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The final batch of documents on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy – a case that still inspires conspiracy theories more than 60 years later – has been released by the US government.
It follows an executive order by President Donald Trump that required remaining unredacted files in the case to be made public.
US authorities have previously released hundreds of thousands of JFK documents, but held some back, citing national security concerns. Many Americans still believe the gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, did not act alone.
JFK was shot during a visit to Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.
Image source Wikimedia
President Trump said beforehand that 80,000 pages would be unsealed.
Of the 1,123 documents included in March 18 release from the National Archives and Records Administration, it was not immediately clear how much material was new. Many documents have previously been released in partially redacted form.
“You got a lot of reading,” President Trump told reporters on March 17, previewing the release. “I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything.”
However, some of the hundreds of files unsealed on March 18 did appear to have passages blacked out. Others were hard to read, because they were faded or were poorly scanned photocopies, or appeared to bear little relevance to the JFK case, specialists said.
JFK experts suggested the American public might keep wondering about the possible existence of other documents and information.
A government commission in the aftermath of the killing determined that President Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald, a Marine veteran and self-described Marxist who had defected to the Soviet Union and later returned to the US.
Opinion polls over decades have indicated that most Americans don’t believe Oswald was the sole assassin. But no clear alternative narrative is yet to emerge from the latest batch of unsealed documents.
Unanswered questions have long dogged the case, giving rise to theories about the involvement of government agents, the mafia and other nefarious characters – as well as more outlandish claims.
In 1992, Congress passed a law to release all documents related to the investigation within 25 years.
Both Trump, in his first term, and Biden administrations released piles of JFK-related documents – but thousands remained partially or fully secret.
President Trump’s executive order two months ago also called on government archivists to release files related to the killings of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., both of whom were gunned down in 1968.
Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever was being removed by its parent company, Unilever, in a growing dispute over the ice cream company’s political activism.
The allegation was part of a legal case filed in a US court by Ben & Jerry’s that says Unilever violated a merger agreement by trying to silence its “social mission”.
It comes a month after the ice cream company accused Unilever of demanding that it stops publicly criticizing President Donald Trump.
A Unilever spokesperson said it is “disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public”.
It said it had made “repeated attempts to engage the [Ben & Jerry’s] board and follow the correct process”.
The filing with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said Unilever had “repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission”.
Ben & Jerry’s has long been known for taking a public stance on social issues since it was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.
It has often backed campaigns on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and climate change.
The ice cream maker was bought by Unilever in 2000 through a merger agreement that created an independent board tasked with protecting the ice cream brand’s values and mission.
Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at loggerheads for a while. Their relationship soured in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting sales in the West Bank.
The dispute escalated over the last year as Ben & Jerry’s advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza.
In November, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit saying Unilever had tried to stop it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees.
In February, in another court filing, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever had tried to ban it from publicly criticizing Donald Trump.
David Stever has been with Ben & Jerry’s since joining the company in 1988 as a tour guide. He was appointed chief executive in 2023.
Ben and Jerry’s court filing said the decision to oust David Stever was made without any consultation, as required in the merger agreement between the two companies.
“Unilever… attempted to force the independent board into rubberstamping the decision,” it added.
The Unilever spokesperson said: “In line with the terms of the acquisition agreement, decisions on the appointment, compensation and removal of the Ben & Jerry’s chief executive will be made by Unilever after good faith consultation and discussion with the B&J’s Independent Board.”
“We hope that the B&J Independent Board will engage as per the original, agreed process,” they added.
President Donald Trump has held what he described as a “very good” hour-long phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, a day after speaking to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump said the call was aimed at aligning Ukraine and Russia “in terms of their requests and needs”, adding that ceasefire efforts were on track.
President Zelensky described his conversation with Trump as “positive”, “frank”, and “very substantive”.
“We believe that together with America, with President Trump, and under American leadership, lasting peace can be achieved this year,” Donald Trump wrote on X.
Both Presidents Zelensky and Putin have said they would agree to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. However, both have since accused each other of continued attacks.
Donald Trump is seeking a wider truce, but in their phone call on March 18 Vladimir Putin rejected a full 30-day ceasefire backed by the US and Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a more detailed statement, saying that President Trump had agreed to help Ukraine source additional air defence systems, particularly in Europe.
The two leaders “agreed to share information closely between their defence staffs as the battlefield situation evolved”, he said.
Technical teams would meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea, Rubio added, saying they agreed that this could be the first step towards fully ending the war.
President Trump also raised the possibility of the US taking ownership of Ukraine’s power plants, adding that it would be the “best protection” for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Marco Rubio said.
The apparently cordial mood of the conversation is in marked contrast to Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House at the end of February, in which the two leaders – along with US Vice President JD Vance – were involved in a tense exchange.
Afterwards the US temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, but diplomats were able to improve relations and on March 11 the two sides agreed on a ceasefire.
During his call with Trump on March 18, Vladimir Putin agreed to halt Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
But he said a full ceasefire would only work if Ukraine’s supporters stopped giving military assistance – a condition Kyiv’s European allies have previously rejected.
Hours later both Ukraine and Russia launched attacks, with Kyiv saying hospitals had been targeted.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian strikes demonstrated that Vladimir Putin had effectively rejected the ceasefire proposal.
