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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For the first time since 1972, humans are preparing to venture back to the moon.
Emulating the spirit of the Apollo missions, NASA’s Artemis II will send a quartet of astronauts on an ambitious lunar flyby. The mission entails a swift journey several thousand miles beyond the moon, followed by a sharp turn to head directly back to Earth. This mission won’t include orbiting the moon or landing for a moonwalk, but will instead be a rapid trip lasting under 10 days.
Although NASA envisions future missions leaving footprints in the moon’s dusty terrain, the Artemis II mission serves as a crucial rehearsal. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will embark on this initial step toward establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.
FILE – The NASA Artemis II rocket, with the Orion spacecraft aboard, leaves the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Terry Renna, File)
Photographers set up remote cameras near NASA’s Artermis II moon rocket on Launch Pad 39-B just before sunrise at the Kennedy Space Center Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
FILE – A full moon is seen shining over NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Sam Lott/NASA via AP, File)
Here’s a closer look at what Artemis II entails.
The Artemis astronauts are a diverse and international crew
This mission is poised to make history by including the first woman, first person of color, and the first non-American to journey to the moon.
Koch already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. During her 328-day mission at the International Space Station spanning 2019 and 2020, she took part in the first all-female spacewalk.
Glover, a Navy test pilot, was the first Black astronaut to live and work aboard the space station in 2020 and 2021. He also was one of the first astronauts to launch with SpaceX.
The Canadian Space Agency’s Hansen, a former fighter pilot, is the lone space rookie. Their commander is Wiseman, a retired Navy captain who lived aboard the space station in 2014 and later headed NASA’s astronaut corps. They range in age from 47 to 50.
The Space Launch System is more powerful than the Saturn V rocket
NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket stands 322 feet (98 meters), shorter than the Apollo program’s Saturn V rocket but more powerful at liftoff thanks to a pair of strap-on boosters. Atop the rocket is the Orion capsule carrying the astronauts.
Made of salvaged space shuttle engines and other parts, the SLS uses the same fuel — liquid hydrogen — as the shuttles did. Hydrogen leaks repeatedly grounded the shuttles as well as the first SLS rocket test without astronauts aboard in 2022. More than three years later, Artemis II suffered the same hydrogen leaks during a February fueling practice run, missing the first launch window. A repeat of helium-flow issues bumped the mission into April.
How Artemis II will fly around the moon
After liftoff, the astronauts will spend the first 25 hours circling Earth in a high, lopsided orbit. They’ll use the separated upper stage as a target, steering their Orion capsule around it as docking practice for future moonshots. Instead of fancy range finders, they’ll rely on their eyes to judge the gap, venturing no closer than 33 feet (10 meters) to the stage.
“Sometimes simple stuff is the best,” Wiseman said.
If all goes as planned, Orion’s main engine will hurl the crew to the moon some 244,000 miles (393,000 kilometers) away. This free-return trajectory made famous in Apollo 13 relies on the moon and Earth’s gravity, minimizing the need for fuel.
On flight day six, Orion will reach its farthermost point from Earth as it sails 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) beyond the moon. That will surpass Apollo 13’s distance record, making Artemis astronauts the most remote travelers. After emerging from behind the moon, the crew will head straight home with a splashdown on flight day 10 — nine days, one hour and 46 minutes after liftoff.
What to expect during the Artemis flyby
The Artemis II crew may behold never-before-seen regions of the lunar far side — with the moon appearing the size of a basketball at arm’s length during the closest part of the roughly six-hour flyby. They’ve been poring over maps and satellite images of the lunar far side and anticipate a photo frenzy. Their lunar mentor is NASA geologist Kelsey Young, who will monitor the flyby from Mission Control in Houston.
“The moon is like such a unifying thing,” she said. “What we’re doing with this mission is going to bring that a little closer to everybody around the world.”
Besides professional cameras, they’ll carry the latest smartphones. NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman added smartphones to the mission for “inspiring” picture-taking.
While NASA and private companies have focused over the years on reaching the moon’s near side — the side that constantly faces Earth — only China has planted landers on the far side. That makes the astronauts’ observations of the lunar far side all the more valuable for NASA.
Artemis astronauts will splash back down to Earth
Like Apollo, the Artemis mission ends with a splashdown homecoming into the Pacific.
All eyes will be on Orion’s heat shield as the capsule plunges through the atmosphere. It’s the part of the spacecraft that took the biggest beating during 2022’s test flight, with charred chunks gouged out. The heat shield is being retooled for future capsules but remains the original design for Artemis II.
NASA is limiting the heat exposure during reentry by shortening the capsule’s atmospheric descent. Navy recovery ships will be stationed off the coast of San Diego as Orion parachutes into the ocean.
Background: U.S. District Court building for the District of Maryland”s Southern Division in Greenbelt, Maryland (U.S. District Courts) Inset: President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as he arrives for a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (Piroschka Van De Wouw, Pool Photo via AP)
On Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed an appellate panel that judicial immunity does not prevent suing all judges of a Maryland federal court. The DOJ continues to assert that this is the “proper” and “most efficient” response to what it considers “unlawful” automatic two-day stay orders in habeas corpus cases.
