Daily SumUp

"We will never, in any shape or form, be part of the US," Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Friday, referring to Trump's musings that Canada join the US as its "51st state"."We are very fundamentally a different country," he said, later adding the notion is "crazy".He declined to answer questions about the timing of Canada's next federal election - currently scheduled for October - but hinted he would move quickly to seek "as strong a mandate that is needed for the time".Carney wins race to succeed Trudeau as PMA simple guide to Canada's federal electionIn his first order as prime minister, Carney moved to end a policy that had been frequent attacked against by political opponents.He ended the consumer carbon pricing programme - a key environmental policy under Trudeau that had become deeply unpopular in recent years amid high inflation.Conservatives have criticised the tax, saying it raised the price of goods and energy for Canadian families. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Thursday said they had agreed to sign a peace deal after decades of conflict, with Armenia agreeing to surrender its claim over the primarily Armenian-populated Karabakh region. While numerous peace talks have failed in the past, major concessions on behalf of Armenia breathe new life into efforts for normalisation between the neighbouring countries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yemeni health officials say nine civilians killed in US bombardment, days after Houthis vowed to resume maritime attacks if Israel did not lift Gaza blockade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed in the capital, Sanaa.“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.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response to a US-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine is “not good enough,” Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, after hosting a virtual summit aimed at drumming up support for Kyiv and piling pressure on Russia.After hosting a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – a group of Western nations that have pledged to help defend Ukraine against Russia – Starmer said leaders had agreed that “the ‘yes but’ from Russia is not good enough” and that Russia would have to come to the negotiating table sooner or later.“We agreed collective pressure will be put on Russia from all of us who were in the meeting this morning,” he added. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US is expelling South Africa's ambassador to Washington, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing him as a "race-baiting politician".In a post on X, Rubio accused Ebrahim Rasool of hating the US and President Donald Trump, and said the ambassador was "no longer welcome in our great country".The office for South Africa's president on Saturday called the decision "regrettable", adding that the country remained committed to building a mutually beneficial relationship with the US.The rare move by the US marks the latest development in rising tensions between the two countries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pregnant teenager was killed after a woman allegedly cut her unborn child out of her womb, according to local authorities.In a press conference held in Brazil on Friday, March 14, Civil Police Chief Caio Albuquerque of the city of Cuiabá said that 16-year-old Emilly Azevedo Sena, who was nine months pregnant, had been missing since Wednesday, March 12. Her body was found buried in the backyard of a home in the Jardim Florianópolis neighborhood the following day, per Albuquerque. He stated that a woman has since been arrested for the crime.Albuquerque said the woman admitted to having experienced a miscarriage six months prior, but claims she did not tell her husband or family about the miscarriage and continued to act as though she was pregnant, per local news outlet g1. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pope Francis has entered his fifth week of hospital treatment for double pneumonia and is continuing the work of his papacy as signs of his recovery remain positive. Francis remains in stable condition, “confirming the progress” the 88-year-old pontiff has made in the past week, the Vatican said on Saturday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US immigration authorities have announced the arrest of a second activist who participated in pro-Palestinian protests last spring at Columbia University in New York City.Leqaa Kordia, who is a Palestinian and from the West Bank, was arrested in New Jersey, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement on Friday.The statement said another student, Ranjani Srinivasani, who has Indian citizenship, chose to "self-deport" by leaving the US earlier this week.This follows the arrest of Columbia campus activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained on Saturday in New York before being flown to a jail in Louisiana.The DHS statement says that Ms Kordia had overstayed her student visa, which had been terminated in 2022 "for lack of attendance". It did not say whether she had been attending Columbia or another institution.She had previously been arrested in April 2024 for taking part in protests at Columbia University, according to DHS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A mother grieves as her sons, whom she had struggled to keep alive in the war, were killed during a truce that remains marred by violence. For a year and a half, Umm Mahmoud Alerfan did everything she could to try to keep her children alive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Starbucks has been ordered to pay $50 USD to a delivery driver who was severely burned by a hot beverage. LOS ANGELES — A delivery driver has won US$50 million in a lawsuit after being seriously burned when a Starbucks drink spilled in his lap at a California drive-through, court records show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heartwarming photographs of President Donald Trump walking to Marine Force One with Elon Musk’s son are going viral, with internet users doting over the joyful moment. The image, which was posted to X by the White House, shows Trump giving his signature thumbs up while Musk’s son, X Æ A-12, also known as “Lil X,” happily smiling at the cameras as they headed to the famous chopper on Friday.The snap has garnered more than 4 million views as of Saturday morning.“I love this pic! Lil X looks so happy,” wrote one user with a blush emoji on X. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The threat of violent tornadoes in parts of the US proved deadly as well as destructive as whipping winds moved east into the Mississippi Valley and Deep South on Saturday, with at least 17 people killed and scores of homes decimated. The most fatalities as of Saturday morning were in Missouri, authorities said, which was lashed by twisters overnight that resulted in at least 11 deaths. The Missouri State Highway Patrol also reported that multiple people were injured.The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home,"It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field," said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers when they arrived. "The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Friday that advised consumers against inhaling nitrous oxide products such as Galaxy Gas, Baking Bad, Whip-it! and Miami Magic.Recreational use of nitrous oxide as a party drug has long been prevalent, but whipped cream charger products such as Galaxy Gas have recently found a young and enthusiastic user base. Experimentation with an intentional misuse of the product has developed into a popular subgenre on social media, with widely shared videos of teenagers inhaling the gas from tubelike canisters of flavors like strawberry cream, tropical punch and vanilla cupcake. The videos have collected millions of views on TikTok, X and YouTube, despite attempts to limit searches for the product.The name Galaxy Gas has caught on as a generic shorthand for these products, which the F.D.A.’s warning also says includes MassGass, Cosmic Gas, Hotwhip and InfusionMax. A wave of public concern has risen about the health dangers of these products, which are often sold in loud and colorful packaging that their critics say is appealing to teenagers and children. The F.D.A.’s advisory said the products could be purchased “at retailers, including, but not limited to: Amazon.com, eBay, Walmart, and at smoke/vape shops and gas stations.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump’s 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 Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio about housing migrants in El Salvador’s notorious prison. Bukele’s 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 Salvador’s 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SpaceX's Starship to leave for Mars end of 2026, Musk says. Despite recent failures, Elon Musk insisted the world's most powerful rocket will soon blast off to the Red Planet. The tech billionaire said human landings could begin before the end of the decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Air Canada was forced to apologize after it was discovered that some of its planes did not show Israel as a state on maps featured as part of their in-flight entertainment systems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A St. Patrick’s Day party turned into chaos after a porch roof collapsed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Friday.It happened near the University of Pittsburgh.Dozens of people were on it when it buckled, falling on top of the crowd below.A total of 16 people were taken to the hospital, including three who had serious injuries, but all are expected to survive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Jones, a US influencer who briefly snatched a baby wombat from its distressed mother, and uploaded the footage to social media has left Australia.Australia's Home Affairs minister Tony Burke had earlier said his department was reviewing whether it could revoke Ms Jones's visa, but the BBC understands that she left the country of her own accord."There has never been a better time to be a baby wombat," Burke said in a short statement on Friday celebrating Jones's departure.Anger erupted across Australia after Jones posted a video of her taking a baby wombat from the side of a road while laughing and running away from the distraught mother wombat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sudanese army says final phase to liberate Khartoum from RSF imminent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SpaceX launches a new crew to the space station to replace NASA’s stuck astronauts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US has averted a government shutdown after the Senate passed a Republican-led measure to keep the government funded for the next six months.The stopgap funding bill passed in the Senate 54-46, as two Democrats joined all but one Republican senator in voting yes. President Donald Trump must now sign it into law before the Friday midnight deadline.The key vote came earlier when some Senate Democrats, after fierce debate, allowed the measure to pass a procedural hurdle.The Senate minority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, and nine others broke with their colleagues to vote to advance the bill to its final Friday evening vote. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Carney sworn in as Canada's prime minister, says he can work with Trump Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 All five parties in Greenland’s parliament issued a joint statement on Friday rejecting President Donald Trump’s latest effort to take control of the strategic Arctic island.The statement was issued by the leaders of all five parties that won seats in parliament in an election held earlier this week.“We — all party chairmen — cannot accept the repeated statements on annexation and control of Greenland,” the statement said. “We, as party chairmen, find this conduct unacceptable to friends and allies in a defense alliance.”Greenland is a self-governing region of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States.The party leaders released their statement after Trump reiterated his desire to take control of Greenland, which guards strategic air and sea routes through the Arctic.During a press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday, Trump was asked about his vision for annexing Greenland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun and luxury brand Prada reportedly parted ways after three months of association. A SpotvNews report states that Prada released a statement on Friday that Soo Hyun’s contract has been terminated by ‘mutual agreement’. Here’s what they said. (Also Read: Kim Sae-ron's mother ‘furious’ by Kim Soo Hyun's agency statement on daughter; preps for rebuttal) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump has praised talks held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the US-proposed ceasefire deal in Ukraine as "good and productive".This comes after Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Moscow on Thursday evening, after which the Kremlin said it shared the US's "cautious optimism" over a peace process.Trump said in a Truth Social post that the talks provided "a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end".Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, accused Putin of trying to drag out talks to continue the war, while Sir Keir Starmer said the Russian president could not be allowed to "play games" with ceasefire proposals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

