Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy
LONDON — Kate, the Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. The video announcement Friday came after weeks of speculation spread on social media about her whereabouts and health since she was hospitalized in January for unspecified abdominal surgery. Kate, 42, hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas until video surfaced this week of her with her husband, Prince William, heir to the throne, walking from a farm shop near their Windsor home. Kensington Palace had given little detail about Kate’s condition beyond saying it wasn’t cancer-related, the surgery was successful and recuperation would keep the princess away from public duties until April.
Congress unveils $1.2 trillion plan to avert federal shutdown
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have introduced a $1.2 trillion spending package that sets the stage for avoiding a partial government shutdown for several key federal agencies this weekend. The bill unveiled Thursday comes nearly six months into the current budget year and would allow Congress to complete its work in funding the government through September. Democrats were able to swat back scores of policy mandates and some of the steeper budget cuts that House Republicans were seeking to impose on nondefense programs. Among the policy wins that House Speaker Mike Johnson is highlighting for Republicans is a nearly 24% increase in detention beds for migrants awaiting their immigration proceedings or removal from the country.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene files motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson is at risk of being ousted. Hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia filed a motion to vacate on Friday during a House vote on a $1.2 trillion package to keep government open. Greene says it’s a “warning” to the Louisiana lawmaker. It’s the same political dynamic that removed the last Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, months ago. McCarthy’s was the first such ouster of a speaker after far-right conservatives revolted over his compromise with Democrats to prevent a federal shutdown. The House is scheduled to leave town for a spring recess. It’s doubtful any vote on Johnson’s removal would be imminent. Johnson’s spokesman says he’s “focused on governing.”
Trump’s social media company approved to go public, potentially netting former president billions
NEW YORK — Donald Trump is returning to the stock market. Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company, approved a deal to merge with the former president’s media business in a Friday vote. That means Trump Media & Technology Group, whose flagship product is social networking site Truth Social, will soon begin trading on the Nasdaq stock market. The deal’s greenlight arrives at a time the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is facing his most costly legal battle to date: a $454 million judgment in a fraud lawsuit.
Gunmen in combat fatigues fire at crowds at Moscow concert hall, a big blaze follows
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency says several gunmen fired shots at a concert hall in Moscow on Friday, leaving a number of people injured. RIA Novosti said at least three people in combat fatigues fired weapons. The state Tass news agency also reported the shooting at the Crocus City Hall, a huge concert hall on the western edge of the Russian capital. Several other Russian media outlets reported the shooting and said that the mall was on fire. Video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building.
Russia launches sweeping attack on Ukraine’s power sector, a sign of possible escalation
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia unleashed one of its most devastating attacks against Ukraine’s electric sector, an aerial assault it said was retaliation for recent strikes inside Russia. It could signal an escalation of the war just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a preordained election. Many Ukrainians were plunged into darkness across several cities on Friday. At least five people were killed, and damage to the country’s largest hydroelectric plant briefly cut off power to a nuclear plant that has been a safety risk throughout the war. Ukrainian officials said it was the most brutal attack against its energy infrastructure since the full-scale war began in early 2022.
Russia and China veto US resolution calling for immediate cease-fire in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and China have vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. resolution calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. The vote on Friday in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favor, three against and one abstention. Before the vote, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire, but he questioned the language in the resolution and accused U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of “misleading the international community” for “politicized” reasons.
Burkina Faso’s security forces are killing more civilians. Survivors detailed 1 village’s massacre
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Women slain with babies wrapped against their bodies. Lifeless children intertwined together. A 2-month-old face-up on the ground. The scenes were horrifying, but the 32-year-old farmer felt he had to photograph them, as proof of the carnage in his Burkina Faso village. He told The Associated Press that more than a dozen relatives were killed Nov. 5 when security forces attacked. He and two other survivors spoke on condition of anonymity, for fear of retaliation. They said dozens more were killed that day. Their interviews and the man’s photos are rare firsthand accounts amid a stark increase in civilian killings by Burkina Faso’s security forces. The junta is struggling to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency, as it attacks citizens under the guise of counterterrorism.
April’s total solar eclipse promises to be the best yet for experiments
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — April’s total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft _ and cosmic chance. The moon will be extra close to Earth, providing a long and intense period of darkness. Plus the sun should be more active with the potential for bursts of plasma. Then there’s totality’s densely populated corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada. Put all this together, and scientists are anticipating a windfall of learning on April 8. The U.S. won’t see another total solar eclipse on this scale until 2045, so NASA and everyone else is pulling out all the stops.
Allergy season arrived early in US. Here’s how to keep pollen from ruining your spring
Allergy season in the U.S. is starting sooner than experts expected. Experts say climate change is leading trees and grasses to pollinate longer and more intensely. That means more days of stuffy noses and itchy eyes for more than 80 million Americans. People can manage most symptoms by using over-the-counter medicines and knowing pollen levels. But if that doesn’t work, experts suggest seeing a doctor who can determine what specific pollen you’re allergic to.
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