essentially – SindhTribune.com

Tokyo, Manila plan to expand defense co-op; move ‘essentially mutual exploitation’: expert

April 2, 2025

Here’s what you need to know
The federal government on Monday will resume collecting defaulted student loan payments from millions of people for the first time since the start of the pandemic, officials said. The Trump administration said it would collect the debt through a Treasury Department program that withholds payments through tax refunds, wages and government benefits. The U.S. Education…
How to watch, where it’s streaming and what to know about this year’s fashion event
With its $75,000 ticket price and star-studded guest list, the Met Gala is a major moment for celebrities and pop culture aficionados alike. The annual event, which ushers in the spring exhibit for the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is known as fashion’s biggest night — but for everyone else watching…
Betting on next pope gains popularity ahead of the conclave
ROME — Next week’s conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is a solemn affair steeped in centuries-old traditions. But far from the Sistine Chapel where cloistered cardinals will cast votes, people are placing bets on who will be chosen as the next pope. From cash bets on websites to online games modeled after fantasy football leagues and casual…
Many in autism community say Health Secret RFK Jr. doesn’t understand their needs
In just two months on the job, Health Secret Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised the profile of autism more than any recent public official. Autism advocacy groups typically welcome more attention to their cause. But many autistic people say Kennedy is exploiting their community — and perpetuating harmful stereotypes — as part of his…
Putin says he hopes there will be no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments broadcast Sunday that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not. In a preview of an upcoming interview with Russian state television, published on Telegram, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict…
Stocks unleash remarkable comeback after a historic dive from Trump’s tariffs
In the week following President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement, it looked like the stock market had seen a ghost. Over the course of seven days following his April 2 announcement, the S&P 500 lost more than 12%, a decline not typically seen outside of extreme events like the Covid-19 pandemic and the subprime…
Inundated with tourists, Japanese towns look to taxes on visitors
TOKYO — A growing number of municipalities in Japan are introducing lodging taxes as overseas tourists continue to flood into the country, while cities and towns are also devising new taxes that only target visitors while exempting local residents. On April 1, the city of Atami in Shizuoka prefecture began collecting a lodging tax of…
No safe place left in Gaza as Israel’s ‘humanitarian zones’ shrink
After launching its offensive following the Hamas-led terror attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel created a sweeping buffer zone along the entirety of its western border with Gaza, while cutting off the north from the rest of the enclave with the establishment of the Netzarim Corridor. Sitting to the south of Gaza City it stretches…
Tariff impact data, Singapore bank earnings, major Indian IPO
Welcome to Your Week in Asia. The before-and-after of U.S. President Donald Trump’s seismic tariff announcement in early April will be on full display this week, with the U.S. and China revealing trade data from either side of that policy shift. Elsewhere, Singapore’s top lenders reveal their earnings over the course of three days, while…