Monday, 31 March 2025

Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN OCHA. Workers on a mission to help colleagues were buried in mass grave in southern Gaza, says humanitarian office. — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

Israeli military orders the evacuation of most of Gaza's southern city of Rafah — ground.news: 218 media reports — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

Russia rejects US peace deal for Ukraine and issues new set of demands — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

French court bars National Rally leader Marine Le Pen from office for 5 years after convinction on embezzlement to fund party — ground.news: 435 media reports — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

— The court found Le Pen and 24 others guilty of using European Union funds for party staff from 2004 to 2016, violating EU regulations. Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison, with two to be served under house arrest and two suspended.

— In a prime time TV interview on TF1, Le Pen, 56, said she was innocent and would appeal as soon as possible against what she described as a politicized ruling aimed at blocking her presidential bid. She said she was out of the running for 2027 but would continue to fight for her future.

The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has surpassed 1,700 and flattened huge swathes of the South-east Asian nation. The US Geological Survey's predictive modelling estimates Myanmar's death toll could eventually top 10,000 and losses could exceed the country's annual economic output. — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

The extremist youth group affiliated with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) dissolved itself to avert a possible ban that might have damaged the party as it becomes the largest opposition force in Germany's Bundestag once the new conservative-led coalition government is formed. — — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

— The AfD will now found a new youth organization that, unlike the Young Alternative, will be directly under the control of party leadership — and that will include many members of the dissolved group.

— Germany's constitution allows for bans on political parties that attempt to use democratic means to subvert democracy. German courts have banned political parties only twice before: in 1952, for the neofascist Socialist Reich Party, and in 1956, for the Communist Party of Germany. Two more recent efforts to ban the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) were unsuccessful.

'We weren't stuck': Nasa astronauts tell of space odyssey and reject claims of neglect. Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams' story markedly at odds with abandonment narrative painted by Trump and Musk — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

allgemeiner: The media are ignoring the Gaza protests against Hamas — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

Google news on Turkey protests — (LINK)

Swedish journalist jailed in Turkey on terrorism, insults to President chargess — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

— At least 42 journalists behind bars in Turkey — (LINK)

'Puzzling' appointment of outsider as Israel's Shin Bet head — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

Sunday, 30 March 2025

Trump threatens to bomb Iran unless it ends nuclear weapons programme and begins talks on new deal — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

Trump says he is 'not joking' about possible third term as US president — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

Aftershocks frighten Myanmar survivors while death toll from Bangkok high-rise collapse rises: earthquake in Mandalay killed more than 1,600 people in Myanmar and at least 17 in neighbouring Thailand. — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

— The US Geological Service's predictive modelling estimated Myanmar's death toll could top 10,000 and losses could exceed the country's annual economic output.

Red Cross outraged over killing of eight medics in Gaza — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

Judge pauses Trump administration plans to end deportation protection for Venezuelans — 31 March 2025 (LINK)

Musk hands out $1M checks after efforts to block the giveaways in court are rejected — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

Prince Harry accused of 'harassment and bullying at scale' by U.K. charity Sentebale's chair Sophie Chandauka after he quit this week — (LINK) — ground.news: 90 media reports — 30 March 2025 (LINK)

— Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana. He left it, along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the board of trustees following a dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka. Now, Dr Chandauka has said Harry's "unleashing of the Sussex machine" has broken the relationship between himself and the 540 people who work for the charity.

— Five trustees stepped down from their positions. Dr Chandauka had sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position.

— Sentebale is a charity that works in the southern African nations of Lesotho and Botswana. It means "don't forget me" in the Sesotho language, and Harry and Seeiso set it up in memory of their mothers. It was started to help young people affected by AIDS after Harry spent part of a gap year in 2004 working at an orphanage for children whose parents died of the disease. In April 2024, the charity underwent a "transformation agenda" and now aims to address health issues, wealth inequality and climate resilience in the two countries.

