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 and January of this year, when the ceasefire in Gaza took effect.The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but Saturdays operation was conducted solely by the U.S. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration.___Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war SAMY MAGDY Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses. twitter facebook mailto

Rescue workers stand in front of a club after massive fire broke out early Sunday in Kocani, North Macedonia, March 16, 2025. (Kocani TV via AP)2025-03-16T08:35:48Z SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) A massive nightclub fire killed 51 people early Sunday in North Macedonia s eastern town of Kocani, and injured about 100 more, interior minister Panche Toshkovski told a press conference.The blaze broke out around 2:35 a.m. during a concert by a local pop group, according to Toshkovski. He said the young clubgoers used pyrotechnics that caused the roof to catch fire. Videos showed chaos inside the night club, with young people running through the smoke as the musicians urged people to escape as quickly as possible. This is the worst tragedy in recent memory to befall the landlocked nation, whose population is less than 2 million.This is a difficult and very sad day for Macedonia. The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The people and the government will do everything in their power to at least slightly alleviate their pain and help them in these most difficult moments.Officials said the injured have been taken to hospitals around the country, including the capital, Skopje, many with severe burns. The effort was being assisted by multiple volunteer organizations.Family members gathered in front of hospitals and Kocanis city offices begging authorities for more information.Toshkovski said police have arrested one man, but didnt provide details on the persons involvement. Deeply saddened by the tragic fire in Kocani North Macedonia, which claimed lives of too many young people, Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, wrote in a post on X. My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the whole of North Macedonia.North Macedonia is a candidate for EU membership.___AP writer Derek Gatopoulos contributed from Athens, Greece.

Texas guard Julian Larry (1) moves against Tennessee forward Cade Phillips (12) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)2025-03-16T10:10:06Z The AP Top 25 mens college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season!Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. For bubble teams North Carolina and Texas, Selection Sunday will feel like the longest day of the year. For top seeds in waiting like Duke and Auburn, making it into the NCAA Tournament isnt a matter of if, only when and where.The March Madness bracket will be revealed Sunday evening, setting the schedule for more than two weeks of competition in a season that saw the Southeastern Conference dominate the rankings. The tournament opens Tuesday and Wednesday with play-in games and the first round opens Thursday and Friday, featuring 32 games at eight sites around the country. The Final Four is in San Antonio on April 5 and 7.Auburn is a slight favorite over Duke to win the national championship, with Florida and Houston not far behind, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. UConn will make the tournament and try for a threepeat as national champ, something that hasnt been done since the early 1970s, while Big East champion St. Johns is back as one of the top teams in the country under veteran coach Rick Pitino. Bubble watchBeyond the matchups, most of the drama will revolve around the Tar Heels and Longhorns, who are on the bubble and saw their chances of making the field of 68 shrink thanks to Colorado States run through the Mountain West Conference tournament. The Rams win positions the Mountain West to grab at least three, and possibly four bids if runner-up Boise State makes it. North Carolina and Texas each won two games in their conference tournaments, and for about a day, they looked securely in. Now, though, they wait. What the NCAA selection committee decides with those teams will play a role on the history their respective conferences are making or trying to avoid this season.If the Longhorns make it, the Southeastern Conference could place 14 teams in the bracket which would account for about 1 in 5 of all the March Madness spots and set a record. The old one for a single conference was 11, set by the Big East in 2011. If the Tar Heels get left out, the 18-team Atlantic Coast Conference would likely only place three teams in the tournament. The last time the ACC put that few teams in was 2000, back when it was a nine-team league.Texas and North Carolina will be paying attention to Sundays games between Memphis and UAB for the American Athletic Conference title and VCU vs. UAB in the Atlantic 10. If Memphis or VCU lose, another at-large spot could get gobbled up. Who will be the overall No. 1 seed?One of the ACCs tourney teams will be Duke, which on Saturday reassured the NCAA that its best player, Cooper Flagg, would be available for the tournament after sitting out the last two games of the ACC Tournament with an injured ankle. Even without Flagg, Duke defeated Louisville 73-62 to win the title.In picking the top overall seed, the selection committee will have to choose between Duke, with the uncertainty surrounding Flagg and its weaker strength of schedule, and Auburn, a semifinal loser in the SEC Tournament that, nevertheless, is helped by playing in the nations toughest conference.Big 12 champion Houston could also squeeze into the very top spot. The winner of the SEC title game Sunday between Florida and Tennessee was a good bet to get the final No. 1 seed.___AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

A person waves an Irish flag while watching the St. Patrick's Day parade, Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Boston's South Boston neighborhood. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)2025-03-16T04:23:20Z Its that time of year again when more than a million green-clad revelers fill the streets of Americas most Irish big city for the South Boston St. Patricks Day parade, celebrating the heritage and contributions of all those who hail from the Emerald Isle.Sundays parade dates back to the turn of the 20th century and marks both St. Patricks Day and Evacuation Day, which commemorates the day in 1776 when British troops left Boston after a protracted siege during the Revolutionary War.The 3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) parade rolls through the neighborhood South Boston, a center of Irish-American heritage in a city where more than 1 in every 5 people are of Irish descent. The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council organizes the parade and this years chief marshal is retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alanna Devlin Ball, who grew up in the neighborhood and represented the U.S. at the 2023 Invictus Games in Germany where she took home gold in powerlifting. Lt. Cdr. Devlin Balls 12 years career in the Navy serves as an inspiration to young women who seek to serve in todays military. We are grateful for her service, sacrifice and power of example, said U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a South Boston native. The parade is scheduled to kick off slightly earlier in the morning than normal. Last years events were marred by violence and public intoxication that officials say they hope to curb on Sunday. The goal of the parade is keeping alive the tradition of honoring heritage and service, the war veterans council said in a statement.The parade also has been a source of political controversy in years past. The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council banned gay rights groups from marching in the parade up until a decade ago and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upheld that right in the 1990s.Two gay and lesbian groups joined the parade in 2015. Organizers for one of the groups, Boston Pride, heralded the move as a point of progress at the time.Chicago held its St. Patricks Day parade on Saturday. Philadelphia also celebrates on Sunday and New York City holds its parade Monday. PATRICK WHITTLE Whittle is an Associated Press reporter based in Portland, Maine. He focuses on the environment and oceans. twitter mailto

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., talks to attendees after holding a town hall meeting on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Evanston, Wyo. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps)2025-03-16T12:16:08Z EVANSTON, Wyo. (AP) In two congressional districts and vastly different political environments, two Republican congressmen were met with far different reactions at public meetings they held late last week. Against the suggestion of their leader, House Speaker Mike Johnson, to refrain from holding public meetings with constituents, second-term Reps. Chuck Edwards and Harriet Hageman went ahead with their evening sessions. In Asheville, North Carolina, chants of opposition greeted Edwards on Thursday as opponents hooted at almost every answer he gave and chanted outside. In Evanston, Wyoming, at the southwestern corner of a sparsely populated and heavily Republican state, it was mostly Republicans who asked probing questions of Hageman in a quieter setting. In both cases, voters were curious about the scope and pace of action in Washington since President Donald Trump took office, if less boisterously in Wyoming than the event 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) to the southeast. Evanston, WyomingJoy Walton, a 76-year-old Republican from Evanston, had come to the meeting confused about tech billionaire Elon Musks role in the executive branch. Trump has charged Musk with leading a broad effort to shrink the size and cost of government. Hageman Liz Cheney s successor worked to clarify Musks place in the Trump administration, describing him as a special government employee with a top-secret security clearance. She praised him for his work targeting foreign aid contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development, calling the department a monstrosity and waste of money. The meeting was tamer than some constituent meetings held by Republicans, who hold majorities in the House and the Senate. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, adjourned such a meeting this month in northwest Kansas early when constituents became vocally angry about government personnel cuts. Still, Hagemans meeting Friday, with about 250 filling to capacity the meeting room in the restored Union Pacific Railroad roundhouse, was the liveliest event that evening in the train depot town of about 11,800 people.Some in the audience blurted comments to Hageman, though this was not unfriendly territory for Trump. The president received 80% of the vote in Uinta County, along the Utah border, en route to carrying Wyoming with nearly 72% of voters last year. Yet even some devout Republicans gave voice to concern about Musks recommendations as the head of the administrations Department of Government Efficiency.Former Wyoming Secretary of State Karl Allred, 60, said he was happy to see Trump slash wasteful spending, but noted that any serious reduction in federal spending needed to include the defense budget. I guarantee we waste a lot of money there, and in every department, Allred said regarding the military. Even Hageman suggested Musk was going too far in targeting the U.S. Postal Service, which has agreed to assist Musks group in its plan to cut 10,000 of the services 640,000 workers over the next month. Wyoming would be among the states hit hardest by cuts to the countrys mail service because of its small population, Hageman said. Asheville, North CarolinaEdwards was walking into a far different environment. Asheville, a mid-sized urban hub surrounded by the rural hills of western North Carolina, is the seat of Buncombe County, where Trump received 36.9% of the vote last year.Jay Carey, a 54-year-old Democrat, had said before the Thursday night constituent meeting at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, My plan is to call him out. About 20 minutes into Edwards meeting, Carey, a retired military veteran, started to yell at the representative to Do your job. Carey then stood, accused Edwards of lying and used a string of expletives until police escorted him out of the auditorium. For about 90 minutes, Edwards faced jeers, boos and pointed questions from many in the audience of 300, while another 1,000 echoed them from outside the building. Certainly, Carey, from the Asheville area, was part of a group of Democrats who attended the meeting, though not paid protesters as Johnson suggested were behind some of the more raucous gatherings. Careys home flooded with six feet of water during Hurricane Helene in September. He lost his small business and his family had to relocate from a house to a smaller apartment. Much of Edwards district was ravaged by the hurricane and remains in the early rebuilding phase, even as Trump has suggested eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Edwards seemed unruffled by the often hostile reception, telling reporters afterward, I appreciate the chance to talk about those things, even though there were some differences and some different opinions.Still, as protesters continued to chant outside, Edwards said, Were doing exactly what the American people sent us to Washington, D.C., to do.___Seminera reported from Asheville and Beaumont from Des Moines, Iowa. HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Schoenbaum is a government and politics reporter based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also covers general news in the Rockies and LGBTQ+ rights policies in U.S. statehouses. twitter mailto MAKIYA SEMINERA Seminera is a state government reporter for The Associated Press. She is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. twitter mailto THOMAS BEAUMONT Beaumont covers national politics for The Associated Press. He is based in Des Moines, Iowa. twitter mailto

