CNN
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Anger over the death of a Kenyan blogger in police custody sparked protests in the capital Nairobi this week after doctors rebutted police claims that police had died from a self-injured head injury in his cells.

The protest first exploded Monday, a day after Kenya’s National Police Service said he died in custody with a “head injury” after hitting his head in the cell wall.

Ojuwan’s death further angers the young people in Kenya. Kenya has opposed the disappearance of dozens of anti-government critics since the protests forced the withdrawal of the controversial fiscal bill last year.

Protesters on Thursday were faced with police deployed in an attempt to disperse tear gas.

According to Amnesty Kenya, 31-year-old Ojang was a teacher and father. Local newspaper The Daily Nation described him as an “influencer” known “for his strong online presence and social media campaigns.”

Ojuwan was arrested Friday, according to a police statement, “due to a crime of false publication.” On Sunday he added that he was “unconscious.”

Six police officers are being investigated, according to the national broadcasting station KBC.

Kenya police chief Douglas Kanja further explained his arrest, saying on Wednesday that his lieutenant, Eliud Ragat, had previously filed a complaint that Ojuwan had in a post on social media platform X claiming Ragat was corrupt.

Protesters are calling for the removal of Ragat.

On Wednesday, government pathologist Bernard Midia contradicted police explanations, which caused Ojuwan’s death, saying, “Severe head injuries were found,” “characteristics of neck compression,” and “injuries of multiple soft tissues that spread throughout the body.”

“The cause of the death is very clear,” Midia told reporters, saying the pattern of injuries was “leading towards assault,” and “not self-harm.”

He said the autopsy was performed by a team of five pathologists.

On Wednesday, the head of Kanja, Kenya police, rescinded the initial claim regarding Ojuwan’s cause of death.

“I will bid on behalf of National Police Service for that misinformation,” Kanja told the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

“That’s not true… he didn’t hit his head against the wall,” the police chief said. The lawmakers say the initial claims are based on preliminary information he received.

Kenya’s Police Watchdog, the Independent Police Surveillance Bureau (IPOA), has launched an investigation into Ojuwan’s death.

Kenya President William Root said on Wednesday he received news of Ojuwan’s death “with total shock and disappointment.”

“This tragic event at the hands of the police is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Root said in a statement, “sought a prompt, transparent and reliable investigation.”

CNN
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The Air India plane heading for London, carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after taking off in western India on Thursday.

The video showed a huge plume of black smoke swirling through the sky. Rescuers scrambled to put out the fire and search for potential survivors.

This is what we know.

What happened?

According to a statement from India’s Civil Aviation Director, flight, AI171, took off from Sardarvarabai-Bai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, western India, at 1:39 PM local time (4:09 AM). We are heading for London Gatwick and will land at 6:25pm local time (1:25pm ET).

However, shortly after takeoff, the plane made a Mayday call to Air Traffic Control (ATC), Indian civil aviation authorities said.

“Then, the aircraft was sent from the ATC. There was no response from the aircraft to a call that took place immediately after departure from Runway 23.

According to data from the flight tracker Flightradar24, the plane had reached an altitude of 625 feet when the signal was lost.

The video shows the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner descending, disappearing behind the building and explodes into a fireball.

Gujarat is also home to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi was the state’s prime minister from 2001 to 2014.

The plane crashes into the hostel for a doctor when it crashes, indicating that the plane’s tail is protruding out of the building. On the streets scattered across the wreckage below, rescuers rushed out the flames and searched through the burnt wreckage for the survivors.

According to the aircraft manufacturer, the crash was the first major incident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft first served in 2011.

Boeing said it was “working to gather more information” about the crash.

The manufacturer said it has over 1,175 Dreamliner passenger aircraft on duty, accounting for 2,100 flights per day.

Aviation analyst Jeffrey Thomas told CNN that Boeing “celebrated a billion passengers” with the 787 Dreamliner.

Boeing’s shares tanked more than 7% in pre-market trade on Thursday after one of the Indian passenger aircraft crashed.

Stocks in many other airlines have also collapsed, including London-listed IAG, the parent company of British Airways. Stocks of Germany’s Lufthansa, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines also fell on Thursday.

Air India said 169 Indian nationals were on the flight, along with 53 British people, seven Portuguese and one Canadian.

Britain and India have strong cultural connections and complex histories dating back to British colonial times. The UK has a large diaspora of around 1.9 million people, or 3.1% of its population, in the UK, according to the latest census data for 2021.

Ahmedabad Police Chief told Associated Press that there appear to be no survivors from the crash.