Saturday, 29 March 2025

Israel strikes Beirut for first time since ceasefire deal agreed with Hezbollah. (LINK) — ground.news: 309 media reports — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

Myanmar earthquake: death toll passes 1,600 as search for survivors continues. Aid agencies warn of 'extremely difficult' response amid Myanmar's continuing civil war with true scale of disaster yet to emerge. — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

US to revoke authorizations to foreign partners of Venezuela's PDVSA, sources say — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

U.S. federal judge blocks Trump from dismantling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until she rules on the merits of a lawsuit seeking to preserve the agency. — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

Guinea ex-dictator Camara pardoned for health reasons after less than 1 year of sentence for 2009 stadium massacre — ground.news: 117 media reports — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

US Peace Institute lays off staff after dramatic DOGE standoff — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

Gérard Depardieu trial finally gives France its #MeToo moment — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

Friday, 28 March 2025

UN warns of 'severe' human rights abuses in Haiti as illegal weapons proliferate: between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms circulating illegally: "another crisis point". (LINK) — ground.news: 12 media reports — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for a "transitional administration" to be put in place in Ukraine and vows his army will "finish off" Ukrainian troops, as US President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Putin suggests putting Ukraine under UN-sponsored administration — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Report: Hamas may be open to freeing some hostages in exchange for Eid al-Fitr truce — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Suspected US strikes pummel Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Trump says the US will help in Asia quake. A former official says the system is now in 'shambles' without the people or resources to move quickly to pull out survivors from collapsed buildings and otherwise save lives. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

DHS official placed on administrative leave after adding conservative reporter to sensitive email chain about forthcoming operation: — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

— None of the officials in a Trump senior group chat discussing an attack on Yemen Houthis — including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Vice President JD Vance — have faced repercussions over the leak. President Donald Trump has assigned Waltz to probe his own mistake of adding The Atlantic editor-in-chief to the group chat.

At least 4 dead after severe storms in the South Texas-Mexico border region and hundreds rescued — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

U.S. State Department formally notifies Congress it is effectively dissolving USAID — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Geneva Environment Network: "International Geneva tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, of nature, land and biodiversity loss and of pollution and waste" — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Dow drops 700 points (1.7%) and also down: S&P 500 (2%), Nasdaq (2.7%) as Wall Street reels from tariff, inflation fears. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

UBS has no intention of leaving Switzerland, compliance chief says — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

WH Smith name to disappear from high street in agreed £76m sale to Modella: Under terms of deal with Hobbycraft owner, 233-year-old brand will become TGJones — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

US reportedly pushes for more expansive minerals deal with Ukraine — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Hamas receives US offer to revive ceasefire in exchange for American hostage's release — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Voice of America wins in court, for now, as judge blocks Trump administration from firing staff — 29 March 2025 (LINK)

Putin endorses Trump's Greenland takeover: it reflects their vision of a new world order — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Elon Musk says xAI has acquired X: Musk said the all-stock merger valued xAI at $80 billion and X at $45 billion (including $12 billion of debt). — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Elon Musk makes false claim about billion-dollar National Park survey: no evidence — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Top FDA vaccine official Peter Marks resigns in opposition to RFK Jr. citing his "misinformation and lies" around immunization. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Columbia University President resigns after school accepts Trump's demands — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Trump says Greenland takeover needed for 'world peace': US president's comment comes as Vice President Vance and his wife visit US military base on the Danish territory in scaled-back trip. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

Thursday, 27 March 2025

Greenland lawmakers form a new unity government on the eve of Vance visit — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

White House: President Donald J. Trump restores truth and sanity to American history — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— "The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.

— The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women's achievements in the American Women's History Museum and do not recognize men as women.

— The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America's extraordinary heritage and progress.

— The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events."

US pauses financial contributions to WTO, trade sources say: U.S. could be subject to punitive measures. — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

French prosecutors seek 7-year sentence for ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of accepting illegal campaign financing in an alleged pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. — (LINK) ground.news: 163 media reports — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

King Charles undergoes hospital observation due to cancer treatment side-effects — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024 and returned to public-facing duties in April while still undergoing weekly treatment.

Judge in crosshairs of Trump deportation case orders preservation of Signal messages on proposed U.S. military strike on Yemen — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

USAGM withdraws termination of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty grant — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— RFE/RL was informed March 15 that USAGM had terminated the broadcaster's federal grant agreement. The move came as part of a directive issued by the White House to reduce statutory functions of "unnecessary governmental entities to what is required by law."