Religion continues to play a significant role in societies worldwide, despite predictions of its decline in the face of modernity and secularization. Recent global surveys indicate that approximately 84% of the world’s population identifies with a religious group, though this figure varies dramatically by region. Western Europe and parts of East Asia represent areas where religious adherence has declined most significantly, while Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East maintain some of the highest rates of religious affiliation globally.
The 21st century has witnessed not simply a decline in religious belief, but rather a transformation in how people engage with faith traditions. Traditional institutional religious participation has decreased in many developed nations, with weekly attendance at religious services falling by approximately 30% in the United States over the past three decades. However, this decline doesn’t necessarily indicate a rejection of spirituality or religious beliefs more broadly.
Personalization of Religious Practice
Modern religious expression increasingly reflects individualized approaches to faith. According to Pentecostal Publishing House, a significant shift has occurred wherein believers increasingly customize their religious practices, selecting elements that resonate with their personal values while potentially disregarding institutional doctrines that conflict with their worldview. This “cafeteria-style” approach to religion represents a departure from historical patterns of religious adherence, where commitment to a comprehensive theological system was expected.
This personalization manifests in various ways. For instance, surveys indicate that approximately 65% of Americans who identify as religious report that they seldom or never attend formal religious services. Similarly, a growing number of individuals describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” estimated at around 27% of the adult population in the United States and higher percentages in countries like Denmark and Sweden.
The digital revolution has profoundly impacted how religious communities form and function. Online platforms have created new avenues for religious expression, education, and community building, allowing people to connect with religion more than ever. Religious services streamed online increased by over 500% during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many faith communities have maintained hybrid models of engagement even after restrictions lifted.
Social media has further transformed religious discourse, with religious content creators amassing millions of followers across platforms. Religious apps offering daily devotionals, prayer reminders, and sacred text access have been downloaded billions of times globally. These technological adaptations have democratized religious knowledge and created new forms of religious authority that exist alongside traditional institutions.
Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Pluralism
Modern societies increasingly feature religious diversity, with multiple faith traditions coexisting within the same communities. This proximity has facilitated increased interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Studies show that approximately 58% of Americans report having meaningful conversations with someone of a different faith background within the past year.
Religious pluralism has become more accepted in many societies, with declining percentages of people believing their religion represents the only true path. For example, surveys indicate that only about 25% of Christians in Western Europe believe their religion is the only true one, compared to significantly higher percentages in previous generations.
Religious Extremism and Polarization
While moderation and pluralism characterize many religious developments, extremist interpretations of religion continue to impact global affairs. Religious extremism remains a concern across various traditions, with approximately 84 countries experiencing high or very high levels of religious hostilities according to recent global surveys.
Political polarization often aligns with religious divisions, with religious identity serving as a marker for political affiliation in many contexts. In the United States, for example, white evangelical Protestants support conservative political candidates at rates exceeding 80%, while religiously unaffiliated individuals tend to support progressive candidates at similarly high rates.
The Future of Religion
Demographic trends suggest that religious populations will continue to grow globally, primarily due to higher birth rates among religious communities in developing nations. Projections indicate that by 2050, the percentage of the world population identifying as religiously unaffiliated will likely decrease slightly, while religions with younger adherents, such as Islam, will see significant growth.
However, the nature of religious belief and practice will likely continue to evolve. Institutional religious participation may continue to decline in developed nations, while personalized spiritual practices increase. Religious institutions that adapt to changing cultural contexts while maintaining core ethical teachings may prove most resilient in this evolving landscape.
The boundary between secular and religious worldviews may also become increasingly blurred, with values-based communities emerging that incorporate elements of religious tradition without requiring supernatural beliefs. These developments suggest not the end of religion, but its ongoing transformation in response to changing social conditions and human needs.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from taking any further steps to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a ruling on March 18, Judge Theodore Chuang said the efforts, led by Donald Trump ally Elon Musk’s Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), likely violated the US constitution “in multiple ways”.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Judge Chuang ordered DOGE to restore access to USAID’s computer and payment systems for employees, including those who were placed on leave.
The judge also ruled that termination of USAID employees should stop, but did not order the reinstating of employees previously placed on leave.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agrees to halt strikes on Ukraine energy targets for 30 days, the Kremlin says, after a 90-minute-phone call with President Donald Trump.
Vladimir Putin supports Donald Trump’s idea for Ukraine and Russia to stop attacking energy infrastructure for 30 days, the Kremlin says in its read out of the leaders’ call.
Image NBC News
Russia has repeatedly damaged Ukraine’s energy grid since its invasion in February 2022.
Fresh Ukraine peace talks will also begin in the Middle East immediately, the White House says.
After the call, the White House said: “The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.”
The Kremlin says the two presidents had a “frank exchange of opinions” and agreed to stay in touch.
President Donald Trump has claimed that “many” pardons issued by Joe Biden are void because the former president signed them with “autopen” – a device which reproduces a person’s signature – rather than by hand.
President Trump did not provide evidence for his claim – which was posted on Truth Social.
US government documents have the same presidential signature when they’re stored in the Federal Register – a digital archive – and this was the case under Trump as well as under Biden.
On Truth Social, President Trump said that: “The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!”.
Image source: Getty Images
Donald Trump didn’t specify which pardons he was referring to but he has previously referred to the house select committee investigating the 6 January riots as the “unselect committee”, and has criticised Biden for pardoning family members.