Modi said the crash was “more than words and heartbreaking” and touched on authorities involved in the disaster. British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer called the scene “devastating.”

Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said Career “does everything in our power to support the emergency response team on-site and provide all the support and care needed to those affected.”

If death tolls are confirmed, the crash is the most deadly thing in the world since 2014, when Malaysia Airlines jets fired down eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Air India was acquired by the Indian multinational conglomerate TATA Group in 2022 and was widely considered a historic homecoming. Originally founded by JRD TATA in 1932, before it was nationalised in 1953, the contract showed that after nearly 70 years of government control, it had returned to the original owner of Air India.

Prior to the purchase, Air India was considered a struggling debt-filled airline. His career has seen several rare but notable plane crashes in recent years.

In 2020, at least 18 people died in 2020 after a crash in southern Kerala after an Air India Express plane (a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India) slipped off the runway.

In 2018, an Air India Boeing 737 was damaged after hitting an airport wall during takeoff.

And in 2010, 158 people died after an Air India plane crashed after a jet overshots a runway in southern India.

These incidents have been spurred by Indian authorities to improve safety and infrastructure, but challenges, including airspace congestion, remain.

Since its acquisition of Air India in 2022, the airline has undergone major transformation and modernization efforts as it seeks to capitalize on the demands of India’s fast-growing middle class.

CNN
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Iran warned that it would increase its nuclear activity after a 35-man committee of UN nuclear watchdogs adopted a resolution on Thursday declaring a solution, and then violated its non-proliferation obligation.

Tehran retaliated by announcing the launch of a new uranium enrichment centre and the installation of advanced centrifuges.

Countries attending the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Directors in Vienna voted for the resolution, with 19 people in favor and 3 and 11 abstaining against three, Reuters reported.

The IAEA previously denounced Iran for non-cooperation, but Thursday’s move has shown official findings of non-compliance and raised the UN Security Council’s prospects for escalating the issue.

The resolution was presented by European countries and the United States after the May 31 IAEA report found that Iran was noncompliant in its nuclear operations. This failed to answer questions about uranium particles found at undeclared sites in the country, and uranium stockpiles were enriched almost to weapons grade. Iran says the IAEA report has been politicized.

Uranium is a nuclear fuel and can be used to make bombs when highly concentrated. Iran claims its nuclear program is a peaceful purpose.

Tehran denounced the US, UK, France and Germany for expressing the resolution, saying that “there is no choice but to respond.”

A day before the vote, a senior Iranian official told CNN: “Iran will launch a series of retaliatory nuclear measures as soon as the resolution is adopted by the IAEA.”

“These measures include reducing cooperation with agents, certain restrictions will be imposed, activating advanced and new generation centrifuges, and removing surveillance cameras from the Isfahan facility,” the official said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut said last week in X:

In 2022, the IAEA criticized Iran more than uranium particles found at undeclared sites. Iran also responded by dismissing the allegations as “politicized” and removing surveillance cameras from major sites.

The IAEA Board resolution is as Tehran and Washington are in the midst of complex negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

The two countries will hold indirect talks in Omani’s capital Muscat on the sixth Sunday, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusadi said on Thursday. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations on a new nuclear deal, there remains a major sticking point. An assertion of Iran’s right to enrich uranium.

Trump said in a new interview that Tehran could “slow down” the deal, saying he’s undermined his confidence in being able to launch a deal with Iran.

“I’m more and more confident about it. They seem to be late. I think that’s a shame, but I’m not more confident than I did a few months ago,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Postpodcast released Wednesday.

Regional tensions escalated well before the next round of talks.

On Wednesday night, the US and the Defense Department made efforts to arrange for the resignation of non-essential staff from locations around the Middle East, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the efforts. It is not clear what caused the change in attitude, but defense officials said the US Central Command is monitoring “development of tensions in the Middle East.”

“It could be a dangerous place so staff members are moving to see what happens,” Trump said.

On Thursday, the US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert restricting US government staff and their families from traveling outside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Biasheba until further notice.

CNN
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Thousands of activists from around the world descended on Egypt on Thursday to “Gaza to Global Margins,” a move aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade, which pushed territory to the brink of hunger.

According to organizers, about 4,000 volunteers from over 80 countries will be taking part in the protest. They land in Cairo, take a bus to the city of Alish in northern Sinai, then march around 30 miles through the desert peninsula to the Egyptian side of Rafa’s Gaza border. Organizers told CNN that activists sleep in tents along the route and are expected to arrive at the border on Friday, but they have no plans to enter the war-rising enclave.

