Scientists announced yesterday the strongest evidence yet for possible alien life after detecting gases in a distant planet&#8217;s atmosphere that, on Earth, are only produced by living organisms.
The James Webb Space Telescope detected dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in the atmosphere of planet K2-18 b, according to a study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-find-strongest-evidence-yet-life-an-alien-planet-2025-04-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by Reuters.
These gases are produced on Earth exclusively by biological processes, primarily by algae.
Located approximately 124 light-years from Earth, K2-18 b is 8.6 times Earth&#8217;s mass and orbits in the &#8220;habitable zone&#8221; of a red dwarf star where liquid water could exist.
The gases were detected with a 99.7% confidence level, meaning there&#8217;s still a 0.3% chance the observation could be a statistical fluke.
&#8220;This is a transformational moment in the search for life beyond the solar system,&#8221; said astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan of Cambridge University, who led the study. &#8220;We have entered the era of observational astrobiology.&#8221;
Scientists stress this finding should be viewed cautiously, with Madhusudhan noting it&#8217;s &#8220;in no one&#8217;s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life.&#8221; Additional observations are needed to rule out non-biological explanations.
The planet could potentially be a &#8220;hycean world&#8221; – covered by a liquid water ocean with a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
&#8220;The only scenario that currently explains all the data obtained so far is one where K2-18 b is a hycean world teeming with life,&#8221; Madhusudhan explained.
The research team&#8217;s detection involved analyzing starlight passing through K2-18 b&#8217;s atmosphere using Webb&#8217;s highly sensitive instruments.
The gases were detected at concentrations &#8220;thousands of times higher than their concentrations in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, and cannot be explained without biological activity based on existing knowledge,&#8221; according to Madhusudhan.
Christopher Glein, principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Texas, emphasized the need for caution when interpreting these results.
&#8220;The rich data from K2-18 b make it a tantalizing world,&#8221; said Glein. &#8220;Yet, we must be very careful to test the data as thoroughly as possible.&#8221;
To conclusively determine whether these gases indicate the presence of life, scientists plan to conduct additional observations.
&#8220;First we need to repeat the observations two to three times to make sure the signal we are seeing is robust and to increase the detection significance,&#8221; Madhusudhan explained, noting that researchers aim to reduce the odds of a statistical fluke to below one in a million.
This detection represents what Madhusudhan calls a &#8220;transformational moment&#8221; in our search for extraterrestrial life, moving humanity closer to answering whether we are alone in the universe – a question that has fascinated mankind for millennia.

