Europe’s battle for power leads to evolution of new power ecosystem
Europe’s battle for power leads to evolution of new power ecosystem
Electric grid is seen in Krakow Poland as Polish government lifts cup in electricity prices what is expected to rise inflation once more – January 18,2025. Poland has one of the highest inflations in Europe. (Photo by Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The ***** in artificial intelligence, a pressing need for more data centers and the energy transition story — particularly in transportation — are all spurring demand for electricity, and the existing power infrastructure is struggling to keep up.
Businesses are facing five to eight-year wait times to connect to Europe’s ageing and strained electricity grids, experts told CNBC, as the emergence of new areas of demand drives an unprecedented rise in permit requests for power. According to the IEA, at least 1,500 gigawatts of global clean energy projects have been stopped or delayed because of a lack of grid connections and about $700 billion of grid investment is needed for countries to meet their green goals.
Data centers, the large facilities that house servers for computing processes and often require huge amounts of power, are the “primary director” of that growing competition to connect to the grid, said Diego Hernandez Diaz, partner at McKinsey.
He told CNBC that clients have quoted wait times of up to eight years to connect to the grid.
“There are certain transmission system operators in Europe, that are already facing two, three or more folks all attempting to interconnect to the same node at the same time. … There is a literal ****** within individual connection points to see who gets to connect first,” he explained.
Hernandez, whose work focuses on electro-intensive industries, said that over the last 18 months, nearly all of his work has focused on data centers, a sector that he expects to grow at an annual compound growth rate of 20% over the next six years. Demand for the facilities required to train large language models (LLMs) is expected to continue its exponential increase as tech giants race to dominate in AI.
Energy management firm Schneider Electric warned in a January report that Europe faces a looming power crunch, with three to five-year waiting lists for grid connections in energy-constrained regions.
We’re going from a situation where you have one application or two applications per year, in some countries to 1,000.
Steven Carlini
Chief advocate of AI and data center
“It’s kind of a race,” Steven Carlini, chief advocate of AI and data centers at Schneider Electric, told CNBC. “You have all these companies that are trying to deploy as much capacity as they can. But it’s constrained by the number of GPUs [graphics processing units] and the available power and the permitting.”
“We’re going from a situation where you have one application or two applications [to connect to the grid] per year, in some countries, to 1,000,” Carlini said.
It’s not just the amount of investment needed — but also the speed with which it can be deployed — which will be key to addressing the issue, McKinsey’s Diaz said. He also pointed to the growing complexity of the work of high-voltage grid operators and the example of Germany, which needs to go from building 400 kilometers of power lines a year to 2,000 kilometers.
Diaz sees the competition to connect to the grid “either maintaining or intensifying” in 2025.
Jerome Fournier, director of innovation at subsea cable manufacturer Nexans, said his firm has a “huge” order backlog in the range of seven-to-10 billion euros ($7.28 billion-$10.40 billion). Nexans’ cables are used to transmit electricity generated by wind and solar farms, and to supply power to homes and businesses.
“Everybody’s considering: do we still have some room in our plans to manufacture other projects?” he said.
Fournier told CNBC that firms like Nexans should also keep slots available for smaller projects such as interconnections for offshore wind turbines. “You’ve got to have the right balance between the load of the plans, the profitability and this type of electrification,” he said.
A new power ecosystem
Power constraints are leading data center operators to evolve their own “ecosystem of power backup,” according to Schneider Electric’s Carlini.
In the future, data centers are expected to be at the center of that grid ecosystem, particularly if they are able to generate their own power with small modular reactors — mini nuclear reactors that produce electricity.
Battery storage and strategic charging are also becoming increasingly important, Carlini said. These systems allow for the temporary storage of energy from the power grid to provide extra backup.
The CEO of power solutions provider AVK, Ben Pritchard, said some European countries are facing large, 100-megawatt grid connection requests of a size that they’ve never seen before.
He advocates for transition-linked energy solutions such as the use of microgrids, which are a separate islanded power system.
How China’s DeepSeek could boost the already booming data center market
In Norway, they’re trialing flexible connection agreements where customers limit their connection to the grid based on certain conditions, Beatrice Petrovich, senior energy and climate analyst at think tank Ember, highlighted. This allows them to adjust their energy usage depending on how the grid is faring at certain times.
Ember also called for the implementation of rules on what it calls “anticipatory” grid investments. These would allow electricity grid operators to plan in a forward-looking way, taking into account the market trends of key technologies, such as growth in renewables and battery storage, Petrovich explained.
Countries that move forward with improving legislation on enabling firms to have a fully decarbonized energy stack will be the “winner of the race,” putting forward a more “friendly ecosystem” around data centers, AVK’s Pritchard said.
Ultimately, a bottleneck in the grid “encourages people to think differently, and when people are encouraged to think differently, they’re more open to different solutions. That, I think, is teeing up for the market to shift quite significantly,” said Pritchard.
Modest EU growth
Despite a growing need for power from some new and developing industries, Europe is still lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to growth in power demand. High electricity prices and operational costs are hampering overall demand in the region, leading to a more fragmented market.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) this month hailed the rise of a “new Age of electricity,” as it upped its forecasts for global demand, predicting growth of 3.9% for 2025-2027 — the fastest pace of growth in recent years.
The forecasts for Europe are more modest, however. Following two years of sharp declines in power demand, the region saw an increase of just 1% in 2024, according to a January report from energy think tank Ember.
“2024 marks a turning point for electricity demand,” said Ember’s Petrovich, one of the authors of their report. “What we saw is the first rebound — even if it was a small rebound after many years of decline — it was widespread across the block.”
McKinsey’s Diaz explained that since the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions, electricity prices have settled around 60 to 80 euros per megawatt hour. This is still 50-100% more expensive than prices seen in the previous two decades, however.
As a result, costs for consumers have soared, leading to signs of a deceleration in demand for heat pumps and electric vehicles, he said.
Diaz added that for manufacturers in Europe, the energy requirements “tower above those of any other geography in the world, it’s not only potentially more expensive, but even potentially more challenging,” Hernandez said.
The “unprecedented” growth in data centers is “helping the overall curve ever so slightly, but everything else is fighting against it,” Hernandez said.
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Kristin Crowley's appeal to remain as LAFD chief struck down by City Council – CBS News
Kristin Crowley's appeal to remain as LAFD chief struck down by City Council – CBS News
Kristin Crowley’s appeal to remain as LAFD chief struck down by City Council CBS NewsRecords show Los Angeles officials’ early struggles as windswept blazes escalated CNNLA City Council votes not to reinstate fire chief fired by mayor ABC NewsLos Angeles City Council rejects dismissed fire chief’s appeal KTLA Los Angeles
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Trump says he appreciates Zelensky letter on Ukraine peace
Trump says he appreciates Zelensky letter on Ukraine peace
US President Donald says he’s received a letter from Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to “come to the negotiating table” to strike a peace deal in Ukraine.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump said as he addressed a joint session of Congress in Washington.
It came after Zelensky said in a social media post that he was ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to achieve a lasting peace.
The statements indicate a cooling of tensions between the leaders following their fiery meeting in the Oval Office last week.
In his address to Congress, Trump said he received an “important letter” from Zelensky earlier on Thursday, before reading what he said were excerpts from it.
Parts of what he read used precisely the same language as the statement posted by Zelensky earlier on Tuesday.
“The letter reads Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians,” Trump said.
Continuing to read from what he said was Zelensky’s letter, Trump said: “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Trump also said Zelensky told him he was ready to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the US.
Ukraine is yet to comment on the letter.
The US president also said there had been “serious discussions” with Russia, and he’d “received strong signals that they are ready for peace”.
Trump did not indicate when the talks took place, or whether he was personally involved in them.
“It’s time to end this senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides,” he added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelensky described the White House showdown with Trump as “regrettable” in the wake of the US announcing a pause in military aid to Kyiv.
Zelensky said “it was time to make things right”, after Trump had accused him of not being ready to come to the negotiating table.
The Ukrainian leader also outlined the first stages of how the war could be ended.
The Oval Office meeting between Zelensky and US officials last week was due to conclude with the two parties signing a deal that would grant the US access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine.
After the clash, which saw Trump accuse Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three”, the Ukrainian delegation left without signing the deal. Trump told Zelensky: “Come back when you’re ready for peace.”
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Stop the Boats slogan was too stark, says Rishi Sunak
Stop the Boats slogan was too stark, says Rishi Sunak
Nick Robinson
Presenter, Political Thinking
Watch: Rishi Sunak reveals regrets over ‘stop the boats’ slogan
There is one phrase, one slogan, one promise which is associated with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak more than any other.
It is “Stop the Boats”.
Yet, in his first wide-ranging interview since leaving Downing Street, the former prime minister says he regrets ever saying it because it was “too stark..too binary”.
And he concedes that it couldn’t actually be delivered.
