“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Hungary’s capital on Wednesday to meet with the country’s nationalist prime minister despite an international arrest warrant for the Israeli leader over the war in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Budapest is a sign of both his close relationship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the latter’s growing hostility toward international institutions, like the International Criminal Court, of which his country is a member. Orbán, a conservative populist and close Netanyahu ally, has vowed to disregard the ICC warrant against the Israeli leader, accusing the world’s top war crimes court based in The Hague, Netherlands, of ‘interfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes.'” (04/02/25)
“A Tufts University doctoral student from Turkey who was [abducted] by immigration authorities had been moved to Vermont by the time a federal judge ordered authorities to keep her in Massachusetts, lawyers for the U.S. government said. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was taken by immigration officials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on March 25. She was put on a plane the next day and moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in remote Basile, Louisiana. There was no available space to detain her in New England, the Justice Department lawyers said. U.S. District Judge Denise Casper … responding to a petition filed last week by Ozturk’s lawyers, issued a ruling on March 28 that Ozturk can’t be removed from the United States ‘until further order of this court.’ But on Tuesday, lawyers for the Justice Department argued that the judge lacks jurisdiction to decide Ozturk’s case.” (04/02/25)
“Tesla’s deliveries fell more than expected in the first three months of this year, marking its worst quarter since 2022, as the electric-vehicle maker faced a consumer backlash in Europe and weak demand in China. The US group, led by Elon Musk, delivered 336,681 cars in the first quarter, far fewer than the 390,000 forecast by analysts and the 387,000 it delivered in the same period last year.
Tesla’s shares were down almost 5 per cent in pre-market trading. The figure lagged behind that of China’s BYD, which has regained its crown as the world’s best-selling electric-vehicle maker after this week reporting sales of 416,388 EVs in the same period.” (04/02/25)
“The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has downgraded the death sentences of three United States citizens convicted for taking part in a failed coup attempt last year, reducing their punishments to life imprisonment. Tshisekedi issued the commutation on Tuesday, according to presidential spokesperson Tina Salam, six months after the US nationals – along with 34 others – were sentenced to death on charges of ‘terrorism’ and ‘criminal association.’ Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt in May last year, led by little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga.” (04/02/25)
“Val Kilmer, a homegrown Hollywood actor who tasted leading-man stardom as Jim Morrison and Batman, but whose protean gifts and elusive personality also made him a high-profile supporting player, died on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 65. The cause was pneumonia, said his daughter, Mercedes Kilmer. Mr. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014 and later recovered, she said.” [editor’s note: I like Tommy Lee Jones, but let’s be honest — Kilmer got robbed at the 66th Academy Awards and should have received the Best Supporting Actor trophy for Tombstone – TLK] (04/02/25)
“The former president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, says his US visa has been revoked. Arias, a Nobel laureate, said he was informed of the decision weeks after he had publicly criticised Donald Trump, comparing the behaviour of the US president to that of a Roman emperor. The 84-year-old, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in brokering an end to conflicts in Central America, said US authorities had given no explanation. Arias hinted, however, that it may be due to his rapprochement with China during the time he was president from 2006 to 2010. Speaking at an news conference in the Costa Rican capital, San José, Arias said he had ‘no idea’ what the reason for the cancellation was.” (04/02/25)
“Turkey’s government denounced opposition calls for a mass commercial boycott following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu that sparked nationwide protests, describing them on Wednesday as an economic ‘sabotage attempt.’ After the mayor was detained two weeks ago, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had called for a boycott of goods and services from companies with perceived ties to President Tayyip Erdogan’s government. That call widened on Wednesday to include a halt to all shopping for one day, prompting some shops to close in solidarity with those criticising the arrest as a politicised and anti-democratic attempt to hurt the opposition’s electoral prospects. Imamoglu is Erdogan’s main political rival and the CHP’s presidential candidate for any future election. Trade Minister Omer Bolat said boycott calls posed a threat to economic stability and accused those advocating them of seeking to undermine the government.” (04/02/25)
“A judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked a Montana law that restricts transgender people’s use of bathrooms in public buildings. The measure signed into effect by Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, last week threatened to deprive transgender people of their constitutional right to equal protection under the law, Montana District Judge Shane Vannatta ruled. The law prevents people from using restrooms in public buildings that do not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. The five people who sued over the law were likely to prevail, Vannatta added in his ruling. The new law ‘is motivated by animus and supported by no evidence that its restrictions advance its purported purpose to protect women’s safety and privacy,’ Vannatta wrote.” (04/02/25)
“Republicans on Tuesday won special elections for two US House of Representatives seats in Florida vacated by Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, dashing Democratic hopes for an upset victory in the first federal special elections held since the president began his second term. … Democrats were not expected to be competitive in the heavily Republican area, but the final tally appeared much closer Tuesday than it was in November.” (04/01/25)
“The Democratic-backed candidate in a closely contested Wisconsin judicial race defeated a conservative [sic] rival supported by billionaire Elon Musk, preserving a liberal [sic] majority on the state’s supreme court and dealing a blow to one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent allies. Susan Crawford, a circuit court judge, beat former state attorney general Brad Schimel, according to NBC and CNN. The off-year race in a battleground state became a major test for both parties — and the most expensive judicial contest in US history — with impacts on abortion rights and labor laws in Wisconsin as well as for congressional redistricting plans ahead of next year’s midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.” (04/02/25)