Prime Minister Mark Carney following a swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-16T12:27:23Z OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Paris and London on Monday to seek alliances as he deals with U.S. President Donald Trumps attacks on Canadas sovereignty and economy. Carney is purposely making his first foreign trip to the capital cities of the two countries that shaped Canadas early existence. At his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, Carney noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples, French, English and Indigenous, and said Canada is fundamentally different from America and will never, ever, in any way shape or form, be part of the United States.The Trump factor is the reason for the trip. The Trump factor towers over everything else Carney must deal with, said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.The 59-year-old former central banker will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and later travel to London to sit down with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in an effort to diversify trade and perhaps coordinate a response to Trumps tariffs. He will also meet with King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. The trip to England is a bit a homecoming, as Carney is a former governor of the Bank of England, the first noncitizen to be named to the role in the banks 300-plus-year history. Carney then travels to the edge of Canadas Arctic to reaffirm Canadas Arctic security and sovereignty before returning to Ottawa where hes expected to call an election within days. Carney has said hes ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesnt plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon.Sweeping tariffs of 25% and Trumps talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can. Carneys government is reviewing the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets in light of Trumps trade war. The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and repeatedly has said Canada should become the 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto, said Carney is wise not to visit Trump. Theres no point in going to Washington, Bothwell said. As (former Prime Minister Justin) Trudeaus treatment shows, all that results in is a crude attempt by Trump to humiliate his guests. Nor can you have a rational conversation with someone who simply sits there and repeats disproven lies.Bothwell said that Trump demands respect, but its often a one-way street, asking others to set aside their self-respect to bend to his will.Daniel Bland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said it is absolutely essential that Canada diversify trade amidst the ongoing trade war with the United States. More than 75% of Canadas exports go to the U.S. Bland said Arctic sovereignty is also a key issue for Canada. President Trumps aggressive talk about both Canada and Greenland and the apparent rapprochement between Russia, a strong Arctic power, and the United States under Trump have increased anxieties about our control over this remote yet highly strategic region, Bland said.

Samantha Brasini, of Italy, kneels in front of the statue of Pope John Paul II as she prays for Pope Francis outside the Agostino Gemelli polyclinic in Rome, Italy, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-03-16T08:46:42Z ROME (AP) Dozens of children toting yellow and white balloons gathered outside Romes Gemelli hospital to greet Pope Francis on his fifth Sunday hospitalized with double pneumonia. While the pope did not appear from the 10th-floor suite of windows, he acknowledged their presence in the traditional Sunday blessing.I know that many children are praying for me; some of them came here today to Gemelli as a sign of closeness, the pontiff said in the Angelus text prepared for the traditional prayer but not delivered live again. Thank you, dearest children! The pope loves you and is always waiting to meet you, Francis said.The Rev. Fortunato, the president of the pontifical committee for World Childrens Day who organized the event, said that the gathering of children with their parents was as a form of spiritual medicine for the 88-year-old pontiff, calling it the most beautiful caress. The children represent a symbolic medicine for Pope Francis, Fortunato said. Letting him know that so many children are here for him cheers the heart.They included 20 children accompanied by the St. Egidio charity and 50 children accompanied by UNICEF. The pope typically delivers the Angelus from a window overlooking St. Peters Square to the gathered faithful, who have grown more numerous due to the Jubilee year that Francis inaugurated in December.In the written text, Francis said he was thinking of others, who like him, are in a fragile state. Our bodies are weak, but even like this, nothing can prevent us from loving, praying, giving ourselves, being for each other, in faith, shining signs of hope, the pope said. The pope no longer in critical condition Along with a stop at St. Peters to seek indulgences by walking through the basilicas Holy Door, pilgrims are now also adding a stop at Gemelli, a 15-minute train ride from the Vatican.Doctors this week said the pontiff was no longer in critical, life-threatening condition, but they have continued to emphasize that his condition remained complex due to his age, lack of mobility and the loss of part of a lung as a young man.Still, they are issuing fewer medical bulletins as the pontiff has been on an upward trajectory. An X-ray this week confirmed that the infection was clearing.Francis has not been seen publicly since he was admitted to the hospital Feb. 14 after a bout of bronchitis that made it difficult for him to speak. Doctors soon added a diagnosis of double pneumonia and a polymicrobial (bacterial, viral and fungal) infection.The first three weeks of his hospitalization were marked by a rollercoaster of setbacks, including respiratory crises, mild kidney failure and a severe coughing fit.Doctors in the most recent medical update on Saturday said they were working to reduce the popes nighttime reliance on the non-invasive ventilation mask, which will allow his lungs to work more.Doctors underlined that while the popes condition is stable, he still requires hospitalization for treatment along with physical and respiratory therapy, which are showing further gradual improvements, the Vatican said Saturday in the first medical update in three days. The next update wont be issued until the middle of next week, the Vatican said.Associated Press writer Francesca Primavilla contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)2025-03-16T12:29:19Z The new populist president railed against the judiciary as they blocked his aggressive moves to restructure his countrys government and economy.This was in Mexico, where former President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador eventually pushed through changes that required every judge in his country to be elected rather than appointed. The reforms, and the promise of more by his successor, caused markets to lose confidence in his countrys reliability as a place to invest, which led its currency to weaken.It was one in a series of assaults that populists around the globe have launched on the courts in recent years, and legal observers now wonder if the United States could be next.As the courts deliver a series of setbacks to his dramatic attempt to change the federal government without congressional approval, President Donald Trumps supporters are echoing some of the rhetoric and actions that elsewhere have preceded attacks on the judiciary. Trumps deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted last week on X: Under the precedents now being established by radical rogue judges, a district court in Hawaii could enjoin troop movements in Iraq. Judges have no authority to administer the executive branch. Or to nullify the results of a national election. We either have democracy, said Miller, who once ran a legal group that sued to get judges to block former President Joe Bidens initiatives, or not. Trumps supporters in Congress have raised the specter of impeaching judges who have ruled against the administration. Elon Musk, the billionaire Trump backer whose Department of Government Efficiency has ended up in the crosshairs of much of the litigation, has regularly called for removing judges on his social media site, X.They dont like what theyre seeing in the courts, and this is setting up what may very well be a constitutional crisis about the independence of the judiciary, said Heidi Beirich, founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Threats against constitutional governmentDespite the rhetoric, the Trump administration has so far not openly defied a court order, and the dozens of cases filed against its actions have followed a regular legal course. His administration has made no moves to seek removal of justices or push judicial reforms through the Republican-controlled Congress.Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University and voting rights expert who previously served in the Justice Departments civil rights division, said hes no fan of Trumps moves. But he said the administration has been following legal norms by appealing decisions it doesnt like.I think most of this is bluster, said Levitt, noting courts can imprison those who dont obey orders or levy crippling fines that double daily. If this is the approach the executive wants to take, its going to provoke a fight. Not everybody is going to be content to be a doormat the way Congress is.Even if no firm moves are underway to remove judges or blatantly ignore their rulings, the rhetoric has not gone unnoticed within the judiciary. Two Republican-appointed senior judges last week warned about the rising danger of the judiciary being targeted.Threats against judges are threats against constitutional government. Everyone should be taking this seriously, said Judge Richard Sullivan, whom Trump in his first term appointed to the federal appeals court in New York. Targeting judges an authoritarian instinctIn Mexico, Lpez Obrador was termed out of office last year. But several other populist Trump allies who have shown no inclination to leave power have made their judiciaries a central target.Hungarys Viktor Orbn lowered the mandatory retirement age for judges to force out some who might have blocked his agenda. In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaros supporters have feuded with that countrys high court. After Bolsonaro was charged with trying to overturn his 2022 election loss, his party is hoping to win enough seats in next years elections to impeach at least one of the justices. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukeles party removed supreme court justices with whom he had clashed. Bukele has even egged Trump on to take on the judiciary: If you dont impeach the corrupt judges, you CANNOT fix the country, Bukele wrote on X, following a post by Musk urging Trump to follow the Salvadoran presidents lead.This is a basic authoritarian instinct, said Steven Levitsky, coauthor of How Democracies Die and a Harvard political scientist. You cannot have a democracy where the elected government can do whatever it wants.It would take two-thirds of the U.S. Senate to remove an impeached judge. With only 53 Republicans in the chamber, its highly unlikely that supermajority could be reached. The Trump administration, though, has expressed exasperation at the frequency with which lower courts are ruling against it. U.S. presidents have long clashed with the courtsJust Saturday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked the Trump administration from deporting people under the presidents invocation of an 18th century wartime law against a Venezuelan gang. Another judge in San Francisco required the administration to rehire tens of thousands of federal workers he ruled had likely been improperly fired. The administration appealed several rulings putting on hold its effort to end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship to the Supreme Court.And the administration is still fighting with aid organizations that contend the government has not complied with a federal judges order to pay them for work performed under contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development.You have these lower-level judges who are trying to block the presidents agenda. Its very clear, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Friday, adding that judges have issued 16 orders blocking Trump initiatives compared to 14 against Biden during the previous four years.Presidents have groused about being checked by courts for decades. Biden complained when the courts blocked his efforts to forgive student loan debt. Former President Barack Obama warned the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court not to overturn his landmark health care expansion.In the 1930s, then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court to get rid of its conservative majority, an idea some Democrats wanted to revisit during Bidens presidency.Respecting the courts a foundation of the rule of lawBut the anti-judicial rhetoric has not for decades reached the pitch that its at now, experts say. One reason for that is that Trump has issued more orders than any other new president. Many of them rely on novel legal theories about presidential power that go against longstanding judicial precedent or have never been tested in court.Anne Marie Slaughter, a former State Department official in the Obama administration, compared judges to referees in sports who enforce the rules. She said the U.S. has long advocated for the importance of the rule of law in young democracies and helped set up legal systems in countries ranging from India to South Africa to ensure they stayed free.At this point, I think many of our allies and peer countries are deeply worried and essentially no longer see us as a beacon of democracy and the rule of law, Slaughter said.Rafal Pankowski, a Polish activist, recalled mass protests that followed new requirements that countrys populist Law and Justice party placed on judges in 2019. They also drew sanctions from the European Union for interfering with judicial independence.Those demonstrations, Pankowski said, contributed to the party losing power in the following elections.Over time, it became difficult for people to follow technicalities of the legislation, Pankowski said, but the instinct to defend the independence of the judiciary has been one of the main things behind the democratic movement.

