UNITED STATES
SpaceX launch delayed
SpaceX’s launch to the International Space Station — the first crewed mission to blast off from US soil in almost a decade — was scrubbed on Wednesday due to fears of a lightning strike. With NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley strapped into the Crew Dragon capsule, the launch pad platform retracted and rocket fueling under way, SpaceX made the call to abort. “We had just simply too much electricity in the atmosphere,” NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said.
UNITED STATES
Chinese ministry checked
Twitter has applied a fact check tag to at least two posts made in March by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) that advanced questions about whether COVID-19 began in the US rather than China. Zhao’s tweets “contain potentially misleading content” about the virus and have been labeled “to provide additional context to the public,” a Twitter spokesperson said.
UNITED STATES
Surveillance bill threatened
Legislation extending surveillance laws was thrown into doubt as President Donald Trump threatened a veto and lawmakers said they would oppose it. House of Representatives Democratic leaders on Wednesday adjourned without considering the bill hours after saying there would be a vote. “If the FISA Bill is passed tonight on the House floor, I will quickly VETO it,” Trump tweeted, using the acronym for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. “Our Country has just suffered through the greatest political crime in its history. The massive abuse of FISA was a big part of it!” Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “We have to have a bill, if we don’t have a bill, then our civil liberties are less protected,” representatives Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan said that “we cannot in good conscience vote for legislation that violates Americans’ fundamental right to privacy,”, despite The Department of Justice said that the bill would “weaken national security tools while doing nothing to address the abuses” identified in a report on the FBI investigation into ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.
UNITED STATES
Soldier’s actions praised
A soldier stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on Wednesday saved “countless lives” when he hit a man with his car as the man was shooting randomly at people on a bridge near the fort, Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens said. One person was injured by the shooter, Kitchens said. “The soldier intervened by striking the shooter with his vehicle, causing him to be critically injured, but ending the encounter with the active shooter and likely saving countless lives,” Kitchens said.
MEXICO
Drug lord pleads poverty
Drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero said in a legal appeal that he has no money, is too old to work and has no pension. The plea was filed on Tuesday by Caro Quintero’s lawyer seeking an injunction against his arrest or extradition to the US for the kidnapping and murder of US Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique Camarena in 1985. The court papers state: “The plaintiff argues insolvency, because he says he is more than 60 years old, is neither retired nor has a pension, and given the fact that he is a fugitive from the law, cannot work or perform any activity to earn money.”
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the
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