March, 2024
Trump to face 1st criminal trial on April 15, sees bond requirement lowered in civil case
A New York judge has scheduled an April 15 trial date for Donald Trump in what will be the first criminal case involving an ex-president, involving allegations that he falsified business records during the 2016 presidential campaign. Judge Juan M. Merchan made the ruling Monday, but not before scolding the former president’s lawyers as he weighed when to reschedule the trial, after a last-minute document dump caused a postponement of the original date. Merchan had bristled at what he suggested were baseless defence claims of “prosecutorial misconduct.” Trump’s defence team, which subpoenaedRead more
UN Security Council votes to demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as U.S. abstains
The United Nations Security Council on Monday issued its first demand to halt the fighting in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a vote that drew an immediate protest from the Israeli prime minister. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a high-level delegation’s planned visit to Washington and accused the U.S. of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. WATCH | War can’t stop until hostages returned, Israeli minister says: War inRead more
What the U.S. Supreme Court hearing on abortion medication is about
Nearly two years after a momentous ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that led to half of all states banning or restricting abortion access, the top court will hear arguments on Tuesday in a case that could have significant consequences for the availability of the abortion medication mifepristone. Mifepristone, along with misoprostol, is one of two pills used in the most common type of abortion in the nation. The arguments, and the resulting opinion, will be watched closely after a 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which enabledRead more
Canada’s Kim Boutin strikes 500m gold for her 1st short track individual world title
Speed skater Kim Boutin raced to her first world championship gold medal in the women’s 500-metre event at the ISU world short track championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday. The Sherbrooke, Que., native led the five-athlete final from start to finish, clocking 42.626 seconds for the victory. Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands, the two-time defending champion in the event, took silver in 42.833 and Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States claimed bronze in 42.929. Velzeboer edged Boutin in the 2022 world championships in Montreal, which was the only other 500 medal the 29-year-old Boutin has received at the worlds.Read more
Ukraine hits Russian city, oil refinery on 2nd day of presidential vote, governor says
A Ukrainian missile attack killed two people in western Russia, and a separate drone strike set an oil refinery ablaze on Saturday, an official said, during the second day of an election that Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Kyiv of trying to disrupt. The Ukraine war has cast a shadow over voting in the three-day presidential election, which is all but certain to hand Putin six more years in the Kremlin but has been marked by scattered acts of protest. The head of the electoral commission, Ella Pamfilova, said there hadRead more
Iceland volcano spews smoke, lava in 4th eruption since December
A volcano in Iceland erupted for the fourth time since December on Saturday, the country’s meteorological office said, spewing smoke and bright orange lava into the air in sharp contrast against the dark night sky. In a video shot from a Coast Guard helicopter and shown on public broadcaster RUV, fountains of molten rock soared from a long fissure in the ground, and lava spread rapidly to each side. The eruption began at 8:23 p.m. local time and the fissure was estimated to be about 2.9 kilometres long, roughly theRead more
Amid frenzied speculation about the Princess of Wales, how much privacy can a royal expect?
When it emerged in January that Catherine, Princess of Wales, was recovering from abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace said there would be little official commentary on her condition. Catherine wished to keep details private, the palace said, and it was expected that she would not resume public duties until after Easter. Otherwise, she remained out of the public eye. That changed on Sunday, when a photo was released showing the Princess of Wales with her three children that was taken by the Prince of Wales in Windsor this past week. InRead more
U.S. military aid ship heads to Gaza after Biden promises to build pier
The U.S. Army has dispatched a ship to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday, days after President Joe Biden vowed to build a temporary pier to supply the besieged enclave. The General Frank S. Besson left Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia “less than 36 hours after President Biden announced the U.S. would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement. The logistics support vessel is “carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies,” it said. Biden’s announcement in his State of theRead more
1st photo of Princess of Wales since surgery is retracted, image appears doctored
The first photo of Kate, the Princess of Wales, since her abdominal surgery nearly two months ago was issued Sunday after weeks of speculation about her whereabouts. But the photo was later removed by The Associated Press and other news agencies because it appeared to be manipulated, fueling more conjecture. The photo of Kate in a chair surrounded by her three children was credited to her husband, William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, and was said to have been taken earlier in the week in Windsor, England.Read more
Nikki Haley beats Donald Trump in first primary win before Super Tuesday
U.S. presidential contender Nikki Haley won the Washington, D.C., Republican primary on Sunday, her first victory in the nominating process and a symbolic win for the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Edison Research said. Haley, the only remaining challenger to Donald Trump in the race, won 62.9 per cent of the vote, versus 33.2 per cent captured by the former president. “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos,” Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. Haley was the first woman to win a Republican primary inRead more