Category: World

Local leaders from Russia’s ruling party are facing criticism for giving mothers of soldiers killed in the war with Ukraine unusual gifts. In a recent event for International Women’s Day, officials from the United Russia party visited grieving mothers in the Murmansk region. They brought flowers and meat grinders with them while smiling for photos.

Many people on social media called this gesture “shameful” and “inappropriate.” After the backlash, the local party in the town of Polyarniye Zori said that those who criticized them were misunderstanding the situation. Mayor Maxim Chengayev explained that the meat grinders weren’t initially planned as gifts, but one mother asked for it during the visit.

In a video shared later, a mother thanked the party awkwardly for the meat grinder, saying she needed one and had asked for it. She noted she had wanted to buy it herself, but the party gave it to her just in time.

It’s important to mention that Russia has not shared many details about how many soldiers have died in this conflict, so the real number of losses is still unclear.

In New Delhi, people are talking about a new trade deal between India and the US. Officials say it’s still too early to discuss specific details like cutting taxes (tariffs) on goods. This comes after US President Donald Trump mentioned that India promised to lower these tariffs on American products. Trump claimed that India has high tariffs, which makes it hard for businesses from the US to sell their products there.

According to discussions that took place earlier this year, India and the US plan to negotiate a trade agreement that benefits both countries by the fall of 2025. Talks about tariffs and other trade issues have continued since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington last month. Both countries have important interests to consider, so they need to communicate and negotiate carefully.

In the media, Trump once again stated that the US is treated unfairly in trade by many nations, including India. He said that India has “massive tariffs,” making it difficult for American products to enter the Indian market. He claimed that because someone is finally pointing out these issues, India has agreed to cut tariffs.

However, these claims lack backup from real trade numbers. According to the US trade representative, American exports to India were around $41.8 billion out of $129.2 billion in overall trade in 2024. When asked about Trump’s comments, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said he couldn’t provide details because the discussions are still going on. He emphasized that India has signed trade agreements with many countries recently, which included tax reductions.

India has made significant tariff cuts for developed countries like Australia and Switzerland in past agreements, and they are also negotiating with the EU and the UK. The Indian officials reminded everyone that the current discussions with the US should be seen in the context of these ongoing negotiations. They want to deepen their trade relationship by making it easier for each country to access markets, reduce barriers, and improve supply chains.

In earlier talks during Trump’s first term, India and the US had worked on a limited trade deal, but they didn’t reach an agreement. India has already reduced tariffs on some American goods, like bourbon whiskey and premium motorcycles, and they are looking to cut more tariffs as part of this potential trade deal.

On March 8, officials in two areas of Russia, Dagestan and Chechnya, decided to block the Telegram messaging app. They are worried that it could be misused by people who want to cause trouble, especially after riots at an airport in Dagestan. Yuri Gamzatov, the digital development minister in Dagestan, explained that Telegram was used during the protests against Israel last October when angry crowds tried to attack passengers coming from Israel. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the police have arrested several people for their actions.

During the riots, people shared messages on Telegram that called for violence against those arriving on the flight. Telegram said they would remove those harmful channels. The app is widely used in Russia and many other countries, with almost 1 billion users worldwide. In the past, Russia tried to block Telegram in 2018 but wasn’t successful. Gamzatov mentioned that Telegram might be unblocked later, but for now, he advised people to consider using other messaging apps.

On Saturday, Russia announced that its troops had regained control of three villages from Ukraine in the Kursk border area. This comes as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called for more international sanctions against Russia after major attacks overnight that killed at least 14 people and left many more injured.

The situation is tense as peace talks between U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are scheduled soon. Recently, the U.S. has cut off vital military aid to Ukraine after a disagreement between President Donald Trump and Zelensky. Nonetheless, Ukraine still controls a part of the Kursk region and hopes to use this in negotiations.

However, Russian forces have been advancing, recapturing villages like Viktorovka, Nikolayevka, and Staraya Sorochina. It seems that Russia has also disrupted Ukraine’s supply lines to the town of Sudzha. As the war continues, both countries have opposing demands for peace.

With Trump back in the White House, he has signaled a willingness to engage with Russia, suggesting it might be easier to work with them instead of Ukraine. U.S. officials are set to meet for discussions on the war in Jeddah soon.

Zelensky and his allies are worried that they might have to give up parts of their land to reach an agreement. Recent violence has continued with drone attacks and missile strikes causing casualties.

European leaders have reacted strongly, urging for increased military support for Ukraine. They believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not seeking peace. In damage reports, witnesses described the destruction caused by the recent violence, leaving people shocked and frightened in their homes

US President Donald Trump recently talked about two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been staying at the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. Their return home got delayed because of problems with the Boeing Starliner. Trump blamed these issues on his predecessor, Joe Biden, and promised that steps were being taken to bring the astronauts back home.

Trump said he asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to help. The SpaceX Dragon spaceship has been waiting at the ISS since September and was meant to bring them back. Trump claimed he gave Musk the go-ahead about a week ago.

He said, “I authorized Elon a week ago. There are two people left up there because of Biden and Kamala.” He mentioned that Musk confirmed he could help.

According to NASA, the SpaceX ship is expected to bring the astronauts back to Earth on March 16. Trump made some surprising comments about Sunita Williams, mentioning her hair after a video of it floating in space became popular. He referred to her as the “woman with wild hair” but also noted, “She has good solid hair.”

Trump’s remarks caused a stir on social media, with some people calling his comments silly and others accusing him of being disrespectful. Some users pointed out the joke about her hair wasn’t appropriate.

