Category: East Asia

France is mourning the loss of Lionel Jospin, the former prime minister credited with introducing the nation's 35-hour working week, who has died at the age of 88. Mr Jospin, who famously stepped away from politics after his tenure, passed away on Sunday, his family confirmed to Agence France-Presse.
Sebastien Lecornu, the current prime minister, paid tribute on X, stating that Mr Jospin “served France with constancy, rigour and a sense of responsibility”. Mr Lecornu added that “his actions, guided by a certain vision of social progress and republican values, leave a lasting mark and a model of commitment”.
Before his unexpected ascent to lead the Socialist Party in 1981, appointed by then-newly elected President Francois Mitterrand, Mr Jospin was an economics professor. His distinctive appearance, marked by a tousle of white curls and thick-rimmed glasses, often reflected his academic background.
Untarnished by allegations of corruption, Mr Jospin re-established credibility for t..

Zelensky: Repair works 'ongoing' as latest Russian drone attacks leave thousands without powerUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of a missile shortage and says Putin will benefit from a “long war” in Iran.
Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said the US produces around 60 to 65 Patriot missiles a month, which equates to roughly 600 to 700 a year. On the first day of the Middle East war, 103 missiles were used, he warned.
He said there will “definitely” be a deficit, and the question is now “when will all the stockpiles in the Middle East be exhausted”.
“For Putin, a long war in Iran is a plus,” as resources deplete, added.
“So it is beneficial for Putin that the resources do not go to Ukraine, against whom he has directed his army, and he's fighting with he needs to weaken us. And this is a long process. The Middle East is one of the ways to do that.”
His comments come after at least four people were killed in Russian drone attacks on ..

Netanyahu: 'Iran have the capacity to reach deep into Europe – they're putting everyone in their sights'The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all shipping except vessels linked to “Iran's enemies”, a top Iranian official said Sunday, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” the Islamic Republic’s power grid if the waterway was not “fully open” within 48 hours.
“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Saturday evening.
Tanker traffic through the waterway — a vital artery of global commerce — has ground to a halt amid Iran’s de facto blockade. As a result, oil prices have surged beyond the $100-a-barrel threshold and the average cost for a gallon of diesel has risen above $5.
Iran's representative to the International..

Trump attacks UK again after they let him use basesIran fired two ballistic missiles at the US-UK military base Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the attempted strike and condemned Tehran’s “reckless attacks”.
Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward the base but that they did not hit it, in what has been described by Iranian media as a “significant step”.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “winding down” the war with Iran, as he told countries that use the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane that they must “guard and police” it themselves.
The US president wrote on Truth Social on Friday evening: “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran”.
However, reports have emerged that the Pentagon have drawn up plans for putting boots on the ground, which would involve US troops seizing Kharg Island in the ..

One day at an Idaho hospital, half the newborns Dr. Tom Patterson saw didn’t get the vitamin K shots that have been given to babies for decades to prevent potentially deadly bleeding. On another recent day, more than a quarter didn't get the shot. Their parents wouldn't allow it.
“When you look at a child who’s innocent and vulnerable — and a simple intervention that’s been done since 1961 is refused — knowing that baby’s going out into the world is super worrisome to me,” said Patterson, who’s been a pediatrician for nearly three decades.
Doctors across the nation are alarmed that skepticism fueled by rising anti-science sentiment and medical mistrust is increasingly reaching beyond vaccines to other proven, routine, preventive care for babies.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which analyzed more than 5 million births nationwide, found that refusals of vitamin K shots nearly doubled between 2017 and 2024, from 2.9% to 5.2%. Other research su..

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that Barron Trump was a “good-looking gentleman” during a dinner at the White House.
Takaichi paid a compliment to Barron last night, just a day before Trump’s youngest child’s twentieth birthday.
The Japanese leader also remarked upon Barron’s height. The NYU student stands around 6-foot-9, according to estimates, with photos often showing him towering over his father, President Trump, and mother, First Lady Melania Trump.
“I know he has grown up so much into a very tall, good-looking gentleman,” Takaichi said. “As I see you, Donald, it is very clear where he got it. Of course, from his parents.
“There is no doubt about it,” she continued. “So Donald, if I may ask you, please convey my sincere happy birthday wishes to him.”
open image in galleryJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says that Barron Trump is a ‘good-looking gentleman’ (Getty)Trump has previously joked about his son’s height, telling crowds in Iowa in 2024 that his mother..

Severe tropical Cyclone Narelle lashed Australia's northeast coast on Friday, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain and power outages as authorities urged people to brace for significant damage.
Narelle made landfall in remote parts of the Far North Queensland region as a category four system, one rung below the strongest category five, with winds reaching about 195kmph.
The cyclone, which authorities initially said could be among “the worst in living memory”, appears less damaging than feared, but concerns over severe flooding remain.
After crossing the coast, the storm dropped to a category three system, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said, adding that Narelle was still packing wind gusts of around 140kmph.
The cyclone was expected to weaken as it moves west across the Cape York Peninsula over the next 18 hours.
“There is a lot of rain in this system, and as it moves it will be hard and fast,” Queensland premier David Crisafulli told a press conference. “I don't ..

Beyoncé's mother’s food stand in Texas was shuttered by the health department this week, according to reports.
Tina Knowles, the 72-year-old mother of the Texas Hold ‘Em singer, opened her Mama Tina’s Gumbo booth at this year’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The food stall sells Knowles’ famed gumbo, which she has often talked about in interviews.
According to an Instagram post shared by Knowles, Mama Tina’s Gumbo was scheduled to serve up food at the Texas event from March 2 until March 22.
However, a statement from the Houston Health Department, obtained by ABC 13, revealed that the business was closed on March 16.
open image in galleryTina Knowles’s gumbo stand was temporarily closed down by the Houston Health Department, according to reports (Getty Images for Netflix)”On Monday, March 16, 2026, the Houston Health Department issued a temporary closure of Mama Tina's Gumbo booth at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo as a result of a complaint investigation,” the sta..

Foreign aid arrangements with a religion-dependent focus risks “fanning the flames” of division, a senior Nigerian government minister has said
Mohammed Idris Malagi, Nigeria’s minister for information and chief government spokesperson, spoke to The Independent to mark Nigeria’s first state visit to the UK in 37 years.
In December, Nigeria was one of 14 countries that signed bilateral aid agreements with the US – known as health compacts – which included new stipulations about data sharing and restrictions on how the money should be spent.
The $2.1 billion (£1.6bn) agreement with Nigeria included “significant dedicated funding to support Christian health care facilities”, the US State Department said, and was “negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritise protecting Christian populations”.
The religious make-up of the Western African country, which is split around almost equally between Muslims and Christians, had been under scrutiny by Washing..