🇬🇧🇺🇸 This summer's Wireless Festival has been cancelled after headliner Kanye West was blocked from coming to the UK.
The government refused permission for West to travel to the UK after backlash to his planned set at the London festival this summer.
In a statement, Wireless Festival said it was cancelled and refunds would be issued to all ticket holders. It added that "multiple stakeholders" had been consulted ahead of booking West, "and no concerns were highlighted at the time".
It continued: "Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had.
The government announced that the decision to refuse Kanye a permit to enter the United Kingdom was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
Visitors to the UK need an ETA if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, or do not already have a UK immigration status.
The government refused permission for West to travel to the UK after backlash to his planned set at the London festival this summer.
In a statement, Wireless Festival said it was cancelled and refunds would be issued to all ticket holders. It added that "multiple stakeholders" had been consulted ahead of booking West, "and no concerns were highlighted at the time".
It continued: "Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had.
The government announced that the decision to refuse Kanye a permit to enter the United Kingdom was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
Visitors to the UK need an ETA if they do not need a visa for short stays of up to six months, or do not already have a UK immigration status.
🇧🇷🇨🇳 Brazil has added the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD to its official list of companies accused of subjecting workers to conditions akin to slavery, following a 2024 scandal involving 163 laborers.
According to reports, the workers had been brought to Brazil to assist in the construction of a BYD factory.
Investigations later found that they were living in poor conditions, including overcrowded housing, a lack of mattresses and limited access to basic amenities.
Brazil’s Ministry of Labor said that inclusion on the list could affect BYD’s access to certain bank loans, though it would not prevent the company from continuing its operations in the country.
BYD said it had not been aware of any violations at the time. The contractor involved denied the allegations.
According to reports, the workers had been brought to Brazil to assist in the construction of a BYD factory.
Investigations later found that they were living in poor conditions, including overcrowded housing, a lack of mattresses and limited access to basic amenities.
Brazil’s Ministry of Labor said that inclusion on the list could affect BYD’s access to certain bank loans, though it would not prevent the company from continuing its operations in the country.
BYD said it had not been aware of any violations at the time. The contractor involved denied the allegations.
🇺🇸 Tech billionaire Elon Musk is seeking to have OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman dismissed from their roles at the artificial intelligence company as part of a lawsuit set to go to trial later this month.
Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, alleging that the artificial intelligence venture he helped found nearly a decade ago had manipulated and misled him into donating $38 million on the understanding that it would remain a nonprofit organization. While it did not.
His side argued that removing a charity’s officers and directors is a common remedy when those individuals fail to protect or carry out the charity’s public mission.
The filing also said Musk is asking the court to require OpenAI to return to operating as a genuine nonprofit. OpenAI completed a restructuring in October and is now run as a nonprofit holding a 26% stake in its for-profit arm, which includes ChatGPT.
Musk, Altman and others co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit AI lab.
Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024, alleging that the artificial intelligence venture he helped found nearly a decade ago had manipulated and misled him into donating $38 million on the understanding that it would remain a nonprofit organization. While it did not.
His side argued that removing a charity’s officers and directors is a common remedy when those individuals fail to protect or carry out the charity’s public mission.
The filing also said Musk is asking the court to require OpenAI to return to operating as a genuine nonprofit. OpenAI completed a restructuring in October and is now run as a nonprofit holding a 26% stake in its for-profit arm, which includes ChatGPT.
Musk, Altman and others co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit AI lab.
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🇨🇳🇹🇼 Leader of the main Taiwanese opposition party, Kuomintang, went to China to meet Xi Jinping.
While Cheng Li-wun calls this 'a visit in the name of peace' and her party has long been associated with the pro-Chinese sentiment in the country, many accuse the opposition leader of playing dirty and breaking the law by trying to conspire with foreign governments without a mandate from that of Taiwan.
While Cheng Li-wun calls this 'a visit in the name of peace' and her party has long been associated with the pro-Chinese sentiment in the country, many accuse the opposition leader of playing dirty and breaking the law by trying to conspire with foreign governments without a mandate from that of Taiwan.
🇮🇹 Italy has formally allowed workers to take sick leave to care for an ill pet, recognizing animal care as a legitimate basis for absence from work.
Under the policy, employees may receive up to three days of paid leave per year, provided they submit a veterinarian’s certificate and the animal is properly registered.
The measure builds on a 2017 ruling by a court in Rome, which sided with a woman who had taken time off to care for her sick dog. The court found that denying assistance to an animal could constitute a violation of the law.
