“The United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s military and four of its top officials for ‘direct operational support’ of the M23 rebel group that has seized large swaths of territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Rwanda has long rejected allegations from DRC, the United Nations and Western powers that it backs M23 and its affiliated Congo River Alliance (AFC), which captured key cities in the mineral-rich east, including the capitals of North and South Kivu provinces last year. The US Department of the Treasury said on Monday that the rebels’ gains would not have been possible without Rwandan backing.” (03/03/26)
“The trial of four former high-ranking officers of the Argentine navy began Tuesday for their alleged responsibility in the sinking of the ARA San Juan submarine in 2017 that resulted in the deaths of its 44 crew members. A court in the southern province of Santa Cruz is presiding over a trial where the defendants face charges of dereliction of duty, breach of official obligations and aggravated negligent destruction — all of which carry prison sentences. All the defendants maintain their innocence. Although the military officers face trial, no high-level political figures — including the president at the time or a Cabinet member — have been prosecuted for the November 2017 disaster.” (03/03/26)
“A drug that has long been used to treat seizures has shown promise as a potential means of Alzheimer’s prevention, a new study suggests. The anti-seizure medication, levetiracetam, was first approved by the FDA in November 1999 under the brand name Keppra as a therapy for partial-onset seizures in adults. The approval has since expanded to include children and other types of seizures. Northwestern University researchers recently found that levetiracetam prevented the formation of toxic amyloid beta peptides, which are small protein fragments in the brain that are commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients. The medication was found to prevent the formation of amyloid-beta 42 in both animal models and cultured human neurons, according to the study findings, which were published in Science Translational Medicine. The effect was also seen in post-mortem human brain tissue obtained from individuals with Down syndrome, who are at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease.” (03/03/26)
“AFP journalists in Kabul heard multiple explosions and gunfire on Tuesday, as Afghan and Pakistani troops keep up their border battles. The blasts in the Afghan capital were heard alongside anti-aircraft weapons and gunfire from across the city, and came as the Afghan defence ministry said “the fighting is still ongoing” against Pakistani forces. An AFP journalist in Jalalabad city, between Kabul and the frontier, reported hearing explosions and various weapons being fired. At the nearest border crossing, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Jalalabad, residents in Torkham told AFP the days-long fighting was continuing. The neighbours have clashed along the frontier since Thursday, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes.” (03/03/26)
“The Supreme Court on Monday night cleared the way for New York to go forward with the 2026 elections using the state’s existing congressional map. Over the objections of the court’s three Democratic appointees, the justices granted a request from a Republican member of Congress, a group of voters, and state election officials to pause an order by a state trial court that would have required the state to redraw the map to add Black and Latino voters.” (03/03/26)
“The world’s largest acidic geyser is putting on a show again, erupting for the first time in six years after a quiet hiatus, officials at Yellowstone National Park say. The Echinus Geyser — located in the park’s famous Norris Geyser Basin — had been in slumber since 2020, and it’s unknown whether the eruptions will continue into the summer. Researchers say geysers can sometimes become active for a month or two before falling dormant again. ‘Geysers are always turning on and off. That’s Yellowstone being Yellowstone!’, the US Geological Survey wrote on X. A geyser is a spring of water which has been heated geothermally, and which erupts at various rates. It is formed from a tube-like hole that goes down into the Earth’s surface and is filled with water. When the water at the bottom, which is near molten rock called magma, heats in the tube it begins to boil and is forced upwards and erupts. After eruption, the water slowly goes back down into the tube. Then the process starts again.” (03/03/26)
“A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Monday that the Trump administration can’t block members of Congress from making unannounced visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement [abductee concentration camp] facilities. U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb said an order from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that required lawmakers to give a seven-day notice before visiting the facilities violated the law. Under a the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Noem is not allowed to use funds appropriated by Congress to then prevent them from visiting ICE detention facilities. Cobb said the Department of Homeland Security, however, used appropriated funds to craft the seven-day policy announced in January.” (03/02/26)
“Iranian drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh as Tehran continued to launch waves of retaliatory strikes at the Gulf and Israel, while Israeli soldiers began operating in southern Lebanon on the fourth day of an increasingly regional war in the Middle East. The drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh caused a minor fire, prompting the diplomatic mission to tell Americans to distance themselves from the compound. The attack followed an earlier Iranian drone strike on the US embassy in Kuwait, as Iran continued to target US bases, facilities and personnel in Arab Gulf states. … Meanwhile, US and Israel continued their strikes against Iran, with the US claiming it had destroyed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities.” (03/03/26)
“A federal appeals court on Monday declined to delay implementation of the Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of President Trump’s tariffs, allowing next steps in processing of tariff refunds to begin swiftly, following the high court’s decision last month. … The Trump administration had said it would issue refunds if the duties targeting nearly every U.S. trading partner around the world were ultimately found unlawful by the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in a 6-3 decision that a federal emergency powers law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, did not give the president the authority to impose tariffs. But on Friday, the Trump administration asked the Federal Circuit to wait 90 days before issuing its mandate ‘to allow the political branches an opportunity to consider options,’ after the Supreme Court’s decision.” (03/02/26)
“At least 169 people were killed after insurgents raided a village in a remote area of South Sudan, a local official said Monday, It’s the latest bout of sporadic violence that has left the country teetering on the verge of full-blown civil war. The victims, including 90 civilians, were attacked on Sunday in Abiemnom county, said James Monyluak, information minister for the administrative area of Ruweng. He said women and children were among the dead, in addition to dozens of combatants. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said in a statement that 1,000 people sought shelter at its base after the attack.” (03/02/26)