In a comprehensive submission to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the DOJ contended that the lower court judge committed “three critical, reversible legal errors” by dismissing the lawsuit in August. Contrary to the view of U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Cullen, the Trump administration argued it had a valid cause of action, possessed standing to sue due to the standing orders interfering with immigration law enforcement, and was not prohibited from suing the court’s judges and clerk.
The lawsuit’s dismissal, the government argued, actually exemplified a functioning legal system. The government explained its action as seeking prospective injunctive relief against the district court and its judges in their official roles, noting that “courts and judges are not above the law.” The DOJ pursued judicial relief as a remedy for what it saw as an unlawful rule.
Labeling the lawsuit as “unprecedented,” the DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security argued that Chief U.S. District Judge George Russell III’s “standing orders,” issued in response to a surge in habeas petitions, represented “judicial overreach.” These orders allegedly undermined President Donald Trump’s executive power and his 2024 election mandate to expedite deportations.
The DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security brought the “unprecedented” suit claiming that Chief U.S. District Judge George Russell III’s “standing orders” in response to an “influx of habeas petitions” were evidence of “judicial overreach” purporting to thwart President Donald Trump’s “executive authority” and his 2024 election mandate to swiftly carry out deportations.
When Cullen, a Trump appointee, tossed the “novel and potentially calamitous” lawsuit, he called it “not normal” and an unnecessary “constitutional free-for-all” in light of the existence of “proper” ways to raise challenges — whether with the Judicial Council or through appeals — short of a “constitutional standoff.”
“Much as the Executive fights the characterization, a lawsuit by the executive branch of government against the judicial branch for the exercise of judicial power is not ordinary,” Cullen observed. “The Executive’s lawsuit will be dismissed, and its motion for preliminary injunction denied as moot. Whatever the merits of its grievance with the judges of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the Executive must find a proper way to raise those concerns.”
The DOJ has now responded to that suggestion with a no-can-do, even though the Maryland district court has since revised its standing orders “in material ways to at least attempt to address the jurisdictional and legal deficiencies that the government identified.”
“The district court said that the government could avoid this lawsuit’s perceived procedural problems by appealing or seeking mandamus in individual cases or by asking the Fourth Circuit Judicial Council to review the Standing Orders’ validity, and it relied on the perceived availability of those options as a reason not to find a cause of action. But those options would not solve the problem for numerous reasons,” the government stated.
The first argument the Trump administration advanced in the brief is that standing order changes mooted the appeal. For that reason, before filing its brief the DOJ attempted to dismiss the appeal as moot and also vacate its loss in the court below. Neither request was granted.
“The government continues to believe that Appellees mooted the appeal by rescinding the challenged rules. Yet if the Court disagrees, the pervasive errors in the district court’s reasoning warrant reversal on the merits so that the government’s challenges may proceed,” the DOJ has now responded.
Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement previously wrote that his clients didn’t “object to dismissal of this appeal” but that Cullen’s word on the matter should stand because the “Executive has expressly reserved the right to sue all over again.”
A tiny find inside some three-billion-year-old rocks by NASA’s Perseverance rover is adding to a growing body of evidence that life once existed on Mars.
The Perseverance rover made its way through Neretva Vallis – an ancient river channel that once carried water into a lake in a Martian crater – in 2024.
The ancient rockbed on Mars is estimated to be over three billion years old.
This image provided by NASA shows NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover taking a selfie, made up of 62 individual images on July 23, 2024. (NASA via AP) (AP)
Perseverance utilized advanced technologies such as laser, infrared, and X-ray to analyze 126 sedimentary rocks and eight rock surfaces within the Neretva Vallis region.
A team of researchers led by Henry Manelski from Purdue University in the United States say among the discoveries was a large number of nickel-rich rocks with a similar chemical composition and shape of the iron sulfide arrangements to pyrite – sedimentary rocks found on Earth.
This discovery is crucial as previous studies have indicated that pyrite often forms through chemical reactions involving living microorganisms.
Even if the nickel-rich rocks weren’t created by microbial life, they provide further evidence that Mars might have once supported life.
Nickel plays a vital role in the enzymes of many ancient life forms, including archaea and various bacterial species.
The find adds to a growing body of evidence that life could have once existed on the Martian planet.
It’s not the first discovery that Perseverance has made on the topic.
In 2024, the rover discovered rocky “leopard spots” in the Jezero crater, indicative of ancient microbial chemical reactions.
This NASA image shows leopard spots on a reddish rock nicknamed Cheyava Falls in the Jezero Crater discovered by NASAs Perseverance rover in July 2024. (AP)
NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy called that find “the closest we have ever come to discovering life on Mars”.
“The identification of a potential biosignature on the Red Planet is a groundbreaking discovery, and one that will advance our understanding of Mars,” he said at the time.
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WALDEN, Colo. (AP) — Hydrologist Maureen Gutsch navigated through the muddy, slushy terrain to witness a concerning reality: Colorado just recorded its lowest snowpack since record-keeping began in 1941.
Even more alarming is the fact that mountain snow accumulations reached their peak an entire month earlier than usual, containing merely half the typical moisture levels.
As a warm winter with subpar skiing conditions transitioned to an early spring heat wave, the snow is rapidly disappearing from all but the highest elevations in the Western region. This development signals that water shortages may intensify the ongoing severe drought, unless an unexpected heavy rainfall occurs.