The new policy effectively codifies that precedent, with the state acknowledging that pet ownership entails responsibility - and that caring for an animal can justify medical leave.
Under the policy, employees may receive up to three days of paid leave per year, provided they submit a veterinarian’s certificate and the animal is properly registered.
The measure builds on a 2017 ruling by a court in Rome, which sided with a woman who had taken time off to care for her sick dog. The court found that denying assistance to an animal could constitute a violation of the law.
The new policy effectively codifies that precedent, with the state acknowledging that pet ownership entails responsibility - and that caring for an animal can justify medical leave.
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🇷🇴 A Romanian news channel that repeatedly questioned the cancellation of last year’s presidential election has had its broadcasting licence revoked.
The national media regulator pulled the plug on Realitatea Plus yesterday after the TV channel failed to pay 28 fines issued in 2024, totalling 605,000 lei (approximately €122,000).
The channel's parent company, had settled more recent penalties but not the older ones, triggering automatic revocation under the audiovisual law.
Realitatea had positioned itself as a staunchly sovereignist outlet, critical of Romania’s political establishment and vocal in its support for independent anti-EU candidate from the past presidential election Calin Georgescu.
While being privately owned, the channel was paid substantial amounts by the leading opposition party for electoral advertising and promotion.
The channel’s flagship programmes openly referred to Georgescu as “the elected President” even after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the 2024 vote.
The national media regulator pulled the plug on Realitatea Plus yesterday after the TV channel failed to pay 28 fines issued in 2024, totalling 605,000 lei (approximately €122,000).
The channel's parent company, had settled more recent penalties but not the older ones, triggering automatic revocation under the audiovisual law.
Realitatea had positioned itself as a staunchly sovereignist outlet, critical of Romania’s political establishment and vocal in its support for independent anti-EU candidate from the past presidential election Calin Georgescu.
While being privately owned, the channel was paid substantial amounts by the leading opposition party for electoral advertising and promotion.
The channel’s flagship programmes openly referred to Georgescu as “the elected President” even after the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the 2024 vote.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Iranian government's accounts worldwide haven't stopped their mockery of President Trump even after the so-called ceasefire agreement between their country and the United States emerged, as this post by the Iranian consulate in Iraq demonstrates.
Meming and shitposting about Trump and the US became a common theme for accounts owned by different government institutions of Iran. Despite his statements about the ceasefire paving way to 'the golden age' for the Middle East and Iran, these Iranian government-affiliated accounts have not changed the tune while talking about the American leader and commenting on Trump's self-proclaimed successes and threats that he made.
Meming and shitposting about Trump and the US became a common theme for accounts owned by different government institutions of Iran. Despite his statements about the ceasefire paving way to 'the golden age' for the Middle East and Iran, these Iranian government-affiliated accounts have not changed the tune while talking about the American leader and commenting on Trump's self-proclaimed successes and threats that he made.
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🇨🇳 A hacker has reportedly breached a Chinese government supercomputer and stolen a massive trove of sensitive data, including defence and military research.
The stolen dataset, said to be over 10 petabytes, is now being offered for sale online. For reference, a high-end laptop typically stores about one terabyte.
According to a CNN report, the stolen data allegedly includes classified defence documents, missile schematics, and even research linked to fighter jets and advanced war simulations.
The breach is reportedly believed to have taken place at the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin, a key facility that supports more than 6,000 organisations across the country. These include major players in advanced science, aerospace, and defence research. Essentially, the facility acts as a backbone for some of China’s most sensitive and high-end computational work.
The stolen dataset, said to be over 10 petabytes, is now being offered for sale online. For reference, a high-end laptop typically stores about one terabyte.
According to a CNN report, the stolen data allegedly includes classified defence documents, missile schematics, and even research linked to fighter jets and advanced war simulations.
The breach is reportedly believed to have taken place at the National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) in Tianjin, a key facility that supports more than 6,000 organisations across the country. These include major players in advanced science, aerospace, and defence research. Essentially, the facility acts as a backbone for some of China’s most sensitive and high-end computational work.
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🇹🇷🏳️🌈 Eleven leaders of a Turkish LGBTQ+ rights group went on trial on charges of "obscenity" and "violating the protection of the family," according to their lawyers.
The defendants, leaders of the Genc LGBTI+ association (Young LGBTI+ in Turkish), are accused of breaching an article of the Turkish constitution on protecting family values, as well as publishing images on social media showing same-sex couples kissing, deemed "obscene" by authorities.