President Donald Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, March 14, 2025, (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)2025-03-16T15:47:25Z The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring the deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members, officials said Sunday. Flights were in the air at the time of the ruling.U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg issued an order Saturday blocking the deportations but lawyers told him there were already two planes with immigrants in the air one headed for El Salvador, the other for Honduras. Boasberg verbally ordered the planes be turned around, but they apparently were not and he did not include the directive in his written order. OopsieToo late, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, a Trump ally who agreed to house about 300 immigrants for a year at a cost of $6 million in his countrys prisons, wrote on the social media site X above an article about Boasbergs ruling. That post was recirculated by White House communications director Steven Cheung. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who negotiated an earlier deal with Bukele to house immigrants, posted on the site: We sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars. Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, said that Boasbergs verbal directive to turn around the planes was not technically part of his final order but that the Trump administration clearly violated the spirit of it. This just incentivizes future courts to be hyper specific in their orders and not give the government any wiggle room, Vladeck said.The immigrants were deported after Trumps declaration of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has been used only three times in U.S. history. The law, invoked during World Wars I and II and the War of 1812, requires a president to declare the United States is at war, giving him extraordinary powers to detain or remove foreigners who otherwise would have protections under immigration or criminal laws. It was last used to justify the detention of Japanese-American civilians during World War II. The ACLU, which filed the lawsuit that led to Boasbergs temporary restraining order on deportations, said it was asking the government whether the removals to El Salvador were in defiance of the court.This morning, we asked the government to assure the Court that its order was not violated and are waiting to hear, as well as trying to do our own investigation, ACLUs lead lawyer, Lee Gelernt, said in a statement Sunday.A Justice Department spokesperson on Sunday referred back to an earlier statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi blasting Boasbergs ruling and didnt immediately answer questions about whether the administration ignored the courts order.Venezuelas government in a statement Sunday rejected the use of Trumps declaration of the law, characterizing it as evocative of the darkest episodes in human history, from slavery to the horror of the Nazi concentration camps. Tren de Aragua originated in an infamously lawless prison in the central state of Aragua and accompanied an exodus of millions of Venezuelans, the overwhelming majority of whom were seeking better living conditions after their nations economy came undone last decade. Trump seized on the gang during his campaign to paint misleading pictures of communities that he contended were taken over by what were actually a handful of lawbreakers.The Trump administration has not identified the immigrants deported, provided any evidence they are in fact members of Tren de Aragua or that they committed any crimes in the U.S,. It did also send two top members of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang to El Salvador who had been arrested in the United States.Video released by El Salvadors government Sunday showed men exiting airplanes into an airport tarmac lined by officers in riot gear. The men, who had with their hands and ankles shackled, struggled to walk as officers pushed their heads down to have them bend down at the waist. The video also showed the men being transported to prison in a large convoy of buses guarded by police and military vehicles and at least one helicopter. The men were shown kneeling on the ground as their heads were shaved before they changed into the prisons all-white uniform knee-length shorts, T-shirt, socks and rubber clogs and placed in cells.The immigrants were taken to the notorious CECOT facility, the centerpiece of Bukeles push to pacify his once violence-wracked country through tough police measures and limits on basic rightsThe Trump administration said the president actually signed the proclamation contending Tren de Aragua was invading the United States Friday night but didnt announce it until Saturday afternoon. Immigration lawyers said that, late Friday, they noticed Venezuelans who otherwise couldnt be deported under immigration law being moved to Texas for deportation flights. They began to file lawsuits to halt the transfers. Basically any Venezuelan citizen in the US may be removed on pretext of belonging to Tren de Aragua, with no chance at defense, Adam Isacson of the Washington Office for Latin America, a human rights group, warned on X.The litigation that led to the hold on deportations was filed on behalf of five Venezuelans held in Texas who lawyers said were concerned theyd be falsely accused of being members of the gang. Once the act is invoked, they warned, Trump could simply declare anyone a Tren de Aragua member and remove them from the country.Boasberg barred those Venezuelans deportations Saturday morning when the suit was filed, but only broadened it to all people in federal custody who could be targeted by the act after his afternoon hearing. He noted that the law has never before been used outside of a congressionally-declared war and that plaintiffs may successfully argue Trump exceeded his legal authority in invoking it. The bar on deportations stands for up to 14 days and the immigrants will remain in federal custody during that time. Boasberg has scheduled a hearing Friday to hear additional arguments in the case.He said he had to act because the immigrants whose deportations may actually violate the constitution deserved a chance to have their pleas heard in court.Once theyre out of the country, Boasberg said, theres little I could do. _____Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This March 2025 image from the website of artificial intelligence company Xoltar shows a demonstration of one of their avatars for conducting video calls with a patients. (Xoltar via AP)2025-03-16T13:02:13Z The next time youre due for a medical exam you may get a call from someone like Ana: a friendly voice that can help you prepare for your appointment and answer any pressing questions you might have.With her calm, warm demeanor, Ana has been trained to put patients at ease like many nurses across the U.S. But unlike them, she is also available to chat 24-7, in multiple languages, from Hindi to Haitian Creole.Thats because Ana isnt human, but an artificial intelligence program created by Hippocratic AI, one of a number of new companies offering ways to automate time-consuming tasks usually performed by nurses and medical assistants.Its the most visible sign of AIs inroads into health care, where hundreds of hospitals are using increasingly sophisticated computer programs to monitor patients vital signs, flag emergency situations and trigger step-by-step action plans for care jobs that were all previously handled by nurses and other health professionals. Hospitals say AI is helping their nurses work more efficiently while addressing burnout and understaffing. But nursing unions argue that this poorly understood technology is overriding nurses expertise and degrading the quality of care patients receive.Hospitals have been waiting for the moment when they have something that appears to have enough legitimacy to replace nurses, said Michelle Mahon of National Nurses United. The entire ecosystem is designed to automate, de-skill and ultimately replace caregivers. This March 2025 image from the website of artificial intelligence company Xoltar, shows two of of their demonstration avatars for conducting video calls with patients. (Xoltar via AP) This March 2025 image from the website of artificial intelligence company Xoltar, shows two of of their demonstration avatars for conducting video calls with patients. (Xoltar via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Mahons group, the largest nursing union in the U.S., has helped organize more than 20 demonstrations at hospitals across the country, pushing for the right to have say in how AI can be used and protection from discipline if nurses decide to disregard automated advice. The group raised new alarms in January when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the incoming health secretary, suggested AI nurses as good as any doctor could help deliver care in rural areas. On Friday, Dr. Mehmet Oz, whos been nominated to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, said he believes AI can liberate doctors and nurses from all the paperwork. Hippocratic AI initially promoted a rate of $9 an hour for its AI assistants, compared with about $40 an hour for a registered nurse. It has since dropped that language, instead touting its services and seeking to assure customers that they have been carefully tested. The company did not grant requests for an interview.AI in the hospital can generate false alarms and dangerous advice Hospitals have been experimenting for years with technology designed to improve care and streamline costs, including sensors, microphones and motion-sensing cameras. Now that data is being linked with electronic medical records and analyzed in an effort to predict medical problems and direct nurses care sometimes before theyve evaluated the patient themselves. In this photo provided by National Nurses United, nurses hold a rally in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to highlight safety concerns about using artificial intelligence in health care. (National Nurses United via AP) In this photo provided by National Nurses United, nurses hold a rally in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to highlight safety concerns about using artificial intelligence in health care. (National Nurses United via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Adam Hart was working in the emergency room at Dignity Health in Henderson, Nevada, when the hospitals computer system flagged a newly arrived patient for sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to infection. Under the hospitals protocol, he was supposed to immediately administer a large dose of IV fluids. But after further examination, Hart determined that he was treating a dialysis patient, or someone with kidney failure. Such patients have to be carefully managed to avoid overloading their kidneys with fluid. Hart raised his concern with the supervising nurse but was told to just follow the standard protocol. Only after a nearby physician intervened did the patient instead begin to receive a slow infusion of IV fluids.You need to keep your thinking cap on thats why youre being paid as a nurse, Hart said. Turning over our thought processes to these devices is reckless and dangerous.Hart and other nurses say they understand the goal of AI: to make it easier for nurses to monitor multiple patients and quickly respond to problems. But the reality is often a barrage of false alarms, sometimes erroneously flagging basic bodily functions such as a patient having a bowel movement as an emergency. In this photo provided by National Nurses United, Melissa Beebe, foreground, and other nurses hold a rally in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to highlight safety concerns about using artificial intelligence in health care. (National Nurses United via AP) In this photo provided by National Nurses United, Melissa Beebe, foreground, and other nurses hold a rally in San Francisco on April 22, 2024, to highlight safety concerns about using artificial intelligence in health care. (National Nurses United via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Youre trying to focus on your work but then youre getting all these distracting alerts that may or may not mean something, said Melissa Beebe, a cancer nurse at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Its hard to even tell when its accurate and when its not because there are so many false alarms. Can AI help in the hospital?Even the most sophisticated technology will miss signs that nurses routinely pick up on, such as facial expressions and odors, notes Michelle Collins, dean of Loyola Universitys College of Nursing. But people arent perfect either. It would be foolish to turn our back on this completely, Collins said. We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesnt replace the human element.More than 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to one estimate, the biggest staffing drop in 40 years. As the U.S. population ages and nurses retire, the U.S. government estimates there will be more than 190,000 new openings for nurses every year through 2032.Faced with this trend, hospital administrators see AI filling a vital role: not taking over care, but helping nurses and doctors gather information and communicate with patients. Sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes theyre notAt the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, staffers need to make hundreds of calls every week to prepare patients for surgery. Nurses confirm information about prescriptions, heart conditions and other issues like sleep apnea that must be carefully reviewed before anesthesia.The problem: many patients only answer their phones in the evening, usually between dinner and their childrens bedtime.So what we need to do is find a way to call several hundred people in a 120-minute window -- but I really dont want to pay my staff overtime to do so, said Dr. Joseph Sanford, who oversees the centers health IT.Since January, the hospital has used an AI assistant from Qventus to contact patients and health providers, send and receive medical records and summarize their contents for human staffers. Qventus says 115 hospitals are using its technology, which aims to boost hospital earnings through quicker surgical turnarounds, fewer cancellations and reduced burnout.Each call begins with the program identifying itself as an AI assistant.We always want to be fully transparent with our patients that sometimes they are talking to a human and sometimes theyre not, Sanford said.While companies like Qventus are providing an administrative service, other AI developers see a bigger role for their technology.Israeli startup Xoltar specializes in humanlike avatars that conduct video calls with patients. The company is working with the Mayo Clinic on an AI assistant that teaches patients cognitive techniques for managing chronic pain. The company is also developing an avatar to help smokers quit. In early testing, patients spend about 14 minutes talking to the program, which can pickup on facial expressions, body language and other cues, according to Xoltar.Nursing experts who study AI say such programs may work for people who are relatively healthy and proactive about their care. But thats not most people in the health system.Its the very sick who are taking up the bulk of health care in the U.S. and whether or not chatbots are positioned for those folks is something we really have to consider, said Roschelle Fritz of the University of California Davis School of Nursing.___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.

Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) plays against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)2025-03-16T10:10:07Z Follow APs full coverage of March Madness. Get the AP Top 25 womens college basketball poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. UCLA is the top overall seed in the womens NCAA Tournament. The Bruins were joined by South Carolina, Southern California and Texas as the No. 1 seeds that the NCAA revealed Sunday night.Its the first time in school history that the Bruins are the top team in the tournament. They had two losses on the season, both of which came to the Trojans.Dawn Staley felt her team should get the No. 1 overall seed, but unlike last year when the Gamecocks finished off an undefeated season with a national title, this team has three losses heading into March Madness. Staleys team is looking to be the first team to repeat as champion since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. The Huskies, who are a two-seed, are looking to end that drought with star Paige Bueckers. Theyll have to go out west if they reach the Sweet 16 and a potential rematch with JuJu Watkins and the Trojans could be waiting in the Elite Eight. The path for all wont be easy: This year theres more parity in the sport. This NCAA Tournament will be only the second one in the past 19 years to have no teams entering March Madness with zero or one loss. The other time was in 2022. The Trojans and Bruins, newcomers in the Big Ten this season, will try to win the first national championship for the conference since 1999, when Purdue won the lone one. A record 12 teams from the Big Ten are in the field. The SEC has 10 and the ACC eight. The Big 12 has seven. The Ivy League received three bids to the tournament for the first time in conference history. Last season, Columbia earned the second at-large bid in league history. The Lions are back again as well as Princeton. Both are 11 seeds and will be competing in play-in games. Harvard, which won the conference tournament, is a 10 seed. Duke, TCU and N.C. State joined the Huskies on the 2-seed line. Notre Dame boasts wins over Texas and USC but slumped the last few weeks of the regular season and fell to a three-seed. William & Mary is one of six teams set to make its first appearance in the womens NCAA Tournament. The others are Arkansas State, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Mason, Grand Canyon and UC San Diego. Four teams are headed to the mens tournament for the first time: High Point, Omaha, SIU Edwardsville and UC San Diego.The Tribe (15-18) are the first sub-.500 team since Incarnate Word in 2022 to make the tournament.Payout timeFor the first time in NCAA history, there will be a financial incentive for womens teams. They will finally paid for playing games in the NCAA Tournament just like the men have for years.So-called performance units, which represent revenue, will be given to womens teams for each win they get. A team that reaches the Final Four could bring its conference roughly $1.26 million over the next three years in financial performance rewards.This comes a year after the womens championship game that saw South Carolina beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa do better TV ratings then the mens title game.Tournament sitesThe top 16 seeds in the 68-team field will host first- and second-round games, with the regional rounds being played at two neutral sites for the third straight year. Spokane, Washington, will host half of the Sweet 16 and Birmingham, Alabama, will host the other eight teams.The Final Four will be played in Tampa, Florida, on April 4, and the championship game is two days later. Tournament tidbitsOne team that didnt make the field was Stanford, which ended the Cardinals 36-year streak of playing in the NCAA Tournament. Its the first time since 1987 that Stanford wont play in the NCAAs. While that streak is over, Tennessee continued its NCAA Tournament run of appearing every year in the field since the first NCAA Tournament in 1982. The Lady Vols are a five-seed.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP womens college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

