“A U.S. judge on Friday denied Sean (Diddy) Combs’s bid to delay his upcoming sex-trafficking trial by two months. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip-hop mogul made his request too close to his trial. Jury selection is scheduled to start on May 5, with opening statements on May 12. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office say Combs used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024. Combs’s lawyers say the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. He’s been jailed in Brooklyn since September.” (04/18/25)
“Pakistan has deported more than 19,500 Afghans this month, among more than 80,000 who have left ahead of a 30 April deadline, according to the UN. Pakistan has accelerated its drive to expel undocumented Afghans and those who had temporary permission to stay, saying it can no longer cope. Between 700 and 800 families are being deported daily, Taliban officials say, with up to two million people expected to follow in the coming months. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar flew to Kabul on Saturday for talks with Taliban officials. His counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi expressed ‘deep concern’ about deportations. Some expelled Afghans at the border said they had been born in Pakistan after their families fled conflict. More than 3.5 million Afghans have been living in Pakistan, according to the UN’s refugee agency, including around 700,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021.” (04/20/25)
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance will embark on a four-day visit to India on Monday as the two countries seek to unlock economic opportunities and negotiate a bilateral trade deal. Vance will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for talks on the economy, trade and geopolitical ties. Vance’s visit is seen as an important diplomatic mission by President Donald Trump’s administration, and it coincides with a rapidly intensifying trade war between Washington and Beijing, which is New Delhi’s main rival in the region. A trade deal between India and the U.S. could significantly enhance economic ties between the two countries and potentially strengthen diplomatic ties. The U.S. is also India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $190 billion until recently.” (04/19/25)
“South Korea ‘will not fight back’ against US tariffs, its acting president has said, citing the country’s historical debt to Washington ahead of trade talks with Donald Trump’s administration set to begin next week. Han Duck-soo, a technocrat serving as acting president following Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office this month by the country’s constitutional court, said ‘the role of the US was huge in making Korea what it is now.’ … In light of this debt of gratitude, Seoul — one of Washington’s closest security allies and economic partners in Asia — would enter negotiations with Trump seeking to find ‘solutions which are more win-win for both, rather than taking their actions as the objective against which we should fight back,’ Han said.” (04/19/25)
“Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., sudden trip to El Salvador to try to free deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia is getting the attention of critics who believe the Maryland Democrat may have violated a 1799 law prohibiting unauthorized diplomacy. The Logan Act – named for former Pennsylvania Sen. George Logan – stipulates a fine and/or imprisonment for Americans corresponding with foreign officials ‘with intent to influence the[ir] measures … in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States.'” [editor’s note: Only two people have ever been charged under the Logan Act, and neither was convicted. It’s also plainly unconstitutional – TLK] (04/20/25)
“Gunmen killed at least 56 people earlier this week in central Nigeria’s Benue state, the governor’s office said Saturday, sharply revising a previous toll of 17. Clashes between nomadic cattle herders and farmers over land use are common in central Nigeria. Governor Hyacinth Alia had earlier blamed the attacks in the Ukum and Logo local government areas on ‘suspected herdsmen.’ With many herders belonging to the Muslim Fulani ethnic group, and many farmers Christian, the attacks in Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt often take on a religious or ethnic dimension. Two attacks by unidentified gunmen earlier this month in neighbouring Plateau state left more than 100 people dead.” (04/20/25)
“Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has defeated former Oakland city council member Loren Taylor by a thin margin in Tuesday’s special election. Lee is slated to serve in the role until the next election in 2026. The coveted seat was temporarily filled in November after former Oakland mayor Sheng Thao, who faces federal corruption and bribery charges, was removed from office, leaving a sense of unrest in the East Bay city already facing public safety and financial concerns. … Nine candidates jumped into the race for the highly sought-after seat, although Taylor and Lee were the two dominant frontrunners. Votes were tallied by a ranked-choice voting system, which means the candidate who receives the most first-choice votes after candidates are eliminated round by round is declared the winner.” (04/18/25)
“Shin Bet director Ronen Bar is expected to file an affidavit with the High Court of Justice on Sunday in response to his dismissal. Bar is set to respond to the allegations floated against him by the government and by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including the claim that the PM has lost faith in Bar, as well as allegations that he has a conflict of interest due to the Shin Bet leak affair. … Netanyahu is expected to submit his own affidavit in the case by Thursday. The case is before the court due to legal challenges to Bar’s dismissal. According to a report by Channel 12 News, Bar has expressed a desire to step down as director of the security agency in the coming weeks, but he has not confirmed the channel’s report. If Bar does announce his intention to resign, that could render the legal case moot.” (04/20/25)
“A team of scientists claim to have discovered a new colour that no human has ever seen before. The research follows an experiment in which researchers in the US had laser pulses fired into their eyes. By stimulating specific cells in the retina, the participants claim to have witnessed a blue-green colour that scientists have called ‘olo,’ but some experts have said the existence of a new colour is ‘open to argument.’ The findings, published in the journal Science Advances on Friday, have been described by the study’s co-author, Prof Ren Ng from the University of California, as ‘remarkable.’ He and his colleagues believe that the results could potentially further research into colour blindness.” (04/20/25)
“A second round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks wrapped up in Rome after four hours on Saturday, with President Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leading the delegations. The talks took place with debate still raging within the Trump administration — and between the U.S. and Israel — over whether diplomacy or military strikes are more likely to prevent Tehran from obtaining a bomb. For now, Trump is holding back the hawks, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and focusing on getting a deal.” [editor’s note: There was a “deal” in place when Trump became president the first time; he broke that “deal” – TLK] (04/19/25)