Neptune Illustration

Scientists Report Strongest Evidence Yet For Possible Alien Life

Aliens

General

Outer Space

Space

World

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said on Thursday that soldiers blocked his attempt to visit an illegal immigrant deported from the United States who is being held at a mega prison in El Salvador.
After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denied-el-salvador-wont-allow-dem-senator-to-see-man-deported-by-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcing</a> on Wednesday that El Salvador&#8217;s government rejected his request to check on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Van Hollen tried driving to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) to see the prisoner anyway. That did not work out, as Van Hollen explained in a video posted to X. He showed footage of himself and Chris Newman, the attorney for Abrego Garcia&#8217;s wife and mother, talking to soldiers at a military checkpoint.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We were just denied entry into CECOT — the notorious prison in El Salvador where Mr. Abrego Garcia is being illegally held.
We were there for one simple reason: to check on his well-being, which his family and lawyers have not been allowed to do. We won’t stop fighting. <a href="https://t.co/yG2b7N6Nvn">pic.twitter.com/yG2b7N6Nvn</a>
&mdash; Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/1912911703823483150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;These soldiers were ordered to prevent us from going any farther from this spot,&#8221; Van Hollen said in the video. &#8220;I understand we&#8217;re about 3 kilometers now from CECOT, and as you can see, they&#8217;re letting other cars go by, but they stopped us because they&#8217;re under orders not to allow us to proceed to check on the well-being of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.&#8221;
Will Carless, a USA Today national correspondent who said he was in the same convoy as Van Hollen, <a href="https://x.com/willcarless/status/1912903754741063984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> the senator&#8217;s account.
Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old man from El Salvador who entered the United States unlawfully, but got permission from a judge to stay in 2019, had been living in Maryland when he was detained and deported last month as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration.
This particular deportation has become the subject of a high-profile legal fight, which remains ongoing after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scotus-rules-partially-against-trump-in-deported-migrant-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a ruling last week that said the government must “facilitate,” but not necessarily “effectuate,” Abrego Garcia&#8217;s return.
Although the government said in court the deportation was an &#8220;administrative error,&#8221; White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stephen-miller-blames-doj-saboteur-for-claiming-salvadoran-migrant-mistakenly-deported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the claim, pinning it on a “saboteur” within the Justice Department.
The Trump administration also has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/facilitate-not-effectuate-wh-responds-to-scotus-ruling-on-mistakenly-deported-salvadoran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> Abrego Garcia of being a member of MS-13, which has been designated as a foreign terror organization. Abrego Garcia&#8217;s attorneys have <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcias-court-trump-deportation-el-salvador-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> denied that their client is part of the gang, but the government has publicly released <a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1396906/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> to substantiate the affiliation.
More revelations have been made concerning Abrego Garcia as his case drew national attention. A newly uncovered restraining order <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-illegal-immigrant-who-dems-have-championed-accused-of-beating-wife-court-docs?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News+and+Commentary&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Deported+Illegal+Immigrant+Who+Dems+Have+Championed+Accused+Of+Beating+Wife%3A++Court+Docs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> Abrego Garcia was accused of beating his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, who now says they worked through the incident.
Van Hollen travelled to El Salvador earlier this week, calling Abrego Garcia a &#8220;constituent&#8221; who endured an &#8220;abduction and unlawful deportation,&#8221; and <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/1912661294475247839" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters on Wednesday that he met with El Salvador Vice President Félix Ulloa to discuss securing the man&#8217;s release.
During a White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-officials-bukele-tear-into-cnn-reporter-who-asked-if-illegal-alien-will-be-returned-to-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting</a> with President Donald Trump, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele declared that he would not send Garcia back to the United States. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Bukele said, adding, “I don’t have the power to return him.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-calls-surprise-briefing-with-patty-morin-whose-daughter-was-killed-by-illegal-alien?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=White+House+Calls+Surprise+Briefing+With+Patty+Morin%2C+Whose+Daughter+Was+Killed+By+Illegal+Alien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Van Hollen and other Democrats who have rallied in support of Abrego Garcia during press briefing on Wednesday alongside <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-briefing-room-an-angel-mom-begs-white-house-media-to-tell-the-truth-about-illegal-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patty Morin</a>, whose daughter, Rachel, 37, was raped and murdered in Maryland two years ago by another illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
“It’s appalling and sad that Senator Van Hollen and the Democrats applauding his trip to El Salvador today are incapable of having any shred of common sense or empathy for their own constituents and our citizens,” Leavitt said.

Senator Chris Van Hollen

Dem Senator Tries Visiting Deported Illegal Immigrant In El Salvador Prison, Gets Blocked By Soldiers