A crocodile nicknamed Karossa, after the name of a village it was captured from following the fatal attack of a man, rests with others inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)2025-03-17T01:01:47Z BUDONG-BUDONG, Indonesia (AP) Nearly seven months after a crocodile attack almost took her life, Munirpa walked to the estuary outside her home with her husband and her children, ready to brave a reenactment.Munirpa, who like many Indonesians only uses one name, recounted how one early morning in August, she threw her household garbage into a creek about 50 meters (164 feet) away from her house, as she normally would. She didnt see what was coming next. Munirpa, a crocodile attack survivor, stands for a portrait at the location where she was nearly killed by a four-meter-long crocodile, in Topoyo, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Munirpa, a crocodile attack survivor, stands for a portrait at the location where she was nearly killed by a four-meter-long crocodile, in Topoyo, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More By the time she realized a crocodile had attacked her, the four-meter-long (13-foot) beast had already sunk its teeth into most of her body, sparing only her head. She fought hard, trying to jab its eyes. Her husband, hearing her screams, ran over and tried to pull her by the thigh out of the crocodiles jaws. A tug-of-war ensued; the reptile whipped him with its tail. Fortunately, he saved Munirpa in time, eventually dragging her out of the crocodiles grip. People have long feared the ancient predators in the Central Mamuju district of Indonesias West Sulawesi, where the Budong-Budong River meets the sea. For Munirpa, 48, that fear turned into a brutal reality when she became one of nearly 180 recorded crocodile attack victims in Indonesia last year. Residents like her are learning to coexist with the crocodiles, a legally protected species in Indonesia, as they balance conservation with looking out for their safety. But as attacks rise, several residents and experts have called for better government interventions to stop the problem from getting even worse. Communities near the crocodiles are on edge A crocodile warning sign is displayed by the river in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. The sign reads Beware of crocodile! Please be on alert while doing activities in the river. Crocodile might be stalking. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A crocodile warning sign is displayed by the river in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. The sign reads Beware of crocodile! Please be on alert while doing activities in the river. Crocodile might be stalking. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Following the attack, Munirpa was hospitalized for a month and has had two surgeries. By February this year, her fear was still clearly visible, as were the scars on her legs and thighs. I am so scared. I dont want to go to the beach. Even to the back of the house, I dont dare to go, said Munirpa. I am traumatized. I asked my children not to go to the river, or to the backyard, or go fishing. A canal dug for a newly opened palm oil plantation is visible in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A canal dug for a newly opened palm oil plantation is visible in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A man sits on his motorbike as a newly opened palm oil plantation with its canals are visible in the background in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A man sits on his motorbike as a newly opened palm oil plantation with its canals are visible in the background in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In the villages surrounding the Budong-Budong River, like Munirpas, crocodiles have become a daily topic of conversation. Their presence has become so common that warning signs now mark the areas where they lurk, from the river mouth to the waterways which were once a popular swimming spot for children. In 2024, there were 179 crocodile attacks in Indonesia, the highest number of crocodile attacks in the world, with 92 fatalities, according to CrocAttack, an independent database. Social media videos showing crocodile appearances and attacks in Sulawesi and other regions in Indonesia are also on the rise. Sudirman, front, and Irfan walk on a makeshift bridge as they inspect their fish and shrimp ponds in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Sudirman, front, and Irfan walk on a makeshift bridge as they inspect their fish and shrimp ponds in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Sudirman, left, and Irfan stand among the coconut trees as they inspect their fish and shrimp ponds in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Sudirman, left, and Irfan stand among the coconut trees as they inspect their fish and shrimp ponds in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The increase in attacks began about 12 years ago with the rise of palm oil plantations around the river mouth, said 39-year-old crocodile handler Rusli Paraili. Some companies carved artificial waterways, linking them to the larger part of the Budong-Budong River. That was when the crocodiles started straying, leaving the river and creeping to nearby residential areas, such as fish and shrimp ponds, he explained.Palm oil plantations now dominate the landscape in West Sulawesi, from the mountains to the coast, and patrolling for crocodiles has become part of peoples daily routine. When residents check the water pumps in their ponds, they have no choice but to keep out an eye for the beasts flashlights in hand, scouring up, down and across canals and waterways resigned to the uneasy reality of sharing their home with a predator.Balancing conservation and safety Crocodiles, mostly rescued after encounters with people, swim inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Crocodiles, mostly rescued after encounters with people, swim inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The saltwater crocodile has been a legally protected species in Indonesia since 1999, making it an animal that cannot be hunted freely. As a top predator, there is also no population control in nature. Paraili, the crocodile handler, said that while the law protects crocodiles from being killed, the rise in attacks is a major concern. In response, hes taken care of some of the crocs in a specially-designed farm away from human populations. Hes received some financial support from the government and community donations, as well as support from palm oil companies for the last five years. Rusli Paraili, a crocodile handler, feeds rescued crocodiles kept inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Rusli Paraili, a crocodile handler, feeds rescued crocodiles kept inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Rusli Paraili, left, a crocodile handler, feeds a rescued crocodile inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Rusli Paraili, left, a crocodile handler, feeds a rescued crocodile inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The farm has four ponds and around 50 reptiles. Some have names: Tanker, the largest, shaped like a ship, or Karossa, named after the sub-district the animal was caught after fatally attacking someone. When funds run low, he uses his own money to ensure theyre fed, at least once every four days. A crocodile nicknamed Karossa, after the name of a village it was captured from following the fatal attack of a man, rests with others inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A crocodile nicknamed Karossa, after the name of a village it was captured from following the fatal attack of a man, rests with others inside an enclosure in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Amir Hamidy, who studies reptiles at the National Research and Innovation Agency, worries the rise in attacks indicates that crocodile numbers are becoming far too dangerous. Hamidy supports better population control.Being a protected species does not necessarily mean that the population cannot be reduced when it is at a level that is indeed unsafe, he said.Improving protection for residents A cow jumps over the water near a stream where a crocodile attack occurred several months prior, in Topoyo, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A cow jumps over the water near a stream where a crocodile attack occurred several months prior, in Topoyo, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Around a year ago in Tumbu village, Suardi, who goes by one name, was harvesting coconuts when they fell into the river. When he went to retrieve them, he was attacked by a crocodile he initially didnt notice. Hes since made a full recovery. Still, the experience has made him more cautious. Yes, I am worried. But what else can we do, Suardi said. The important thing is that we are careful enough.Along with Munirpa, Suardi is one of 10 people in the region who was attacked by a crocodile last year. Three of those attacked were killed. Suardi, a crocodile attack survivor, shows a scar on his chest in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Suardi, a crocodile attack survivor, shows a scar on his chest in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Suardi, a crocodile attack survivor, shows the scars on his face in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Suardi, a crocodile attack survivor, shows the scars on his face in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Suyuti Marzuki, whos head of West Sulawesi Marine and Fisheries Agency, said the crocodile habitat shift is making peoples everyday activities like harvesting coconuts, fishing or even disposing of garbage like Munirpa very risky. Marzuki said the government is looking at possible options that can provide both safety and economic alternatives for residents.While he acknowledged that crocodile population numbers and ecosystems need to be protected, Marzuki also raised the possibility of bolstering the local economy through the crocodile skin trade. That industry is controversial because of conservation and animal welfare issues. Rusli Paraili, a crocodile handler, sits on the bow of a boat while looking for crocodiles on a river in Budong-Budong, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Rusli Paraili, a crocodile handler, sits on the bow of a boat while looking for crocodiles on a river in Budong-Budong, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Paraili, the crocodile handler, also urged serious government interventions.This is a matter of human lives. So when the government is not serious, then our brothers and sisters in the future in 5 or 15 years there will be even more who will die from being attacked by crocodiles, he said. Residents like Munirpa and Suardi are waiting for more immediate and realistic steps from the authorities to ensure their communitys and families safety.It is enough that Ive been bitten by a crocodile, Munirpa said. I wont let it happen to my children. A fisher walks in the water after setting up a fishing net near a beach in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) A fisher walks in the water after setting up a fishing net near a beach in Budong-Budong, West Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More ___The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org

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)2025-03-17T04:22:15Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. leader disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening.We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday, Trump said. A lot of works been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.Although Russia failed in its initial goal to topple Ukraine with its invasion three years ago, it still controls large swaths of the country.Trump said land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the war to a close. We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants, he said.Trump described it as dividing up certain assets. CHRIS MEGERIAN Megerian covers the White House for The Associated Press. He previously wrote about the Russia investigation, climate change, law enforcement and politics in California and New Jersey. twitter mailto

