Category: World

On February 15, Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox signed a new law that stops teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public workers from negotiating as groups for better pay and working conditions. This decision came after two weeks of protests at the Utah state capitol where many people wanted the governor to stop the law.

Even though federal law protects workers in private jobs, each state can decide its own rules for public employees. Supporters of the new law believe that labor unions are too political and that letting them negotiate for public workers could create unfair situations for taxpayers.

Many members of Utah’s largest teachers union, the Utah Education Association, which represents 18,000 teachers, silently protested outside Gov. Cox’s office when he signed the bill. The union said that the governor and lawmakers did not listen to people’s concerns.

Opposition groups plan to fight back, possibly with a measure to overturn the law. Critics argue that this law is anti-labor and say it makes Utah the worst state for workers. Jack Tidrow, the president of the Professional Firefighters of Utah, expressed his disappointment, saying, “Looks like Utah will become the most anti-labor state in America. Pathetic.”

Republican Rep. Jordan Teuscher, who sponsored the bill, explained that it promotes democratic principles. He added that the law does not get rid of unions. “Teachers and other public workers can still organize and get support from their unions,” he stated.

Teuscher introduced the bill on January 18, and it quickly passed both the house and the senate. Because Republicans hold a majority in the Utah legislature, they were able to push the bill through easily. The law will take effect on July 1.

MONTREAL — Fans in Montreal loudly booed the U.S. national anthem before the game between the USA and Canada on Saturday night. This is the second time fans reacted this way during the international tournament.

Public address announcer Michel Lacroix asked everyone to respect the national anthems, but many still booed throughout the U.S. anthem. U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck, after winning against Finland earlier, said he ignored the booing. “You can say what you want. We sing our anthem for the troops that protect us,” he explained.

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan focused on the game, saying they just want to play well and represent their country.

In Canada, fans have often booed the U.S. anthem since President Donald Trump talked about tariffs, which upset many Canadians. Veteran Canadian player Drew Doughty disagreed with the booing, saying everyone should respect each other’s anthems.

Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, recently spoke about his son’s parenting and had some harsh things to say. He called Elon a bad dad who is often absent from his kids’ lives. Errol said that Elon’s first baby, Nevada, sadly died when he was just 10 weeks old because of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and that Elon relied too much on nannies to take care of his children.

“When Elon had five more kids, each of them also had their own nanny,” Errol explained. He felt that because of this, Elon didn’t spend enough time with his kids. He also pointed out that Elon’s kids and his brother Kimbal’s kids needed help crossing the street even when they were older, saying, “We have to hold their hands across the road even when they’re 14.”

Errol mentioned that this strange way of raising kids might be connected to the reasons why one of Elon’s daughters, Vivian, and one of Kimbal’s children are transgender. “Elon’s got to deal with it. It’s a bit worrying,” Errol added.

Vivian, now 20, has spoken out against Elon and distanced herself from him. She was raised by Elon’s first wife, Justine Musk, who has five other kids with him.

Elon does bring his kids into the spotlight sometimes. Recently, he took his son, X, to a press conference at the Oval Office with former President Donald Trump and also brought three of his children to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His ex-partner, Grimes, has shown concern over X being in the public eye, saying, “He should not be in public like this.” Elon has a total of 12 children with different partners.

Three men who were taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz will soon be let go. This kibbutz was attacked on October 7, where about 80 out of 400 residents were captured.

Iair Horn, 46, is a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina. He was taken along with his brother, Eitan Horn, who is still in captivity. Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, has both American and Israeli citizenship. He was working outside when the attack happened, and his wife had to hide in a safe room with their two daughters. She later gave birth to their third daughter two months later.

The third hostage is Alexander “Sasha” Troufanov, 29. He has Israeli and Russian citizenship and was captured with his grandmother, mother, and girlfriend. The three women were released during a short ceasefire in November 2023. Unfortunately, Sasha’s father was killed during the attack.

Among the more than 300 Palestinian prisoners set to be released is Ahmed Barghouti, 48. He was a close helper of Marwan Barghouti, a well-known Palestinian leader. Israel sentenced Ahmed to life in prison for sending suicide bombers to attack Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. He was arrested with Marwan Barghouti in 2002

President Donald Trump is taking big steps to change how countries tax and regulate trade, which could shake up the world economy. On Thursday, he instructed his top economic team to think about new US tariffs (taxes on imported goods) based on how much other countries’ tariffs and rules hurt US exports. These new “reciprocal” tariffs will be different for each country and will target those with whom the US has the biggest trade deficits.

Trump said, “The numbers are going to be very fair but staggering. They’re going to be large.” This new plan replaces his earlier idea of a single tariff for all countries, putting the European Union, China, India, Mexico, and Vietnam on notice.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticized Trump’s plan as harmful to Americans because it raises costs and could slow down economic growth. Other countries were quick to react; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced they would begin trade talks with the US, while Japan and Taiwan expressed interest in strengthening ties with America.