Congress

El Salvador

Illegal Immigation

Maryland

U.S. Senate

President Trump declared &#8220;there will be a trade deal, 100%&#8221; with Europe before a meeting Thursday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the first European leader to visit the White House since he paused planned tariffs last week.
The meeting comes just days after both the European Union and Trump paused respective tariffs for 90 days to allow time for negotiations.
The Italian Prime Minister has been <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2025/04/17/europes-trump-whisperer-arrives-00295414">dubbed</a> the “Trump Whisperer” by the media, meeting with Trump before even EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen, who Trump has yet to schedule a meeting with 88 days into his presidency.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure we can make a deal, and I am here to help with that,&#8221; Meloni said to the media prior to her lunch with Trump.
“I cannot lock this deal in the name of the European Union,” she <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/17/us-news/trump-vows-there-will-be-a-trade-deal-100-with-europe-as-italy-pm-georgia-meloni-visits-white-house/">added</a>, per the New York Post. “My goal would be to invite President Trump to pay an official visit to Italy and understand if there’s a possibility when it comes to organizing such a meeting with Europe.”
The White House sees Meloni as a possible bridge between Trump and the 27-member European bloc, who Trump has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/us/politics/meloni-trump-tariffs.html?smid=url-share">accused</a> of trying “screw” the United States on trade, establishing what officials describe as a &#8220;bespoke&#8221; trade deal.
Aside from trade, another issue likely to be addressed in the meeting is NATO, with Trump likely to prod Meloni on Italy’s failure to hit the requisite 2% of GDP on defense spending agreed to decades ago.
Italy is currently one of eight countries failing to hit that benchmark, at only 1.5%, per The New York Times.
Meloni addressed this point, saying, &#8220;Europe, as you know, is committed to do more, is working on tools to allow and help the [NATO] member states in increasing the defense spending. And we are convinced that everyone has to do more.&#8221;
Administration officials indicated Trump will also pitch having Italy import more American energy as part of his broader goal to &#8220;unleash American energy exports to the rest of the world.&#8221;
In 2024, the United States trade deficit with the European Union <a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c0003.html">stood</a> at approximately $236 billion, with American manufacturers often competing against European products while facing higher tariffs and more restrictive regulations when exporting to EU markets.
Trump&#8217;s approach seeks to address these disparities through bilateral negotiations with key European partners.
Meloni&#8217;s visit carries particular significance as both leaders share common ground as populist conservatives who have emphasized national sovereignty and border security.
The Italian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63351655">rose</a> to power in 2022 as the country&#8217;s first female leader, campaigning on a platform that resonated with conservative voters concerned about immigration and traditional values.
The &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs that Trump temporarily suspended <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/09/european-union-approves-first-set-of-retaliatory-tariffs-on-us-imports.html">included</a> a 25% tariff on European luxury cars, steel, and aluminum, and a 20% levy on billions of dollars of European goods ranging from food products to machinery.
Following their discussions, Trump and Meloni are scheduled to hold a joint press conference in the Rose Garden, where further details about potential trade agreements and bilateral cooperation may be announced.

US-ITALY-DIPLOMACY-TRUMP-MELONI

‘There Will Be A Trade Deal, 100%’: Trump Eyes EU Agreement In Meeting With Meloni

Donald Trump

European Union

Giorgia Meloni

Global Politics

Italy

Tariffs

Trade War

In the face of claims that Qatar — which hosted the leaders of Hamas at the time of the terrorist group&#8217;s October 7 massacre of more than 1200 people in Israel — should be a factor in achieving peace in the Middle East, Qatari deputy prime minister and defense affairs minister Sa&#8217;oud bin Abd Al-Rahman Al Thani reportedly posted on X this week, “We Are all Hamas… Oh Al-Quds, revolt and commemorate Al-Qassam!”
“The Qatari minister quickly deleted the post, along with other posts endorsing Hamas, in an attempt to erase his history of support for the terrorist group,” The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-850443">reported</a>.
As Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has reported, “Over the years, Al Thani posted messages in which he supported Hamas, incited against Israel, and criticized the US and President Donald Trump. He also called to increase Qatar&#8217;s influence on decision-makers in the US.”
Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, head of the Qatar Foundation and mother of the current Emir of Qatar, praised former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar after Israel killed him, saying, he would live and the Jews of Israel would be gone, as she said, “The name Yahya means the one who lives. They thought he died, but he lives. Like his namesake, Yahya bin Zakariya [John the Baptist], he will live on, and they will be gone.”
“Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari also praised Hamas’s violence in the past,” the Post noted.
On October 7, Qatar’s foreign ministry released a <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/4243388-saudi-arabia-qatar-iran-blame-israel-hamas-attacks/">statement</a> that held “Israel alone responsible” for the massacre, writing, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Israel alone responsible for the current escalation due to this ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which is the repeated raids on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque under of the protection of Israeli police.”
After the October 7 massacre, Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari government, “broadcast Hamas military chief Mohammad Deif’s call to arms. Al Jazeera also aired incendiary statements from Ismail Haniyeh and his deputy, Saleh al-Arouri. Haniyeh appeared on Al Jazeera praising Hamas’s ‘great triumph’ and calling on ‘the sons of this entire nation, in their various locations, to join this battle in any way they can,’” the Foundation for Defense of Democracies <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/19/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar/">noted</a>.
&nbsp;