President Trump appears to have taken his cue from the Oversight Project – part of the Conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation – which has claimed that Biden’s 19 January pardons – of some family members and political figures including Anthony Fauci – all had the same autopen signature.
A National Archives spokesperson told the fact-checking website Snopes that: “At the beginning of each administration, the White House sends a sample of the President’s signature to the Federal Register, which uses it to create the graphic image for all Presidential Documents published in the Federal Register,”
“The President may sign a bill within the meaning of Article I, Section 7 by directing a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to such a bill, for example by autopen”, the memo said.
Although George W. Bush did not use autopen himself, President Barack Obama used it in 2011.
Autopen has also been used by earlier presidents including JFK and Harry Truman.
At least 59 people have been killed and 155 others injured after a fire broke out a nightclub in North Macedonia on March 16.
They were watching DNK, a popular hip-hop duo in the country.
People desperately tried to escape the flames but there was only one exit for around 500 people, as the only other door at the back of the venue was locked.
Police have detained 15 people, with Interior Minister Pance Toskovski saying that there are “grounds for suspicion that there is bribery and corruption” linked to the fire.
Those detained include the owner of the venue and former government officials.
PM Hristijan Mickoski has said there will be “no mercy”, regardless of political rank or party affiliation.
The fire started around 02:30 local time on March 16 when sparks from pyrotechnic devices hit the ceiling, which was made of highly flammable material, Toskovski said.
Described as an “improvised nightclub” by the local press, the venue, located in a town around 60 miles east of the capital, Skopje, did not have a legal licence to operate, Toskovski said.
It had previously been a carpet warehouse, and police are investigating.
“Most of the dead suffered injuries from the stampede that occurred in the panic while trying to exit,” the head of the Kocani hospital, Kristina Serafimovska, told reporters.
“Seventy of the patients have burns and carbon monoxide poisoning,” she said, according to AFP news agency.
Vladislav Gruev, a specialist in reconstructive and plastic surgery at the University Clinic for Surgical Diseases, has been treating survivors.
“Most of them have extensive burn injuries, above 18% surface body area, second and third degree burns on the head, neck, upper torso, and upper limbs – hands and fingers,” he said.
Inspections on march 16 showed several “abnormalities” in the venue, including “deficiencies” in the fire-extinguishing and lighting system, said public prosecutor’s office spokesman Biljana Arsovska.
Speaking outside the hospital, Red Cross volunteer Mustafa Saidov said the majority of those who died were young people.
“Inside where they are identifying the victims, the situation is far worse. You see that the parents are also quite young people, in their 40s. Their children are 18 or 20 years old.”
“The situation is brutal, chaotic, the stories are very sad, and unfortunately many young lives are lost.”
One man, whose nephew was injured in the fire, said some people have been unable to locate their children.
The most seriously injured were being taken for treatment in specialist clinics in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Turkey, she added.
The government has declared seven days of national mourning, and it will hold an emergency session as part of ongoing investigations into how the incident unfolded.
According to Gene Hackman’s recently released will, the Oscar-winning actor left his entire $80 million fortune to his wife of 30 years, Betsy Arakawa.
Betsy Arakawa, 65, was found dead alongside her husband in their New Mexico home last month.
Legal experts have now said that, because authorities say Betsy Arakawa died seven days before her husband, the actor’s children could now potentially inherit his fortune, despite not being named in the will.
His three children with his late ex-wife, Faye Maltese – Christopher, 65, Elizabeth, 62, and Leslie, 58 – have not commented publicly on the matter.
Gene Hackman, 95, named Betsy Arakawa as his sole beneficiary in 1995, with the last update to the will in 2005.
The estate could default to Gene Hackman’s children under succession laws, as long as there was no other beneficiary named.
They would also need to prove that the will is invalid because Betsy Arakawa died before Gene Hackman.
Authorities say Betsy Arakawa passed away on February 11 after contracting a rare virus, days before Gene Hackman died of natural causes.
The couple was found dead in separate rooms of their $4m Santa Fe home on February 26 after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check and saw their bodies on the ground through a window.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Betsy Arakawa was found in the bathroom with pills scattered nearby, while Gene Hackman was in the back of the house, wearing sweatpants and slippers, his cane and sunglasses beside him.
Officials determined he died seven days after his wife due to severe heart disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s listed as a contributing factor.
Authorities initially deemed the scene “suspicious” but later ruled out foul play.
Betsy Arakawa’s own will left her assets to Gene Hackman, with a provision that if they died within 90 days of each other, her estate would go to a trust and later be donated to charity after covering medical expenses.
President Vladimir Putin announced that he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that “questions” remained about the nature of a truce as he set out a number of tough conditions.
The Russian president was responding to a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week after talks with the US.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Vladimir Putin’s response to the plan as “manipulative” and called for more sanctions on Russia.
Meanwhile, the US placed further sanctions on Russian oil, gas and banking sectors.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on March 13, President Putin said of the ceasefire proposal: “The idea is right – and we support it – but there are questions that we need to discuss.”
A ceasefire should lead to “an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis”, he said.
“We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners,” he said.
“Maybe I’ll have a call with Donald Trump.”
Vladimir Putin added: “It will be good for the Ukrainian side to achieve a 30-day ceasefire.
“We are in favour of it, but there are nuances.”
Image source Wikimedia
Putin “doesn’t say no directly”, Zelensky said in his nightly video address, but “in practice, he’s preparing a rejection”.
“Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians.”