CNN: The White House says the Yemen security breach is a hoax. Here's why it's not: naive and sloppy behavior by top Trump aides could have endangered US pilots. — 28 March 2025 (LINK)

IUCN sounds alarm as 411 fungi species face extinction — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— The latest Red List includes nearly 170,000 threatened species, of which more than 47,000 are threatened with extinction.

New plastic developed in Japan dissolves in the ocean overnight, leaving no microplastics — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— It's made of what are known as supramolecular polymers, which have reversible bonds that function like sticky notes that can be attached, removed and reattached, according to the team.

An airport in Dallas, Texas has installed the first-ever "pods" capturing energy from the wind created by planes taking off. — 27 March 2025 (LINK headline only)

Giant, fungus-like organism may be a completely unknown branch of life — 27 March 2025 (LINK)

— Considered to be the first giant organism to live on land, Prototaxites lived around 420 million to 375 million years ago during the Devonian period and resembled branchless, cylindrical tree trunks. These organisms would have been massive, with some species growing up to 8 metres tall and 1 metre wide.

— Upon examining the internal structure of the fossilized Prototaxites, the researchers found that its interior was made up of a series of tubes, similar to those within a fungus. But these tubes branched off and reconnected in ways very unlike those seen in modern fungi, according to the paper still to peer-reviewed.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: "Prototaxites was an extinct lineage of multicellular terrestrial eukaryotes" — (LINK)

Wednesday, 26 March 2025

NATO issues direct WW3 threat to Vladimir Putin and warns of 'full force' retaliation — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

EU urges citizens to stockpile 72 hours' worth of supplies amid war risk — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

By 2-1, U.S. federal appeals court maintains temporary block on Trump's use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

Trump to impose 25% tariff on all automobiles and foreign auto parts brought into the U.S. — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

— The White House later clarified that foreign auto parts would also be taxed at the 25% rate even if the cars they go into are assembled in the United States. However, companies that import vehicles under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will get special consideration until the Commerce Department establishes a process for levying the 25% duties, the White House said.

Social Security Administration delays by 2 weeks and curtails Musk's new anti-fraud policy: new identity verification policy requiring some to apply in person at field offices will only apply to those filing for retirement, survivors or family benefits — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

Nearly 100% of bacterial infections can now be identified in under 3 hours — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

— Scientists at the Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have unveiled a novel diagnostic technique known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), using artificial polymers — peptide nucleic acid (PNA) — that act as probes to bind to different genetic sequences within bacteria. When the two probe molecules bind to the target, fluorescent signals are emitted, which essentially reveal the fingerprint of different pathogens.

— In the lab, FISH detected seven species of bacteria that commonly infect humans — Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus. It proved to be more than 99% accurate for all but S. aureus — a pathogen that infects skin tissue — which had a still-high success rate of 96.3%. Some detections were as high as 99.9%.

Tiny particle accelerator on microchip in Germany is size of a coin — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

— Unlike Geneva's LHC, which uses more than 9,000 superconducting magnets to accelerate particles to nearly the speed of light, the NEA relies on laser beams to excite the tiny pillars inside its structure. While this method is far less powerful, it is significantly more compact and energy-efficient.

— The primary goal of developing miniaturized accelerators is not just high-energy physics but also practical applications in medicine. The high-energy electrons generated by the NEA could be used in precise radiotherapy techniques, potentially reducing the harmful side effects associated with conventional radiation treatments.

US national security adviser Mike Waltz takes responsibility for including journalist in Yemen attack project chat — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

Gangs seize roads leading to Haiti's capital as police continue to lose control (+ audio) — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

Switzerland's finance sheriff takes on UBS and banking elite — 26 March 2025 (LINK)

— Walter, 60, a German citizen with decades of experience in top-level regulation including in the US, is using a tumultuous period in Swiss finance to establish a forthright, public presence for Finma that few in Zurich or Geneva are accustomed to. Under his watch, Finma has communicated penalties or investigations against seven banks and fintech firms, including Julius Baer Group Ltd, using the limited powers that the body has to the full.

— Most conspicuously, he's publicly pushed for the strictest possible stance on the future capital requirements for UBS Group AG, facing off against the bank in a showdown where the stakes are rising rapidly. Executives at the global wealth manager in Zurich are even exploring whether the full introduction of the higher requirement could compel them to move their headquarters out of the country altogether, Bloomberg has reported.