Israel-Gaza Conflict

‘We Are All Hamas’: Qatari Official Shows Support For Terrorist Group Then Quickly Deletes Post

Hamas

Qatar

Terrorism

The United Kingdom&#8217;s highest court ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of &#8220;woman&#8221; is based on biology and does not include trans-identifying men who say they are women.
In the landmark <a href="https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2024_0042_judgment_aea6c48cee.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">judgment</a>, the British Supreme Court ruled that the meaning of &#8220;woman&#8221; in equality legislation is a &#8220;biological woman and biological sex,&#8221; and the &#8220;concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man.&#8221;
The ruling is a watershed moment in Britain&#8217;s shift on gender ideology, which has faced a referendum in Europe in recent years, especially as the harms of transgender drugs and procedures on children have come to light and sparked legal challenges.
The court case was about whether trans-identifying men with a &#8220;gender recognition certificate&#8221; that legally recognizes them as female are protected from discrimination as a woman under the 2010 Equality Act.
The court ultimately ruled that interpreting sex as simply as what someone&#8217;s gender certificate says would be &#8220;incoherent,&#8221; according to a summary of the ruling.
“The terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex,” Lord Patrick Hodge, one of the court&#8217;s senior judges, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/16/uk/uk-supreme-court-ruling-definition-woman-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the court. “The provisions relating to sex discrimination can only be interpreted as referring to biological sex.”
The five judges cautioned that they were not ruling broadly on whether trans-identifying men were women, saying that was beyond the role of the court.
Lord Hodge said the ruling should not be seen as “a triumph for one or more groups in our society at the expense of another – it is not.”
Critics of gender ideology were ecstatic nonetheless.
A group called For Women Scotland filed a challenge in 2018, butting heads with the Scottish government, which argued that trans-identifying men were legally women.
For Women Scotland celebrated with tears and hugs in the courtroom before a victorious exit, where they cracked open a bottle of champagne outside with other campaigners against gender ideology.
Other groups celebrated as well.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm9js9dgx000c3b6oni5n6mv7@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“The court has given the right answer: the protected characteristic of sex – male and female – refers to reality, not paperwork,” the group Sex Matters said.
The LGB Alliance, which presented arguments in court, called the ruling a “watershed for women.”
In response to the ruling, the British government said it supports &#8220;single-sex spaces.&#8221;
“This ruling brings clarity and confidence, for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs,” a British government spokesperson <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/16/uk/uk-supreme-court-ruling-definition-woman-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this Government.”

Womens’ Rights Supreme Court Judgement In London

UK Supreme Court Rules Trans-Identifying Men Are Not Women

UK Supreme Court Rules Legal Definition Of 'Woman' Is Biological

Britain

Gender

Gender Identity

gender ideology

Social Issues

Transgender

Transgenders

United Kingdom

An American missionary in South Africa who was kidnapped during a church service last week was rescued by authorities following a deadly shootout on Tuesday.
After searching for Josh Sullivan, 45, for five days, police received a tip that the missionary was being held in a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, which is around 20 minutes away from Sullivan&#8217;s church. When authorities approached the house on Tuesday, they saw multiple suspects inside a vehicle who opened fire on police, according to a <a href="https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/selnewsdetails.php?nid=60329" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the South African Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS).
&#8220;The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded,&#8221; the statement added.
Following the deadly shootout, Sullivan was found inside the vehicle &#8220;miraculously unharmed,&#8221; according to authorities. He was later assessed by medics and is in &#8220;excellent condition.&#8221;
While the South African authorities did not share the name of Sullivan in their statement, Pastor Tom Hatley, who oversees Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were previously members, shared the news of the missionary&#8217;s rescue.
&#8220;Josh has been released. I just got &#8216;the go ahead to let it be known,'&#8221; Hatley wrote on Facebook, adding, &#8220;Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!&#8221;
Sullivan, a husband and father of six children, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-missionary-kidnapped-at-gunpoint-during-church-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was taken at gunpoint</a> by armed men while he was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, last Thursday. Around 30 people, including Sullivan&#8217;s family, were at the church service when Sullivan was kidnapped, but no one was harmed.
The captors reportedly knew Sullivan&#8217;s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern, sparking concern that Sullivan was taken because of his faith. However, Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely “financially related.”
South Africa has experienced a massive spike in kidnappings over the past decade, jumping 264%. From 2023 to 2024 alone, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country.