Vladimir Putin had set so many pre-conditions “that nothing will work out at all”, Zelensky said.
After Putin’s remarks and Zelensky’s response, there is now a clear divide between both sides’ positions.
Ukraine wants a two-stage process: a quick ceasefire and then talks about a longer-term settlement.
Russia believes you cannot separate the two processes and all the issues should be decided in a single deal. Both sides seem content to argue their differences.
Ukraine believes it can put pressure on Russia, painting it as a reluctant peacemaker, playing for time. Russia, equally, believes it has a chance now to raise its fundamental concerns, about Nato expansion and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Speaking at the White House following Putin’s remarks, President Trump said he would “love” to meet the Russian leader and that he hoped Russia would “do the right thing” and agree to the proposed 30-day truce.
“We’d like to see a ceasefire from Russia,” he said.
Speaking earlier at a meeting in the Oval Office with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, Donald Trump told reporters he had already discussed specifics with Ukraine.
“We’ve been discussing with Ukraine land and pieces of land that would be kept and lost, and all of the other elements of a final agreement,” he said.
“A lot of the details of a final agreement have actually been discussed.”
The fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas came as the Trump administration further restricted access to US payment systems, making it harder for other countries to buy Russian oil.
President Donald Trump has pledged to impose more tariffs after his latest move to introduce import taxes on steel and aluminium entering the US prompted retaliation from the European Union (EU) and Canada.
Donald Trump said “of course” he would respond to the countermeasures, repeating his warning to reveal “reciprocal” tariffs next month on countries around the world.
“Whatever they charge us with, we’re charging them,” he said.
The threat marked a further escalation of a trade war which has rattled financial markets amid concerns over the impact on the economies and consumers in many countries around the world, including the US.
On March 12, President Trump moved forward with a plan to widen US tariffs on steel and aluminium, imposing a blanket duty of 25% and ending exemptions that the US had previously granted for shipments from some countries.
That followed an order earlier this month that raised levies on Chinese imports into the US to at least 20%.
President Trump has also threatened tariffs – which are taxes applied to goods as they enter a country – on a range of more specific items, including copper, lumber and cars.
Leaders in Canada and Europe called the new metals taxes unjustified and struck back with their own tariffs on a range of US products.
Other countries that are key US suppliers of metals, including the UK, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, held off on any immediate retaliation.
Canada said from March 13 it would start charging a 25% tax on nearly C$30bn ($20bn) worth of US products, including steel, computers and sports equipment.
The EU said it would raise its levies on up to €26bn ($28bn) worth of US goods, including boats, bourbon and motorbikes, from April 1.
EU President Ursula von der Leyen said the response was intended to be „strong but proportionate” and added that the EU stood „ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue”.
„Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers,” she said, warning the economic disruption put jobs at stake and would send prices higher.
„Nobody needs that – on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States.”
Donald Trump had said he wants to boost US steel and aluminium production in the longer run, but critics say in the immediate term the taxes on imports of the metals will raise prices for US consumers and dent economic growth.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Kursk for the first time since Ukraine’s incursion across the border, Russian media reported, as Moscow claims to have recaptured more of the region.
It comes as the White House confirms President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is going to Moscow for talks on a US-proposed ceasefire plan backed by Ukraine.
It was agreed on March 11 after Ukrainian officials held talks with the US.
On March 12, President Trump said a ceasefire deal “would be 80% of the way to getting this horrible blood bath [to end]”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said “everything depends on Russia”, calling on Moscow to respond to the proposal.
However, Russia has said it would wait to be briefed by American officials before commenting – and that it’s “studying statements”.
Ukraine’s leadership has been getting advice from its friends, including Britain’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell. Their message is clear: like it or not, you must mend relations with the White House and not go up against Trump. Hence Ukraine falling swiftly into line with the US proposal for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire.
For Trump, it represents a clear vindication of his strategy: forcing an end to a war he sees as unwinnable.
President Trump is also putting pressure on Russia – he said earlier that penalties for them could be “devastating” if they opt to continue the war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that he sees promise in Ukraine’s proposal for a partial ceasefire to end the war with Russia, ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian officials.
“I’m not saying that alone is enough but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,” he said on March 10.
Kyiv is expected to propose an aerial and naval truce with Russia during the negotiations on March 11, a Ukrainian official told AFP.
Russia has previously rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire, saying it was an attempt to buy time and prevent Ukraine’s military collapse.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Saudi Arabia on March 10 to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although he is not expected to play any formal role in the talks between his country and the US.
The Ukrainian team will be represented by Zelensky’s head of office Andriy Yermak, the country’s national security adviser and several foreign and defence ministers.
Marco Rubio will represent the US delegation alongside National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Before arriving in Jeddah on March 10, Marco Rubio said that it was important to “establish clearly Ukraine’s intentions” for a peace deal and that the country would “have to be prepared to do difficult things like the Russians are going to have to do difficult things to end this”.
“I’m not going to set any conditions on what they have to or need to do,” he added.
“We want to listen to see how far they’re willing to go, and compare that to what the Russians want, and then see how far apart we truly are.”
He said that both sides needed to realize that “there’s no military solution” to the conflict and it can only be resolved through “diplomatic means”.
It comes as President Donald Trump steps up pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Moscow, without any promises of US security guarantees.
The talks mark the first official meeting since Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House descended into acrimony last month.
