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The US Senate confirmed Charles Kushner as ambassador to France on Monday, with a vote of 51 to 45. Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, received a presidential pardon in 2020 after serving two years in prison for witness tampering and tax evasion. The only Democrat to support his nomination was Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey, while Alaska's Senator Lisa Murkowski was the sole Republican opposed. Kushner pleaded guilty in 2005 to multiple federal charges, including tax evasion and retaliating against a federal witness, after orchestrating a scheme to discredit a family member cooperating with investigators. At his confirmation hearing, Kushner acknowledged his past "serious mistakes," suggesting they could inform his approach as ambassador. His confirmation follows a trend of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, approving all Trump nominees since the start of his second term. 
Published: May 20 2025, 8 ameznews.inIn an unusual case of smuggling, Costa Rican authorities intercepted a cat carrying drugs near the Pococi Penitentiary on May 6. Guards spotted the black-and-white feline, which had grey patches on its fur, as it approached the prison's barbed wire fence. Upon capture, officials discovered approximately 236 grams of marijuana and 68 grams of heroin, along with rolling papers taped to the animal's back. The Costa Rican Ministry of Justice and Peace shared the incident on Facebook, praising the swift actions of prison police who rescued the cat and retrieved the drugs, preventing their delivery. The cat was subsequently handed over to the National Animal Health Service for evaluation. Authorities are now investigating the potential involvement of an outside accomplice and analyzing surveillance footage to identify those responsible. This incident highlights the growing trend of using animals, particularly cats, to smuggle contraband into prisons amid rising crime and drug trafficking in Costa Rica.
Published: May 20 2025, 3 pmeznews.inThe United Nations has issued a grave warning that up to 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within 48 hours unless more humanitarian aid is allowed into the region. Following an 11-week blockade, Israeli authorities have permitted limited aid entry, responding to international pressure from allies including the US, Canada, France, and the UK. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the arrival of just five trucks of aid on Monday as a "drop in the ocean," emphasizing that the aid has yet to reach those in dire need. He highlighted the urgent need for baby food, stating, "We run all sorts of risks trying to get that baby food through." In a joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada condemned Israel's actions and warned of potential joint measures if aid restrictions continued. Amid this crisis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the need to ease the blockade to prevent a "starvation crisis" for diplomatic reasons.
Published: May 20 2025, 4 pmeznews.inWorld Press Photo has suspended its attribution of the iconic 'Napalm Girl' photograph, originally credited to Associated Press photographer Nick Ut, amid new evidence suggesting Vietnamese freelance photographer Nguyen Thanh Nghe may have taken the image. The photograph, depicting nine-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack, won Ut a Pulitzer Prize in 1973 and was named "Photo of the Year" by World Press Photo. A recent documentary, 'The Stringer', along with a comprehensive review, raised doubts about Ut's authorship, highlighting inconsistencies regarding camera usage and his location during the incident. While World Press Photo stated that the evidence is inconclusive, they deemed the uncertainty significant enough to pause Ut's credit. Ut has vehemently denied the claims, with his lawyer labeling the decision as "deplorable." The Pulitzer Prize Board indicated no plans to reassess Ut's award, relying on the AP's determination of authorship.
Published: May 20 2025, 4 pmeznews.inOpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever proposed the construction of a doomsday bunker to safeguard the company's researchers in the event of a catastrophic "rapture" caused by the release of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). This revelation comes from Karen Hao's forthcoming book, _Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI_, which details Sutskever's comments made during a 2023 meeting with key scientists. He suggested, "We're definitely going to build a bunker before we release AGI," a notion he frequently referenced in internal discussions. The concerns over AGI's potential risks are echoed by other industry leaders, including Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, who warns that society is unprepared for AGI's imminent arrival, anticipated within the next decade. AGI aims to replicate human-like intelligence across various tasks, raising significant ethical and safety considerations as its development progresses.
Published: May 20 2025, 4 pmeznews.inLaura Loomer, a far-right activist and staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, has increasingly found herself at odds with the White House, criticizing both policies and personnel she believes undermine the MAGA movement. With 1.6 million followers on social media, Loomer claims to influence the views of Trump’s base, despite the administration denying her any official advisory role. Recently, she has vocally opposed Trump's selection of Casey Means for surgeon general and has expressed discontent with his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. Loomer, who has a history of provocative actions, including chaining herself to Twitter's headquarters, asserts that she works to keep Trump aligned with his supporters' interests. The White House maintains that Loomer is not a presidential adviser and has no planned meetings with her, even as she continues to assert her influence over Trump's decisions and public image.