This is just one of the “lessons from Downing Street” which the man who presided over the worst ever election defeat for the Conservative Party says he’s learned, in a conversation lasting more than two hours for my Political Thinking podcast.
It covers not only the mistakes he thinks he made, but also the disagreements about the right way to manage the economy that he had with Boris Johnson; the radical ideas he wishes he could’ve implemented; the lessons he learned from being chancellor during the Covid pandemic – and his attitudes to race and faith and Englishness as the first British Asian prime minister.
Sunak is in reflective mood talking about a job he was catapulted into, saying he didn’t “probably have the time to enjoy it in the moment or appreciate it in the moment because of the context in which I was doing it.”
That context was not just an economic crisis but a political one.
The Tories were on their third leader in just 50 days, and there’d been no election of party members or the wider public.
“I didn’t have a mandate,” he says, and defends his approach of trying to bring warring factions together.
To do otherwise, he says, “would have been a huge gamble because the thing just could have collapsed. And would that have been good for the country? I don’t think so. I think what the country needed was stability.”
He’s not changed his mind about wanting to deport migrants who cross the channel to Rwanda, and says he now backs leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), if it’s not reformed.
He says the court has “taken on new powers. There’s been mission creep…It does need to reform or we should leave.”
When I asked him if he had taken his eye off the ball in regards to soaring levels of net migration, he concedes that although he “took very strong action to bring the levels of legal migration down…I should have done them sooner”.
Sunak was in many ways an accidental prime minister. It was October 2022, and he learned that Liz Truss had survived in the job for less time than that famous lettuce, whilst having a meal with his two daughters at TGI’s in Teeside after a game of bowling.
Four days later, he walked into Number 10 as her successor.
He says he “had very mixed feelings…given what had happened” but was driven by Hindu belief in dharma which he says involves “doing your duty”.
“You’ve just got to focus on doing your best, doing what you’re there to do, and not worry about the rest,” he says.
“It was a very helpful concept for me…I kept coming back to that. I said, ‘look, this is my job. This is what I’m here to do. I’m well-placed to try and solve the economic challenge that our country is facing’.”
Bringing the economy back under control after the markets panicked in the face of Truss’s unfunded tax cuts – or what he calls “fantasy economics” – is the achievement he’s clearly proudest of.
PA Media
Sunak revealed he and his former boss, Boris Johnson, argued over their different views on economic policy
However, he spells out for the first time the scale of the disagreements he had not just with Truss, but with Boris Johnson, who he served as Chancellor.
“He and I had quite different views on economic policy. I’m a small state conservative. I believe in prioritising, trying to restrain the growth of public spending, being careful with our borrowing so that we can cut people’s taxes…he was less worried about those things.”
He tells me that at their regular Sunday night dinners in Downing Street they argued over what could and could not be afforded.
He says his worries were inflation and interest rates rising, because “when they go up it’s going to have a big impact on our public finances, because we’re going to have to pay more to service the debt that we’ve got”.
He adds: “We cannot afford to keep spending and borrowing at this rate, and that means you have to prioritise. We can’t do everything.”
Sunak insisted that any plan to subsidise people’s social care costs had to be paid for by higher taxes.
Now he thinks “we’re having another review now…I tell you, the answer is, do we as a country think it’s right to pay more taxes for a more generous social care policy? Yes or no? I personally think the answer is no.”
He believed in slashing billions from ******** bills, a more “radical restructuring of the state” to pay for increased defence spending, and he says he told Johnson that the ***’s net zero obligations were saddling the economy with cost.
Now he argues for abandoning the legal commitment to deliver net zero, made law by another Tory leader Theresa May.
During the Covid pandemic both Sunak and Johnson faced fixed term penalties for breaking lockdown rules.
Sunak tells me he thought long and hard about resigning after that but says he had a job to do and he clearly can still scarcely believe that he was fined for turning up at a work meeting early where a cake was produced for the prime minister’s birthday.
Much more interesting is the lesson he draws from that *******.
We should all have been treated more like grown-ups, he tells me, and the public should have told that “even the scientists themselves are not united on this, or they don’t 100% know that this is the right thing to do”.
The long-term negative consequences of lockdown measures should have been spelt out because, he says, “we’ve seen the impact it’s had on school kids everywhere and the impact it’s had on their learning. And we probably didn’t talk about that as much as we could have done at the time.”
Sunak is proud to have been the first British Asian prime minister and talks movingly of the moment his grandfather – who’d been born poor in an Indian village – calling an old friend at home with tears in his eyes on his first visit to Westminster.
He’s angry too with those like a popular podcaster who declared recently: “He’s a brown Hindu; how is he English.”
“Of course I’m English, born here, brought up here,” he says.
“On this definition, you can’t be English even playing for England, let alone supporting them… I genuinely thought it was ridiculous.”
Here is a man proud of his roots and ready to admit mistakes, but who is wondering whether his rise to the top all happened before the country knew him, and could see beyond the super-wealthy Tory who was the fifth Tory leader in just six years.
“It’s a lonely job,” he says, “because it is 100% only on you.”
Many were sure that he’d called the election early to head off to a new life in California.
Nonsense, he says, he lives here because it’s home and indeed has just set up a charitable foundation – the Richmond Project – named after the constituency in Yorkshire, which he’s still proud to represent in Parliament.
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With a Bungie Veteran at Guerrilla, Horizon’s Live Service Future Looks Brighter Than Before
With a Bungie Veteran at Guerrilla, Horizon’s Live Service Future Looks Brighter Than Before
The announcement that Horizon could be heading into the realm of live service has been met with a mix of excitement and skepticism from fans. While the series has been praised for its single-player experience, the idea of adding live-service elements has left many confused.
The initial reactions to the live service project were mixed at best. | Image Credit: Guerrilla Games
Fans wonder if this shift is driven more by a desire for profit (Sony’s aim to tap into live service games) than a genuine evolution of the franchise. However, the game’s future has just become a lot more promising as Guerrilla Games has recently welcomed Chris Proctor, a former Bungie designer.
How Proctor’s expertise will shape Horizon‘s live-service future
Players are worried that the game will be a mess like Concord. | Image Credit: Guerrilla Games
For those who don’t know, Chris Proctor’s time at Bungie, spanning over five years, has left a long-lasting mark on Destiny 2’s weapon systems. Not only was he instrumental in designing some of the most beloved weapons, but he also ensured the balance and progression of the game.
His contributions made sure that each weapon felt unique and satisfying to use, which became a key factor in the game’s ongoing success. Before his time at Bungie, Proctor even worked on the Halo series, so he certainly has the pedigree.
A month ago, when he announced his departure from Bungie, players were shocked and wondered where he would go next. Recently, through his LinkedIn account, he revealed that he joined Guerrilla Games as Design Director for the Horizon Online Project.
Proctor’s vast experience has refined his skills in managing multiplayer ecosystems and crafting gameplay systems that engage players long-term. These are the skills that will directly benefit Guerrilla as it looks to enhance the game’s live service elements.
Incorporating a multiplayer aspect into Horizon is a risky endeavor, even with Proctor. But with his extensive background in live service games, he’s at least well-equipped to guide the studio in the right direction.
Guerrilla’s ambitious plans for Horizon
With Proctor’s involvement, there is a small glimmer of hope. | Image Credit: Guerrilla Games
It’s been no secret that Sony has been trying to find its footing in the live service space. While Helldivers 2 was a success (though the company tried to ruin that as well), its biggest failure came with Concord, which made the company even question its future plans.
Now, with Guerrilla Games ramping up its focus on live-service elements, it seems like multiple projects are in the works. A Horizon multiplayer game has been rumored for some time (with some even suggesting that it got canceled).
With his help, Guerrilla can strike the right balance between the studio’s rich narrative history and the demands of live-service mechanics. Despite the promise of Proctor’s involvement, the live-service model is not without its challenges.
Destiny 2 itself has faced several growing pains, from issues with microtransactions to content droughts and balance changes that have frustrated players. Guerrilla Games will need to be cautious as they expand Horizon into a live-service space.
In the end, as fans, we can only hope that the upcoming Horizon multiplayer experience will honor the series’ strong narrative and exploration roots while also offering an engaging and rewarding online component. With Proctor at the helm, there is some hope, at least.
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Star *********** batter Steve Smith announces shock ODI retirement following Champions Trophy exit
Star *********** batter Steve Smith announces shock ODI retirement following Champions Trophy exit
Stand-in *********** skipper Steve Smith has made the bombshell call to pull the curtains on his One Day International career just a day after his side was dumped from the Champions Trophy by India.
Smith was Australia’s best with the bat during Tuesday’s semifinal on a run-pour Dubai wicket, scoring 73.
However, it couldn’t help his side as they slumped to a four-wicket defeat thanks to a trademark chase from arch nemesis Virat Kohli.
Smith leaves the 50-over game with an impressive 5800 at 43.28 with 12 centuries.