Following the meeting, the US paused military aid and intelligence sharing for Kyiv in an apparent bid to get President Zelensky to the negotiating table.
Marco Rubio said that he hoped the pause in aid could be “resolved” but that the negotiations on March 11 “would be key to that”.
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, a rare disease transmitted by infected rodents, officials have confirmed.
Health experts warn that hantavirus can cause flu-like symptoms after exposure to rodent droppings, and in severe cases, it may develop into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening lung condition.
Medical investigators believe Betsy Arakawa contracted HPS, which led to her death.
It is believed the Oscar-winning actor’s wife died a week before her husband, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Authorities discovered the deceased couple in their New Mexico home last month.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infections typically occur when the virus becomes airborne from a rodent’s urine, droppings, or saliva.
Though rare, the infection can also spread through rodent bites or scratches. In North America, deer mice are the most common carriers, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The virus can cause two severe illnesses. The first, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – the most common strain in the US – was the illness that led to Betsy Arakawa’s death, officials say.
Symptoms often start with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, followed by headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal issues. If respiratory symptoms develop, the mortality rate is approximately 38%, according to the CDC.
The second illness, Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome (HFRS), is more severe and primarily affects the kidneys.
The CDC reported 864 cases of hantavirus in the US between 1993 and 2022.
Most of the cases were found in rural areas of western states like California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
The agency began surveillance for hantavirus diseases in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory illness near the Four Corners region of the US where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all meet.
There may be around 150,000 cases of Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome worldwide each year, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health. More than half occur in China.
Hantavirustreatment
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infections.
The CDC recommends supportive care to treat symptoms.
Patients with severe symptoms may need to be admitted to hospitals in intensive care units. Some may need to be intubated in severe cases.
The CDC recommends eliminating contact with rodents in homes or workplaces to reduce exposure to the virus.
The agency also recommends sealing entry points in basements or attics where rodents may enter homes.
Wearing protective gear is also suggested when cleaning up rodent droppings to avoid inhaling contaminated air.
The Trump administration is immediately pulling $400 million worth of federal funding from Columbia University, saying it failed to fight antisemitism on campus.
A statement issued by four federal agencies said the funding cut was due to “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students”.
In 2024, the New York university was the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses against war in Gaza and US support for Israel.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump had threatened to pull funding from schools and universities that allow “illegal protests”.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in the statement that Jewish students on campus who had been the victims of “relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses” were “ignored” by university authorities.
“Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer,” she said.
The university is reviewing the announcement, and pledged to work with the government to restore its federal funding, a spokeperson has said.
Columbia is one of the most prestigious universities in the US and has about 30,000 students. Its famous Morningside Heights campus is on the west side of Manhattan.
In 2024 the Ivy League university saw some of the largest and tensest campus demonstrations in the US as students protested against Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
Gene Hackman died of natural causes about a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa, who died after contracting a rare virus, a New Mexico medical investigator has said.
The 95-year-old Oscar-winning actor died at his Santa Fe home from coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease a contributing factor.
Betsy Arakawa, 65, died in the same house from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare but serious respiratory illness caused by exposure to infected rodents.
Authorities believe Gene Hackman’s wife passed away about seven days before her husband. Her cause of death was listed as natural.
It is likely that Betsy Arakawa died first on February 11, Dr. Heather Jarrell of the New Mexico Medical Investigator’s Office told a news conference on march 7.
She said it was “reasonable to conclude” that Gene Hackman died on February 18.
Betsy Arakawa’s last known movements and correspondence were on February 11, when she was seen going to a market, a CVS pharmacy and a pet store, before returning home in the early evening.
Given that Gene Hackman was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease it is “quite possible that he was not aware that she [his wife] was deceased”, said Dr. Jarrell.
Gene Hackman had “significant heart disease, and ultimately that’s what resulted in his death”, Dr. Jarrell said, adding that he had chronic high blood pressure.
He had not eaten anything recently, but showed no indications of dehydration, she added.
At the press conference, New Mexico Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps emphasized that hantavirus infections are extremely rare.
HPS is transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine or saliva, often when contaminated dust is inhaled.
She noted that 136 cases had been reported in the state over the past 50 years, and 42% resulted in fatalities.
Erin Phipps said evidence of rodent activity was found in some buildings on the property, though the risk inside the main house was considered “low”.
Gene Hackman tested negative for hantavirus.
While rare, the disease can lead to respiratory failure in some cases.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
The couple were found in their home after neighbourhood security conducted a welfare check and saw their bodies on the ground through the window.
The couple’s bodies were discovered in advanced stages of decomposition.
Gene Hackman’s body was in a sideroom next to the kitchen, with a walking cane and a pair of sunglasses nearby, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Betsy Arakawa’s body was found in the bathroom, with scattered pills near her.
Sheriff’s deputies found medication for thyroid and blood pressure treatment, along with pain reliever Tylenol, according to a court-filed inventory.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz confirmed on March 5 that the US has paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
“We have, we have taken a step back,” he told reporters when asked about suspending intelligence sharing.
Mike Waltz added that the Trump administration was pausing and reviewing “all aspects of this relationship”.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron later announced a meeting of European army chiefs in Paris next week, saying in a televised speech that France must be prepared to move forward without US help.
“I want to believe the US will stay at our side, but we must be ready if that is not the case,” Emmanuel Macron said.
Saying that Europe is in a “new era”, President Macron called for it to increase its defence spending.