Gutsch found it challenging to reconcile her surroundings with the sunny, 56-degree (13.3 degrees Celsius) weather as she stood in a part of the Rocky Mountains known as the headwaters of the Colorado River.
“We love being out here. We love being in the snow, taking these measurements. This year, it’s kind of hard to enjoy it because it’s slightly depressing with the conditions that we’ve seen,” remarked Gutsch, who is affiliated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Cities in the region are imposing water-use restrictions, and ranchers are wondering how they will feed and water their cattle. Meanwhile, the threat of devastating wildfires looms.
High (country) and dry
Ranchers in Colorado’s scenic mountain valleys near the Continental Divide are, in a sense, among the first in the region affected by drought, being nearest to the melting mountain snowpack.
They hardly need Gutsch to tell them how parched this winter and spring have been. They remember past droughts — bad ones in 2002, 1981, 1977 — and wonder just what this dry winter will mean for their operations.
“I’ve never seen it so warm so early and no snow all winter long,” said Philip Anderson, a retired teacher who also has ranched most of his life in Colorado’s North Park valley.
The heaviest snows in the Rockies fall in late winter and early spring, including now. Snowfall isn’t unusual in the highest regions even into June.
Anderson’s place is at about 8,100 feet (2,500 meters) in elevation. There, in a typical year, a foot (30 centimeters) or more of snow will linger on his pastures until springtime, helping the grass to green up and stock water ponds to refill.
But without snow on the land, his cows are grazing his grass before it can grow high, and several of his ponds are dry. The ditch that would usually move water from the nearby Illinois River to his property is also dry — tapped already by neighbors with more senior water rights than his.
“A lot of the people which are closer to the mountains have to let the water go by and let those folks with the senior water rights have it,” Anderson said.
The last time Anderson had to haul water in his truck from a nearby wildlife refuge was in 2002. That same year, he had to sell off his herd.
North Park — about 100 miles (161 kilometers) from the South Park valley that inspired the cartoon TV show — is a headwaters of the eastward-flowing Platte River system. Thirty-five miles (56 kilometers) to the west of Anderson’s place, across the Continental Divide, is the Stanko Ranch on the Yampa River.
Jo Stanko dreads low flows because they allow her cattle to wade across the Colorado River tributary. Then they need to be rounded up and brought back home.
This year, Stanko has been watering her parched meadow earlier than ever in her 50 years of ranching. She plans to cut hay before June and is considering buying hay soon to feed her 70 cows afterward.
“Hay’s always a good investment, you know, because it might be really expensive,” she said.
Go with the flow? Not when low
An old saying in the West is that whiskey’s for drinking and water’s for fighting over. It applies all the more when water becomes scarce amid a decades-long drought driven in part by human-caused climate change.
Meanwhile, the river’s Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming remain at an impasse in negotiations with the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada to create new rules for managing the water during shortages.
Like the water itself, time is running short — the current rules expire in September.
A recent federal plan would conserve river water “completely on Arizona’s back,” Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs told a U.S. Chamber of Commerce meeting in March.
Upper Basin states say their cities, farmers and ranchers already use far less water than they are entitled to under the existing agreements. That’s because they honor senior water rights — some of which date to the 1880s — before those who own newer rights during droughts, Becky Mitchell, the Colorado River negotiator for Colorado, recently told other Upper Basin representatives.
“When there is less, we use less. This is not voluntary and no one gets paid as a result,” Mitchell said.
After missing multiple deadlines set by federal officials in recent months to, at least, create outlines of an agreement, the two sides are hiring more lawyers in case the dispute goes to court.
Cities cut back
After the driest and warmest winter on record, Salt Lake City announced a 10% daily cut in water use.
Reductions will be voluntary for residents, but the biggest nonresidential water users will have to consume no more than 200,000 gallons (2.6 million liters) per day.
On the other side of the Rockies, Denver Water approved limits to watering lawns and other restrictions, with hopes of achieving a 20% cut.
Water officials urged even less watering. Lawns in the Front Range region are just beginning to green up and don’t need watering twice a week until at least mid-May, they pointed out.
The city gets much of its water from mountain snow that accumulates east of the Continental Divide and on the western side. Tunnels under the mountains divert half the city’s water from snow-fed streams on the western side.
“We’re 7 to 8 feet (2 to 2.4 meters) of snow short of where we need to be,” Nathan Elder, water supply manager for Denver Water, said in a statement. “It would take a tremendous amount of snow to recover at this point, so it’s time to turn our attention to preserving what we have.”
Wildfire risk looms large
On the same day Denver approved the water restrictions, the city set a new high temperature record for March: 87 degrees (30 Celsius).
The previous record of 85 degrees (29 Celsius) was set just a week earlier.
Drought was bearing down west of the Rockies, too. In California, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada measured only 18% of the average for this time of year, state data showed.
Hot, dry weather is a recipe for wildfires. While other parts of the U.S., including the South and Southwest, face higher fire risk this spring, forecasters expect the threat in the Rockies to rise as above-average temperatures and below-normal precipitation persist into summer.
This week, the region is getting a reprieve of cooler, damper weather, with snow back in the forecast by the end of the week in North Park. But Anderson said he needs a lot more — half an inch (1 centimeter) of rain every other day for several days — to get out of the drought.