Can astronauts cut their hair? Yes, they can! NASA representatives said astronauts use special clippers in space. These clippers have a suction feature to gather the hair it cuts so the hair doesn’t float around.

In conclusion, astronauts keep their area tidy in space, making sure hair is collected after haircuts. A NASA spokesperson confirmed that they use the same razors we have here on Earth for shaving.

This week, former President Donald Trump made some confusing comments about an $8 million grant given by the Biden administration. During a long speech to Congress, Trump claimed that the government was wasting money trying to “transgenderize mice.” Many people were puzzled by what he meant.

Experts think Trump might have confused “transgender” with “transgenic.” “Transgenic” mice have their DNA changed to study how human diseases and medicines might work, helping scientists understand what could happen to people.

Rachel Maddow, a host on MSNBC, had some fun with Trump’s claims. She joked that not many people watched his speech, which was the least popular of all his speeches. Maddow pointed out that Trump got it wrong, stressing that what they are really studying is “transgenic” mice, not “transgender” mice. She added, “But sure, go ahead and shut down all the labs studying all the diseases because what are you, 5?”

Meanwhile, the White House defended the funding, stating that they had indeed spent millions on research involving animal experiments, including studying how hormones affect diseases. They pointed to specific examples of research projects that used that funding, like investigating how hormones relate to asthma.

The White House called out CNN for trying to fact-check Trump and labeled them “Fake News losers.” They clarified, “Under Biden’s administration, the National Institutes of Health granted money for these studies on mice.

A recent report shows that eggs, not fentanyl, are becoming the most sought-after illegal items being smuggled from Canada into the United States. The prices of eggs have shot up due to bird flu, making them highly prized.

Data from U.S. customs officers reveal that they’re catching more smuggled eggs than fentanyl. Between October 2023 and now, there was a 36% increase in attempts to bring eggs into the U.S. The Detroit customs office reported a 36% rise, while San Diego saw a massive 158% increase in egg seizures.

Since October, customs officers have seized 3,768 products related to birds and poultry, compared to just 352 fentanyl seizures. Smuggling eggs is illegal in the U.S. because of bird flu, and people caught doing it can face a $300 fine.

In the U.S., the price of eggs is skyrocketing, with some costing as much as $10 per dozen! The U.S. has been hard-hit by bird flu, while Canada has managed better, leading to high U.S. egg prices for the foreseeable future.

Former President Trump called the egg situation “out of control” and blame current President Biden for the problems, including the killing of many egg-laying chickens. To fix the egg crisis, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is willing to spend $1 billion to find temporary import solutions but has not yet made any agreements with Canada.

ROME — Pope Francis is getting better after having double pneumonia. He is resting in the hospital, where he has been for almost a month. Doctors say he is stable but still needs special breathing help.

The 88-year-old pope has a lung condition and had part of a lung removed when he was younger. This weekend, the Vatican is celebrating its Holy Year, which happens only once every 25 years. Lots of people have come to Rome to join in and support the pope, praying for him outside the hospital.

During his hospital stay, the pope spent some time praying in the hospital chapel. Recently, he has been using high-flow oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a special mask at night. While doctors say it’s good that he is stable, they worry about the risks of other infections if he stays in the hospital too long.

The pope first went to the hospital on February 14 because he had bronchitis, which later turned into pneumonia. This has kept him away from his duties longer than ever during his 12 years as pope, making people wonder what will happen next.

On Saturday, two amazing women scientists took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts to talk about their work for International Women’s Day. Before this, on February 23, Modi announced that he would let some inspiring women share their stories on March 8, Women’s Day.

The two scientists, Elina from Odisha and Shilpi from Madhya Pradesh, shared their exciting projects on PM Modi’s official X account. They introduced themselves as a nuclear scientist and a space scientist, respectively, saying, “We’re thrilled to show how vibrant science is in India. We invite more women to join!”

Elina Mishra explained how her father inspired her love for science. She got her dream job at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, where she worked on advanced projects. “When we successfully accelerated a proton beam, it was a proud moment for me,” she shared.

Meanwhile, Shilpi Soni, who has worked at ISRO for over 24 years, described her journey from the DRDO to ISRO, where she focuses on communication and navigation technologies. “ISRO offers great chances for everyone, with no limits to what you can achieve,” she said, expressing pride in India’s advancements in space technology.

Shilpi also serves as the Associate Project Director for GSAT-22/23, which helps connect people in India. She shared that being part of an ISRO launch in French Guiana was a deeply fulfilling experience. Both women are proud to create opportunities for future generations in science.

China has decided to place tariffs on over $2.6 billion worth of food and agricultural items coming from Canada. This move is a response to taxes Canada imposed on some Chinese products back in October. The new tariffs will begin on March 20.

China’s new taxes include a 100% tariff on about $1 billion of Canadian rapeseed oil and another 25% on $1.6 billion of Canadian fish and pork. This is similar to the taxes Canada put on electric vehicles and steel from China.

Interestingly, China did not include canola, a major Canadian crop, in these new tariffs. This might suggest that China is open to discussing trade with Canada. Some experts believe China is sending a message about the risks of Canada getting too close to U.S. trade policies.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the country is trying to push back against what he describes as China’s unfair practices in trade. Earlier, China also started an investigation into Canadian canola products due to concerns of dumping.

About half of Canada’s canola exports go to China, which in 2023 amounted to $3.7 billion. The investigation is still ongoing, so not adding canola to the tariff list this time could be a sign that China wants to negotiate.

Beijing might be hoping that after the upcoming Canadian election on October 20, a new government could lead to improved relations. Currently, Canada is China’s second-largest trading partner, following the United States, and they exported about $47 billion worth of goods to China in 2024.