He also said that France, along with Ukraine and others, have prepared a durable peace plan.
The US has shared intelligence with Ukraine since the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On March 3, the US paused military aid to Kyiv following a dramatic breakdown in relations in the Oval Office last week, when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was told to leave after an angry meeting with US President Donald Trump.
It remains unclear if the pause on intelligence sharing is partial or complete, and how long it will remain in effect.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also appeared to confirm the decision in an interview on Fox Business on March 5, saying President Trump “had a real question about whether President Zelensky was committed to the peace process, and he said ‘let’s pause, I want to give you a chance to think about that’.”
He said the response came swiftly with President Zelensky’s statement saying he was ready for peace.
John Ratcliffe then added: “On the military front and the intelligence front, the pause that allowed that to happen, will go away and we’ll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.”
Mike Waltz also suggested a more conciliatory tone was emerging between the US and Ukraine, adding that the military aid and intelligence sharing pause could be lifted in the near future.
“I think if we can nail down these negotiations and move towards these negotiations, and in fact, put some confidence-building measures on the table, then the president will take a hard look at lifting this pause,” he told Fox News.
He also said he had “good talks” with his Ukrainian counterpart about the location and substance of potential negotiations, adding there will be movement in “very short order”.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the military assistance during a press briefing on March 5, saying the US has simply paused it and is “reconsidering” funding.
Ukraine has heavily relied on the US for military assistance for the three years since Russia’s invasion, and the decision to pause aid may have a significant effect on the war.
Halting intelligence support, too, would likely have serious consequences on the battlefield.
The information is believed to help Ukraine both strategically understand Moscow’s next moves and also tactically, for example providing information on Russian troop positions for weapons guidance and targeting.
China has warned the United States it is ready to fight “any type” of war after hitting back against President Donald Trump’s mounting trade tariffs.
The world’s top two economies have edged closer to a trade war after Trump slapped more tariffs on all Chinese goods. China quickly retaliated imposing 10-15% tariffs on US farm products.
“If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” China’s embassy said on X, reposting a line from a government statement on Tuesday.
It is some of the strongest rhetoric so far from China since Donald Trump became president and comes as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress.
On March 5, PM Li Qiang announced that China would again boost its defence spending by 7.2% this year and warned that “changes unseen in a century were unfolding across the world at a faster pace.” This increase was expected and matches the figure announced last year.
Leaders in Beijing are trying to send a message to people in China that they are confident the country’s economy can grow, even with the threat of a trade war.
China has been keen to portray an image of being a stable, peaceful country in contrast to the US, which Beijing accuses of being embroiled in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
China may also hope to capitalize on Trump’s actions relating to US allies such as Canada and Mexico, which have also been hit by tariffs, and will not want to ramp up the rhetoric too far to scare off potential new global partners.
Li Qiang’s speech in Beijing on March 5 emphasized that China would continue to open up and hoped to attract more foreign investment.
China has, in the past emphasised that it is ready to go to war. Last October, President Xi called for troops to strengthen their preparedness for war as they held military drills around the self-governing island of Taiwan. But there is a difference between military preparedness and a readiness to go to war.
The Chinese embassy in Washington’s post quoted a foreign ministry statement in English from the previous day, which also accused the US of blaming China for the influx of the drug fentanyl
“The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise US tariffs on Chinese imports,” the foreign ministry spokesperson said.
“Intimidation does not scare us. Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China,” he added.
The US-China relationship is always one of the most contentious in the world. This post on X has been widely shared and could be used by the China hawks in Trump’s cabinet as evidence that Beijing is Washington’s biggest foreign policy and economic threat.
Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, has launched a criminal investigation into British-American influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who flew to the state last week from Romania, where they faced rape and human-trafficking charges.
James Uthmeier said investigators have issued search warrants and subpoenas as part of a “now-active” inquiry.
In the US, the Tate brothers also face a civil suit from a woman alleging they coerced her into s** work, and then defamed her after she gave evidence to Romanian authorities. They strongly deny all the allegations against them.
A former kickboxer and self-described misogynist who appeared on UK TV show Big Brother, Andrew Tate, 38, has millions of followers online.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, 36, face separate charges in the UK of rape and human trafficking. They deny those allegations too.
James Uthmeier, a Republican, said in a statement: “Last week, I directed my office to work with our law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into Andrew and Tristan Tate.
“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers.”
The Tate brothers’ lawyer Joseph McBride released a statement on march 4 on the investigation.
“Today, Attorney General James Uthmeier threw ethics law out of the window when he publicly took a side in an ongoing Florida lawsuit where Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida woman for orchestrating a sophisticated plot to use s** as a weapon to ruin their lives,” the statement read in part.
Joseph McBride called the attorney general’s comments “inflammatory” and “biased”.
The Tates were first arrested in Romania in December 2022, with Andrew accused of rape and human trafficking and Tristan suspected of human trafficking. They moved to Romania from the UK several years ago.
They both denied the charges and spent several months under house arrest. A year later, in August 2024, they faced new allegations including s** with a minor and trafficking underage persons, all of which they deny.
The Tate brothers are understood to be required to return to Bucharest at the end of March to satisfy prosecutors’ terms; however, it is too early to say whether they will comply.
Police in the English county of Bedfordshire are still seeking Andrew’s extradition on separate and unrelated allegations of rape and human trafficking, as well as tax evasion.