Until then, he suggested that North Park senior and junior water-rights holders work together to ensure everybody has enough.
“It’s pretty serious,” Anderson said. “If we just talk and communicate together and cooperate, we might be able to make it through this. But we’ll see.”
Netflix boasts an impressive array of films, catering to a wide range of tastes, from horror and comedy to romance and more. Each week, the streaming giant unveils a list of the top 10 movies that are captivating audiences and generating buzz among subscribers.
Currently, Netflix’s original film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is leading the pack, sharing the spotlight with established favorites like The Bad Guys 2 and Sisu: Road to Revenge.
Below, you’ll discover this week’s hottest movies on Netflix. We update this list weekly, providing insights and reviews to help you decide which films are worth your time and which ones you might want to pass on.
While you’re exploring, don’t miss our other curated Netflix lists, including the Top 10 Shows on Netflix, the Best Movies on Netflix, and what’s new this month. Enjoy your streaming journey!
In a delightful twist, comedy icons Jack Black and Paul Rudd join forces in Anaconda, a playful sequel to the 1997 thriller that originally starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight. In this 2025 release, Black and Rudd portray two friends who embark on an adventure into the Amazon rainforest to shoot a remake of the beloved movie. However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when they encounter the fearsome creature themselves. Featuring Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn, the film boasts a cast ready for anything, as noted by Decider’s John Serba in his review.
After straightening out their acts in 2022’s The Bad Guys with the help of Professor Marmalade, the Bad Guys struggle to stick to the straight and narrow in this new sequel. But this time, they won’t have to. The Bad Guys find themselves caught up in a heist planned by another team of thieves known as The Bad Girls. Will The Bad Guys be able to resist the charm of their old lives? Or will they return to their thieving ways? This witty children’s comedy stars Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron and Awkwafina.
Tommy Shelby returns to Birmingham in this final installment of the hit mob show Peaky Blinders. Directed by Tom Harper and written by Steven Knight, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man follows Tommy back out of his self-imposed exile as he’s forced to face his demons, which include his own son Duke (Barry Keoghan), who is leading the Peaky Blinders down a dark path. When Duke’s actions threaten the fate of the country, Tommy has no choice but to step in and revert back to the man he once was.
Read our full review of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Stream PEAKY BLINDERS: THE IMMORTAL MAN on Netflix
Reacher star Alan Ritchson headlines Netflix’s new blockbuster feature, War Machine. Ritchson stars as a soldier who is only known as 81, who leads his fellow recruits to fight against a killer robot from outer space that is dead-set on destroying everything in its path. Dennis Quaid, Stephan James and Jai Courtney also star.
Read our full review of War Machine.
Stream war machine on netflix
Photo: Netflix
In this hit musical, a girl group of K-pop superstars – voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo – who secretly moonlight as demon hunters and work to keep the demonic forces at bay. But they meet their match in an irresistible rival boyband who are secretly demons. KPop Demon Hunters is a highly entertaining original animated film from Netflix, complete with original music, an all-star cast, and plenty of humor.
Read our full review of KPop Demon Hunters.
Stream KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix
Photo: Netflix
After falling victim to a call center scam that cost them thousands in savings, a group of scorned women team up to take justice into their own hands. But as they team up with a skilled hacker to track down Aood, the leader of the gang scamming victims, the women are forced to question just how far they are willing to go to reclaim what was stolen from them in this Thai drama. The film is backed by extensive real world research conducted by the filmmakers into the world of scamming, lending truth to the intense stakes of being defrauded.
Jorma Tommila reprises his role as the deadly, kickass protagonist in this action-packed sequel. Sisu: Road to Revenge is a bloody, bullet-addled sequel following Aatami Korpi (Tommila) after World War II when he tries to retreat to a quiet life in Finland. But Aatami’s revenge spree in the first installment landed him on the KGB’s radar, putting a target on his back. Now, he’ll have to fight his way out once again.
Read our full review of Sisu: Road to Revenge.
Stream Sisu: Road to Revenge on netflix
Photo: Hulu
The Creator follows a former soldier who is tasked with hunting down the source, otherwise known as “The Creator,” behind the deadly artificial intelligence that has waged war and wreaked havoc on humanity. But Joshua (John David Washington) finds himself at a crossroads when he realizes the Creator’s deadly new weapon comes in the form of a young child. Starring Gemma Chan and Allison Janney.
Read our full review of The Creator.
Stream the creator on Netflix
Photo: YRF
Officer Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukerji) returns in the third installment of the franchise to investigate the criminal enterprise responsible for the kidnappings of over 90 girls across the country who disappeared without a trace. Roy does everything in her power to track down who is responsible, even if it means using deadly force.
The King is not scheduled to meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein during his upcoming trip to the United States next month. However, the possibility of such a meeting in the future has not been entirely dismissed.
This development follows a request from Congressman Ro Khanna, a prominent advocate for accountability in the Epstein case. On Tuesday, Khanna publicly urged the King to hold a private meeting with Epstein’s victims during his highly anticipated State Visit.