UBS considers moving headquarters out of Switzerland amid capital rules clash: Switzerland's only remaining global bank — (LINK)

Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Trump unveils Black Sea deal With Russia, Ukraine — 25 March 2025 (LINK)

— The White House said Russia and Ukraine have both agreed to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea. In two separate statements on the outcomes of the talks between the sides, the White House said Moscow and Kyiv had "agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea."

— Moreover, the United States "will help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions." Russia and Ukraine also agreed "to develop measures for implementing" the "agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine." Since the initial agreement last week, each side has accused the other of striking key infrastructure.

The White House: Outcomes of the United States and Ukraine Expert Groups On the Black Sea — (LINK)

Trump signs order to overhaul federal elections process: includes a proof of citizenship requirement and aims to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. — 25 March 2025 (LINK)

USPS's Louis DeJoy resigns as banks "salivate" over Musk goal of privatization — 25 March 2025 (LINK)

Trump seeks revenge on MSNBC legal analyst in new executive order — 25 March 2025 (LINK)

— A few weeks after targeting another firm which had re-hired a lawyer who had worked in the Manhattan district attorney's office during its investigation into Trump, the president singled out Jenner & Block. A primary reason: it once employed Andrew Weissmann, a current MSNBC legal analyst and former deputy to Robert Mueller, the special counsel who led an investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

Ten findings from the newly-released JFK assassination records: widescale monitoring of U.S. mail and mail tampering by the CIA, including of Oswald. CIA used Robert Maheu, a former FBI agent, to procure women for foreign dignitaries coming to the U.S. — 25 March 2025 (LINK)

Monday, 24 March 2025

Guterres to reduce UN aid 'footprint' inside Gaza following ceasefire collapse: around a third of the approximately 100 international staff working in Gaza will be temporarily relocated. — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

South Korea's Han Duck-soo reinstated as acting president after court strikes down impeachment — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Al Jazeera: Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,124 — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Journalists among more than 1,100 arrested in Turkey crackdown — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

— Authorities ask X to block accounts as tens of thousands take to streets in largest anti-government protests in years.

Ukraine war live: US and Russia start Saudi ceasefire talks as Zelenskyy says Putin must give 'real order' to stop attacks — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Judge argues US treated Nazis better than Venezuelan migrants who were deported. Appeals judge questioned the government's power to deport Venezuelan migrants without due process. — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

First deportation flight lands in Venezuela from US, after countries agree to resume repatriations — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Greenland's leader says US officials' visit is 'highly aggressive'. Trump says it's 'friendliness, not provocation'. — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Second Lady Usha Vance will visit Greenland as Trump talks up US takeover — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

FBI launches Tesla threats task force claiming 'domestic terrorism' — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Ron DeSantis reveals Donald Trump's role in stopping Bahamian hurricane evacuees from evacuating to Florida in 2019 — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Gold prices pull back from record high on reports of softer Trump tariffs — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

Scientists observe negative time for the first time ever — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

ETH Zurich's revolutionary Browser Use secures $17m to empower AI agents for effortless website navigation — 24 March 2025 (LINK)

— "The story of Browser Use began at ETH Zurich's Student Project House accelerator, founded by Magnus Müller and Gregor Zunic. Their journey, starting in 2024 during their master's degrees in data science, reflects a blend of academic rigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Müller's prior experience in web scraping combined with Zunic's data science expertise proved to be a potent mix. Their breakthrough idea was to leverage data science principles to guide browser actions, effectively teaching AI agents how to interact with websites programmatically. The rapid development of a Browser Use demo in just five weeks, followed by its open-sourcing, speaks volumes about the team's capabilities and the immediate appeal of their solution. Being part of Y Combinator's prestigious Winter 2025 batch further validates their innovative approach and potential for growth."

— "Browser Use gained significant traction thanks to its integration into Butterfly Effect's viral Manus tool. This Chinese startup leveraged Browser Use to power Manus, showcasing the practical applications and effectiveness of the technology in real-world scenarios. The virality of Manus significantly amplified awareness of Browser Use, propelling it into the spotlight and attracting wider developer interest."