In the UK, four British women have filed a civil case against Andrew Tate in the country’s High Court, alleging he raped and coercively controlled them, charges they also deny.
Those plaintiffs said it was clear he would not face criminal prosecution in Romania and appealed to UK authorities to take action.
President Donald Trump addressed a raucous joint session of the US Congress for the first time since he returned to power.
In the longest presidential speech to lawmakers on record, President Trump outlined his vision for his second term, as Republicans applauded a high-octane six weeks that has reshaped domestic and foreign policy.
Donald Trump was heckled by Democrats and he goaded them in turn during the rowdy primetime address.
The Republican president has moved to slash the federal workforce and crack down on immigration, while imposing tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners and shaking up the transatlantic alliance over the war in Ukraine.
Following a second day of market turbulence, President Trump played down the potential economic fallout from a trade war he ignited this week, including 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on Chinese imports.
But in contrast with the ovations that greeted his other policy objectives, many Republicans remained seated, a sign of how Trump’s import taxes have divided his party.
Image source: rawpixel.com
„Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,” he said.
„And it’s happening. And it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
President Trump added that reciprocal tariffs tailored to US trading partners would “kick in” on April 2.
Earlier in the day, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business that Donald Trump could announce a trade deal with Mexico and Canada as soon as March 5.
Donald Trump also said he had received an “important letter” from Ukraine’s leader earlier in the day, which appeared to match what Volodymyr Zelensky posted publicly on social media.
Ukraine’s president had said he was now ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to end the war and “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer”.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” President Trump told lawmakers.
It followed an acrimonious Oval Office meeting last week when the two leaders argued in front of TV cameras, before cancelling plans to sign a minerals deal that would allow the US to profit from an economic partnership involving Ukraine’s resources.
Donald Trump was reportedly hoping to announce during his speech to Congress that the deal had finally been sealed. But it did not materialize.
President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico in a move that threatens to spark a trade war between America and its neighbours.
Goods entering the US from Canada and Mexico will now be slapped with a 25% charge. Canada has announced tariffs of its own in response and Mexico has said it will also retaliate to the measures.
Donald Trump says he wants to protect American industry, but many economists warn such tariffs could lead to prices rising for consumers in the US.
So what could get more expensive?
Image source: rawpixel.com
Cars
Cars will probably go up in price – by about $3,000 according to TD Economics.
That’s because parts cross the US, Canadian and Mexican borders multiple times before a vehicle is assembled.
Many well-known car brands, including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors and Honda trade parts and vehicles across the three countries.
Beer, whisky and tequila
Popular Mexican beers Modelo and Corona could get more expensive for US customers if the American companies importing them pass on the increased import taxes.
However, it’s also possible that rather than passing on the cost increase, firms could just import less.
Modelo became the number one beer brand in the US in 2023, and remains in the top spot, for now.
It’s more complex when it comes to spirits. The sector has been largely free of tariffs since the 1990s. Industry bodies from the US, Canada and Mexico issued a joint statement in advance of the tariffs being announced saying they were “deeply concerned”.
Houses
The US imports about a third of its softwood lumber from Canada each year, and that key building material would be hit by Trump’s suggested tariffs. Trump has said the US has “more lumber than we ever use”.
However, the National Association of Home Builders has urged the president to exempt building materials from the proposed tariffs “because of their harmful effect on housing affordability”.
Maple syrup
Canada’s billion-dollar maple syrup industry accounts for 75% of the world’s entire maple syrup production.
The majority of the sweet staple – around 90% – is produced in the province of Quebec, where the world’s sole strategic reserve of maple syrup was set up 24 years ago.
Fuel prices
Canada is America’s largest foreign supplier of crude oil. According to the most recent official trade figures, 61% of oil imported into the US between January and November last year came from Canada.
While 25% has been slapped on Canadian goods imported to the US, its energy faces a lower 10% tariff.
Avocados
One food import that American consumers could see a significant price increase in is avocados.
Grown primarily in Mexico due to its warm, humid climate, Mexican avocados make up nearly 90% of the US avocado market each year.
However, if tariffs come into force, the US Agriculture Department has warned that the cost of avocados – along with popular avocado-based dishes like guacamole – could surge.
US stock market falls have deepened as concerns grow that President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will “disrupt global trade”.
President Trump has followed through on a threat to impose 25% tariffs on imports into the US from Canada and Mexico, and a 20% levy against goods arriving from China.
Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau told Donald Trump that “this is a very dumb thing to do”.
Leading stock indexes in the US were trading sharply lower on March 4, marking a second day of declines, while markets in the UK, Germany and France all closed down.
Canada and China have already announced retaliatory import taxes on US goods following Trump’s tariffs coming into force.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country would announce a response on Sunday that would include “tariff and non-tariff measures”.
Olof Gill, trade spokesperson for the European Union (EU), said: “These tariffs threaten deeply integrated supply chains, investment flows and economic stability across the Atlantic.”
Donald Trump has also threatened to impose 25% tariffs on the EU, recently claiming that the bloc was “formed to screw the United States”. Europe has pledged to hit back, but no tariffs have been implemented yet.
After the US confirmed on March 3 that the tariffs against its neighbouring nations and China would go ahead, the country’s three main stock indexes dropped.
Sharp falls continued on March 4 while in London, the FTSE 100 index of the UK’s biggest publicly-listed companies plunged, ending the day down 1.2%.
