‘Perfect storm’ of staffing shortage and upcoming World Cup, warns acting head of TSA

Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before House committee about airport wait times amid DHS funding shutdown

The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its sixth week.

At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures.

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Maternal mortality rises in US aid-dependent countries under Republican presidents, study shows

Cuts to family planning aid are linked to an 11% increase in deaths during pregnancy and childbirth in some countries

When Republican presidents win power in the US there is a stark consequence for many pregnant woman around the world – a significant rise in maternal mortality as aid is withdrawn, a new study has found.

Global family planning aid typically drops under Republican presidents and then rises again by 48% once Democratic presidents are elected, the research, published in BMJ Global Health, finds.

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Democratic rising star extends ‘love’ after Hegseth pastor prays for his death

Senate nominee in Texas James Talarico says ‘Christian nationalism kills’ in response to Brooks Potteiger remark

James Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegseth’s pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texas’s popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretary’s closest spiritual adviser, who said: “We want him crucified with Christ.”

Talarico said on X: “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.”

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Jamie Lee Curtis to lead Murder, She Wrote reboot movie

Oscar winner will take on role of Jessica Fletcher in 2027 film from Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore

Oscar-winning actor Jamie Lee Curtis has been confirmed to take on the role of Jessica Fletcher in a big-screen reboot of Murder, She Wrote.

The 67-year-old star of Halloween and Everything Everywhere All at Once will play the mystery author and amateur detective made famous by Angela Lansbury in the long-running television series.

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Baltimore sues Elon Musk’s AI company over Grok’s fake nude images

Lawsuit argues XAI failed to disclose risks, limitations and exposure to harm that come with using chatbot

The mayor and city council of Baltimore, Maryland, filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI company on Tuesday, alleging that its Grok chatbot violated consumer protections by generating nonconsensual sexualized images.

Baltimore’s lawsuit argues that xAI deceptively marketed Grok as a general-purpose AI assistant and X as a mainstream social media site, failing to disclose the risks, limitations and exposure to harm that come with using the platform and chatbot. The suit, filed in the circuit court for Baltimore city, argues that the court has jurisdiction over xAI given that the company advertises and operates in Baltimore.

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Nigerian police arrest 15 after viral videos of alleged sexual assault at festival

The videos sparked widespread anger, leading to the hashtag #StopRapingWomen to trend on social media.

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Russian attacks kill six in Ukraine, officials say

The deaths were reported in four south-eastern Ukrainian regions in the past 24 hours.

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Watch: Thick smoke billows from South Korea car parts plant in deadly fire

Eleven people were killed and dozens injured when a huge blaze engulfed a car parts factory in the central city of Daejeon.

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Petrol theft expected to rise in Australia as police call for more CCTV and prepaid pumps

Amid a surge in fuel prices and fear of shortages, SA police chief signals officers might stop investigating ‘drive-offs’ unless service stations install prepaid pumps

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The rusty green fuel trailer hardly looks like it is worth stealing. But some time before 1 March it was hooked up to the back of a vehicle and taken from a property at Huntley, south of Orange, in the New South Wales central tablelands.

It was just another in a series of thefts that police across Australia are keeping a watchful eye on.

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Arizona desert town breaks record for hottest March temperature in US history

Martinez Lake, about 145 miles west of Phoenix, reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday amid scorching south-west heat

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A small community in the Arizona desert has broken a record for the highest March temperature ever recorded in the US, as the south-west bakes in a blistering late-winter heatwave.

The astonishing temperature was recorded just outside Martinez Lake, Arizona, which reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

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