Daily SumUp

The top diplomats for China, South Korea and Japan will meet in Tokyo this weekend for talks, Seoul said on Tuesday (Mar 18), as the neighbours move to bolster regional ties.South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Iwaya Takeshi and Wang Yi, will "exchange comprehensive views ... for the development of trilateral cooperation", Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JFK assassination files to be released Tuesday, Trump says.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At least 30 Palestinians have been reported killed and other wounded in Israeli air attacks across the Gaza Strip, the largest strikes since the ceasefire with Hamas started on January 19.United States Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich says US strikes on Yemen have killed dozens of Houthi fighters. The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, says at least two children, aged six and eight, are among the dead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Donald Trump Declares Biden's Pardons 'Void' Over Autopen Use Former US President Joe Biden faces uncertainty after his successor Donald Trump has declared that Biden's last-minute presidential pardons, including one to his son Hunter Biden, are "null and void". President Trump said that Joe Biden may not even have been aware of what all was being signed in his name as an autopen was used to sign these documents. President Trump made this announcement on his social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday night. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In western Germany, a case against the energy company RWE could set a worldwide precedent for corporate responsibility and climate damages. What exactly is at stake? Saul Luciano Lliuya is in a legal battle with German energy company RWEImage: Alexander Luna/Germanwatch e.V. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tesla has reportedly paused deliveries of its futuristic Cybertrucks after several owners reported that the trims of the supposedly bulletproof vehicle were coming unglued.Several people who purchased the stainless steel, all-electric pickup took to an online buyers forum and revealed that they were informed by the company that there was a delay in deliveries, according to the EV-centric news site Electrek.The news comes as Tesla’s stock fell yet again on Monday — continuing a weeks-long slide that analysts say is due to a combination of factors, including backlash against CEO Elon Musk for his ties to President Trump as well as increased competition from EV makers in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of social messaging app Telegram, has been allowed to fly home to Dubai as French authorities continue their unprecedented case against him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rwanda says it has cut diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all of their country’s diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, drawing a swift response from Brussels.In a statement on Monday, the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation accused Belgium of “consistently” undermining Kigali “during the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo” (DRC). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) today announced that its board of directors has appointed Lip-Bu Tan, an accomplished technology leader with deep semiconductor industry experience, as chief executive officer, effective March 18. He succeeds Interim Co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle (MJ) Johnston Holthaus. Tan will also rejoin the Intel board of directors after stepping down from the board in August 2024.Zinsner will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. Frank D. Yeary, who took on the role of interim executive chair of the board during the search for a new CEO, will revert to being the independent chair of the board upon Tan becoming CEO.“Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Yeary said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has earned a reputation as an innovator who puts customers at the heart of everything he does, delivers differentiated solutions to win in the market and builds high-performance cultures to achieve success.“Like many across the industry, I have worked closely with Lip-Bu in the past and have seen firsthand how his relentless attention to customers drives innovation and success,” Yeary continued. “We are delighted to have Lip-Bu as our CEO as we work to accelerate our turnaround and capitalize on the significant growth opportunities ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harvard University has announced that it is making tuition free for families who earn less than $200,000 (£154,000) a year.For families earning less than $100,000, Harvard will also cover expenses like housing and health insurance.The move is aimed at making Harvard more affordable for middle-income families, and it comes as the Trump administration targets university funding as a part of a crackdown on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) practices."Putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth," said Harvard President Alan Garber. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google and Reddit have significantly deepened their partnership, with Google gaining access to Reddit's data API to train its AI models and enhance search results, while Reddit benefits from Google's AI capabilities and increased visibility in search, impacting SEO strategies.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

King Charles gave a warm welcome to the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney when he visited Buckingham Palace.It was another symbolic gesture of support for Canada from a King, wearing a red tie, who has to send coded signals rather than spell things out in words, as Canada faces threats from US President Donald Trump.But the King has sought to make clear his commitment to Canada - and if it had not been for his cancer diagnosis, the BBC understands he would have travelled there for an intended visit in 2024.There are also suggestions that once Canada's election is out the way, a visit to Canada will be a priority, where he can further demonstrate his support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

