“A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church as requested by the central government on the grounds that it unlawfully solicited financially ruinous donations from its members. While the group can still appeal to the Supreme Court, the order by the Tokyo High Court will take immediate effect, with the controversial organization losing its status as a religious corporation with its associated tax advantages and liquidation procedures to begin. … The government argued that the organization’s tactics, which included approaching individuals without disclosing its identity and soliciting large donations, constituted violations of civil law. … The group argued that only criminal violations, not those under the Civil Code, meet the requirements for dissolution.” (03/04/26)
“Officials from the San Francisco Unified School District have launched an investigation into a teacher at Lowell High School over allegations of ‘inappropriate questions’ on exams that reportedly included fat-shaming and sexist content. ‘SFUSD is aware of the allegations regarding inappropriate questions on a teacher’s exam and other related concerns,’ Laura Dudnick, the director of communications at SFUSD, said in an emailed statement to SFGATE. ‘We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating.’ Lowell is known for its rigorous academics and has consistently ranked ‘one of the highest performing public high schools’ in the state. According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, Tom Chan, a Lowell math teacher, included quiz questions that asked students to figure out how much it would cost to pay for dinner for girls who weigh 120 versus 220 pounds. Another question, which was allegedly titled ‘Mr. Chan vs. The Fat Kid (part 2)’, appeared to be fat-shaming.” (03/03/26)
“Bayer reported an operating loss of more than €1bn in 2025 as annual profits were wiped out by a €3.55bn hit from legal charges in the fourth quarter after resolving a years-long litigation related to its Roundup weedkiller. The German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, which last month agreed to pay $7.25bn to settle more than 100,000 lawsuits claiming that Roundup caused cancer, reported a net loss of €3.76bn in the fourth quarter, compared with a €355m loss the year before.” (03/04/26)
“U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced drug-trafficking military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday. U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement said the operations targeted ‘Designated Terrorist Organizations’ and hailed the cooperation as ‘a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.'” (03/04/26)
“An independent researcher claimed on Wednesday that a marble bust of Christ in a Roman church is by Michelangelo, the latest purported attribution to the Renaissance genius who is one of the most imitated artists in the world. The unverified claim by Valentina Salerno has unsettled Renaissance scholars, especially since a recent sketch of a foot that was attributed to Michelangelo — but disputed by some as a copy — recently fetched $27.2 million at a Christie’s auction. Given the stakes — and Salerno’s suggestion that several other works can now be attributed to Michelangelo based on her documentary research — leading experts have declined to comment. Salerno has published her theory on the commercial website academia.edu, a non-peer reviewed social networking site academics use, and announced the first ‘rediscovery’ at a press conference Wednesday. The claims have drawn perhaps more attention than they normally would, given the Vatican seemed at least initially interested.” (03/04/26)
“A UK judge on Tuesday put on hold all trials of people charged with supporting Palestine Action, scheduling a blanket review of cases for July 30. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring’s decision, made at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, comes after the High Court last month ruled the government’s ban on the group unlawful — though the government has been granted leave to appeal. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last July, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the protest group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The move was slammed by rights groups as a government overreach and breach of civil liberties. Since then, there have been nearly 3,000 arrests, mainly for carrying placards, according to the activist group Defend Our Juries. Hundreds of people are facing charges.” (03/03/26)
“Israel said it had launched a ‘broad wave of strikes’ against government targets in Tehran, including the presidential office. A loud blast was reported in the north-east of Tehran this morning, as explosions rocked Iranian cities for a fourth night. Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon continues, with strikes reported in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, seen as a support base for the militant group Hezbollah. Iran continues to launch retaliatory strikes, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it fired about 40 missiles at US and Israeli targets.” (03/04/26)
“State Rep. James Talarico topped Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and fiercely contested Texas Senate Democratic primary that once again has the party dreaming of a big upset in November. Who Talarico will face depends on a May runoff between longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA favorite Ken Paxton — a race expected to get increasingly nasty over coming months and could hinge on whether or not President Donald Trump offers an endorsement.” (03/04/26)
“A Russian oil tanker is on fire in the Mediterranean after a drone attack, maritime security sources have said. Arctic Metagaz, which is carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is sanctioned by the US and UK, was hit on Tuesday near Malta, according to insiders. Shocking pictures and footage show the vessel ablaze, with large flames rising and clouds of smoke billowing into the sky. A source said the boat may have been attacked by a naval drone, suspected to have been dropped by Ukraine, amid the ongoing war between the two nations.” (03/03/26)
“Democrat Alex Holladay is projected to win the special election to represent Arkansas’s House District 70, edging out Republican Bo Renshaw, according to Decision Desk HQ. The race was seen as a pickup opportunity for the Democrats after Holladay, in 2024, narrowly lost his bid to unseat Republican incumbent Carlton Wing, who eked out a 50.97 percent victory. But Wing resigned in September to become the executive director of Arkansas PBS, giving Holladay another opportunity to vie for the seat.” (03/03/26)