If Trump’s new rules are put in place, it will change how the US has handled tariffs for nearly a century and could upset established international trading rules. Until now, countries typically helped each other by keeping tariffs low; Trump’s plan flips this idea by seeking high tariffs against certain countries.

Trump’s advisors believe this change is necessary. For example, they argue that value-added taxes (VAT)—a tax many countries use—give foreign companies an unfair advantage. Over 160 countries use these taxes, while the US taxes income instead. Trump claimed, “A VAT tax is a tariff,” but many economists disagree, saying VAT applies equally to domestic and foreign products.

Economic experts worry that adding VAT to existing tariffs could increase US tariffs significantly, possibly leading to US inflation rising to around 4%. Some countries affected most would be India, Brazil, and those in the EU.

Trump’s focus on VAT reignites an old trade conflict with Europe about how these taxes are handled. The US and EU have argued about VAT rules since the 1960s. Experts like Erica York from the Tax Foundation explain that VAT does not discriminate against foreign goods.

The new approach could lead to complications and backlash against the US, with former trade officials warning that trying to dictate other countries’ tax rules could create resentment. Jennifer Hillman noted, “We’re just going to make America hated again,” emphasizing how other nations might react to US interference.

In summary, Trump’s changes could lead to higher prices for Americans and complicated trade relationships.

Marius Borg Høiby, the son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been accused of a serious crime. He is said to have raped Linni Meister, a well-known TV presenter, during a party at Skaugum Castle in 2018. At the time, Meister was unconscious, and she only learned about the assault when the police informed her later.

Marius, who is now 28 years old, has a history of legal trouble, including charges for domestic abuse. He has been known to host wild parties, called Skaugum Festivals, where he invited people with criminal backgrounds. The police found videos and photos from that party on Marius’s laptop, which helped bring these accusations to light.

The police are looking into the claims. Meister’s lawyer spoke out, saying, “It’s not common for someone in his position to refuse to testify, but he has the right to do so.” Marius faced multiple arrests in early 2024, with other serious accusations against him, including abusive behavior toward ex-girlfriends and other women. As this situation unfolds, many are paying close attention to the royal family’s image.

A Swedish court has sentenced a 22-year-old man to three years in prison for joining the Islamic State (IS) group. This is Sweden’s first conviction like this since new laws were created to stop people from taking part in terrorist groups. The man was found guilty of being part of a terrorist organization, helping fund terrorism, and making three trips to Somalia for terrorist activities. The court stated that all these charges were related to IS.

The sentence was set for three years and three months in jail. This case is special because it’s the first one judged under a law made in 2023 that makes it illegal to join a terrorist group. Sweden has been tightening its laws against terrorism since 2017, especially after a man from Uzbekistan, who supported IS, drove a truck into a crowded street in Stockholm, killing five people.

To introduce this law, Sweden had to change its constitution because it affected people’s rights to gather. The new law came about when Turkey delayed Sweden’s efforts to join NATO, asking Sweden to take strong action against extremist groups.

After Russia attacked Ukraine, Sweden decided to end its long-standing policy of not joining military alliances. Sweden applied to join NATO in May 2022 and became a member in March 2024.

The Red Cross is worried about Israeli hostages still in Gaza. This weekend, Hamas is expected to release three captives, but there are concerns about a ceasefire breaking down. Israel threatened to restart fighting if the hostages are not freed by Saturday. Despite their disagreements, both Israel and Hamas seem to want to keep the truce alive.

Since the ceasefire began on January 19, violence has decreased a lot, but tensions are high. Israeli officials demand that Hamas give back three healthy hostages or face the end of the ceasefire. Recently released Israeli hostages looked very thin and scared, which has made many people angry in Israel.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which helps with hostage releases, said they need access to the hostages to ensure they are safe. After a recent handover, they asked for a more respectful process next time. Hamas stated they want to stick to the ceasefire and finish the next release on schedule.

In Israel, hostages’ families protested, calling for respect for the terms of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, many Arab nations have united against U.S. President Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and move its people to other countries. Gazan residents, like Abu Mohamed al-Husari, are upset and claim they belong there.

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in many deaths. The conflict has caused considerable suffering, with many deaths in Gaza. Everyone is waiting to see if the ceasefire will hold, as further violence seems imminent if negotiations fail.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance recently said the United States might have to take strong actions against Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. This deal must ensure that Ukraine stays independent. Vance mentioned that the U.S. has both economic and military options to pressure Putin. He believes it’s essential for Ukraine to maintain its sovereignty.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump spoke with both Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about the conflict and told U.S. officials to start discussing a way to end the war, which has been going on for about three years. During a meeting in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that going back to Ukraine’s borders before 2014 is not realistic, and NATO membership for Ukraine isn’t likely to happen as part of a solution.

People in Ukraine worry that Trump might let their country down after his conversation with Putin. Trump later mentioned that Ukraine would join in peace talks with Russia and would have a say in the discussions.

Vance commented that he believes an unexpected deal might come from these talks. He insisted that Trump would be open to all options while negotiating and might change his stance based on how the discussions go.