Josh Sullivan

‘Miraculously Unharmed’: American Missionary Rescued In Deadly Shootout After Gunpoint Kidnapping

Christianity

Church

Religion

Rescue

South Africa

Japan&#8217;s population plummeted for the 14th year in a row in 2024, declining by nearly 900,000 people despite massive government spending aimed at encouraging childbirth.
New data <a href="https://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/2024np/index.html">released</a> on Monday by Japan&#8217;s Internal Affairs Ministry shows the number of Japanese nationals declining by 898,000, marking the steepest annual decline since authorities began keeping records in the 1950s.
Roughly a quarter of the decline came in the 15-64 age demographic, which fell by 224,000 in a severe blow to the nation’s tax base, according to Bloomberg.
The country&#8217;s fertility rate in 2023 stood at just 1.2 expected births per woman over her lifetime, far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-15/japan-s-population-falls-by-half-million-as-birth-rate-stays-low">reflected</a> in Japan’s child population declining to a record-low 11.2% of the population, 13.8 million, after a decline of 343,000 last year.
The sharp demographic downturn comes despite the Japanese government <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-15/japan-s-population-falls-by-half-million-as-birth-rate-stays-low">approving</a> a $25 billion package in late 2023 to expand child allowances, improve childcare, and increase education support, only for birth rates to plummet further.
Former Health Minister Keizo Takemi described Japan&#8217;s demographic outlook as &#8220;critical,&#8221; warning the country only has until the 2030s to reverse course, per Newsweek.
Surveys show many younger Japanese are reluctant to marry or have families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, rising living costs outpacing salary growth, and corporate cultures incompatible with dual-income parenting.
The nation&#8217;s population is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-birth-rate-declining-population-82662ea061286cb907fd7d071e5b0b9b">projected</a> to shrink by approximately 30% to 87 million by 2070, when four out of every ten Japanese will be 65 or older, potentially placing a crippling strain on Japan’s extensive welfare state, according to the Associated Press.
Experts like Ekaterina Hertog, an associate professor at the Oxford Internet Institute and Institute for Ethics in AI who researches the societal impact of Japanese labor practices, are concerned that monetary incentives simply won’t be enough to increase fertility simply due to how Japanese culture has developed in the modern era.
&#8220;Marriage trends in Japan and South Korea are significantly shaped by economic conditions and their intersection with gender roles,&#8221; she told Newsweek.
The number of annual marriages on the island nation dipped below 500,000 for the first time in 90 years in 2023.
Hertog explained that Japanese women still have the expectation of prospective husbands fulfilling the &#8220;traditional male breadwinner” role, causing many lower-paid men to postpone marriage or skip it entirely.
&#8220;Another important set of factors are family norms, that prescribe children&#8217;s support of elderly parents and the difficulty of negotiating them in societies which have had low fertility rates for decades,&#8221; she added.
Ryuichi Kaneko, demographer and professor at Meiji University, told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper: &#8220;I believe one of the reasons Japan&#8217;s declining birthrate has become especially severe is that, in the postwar period, the country built a society that prioritized economic activity to an extreme degree.”
&#8220;We believe the declining births has not been effectively controlled,&#8221; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters regarding the new demographic data, according to the Associated Press.
This trend has been reflected in other Southeast Asian countries post-World War II, with China, South Korea, and Taiwan all experiencing similar if not more severe declines in fertility following mass urbanization, demanding work cultures, and changing attitudes toward marriage.
Similar trends are emerging in the United States, where fertility rates have dropped to 1.67 births per woman — also below the 2.1 replacement level — despite various government incentives for families.
Both nations are discovering that financial packages alone may be insufficient to overcome deeper cultural and economic factors affecting family formation decisions.
With fewer working-age citizens supporting a growing elderly population, Japan&#8217;s traditional social welfare systems face unprecedented strain — creating economic challenges that many other developed nations may soon confront.

Elderly people seen during the concert at Ikebukuro

Marriage Crisis: Japan’s Birth Rate Falls To Record Low Despite $25 Billion Gov Intervention

Culture

Health

Japan

Marriage

Vice President JD Vance declared in a Tuesday interview that Europe must stop being America&#8217;s &#8220;permanent security vassal&#8221; while slamming continental leaders for repeatedly ignoring voters on immigration.
&#8220;Europe&#8217;s entire security infrastructure, for my entire life, has been subsidized by the United States of America,&#8221; Vance <a href="https://unherd.com/2025/04/jd-vance-my-message-to-europe/">argued</a> in an interview with British website UnHerd.
The vice president specifically noted that with the possible exception of Britain, France, and Poland, &#8220;most European nations don&#8217;t have militaries that can provide for their reasonable defense.&#8221; He emphasized that European leaders have &#8220;radically underinvested in security, and that has to change.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s not good for Europe to be the permanent security vassal of the United States,&#8221; Vance said.
Vance&#8217;s comments <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/jd-vance-europe-permanent-security-vassal-united-states/">align</a> with the Trump administration&#8217;s frequent criticism of European nations for relying too heavily on U.S. military power, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warning that American presence in Europe is not &#8220;forever,&#8221; per Politico.
President Trump has been pushing NATO countries to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, which represents a significant increase from the alliance&#8217;s current 2% target, with the potential increase set to be discussed at the upcoming summit in The Hague.
In 2022, only 7 of the 30 NATO members <a href="https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2024/6/pdf/240617-def-exp-2024-en.pdf">met</a> the minimum 2% GDP threshold for defense expenditures, a number which shot up to 23 in 2024 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Vance also expressed frustration with many European leaders who continue to implement migration policies that in his view were completely contrary to what their citizens voted for.
&#8220;We&#8217;re very frustrated — &#8216;we&#8217; meaning me, the President, certainly the entire Trump administration — that European populations keep on crying out for more sensible economic and migration policies, and the leaders of Europe keep on going through these elections, and keep on offering the European peoples the opposite of what they seem to have voted for,&#8221; Vance said.
Despite his criticism of European foreign and domestic policies, Vance emphasized his admiration for the continent, stating, &#8220;I love European people. I&#8217;ve said repeatedly that you can&#8217;t separate American culture from European culture. We&#8217;re very much a product of philosophies, theologies, and of course the migration patterns that came out of Europe that launched the United States of America.&#8221;
However, in Vance’s view, Europe being an ally of the United States doesn’t afford it special treatment, particularly in trade.
“With the United Kingdom, we have a much more reciprocal relationship than we have with, say, Germany … While we love the Germans, they are heavily dependent on exporting to the United States but are pretty tough on a lot of American businesses that would like to export into Germany.”
The administration’s guiding principle for the continent going forward is quite simple: “fairness.”
“I think it will lead to a lot of positive trade relationships with Europe. And again, we very much see Europe as our ally. We just want it to be an alliance where Europeans are a little more independent, and our security and trade relationships are gonna reflect that.”
Vance also responded to criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused him of &#8220;somehow justifying&#8221; Russia&#8217;s invasion, saying it is &#8220;sort of absurd for Zelensky to tell the [American] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians.&#8221;
The vice president concluded the interview with a straightforward summary of the administration&#8217;s foreign policy philosophy: &#8220;We&#8217;re not on anybody&#8217;s side; we&#8217;re on America&#8217;s side.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-MARINE-MILITARY

Vance: Time For Europe To Stop Being America’s ‘Permanent Security Vassal’

