Yashwi Thakur

[ad_1] Arson suspect Cody Balmer's social media history offers the investigators clues to his unhinged past. Cody Balmer, the suspect arrested for setting Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro's house on fire, has a disturbing social media footprint, including a photo of him pointing a gun at the camera, appearing to breathe fire etc. “Biden supporters shouldn’t exist,” he wrote in a Facebook post in January 2021. “Where were you his first run? Well aware of the trash he is. As for the second, still knew what scum he is. Now why did y’all forget? What, because he did?” he posted on Facebook in January 2021. “RIP Joe Biden… whoops that’s in May. #notmypresident,” he wrote in another post, while another read, “Knowing is half the battle.. the other half is extreme violence.” He also attacked Donald Trump in his posts. The […]

[ad_1] India stands apart in Trump’s Asia policy. (AI image for representation only) US President Donald Trump’s economic team is rapidly advancing a new global strategy to box in China - not just with tariffs, but with alliances. At the center of this plan? India.Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, emerging as Trump’s surprise lead negotiator, has outlined what insiders are calling a “grand encirclement” - a diplomatic and economic coalition with India, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea to isolate Beijing and weaken its grip on global trade, a Bloomberg report said.“They’ve been good military allies, not perfect economic allies. At the end of the day, we can probably reach an agreement with them. Then we can approach China as a group,” Bessent said.Why it mattersThis isn’t just about economics - It’s geopolitics in disguise. Trump’s escalating tariffs on China (some over […]

[ad_1] Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez board the Blue Origin rocket ahead of their 11-minute flight to space today. Katy Perry, Lauren Sanchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King and Kerianne Flynn flew to space today for 11 minutes in the Blue Origin NS-31. The no-pilot automatic rocket took off at 9.30am from Texas and will pass just above the Karman line, which is generally regarded as the edge of space and is an invisible boundary at a height of 62 miles. The crew then took parachutes and landed in the Texas desert. Oprah was there at the station to witness the lift-off.This is the first female-only crew since Valentina Tereshkova launched into orbit on a solo mission in 1963. So, they all got designer space suits designed by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, the co-founders of Monse, and also the […]

[ad_1] German lawmakers will gather in early May to elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after his conservative bloc sealed a coalition agreement with the main centre-left party, the Bundestag said Monday. Both steps were expected to be a formality after Merz's conservative bloc, the CDU/CSU, and his future governing partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), settled on a coalition agreement last week. BERLIN: German lawmakers will gather in early May to elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after his conservative bloc sealed a coalition agreement with the main centre-left party, the Bundestag said Monday.The president of the assembly, Julia Kloeckner was "preparing to convene the German Bundestag for the election of the federal chancellor... on Tuesday, May 6", the parliament said in a statement.The date was "subject to the parties' approval of the coalition agreement" and Merz's nomination by the German […]

[ad_1] Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing online criticism after taking part in Vaisakhi celebrations in Ottawa this weekend without publicly recognising Palm Sunday, which fell on the same day.Photographed wearing a yellow turban and serving food at a Sikh langar, Carney’s presence at the festival drew praise from members of the Sikh community—but also sparked backlash from some Christian commentators and right-leaning influencers who accused him of selective outreach. Notably, social media figure Oli London criticised Carney on X (formerly Twitter) for participating in Sikh festivities while failing to acknowledge Palm Sunday, a key Christian holiday marking the beginning of Holy Week.“This is the Prime Minister of Canada celebrating Vaisakhi in a Sikh temple—but not even mentioning Palm Sunday,” London wrote, igniting a polarised debate online. Critics accused Carney of “pandering” to minority communities while ignoring the Christian majority, […]

[ad_1] Image used for representative image ADDIS: Ethiopia is conducting forced evictions on an "unprecedented" scale, Amnesty International said on Monday, urging authorities to "immediately pause" urban renewal projects.Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in power since 2018, is spearheading a "corridor project" in which streets in the capital and in cities across the country have been renovated and widened.Launched in December 2022, the project has seen homes, shops, and offices razed in Addis Ababa and at least 58 other cities, leaving parts of the capital resembling a giant building site.Ethiopian authorities have "failed to adequately consult with affected communities, provided insufficient notice, and none of the people reported receiving compensation," Amnesty said in their report.The international NGO urged a pause in evictions and suspension of the project "until a human rights impact assessment is conducted".Authorities did not respond to AFP's requests […]

[ad_1] Bruno Retailleau, French Interior Minister, is visiting Rabat. He will discuss security with Abdelouafi Laftit, Moroccan counterpart. Talks will cover migration, organised crime, and drug trafficking. Relations between France and Morocco improved after France recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. France's ties with Algeria have deteriorated. Algeria asked 12 French officials to leave. RABAT: French interior minister Bruno Retailleau was on a visit to Rabat on Monday, where he is expected to discuss security cooperation with his Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi Laftit.Talks will primarily focus on migration cooperation, the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking, according to the French interior ministry.Relations between Paris and Rabat have significantly improved since France recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara in the summer of 2024, ending several years of tension, particularly over migration.In contrast, France's ties with Algeria have […]

[ad_1] Beijing warned Britain on Monday against "politicising" an unfolding spat over the future of Chinese-owned British Steel after legislation was approved to prevent the shutdown of the last British factory that can make steel from scratch. A spokesman for China's foreign ministry urged the British government on Monday to "avoid politicising trade cooperation or linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK". BEIJING: Beijing warned Britain on Monday against "politicising" an unfolding spat over the future of Chinese-owned British Steel after legislation was approved to prevent the shutdown of the last British factory that can make steel from scratch.The UK government rushed urgent legislation through parliament on Saturday to stop the blast furnaces at British Steel's plant in the northern English town of Scunthorpe from being turned […]

[ad_1] Japan seeks quick resolution to US tariffs as profits decline. Economic Revitalisation Minister Ryosei Akazawa will negotiate in Washington this week. He aims to review Trump's tariffs. Japanese firms are major US investors. Vehicles form a large part of Japan's exports to the US. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba discussed the tariff impact with Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. TOKYO: Japan's envoy for upcoming tariff talks with the United States said on Monday that Japanese company profits were falling "day by day" as he called for a swift solution.Economic Revitalisation Minister Ryosei Akazawa will visit Washington for the negotiations this week, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told lawmakers on Monday.The government has so far failed in attempts to secure exemptions from the US tariffs, including 25 percent on the global auto sector that took effect in early April.US President Donald Trump […]

[ad_1] Singapore has lowered its 2025 GDP growth forecast to 0-2% due to the anticipated impact of US tariffs on global trade. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has eased monetary policy in response to economic concerns stemming from the US-China trade war. The trade war is expected to negatively affect global trade, economic growth, and business sentiment. SINGAPORE: Singapore has downgraded its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2025 to 0-2 per cent, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Monday (Apr 14), citing the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs on global trade. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the de facto central bank, has also loosened monetary policy for the second time in a row as economic fears rise due to the trade war brewing between the US and China and lowered core inflation […]