More to come.
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‘Giving bingo’: Democrats’ silent protest against Trump falls flat
‘Giving bingo’: Democrats’ silent protest against Trump falls flat
President Donald Trump mocked Democrats who sat in front of him Tuesday night, needling them with a grin, “nothing I can say or do to make them happy.” Democrats mostly responded with silent protest — wearing pink, waving placards emblazoned with “FALSE” and “Save Medicaid.” More than a dozen walked out of his speech early, some revealing shirts that said “No Kings Live Here.”
The shambolic scene was emblematic of Democrats’ larger problem after facing a brutal election cycle that locked them out of power as they struggled to communicate in a vastly fragmented media environment. Though the official Democratic response, delivered by Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, got carried on major networks, much of what Democrats had to say didn’t play out on voters’ TVs.
“We’re all trying to get up to speed as fast as possible to take this fight right to Republicans,” said Shasti Conrad, associate Democratic National Committee chair, in an interview with POLITICO after the speech. “But there’s a little bit of a delay.”
Absent a sharper, in-the-room response, frustrated Democrats vented online, complaining that the Democrats’ signs were “giving bingo” and “not landing,” as former Joe Biden spokesperson Symone Sanders Townsend put it on X. North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton added: “why did democrats go to this tbh,” while late-night host Stephen Colbert mocked Democrats for their signs, making one of his own that said: “Try doing something.”
Democrats’ protest was “very silly, and unserious, but I can’t help but feel some level of empathy for them,” said a Democratic strategist granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly. “I’m sure they feel like they have to do something, anything, [but] that wasn’t it.”
Outside the chamber, Democrats sharpened their political attacks on Trump. Some Democratic lawmakers headed to the party’s influencer spin room, where they invited 30 progressive-aligned social media influencers, like Brian Tyler Cohen and Liz Plank, to Capitol Hill. Social media creators pumped out political content before, during and after Trump’s speech — a first-of-its-kind effort for the party during such an address.
Those videos started to pop on social media, starting with Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who told YouTuber Adam Mockler inside the spin room: “We’re fighting with Greenland, we’re fighting with Canada, we’re fighting with Mexico — yet we’re in love with Putin? What is happening? This is not America. This is a terrible nightmare. Somebody slap me and wake me the ***** up.”
A House Democratic aide, granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly, acknowledged that “a key learning” from the 2024 loss was that Democrats “have a lot more work to do to reach people online.”
“Local TV is still really important, but it has to be a both-and strategy,” the aide added.
Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), offered a pre-buttal to Trump’s speech in a series of direct-to-camera videos, featuring senators using the same “***** that ain’t true” script. Republicans mocked Democrats for the videos’ hokeyness, including Elon Musk and Libs of TikTok, but they also elevated the videos on their own social media channels.
Booker argued in an interview with Puck that the Republican retweets “drew attention to our message today,” which “shows that we can do their playbook just as well, which is to use our ecosystem of connected progressive voices to get a single message out.”
Conrad, who said she did an Instagram live earlier in the day to prebut Trump’s speech, added she was “confident” Democrats understand the assignment and are ready to “both go to the outlets that are already there, but also to build our own.”
Trump, for his part, did offer up a series of clippable moments for Democrats from his speech that could be used in future campaign ads and social media posts. Democrats seized on Trump’s acknowledgment that “there will be a little disturbance” due to his tariffs levied on Canada, Mexico and China.
“‘There will be a little disturbance’ is a genuinely Soviet way to describe people not being able to afford their groceries,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) posted on X.
Some Democrats, including those eyeing possible 2026 congressional bids and 2028 presidential runs, looked for non-traditional ways to respond. Among them: Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who opted to deliver his first TV interview following Trump’s inauguration on Colbert’s show.
Buttigieg criticized Trump on his preelection pledge to lower grocery prices.
“The biggest issue on people’s minds — the affordability of everyday life — is not something that got more than a few seconds of mention in his speech,” Buttigieg told Colbert. He added, “If eggs are $10 and you’re a billionaire, that’s a little disturbance for you, but not for most people.”
Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is like Buttigieg weighing a Senate bid to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters, took to Instagram to answer questions.
“People are sick and tired of performative nonsense,” McMorrow told POLITICO. “They don’t want to see their elected officials try to be cute or clever. People are anxious and scared and angry and energized and want to see substance and clear direction.”
McMorrow added, “Democrats need to think about how we actually cut through … not just adding to the noise.”
Amid that noise, Democrats appeared to plead with Americans to listen to them.
“Pick just one issue you’re passionate about and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count. Join a group that cares about your issue and act. And if you can’t find one, start one,” Slotkin said.
She said, “Don’t tune out.”
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James Webb Spots Mysterious Object Crossing Space Between Stars
James Webb Spots Mysterious Object Crossing Space Between Stars
NASA’s groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a mysterious object that’s freely floating through interstellar space.
According to NASA, the “planetary-mass” object, dubbed SIMP 0136, is roughly 13 times the mass of Jupiter, and is located just 20 light-years from Earth. It’s also spinning at a breakneck speed, completing a full rotation every 2.4 hours.
Thanks to the JWST’s detailed infrared light observations, an international team of researchers detected signs of “complex atmospheric features,” including possible cloud layers and temperature shifts in the object’s atmosphere, as detailed in a study they published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
It’s a fascinating glimpse at an exceedingly rare object. The researchers suggest in their paper that objects like SIMP 0136 could much in common with cloud giants in the solar system, like Jupiter and Saturn, which “also have multiple cloud layers and high-altitude hot spots” (except that it’s floating through space without a star, that is.) Astronomers also aren’t ruling out the possibility that it’s a brown dwarf, an object that’s between a planet and a star.
The latest research builds on existing observations by NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.
“We already knew that it varies in brightness, and we were confident that there are patchy cloud layers that rotate in and out of view and evolve over time,” said lead author and Boston University doctoral student Allison McCarthy in a NASA statement. “We also thought there could be temperature variations, chemical reactions, and possibly some effects of auroral activity affecting the brightness, but we weren’t sure.”
James Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph allowed scientists to observe a much wider spectrum of infrared light, leading to fascinating new insights into the lonely object.
“Until now, we only had a little slice of the near-infrared spectrum from Hubble, and a few brightness measurements from Spitzer,” said principal investigator and Trinity College Dublin assistant professor Johanna Vos in the statement.
The researchers ran hundreds of detailed light curves against atmospheric models to get a better sense of what SIMP 0136’s atmosphere might look like.
They found evidence for patchy clouds and bright “hot spots,” possibly related to auroras, far above the clouds.
“Imagine watching Earth from far away,” Boston University scientist and coauthor Philip Muirhead said in a statement. “If you were to look at each color separately, you would see different patterns that tell you something about its surface and atmosphere, even if you couldn’t make out the individual features.”
“Blue would increase as oceans rotate into view,” he added. “Changes in brown and green would tell you something about soil and vegetation.”
Other light curves observed by the JWST suggest the existence of pockets of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide — but plenty of questions remain.
“We haven’t really figured out the chemistry part of the puzzle yet,” Vos said. “But these results are really exciting because they are showing us that the abundances of molecules like methane and carbon dioxide could change from place to place and over time.”
“If we are looking at an exoplanet and can get only one measurement, we need to consider that it might not be representative of the entire planet,” she added.
More on brown dwarfs: Astronomers Discover Brown Dwarf Covered in Stripes
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Trump looms over ******** smartphone players’ successful global push
Trump looms over ******** smartphone players’ successful global push
The Xiaomi booth at the Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
BARCELONA — U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued clashes with China over tech and trade looms heavy over ******** smartphone vendors who have grown globally in the past few years, creating uncertainty over whether some of these companies may be targeted by Washington, similarly to Huawei.
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, ******** electronics players from Xiaomi to Honor and Oppo were out in force, showing off their latest devices. Xiaomi even had its latest electric vehicle — the SU7 Ultra – on show as it looked to create a buzz.
Xiaomi also launched a high-end smartphone while Honor announced a $10 billion investment in AI. Oppo touted its AI privacy features and other lesser-known players like Tecno, owned by Transsion, unveiled products like AI glasses.
Huawei was also in attendance, and showed off the Mate XT, a trifold smartphone which it has launched in international markets as it charts a very cautious comeback to the global sphere.
To some extent, Huawei serves as a cautionary tale to other ******** players. The Shenzhen-headquartered firm was once the biggest smartphone vendor in the world until U.S. sanctions crushed its handset business.
Just as Huawei is looking to dip its toe into international smartphone sales again and other ******** players are growing quickly, Trump is back in the White House, which is likely to overshadow these companies’ presence at MWC, according to Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.
“I think also unfortunately for Huawei, just as they are starting to get back on their feet, the re-emergence of Trump and his overall strategy with regards to ‘America First’ and placing pressure on the ********, not only affects Huawei, but it affects all of the ******** manufacturers that will be at MWC,” Wood told CNBC.