A grove of pine trees were destroyed by Saturday's tornado in Tylertown, Miss., shown on Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)2025-03-17T04:14:21Z TYLERTOWN, Miss. (AP) A severe storm on Monday swept through the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes. Days earlier, the same ferocious weather system spawned violent twisters, blinding dust storms and fast-moving wildfires, leaving at least 39 people dead in the South and lower Midwest. Heres what to know about the unusually erratic and damaging weather.Whats expected Monday?Forecasters warned of dangerous winds from Florida all the way north to New Jersey, while heavy rain was likely across New York and New England. A tornado watch was in effect until early Monday for a large swath of North Carolina and Virginia, with gusts potentially reaching 70 mph and possible hail the size of ping pong balls, said the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg, Virginia. The dynamic storm that began Friday earned an unusual high risk designation from meteorologists. Still, experts said its not unusual to see such weather extremes in March. What happened in Mississippi and Missouri?In Tylertown, Mississippi, tornadoes ripped tall trees in half and wiped out entire neighborhoods. Six people were killed and more than 200 were displaced, Gov. Tate Reeves said.Hailey Hart and her fianc Steve Romero hunkered down with their three huskies inside their 1994 Toyota Celica as a twister ripped apart their home Saturday. Romero said he prayed out loud and hugged Hart as the car rolled onto its side, windows shattering, before it landed on its wheels again. It was a bad dream come true, Romero said. The couple escaped with only scratches. Wayne County, Missouri, resident Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing trapped neighbors found five bodies scattered in rubble outside what remained of his aunts house. Scattered twisters killed at least a dozen people in the state Friday, authorities said.Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, Missouri, described the home where one man was killed as just a debris field.The floor was upside down, he said. We were walking on walls. Where were the wildfires and dust storms? Wind-driven wildfires caused extensive damage in Texas and Oklahoma and officials warned that parts of both states would again face an increased risk of fire danger in the coming week.More than 130 fires were reported across Oklahoma and nearly 400 homes were damaged or destroyed, Gov. Kevin Stitt said.Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70 mph, said Terry Essary, the fire chief of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Its an insurmountable task.Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Keli Cain said Sunday that two people were killed as a result of the wildfires and weather.Meanwhile, dust storms spurred by high winds claimed almost a dozen lives on Friday. Eight people died in a Kansas highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles, according to the state highway patrol. Authorities said three people also were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. What has the president said?President Donald Trump said the White House was monitoring the storms and would assist state and local officials to help in the recovery. He said National Guard troops were deployed to Arkansas, where officials confirmed three deaths. Please join Melania and me in praying for everyone impacted by these terrible storms! Trump posted on his social media network on Sunday.At least three people, including an 82-year-old woman, were killed in central Alabama when multiple tornadoes swept across the state. In Troy, Alabama, parks officials said the recreation center where many residents had taken refuge had to be closed due to damage from overnight storms. No one was injured.We are thankful the Lord provided protection over our community, and over 200 guests at the Recreation Center storm shelter on Saturday night, the parks department said in a statement.

People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)2025-03-17T04:02:00Z KOCANI, North Macedonia (AP) After North Macedonias deadliest tragedy in recent memory, with dozens dying in a nightclub inferno, the tiny Balkan nation is struggling to grapple with so many young lives lost while trying to hold those responsible to account and prevent another calamity.The massive fire tore through the overcrowded nightclub early Sunday in the eastern town of Kocani leaving 59 people dead and 155 injured from burns, smoke inhalation and being trampled in the panicked escape toward the buildings single exit.People as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning.We are all in shock, and I am shocked myself: as a mother, as a person, as a president, North Macedonias President Gordana Davkova Siljanovska said in an address to the nation Sunday night. An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) Police officers hold plastic bags on the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More A woman cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) A woman cries outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in a nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More I still cannot believe that the terrible tragedy in Kocani is a reality. I do not know with what words to express my condolences to the parents and loved ones of the deceased, she said. No one responsible should escape the law, justice and punishment! Let us not allow anyone to endanger the lives of innocent people anymore.The fire that shook the nation of 2 million where close-knit extended family bonds made the disaster personal to many was the latest in a slew of deadly nightclub fires around the world. Allegation of bribery surrounding nightclubAuthorities say they are investigating allegations of bribery surrounding the nightclub that was crammed with young revelers and at double capacity. And North Macedonias government ordered a sweeping three-day inspection to be carried out at all nightclubs and cabarets across the country, starting Monday. An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) An aerial photograph shows the site of a nightclub in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More The country was in mourning as people watched harrowing scenes in the town of 25,000 people, where rescuers for hours carried out their grim task of removing the charred bodies of clubgoers. The fire caused the roof of the single-story building to partially collapse, revealing the charred remains of wooden beams and debris. Anxious parents gathered outside hospitals in Kocani and capital Skopje, some 115 kilometers (72 miles) west, eager for updates about the injured. Many of the most seriously injured were receiving treatment in Greece and other neighboring countries. Waiting outside the hospital in Kocani, Dragi Stojanov was among those who received the dreaded news that his 21-year-old son Tomce had perished.He was my only child. I dont need my life anymore. ... 150 families have been devastated, he told reporters. Children burnt beyond recognition. There are corpses, just corpses inside (the club). ... And the bosses (of organized crime), just putting money into their pockets. The death toll may rise furtherFlags around the country have been lowered to half-staff, and the death toll may rise further, with 20 of the injured in critical condition, Health Minister Arben Taravari said Sunday. Although the investigation into the fires cause is ongoing, videos showed sparkling pyrotechnics on the stage hitting Club Pulses ceiling and igniting the blaze as a band played.We even tried to get out through the bathroom, only to find bars (on the windows), 19-year-old Marija Taseva told The Associated Press. I somehow managed to get out. I fell down the stairs and they ran over me, trampled me. ... I barely stayed alive and could hardly breathe. She suffered an injury to her face. People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) People wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Women cry and hug outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Women cry and hug outside a hospital in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said 15 people had been detained for questioning after a preliminary inspection revealed the club was operating without a proper license. He said the number of people inside the club was at least double its official capacity of 250.We have grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption in this case, he told reporters without elaborating.Condolences poured in from leaders around Europe as well as from the office of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for a month for double pneumonia. I have had many difficult moments and challenges in my life but today is by far the most difficult day of my life, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said in a televised address. My heart is breaking, and I have no strength to speak today. I am broken and my spirit is broken. Late Sunday, Kocanis residents held a candlelight vigil in support for mourning families, waiting in long lines to light church candles. Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Girls cry as they light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) People hug as they wait in lines to light candles in the town of Kocani, North Macedonia, Sunday, March 16, 2025, following a massive fire in the nightclub early Sunday. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Beti Delovska, an economist from Skopje, said North Macedonia has never experienced a tragedy like this, with dozens of young people vanishing in minutes. And she noted that many young people with bright futures had already left the nation, in search of opportunities elsewhere.(North) Macedonia is on its death bed, Delovska, 64, said. We have no more credible institutions, the health system is completely dismantled, education is poor, judiciary is partisan and corrupted to the bone I do believe now that only God can save (North) Macedonia.___Testorides reported from Skopje, Macedonia