Although Buckingham Palace has not officially commented, it is understood that due to ongoing investigations by UK police relating to Epstein, the King and Queen will refrain from meeting with survivors during the visit. Officials are concerned that any information from such meetings could potentially influence or compromise legal proceedings in the UK.
Notably, the use of the phrase ‘will not be able to’ suggests that the King has not completely ruled out meeting with the survivors at a later date, according to insiders.
Sources also highlighted that the King’s previous stance on supporting survivors is well-documented, along with the Queen’s long-standing advocacy for individuals affected by sexual violence and domestic abuse.
In his letter, the Congressman made a point of noting that requests for the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to testify in the US over his links to the convicted padeophile have been roundly ignored.
He said: ‘I appreciate the solemnity of the occasion and your celebration of our 250 years of independence.
‘As author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, I respectfully ask that you privately meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s abuse, so they may speak to you directly about the ways powerful individuals and institutions failed them. Survivors want this meeting.
The King does not plan to meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein when he travels to the United States next month – but has not ruled out a future meeting
Sources last night reacted to a request by Congressman Khanna, who has led the way in demanding accountability over Epstein’s crimes and associates
This undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein appearing to try and kiss a girl
‘I make this request in light of recent developments in the United Kingdom, including renewed scrutiny of individuals and institutions with ties to Epstein and his network.
‘These developments have raised serious questions about conduct, access, and whether positions of public trust were misused or whether public institutions helped shield wrongdoing.
‘Your call for a ‘full, fair and proper’ investigation, and for the law to take its course, recognizes the seriousness of these concerns.
‘As you are aware, this is not solely an American matter. Epstein’s network had significant ties to the United Kingdom through Ghislaine Maxwell, through Epstein’s relationships with British public figures, and through the social and political circles in which he operated.
‘These connections raise broader questions about how Epstein was able to maintain influence, credibility, and protection across borders for so long.
‘Additionally, members of Congress have sought testimony from both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson regarding their respective ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor did not respond.
‘Peter Mandelson was also asked to appear before the Oversight Committee regarding his reported ties to Epstein and questions about whether sensitive information may have been shared improperly.
‘He declined to cooperate, citing the existence of a criminal investigation. In both cases, Congress was unable to secure their cooperation or testimony.
‘A meeting with survivors would provide an opportunity to identify any additional information British institutions and individuals may be able to share and open a dialogue about whether there will be a full accounting of how Epstein’s and Maxwell’s network operated in the United Kingdom.
‘It would also ensure that survivors are heard directly and that these matters are addressed with transparency, seriousness, and accountability.
‘Therefore, I would be grateful for the opportunity to arrange such a private meeting during your visit. I make this request with full respect for the importance of your visit.’
Comedian Lasisi Elenu has criticised President Tinubu’s administration over rising insecurity, saying criminality is thriving without consequences. His comments have sparked debate online.
Calling for accountability, Lasisi questioned the seeming lack of effective action to curb the crisis.
Lasisi Elenu, a well-known Nigerian comedian and digital content creator, has openly criticized the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressing grave concerns about the escalating insecurity plaguing the country.
In a recent statement circulated on social media, Lasisi voiced his disappointment, condemning the government’s inability to effectively address the surge in criminal activities nationwide.
“Tinubu and his government have let Nigerians down. It’s disheartening to see criminality flourish unchecked in our country,” he remarked.
The comedian highlighted the alarming increase in violence and killings, expressing his distress over these issues, especially when considering the technological advancements available today.
“It’s truly heartbreaking that in Nigeria today, we witness killings across the nation. I find it incredibly saddening that, even in 2026, with all the technology at our disposal, insurgency, insecurity, kidnapping, and banditry continue to persist,” he continued.
Calling for accountability, Lasisi questioned the seeming lack of effective action to curb the crisis.
“Make it make sense to me.”
“Tinubu And His Government Have Failed Nigerians. It Is Sad That Criminality Has Been Allowed To Thrive In Nigeria Without Any Consequences. It Is Heartbreaking That In a Country Like Nigeria Today, Killings Are Happening Across The Nation. I Find It Really Sad That In 2026, With… pic.twitter.com/SURxHmjViI
In other news… Nigerian skit maker and actor, Mr Macaroni, popularly known as Debo Adedayo, has spoken out following reports of killings in Jos, Plateau State.
According to reports, armed attackers stormed a community in the area, leaving several residents dead.
Reacting via multiple posts and a video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the entertainer condemned the incident while faulting the government for what he described as a lack of responsibility.
He claimed that roughly 40 people lost their lives, yet there was no official address from the president regarding the situation.
Mr Macaroni also directly called out the president, branding the current administration as ineffective.
In a separate post, he lamented that Nigerians are constantly confronted with disturbing news on a daily basis, expressing growing frustration over the situation.
He further blamed the continued loss of lives on what he sees as poor governance and failure in leadership.
The actor has consistently voiced his opinions on national issues. In a previous instance, he criticised the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism after a viral clip showed her confronting a man who was filming her, urging her to publicly respond to his remarks.
Read some comments below:
@Akube:”It’s truly disturbing. When lives are lost on that scale, silence from leadership only deepens the pain and anger people are already feeling. At the very least, there should be acknowledgment, empathy, and clear steps on what’s being done to prevent it from happening again. Lives shouldn’t feel this disposable.”
@Delighting:”Next thing for them to do is to arrest and humiliate anyone who dares to speak up against insecurity. Instead of to Chanel same energy to those territories.”
@Realmoneygirl:”Every day Nigerians wake up to tragedy, but change won’t come from hope alone. The real power is in holding leaders accountable… and in building your own freedom so no government can break you. Wake up. Act. Protect yourself.
@Medsense:”May God open your eyes to see the marvelous work Mr president has been doing to protect Nigerians. It’s obvious that you have been living in the studio for far too long. No wonder you are removed far away from the realities of the nation.”
Bruce Blakeman, a prominent Republican from Long Island, is gearing up for his 2026 gubernatorial bid with a fresh slogan that channels a familiar political theme. Determined to “Make New Yorkers Happy Again,” Blakeman aims to resonate with voters across the state.
This catchy phrase emerged during his appearance on Miranda Devine’s popular podcast, “Pod Force One.” As the current Nassau County Executive and the GOP nominee, Blakeman is keen to bolster his presence and close the 13-point gap revealed by a Siena poll against the incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
In his conversation with Devine, Blakeman emphasized, “New Yorkers desire a leader who genuinely cares about them and prioritizes their needs. They’re yearning for happiness and change from the current administration under Kathy Hochul.”
Devine, appreciating the slogan’s appeal, remarked, “I love that as a slogan: ‘Make New Yorkers Happy Again.’” Blakeman agreed wholeheartedly, asserting that this sentiment captures the essence of his campaign’s mission.
Devine responded: “I love that as a slogan: ‘Make New Yorkers Happy Again,’” to which Blakeman replied “that’s really what it’s all about.”
The Albany hopeful, who has been backed by President Trump, plans to turnaround the state, if elected in November, by mirroring what he’s already done in Nassau County, he said — touting his conservative record of being “tough on crime,” governing four years without a tax hike, and killing a $150 million tax hike that his predecessor, Democrat Laura Curran, had planned before leaving office.
Blakeman said he intends to run on his record as he works to boost his name recognition outside Long Island, calling the path to closing the gap “a function of fundraising” and getting around an expansive state where, he noted, Nassau County alone is larger in population than eight US states.
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Although he’s currently trailing Hochul in the polls, Blakeman said he’s down less than Lee Zeldin was — 22 points — at the same point four years ago before losing to her in a nail biter.
His campaign released an internal poll last week claiming he was down by only 9 points, and his own tracking has him ahead in the suburbs and winning more support among voters in the city than the Siena poll indicated.
Blakeman also told Devine that he’s the “only one that can stop” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani -– citing the governor’s power to limit or even remove the Big Apple’s socialist head honcho.
“The only one that can stop Zohran Mamdani is the governor, and Kathy Hochul has demonstrated that she’s in bed with him. She’s not going to stop him,” he said.
But the Long Islander has considerable ground to make up both in the polls and in fundraising.
She currently has over $20 million in her campaign war chest, while Blakeman has raised just $3.2 million, according to the latest campaign filings.
Mamdani called out the county executive at an unrelated childcare press conference Monday.
“We’re talking about a man who espouses so much of what has diminished New Yorkers’ faith in politics across the city and across the state,” Hizzoner said.
“Someone who looks at what ICE is doing and thinks it’s exactly what the city needs to see.”
If he wins in November, Blakeman said New Yorkers can guarantee he will put the screws to Mamdani.
“There’s only one thing that I can assure you with a 100% guarantee. … I will stop him,” he said.
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But the Long Islander has considerable ground to make up both in the polls and in fundraising.
Hochul currently has over $20 million in her campaign war chest, while Blakeman has raised just $3.2 million, according to the latest campaign filings.
“We’re going to win,” an undeterred Blakeman told Devine, although the task just got harder after Democrats on the state Public Campaign Finance Board voted Tuesday 4-3 along party lines to deny Blakeman millions in matching funds over a paperwork technicality.
He attacked Hochul’s tenure in Albany as a “failure” marked by overtaxation, overregulation and “pro-criminal” policies that he said sent residents fleeing the Empire State in droves.
“By the way, I did go down to Palm Beach. I did go down to Florida. I talked to those New Yorkers who left,” Blakeman claimed.
“And they said when I’m governor they’re coming back.”
A spokesperson for City Hall did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
In a significant discovery during a search of Artem Vasilyev’s Adelaide residence in August 2021, police uncovered a 3D printer. Alongside the printer, authorities found a document detailing instructions for manufacturing firearms, an AR-15-style semi-automatic weapon created via 3D printing, and a container filled with various parts.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Vasilyev had been active in white supremacist chat rooms, where he exchanged instructions on constructing guns and making explosives.
The presiding judge highlighted findings from a forensic psychologist’s report, which noted that Vasilyev was undergoing a process of radicalization. The report also indicated that his devices contained material promoting extremist right-wing ideologies.
While Vasilyev was acquitted of terrorism-related charges, he admitted guilt to 22 counts of firearm offenses. Consequently, he was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison.
This case exposes a growing threat in Australia, characterized by the creation of firearms through digital files and online blueprints, as well as the assembly of “untraceable” gun parts and weapons outside of regulated markets.