Donald Trump is hoping that imposing tariffs on the goods that the US buys will force foreign companies to invest in America, boost tax revenues and grow the economy.
He has argued the tariffs, which are a tax paid by the business importing the product, will boost US manufacturing and protect jobs as foreign companies switch to productionin America.
But tariffs also tend to trigger retaliation from targeted countries, disadvantaging domestic businesses looking to export goods, meaning the measures can ultimately hold back trade.
Analysts have warned that tariffs could lead to economic recessions in Mexico and Canada,push up prices for US households and could also have a knock-on effect on consumers across the world, including in the UK.
A number of US retailers have already warned that prices will rise. Target’s boss Brian Cornell warned consumers were likely to see increases over the next couple of days for foods such as avocados, bananas and strawberries.
Mexican avocados make up nearly 90% of the US market each year.
Meanwhile, a BestBuy executive warned that prices could soon head higher.
Ford chief executive Jim Farley warned last month the business “could handle two weeks of tariffs”.
The 97th Academy Awards ceremony took place in Los Angeles, with Anora scooping the most honours, while Conclave, The Brutalist, Wicked and Emilia Pérez also took prizes.
Here is the full list of winners.
Best picture
WINNER: Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked
Best actress
WINNER: Mikey Madison – Anora
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez
Demi Moore – The Substance
Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here
Best actor
WINNER: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice
Best supporting actress
WINNER: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez
Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave
Best supporting actor
WINNER: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Yura Borisov – Anora
Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice
Best director
WINNER: Sean Baker – Anora
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
Best international feature
WINNER: I’m Still Here – Brazil
The Girl with the Needle – Denmark
Emilia Pérez – France
The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany
Flow – Latvia
Best animated feature
WINNER: Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot
Best original screenplay
WINNER: Anora – Sean Baker
The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg
September 5 – Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Alex David
British PM Keir Starmer has announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war and to defend the country from Russia.
The UK, France and other countries will step up their efforts in a “coalition of the willing” and seek to involve the US in their support for Ukraine, he said.
It comes two days after a fiery exchange between the Ukrainian leader and President Donald Trump in the White House.
“We are all working together in Europe in order to find a basis for cooperation with America for a true peace and guaranteed security,” Volodymyr Zelensky said after the summit.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after the meeting of leaders, PM Starmer said four points had been agreed:
to keep military aid flowing into Ukraine, and to keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia
that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security and Ukraine must be present at any peace talks
in the event of a peace deal, to boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion
to develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee peace afterwards
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Keir Starmer also announced an additional £1.6bn ($2bn) of UK export finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles. This comes on top of a £2.2bn loan to provide more military aid to Ukraine backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.
“We have to learn from the mistakes of the past, we cannot accept a weak deal which Russia can breach with ease, instead any deal must be backed by strength,” he said.
The prime minister did not state which countries had agreed to join this coalition of the willing, but said that those who had committed would intensify planning with real urgency.
The UK, he said, would back its commitment with “boots on the ground, and planes in the air”.
“Europe must do the heavy lifting,” he said, before adding that the agreement would need US backing and had to include Russia, but that Moscow could not be allowed to dictate terms.
“Let me clear, we agree with Trump on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver together,” he said.
When asked if the US under President Trump was an unreliable ally, Keir Starmer said: “Nobody wanted to see what happened last Friday, but I do not accept that the US is an unreliable ally.”
Countries at the summit included France, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Finland, Italy, Spain and Canada.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that there was now an urgent need to “re-arm Europe”.
These sentiments were echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said the meeting had seen European countries “stepping up” to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to “stay in the fight as long as it has to continue”.
Many of the European and World leaders have rallied behind Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky after the furious exchange with President Donald Trump in the White House.
The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine – with Volodymyr Zelensky responding directly to each one to thank them for their support.
The Ukrainian president has arrived in London to attend a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who “retains unwavering support for Ukraine”, Downing Street said.
It comes after extraordinary scenes in the Oval Office on February 28 as President Trump clashed with Zelensky, telling him to make a deal with Russia “or we are out”.
At one point, President Trump told Volodymyr Zelensky he was not thankful enough for US military and political support during Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, and that he was “gambling with World War Three”.
As a flurry of supportive messages for Ukraine were posted by European leaders following the row – along with posts from the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand – Zelensky replied to each one: “Thank you for your support.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a victim: Ukraine. We were right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago – and to keep doing so.”
Dutch PM Dick Schoof said the Netherlands supports Ukraine “now more than ever”, adding: “We want a lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression started by Russia. For Ukraine and its people, and for Europe.”
Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote that “no one wants peace more than the citizens of Ukraine”, with his replacement-in-waiting Friedrich Merz adding that “we stand with Ukraine” and “we must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war”.
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said: “Ukraine, Spain stands with you,” while his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk wrote: “Dear [Zelensky], dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said Canada “will continue to stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace”.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese posted that his country had “proudly supported the brave people of Ukraine in their struggle to defend their sovereignty against the brutality of Russian aggression and in support of international law”.
European Union chiefs Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen assured Zelensky in a joint statement that he was “never alone”.
“We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace,” they said.
There were also supportive messages for Ukraine from political leaders in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Sweden and Slovenia.
However, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban voiced his support for Trump, writing: “Strong men make peace, weak men make war. Today President @realDonaldTrump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr President!”