South Korea's trade minister has asked his U.S. counterpart to exempt the country from reciprocal tariffs if they go into effect in April, the trade ministry said on Saturday.During his visit to Washington this week, Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and stressed that South Korea should not get unfavourable treatment, the ministry said in a statement.U.S. President Donald Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs on all U.S. trading partners from April 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Montana-based hunting influencer flies out of Australia on Friday after home affairs minister said he couldn’t ‘wait to see the back of this individual’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A circus elephant showed deeply touching grief as her long time performing partner suddenly collapsed and died earlier this week. The pair Jenny and Magda had been inseparable for more than a quarter of a century in Russia.The Indian elephants were retired four years ago and recently entertained crowds as they roamed at the Taigan Safari Park in Russian-occupied Crimea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia is using cryptocurrencies in its oil trade with China and India to dodge Western sanctions, Reuters reported Friday, citing four sources with direct knowledge of the matter.Russia passed crypto mining legislation in August 2024, ending years of regulatory limbo. The country has reportedly tested cross-border crypto payments as it seeks an alternative to the U.S. dollar to settle international trade deals.After initially rejecting the idea of cryptocurrencies, the famously conservative Russian Central Bank eventually softened its stance on the potential use of cryptocurrency as a recognized means of payment.This month, the Central Bank launched an experimental legal framework that would allow “highly qualified” investors to trade cryptocurrencies but stopped short of recognizing cryptocurrency as legal tender. Reuters’ report is the first to suggest that Russia is using crypto for oil trade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A group of high-profile johns who frequented posh brothels in Massachusetts were finally named in court Friday during a hearing that laid out sordid details, including that at least one of the men paid to have unprotected sex.Mark Zhu, 28, was one of the alleged johns to be identified during the hearing in a Cambridge, Massachusetts, courtroom where it was revealed he allegedly paid $840 for two hours of unsafe sex with a prostitute – in a service referred to as “bb,” the Daily Mail reported.Also revealed were the identities of other alleged johns including, Kerry Wu, John J. Doran, David LaCava, Boya Zhou, Peter H. MacGillivray, Yihong Zou, Pablo Domingo Maceira, Jonathan P. Lanfear, Pinhao Chao, Patrick Walsh and radiologist Jason Han. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A federal judge on Thursday ordered federal agencies to rehire tens of thousands of probationary employees who were fired amid President Donald Trump’s turbulent effort to drastically shrink the federal bureaucracy.U.S. District Judge William Alsup described the mass firings as a “sham” strategy by the government’s central human resources office to sidestep legal requirements for reducing the federal workforce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he supported the general idea of a U.S.-backed ceasefire with Ukraine, but he listed a number of conditions that would need to be met."We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis," he said in a news conference.Putin made the comments as President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow to discuss a ceasefire plan — more than three years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was two days after the U.S. and Ukrainian officials held talks in Saudi Arabia, in which Ukraine agreed "to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow restrictions on birthright citizenship to partly take effect while legal fights play out.In emergency applications filed at the high court on Thursday, the administration asked the justices to narrow court orders entered by district judges in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington that blocked the order President Donald Trump signed shortly after beginning his second term.The order currently is blocked nationwide. Three federal appeals courts have rejected the administration’s pleas, including one in Massachusetts on Tuesday.The order would deny citizenship to those born after Feb. 19 whose parents are in the country illegally. It also forbids U.S. agencies from issuing any document or accepting any state document recognizing citizenship for such children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Turkey’s top diplomat, defense minister and intelligence chief paid a sudden visit to Damascus on Thursday, days after Syria’s interim government reached a deal to integrate a U.S backed Kurdish-led armed group into the country’s army.The agreement to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, into the Syrian government followed fierce clashes that erupted last week between government security forces and gunmen loyal to ousted leader Bashar Assad.Monitoring groups said hundreds of civilians were killed in the violence in Syria’s coastal communities, primarily targeting members of the Alawite religious minority to which Assad belongs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump questions Denmark’s claim to Greenland, says more US troops could be headed there Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NHS England, the administrative body that runs the national health service, will be abolished in a bid to slash red tape, Sir Keir Starmer has announced.The prime minister said he was axing the "arms-length body" to bring management of the NHS "back into democratic control" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Türkiye on Thursday welcomed the border demarcation agreement signed between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.In a written statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “This agreement, concluded as a result of the close dialogue between the two countries at the highest level, will contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the region.”Earlier in the day, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon signed an agreement on the state border in Bishkek, resolving a long-standing dispute that had been a source of conflict in recent years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede on Thursday said he would convene a meeting of party leaders to jointly reject US President Donald Trump's vow to take over the island, warning that "Enough is enough.""This time we need to toughen our rejection of Trump. People cannot continue to disrespect us," Egede wrote on Facebook, after Trump earlier reiterated his desire to annex the autonomous Danish territory.Egede continues to lead Greenland while awaiting the formation of a new government following his party's defeat in elections on Tuesday."The American president has once again evoked the idea of annexing us. I absolutely cannot accept that," he wrote. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gold prices raced to a record high within touching distance of the key milestone of $3,000 per ounce on Thursday, with momentum driven by elevated tariff uncertainty and bets on monetary policy easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve.Spot gold climbed 1.6% to $2,979.76 an ounce, as of 13:55 ET (1755 GMT), after hitting its twelfth record peak this year earlier in the session. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Australian Test cricketer Stuart MacGill has been found guilty of taking part in the supply of cocaine in Sydney.He had pleaded not guilty to a single charge of participating in the supply of a prohibited drug. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated the need for a new constitution, stating that previous constitutional changes lacked legitimacy.The European Parliament held a plenary session yesterday to discuss a resolution addressing the trials of Armenian prisoners illegally detained in Baku.Armenia’s foreign trade faces growing decline as key re-export routes fade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A brown bear which had life-saving brain surgery last October has emerged from semi-hibernation "looking happy and healthy", his keepers have said.Boki underwent the procedure at Wildwood Trust, near Canterbury, after an MRI scan revealed he had hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain, which had been causing seizures.The operation took nearly six hours, with surgeons fitting a stent between his brain and abdomen to help him pass the excess fluid.Jon Forde, head of bears at Wildwood, said although Boki had made a "remarkable recovery it was "still early days". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what he called the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of actions Wednesday to roll back landmark environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles.“We are driving a dagger through the heart of climate-change religion and ushering in America’s Golden Age,’' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in an essay in The Wall Street Journal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The BiVACOR, pictured, is a total heart replacement made of titanium.Credit: Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via GettyAn Australian man in his forties has become the first person in the world to leave hospital with an artificial heart made of titanium. The device is used as a stopgap for people with heart failure who are waiting for a donor heart, and previous recipients of this type of artificial heart had remained in US hospitals while it was in place.The man lived with the device for more than three months until he underwent surgery to receive a donated human heart. The man is recovering well, according to a statement from St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, Australia, where the operations were conducted.The Australian is the sixth person globally to receive the device, known as BiVACOR, but the first to live with it for more than a month.“This is certainly an important development in the field,” says Julian Smith, a cardiac surgeon at the Victorian Heart Institute at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Carney, who was recently elected as the leader of the Liberal Party, will take oath as Canada's 24th Prime Minister along with his cabinet on Friday, CTV News reported.He will be taking the reins from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after securing a win in the Liberal leadership on the first ballot held on Sunday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing a new travel rule that could force Canadians planning to stay in the country for more than 30 days to register their information with the US government and submit to fingerprinting.The draft rule, which is set to take effect April 11, expands requirements for registration and fingerprinting of foreign nationals who cross the US-Canada land border and stay in the US longer for more than a month. Affected people would have to create an account with US Citizenship and Immigration Services and schedule an appointment for fingerprinting as part of a background check. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Prominent Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil will remain in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana for now following a procedural hearing in New York, days after he was arrested by federal officials at his Columbia University residence in an attempt by the Trump administration to deport him.Khalil was arrested and detained on Saturday over his role in protests against the Israel-Hamas war at Columbia University last spring. His green card was revoked by the Trump administration, his lawyer said, but New York federal Judge Jesse Furman blocked any immediate effort to deport Khalil until his attorneys and the federal government appear in court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024, opium prices reached $750 per kilogramme, a tenfold growth from $75 per kilogram in 2022 when the Taliban government banned poppy growing, the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a statement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Russian government issued its strongest statement yet Wednesday against a provisional cease-fire agreed by the US and Ukraine a day earlier following marathon talks in Saudi Arabia.“Nobody is talking to us,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with pro-Kremlin US bloggers.“They keep saying, ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ but they do everything about Russia without Russia.”Lavrov also reiterated that Russia would not accept peacekeeping troops from any NATO country on Ukrainian territory “under any conditions,” a direct rebuke to a proposal floated by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.