Authorities stress that the vast majority of illegal guns in Australia are still conventional firearms, with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) previously estimating in 2023 that around 200,000 circulate within the illicit market.
However, rapidly evolving technology and the spread of online manufacturing methods are fuelling a small but thriving market for homemade firearms and parts, the ACIC said.
A rapidly evolving online market
While manufacturing or possessing guns carries penalties of up to two decades in prison, privately manufactured firearms, including some primarily built with 3D printers, are appearing more frequently in police seizures across the country.
“It’s been a phenomenon for the last five years that we’ve really noticed the trend of increasing seizures,” NSW Police detective superintendent John Watson, who heads Australia’s Illicit Firearms Working Group (IFWG), told The Feed.
More than 1,000 illicit firearms and parts, including 281 3D-printed firearms and privately manufactured parts, were seized in a transnational operation last year. Source: SBS
Late last year, more than 1,000 illicit firearms and parts, including281 3D-printed firearms and privately manufactured parts, were seized in an IFWG transnational operation involving the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and police forces across Australia and New Zealand.
The FGC-9 is one example of a 3D-printed gun commonly seized, Watson told The Feed. Large, often brightly coloured and mostly plastic, it can resemble a NERF gun. Its design was first published in 2020 under a pseudonym in an almost 200-page-long document.
Large, often brightly coloured and mostly plastic, the FGC-9 has become one of the most recognisable symbols in the global rise of 3D-printed firearms.
What it creates is a semi-automatic firearm — meaning it reloads itself after every shot. Weapons like that were heavily restricted after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Australia’s deadliest shooting, in which 35 people were killed.
The gun is made with store-bought items, not traditional gun components — a deliberate choice by its designer in a bid to empower “the common man” and get around strict gun laws.
The name of the FGC-9, given by its designer, is a provocation — FGC stands for F–k gun control.
Australia a ‘global hotspot’ for 3D-printed weapons
Rueben Dass, a researcher at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, has spent the past four years building a database tracking the proliferation of 3D-printed firearms around the world.
He said the global trend is moving in one direction: up.
In 2024, global attention intensified after Luigi Mangione allegedly used a 3D-printed “ghost gun” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the US.
Luigi Mangione’s case drew global attention to 3D-printed “ghost guns” after he was alleged to have used one in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Credit: Getty/CBS
“There’s been … a marked increase in the number of global firearms, 3D-printed firearm seizures post 2020,” Dass told The Feed. “And we’ve seen that steadily increase year on year.”
He has identified several global hotspots: North America, Europe, Brazil and Australia and New Zealand.
But he said that because his database is built from media reports, the true figure is likely “much higher”.
According to his data, Australia has recorded 392 reported incidents involving 3D-printed guns since 2013 — which includes seizures, discovery, alleged use or attempted use.
3D-printed gun incidents have risen sharply since 2020, according to analysis by Rueben Dass. Source: SBS
In Australia and Western Europe, Dass said: “we are seeing a high number of hybrid firearms” — those that are primarily printed, but require some metal components to finish them off.
The reason, he said, is regulation. In places with tighter gun laws, offenders are “trying to circumvent the regulations by making these hybrid firearms that do not require any regulated components”.
Dass said countries that don’t yet have a major problem with 3D-printed guns should not be complacent.
Nevertheless, he said that while 3D-printed firearms are rapidly proliferating, conventional firearms still represent a far bigger global threat.
The evolution of a digital weapon
For years, 3D-printed guns were crude plastic devices that were unreliable and sometimes dangerous for the person shooting them.
The modern era of 3D-printed firearms started in 2013 when American Cody Wilson, a self-described gun rights activist, released the design for a single-shot plastic pistol known as the Liberator.
Cody Wilson, a self-described gun rights activist, released one of the first widely known 3D-printed gun designs. Source: The Washington Post / Getty Images
Like several 3D-printed gun designers, Wilson framed his product as a pro-gun statement, saying everyone should have access to a firearm.
US authorities ordered the files to be removed under export-control rules, but after years of litigation, the designs spread widely anyway.
Since then, newer and more sophisticated weapons have emerged from largely anonymous online communities.
“They’re becoming more military grade,” detective superintendent Watson said.
He added that 3D printers have become cheaper and easier to use.
“We are seeing a market and a technology change that is enabling a lower threshold for people to be inclined to do something like this. And that’s the real concern,” he said.
Who is printing guns?
Law enforcement officials say no single profile fits people producing these weapons.
“Illicit firearms are sort of crime-type agnostic,” Michael Taylor, forensics coordinator at the Australian Federal Police, told The Feed.
“We’re concerned about organised crime … extremism … domestic violence,” he said.
Taylor said the danger is that the technology itself is “democratised”.
“Individuals anywhere in the world, in principle, can design these and release them.”
Police say privately manufactured guns have been linked to a range of cases — from organised crime investigations to individuals experimenting with weapon-building at home, as well as fringe groups like sovereign-citizens and preppers.
If you are upset about a white supremacist building a Urutau, you can build one yourself to counter him.
“Joseph the Parrot”, designer of the 3D-printed gun known as the Urutau
But in any case, Watson at NSW Police said the message is the same: “You’re a criminal.”
One of the designers behind a weapon known as the Urutau was recently asked on a podcast about extremists using his design.
