US Senator sets record for longest Senate speech
Washington, April 2: In a feat of determination, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker held the Senate floor with a marathon speech that lasted all night and into Tuesday evening, setting a historic mark to show Democrats’ resistance to President Donald Trump’s sweeping actions. Booker took to the Senate floor on Monday evening, saying he would remain there as long as he was “physically able.” It wasn’t until more than 25 hours later that the 55-year-old senator, a former football tight end, finished speaking and walked off the floor. It set the record for the longest continuous Senate floor speech in the chamber’s history, though Booker was assisted by fellow Democrats who gave him a break from speaking by asking him questions on the Senate floor. It was a remarkable show of stamina as Democrats try to show their frustrated supporters that they are doing everything possible to contest Trump’s agenda. (AP)
China concludes high-intensity military drills around Taiwan
Beijing, April 2: China concluded its two-day high-intensity military drills around Taiwan on Wednesday, saying that it completed all designated tasks of the joint exercises. The Strait Thunder-2025A drills in the central and southern Taiwan Strait focussed on blockade enforcement of the estranged island. China claims Taiwan as part of its mainland. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command has successfully completed all designated tasks of the joint exercises carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday, a spokesperson for the theatre command, Senior. Colonel Shi Yi, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. (PTI)
2 more Indian carriers allowed to operate from Kathmandu
Kathmandu, April 2: Two Indian airlines have been allowed to operate regular flights to and from Nepal, according to the Himalayan nation’s civil aviation authority. SpiceJet, which had regular flights to Nepal before the COVID-19 pandemic, and Air India Express, making its debut in the country, have received scheduled approval and slots from Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), according to Hansa Raj Pandey, spokesperson at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Currently, Air India and Indigo conduct flights between Nepal and India. With the addition of SpiceJet and Air India Express, there will be four Indian airlines operating regular flights between the two countries. (PTI)
Trump administration halts research grants at varisty
Washington, April 2: The Trump administration has halted dozens of research grants at Princeton University, the latest Ivy League school to see its federal money threatened in a pressure campaign targeting the nation’s top universities. Princeton was notified this week that several dozen federal grants are being suspended by agencies including the Department of Energy, NASA and the Defense Department, according to a campus message sent Tuesday by Christopher Eisgruber, the university’s president. (AP)