Free Trade

J.D. Vance

NATO

Volodymyr Zelensky

Several actors cast in the highly anticipated “Harry Potter” television series coming to HBO have just been announced.
Confirmed stars so far <a href="https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-0/hbo-original-harry-potter-series-casts-john-lithgow-janet-mcteer-paapa-essiedu-nick">include</a> John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. Luke Thallon will also take on the recurring role of Quirinus Quirrell, while Paul Whitehouse is set to play the recurring role of Argus Filch.
“We are happy to announce the casting of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, Luke Thallon and Paul Whitehouse to play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Quirrell and Filch,” showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and executive producer Mark Mylod said in a statement. “We’re delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can’t wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
The main roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione have yet to be announced. Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/harry-potter-hbo-series-dumbledore-snape-mcgonagall-hagrid-1236368778/">noted</a> that HBO hosted open auditions for the part and received more than 30,000 submissions. 
According to the show&#8217;s logline, the series will be “a faithful adaptation of the beloved ‘Harry Potter’ book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.”
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over twenty-five years,” it says. “Each season will bring ‘Harry Potter’ and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
HBO execs previously voiced support for “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and defended their decision to keep her on as executive producer despite the backlash she’s gotten from leftists. The billionaire author has been labeled a “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) for rejecting radical gender theory.
“J.K. is an executive producer, and her insights will be helpful,” Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content said in 2023, as The Daily Wire previously reported. “We are in the Harry Potter business.”
“J.K. is a very online conversation … It’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into,” said Bloys. “Our priority is what’s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”
Filming on the TV series is slated to begin this summer.

John Lithgow

HBO Confirms ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Casting For Dumbledore, Snape, And Hagrid

HBO Confirms 'Harry Potter' TV Series Casting For Dumbledore, Snape, And Hagrid

Entertainment

Harry Potter

J.K. Rowling

Television

President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele and Trump administration officials tore into CNN reporter Kaitlin Collins after she asked if there are plans to return to the United States an illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member who was recently deported.
The exchange came as Trump hosted Bukele in the Oval Office on Monday, with the two discussing immigration and the ongoing agreement between the two nations, which allows the United States to deport criminal illegal aliens to an El Salvadoran prison facility.
Collins questioned President Donald Trump on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal alien and suspected MS-13 member who was deported to El Salvador and is now being held in the country’s Terrorism Confinement Center, a massive prison holding tens of thousands of cartel and gang members.
Garcia’s case was considered by the Supreme Court, which <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/trump-admin-live-updates-securing-trump-3rd-term/?id=120551202&amp;entryId=120698619">ruled</a> that the United States must facilitate Garcia’s return if El Salvador wished to send him back to the United States.
Collins asked if there were any plans to return Garcia to the United States, with the president directing the question to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi explained that Garcia was not only an illegal alien, but that multiple courts concluded that he was a member of MS-13.
“He was illegally in our country … and in 2019, two courts, an immigration court and an appellate immigration court, ruled that he was a member of MS-13,” Bondi charged in response to the question. “That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him, that’s not up to us,” Bondi said before going on to explain that the Supreme Court ruling doesn&#8217;t require the United States to return Garcia, but only to facilitate his return if it was requested by El Salvador.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
JUST IN: President Trump has multiple members of his admin take turns ripping CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins after she asked why an alleged MS-13 member was deported to El Salvador.
Lmao.
Pam Bondi, Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, as well as Nayib Bukele all ripped the media after Collins… <a href="https://t.co/R7Y2ZOSt37">pic.twitter.com/R7Y2ZOSt37</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1911815047225217280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
Bukele quickly noted that he would not be returning Garcia, who is a citizen of El Salvador, nor would he release him from the prison to live freely in the Central American country.
“The question is preposterous, how can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” Bukele retorted. “I’m not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country … we just turned the murder capital of the world into the safest country in the western hemisphere and you want us to go back?” he added. &#8220;That’s not going to happen.”
“Well they’d love to have criminals released into our country,” President Trump chimed in. “These are sick people.”
United States Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller also shot back at Collins, reprimanding her for suggesting how a foreign nation should address issues concerning their own citizens. “It is very arrogant, even for American media, to suggest that we would tell El Salvador how to handle their own citizens,” Miller charged. He went on to explain that, since Trump designated MS-13 as a foreign terror organization, the illegal alien “was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States.”
“No version of this legally ends up with him ever living here because he is a citizen of El Salvador,” Miller added.
Collins was slammed by yet another Trump administration official when Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that the foreign policy operations of the United States are not decided by the courts.
“I don’t understand what the confusion is. This individual is a citizen of El Salvador. He was illegally in the United States and was returned to his country,” Rubio said. “No court in the United States has the right to conduct the foreign policy of the United States. It&#8217;s that simple. End of story.”

Bukele and Trump

Trump Officials, Bukele Tear Into CNN Reporter Who Asked If Illegal Alien Will Be Returned To U.S.