Jhoan Bastidas gives an interview at his father's house in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 5, 2025, after being deported from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. (AP Photo/Juan Arraez)2025-03-17T04:04:48Z MARACAIBO, Venezuela (AP) Jhoan Bastidas was deported from the United States and spent 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, watched by cameras and eating small meals that left him hungry.I was locked up all day in a little room I counted the feet: 7 wide and 13 long without being able to do anything, without a book, looking at the walls, Bastidas, 25, said in his fathers middle-class home in the western city of Maracaibo, Venezuela.Three weeks after he was returned to Venezuela under President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown, Bastidas is just starting to make sense of it all how he is back in the once-prosperous hometown that he left as a teenager; how tattoos on his chest earned him a reputation as a criminal; and how he became one of the few migrants to set foot on the naval base best known for housing terrorism suspects. Piecing lives togetherBastidas and roughly 350 other Venezuelans who migrated to the U.S. are trying to piece their lives together after they were deported to their troubled country over the past few weeks. About 180 of them spent up to 16 days at the base in Guantanamo before being flown to Honduras by U.S. authorities and, from there, to Venezuela by the government of President Nicols Maduro.It is part of the White Houses efforts to deport a record number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally. Trumps government has alleged Venezuelans sent to the naval base are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which originated in the South American country, but it has offered little evidence to back that up. It was all very hard; all those experiences were very hard, Bastidas said.You have to be strong in the face of all those problems, you know, but I saw so much hate.More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left their homeland since 2013, when its oil-dependent economy came undone and Maduro became president. Most settled in Latin America and the Caribbean, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, they increasingly set their sights on the U.S. Venezuela has refused to take back its own citizens from the U.S. for years, with brief, limited exceptions such as the recent flights.Over the weekend, the U.S. government transferred hundreds of immigrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador after Trump invoked an 18th century wartime law to speed up deportations of alleged Tren de Aragua members. The Trump administration, however, has not provided any evidence to back up the gang-membership claim. The immigrants were transferred even as a federal judge issued an order temporarily barring deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action to expedite mass deportations. Leaving VenezuelaBastidas, his mother and siblings left Maracaibo in 2018, one of the harshest years of the countrys protracted crisis. As they tested their luck in Peru and then settled in Colombia, people living in Venezuela lost jobs, formed long lines outside near-empty grocery stores and went hungry.Their hometown saw businesses shutter and entire families sell their belongings and move away. The hourslong power outages that became everyday occurrences starting in 2019 pushed even more people to abandon Maracaibo.He set off for Texas in November 2023, bankrolled by a brother whose promise of a car and a food delivery job in Utah convinced him to migrate.Bastidas turned himself in to U.S. authorities after reaching the border with Mexico and was taken to a detention facility in El Paso, Texas. He remained there until early February, when one morning he was handcuffed, driven to an airport and put in an airplane without being told where it was headed.After the aircraft landed, fellow passengers thought they were in Venezuela, but when he reached the door and only saw gringos, Bastidas said, he concluded they were wrong. When he saw Guantanamo written on the floor, it did not mean anything to him. He had never heard that word before. GuantanamoWhen inside the cell, Bastidas said, he could never tell the time of day because its only window was a small glass panel at the top of the door looking into the building. He said he only saw sunlight every three days for an hour, which was the recreation time he was allowed to spend in what he described as a cage.Bastidas said his hands and feet were shackled whenever he left his cell, including when he went to shower every three days. At one point, he and other detainees were given small Bibles, and they began praying together, reading Scripture loudly and placing their ears against the door to hear each other.We used to say that the one who was going to get us out was God because we didnt see any other solutions. We didnt have anyone to lean on, Bastidas added.The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respondto requests for comment. Trump has said he planned to send the worst to the base in Cuba, including members of the Tren de Aragua. Bastidas said he is not part of the gang and believes the U.S. authorities used his tattoos to wrongly catalog him as a member of the criminal organization.When asked which tattoos he thinks authorities misjudged, his father pulled down the neck of Bastidas white T-shirt and pointed to two black, eight-pointed stars, each inked on one side of the chest, below the collarbones. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit attempting to block further transfers to Guantanamo alleging cruelty by the guards and suicide attempts by at least three people held there.Bastidas and other Venezuelans returned to Venezuela from Guantanamo on Feb. 20. Armed state intelligence service agents dropped them off at their homes.Bastidas spent the next two weeks resting. He then began working at a hot dog stand.Back homeAbandoned storefronts and homes are everywhere in Maracaibo, which once was a magnet for immigrants looking for good-paying jobs in and around nearby oil fields. But corruption, mismanagement and eventual U.S. economic sanctions saw production and population decline steadily.Few people might know Bastidas by name in his sweltering hometown, but practically everyone in Maracaibo knows someone who has migrated. So, news of the Venezuelans transfer to Guantanamo was shared seemingly endlessly on social media and WhatsApp, setting off debates over their living conditions and alleged gang affiliations as well as the complex crisis that drove them to migrate in the first place.Bastidas is leaning into faith to ignore the noise and move forward.I see it as a kind of test that the Lord put me through, he said. He has another purpose for me. It wasnt for me to be (in the U.S.), and he kept me there (in detention) for some reason.___Salomon reported from Miami. GISELA SALOMON Salomon is a Miami-based reporter who covers Latin America and immigration affairs for The Associated Press.Salomon es una periodista que desde Miami cubre asuntos latinoamericanos y de inmigracion. twitter mailto

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) walks on the field during the first inning in an MLB Japan Series exhibition baseball game against the Hanshin Tigers, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)2025-03-17T04:24:44Z TOKYO (AP) The Major League Baseball season kicks off Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome when Shohei Ohtani and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs.Its the first of a two-game series and features five Japanese players. Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie Roki Sasaki pitch for the Dodgers while the Cubs have outfielder Seiya Suzuki and left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga.The two MLB teams have been in Tokyo for several days, playing exhibition games against two Japanese teams the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants. All four exhibition games had a capacity crowd of roughly 42,000. A similar atmosphere is expected for the two MLB games.Everybodys very aware of the series, thats evident for sure, more than I feel like it would be America, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. More people are talking about it, absolutely. Thats a great feeling. The players love big events, thats why we do this, thats why we love to do it.Here are five things to know heading into the MLB opener: All-Japanese pitching matchupThe first game will feature the first all-Japanese pitching matchup on opening day in MLB history. Yamamoto will take the mound for the Dodgers against Imanaga of the Cubs.Yamamoto is entering his second season with Los Angeles. He was 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA last season and was an important part of the teams World Series championship, with a brilliant performance in a Game 2 win over the Yankees.Imanaga was an All-Star last year in his first season with the Cubs. The lefty finished with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA in 2024.The Dodgers will start Sasaki in the second game on Wednesday night.Young CubsThird baseman Matt Shaw is expected to make his big league debut for the Cubs on Tuesday. Shaw is one of the teams top prospects and did enough this spring to earn the starting nod.Shaw was drafted with the No. 13 overall pick in 2020 after playing college baseball at Maryland. He hit .284 with 21 homers and 71 RBIs last season, splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A.Other young Cubs include third-year outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hopes to take a big step forward after an encouraging second half of 2024. Rookie second baseman Gage Workman could also make his MLB debut in Tokyo. Ailing MookieDodgers shortstop Mookie Betts will not play in either game against the Chicago Cubs because of an illness thats lingered for the past week.Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Betts is starting to feel better but has lost nearly 15 pounds and is still trying to get rehydrated and gain strength. Roberts added that the eight-time All-Star might fly back to the United States before the team in an effort to rest and prepare for the domestic opener on March 27.Miguel Rojas will start at shortstop in Betts place.Early in the U.S.Set your alarm if youre planning to view the two Tokyo games in the United States. Both games being at 7:10 p.m. in Tokyo, which means itll be a 6:10 a.m. wake up call in the Eastern time zone.Many Cubs and Dodgers fans will really need some coffee. Start time in Chicago is 5:10 a.m. while its 3:10 a.m. in Los Angeles. The game will air nationally on Fox. Tokyo historyThis marks the 25th anniversary of the first MLB regular season games played in Japan. The New York Mets and Cubs played a two-game set at the Tokyo Dome in 2000.Since that series, MLB returned in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2019. The 2019 series featured the Oakland As and Seattle Mariners, who celebrated the final two games of Ichiro Suzukis career in his home country. Suzuki will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer.Its the 10th time that MLB has played regular season games in a spot outside the 50 states. The locations include Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Australia and last years series in South Korea.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB DAVID BRANDT Brandt is an Associated Press sports writer based in Phoenix. He covers a wide variety of sports including the NBA, NFL and MLB. twitter mailto