Published: May 20 2025, 4 pmeznews.inElon Musk and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella have unveiled xAI's Grok 3 models on Microsoft Azure during the Microsoft Build developer conference. Available for free throughout June on the Azure AI Foundry, Grok 3 joins offerings from major AI players like OpenAI and Meta. Nadella reminisced about Musk's early career as a Microsoft intern, highlighting his early programming experiences with MS-DOS and IBM PCs. Musk, in turn, discussed the Grok 3.5 model, emphasizing its design to reason from first principles, aiming to uncover fundamental truths with minimal error. He described Grok as a family of models that excel in responsiveness and reasoning capabilities. This collaboration between Musk's xAI and Microsoft's vast cloud infrastructure signifies a pivotal development in the AI landscape, showcasing the potential for innovative advancements in technology.
Published: May 20 2025, 2 pmeznews.inA resurgence of Covid-19 cases is sweeping through Southeast Asia, prompting health authorities in densely populated areas like Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Thailand to issue alerts and recommend booster vaccinations. In Hong Kong, the positivity rate for respiratory samples has reached a year-high, with 31 severe cases reported in the week ending May 3. Singapore saw a 28% increase in cases, totaling 14,200, with hospitalizations up by 30%, marking a notable shift in government reporting. Thailand experienced a dramatic rise in cases, doubling to 33,030, particularly affecting those aged 30 to 39. Meanwhile, China reported a significant increase in positivity rates among outpatient cases, suggesting a potential wave similar to last summer's. The surge is attributed to the JN.1 variant, a subvariant of Omicron, which the World Health Organisation has classified as a "variant of interest."
Published: May 20 2025, 2 pmeznews.inA New Jersey mother, Wendy Castillo-Torres, has been charged with causing the death of her 10-month-old son in a tragic accident while driving without a valid license. The incident occurred on Saturday in Jackson Township, where police responded to reports of an infant struck by a vehicle. Upon arrival, they found the child unresponsive with severe injuries; he was later pronounced dead at a local medical center. Investigations revealed that Castillo-Torres had placed her son in a bouncer seat between two cars while cleaning them in a friend's garage. After mistakenly putting her vehicle in drive instead of reverse, she trapped the infant, prompting a companion to call 911. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer expressed condolences, describing the incident as a tragic accident. Castillo-Torres has received a summons and is awaiting her next court appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.
Published: May 20 2025, 2 pmeznews.inAn Indian-origin couple, Neha and Amandeep Sharma, has been convicted of defrauding New Zealand's child welfare agency, Oranga Tamariki, of over NZ$2 million (more than Rs 10 crore). Neha Sharma, a former property manager at the agency, has been sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to multiple fraud charges, including money laundering. Amandeep Sharma also pleaded guilty to similar charges. The couple's fraudulent activities, which included submitting over 326 inflated invoices through Amandeep's construction company, Divine Connection, came to light following an internal inquiry in late 2022. Shortly before their arrest, they attempted to flee to Chennai but were apprehended. Evidence revealed Neha had concealed her marriage to Amandeep, allowing her to exploit her position at the agency. In response to the scandal, Oranga Tamariki has implemented stricter internal controls to prevent future misconduct.
Published: May 20 2025, 3 pmeznews.inBritish-Kashmiri academic Nitasha Kaul has claimed that Indian authorities revoked her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status due to accusations of "anti-India activities." The University of Westminster professor, who has a distinguished career in Politics and International Relations, reported on X that the government alleged she was spreading disinformation regarding India's sovereignty and democratic institutions. This development follows her denial of entry into India in February 2024, where she was set to speak at a seminar on the Indian Constitution in Bengaluru but was deported upon arrival. Born in Uttar Pradesh and with family roots in Srinagar, Kaul has authored the novel _Residue_ and has held various academic positions, including research fellowships and teaching roles in the UK and Bhutan. She has received multiple awards and research grants, contributing to projects on democracy and responsible AI.
Published: May 20 2025, 1 pm
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