Crime

Deportations

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

An American serving as a missionary in South Africa was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group of men during a church service in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, on Thursday.
Josh Sullivan, a Tennessee native, was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church when four masked men armed with firearms stormed into the church, robbed people of their cell phones, and abducted the 45-year-old missionary, according to police, The Straits Times <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/us-pastor-abducted-at-gunpoint-during-sermon-in-south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Around 30 people were at the church service, including Sullivan&#8217;s wife and six children, when the kidnappers entered the building. No one else was harmed, and only Sullivan was taken captive.
The captors reportedly sped away with Sullivan in his silver Toyota Forerunner. The missionary&#8217;s vehicle was later found abandoned. The U.S. State Department told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y6xq4ex1ro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> on Friday that it is aware of Sullivan&#8217;s kidnapping and added that there is no &#8220;greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad.&#8221;
Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely &#8220;financially related,&#8221; but there is some concern that Sullivan was targeted for his faith. The kidnappers reportedly knew Sullivan&#8217;s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern.
Sullivan and his family moved to South Africa in 2018 and planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell in 2021. The church is a sister church of Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were members before going to the mission field. In the Sullivans&#8217; most recent prayer letter <a href="https://sullivansinsouthafrica.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>, which was published on March 3, the missionaries said they had just visited fellow missionaries in Mozambique, adding that the &#8220;trip was a wonderful opportunity to see another African country and grow our burden for the African people.&#8221;
Kidnappings have spiked in South Africa over the past decade, jumping 264%, according to the BBC. In 2023-2024, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country. Just two days before Sullivan was taken by armed men, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Gqeberha, according to police.

Church Steeple

American Missionary Kidnapped At Gunpoint During Church Service

A man suspected of planning the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans, was extradited to India to stand trial, the Justice Department announced. 
The DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-extradites-alleged-co-conspirator-2008-mumbai-terrorist-attacks-face-charges-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday that it had extradited 64-year-old &#8220;convicted terrorist&#8221; Tahawwur Hussain Ran, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to go on trial for 10 criminal charges stemming from the 2008 attack. Rana is accused of aiding Laskhar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistani Islamic terror group, during the coordinated bombing and shooting attacks it carried out from November 26-29, 2008, in Mumbai. 
“​​We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we&#8217;ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I&#8217;m glad that day has come,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We extradited Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his role in planning the horrific 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Together, with India, we&#39;ve long sought justice for the 166 people, including 6 Americans, who lost their lives in these attacks. I&#39;m glad that day…
&mdash; Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/1910658998438695253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The charges against Rana include conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery. 
The attacks took place at a variety of locations, including restaurants, a Jewish community center, and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Rana is accused of helping David Coleman Headley, an American citizen who was sentenced in 2013 to 35 years in prison over his role in the attack, plan, and scope of the bombings. 
<div id="attachment_906559" style="width: 1122px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-906559" class="size-full wp-image-906559" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM.png" alt="" width="1112" height="686" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM.png 1112w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-300x185.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-934x576.png 934w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-11-at-10.45.50-AM-768x474.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1112px) 100vw, 1112px" />Rana being extradited: DOJ.</div>
According to the Justice Department, Rana appointed Headley to a position at the Mumbai office of his immigration business to assess the city&#8217;s vulnerable areas to attack. Rana allegedly helped get Headley into India by submitting fraudulent visa paperwork and documentation. 
The two then met multiple times over two years in Chicago, where Headley discussed plans for the attack with Rana, according to the Justice Department.
In 2013, Rana was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/tahawwur-rana-sentenced-14-years-prison-supporting-pakistani-terror-group-and-terror-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to 14 years in federal prison in the United States for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and for plotting to behead several workers at a Danish newspaper. The Denmark attack, which was to be carried out in part by Headley, was thwarted by authorities. 
India first requested to extradite Rana in 2020, but the action has been delayed for years as the case has made its way through the federal courts. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied Rana’s last-ditch appeal to block the extradition.

(FILES) This photograph taken on Novembe

U.S. Extradites ‘Convicted Terrorist’ Accused Of Plotting Attacks That Killed 6 Americans

Department of Justice

India

Marco Rubio

Radical Islamic Terror

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