U.S. President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday in a possible pivot point in efforts to end the war in Ukraine and an opportunity for Trump to continue reorienting American foreign policy.Trump disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening, while the Kremlin confirmed Putin’s participation on Monday morning.“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 work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The White House has denied an accusation from rights groups that it flouted due process by defying a judge's order while carrying out deportations at the weekend.A group of 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members, plus 23 alleged members of the international MS-13 gang, were sent from the US to a prison in El Salvador. Some were removed from the country under a law not invoked since World War Two.The move came despite a temporary block issued by a judge. The White House said the judge's order itself was not lawful and was issued after the group was deported.Neither the US government nor El Salvador has identified the detainees, or provided details of their alleged criminality or gang membership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to French politician Raphaël Glucksmann’s request for the return of the Statue of Liberty to France. The Statue of Liberty, originally gifted by France, symbolizes the lasting friendship between the two nations and immigration to the US. Glucksmann’s remarks highlight his frustration with the US’s current political climate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The city has been held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the start of the country's brutal civil war nearly two years ago - but the army has retaken much of it and believes it is on track to seize the rest. Regaining the capital would be a tremendous victory for the military and a turning-point in the war, although by itself would not end the conflict. In recent weeks troops have mostly encircled Khartoum, coming up from the south after surging through central Sudan, and clearing city districts in the north and east, squeezing the remaining RSF fighters into the centre.Both sides have been accused of war crimes, which they deny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After spending more than nine months in space, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally coming home. NASA is targeting a Tuesday evening (March 18) splashdown for the returning astronauts, if weather conditions remain favorable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Czech Republic is pushing for EU support to keep Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) running after the Trump administration cut funding for the global broadcaster.Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said RFE/RL, based in Prague, "is one of the few credible sources in dictatorships like Iran, Belarus, and Afghanistan".In Eastern Europe, the US government-funded outlet reached millions of listeners during the Cold War, helping to spread democratic values while communist authorities tightly controlled local media.Elon Musk, in charge of cost-cutting under Donald Trump, dismissed RFE/RL as "radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Britain's King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Monday (March 17) after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier on Monday in Paris, as part of his visit to Europe.Carney said that it was important for Canada to strengthen ties with "reliable allies" in Europe, as he met Macron for his first overseas visit amid tensions with the United States.Trump has shocked Western allies by imposing tariffs on their imports, questioning traditional alliances, and even floating threats of annexation for Canada or the Danish territory of Greenland since he came to office in January. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate that combining radiation therapy with a plant-derived compound called forskolin can force glioblastoma cells into a dormant state, making them incapable of dividing or spreading. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US asks countries to help lower soaring prices. The United States has reached out to Denmark and other European nations asking if they can export eggs as Americans face surging egg prices, the Nordic country's egg association said on Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly all Voice of America (VOA) staff members have been placed on leave after United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the government-run news agency.On Friday night, Trump ordered his administration to reduce several agencies to the minimum required by law under an order titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States flew over 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to be imprisoned in El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele said Sunday, after US counterpart Donald Trump controversially invoked wartime legislation to expel them.The deportations took place despite a US federal judge granting a temporary suspension of the expulsions order, apparently as planes were headed to El Salvador -- raising questions over whether the Trump administration deliberately defied the court decision."Oopsie ... Too late," Bukele posted on social media in response to an article on the judge's ruling, adding a crying-with-laughter emoji. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin on Thursday in Moscow, told CNN that he expected that "there will be a call with both presidents this week"."We're also continuing to engage and have conversation with the Ukrainians," he added. "We're advising them on everything we're thinking about."Last week, the US and Ukraine agreed to propose a 30-day ceasefire to Russia. While Putin said that he supported a ceasefire, he also set out a list of tough conditions for achieving peace.Witkoff said in the interview on Sunday: "I think the two presidents are going to have a really good and positive discussion this week."He also said that teams of US negotiators would meet counterparts from both Ukraine and Russia during the coming week.Witkoff added that he believed a deal would be reached "in [the] coming weeks"."I am really hopeful we are going to see some progress here," he said.During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly promised to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022, on "day one" of a new administration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vatican has released the first image of Pope Francis since he was admitted to hospital a month ago. The photo shows the pontiff sitting in a wheelchair in front of an altar at a chapel in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has been recovering from pneumonia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Strikes began on Saturday with the aim of punishing Iran-backed armed group for attacks on Red Sea shipping Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"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.