Ronen Bar, chief of Israel's domestic Shin Bet security agency, attends a ceremony marking Memorial Day for fallen soldiers of Israel's wars and victims of attacks at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl military cemetery, May 13, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/Pool photo via AP, File)2025-03-16T17:41:02Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the internal security service this week, deepening a power struggle focused largely on who bears responsibility for the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.Netanyahus effort to remove Ronen Bar as director of the Shin Bet comes as the security service investigates close aides of the prime minister. Netanyahu said he has had ongoing distrust with Bar, and this distrust has grown over time.Bar responded by saying he planned to continue in the post for the near future, citing personal obligations to finish sensitive investigations, free the remaining hostages in Gaza and prepare potential successors.Bar also criticized Netanyahus expectation of a personal loyalty that contradicts the public interest. But he emphasized that he would respect any legal decision regarding his tenure. Attorney general says Netanyahu must explain legal basis for his decisionIsraels attorney general said Netanyahu must clarify the legal basis for his decision before taking any action.The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian militant groups, and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. It also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.While the army concluded in a recent report that it underestimated Hamas capabilities, Shin Bet said it had a deep understanding of the threat. In veiled criticism of the government, the agency said its attempts to thwart the threat were not implemented.The investigation reveals a long and deliberate disregard from the political leadership from the organizations warnings, Bars statement said. Deflecting blame for the Oct. 7 attackNetanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.Bar has been one of the few senior security officials since the Oct. 7 attack to remain in office.If successful in removing him, Netanyahu would be expected to appoint a loyalist in his place, slowing any momentum for the commission of inquiry. The prime minister said removing him would help Israel achieve its war goals and prevent the next disaster.Netanyahus proposed resolution for Bars dismissal would need the approval of parliament, the Knesset, and it is likely he has support to pass it.However, a personnel decision of this magnitude must get the attorney generals approval, said Amichai Cohen, a senior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank.In her letter to Netanyahu warning he could not go ahead without clarification, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara added that he should pay attention to the fact that the role of the Shin Bet is not to serve the personal trust of the prime minister, according to a statement from her office.The two have a combative relationship, with the prime minister accusing Baharav-Miara of meddling in government decisions. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of Netanyahus biggest supporters, initiated the process of firing her. Cohen also called Netanyahus decision very problematic. He said it illustrates the conflict of interest regarding the Shin Bet findings around the Oct. 7 attack and the agencys investigations into connections between the prime ministers office and Qatar, a mediator in talks on the war in Gaza.Netanyahu is angry that the Shin Bet is investigating members of his staff for their dealings with Qatar.Eli Feldstein, Netanyahus former spokesperson, was reported by Israels Channel 12 to have worked for a Doha-based firm that recruited Israeli journalists to write pro-Qatar stories. Israels left-leaning daily, Haaretz, has reported that two other Netanyahu staffers, Jonatan Urich and Yisrael Einhorn, allegedly built a campaign to bolster Qatars image ahead of the 2022 World Cup there. The Shin Bet, and Bar, have been closely involved with the Gaza hostage negotiations. Netanyahu recently removed Bar from the negotiating team and replaced him with a loyalist, Cabinet minister Ron Dermer. Israeli media have reported on policy differences between the negotiators, who have pushed for a hostage deal, and Netanyahu, who threatens to resume the war.The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-governance civil society group, called Netanyahus announcement a declaration of war on the rule of law and claimed that he does not have the authority to take the step against Bar because of the investigations into his office.The groups chair, Eliad Shraga, called the announcement unlawful and an extreme example of conflict of interest. Opposition leader calls plans to dismiss Bar shamefulOpposition leader Yair Lapid said he would appeal Bars dismissal, calling the resolution shameful and politically motivated.Since Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges in 2019, he has claimed to be the victim of a deep state conspiracy by the media, judiciary and other unelected civil servants.He launched a plan to overhaul the countrys judicial system in early 2023, sparking months of street protests by demonstrators who accused him of trying to weaken the countrys system of checks and balances.Israeli media have said Bar was among top security officials warning ahead of the Oct. 7 attack that the strife was sending an image of weakness to Israels enemies. MELANIE LIDMAN Lidman is an Associated Press reporter based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A participant smiles during the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Montreal, Sunday, March 16, 2025.(Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP)2025-03-17T04:18:31Z NEW YORK (AP) St. Patricks Day, the annual celebration of all things Irish, is being marked in cities across the country on Monday with boisterous parades and celebrations. New York City hosts one of the largest and oldest parades in the United States. The rolling celebration, now in its 264th year, takes place along Manhattans famed Fifth Avenue. Some 150,000 take part in the march and 2 million spectators attend each year, according to organizers.Major celebrations are also planned on Monday in Savannah, Georgia, and other American communities, though some of the cities most transformed by Irish immigration held festivities over the weekend. Chicago s St. Patricks Day celebration, which is punctuated by turning its namesake river bright green with dye, happened Saturday. Boston and Philadelphia marked the occasion Sunday. Across the pond, the Irish capital of Dublin culminates its three-day festival with a parade Monday. Cities such as Liverpool, England, another city transformed by Irish immigration, also host celebrations on the St. Patricks feast day. The parades are meant to commemorate Irelands patron saint but have become a celebration of Irish heritage globally. Festivities on March 17 were popularized by Irish immigrant communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and opposition in the U.S.The New York parade dates to 1762 14 years before the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It steps off at 11 a.m., heading north along Fifth Avenue and running from East 44th Street to East 79th Street in Manhattan.A bevy of local politicians, from the mayor to the governor, are expected to walk the route along with school marching bands and traditional Irish pipe and drum ensembles and delegations from the New York Police Department and other organizations.The grand marshal of this years parade in New York City is Michael Benn, the longtime chairman of the Queens County St. Patricks Parade held in Rockaway Beach.

Former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and police officers who allegedly surrendered to M23 rebels arrive in Goma, Congo, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, file)2025-03-17T10:17:25Z DAKAR, Senegal (AP) Congos government will participate in peace talks in Angola on Tuesday with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group that has captured key areas of Congos mineral-rich east, a spokesperson said Monday.A delegation representing Congo is currently in the Angolan capital, Luanda, for the talks, Tina Salama, the spokesperson for President Felix Tshisekedi, told The Associated Press. Tshisekedi had earlier refused direct negotiations with the rebels. M23 also sent a delegation to Luanda, the groups spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on X Monday.The conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February. Angola, which has acted as a mediator in the conflict, announced last week that it will host direct peace negotiations between Congo and M23 on Tuesday. Peace talks between Congo and Rwanda were unexpectedly canceled in December after Rwanda made the signing of a peace agreement conditional on a direct dialogue between Congo and the M23 rebels, which Congo refused. A dialogue with a terrorist group like the M23 is a red line that we will never cross, Tshisekedi said during a speech to the diplomatic corps on Jan. 18. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the worlds most significant humanitarian crises. More than 7 million people have been displaced. The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, according to U.N. experts, and at times have vowed to march as far as Congos capital, Kinshasa.The U.N. Human Rights Council last month launched a commission to investigate atrocities, including allegations of rape and killing akin to summary executions by both sides. The U.S. State Department said last week it was open to a mining partnership in Congo and has confirmed that preliminary discussions had begun.On Sunday, Tshisekedi met with the U.S. special envoy to Congo, Rep. Ronny Jackson, to discuss potential security and economic partnerships.We want to work together so that American companies can invest and work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and for that we have to make sure there is a peace in the country, Jackson told reporters after the meeting.

This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)2025-03-17T09:44:37Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) The United States under President Donald Trump has launched a new campaign of intense airstrikes targeting Yemens Houthi rebels. This weekends strikes killed at least 53 people, including children, and wounded others. The campaign is likely to continue, part of a wider pressure campaign by Trump now targeting the Houthis main benefactor, Iran, as well. Heres what to know about the U.S. strikes and what could happen next: Why did the U.S. launch these new airstrikes?The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January this year. Their leadership described the attacks as aiming to end the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis profile in the wider Arab world and tamped down on public criticism against their human rights abuses and crackdowns on dissent and aid workers.Trump, writing on his social media platform Truth Social, said his administration targeted the Houthis over their unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism. He noted the disruption Houthi attacks have caused through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, key waterways for energy and cargo shipments between Asia and Europe through Egypts Suez Canal. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective, Trump said. Didnt the U.S. already target the Houthis with airstrikes?Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. and the United Kingdom began a series of airstrikes against the Houthis starting in January 2024. A December report by The International Institute for Strategic Studies said the U.S. and its partners struck the Houthis over 260 times up to that point.U.S. military officials during that period acknowledged having a far-wider target list for possible strikes. While the Biden administration didnt go too far into explaining its targeting, analysts believe officials largely were trying to avoid civilian casualties and not rekindle Yemens stalemated war, which pits the Houthis and their allies against the countrys exiled government and their local and international allies, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Trump administration, however, appears willing to go after more targets, based on the weekends strikes and public remarks made by officials. Were doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS News Face The Nation on Sunday. Thats the mission here, and it will continue until thats carried out.Rubio added: Some of the key people involved in those missile launches are no longer with us, and I can tell you that some of the facilities that they used are no longer existing, and that will continue. What could the new U.S. strikes mean for the wider Mideast?In two words: More attacks. The Houthis said last week theyll again target Israeli ships traveling through Mideast waterways like the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, because of Israels blocking of aid to the Gaza Strip. No rebel attack targeting commercial shipping has been reported as of Monday morning. However, the new U.S. campaign likely could inspire Houthi attacks at sea or on land beyond American warships. The rebels previously targeted oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two countries deeply involved in Yemens war since 2015. Although the U.S. has been striking at Houthi targets for over a year, the scope and scale of this new campaign, including the targeting of senior Houthi figures, marks a significant escalation in the conflict, analysts at the Eurasia Group said Monday. Gulf Arab countries will distance themselves from ongoing hostilities but now face threats to their major oil infrastructure. The Houthis will want to hit President Donald Trump where it hurts, oil prices. Meanwhile, the Houthis likely will expand their possible targets for ship attacks, meaning shippers will continue to stay out of the region, said Jakob P. Larsen, the head of maritime security for BIMCO, the largest international association representing shipowners. Where are the Iranians in all of this?Iran long has armed the Houthis, who are members of Islams minority Shiite Zaydi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran. Thats likely because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis. The Houthis now form the strongest group within Irans self-described Axis of Resistance. Others like Lebanons Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been decimated by Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that sparked Israels war of attrition in the Gaza Strip. Allied Shiite militias in Iraq largely have kept their heads down since the U.S. launched retaliatory attacks last year over a drone attack that killed three American troops and injured at least 34 others at a military base in Jordan. While Iranian state television aired footage of civilian casualties from the weekend strikes in Yemen, top political leaders stayed away from suggestion Tehran itself would get involved in the fight. Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami notably underscored the Houthis made their own decisions while not offering any warning over what would happen if the strikes killed any members of the Guards expeditionary Quds Force, who are believed to actively support the rebels on the ground. We have always declared and we declare again today that the Yemenis are an independent and free nation in their own land, with an independent national policy, Salami said.Trumps national security adviser Mike Waltz, speaking to ABCs This Week on Sunday, warned Guard officials training the Houthis will be on the table too as possible targets for attack. Meanwhile, Iran is still trying to determine how to respond to a letter from Trump aiming to restart negotiations over Tehrans rapidly advancing nuclear program. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled Sunday to Oman, which long has been an interlocutor between Tehran and the West. The attacks on the Houthis are a not-so-subtle signal to Iran, as President Trump has been unequivocal in his insistence that Iran return to the negotiating table to deal with its nuclear program, the New York-based Soufan Center said in an analysis Monday. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto