Author: Isla

Portland, Ore. – The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today granted the Trump-Vance administration’s request to pause a preliminary injunction that had been protecting residents of Gray’s Landing, an affordable housing community in Portland, from exposure inside their homes to toxic chemical munitions being used by federal agents. The ruling lifts the district court’s order, which had prohibited federal officers from deploying tear gas, smoke grenades, pepper balls, and other chemical weapons in ways that are likely to reach the 209-unit residential complex, while the case continues. For months, federal agents fired chemical munitions toward and around the…

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New Zealand and India have signed a Free Trade Agreement in New Delhi, formalising a deal aimed at reducing tariffs on the majority of New Zealand exports to India and expanding access for services and investment.The agreement, hailed as “once in a generation” by the Government, was signed on Monday night by Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay and India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon present.According to the Government, the deal will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 95% of New Zealand exports to India once fully implemented. Almost 57% of exports will become…

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April 28 2026, 8:13 am | BY Adam Shaw | No Comments The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world’s most pristine environments, is increasingly threatened by household waste and plastic pollution. Each year, large volumes of garbage make their way into this fragile ecosystem.   As China’s largest bank card payment institution, China UnionPay has long championed environmental protection. To address this issue, it commissioned Jody Xiong to create a campaign that would encourage more Tibetans to participate in waste collection. Xiong, founder of The Nine Shanghai and visual effects director of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was ranked the…

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James Tasamba28 April 2026•Update: 28 April 2026The Democratic Republic of Congo, in a bid to curb the plundering of its minerals, announced plans Monday to deploy a special paramilitary unit tasked with securing the country’s mining sector.In a statement, the General Inspectorate of Mines said the unit, known as a “mining guard,” will be responsible for ensuring security across the entire mineral exploitation chain, including the protection of mining sites and the secure transport of minerals from extraction zones to processing facilities and border points.An initial investment of about $100 million has been earmarked to cover six months of training…

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Hong Kong’s Immigration Department has sounded the starting gun on one of the busiest weeks of the year, projecting that about six million travellers will pass through the city’s land, sea and air checkpoints between 1 and 5 May. The bulk—close to five million—are expected to use the seven land boundary control points linking Hong Kong with Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Amid the anticipated surge, travellers who realise they still need a China visa, travel permit or even a quick passport renewal can turn to VisaHQ for same-day processing and personalised support; the company’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets users complete…

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Six in ten respondents waited 6 to 48 hours for approval and hospital release.Amongst individuals in India who have made a claim in the past three years, more than half said their filings were either rejected or only partially approved for what they considered invalid reasons.Specifically, 20% said claims were rejected, 16% reported similar rejections, and 33% said claims were partially approved with issues cited, the LocalCircles survey showed.Only 25% said their claims were fully approved, whilst 6% said approval came after repeated follow-ups.Delays in discharge after claim approval also remain common. Of over 30,000 respondents, 21% said the process took…

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