Category: World

Recently, Elon Musk, who advises former President Donald Trump, made a big announcement. He told all U.S. federal workers that they need to write a report about what they did at work last week. If they don’t, it will be treated like they quit their jobs. This decision is part of efforts to reduce the size of the government and cut many federal jobs.

Just hours after Musk’s announcement, the new FBI director, Kash Patel, ordered his employees to stop responding to the report requests from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Patel wants the FBI to handle its own reviews internally.

He said in a message, “Please pause any responses.” This means FBI workers should not reply to OPM until they receive more instructions from their own agency. The National Security Agency (NSA) also told their employees to wait before responding to Musk’s report request.

Many people are upset about Musk’s rule. Ed Martin, a key attorney in Washington, told his staff to be careful in their responses and promised to protect them if they faced any issues. Meanwhile, workers’ unions are strongly criticizing Musk’s announcement. Everett Kelley, president of a union that represents many federal workers, said it is unfair to ask employees to justify their jobs to someone like Musk, who has never served in public office.

Another union leader called the email from OPM “completely un-American” and emphasized that workers would stand up against these demands.

Despite the criticism, Trump showed support for Musk, calling him a “patriot” at a recent conference and encouraged him to be more aggressive in cutting government spending.

On Saturday, a sad event happened at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York, Pennsylvania. A gunman named Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, who was 49 years old, carried out a dangerous attack. Around 10:35 a.m., he entered the hospital’s intensive care unit with a gun and zip ties. He took some hospital staff members hostage before police arrived.

When law enforcement officers got there at about 10:43 a.m., Archangel-Ortiz had already zip-tied one female staff member. During the confrontation, Officer Andrew Duarte from West York Borough Police was shot. Sadly, he did not survive. Other people, including a doctor, a nurse, a cleaning worker, and two officers, were also hurt during the incident.

The police bravely responded to the situation by shooting Archangel-Ortiz while he was still holding one of the hospital employees. Fortunately, no patients were harmed. UPMC Hospital confirmed that the gunman was dead and the area was safe, although the hospital was not accepting new patients at that time.

Authorities later revealed that Archangel-Ortiz had visited the ICU earlier in the week for medical reasons related to someone else. This showed that his attack was planned.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed sadness about the events, mentioning how both good and bad things happened that day. He honored Officer Andrew Duarte, calling him a hero who dedicated his life to helping others. The West York Borough Police Department also paid tribute to Duarte, saying that their community mourns the loss of a true hero.

South Sudan has closed all schools for two weeks because of a dangerous heatwave that’s making students faint. This is only the second time they have done this during February and March.

Deputy Education Minister Martin Tako Moi shared that about 12 students collapse every day in the capital, Juba. Many schools in the country are made of iron sheets and don’t have air conditioning to cool them down.

Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos warned everyone to stay inside and drink water as temperatures may reach 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). She suggested that government workers change their schedules to avoid heat-related illnesses.

Education workers are asking the government to change the school calendar. They think schools should close in February and open again in April when it gets cooler. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, a dean at the University of Juba, said the school schedule should fit the local weather conditions.

A group called Integrity South Sudan criticized the government, saying it shows poor planning to close schools during such hot weather. The country’s health system is weak because of ongoing political issues, and around 400,000 people died between 2013 and 2018 due to conflict.

Elections that were supposed to happen last year have been delayed for two years because of a lack of money. South Sudan is also facing economic problems, partly because a major oil pipeline from Sudan was damaged but has since been repaired.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised strong action after a ceasefire violation by Hamas. Hamas recently released a body that was meant to be that of Shiri Bibas, a mother with two young sons. However, it was revealed that the body was not hers, raising serious concerns about the fragile ceasefire agreement in place.

As part of the ongoing ceasefire, six living hostages are set to be released on Saturday, following the handover of four bodies by Hamas, including those of Shiri’s sons, Kfir and Ariel, as well as 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz. Only Lifshitz and the two boys were correctly identified; the fourth body was identified as a woman from Gaza, not Shiri Bibas or any other Israeli hostage.

Netanyahu expressed his determination to bring Shiri and all hostages back home, stating, “Hamas will pay the full price for this cruel violation.” He emphasized the loss of Lifshitz and the Bibas boys, declaring that their memory would live on in Israel’s heart.

The return of the wrong body shocked many, particularly the Bibas family, which has become a symbol of the struggle of Israeli hostages. During the current truce, which started in January, Hamas has been releasing living hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. This was the first time body remains of deceased hostages were returned.

The Israeli army reported that the fourth body released was still unidentified. The Bibas family has been informed, including Yarden Bibas, who had been released earlier this month.

Hamas claims that Lifshitz and the Bibas family were killed by Israeli airstrikes, while Israel argues that they were killed by their captors. US envoy Adam Boehler called the release of the wrong body “horrific” and a “clear violation” of the ceasefire. He warned Hamas could face serious consequences if they do not release all hostages.

It remains uncertain how this incident will impact the scheduled hostage swap on Saturday. Hamas plans to release more bodies next week, completing the first phase of the ceasefire. However, there are worries about the truce continuing past early March.

Recently, explosions were reported in central Israel. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the Israeli military is increasing its presence in the West Bank, which might lead to further conflicts.

If all goes as scheduled, Hamas will still have around 60 hostages left, with half believed to be alive. Hamas has stated it will not release the rest without a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Netanyahu, supported by the Trump administration, aims to destroy Hamas and return the hostages, which many see as opposing goals.

Overall, the situation remains tense and unpredictable, with many innocent lives affected by the ongoing conflict.

TikTok is back on mobile app stores in the US! When TikTok was taken down, a competing app called Xiaohongshu, also known as Rednote or China’s Instagram, became very popular. However, after TikTok came back, downloads of Rednote dropped by an incredible 91% in just five days.

According to Sensor Tower, TikTok’s downloads more than doubled once it reappeared on Apple and Google app stores. Other social apps like YouTube, Snap, Facebook, and Instagram also saw fewer downloads after TikTok returned.

Even though TikTok is back, it cost its parent company, ByteDance, a lot of money—about $142 million in US spending was lost while the app was gone.

TikTok’s future in the US isn’t certain yet. Former President Trump gave ByteDance 75 more days to sell TikTok’s US operations or risk facing a ban. So far, ByteDance has said no to selling, while various companies have shown interest, including Perplexity AI and Frank McCourt, a former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Currently, people in the US spend about $4.7 million a day on TikTok, which is slightly less than before it was removed. TikTok has 170 million users in the US, and because of its popularity, other platforms like YouTube and Instagram are changing to keep up with TikTok’s success.

European electric transport groups are urging the European Union (EU) to stick to strong 2025 car emission rules instead of making them easier. They wrote a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying the EU should not allow delays in lowering carbon dioxide emissions from cars or change how fines are calculated. They want any fines to help pay for the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

Some car makers in Europe are struggling to compete with cheaper Chinese cars and fear hefty fines that could reach 15 billion euros if they can’t meet the emission limits by 2025. However, the electric transport groups believe that extending the deadline will only delay Europe’s progress in electric vehicles and hurt investments in charging stations and battery manufacturing.

E-Mobility Europe and ChargeUp Europe, the groups that sent the letter, represent EV makers and those who build charging stations. They insisted that Europe’s charging stations are not as crowded as car makers claim and actually have room for many more vehicles. Aurélien de Meaux, a guy in charge of a charging company, warned that loosening the car rules would be a big mistake.

The groups pointed to the launch of 11 new affordable EV models and a 40% rise in EV sales in January 2025 as proof that meeting the 2025 targets is possible. De Meaux also mentioned that the 15 billion euro fine estimates were incorrect and that real fines could be around 4 to 6 billion euros, which could be halved using credit trading.

Both groups support setting targets or offering incentives for business car fleets to go electric since they make up about 60% of new car sales.

During a recent event in Miami, former US President Donald Trump warned that World War III could be near. He expressed confidence that his leadership could help avoid such a war. “No one gains from World War III, and it’s closer than you think,” Trump said. He added that if President Biden had another year in office, the US might have been involved in a major conflict.

Trump mentioned that while the US would stay out of ongoing wars around the world, he would work to stop them. “We won’t get involved in these pointless wars, but we’ll be stronger than anyone else. If war comes, no one can compete with us, but I don’t think it will happen,” he asserted.

He also referenced Elon Musk, who agreed with Trump about the situation in Ukraine, saying that it’s sad how many families have been impacted by the war.

Recently, Trump criticized Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator” and claimed that Zelenskyy convinced the US to spend a lot of money on a war that shouldn’t have started. Trump believes that Russia wants to end the fighting and that he plans to meet with Russian President Putin soon to discuss the issue.

Chime is having trouble in the United States, and many people are saying their app isn’t working. As of 10 p.m. EDT, more than 2,500 people reported issues on DownDetector. Most users are having problems with mobile banking and sending money.

Users shared their thoughts on DownDetector, saying things like, “It’s been down for over 30 minutes. I can’t get to my money!” Another user mentioned, “I’ve been waiting on hold forever. My balance is right, but I can’t use my money.” Someone else asked if their money transfers weren’t updating correctly. Another person expressed, “The Chime app is not working. This is what it feels like when all my money is digital.

Let’s look at how Donald Trump is thinking about the war in Ukraine. Instead of trying to help Ukraine first, he seems more interested in making friends with Russia. This is a big meeting where Trump talks to Russian leaders but doesn’t include Ukraine, meaning they aren’t really the priority.

Trump even tries to blame Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the problems, which seems unfair. It’s strange that Trump started his campaign by making calls to Putin and already offering to give in to many of Russia’s demands about Ukraine before even having real discussions.

For example, Trump suggests that Ukraine should not join NATO and should not get back the land taken by Russia. He even wants Ukraine to have elections during wartime to change leaders, which fits with Russia’s goals. This would make it easier for Russia to control Ukraine.

A man named Kirill Dmitriev, an important Russian businessman, was also present at a meeting in Saudi Arabia. He suggested that Trump is good at fixing problems, but the main problem he wants to fix is how much money the U.S. lost from dealing with Russia because of the war.

When Trump talks about getting $500 billion from Ukraine for resources, it’s not about the exact number. It’s more about making a big claim. In fact, many American companies used to do business in Russia, but a lot have left since the war began.

While Trump negotiates, he talks about lifting economic sanctions on Russia, which he won’t do until there’s a final deal. But this focus seems to benefit Russia more than Ukraine, as he talks about reconnecting economically with Russia first.

While Trump is in Saudi Arabia, he’s pressuring Ukraine to give away a large part of its resources for U.S. military aid, which is something normally forced on defeated countries.

During a press conference, Trump even mocked Zelenskiy saying he should have elections, accusing him of causing the war, even though that’s just not true.

Trump and his supporters seem to see Russia as allies against liberal ideas, while Ukraine is seen as part of a bigger fight for democracy.

In the end, Trump may have a plan to help Ukraine, but right now, it looks like he is more focused on making deals that might hurt Ukraine. His actions make it seem like he sees strong nations as those worth negotiating with, while weaker ones can be taken advantage of.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said that former US President Donald Trump is believing in false information. This happened after Trump suggested that Ukraine should hold elections while still in the middle of a war. Zelenskyy seems to think this idea is not practical right now. This story is still developing, and more updates may come soon.