Egypt is placed in a troublesome position as the march attempts to balance relations between Israel and the United States with the public condemnation of the brutal sacrifice of war against civilians in Gaza. Cairo is a key mediator with direct channels in both Hamas and Israel, and has been wary of conflicts going into its territory. Despite the continued rise of anger over Israeli actions at home, it continues to maintain the aspect of Rafa, which is being closed to the Palestinians.

Former US diplomat planning on joining Gaza in March

07:15

In a statement Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Egyptian government hopes to prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egyptian-Israel border and prevent them from taunting and trying to enter Gaza.

This “will not be permitted as it puts the safety of IDF (Israel Defence Force) soldiers at risk,” Katz added.

International activists will be joined by another convoy of 2,000 protesters arriving from Tunisia. The group arrived in Egyptian neighbour, Libya, Egypt on Wednesday, organizers said.

Among those taking part in the march are Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a former South African lawmaker and grandson of Nelson Mandela, and Hala Rharrit, a former US State Department diplomat who resigned from his position as the US government while the Washington administration dealt with Washington’s Gaza war.

“This is just another tool and another way for people to speak up and let the government know we’re not happy,” Uzma Usmani, sponsorship and logistics lead for the UK delegation in March, told CNN. “We need to start taking things into our own hands, raise awareness and pressure them to take action,” she said.

As Israel’s war in Gaza enters 21 months, prominent international campaigners are becoming increasingly active in their attempts to break the siege.

On Monday, Israel intercepted the Gaza-bound aid ship, “Madreen,” detaining passengers and taking them to Israel.

Among the activists on board were Swedish climate and human rights activist Greta Samberg and French member of the European Parliament, Lima Hassan. Tanberg left Israel on Tuesday, and Hassan remained in Israeli detention.

Israel imposed a complete humanitarian blockade of Gaza on March 2, blocking food, medical supplies and other aid to more than 2 million Palestinians on the territory for 11 weeks.

Faced with growing international pressure, they began allowing trickle aid in late May. However, humanitarian organizations say that only a small portion of the aid entered the enclave before the war.

The Gaza organizers of Global March say they have reached out to Egyptian authorities, informed them of their plans and asked for cooperation and protection, but no response.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that activists must obtain permission before they can arrive in Cairo.

“Egypt has emphasized the importance of complying with these established regulatory measures to ensure the safety of visiting delegations due to sensitive security conditions in this border region since the onset of the crisis in Gaza.

The organizers said they followed “all necessary protocols detailed in this statement.”

They told CNN on Wednesday that some activists had experienced harassment and were taken into custody when they arrived in the Egyptian capital.

On Thursday, organizers said 170 people are currently facing delays and deportation at Cairo Airport, but thousands of participants are already in Egypt and are determined to continue the march.

CNN contacted the Egyptian Foreign Media Press Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comment on these allegations.

Rharrit, a former State Department official, told CNN:

“It’s no longer time for talk. We need to take action. We saw it on flotilla (“crazy”),” she told CNN’s Becky Anderson this week. “Humanity won’t say any more about this, please don’t put food in.”

Egyptian authorities “have no reason not to support this March,” Rharrit said, adding that delegations from around the world have informed Egyptian embassies in advance of their plans.

“We had a meeting with the Egyptian ambassador. The Egyptian authorities didn’t say no,” she said. He added that the march “along with everything Egypt is trying to do diplomatically.”

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Rents are far above pre-Covid levels. Check prices in your area

• USA

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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After seven years of work and investing in over $18 million, Harbour Village, a new affordable residential development in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, officially opened its doors in January.

The 40-unit rental development came together thanks to Safe Harbor, a Carlisle-based residential nonprofit.

By the time Safe Harbor began screening for future tenants, there had been over 400 applications, said Scott Shell, the group’s longtime president and CEO.

“And I still get calls every day,” he told USA Today.

The median apartment rent in Carlisle was $1,259 in May. According to an Apartment List Data’s USA Today analysis, this is one of the fastest areas with rental prices that month, up 6% from a year ago.

Shewell wasn’t surprised. He said the region has seen a huge hit growth over the past few years, and even well-meaning local governments committed to affordable housing have been unable to keep up with demand.

According to the US Census Bureau, the population of Carlisle has grown by nearly 12% since 2020.

In May, Manhattan, Kansas led other metros as the fastest growing market for rental prices. On Metro, rent prices have risen by 14% since the same month last year. Then came Abilene, Texas. Grand Forks, North Dakota Minnesota and Shreveport Boscher City, Louisiana.

Recent data shows rental prices in most metro areas are leveling, but for millions of renters, typical rents remain dramatically higher than before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A USA Today analysis of apartment list data for the 202 Metro area found that average monthly rents for January and May were significantly higher at 94% of the Metro compared to the same period in 2019.

Except for just a handful who stayed roughly the same as pre-pandemic levels, data showed prices rose by an average of 31%.

The pandemic has overcharged rental markets, shuffled populations, cities closed, and people started working from home, breaking old patterns of stable growth. After a short drop in rental prices, prices rebounded aggressively, reaching record highs before flattening in late 2022.

This impact is felt throughout, from Manhattan in New York City to Manhattan in Kansas.

Apartment list data shows that in May 2025 the new levels remained stable.

Census data shows that around 25% of U.S. renters are renters, so in 2023 they spent more than half of their income on rent. That figure was 22% in 2019.

This tension was felt by the families with broader inflation of food, gas and energy at these high prices. It charted as the best issue in the 2024 presidential election.

Housing market experts say the rental market may have settled into a new baseline. This means that prices may not return to those from 2019.

read more: Work from home is rebuilding the housing market five years after Covid

Rob Warnock, a senior researcher at the apartment list, said pre-pandemic price reversals were unlikely.

“What’s more realistic than a falling rent is that rent prices remain stable where income can keep up,” Warnock said.

For now, two trends in the market have emerged to maintain rental prices at a stable level. There is a slower rental demand and a recent construction frenzy.

“The past year has actually been defined as a rather low demand in the rental market, with many new home constructions built over the past three years,” Warnock said. “The result is that what we’re seeing is that even if prices aren’t diminished, they’re almost flat.”

Race to build

Only a handful of metros have seen rent prices fall in the past year. Of these, the Boseman, Montana, is worth noting. There, people flocked during the pandemic due to low cost and outdoor space while working remotely.

“(It) encouraged everyone’s decisions to move to towns like Bozeman, and there’s a lot of fantasy around it,” said Casey Rose, advisor to the Sterling Commercial Real Estate Advisor.

Amid increasing demand for the Montana Mountain Metro, developers began building apartments. Many of the projects were offered simultaneously, and as a result, Rose said the vacancy rate was very low.

Compared to last year, rents at Bozeman have fallen by about 10%, the second-largest decline, according to apartment list data.

However, the actual price could be masked by incentives such as offering two months of free rent or free iPads, TV or Ski Pass, Rose said.

A similar pattern is taking place in Austin, with rental prices down 6.4% compared to a year ago.

Real Estate Manager and third-generation Austin resident Stacey Austin, saw the city flooding with pandemic digital nomads, but builders continued to build new developments and created supply addiction that kept rental prices down.

Ausanne, who manages dozens of properties, said the landlord she works for is stable and she cuts the price by $50 a month. He said maintaining good tenants is worth it, especially in a market where there is more demand than demand.

“The market continued to accelerate and the bubble burst,” Ausanne said. “We really feel that this year.”

Experts raised concerns that prices could rise due to changes in the political landscape, which saw strict tariff policies and crackdowns on immigrants, which form a large part of the construction workforce.

Housing inflation has fallen from its peak of over 8% in early 2023, but costs have not fallen as quickly as overall inflation. Rental inflation rate was 3.8% in May, according to data from the Consumer Price Index released by the Labor Bureau on Wednesday. This is the smallest increase in the year since January 2022. This slowdown reflects the reduction in rents for new leases at the rates of existing tenants. While the overall rise in consumer prices in May was modest, housing costs are the biggest contributor to inflation, accounting for 35% of all price increases.

more: The CPI report reveals that inflation will creep up in May as tariff impacts were more tense than expected

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Why Phoenix, Nashville, Des Moines and Space Coast are still rising

• Economy

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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Nashville and Phoenix have landed on the list of major US cities expected to continue growing in 2025, even amid fears of a recession.

Controversial tariffs, immigration policies and federal spending can create uncertainty and slow growth, economist Gerald Cohen told the USA Today Network.

“Job creation continues to look quite healthy,” he said. “There was not much heat in the economy despite a lot of smoke.”

Cohen, the chief economist at the Kenan Institute for Private Enterprises at the University of North Carolina, led a team of researchers who predicted the top medium-sized and large cities predicted to continue growing in a report titled “Employing American cities.” The long-standing project is a partnership between the Institute and the fifth third bank, unlike many other public lists of growing cities, and is delved deep into a variety of economic factors beyond population growth.

Among the metropolitan cities, Austin tops the list of growing urban labs, while Nashville is listed fifth mostly for its prosperity in the music and entertainment industry and its status as a national healthcare hub. Phoenix, home to the heartfelt real estate market, has landed at No. 10.

In the mid-sized city, Amarillo, Texas, took the top spot for expected growth, while Des Moines ranked fourth. Florida’s Space Coast, known as Palm Bay in this study, ranked 10th. A key driver for Des Moines is its position as a financial hub. The space coast is fixed through engineering, manufacturing and defense operations.

A network reporter from USA Today, who lives and works in the city that made the list, took a closer look at the unique path to success in his hometown and how fellow residents benefited or suffered along the way.

A wider area survey

The Kenan Institute team defined and analyzed “economic trajectories,” known as extended metropolitan areas that can be reached across the geographical boundaries of metropolitan statistical regions of the US Census. The track includes counties where cities, towns and counties are linked together.

Research findings show that growing cities, including Phoenix and Nashville, have an “environment” to attract up to 100 miles of work, homes and amenities from the city centre to attract up to 100 miles of workforce. This is part of a post-pandemic trend that is expected to continue.

Other factors that drive the growth of the best cities include affordable housing, green space, lack of state income tax, walkable areas and warm climates, according to the Institute’s findings.

Cohen, a research professor in financial studies, said it is too early to measure the impact of ongoing policy changes launched by President Donald Trump.

Evolving immigration policies and historic tariffs, including products from Mexico and Canada, could impact supply chains and labor, drive costs for cars and other products, and help slow consumer spending.

“If we want to continue growing the economy, we need foreign-born workers,” Cohen said. “Foreign-born workers are very powerful saying they are additives to the economy. They do jobs that are not the population we were born in.”

Productive workforce

The project also examines the city’s ability to attract and maintain workers and their productivity.

Nashville, known as Music City, has the highest per worker input rate in the leisure and hospitality category, Cohen said.

“This is twice the productivity rate in the US, 20% higher than No. 2 in Las Vegas,” the economist said.

In Nashville, economic output adjusted for inflation exceeds $100,000 per worker in leisure and hospitality fields, Cohen said, compared to the US average of $50,000.

Increased productivity usually comes from three things: Better skilled people by hiring more skilled workers or providing additional training to existing staff. Upgraded technology or equipment. and innovation.

Amazing Financial Hub

Des Moines defeated New York City as the city with the largest percentage of gross domestic product or economic output from the financial sector, Cohen said.

Iowa capital has a thriving market in banking and insurance, and is pushing finance to get almost 26% slices of GPD, but the national average is above 7%. Des Moines defeated all 150 cities investigated.

Robots help drive the growth of this city

The Florida Space Coast, home to the Kennedy Space Center, is moderate, but ranks sixth in terms of the production of durable goods in all 150 cities surveyed.

The area makes everything from boats and electronics to military explosive detection robots for rockets that can withstand extreme environments, to explosive robots.

Over the past decade, the Space Coast manufacturing sector has grown at 9% per year compared to the annual average, which is just above 1% per year, Cohen said.

Selling the Valley of the Sun

The robust commercial and residential real estate market and the successful insurance sector will help drive the Phoenix economy.

The area has the fifth largest real estate sector of the 50 major cities surveyed. Commercial and residential real estate constitutes more than 17% of the region’s GDP compared to the national average of less than 14%.

The median home prices for the Valley of the Sun in April were $445,000, about $30,000 more than the national median existing home prices.

The population growth rate in the Phoenix region is over 4% per year, twice the national average.

“What’s noteworthy about this region is that it has a great combination of both people influx and productivity boosting, which drives the economy,” Cohen said.

“It was a special sauce there.”

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Democrat governor sparrs in House GOP over immigration enforcement

• Politics

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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The “Sanctuary” jurisdiction hearing comes amid a Los Angeles protest where Trump deployed the National Guard to protect federal buildings and immigration and customs enforcement agents.

• New York Governor Kathy Hochul told his deputies that he “need to draw a line” to enforce federal immigration laws, including overstaying visas.
• Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz said his neighbors were angry at the government.
• Trump could sign an enforcement order from the Department of Homeland Security, listing so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions and withholding federal funds.

WASHINGTON – Three Democratic governors are expected to tell Congress on June 12 that they will coordinate with federal immigration authorities who cannot afford the burden of banishing and detaining convicted criminals.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee that the state has transferred more than 1,300 prisoners to immigration and customs enforcement since taking office in August 2021.

“But you need to draw a line somewhere,” Hochur said. “New York cannot represent state officers to enforce citizen immigration violations, such as overstaying visas.”

Trump, GOP condemns jurisdictions of “sanctuary” of obstruction

The hearing focuses on so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit state and local officials’ cooperation with federal immigration authorities. President Donald Trump could sign an executive order to list jurisdictions and cut off federal funds for them.

One of the witnesses, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz, said his state does not approve sanctuary laws but respects the cities and counties it possesses.

The hearing is at the flash point in Los Angeles over federal immigration enforcement. Protesters against immigrants and customs enforcement raids burned burning cars, threw rocks and fired fireworks at authorities. But Trump claims he has strong border security and voting rights for massive deportation of undocumented immigrants.

Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom exchanged barbs on protests and the deployment of the President’s National Guard to protect federal buildings and agents. Trump called Newsom “severely incompetent.” Newsam, Democrats call the development “the act of a dictator.”

Committee Chairman James Commer has scheduled a hearing to highlight “reckless” governors oppose Trump’s stricter enforcement.

“The Trump administration is taking critical action to deport foreigners from our country for crime violations, but reckless sanctuaries like Illinois, Minnesota and New York are actively urging them to block federal immigration enforcement,” Comer said in a statement. “The governors of these states must explain why they prioritize the protection of criminally illegal aliens over the safety of US citizens.

New York immigrant arrest “A Living Hell”: Hochul

The three governors said a comprehensive immigration overhaul should be approved to avoid Congress tearing apart immigrant families in search of a better life.

Hochul, whose grandparents fled to the US to avoid starvation in Ireland, said most immigrants wanted to work. Since spring 2022, more than 220,000 immigrants have arrived in New York City, often fleeing violence and persecution in their own country.

However, Hochul cited the March 27 incident in which Ice Agent stormed a home at Sackett Port in upstate New York, and arrested his mother and three children while his father worked at a dairy farm.

“They were so-called collateral arrests and suddenly and unfairly thrown into hell, living in life,” Hochul said before the family was returned nearly two weeks later. “This is not the United States we want to be. We can maintain public safety without separating our children from our parents.”

Immigrants are used as “pawns” for political gain: Pretzker

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said that governors along the tropical border have sent over 50,000 migrants since August 2022 to be used as “pawns” in “an inhuman attempts to harness the crisis for political interests.”

Chicago, Cook County and other jurisdictions organized housing through shelters focusing on 25 immigrants, helping immigrants find jobs under the federal work permit program, Pretzker said.

“We remained true to the virtues of Lincoln’s land as other politicians tried to distort the truth and disrupt our nation,” Pretzker said.

Trump’s immigration policy is “cruel and falsely directed”: Waltz

Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz said his state will help ice in criminal cases, but some cities and counties have chosen not to devote time, resources or personnel to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security.

Walz, a Democratic candidate for vice president in 2024, condemned the Trump administration’s “cruel and misguided immigration policies.” Minnesotan is “angry that the federal government is snatching people up,” he adds, he is detaining them “without turning down legitimate procedures.”

Many of the immigrants detained are Americans who have legal status or comply with the promised law, Waltz said.

“It’s ridiculous to suggest that Minnesota, more than 1,500 miles from the southern border and 1,000 miles from the state that decides and implements border policies from lawmakers in Washington, D.C., is somehow responsible for the failed immigration enforcement,” Walz said. “Enforcement of federal immigration laws is not the role of state or local law enforcement.”

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Indian plane crashes at Ahmedabad airport in India

• USA

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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LONDON – A London-bound Air India passenger plane with more than 200 people on board crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, the airline and police officers said on June 12.

It was not immediately clear whether there had been any deaths. It appeared that rescue operations were ongoing.

The plane headed to London’s Gatwick Airport, Air India said. According to a police statement, the crash was dropped in a private area near the airport. Early reports suggest that the plane may have come down to the hostel’s residential doctor. “We are looking at the details and will share further updates,” Air India said in a statement.

Local media said the crash occurred while the aircraft was taking off from Ahmedabad Airport, about 600 miles southwest of New Delhi’s capital. The visuals on the TV showed people being driven by stretchers and taken away by ambulances. Thick black smoke rose into the sky near the airport.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft carried 242 passengers and crew. Air India said 169 people were Indian nationals. 53 was British. The seven were Portuguese. And one was Canadian.

No Americans were reported on board.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Air India Airplane crashes

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “stricken and saddened” by the crash. British King Charles and British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer issued a statement saying they were being updated.

Air India Flight 171 was run by the 11.5-year-old Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, according to industry website Airfleets.net. The plane was in the Air India Fleet after leaving the production line.

This is the first hull loss in history that involves a Boeing 787 since he enrolled in the service in 2011. The flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who reportedly had 8,200 hours of flight experience. According to today’s local news outlet business, co-pilot Clive Kunder recorded a flight time of 1,100 hours.

Flightradar24 data shows that the aircraft identified as the VT-ANB flew from New Delhi to Ahmedabad earlier in the day. The plane last signalled to the airport authorities when the airport was 625 feet.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Japan says Chinese fighters came within 150 feet of surveillance planes in the Pacific Ocean

• World News

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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Seoul, Korea
CNN
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The Chinese fighter planes came within about 150 feet of the Japanese Navy reconnaissance plane over the weekend, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said Thursday that the US ambassador for Tokyo called “dangerous” and “reckless.”

According to a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, there was a close encounter between Japan’s P-3C Orion on Saturday morning, a Class 4 turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft and a J-15 jet fighter jet launched by the J-15 jet fighter jet on Saturday morning, and a J-15 jet fighter jet launched from Shanghai, a Chinese aircraft.

The encounter lasted about 40 minutes as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) forces were on surveillance missions. The Chinese jets came within 45 meters “horizontally” of the Japanese plane, the ministry said.

Another close encounter between Chinese fighters and Japanese planes occurred on Sunday, when the Chinese fighters passed directly about 900 meters (2,950 feet) in front of the P-3C flight path, the ministry statement said.

“This unusual approach with Chinese military aircraft can lead to accidental conflicts.”

US Ambassador George Glass has been slowed down by his criticism.

“The recent dangerous operations of Chinese fighters that put the lives of Japanese crews at risk,” Glass said in a post in X, sarcastically calling the incident “another of the efforts of Beijing’s ‘good neighbors’.

“Whether it’s harassing Filipino ships, attacking Vietnamese fishermen or burning up on Australian aircraft, Beijing only knows reckless attacks,” Glass said.

Over the past few years, China has been criticized for all its actions in the South China Sea and other parts of the Indo-Pacific.

At a Defense Forum in Singapore last month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses said China has shown a pattern of threatening and trying to intimidate its neighbors.

“We’ve all seen videos and photos of sea cannons and ship-to-ship collisions, illegal boarding at sea, and we’re also seeing illegal seizures and militarization of land in the South China Sea,” he said in the Shangri-La Dialogue.

“These actions reveal a lack of respect for our neighbors and challenge sovereignty, freedom of voyage and excessive flight,” he said.

China and Japan’s encounter occurred in international waters in the Pacific Ocean as Beijing sent two aircraft carrier groups to the region for training exercises.

According to a military statement, Chinese airlines and their escorts were practicing far-sea defense and joint operations.

“This is a routine arrangement included in the annual training plan and aims to improve the PLA Navy’s ability to carry out missions in China. The training is in compliance with relevant international law and practice and is not targeted at any particular country or organization.”

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It’s stored almost well at 401(k)s. This is the magic number.

• Economy

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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After years of proper advancement, Americans with 401(k) accounts are finally saved well for retirement.

This is the point from the latest retirement savings report from Fidelity, a leading planning manager.

In the first three months of 2025, the total 401(k) savings rate for fidelity plans reached 14.3%. This is the highest ever, approaching the 15% benchmark that many financial advisors have set for optimal retirement savings.

Ten years ago, in the first quarter of 2015, employees donated 8.1% of their pre-tax salary to the 401(k) plan. Employers accounted for 4.4% of the matching contributions, with a total savings rate of 12.5%.

In contrast, in the first quarter of 2025, employees saved 9.5% of their pay, with employers consistent with 4.8%, with a total savings rate of 14.3%.

How much does it need to contribute to the 401(k)?

Retirement planners recommend a 15% contribution rate for the 401(k) plan on this theory. If you save at least throughout the year of work, you will be able to live comfortably in retirement.

“We’re excited to announce that we’re a great place to go,” said Mike Shamrell, Vice President of Sound Leadership at Fidelity Investments.

The gentle ramp-up at the 401(k) contribution rate reflects some positive trends in the retirement savings industry, Shamrell said.

4.8% employer matches are the highest ever. Employers are increasingly offering to match at least 5% of workers’ wages with 401(k) contributions as a way to attract and retain talented employees. A typical formula matches the first 3% of dollars salary dollars and the next 2% dollars with 50 cents.