“I think it’s very much going to be the elephant in the room at MWC with regards to a huge amount of investment and lavish spending by the ******** manufacturers, with the shadow of what’s going to happen in coming months hanging over them.”
Xiaomi, Oppo and Honor were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
******** players have been a feature of MWC for several years as they’ve expanded their footprint globally. Now eight of the top 10 smartphone players are headquartered in China, according to Canalys data. Xiaomi for example is the world’s third-largest.
Xiaomi displayed its new SU7 Ultra electric car at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Xiaomi has grown its presence in Europe while others, like Transsion, have focused on emerging markets. With that success also comes the potential for further scrutiny, Wood said.
“The danger for these manufacturers is if they put their head too far above the parapet, they’ll start to get scrutiny from the U.S. administration,” Wood said.
“So I think they have to tread a fine line in Barcelona and make sure that they don’t make too much noise because the last thing they want is to be the poster child for ******** technology and become the latest focal point for Trump and his advisors.”
So far, Trump has focused on raising tariffs on ******** imports. But there has been little action on the technology restriction front. Under the previous President Joe Biden, Washington brought in several rounds of restrictions that looked to cut off China’s access to advanced technology in areas such as semiconductors.
Europe focus
Other analysts agree there is a risk of increased scrutiny but point to a couple of key reasons why other ******** manufacturers may not be restricted the way Huawei was.
Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics at International Data Corporation (IDC), said that the ******** brands are focusing their efforts on Europe rather than the U.S., which could help deflect scrutiny from Washington.
“They [******** players] definitely don’t have a chance selling in the U.S., but if they continue targeting Europe as they are, I don’t think that’s a risk and I don’t think it will come to a point where the U.S. administration will tell whatever countries in Europe they need to stop selling Xiaomi or Honor or any other brand,” Jeronimo told CNBC.
“I don’t think there’s a massive risk because at the end of the day as they are not targeting U.S. consumers.”
Honor announced at $10 billion AI investment called the Honor Alpha Plan at the Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona.
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
Another reason why the U.S. may not target ******** firms as heavily as Huawei is because it could harm American tech firms, according to Neil Shah, partner at Counterpoint Research.
“It’s hard to say how much Trump will tighten the screws on ******** players because they’re dependent on Google, Microsoft and Qualcomm,” Shah told CNBC.
******** players selling outside of China run Google’s Android operating system on their smartphones. Meanwhile, many of them rely on chips from U.S. firm Qualcomm. Many ******** smartphone makers also sell laptops and tablets which may run Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Restricting ******** companies’ access to this technology could harm U.S. firms, Shah argues.
“Qualcomm will lose out, Microsoft will lose out and eventually Google will lose out as well,” Shah said.
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APAC private jet charter business growing fast, but still behind
APAC private jet charter business growing fast, but still behind
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Street Signs Asia
Ian Moore, Chief Commercial Officer of Vista Global, sees business growth potential in Asia Pacific, “especially in Southeast Asia”.
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Trump touts BlackRock’s Panama Canal port deal in address to Congress
Trump touts BlackRock’s Panama Canal port deal in address to Congress
US President Donald Trump speaks during an address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | Via Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted the U.S. asset management firm BlackRock’s deal to buy two Panama Canal ports as a positive step in his broader effort at “reclaiming” the canal for the United States.
In a joint address to Congress, Trump said his administration has “already started” working to gain control of the canal that connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Oceans.
“Just today, a large American company announced they are buying both ports around the Panama Canal,” Trump said, referring to the deal between an investment group led by BlackRock and Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison.
The ******** company’s contract in Panama had previously been singled out by U.S. lawmakers as an example of Beijing’s creeping expansion into Central and South America.
A spokesperson for BlackRock did not immediately reply to a request for comment early Wednesday.
“The Panama Canal was built by Americans, for Americans, not for other but others could use it,” Trump said in the U.S. Capitol, adding that it had been “built at tremendous cost of American blood and treasure.”
BlackRock’s deal to acquire two of the ports came as the Trump administration actively seeks new ways for Washington and American firms to help counter China’s presence in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Panama Canal Authority Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez tour the Miraflores locks at the Panama Canal in Panama City, on Feb. 2, 2025.
Mark Schiefelbein | Via Reuters
Panama only gained control of the canal in 1999, more than 20 years after then-President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty in 1977 that granted Panama eventual control over the crucial waterway.
“That agreement has been violated very severely,” Trump said in his address Tuesday. “We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama. We’re taking it back.”
The administration’s efforts to “take back” control of the Panama Canal are being spearheaded by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended Trump’s address and received cheers when the president acknowledged his role in the Panama Canal endeavor.
“Good luck, Marco,” Trump said, half jokingly. “Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong.”
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The region with more ‘terror deaths’ than rest of world combined
The region with more ‘terror deaths’ than rest of world combined
Harriet Orrell
BBC World Service
Getty Images
The Malian military is struggling to combat islamist insurgents in the Sahel
The Sahel region of Africa is the “epicentre of global terrorism” and now, for the first time, accounts for “over half of all terrorism-related deaths”, according to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI).
Its new report says that in this semi-arid area to the south of the Sahara Desert 3,885 people out of a worldwide total of 7,555 died.
The GTI report adds that while the global figure has declined from a peak of 11,000 in 2015 the figure for the Sahel has increased nearly tenfold since 2019, as extremist and insurgent groups “continue to shift their focus” towards the region.
The index is published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, a think-tank dedicated to researching global peace and conflict.
It defines terrorism as the “threatened or actual use of ******** force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation”.
The Sahel stretches from the west coast of Africa eastwards across the continent. The GTI’s definition of the region includes parts of 10 countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, ******, Cameroon, Guinea, The Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Chad and Mauritania.
The Sahel has some of the world’s highest birth rates, and almost two-thirds of the population is under 25.
Unlike in the West where “lone actor terrorism is on the rise”, the Sahel, has seen the rapid expansion of militant jihadist groups, according to the report.
It says most of the attacks there were carried out by two organisations: the Islamic State group affiliate in the Sahel and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) – a branch of al-Qaeda.
“They’re trying to introduce new legal orders,” explains Niagalé Bagayoko, chair of the African Security Sector Network. “They’re trying to administer justice in particular based on Sharia.”
And in the process, she says they “are competing with one another” for land and influence.
IS-Sahel has reportedly doubled the amount of territory it controls in Mali since the country’s coups of 2020 and 2021 – largely in the east near its borders with Burkina Faso and ****** – while JNIM also continued to expand its reach, according to a UN panel of experts on Mali.
The GTI report notes that both groups have recruited more fighters, including child soldiers in the case of IS.
“In some instances, people tend to be in a point of choicelessness by the time they decide to join a militant group,” says Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst specialising in Francophone Africa at Control Risks, a geopolitical risk consultancy. “These are communities that are very vulnerable.”
The GTI report explains how political instability and weak governance are creating ideal conditions for insurgent groups to grow, pointing to conflict as “the primary driver of terrorism”.
The Sahel is sometimes referred to as the “coup belt” of Africa.
Since 2020 there have been six successful coups in the region as defined by the GTI report: two in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, one in Guinea and one in ******. These countries are now all run by military juntas.
“The Sahel has experienced a breakdown in state society,” says Dr Folahanmi Aina, an expert on the region at SOAS University in London.
“It’s been informed by years of neglect from political leaders who haven’t necessarily prioritised people-centred governance and local grievances have festered, resulting in terror groups trying to leverage these.”
Getty Images
Burkina Faso’s Capt Ibrahim Traoré (L) and ******’s Gen Abdourahamane Tiani (R) took power in coups, promising to combat insurgents
There was a perception that civilian governments were unable to combat security threats from insurgent groups, “but despite these juntas taking over, they haven’t necessarily improved optics on the ground and in fact insecurity has worsened,” says Dr Aina. “The juntas are professionally unprepared for the rigours of governance.”
In fact in 2024, Burkina Faso “remained the country most affected by terrorism for the second year in a row” according to the GTI.
In the 14 years since the report began, it is the only country to top the list that is not Iraq or Afghanistan.
Jihadist groups sustain their operations in the Sahel with a range of illicit economic activities, including kidnap for ransom and cattle rustling, according to the GTI report.
The region has also become a key route for drug traffickers bringing ******** from South America to Europe, and the report notes that “drug trafficking represents one of the most financially lucrative illicit activities linked to terrorism in the Sahel”.
It points out that that some groups veer away from directly engaging in organised crime, however, preferring to “make money by imposing taxes or providing security and protection in exchange for payment”.
It goes on to explain: “This model not only generates revenue but also helps these groups integrate into local communities, strengthening their influence.”
Insurgent groups are also vying for control of the Sahel’s rich natural resources. ****** is the world’s seventh-largest producer of uranium, and unregulated artisanal gold mines found throughout the region are often taken advantage of by the likes of IS-Sahel and JNIM.
Getty Images
Unregulated mining of resources such as gold in the Sahel has helped fuel insecurity
Following the recent wave of coups, Sahel governments have pivoted away from Western allies, such as France and the US, towards China and Russia for support in tackling militants.
“Right now we’re seeing that Russia is taking more assertive control over Russian paramilitaries in the region known as the Africa Corps [formerly Wagner],” says Ms Ochieng. “Their work is to train and support the local armies to be able to counter the insurgency in the region, but so far it hasn’t been effective.”
As a result, the GTI report warns that there is now a risk of overspill beyond the so-called “epicentre of terror” to neighbouring countries.
In fact, it says this may already be happening – Togo recorded 10 attacks and 52 deaths in 2024, the most since the index began. These were largely concentrated along the country’s border with Burkina Faso.
Ms Ochieng agrees with this assessment, saying that “the expansion of militant groups within the region in countries like Benin or Togo or other coastal West African states seems to be imminent”.
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Helldivers 2 Defense Missions are Brutal But One Stratagem Type Becomes the Key to Completing It
Helldivers 2 Defense Missions are Brutal But One Stratagem Type Becomes the Key to Completing It
Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2 offers many unique types of missions, but the defence missions are, without a doubt, the most challenging. In other missions, players have the option to run away from enemies to create some space, but on defense missions, Super Earth’s brave soldiers often get surrounded by enemies. It’s no secret that different types of missions require different types of Stratagems, so players must make sure that they pick this one Stratagem type on defense missions.
Green Stratagems are ideal for defense missions in Helldivers 2 (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios)
Helldivers 2 has made a strong comeback and is expected to grow even more in 2025 as Arrowhead has plenty of new content lined up, including a new wave of never-seen-before Illuminate enemies. The game is expected to become even more challenging, so make sure you understand what kind of Stratagems you need to take on different missions.
Helldivers 2 players need to use sentries in defense missions
A Helldivers 2 player on the r/Helldivers subreddit recently shared their experience of playing a defense mission on Super Helldive difficulty with random players. The player explained that they started the mission with a level 30 players who used an all-orbitals-or-nothing loadout, which is quite possibly the worst loadout for a defense mission. As expected, the teammate’s orbital cannons ended up team-killing the player. The community agreed that this is a growing problem as many players lack knowledge.
Comment byu/NuKo7 from discussion inHelldivers
Comment byu/NuKo7 from discussion inHelldivers
Comment byu/NuKo7 from discussion inHelldivers
Comment byu/NuKo7 from discussion inHelldivers
The player explained the easiest strategy that will help players in winning defense missions. Sentries are the best Stratagem type for these missions, as carefully placing them all over the area will allow players to cover all directions. Red Stratagems, or offensive Stratagems, will end up destroying these sentries, so don’t ever question a teammate that brings sentries to defense missions.
Combining the sentry loadout with an Anti-Tank Stratagem like Recoilless Rifle is a must as it will allow you to take down heavy armored units easily, all while your sentries assist you on the battlefield.
Helldivers 2 will soon become even more difficult
More Illuminate units will soon join the game (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios)
It is also very important for the community to understand that one Stratagem that works against one faction will not necessarily be as effective against another faction. Mortar sentry is a good example of this, as players have been begging beginners to stop using this Stratagem on certain missions.
The Illuminate faction was added in December as a part of the Omens of Tyranny update. It quickly became clear that fighting the Illuminate is slightly more difficult than fighting the other two existing factions, but this is just the beginning. The game will become even more demanding as more Illuminate enemies will soon join the game, as the current units are just a small section of the entire faction.
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Trump touts BlackRock’s Panama Canal port deal in address to Congress
Trump touts BlackRock’s Panama Canal port deal in address to Congress
US President Donald Trump speaks during an address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2025.
Mandel Ngan | Via Reuters
President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted the U.S. asset management firm BlackRock’s deal to buy two Panama Canal ports as a positive step in his broader effort at “reclaiming” the canal for the United States.
In a joint address to Congress, Trump said his administration has “already started” working to gain control of the canal that connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Oceans.
“Just today, a large American company announced they are buying both ports around the Panama Canal,” Trump said, referring to the deal between an investment group led by BlackRock and Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison.
The ******** company’s contract in Panama had previously been singled out by U.S. lawmakers as an example of Beijing’s creeping expansion into Central and South America.
A spokesperson for BlackRock did not immediately reply to a request for comment early Wednesday.
“The Panama Canal was built by Americans, for Americans, not for other but others could use it,” Trump said in the U.S. Capitol, adding that it had been “built at tremendous cost of American blood and treasure.”
BlackRock’s deal to acquire two of the ports came as the Trump administration actively seeks new ways for Washington and American firms to help counter China’s presence in the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Panama Canal Authority Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez tour the Miraflores locks at the Panama Canal in Panama City, on Feb. 2, 2025.
Mark Schiefelbein | Via Reuters
Panama only gained control of the canal in 1999, more than 20 years after then-President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty in 1977 that granted Panama eventual control over the crucial waterway.
“That agreement has been violated very severely,” Trump said in his address Tuesday. “We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama. We’re taking it back.”
The administration’s efforts to “take back” control of the Panama Canal are being spearheaded by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended Trump’s address and received cheers when the president acknowledged his role in the Panama Canal endeavor.
“Good luck, Marco,” Trump said, half jokingly. “Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong.”
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Seven takeaways from Trump’s big speech to Congress
Seven takeaways from Trump’s big speech to Congress
Jude Sheerin
BBC News, Washington
Watch: Key moments from Trump’s first address to Congress
President Donald Trump has addressed a raucous joint session of the US Congress for the first time since he returned to power in January, declaring: “The American Dream is unstoppable.”
In the longest presidential speech to lawmakers on record, he outlined his vision for his second term, as Republicans applauded a high-octane six weeks that has reshaped domestic and foreign policy.
Trump was heckled by Democrats and he goaded them in turn during the rowdy ********** speech.
The Republican president has so far moved to slash the federal workforce and crack down on immigration, while imposing tariffs on America’s biggest trading partners and shaking up the trans-atlantic alliance over the war in Ukraine.
Here are seven takeaways from his speech.
‘Thank you, Elon’
Watch: Musk receives standing ovation as Trump praises Doge
Trump name-checked his billionaire adviser Elon Musk, who was watching from the gallery, early in his 100-minute speech.
The tech mogul’s Department of Government Efficiency taskforce has moved to fire tens of thousands of federal workers, cut billions of dollars in foreign aid and slash programmes across the US government.
The SpaceX and Tesla boss, wearing a dark suit with a blue tie, stood and acknowledged the cheers from the crowd.
“Thank you, Elon,” the 78-year-old president said. “He’s working very hard. He didn’t need this.”
Trump went on to list some examples of wasteful spending he said had been eliminated by Musk’s cost-cutting initiative, drawing laughter from Republicans.
“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said.
Democratic lawmakers held up signs saying “Musk steals” and “false”.
Doge claims to have saved $105bn already but that figure can’t be independently verified. Receipts have been published for $18.6bn worth of savings but accounting errors have been reported by US media outlets that have analysed the figures.
Democrats jeer the president
Watch: Congressman Al Green ejected from chamber after disrupting Trump speech
Within the first five minutes of the address, Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms after refusing to comply with the House Speaker’s demands that he stop heckling the president and take his seat.
As Trump spoke, other Democrats held up signs saying “This is a lie”.
With Republicans in control of the White House, House of Representatives and Senate, Democrats have been largely leaderless as they work to hone their message and counter the blitz of activity from the Trump administration.
Many Democratic women arrived in the House chamber wearing pink pantsuits in protest. Dozens from their party – some of them wearing the words “Resist” printed on the backs of their shirts – exited the chamber during the speech.
“There is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy,” Trump said, appearing to revel in the partisan rancour.
Democratic leadership chose Elissa Slotkin of Michigan – a first-term senator elected in a battleground state that Trump won in November – to deliver the party’s official response.
She accused Trump of an “unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends” and warned “he could walk us right into a recession”.
An ‘important letter’ from Zelensky
Trump said he had received an “important letter” from Ukraine’s leader earlier in the day, which appeared to match what Volodymyr Zelensky posted publicly on social media.
Ukraine’s president had said he was now ready to work under Trump’s “strong leadership” to end the war and “come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer”.
“I appreciate that he sent this letter,” Trump told lawmakers.
Zelensky offered the olive branch a day after Trump paused all military aid to the beleaguered US ally.
It followed an acrimonious Oval Office meeting last week when the two leaders argued in front of TV cameras, before cancelling plans to sign a minerals deal that would allow the US to profit from an economic partnership involving Ukraine’s resources.
Trump was reportedly hoping to announce during his speech to Congress that the deal had finally been sealed. But it did not materialise.
Trade war will cause ‘a little disturbance’
Following a second day of market turbulence, Trump played down the potential economic fallout from a trade war he ignited this week, including 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% on ******** imports.
But in contrast with the ovations that greeted his other policy objectives, many Republicans remained seated, a sign of how Trump’s import taxes have divided his party.
“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again,” he said.
“And it’s happening. And it will happen rather quickly. There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”
Trump added that reciprocal tariffs tailored to US trading partners would “kick in” on April 2.
Earlier in the day, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox Business that Trump could announce a trade deal with Mexico and Canada as soon as Wednesday.
Biden blamed for egg prices
The soaring cost of eggs has been headline news in recent weeks, and Trump – who had pledged to voters that he would beat inflation on his return to office – made clear who he felt was responsible.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare,” Trump said.
“Joe Biden especially let the price of eggs get out of control – and we are working hard to get it back down,” he added.
Egg prices soared under Biden as his administration directed millions of egg-laying birds to be culled last year amid a bird flu outbreak, though prices have continued rising in Trump’s fledging presidency.
Inflation was slightly elevated at 3% last month, but way down from its peak of 9.1% in 2022.
Only one in three Americans approve of Trump’s handling of cost of living, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey on Tuesday.
A child’s dream comes true
Watch: Moment Trump names 13-year-old ******* survivor a Secret Service agent
In one of the most viral moments of the night, Trump offered a surprise to a child diagnosed with brain ******* whom the president said aspired to become a policeman.
The boy, 13-year-old DJ Daniel, was held up by his father as Republicans and attendees in the House gallery chanted “DJ.”
Trump announced DJ would be sworn in by his new Secret Service director as a member of the force.
A stunned DJ then received a Secret Service badge from the agency’s director Sean Curran, one of the agents who rushed on to stage to protect Trump during the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
More than a dozen Democrats joined Republicans in a standing ovation.
Wildlife refuge renamed for ******* victim
Watch: Trump renames wildlife refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray
During the speech, Trump announced he had renamed a Texas wildlife refuge after a Houston girl who was allegedly killed by undocumented immigrants.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found dead in June 2024 after she was reported missing. Alexis Nungaray, her mother, was a guest of First Lady Melania Trump during the president’s speech.
During his inaugural address in January, Trump promised his administration would begin deporting “millions and millions” of immigrants with criminal records.
The number of migrants illegally crossing the southern border fell last month to the lowest level in at least 25 years.
But the Republican president has reportedly been frustrated by the pace of removals, which have so far failed to surpass the numbers deported during Biden’s last year in office.
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Marvel Contest of Champions will launch the Dark Phoenix Saga with Jean Grey and Bastion alongside the addition of a new Eidol
Marvel Contest of Champions will launch the Dark Phoenix Saga with Jean Grey and Bastion alongside the addition of a new Eidol
Jean Grey and Bastion join The Contest
Lumatrix is the latest Eidol created by The Founders
Pick your Champion for the 2025 rework by completing tasks
Kabam is bringing major updates to Marvel Contest of Champions, kicking off the Dark Phoenix Saga, introducing new Champions, and unveiling a brand-new character type known as Eidols. This month also celebrates the superhero fighter’s powerful women, giving you a chance to influence an upcoming Champion rework.
Jean Grey and Bastion are the latest additions to The Contest, bringing their formidable abilities and a gripping new storyline. You can add Jean Grey to your roster from March 13th, while Bastion arrives on the 27th. Prior to that, the Dark Phoenix Saga kicks off on March 3rd, pitting Jean Grey and the X-Men against dangerous variants in an all-new quest.
In addition, Marvel Contest of Champions’ lore will continue to expand with the addition of more Eidols to carry forward the Founders storyline. The first Eidol, Isophyne, arrived in December 2024, and throughout 2025, three more Eidols will be introduced, each with its own distinct sourcing system. The next in line, Lumatrix, makes its debut on March 5th and will be available until June 4th.
Lumatrix was designed by The Founders as a master infiltrator, capable of spying, sabotaging, and assassinating threats with unparalleled precision. Composed of ISO-8 crystals, Lumatrix wields extraordinary light manipulation abilities. Though it appears to be a dazzling performer, beneath the surface lies a ruthless weapon crafted to eliminate enemies while hiding in plain sight.
Redeem these Marvel Contest of Champions codes for numerous freebies!
Finally, March brings a celebration of the powerful women of The Contest. Kabam has partnered with seven female developers and content creators, each representing a different Champion, and you will have the opportunity to decide which of these Champions will receive a rework in 2025. Complete Solo Objectives and Realm Events to determine who receives an update.
Prepare for the update by downloading Marvel Contest of Champions now for free. Visit the official website for more information.
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Dolphins centre’s rise to stardom poles apart from rest
Dolphins centre’s rise to stardom poles apart from rest
Herbie Farnworth’s quest to succeed in the NRL from the unlikeliest beginning started as an impossible dream, but his journey is also poles apart from the mundane.
The Dolphins and England superstar will play his 100th NRL game against South Sydney on Friday night.
For a 12-year-old kid from rural Lancashire to rise to become one of the world’s best centres leads itself to a unique story
It all started with six training poles on a village green in Blacko, where in rain, sleet or ice he fine-tuned his craft thousands of times under the tutelage of his uncle Brian Foley.
Foley was previously recruiter and junior development coach for Wigan Warriors.
The footwork, agility and evasiveness that Farnworth displays today all started with those poles.
“Those six poles were Herbie’s friends. They were his foes. They were his warriors in arms,” Foley told AAP.
“The story of the poles is unique to Herbie. His agility all his movements stem back to the village green and those poles.”
Farnworth, to this day, still does extras at Dolphins training with his beloved poles.
Not on scholarship to any Super League club while in England, Farnworth travelled to Australia in his summer school holidays with Foley when he was 14 to play with the Burleigh Bears.
He also attended Broncos elite player development squad sessions after impressing then program head Simon Scanlan.
He was a skinny rake at Burleigh, playing against giants from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
“The first couple of years it didn’t go Herbie’s way, but he kept coming back,” Foley said.
“The third year he was instrumental in Burleigh winning the grand final.”
It was then the Broncos offered him an initial contract and he hasn’t looked back, starring for Brisbane in their run to the 2023 grand final and becoming one of the Dolphins’ biggest signings in their short history.
Scintillating displays at international level for England have followed.
When Farnworth goes back to Blacko you will find him on the old village green with Foley.
“Two years ago he came back and we were on the field training with a chill factor of minus-15,” Foley said.
“Three days later he was training in 39-degree heat at the Broncos.”In 2022 the pair practised a hit-and-spin move in Blacko, which Farnworth put on for a try in the 60-6 smashing of Samoa in the 2022 World Cup.In 2023 the Blacko field was so icy the duo trained in an 80m tunnel under a motorway flyover.
“We always found a way,” Foley said.
“The message we want to send about anything in life is that if you want to do it, just do it … and find a way to do it as well.
“The story of Herbie is one of the most inspirational in sport because he has turned dreams into reality.
“What seemed like mission impossible for Herbie became mission accomplished. Herbie’s mindset is always to go beyond.”
Farnworth plays the Rabbitohs in Parramatta, up against his old coach Wayne Bennett. His 100th NRL match is a “pinch yourself” moment. “I am very proud of it,” Farnworth said.
“It was very tough when I first moved away from family and friends. I was glad to play one NRL game, let alone 100. It is pretty cool.
“I am happy to be out there against Wayne too, so it should be a good one.”
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Trump’s Most Outrageous Claim Leads To Open Laughter During Speech
Trump’s Most Outrageous Claim Leads To Open Laughter During Speech
Democratic lawmakers didn’t have much to smile about during President Donald Trump’s divisive speech before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, but one moment caused them to laugh openly.
“The days of rule by unelected bureaucrats are over,” Trump said, referring to his efforts to dismantle large portions of the federal government.
Critics were quick to point to the obvious irony: Trump placed Elon Musk, who was not elected, in charge of that effort.
Musk and his DOGE team have in effect become a shadow bureaucracy, making decisions impacting millions of federal workers, and billions in federal dollars that had been allocated by elected officials in Congress.
Listen to the reaction:
Along with laughter, Trump’s speech had other forms of disruption. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was kicked out of the event for challenging him on Medicaid. Others engaged in more of a silent protest, such as turning their backs on Trump and walking out, or holding up signs saying things such as “false” and “This is NOT normal.”
But the claim about “unelected bureaucrats” may have led to one of the biggest reactions of the night from Trump’s critics both in the chamber and online:
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Seven takeaways from Trump's big speech to Congress – BBC.com
Seven takeaways from Trump's big speech to Congress – BBC.com
Seven takeaways from Trump’s big speech to Congress BBC.comTrump Says ‘America Is Back’ and Taunts Rivals in Speech to Congress The New York TimesFact-checking Trump’s address to Congress CNN5 takeaways from Trump’s record-setting speech to Congress Yahoo
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Trump says he is ‘just getting started’ in speech to US Congress
Trump says he is ‘just getting started’ in speech to US Congress
Six weeks into his presidency, Donald Trump came to a US Capitol controlled by his Republican Party to take a lengthy victory lap.
In typical Trumpian hyperbole, he said that “many” believed his to be the most successful start to a presidency in US history. He noted what he said a change in the national mood toward “pride” and “confidence.” He compared himself to George Washington, and boasted about the size of his electoral victory.
“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years, and we are just getting started,” he told the joint session of Congress.
The frenetic start to his presidency offered plenty of material for Trump to cover, and he didn’t shy away from it.
He ticked through a lengthy list of tangible accomplishments – hundreds of executive orders and actions, a freeze on foreign aid, lower levels of undocumented migrants and withdrawal from international organisations and agreements.
He also spoke at length about his ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports and moves to get “woke ideology” out of US schools and the military.
“Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It’s gone, it’s gone, and we feel so much better for it, don’t we?”
Meanwhile, Democrats – who filled up half the audience in the House chamber – sat in icy silence, as the president repeatedly blamed them, former President Joe Biden and “radical left lunatics” for all the nation’s ills.
Several dozen responded by holding up small ****** signs with words like “false” and “lies”.
The president seemed to enjoy putting the “bully” in the presidential bully pulpit.
He needled his political adversaries, mocking their refusal to cheer his remarks, dusting off his “Pocahontas” nickname for Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, and wryly noting that attempts to prosecute him “didn’t work out” for his opponents.
Texas congressman Al Green was not around to see any of that, however.
At the very start of Trump’s speech, the Democrat had harangued the president, his mostly inaudible comments punctuated with repeated thrusts of his cane. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called for decorum and the House Sergeant-at-Arms escorted the congressman from the chamber.
Green would tell reporters outside the Capitol that he was protesting proposed cuts to the government-run Medicaid health insurance for low-income Americans.
After about half an hour of touting his opening actions, Trump turned to the tasks he still needed to accomplish. That made up the bulk of a speech that stretched for more than an hour and 40 minutes. It was standard presidential address fare, and Trump’s rhetorical flourishes began to blur together.
While he said “small business optimism” was up, he blamed Biden for the current state of the economy – including high egg prices. He promised to “rescue” the economy and make getting “dramatic and immediate relief to working families” his highest priority.
He called out Elon Musk in the audience, and said his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) would reduce inflation by cutting wasteful spending and fraud, prompting him to recite a laundry list of purported examples in foreign aid and other government programmes.
Trump leaned heavily into promises of further progress on immigration enforcement and offered an animated defence of his tariff policies, saying that they are “protecting the soul of our country”, even if most economists warn they will lead to higher prices for American consumers.
The president acknowledged that adding a tax on imported goods might cause a “disturbance” and that US farmers might feel a “******* of indigestion”. But nothing in his comments suggested that he was backing away from a budding trade war that has roiled the stock market in recent days.
Trump once again promised to balance the budget, prompting a round of applause from Republican legislators. He provided no details about the kind of steep cuts such a promise would require, however.
In fact, he quickly turned to discussing the tax cuts he hopes Congress will enact – including his campaign promises of no taxes on tips, overtime or Social Security. Any of those, if enacted, would add hundreds of billions of dollars to the current nearly $2tn budget deficit.
Foreign policy is rarely front and centre in these presidential addresses, and that was the case this time despite how Trump has shaken up global politics in the first weeks of his second term.
He repeated his desire for an American annexation of Greenland, promised American control of the Panama Canal and only made brief mention of Gaza and the Middle East.
The president spoke more extensively about negotiating with Russia for peace in Ukraine. And he took pleasure in reading from a letter he said he’d just received from Volodymyr Zelensky – which was similar to a message the Ukrainian leader posted on X earlier in the day.
“He said: ‘My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts. We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence.’
Trump added that Zelensky had said he was ready to sign an agreement on minerals and security “at any time that is convenient for you”.
“I appreciate that,” Trump told the chamber.
By the time Trump wrapped up, his speech had set a modern record for the longest presidential address to Congress. Much like the first six weeks of Trump’s presidency, there was plenty for his supporters to love, and lots for his critics – at least those who tuned in – to jeer.
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Former Eagle Tom Barrass confirmed for Hawthorn debut in reshuffled AFL season opener
Former Eagle Tom Barrass confirmed for Hawthorn debut in reshuffled AFL season opener
Tom Barrass will make his Hawthorn debut in what will be the 2025 AFL season opener giving West Coast fans an early reminder of what they may be missing this season.
The Hawks will name their full Opening Round squad on Thursday night but couldn’t wait to confirm the debut of Barrass and fellow off-season recruit Josh Battle.
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Hawthorn will feature in the AFL season opener this century after Brisbane’s clash with Geelong was rescheduled due to the approach of cyclone Alfred.
Both will slot straight into the team’s back six, which was hindered by injuries last season, with Hawthorn General Manager Rob McCartney excited by the partnership they will form.
“We identified a need for key backs in our list build a number of years ago and obviously this last off-season, we’ve been able to execute a strategy that’s brought both Tom and Josh to our club,” McCartney said.
“In the pre-season, we’ve seen them build their synergy with our back six and that will only grow over the coming years at the club.
“What we can’t underestimate too is that both of them are outstanding men who bring an extra layer of depth and character to our group.
“We’re really excited by what they’re about to do in the brown and gold.”
Barrass last year said he would remain an Eagle “unless the rug was pulled out from under him” before a meeting with coach Sam Mitchell convinced him to make a switch.
The 2018 premiership defender has wasted little time getting on board with his new club dressing up as teammate Nick Watson for Halloween before creating a stir earlier this year by inviting Harley Reid to his wedding where he was pictured chatting with the Hawks coach.
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6 Takeaways From Trump’s Address to Congress
6 Takeaways From Trump’s Address to Congress
President Trump took a defiant victory lap in the House chamber on Tuesday night, using his address to a joint session of Congress to promote the flurry of drastic changes to domestic and foreign policy that his administration has made in just the first six weeks.
Delivering the longest address to Congress in modern presidential history, Mr. Trump reprised many of the themes that animated his campaign for president and spent little time unveiling new policies, as presidents traditionally have done on these occasions. He spoke for roughly one hour and 40 minutes.
“We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplish in four years or eight years — and we are just getting started,” he said.
Democrats lodged protests throughout the evening, with one member getting kicked out and others holding signs in silent opposition. But Mr. Trump argued that it was the Democrats who left him a country besieged by crises and that his administration was working to clean them up.
Here are six takeaways from Mr. Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress in his second term.
Trump signaled a reset with Ukraine after his explosive meeting with that country’s president.
One day after Mr. Trump temporarily suspended the delivery of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, he signaled a willingness to reset the relationship. The president said he appreciated a message from President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, in which he said his country was “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”
The new posture comes days after Mr. Trump’s explosive Oval Office meeting with Mr. Zelensky, which resulted in the Ukrainian leader hastily departing the White House without signing a deal for the United States to have access to Ukraine’s revenue for rare earth minerals. In his message, which was posted on social media on Tuesday, Mr. Zelensky said he was ready to sign the deal, a top priority for Mr. Trump.
On Tuesday night, Mr. Trump also said he had had “serious” discussions with Russia and they have signaled they also are “ready for peace.”
“It’s time to stop this madness,” he said. “It’s time to halt the killing. It’s time to end the senseless war. If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides.”
Trump reiterated his support for tariffs, despite early market turmoil.
Mr. Trump widened his trade wars on Tuesday when he instituted sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. Despite the markets’ plunging in response to his actions, Mr. Trump said he would not budge, dismissing the reaction as “a little disturbance.” He said more tariffs would go into effect on April 2.
“Other countries have used tariffs against us for decades, and now it’s our turn to start using them against those other countries,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said Mr. Trump could announce a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada as soon as Wednesday. But the president made no mention of that in his speech on Tuesday night.
“Whatever they tariff us, other countries, we will tariff them,” he said. “That’s reciprocal, back and forth.”
Trump faced sustained opposition from Democrats throughout a contentious night.
Within the first few minutes of Mr. Trump’s speech, Representative Al Green, Democrat of Texas, stood up and started heckling the president. After Mr. Green ignored multiple warnings from Speaker Mike Johnson, Mr. Johnson ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove Mr. Green from the chamber.
Mr. Green’s eviction marked the most contentious moment of a combative night, as Democrats organized various protests against the president. Many Democratic lawmakers held up small ****** signs with phrases that included “Save Medicaid,” “Musk Steals” and “False.” Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan held up a whiteboard that said “Start by paying your own taxes” as Mr. Trump talked about tax cuts. A number of Democrats, including Representatives Maxwell Frost of Florida and Jasmine Crockett of Texas, walked out during Mr. Trump’s speech.
But even as they expressed their dissent, Democrats showed they were still struggling to coalesce around a unified message of opposition to Mr. Trump.
Trump stressed his support for Elon Musk’s efforts to overhaul government.
Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man, has overseen the Trump administration’s aggressive effort to overhaul the federal government with sweeping cuts to the work force and contracts. The speed and the scope of Mr. Musk’s work has caught many in Washington off guard, with Democrats accusing him of violating congressional spending authority and civil service protections.
But Mr. Trump made clear on Tuesday that he wholeheartedly supports Mr. Musk’s radical approach.
“He’s working very hard,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Musk, who nodded his head and beamed in response. “He didn’t need this. He didn’t need this. Thank you very much. We appreciate it.”
Pointing to Democrats, he said: “Everybody here — even this side appreciates it, I believe. They just don’t want to admit that. Just listen to some of the appalling waste we have already identified.”
The president spent several minutes listing off a wide range of programs Mr. Musk’s team has cut, bragging that the effort had identified “hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud.” But even Mr. Musk’s initiative has claimed to have generated only $105 billion in savings, assertions that have not been verified. The New York Times has found that DOGE has erroneously reported savings based on contracts that had already ended and miscalculated numbers.
Mr. Trump also re-upped his attacks on federal workers, vowing to “reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy.”
“Any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately,” he said.
Trump spent little time discussing new policies.
Presidents often use addresses to a joint session of Congress to lay out their agenda for the year ahead. But not Mr. Trump. He did not unveil new policies and devoted little time to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, both of which Mr. Trump has vowed to end.
Mr. Trump also did not address another time-sensitive issue: how to prevent the government from shutting down next week. Even with Republicans controlling the House and the Senate, there are still disagreements about the best ways to proceed on the funding battle.
The president reiterated that he wants Congress to allocate more money for immigration enforcement while cutting taxes, but how lawmakers will achieve that remains unclear.
Trump is still re-litigating the 2024 presidential campaign.
Mr. Trump is always in need of an opponent, and for now, it appears former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is still in his cross hairs. Even after defeating him in November, Mr. Trump mentioned his predecessor’s administration more than a dozen times and called Mr. Biden “the worst president in American history.”
He blamed Mr. Biden for a litany of problems, including the high costs of eggs, crime and drugs flooding across the border, and accused him of being weak on China.
At times, Mr. Trump appeared to be giving one of his stump speeches from the campaign trail, as he railed against Mr. Biden’s immigration policies, support of transgender rights and “wokeness.”
“Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad,” Mr. Trump said, without specifying what exactly he was referring to. “It’s gone. It’s gone.”
Minho Kim and Chris Cameron contributed to this report.
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Recession risk creeps onto markets’ radar
Recession risk creeps onto markets’ radar
By Dhara Ranasinghe, Alun John and Samuel Indyk
LONDON (Reuters) – Global growth concerns have shot back onto the radar of financial markets as weakening U.S. economic data and growing trade tensions hurt consumer confidence and business activity.
Although recession is not the base-case scenario for economists, given underlying U.S. resilience, recent data has unnerved investors and U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada are exacerbating growth concerns.
A shift in the mood music is apparent across markets.
Oil prices are at their lowest since October, stocks from New York to Tokyo are retreating from recent multi-year highs and two-year U.S. Treasury yields are at their lowest since October as bond investors see increased chances of near-term rate cuts.
A woman carries a shopping bag during the holiday season in New York
“One thing is essential for an economy and that’s confidence, which has taken a hit,” said Francois Savary, chief investment officer at Genvil Wealth Management, referring to weakening U.S. consumer and business sentiment.
“I don’t think it’s (recession) a done deal but it’s a reason why we have decided to decrease (U.S.) equity exposure.”
U.S. consumer confidence in January slumped the most in 3-1/2 years, retail sales dropped by the most in nearly two years, and Monday’s U.S. manufacturing activity data showed big falls in new orders and employment.
“We don’t think we will see a (U.S.) recession but we do see a modest growth slowdown,” said Joost van Leender, senior investment strategist, at Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management in Amsterdam, adding consumers were feeling uncertain about “chaotic” U.S. policy.
Van Leender said he had trimmed U.S. equity holdings in late January and is overweight Treasuries as yields are likely to fall as the economy decelerates.
Highlighting the change in fortunes, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model estimate for annualised growth this quarter on Monday fell to -2.8% from +2.3% a week ago.
Analysts stress that recent U.S. data is likely to have been skewed by one-off factors such as cold weather, and strong imports in the case of the Atlanta Fed’s model. But they also note that a trade war means focus is quickly shifting from inflation to the growth risks from U.S. tariffs.
China has responded to a doubling of duties on ******** goods to 20% with additional tariffs of 10%-15% on certain U.S. imports from March 10. Europe is also in the firing line for higher U.S. tariffs, and trade-vulnerable auto stocks dropped 4% on Tuesday after the tariffs on Mexico and Canada, where many cars for the U.S. market are made.
Story Continues
Morgan Stanley estimates that the new U.S. tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada could shave 0.7-1.1 percentage points off U.S. economic growth in coming quarters, deliver a 2.2 to 2.8 percentage point hit to ********* growth, and push Mexico into recession.
********* Chamber of Commerce CEO Candace Laing warned that U.S. tariff policy was forcing Canada and the U.S. toward “recessions, job losses and economic disaster”.
“Time to add a new word to the dictionary, ‘Trumpcession’, SEB economist Marcus Widén said in a note.
RATE CUT PRESSURE
The ********* dollar and ******** peso briefly hit one-month lows on Tuesday. Notably, the dollar, which has generally benefited from trade tensions, has also weakened as U.S. growth worries weigh.
Some reckon the U.S. economy could be at risk from a worrying mix of sluggish growth and relentless inflation.
Analysts said a trade war keeps pressure on central banks globally to keep cutting rates to shore up growth. Traders are now pricing in 75 basis points of U.S. rate cuts by year-end versus just one cut in mid-January when data was strong.
After ending February with their biggest monthly drop since late 2023, 10-year U.S. Treasury yields are eyeing 4%.
“The bond market is moving towards pricing a soft patch and maybe a recession,” said Forvis Mazars chief economist George Lagarias.
The European Central Bank is tipped to cut rates again on Thursday and Morgan Stanley said it expects another cut in April as economic data and inflation weaken.
Even if U.S. economic data improves, analysts said the cloudier outlook was reason enough to remain cautious on equities.
Hedge funds that had snapped up global equities have fled bullish bets and put on wagers that stocks would decline, a Goldman Sachs note on Monday showed.
Consumer discretionary stocks, an economic bellwether and indicator of shoppers’ purchasing power for nice-to-have products, was the worst-performing U.S sector last month, the note showed.
Friday’s closely-watched U.S. jobs report takes on additional significance with growth risks in focus.
“This economic cycle is consumption-led and can only die with the labour market,” said Lombard Odier’s chief economist Samy Chaar. “The Fed has to be very mindful of that.”
(Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe, Alun John and Samuel Indyk; Additional reporting by Nell Mackenzie and Naomi Rovnick, editing by Christina Fincher)
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Mohammad Sharifullah, man allegedly behind Abbey Gate Kabul airport bombing, being extradited to U.S.
Mohammad Sharifullah, man allegedly behind Abbey Gate Kabul airport bombing, being extradited to U.S.
Inside Kabul over 3 years after U.S. withdrawal
Inside Afghanistan more than 3 years after U.S. withdrawal
04:21
U.S. officials told CBS News that Mohammad Sharifullah is being extradited to the U.S. in connection with the August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, which killed 13 American service members and about 170 Afghans during the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
A senior Defense Department official said Sharifullah was captured roughly 10 days ago in a joint raid between Pakistani intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency.
U.S. officials said Sharifullah was one of two masterminds involved in the planning of the bombing. He is described as a regional Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, commander.
President Trump announced the arrest at Tuesday’s joint address to Congress and thanked the Pakistani government.
Axios was first to name Sharifullah.
According to the Pentagon, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at an entrance to the airport, where thousands of people had been gathering daily as they tried to flee the city after it fell to the Taliban.
Then-President Biden had vowed revenge following the attack, saying, “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
Mr. Trump had fiercely criticized both Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris over how the withdrawal was handled while on the campaign trail. The president again lambasted his predecessor for the withdrawal during Tuesday’s address to Congress, even claiming it led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Department of Defense in a 2024 review identified the bomber as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, who it said was also affiliated with ISIS-K. That review upheld previous findings from the department that the bombing “could not have been preventable at the tactical level.”
Margaret Brennan
Margaret Brennan is moderator of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on CBS. Based in Washington, D.C., Brennan is also the Network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent and a contributing correspondent to 60 Minutes. Additionally, she appears regularly on the “CBS Evening News,” leading coverage from Washington when news breaks on the political and foreign affairs fronts.
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