They face up to three years in jail and having their civil rights suspended if found guilty by the court in the city of Izmir.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but the LGBTQ+ community is frequently targeted by President Erdogan and his ruling AK Party, who have blamed it for Turkey’s declining birth rate.
A amendment of Turkey's penal code that proposed prosecuting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people for behaviour deemed "contrary to biological sex and general morality" and promoting such behaviour in Turkey was withdrawn last November.
The defendants, leaders of the Genc LGBTI+ association (Young LGBTI+ in Turkish), are accused of breaching an article of the Turkish constitution on protecting family values, as well as publishing images on social media showing same-sex couples kissing, deemed "obscene" by authorities.
They face up to three years in jail and having their civil rights suspended if found guilty by the court in the city of Izmir.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but the LGBTQ+ community is frequently targeted by President Erdogan and his ruling AK Party, who have blamed it for Turkey’s declining birth rate.
A amendment of Turkey's penal code that proposed prosecuting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people for behaviour deemed "contrary to biological sex and general morality" and promoting such behaviour in Turkey was withdrawn last November.
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🇬🇧🇷🇺 Prime-minister Starmer's threat to seize sanctioned Russian tankers has been directly defied by Vladimir Putin after Moscow sent a warship to escort two vessels through the English Channel. Admiral Grigorovich, a Black Sea fleet frigate, accompanied sanctioned ships in the British waters.
A British naval vessel trailed the boats, with The Telegraph witnessing the Russian flotilla sailing past RFA Tideforce. However, the Royal Navy did absolutely nothing to prevent the Russian ships from going through the Channel.
The incident came just weeks after Starmer granted special forces the authority to capture two sanctioned Russian vessels. Britain is still yet to seize a single Russian vessel.
A British naval vessel trailed the boats, with The Telegraph witnessing the Russian flotilla sailing past RFA Tideforce. However, the Royal Navy did absolutely nothing to prevent the Russian ships from going through the Channel.
The incident came just weeks after Starmer granted special forces the authority to capture two sanctioned Russian vessels. Britain is still yet to seize a single Russian vessel.
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🇺🇸 Stormy Daniels’ disgraced ex-lawyer and Democratic anti-Trump superstar Michael Avenatti released from prison and moved to halfway house.
Avenatti is best known for representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her failed 2018 defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump. Once a media darling with presidential ambitions, he was later convicted in multiple fraud cases and sentenced to years in federal prison.
In 2022, Avenatti was convicted and sentenced to 48 months in prison for stealing close to $300,000 in proceeds from Daniels. At the time of his sentencing, Avenatti was already serving a 30-month sentence for threatening to extort $25 million from Nike. Avenatti was also sentenced in December 2022 to 14 years in prison for stealing from four of his clients. One of those clients was a paraplegic.
Judge James Selna stated that Avenatti must pay $6 million in restitution to his victims. Following his release from federal custody in 2028, Avenatti will be under supervised release for three years.
Avenatti is best known for representing porn star Stormy Daniels in her failed 2018 defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump. Once a media darling with presidential ambitions, he was later convicted in multiple fraud cases and sentenced to years in federal prison.
In 2022, Avenatti was convicted and sentenced to 48 months in prison for stealing close to $300,000 in proceeds from Daniels. At the time of his sentencing, Avenatti was already serving a 30-month sentence for threatening to extort $25 million from Nike. Avenatti was also sentenced in December 2022 to 14 years in prison for stealing from four of his clients. One of those clients was a paraplegic.
Judge James Selna stated that Avenatti must pay $6 million in restitution to his victims. Following his release from federal custody in 2028, Avenatti will be under supervised release for three years.
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🇱🇧 Hezbollah published footage of their militants launching missiles. Some scenes indicate that attacks originate from residential buildings.
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🇻🇪 Venezuelan trade unions started demonstrations demanding higher salaries. At least one of the protests led to physical confrontation with the country's police force.
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🇨🇦 Canadian officials started using new term for sexual minorities.
Elon Musk already mocked the incident, adding that 'Canada is cooked'.
Elon Musk already mocked the incident, adding that 'Canada is cooked'.
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🇺🇸 The deranged homeless man accused of savagely butchering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on a Charlotte light rail train has been found “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges.
According to a motion filed April 7, Decarlos Brown Jr. was evaluated December 29 at Central Regional Hospital, and the subsequent report determined he was not competent to stand trial.
If a judge agrees Brown is psychologically incompetent to stand trial, state law mandates the charges be dismissed. However, if the judge issues the ruling without prejudice, state murder charges could be refiled if he ever regains his capacity to be tried.