“It’s basically free money to save for retirement, and that’s something employees cherish,” says Mindy Yu, senior director of investments at Betterment, an online investment manager.

Big 401(k) Trends: Auto-registration, Auto-escalation

Another major trend affecting the 401(k) contribution rate is autofill. From 2025 onwards, most new 401(k) plans require employees to automatically register instead of leaving the workers to make decisions.

Many old 401(k) plans are voluntary. This means that employees must sign up to participate. Under auto-registration, employees who do nothing will opt in.

Over a third of the Fidelity Plan automatically establishes 401(k)S employees with a contribution rate of 5% or more.

“Unless new employment takes action, they will save for the plan,” said Rob Austin, head of solutions for human capital technology and service provider Alight Solutions. “It was very different from the way 401(k) first started, and I had to register myself.”

Another evolving feature allows employees to automatically increase their contributions of 401(k) each year. Almost three-quarters of fidelity planning have an auto-escalation feature.

Are retirement savings finally catching up?

Retirement plan contributions are rising at the moment when tax-beneficial retirement savings seem to be catching up in the American workplace.

Currently, half of all private sector workers are participating in the 2010 project between about two-fifths and 401(k) project, federal data shows. Some retirement experts view 50% of participation as a turning point after retirement.

More private sector Americans are taking part in the 401(k) plan, at least in part, as more employers offer them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2014 and 2024, employee access to the 401(k) style plan increased from 60% to 70%.

These positive signs are important, according to retirement experts, as many Americans can’t save them because of retirement.

Wealthy workers accumulate more retirement savings

The wealthiest Americans are most likely to accumulate retirement savings. According to a federal survey of consumer finance, households with the top 10% of income held a median retirement account in 2022 with $559,000. An overwhelming 93% of these households held retirement accounts.

For middle-income Americans, Americans in the 40th-60th percentile by income, the median retirement plan was held at just $39,000, with almost half of the group missing retirement accounts.

Many small employers do not offer 401(k) plans. AARP analysis shows that almost half of workers have no access to retirement plans at work.

The Americans achieved a record rate of 401(k) savings when their account balances were slipping.

The average 401(k) balance fell 3% from late 2024 to early 2025 to early 2025, with the average falling to $127,100, Fidelity reports. The decline occurred during a period of market volatility as President Trump took office and launched a trade war.

Gen Z has a good retirement savings habit

If the 401(k) contribution rate continues to rise, investment experts say one reason will be a good savings habit among younger workers.

Generation Z workers have a total savings rate of 401(k) at 11.2%, and fidelity reported not far behind the savings rates of millennials (13.5%) and generation X (15.4%). As Gen Z is decades away from retirement, the savings rate for young adults is important.

“I think most of the newer, younger cohorts are in this environment where they learn that they need to save a lot,” Austin said.

Young workers know that a decline in pensions could be a source of retirement income, and that social security could face a shortage when they retire.

“The risk of shortages is very real,” Yu said.

Fidelity data shows that younger workers are more likely to contribute to loss 401(k) than older workers. He said that Ross’ contributions are already taxed, and that these workers are making effective contributions at a higher rate.

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Marco Rubio marks Russia’s Day and reaffirms in search of peace with Ukraine

• Politics

US-NEA

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June 12, 2025

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June 12 (Reuters) – The United States supports the Russian aspirations for a bright future, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the occasion of Russia’s Day, reaffirming his desire for constructive involvement in efforts to bring peace in war peace with Ukraine.

The Russian Day Holiday marks the Declaration of Sovereignty in 1990, more than a year before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“The United States continues to be committed to supporting the people of Russia as it continues to build on their aspirations for a brighter future,” Rubio said in a statement on the State Department’s website.

more: Marco’s Moment: Rubio in the Hot Seat in the Trump Team Shake-Up

“We are also using this opportunity to reaffirm the US desire for constructive involvement with the Russian Federation to bring about durable peace between Russia and Ukraine,” he added.

“It is our hope that peace promotes more mutually beneficial relationships between our countries.”

On Wednesday, Russian news outlets said that Moscow’s US ambassador, Alexander Darthyev, has pledged to fully restore ties with Washington as he officially presented its ties with President Donald Trump.

more: Russia launches one of the biggest air attacks of the Ukrainian war in Kiev

Since Trump took office, relations between Moscow and Washington have improved.

(Reporting by Schbam Karia of Bengaluru, edited by Clarence Fernandez)

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