“I mean, I don’t support them but if they build a gun I can’t do anything about that,” the Brazilian designer, known online as Joseph the Parrot, said on a podcast.
“If you are upset about a white supremacist building a Urutau, you can build one yourself to counter him.”
The Australians searching for blueprints
Australians were nearly two and a half times more likely to see gun blueprints on the public internet than on the dark web, according to research by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), released in January.
“We surveyed nearly 10,000 online Australian adults,” Anthony Morgan, research manager at the AIC, told The Feed.
“I wasn’t aware they were readily accessible on the public internet. I would’ve assumed people were looking on the dark net.”
Australian Institute of Criminology researcher Anthony Morgan says Australians searching for gun blueprints were more likely to find them on the public internet than the dark web. Source: SBS
The study also identified a pattern among those most likely to access the material.
“Those buying or trading these products were more likely to be younger, male, technically proficient,” Morgan said.
They were also more likely to report a history of violence and intentionally try to access violent content — rather than simply stumbling across it, he added.
Banning the blueprints
Calls for tougher laws grew after 3D-printed parts for a shotgun “speed loader” were allegedly found at an Airbnb used by alleged Bondi attackers Naveed and Sajid Akram, according to police reports.
Fifteen people were killed in the December shooting, and dozens more injured.
Most jurisdictions in Australia now ban the possession of blueprints and design files for 3D-printed firearms, with the ACT moving after the Bondi attack to join other states and territories.
Researcher Rueben Dass said tackling 3D-printed guns will take more than just tougher laws.
Researcher Rueben Dass says global seizures of 3D-printed firearms have risen sharply since 2020. Source: SBS
He said the response also needs better coordination. Police and intelligence agencies need to share information more effectively, he argues, and countries should build national databases to track seizures and link cases.
“Developing countrywide databases for 3D-printed firearm seizures is extremely, extremely crucial,” he said.
Because many of these weapons move as parts, not whole guns, he said postal services and e-commerce platforms also need to be a big part of the picture.
“A lot of the cases, it’s the parts that are trafficked … even to the trained eye they can look benign.”
Are ‘ghost guns’ really untraceable?
Privately manufactured firearms, which include 3D-printed hybrids, are often described as “ghost guns”, suggesting they are impossible for investigators to trace.
But authorities told The Feed that the reputation is misleading.
“Any kind of activity that you undertake generates traces of that activity,” Michael Taylor from the AFP said.
Taylor said tracing these guns is a multidisciplinary process and involves matching bullets or casings to a weapon, checking fingerprints and DNA, inspecting tool and manufacturing marks, and following digital footprints.
“All of the experts in this building are centred on exploiting that,” he said.
Michael Taylor, forensics co-ordinator at the Australian Federal Police, says so-called “ghost guns” are not as untraceable as many believe. Source: SBS
Detective superintendent Watson said people may feel that they are “untraceable” but that’s simply “not the case”.
However, Dass said 3D-printed guns remain extremely difficult to trace, even as tracing technology improves.
“I could be sitting in my basement and printing a firearm without any exposure to the outside world.”
For Dass, many successful investigations rely on mistakes made in online chats, contacts with others, or weapons being uncovered during other investigations.
Work is underway to further clamp down in this area.
In the United States, politicians in New York and Washington state are pushing proposals that would require 3D printers sold there to include technology to detect and block the printing of firearms or gun parts.
Dass said tougher laws are needed, but they come with a trade-off.
Clamp down too hard, he argues, and criminal actors “are going to go more underground” and “develop more innovative ways to circumvent regulations”.
He said if blueprints and parts become harder to access on the normal web, the market may get pushed deeper underground, making it even less visible.
— With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press
In the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Yerba Buena Gardens lies a significant tribute to civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Here stands the third-largest monument in the United States dedicated to his legacy.
“At the core of Yerba Buena Gardens, there’s a sanctuary of tranquility, a reminder to strive towards becoming better individuals,” explains Dr. Aaron Grizell, Executive Director of the MLK Community Foundation. “Dr. King’s journey was marked by relentless effort to uphold his ideals of justice, peace, and righteousness for everyone.”
The memorial, aptly named “Revelation,” is a striking installation featuring a vast 120,000-gallon reflecting pool and an impressive 50-foot waterfall.
“The cascading waterfall echoes Dr. King’s beloved biblical passage: ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream,'” Grizell notes.
This peaceful focal point within the expansive 5.5-acre area offers visitors a special place to pause and contemplate the enduring impact of King’s message.
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“You can walk through that waterfall. You can go inside that waterfall, which symbolizes going into yourself and thinking about justice, peace, thinking about being a better human being,” Grizell reveals.
Inside the waterfall walkway, you can read poignant quotations from Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches etched in glass panels and translated into different languages.
“What those messages and quotes inside that waterfall are created to give you is the opportunity to sort of go inward…” Grizell says, “and that’s the idea behind each and every quote of Dr. King and of those translations into those many languages, because these were what he believed were universal principles that we can all, as human beings, relate to.”
The monument is a powerful place to visit.
“Martin Luther King’s presence will be here in the city and county of San Francisco for all around the world to come see…. they will be able to come here and reflect on Dr. King’s message and mission,” Grizell declares.