Brown, 35, whose mother told The New York Post is schizophrenic, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery dating back to 2007.
According to a motion filed April 7, Decarlos Brown Jr. was evaluated December 29 at Central Regional Hospital, and the subsequent report determined he was not competent to stand trial.
If a judge agrees Brown is psychologically incompetent to stand trial, state law mandates the charges be dismissed. However, if the judge issues the ruling without prejudice, state murder charges could be refiled if he ever regains his capacity to be tried.
Brown, 35, whose mother told The New York Post is schizophrenic, was arrested at least 14 times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery dating back to 2007.
🇮🇱🇵🇰 Pakistani Defense Minister made a post stating that 'Israel is evil and a curse for humanity'.
After the incident, Israel's officials expressed doubts that Pakistan is eligible to be considered a neutral mediator for the Iran war peace process.
Then, the Pakistani minister rushed to delete the tweet.
After the incident, Israel's officials expressed doubts that Pakistan is eligible to be considered a neutral mediator for the Iran war peace process.
Then, the Pakistani minister rushed to delete the tweet.
🇺🇸 Anthropic has developed a new artificial intelligence model, Claude Mythos Preview, that it has deemed too dangerous for public release, after the system exhibited alarming behavior during internal testing, including breaching its containment environment and publicizing the feat online.
The model is capable of identifying thousands of previously unknown vulnerabilities in widely used operating systems, autonomously writing exploits and circumventing sandboxed environments.
Engineers also observed troubling tendencies. The model at times attempted to solve tasks independently rather than requesting clarification, used exploits to escalate its own privileges and erased elements of its activity history. In one instance, it was able to escape a developer sandbox, gain access to the internet and publish details of its actions.
Anthropic warned that similar capabilities will emerge in other AI models in next 6-18 months. For now, access to Mythos has been restricted to a small number of the US tech giants.
The model is capable of identifying thousands of previously unknown vulnerabilities in widely used operating systems, autonomously writing exploits and circumventing sandboxed environments.
Engineers also observed troubling tendencies. The model at times attempted to solve tasks independently rather than requesting clarification, used exploits to escalate its own privileges and erased elements of its activity history. In one instance, it was able to escape a developer sandbox, gain access to the internet and publish details of its actions.
Anthropic warned that similar capabilities will emerge in other AI models in next 6-18 months. For now, access to Mythos has been restricted to a small number of the US tech giants.
🇺🇸 A “Christ is Risen” Easter message sent by the secretary of agriculture has sparked backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary for the religious message.
Employees at the department’s 4,500 offices across the country received an email From Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday: “Happy Easter — He is Risen indeed!” Rollins told all department staff it was a day to celebrate “the foundation of our faith.”
Unhappy employees allege that the work email violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. They added that the email “eroded the separation of church and state.” At this point, there are at least three dozen individual complaints about the incident received from the department's staff.
Employees at the department’s 4,500 offices across the country received an email From Secretary Brooke Rollins on Sunday: “Happy Easter — He is Risen indeed!” Rollins told all department staff it was a day to celebrate “the foundation of our faith.”
Unhappy employees allege that the work email violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. They added that the email “eroded the separation of church and state.” At this point, there are at least three dozen individual complaints about the incident received from the department's staff.
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🇰🇷 South Korea is moving to guarantee universal access to basic internet services, ensuring that all residents can remain connected even after exhausting their paid data plans.
Under the policy, users whose data allowances have run out will still be able to access mobile internet at reduced speeds of up to 400 kilobits per second. While limited, the connection is sufficient for messaging apps and essential functions such as mobile banking.
The initiative also includes provisions for older adults, who will receive expanded data allowances. All the major telecommunications providers in the country have expressed support for the measure.
Under the policy, users whose data allowances have run out will still be able to access mobile internet at reduced speeds of up to 400 kilobits per second. While limited, the connection is sufficient for messaging apps and essential functions such as mobile banking.
The initiative also includes provisions for older adults, who will receive expanded data allowances. All the major telecommunications providers in the country have expressed support for the measure.
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🇺🇸 The United States Navy is canceling a long-delayed Biden-era overhaul of the USS Boise after costs ballooned to nearly $3 billion, with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan saying the submarine no longer made financial or strategic sense to repair.
The Los Angeles-class attack submarine already had consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete - despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life.
The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, and it's only 22% complete - the math really does not work.
The decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships.
The Los Angeles-class attack submarine already had consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete - despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life.
The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, and it's only 22% complete - the math really does not work.
The decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships.