More to IOC gender testing than appeasing Trump: ex-IOC executive

NASA began its two-day countdown Monday ahead of what is slated to be its first crewed moonshot in more than half a century, a long-anticipated loop around Earth's satellite that is to pave the way for future exploration.

The first window to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida opens Wednesday, April 1 at 6:24 pm (2224 GMT), and NASA officials said the countdown began at 4:44 pm.

"The vehicle is ready, the system is ready. The crew is ready," Amit Kshatriya, the US space agency's associate administrator, said in a briefing.

"Behind this flight stands a campaign," he continued, noting recently announced plans including constructing a lunar base.

If Wednesday's launch is cancelled or delayed for any reason, there are more liftoff opportunities through April 6.

As of Monday evening, NASA officials voiced confidence that engineering operations and final preparations were proceeding smoothly.

"We'll fly when this hardware is ready," launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told journalists.

"But certainly all indications are right now we are in excellent, excellent shape."

The four astronauts set to carry out the Moon voyage -- Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch along with Canadian colleague Jeremy Hansen -- are in quarantine ahead of their journey.

NASA officials said Monday evening that they would have the opportunity to have dinner with their families at a Florida beach house.

- Cloudy with a chance of history -

The odyssey will mark a series of firsts: the first time a woman, a person of color and a non-American will venture on a Moon mission.

It is also the inaugural crewed flight of NASA's new lunar rocket, dubbed SLS.

The mammoth orange-and-white rocket is designed to allow the United States to repeatedly return to the Moon in years to come, with the goal of establishing a permanent base that will offer a stepping stone for further exploration.

But getting it off the ground has not been simple. The Artemis 2 mission was originally due to take off as early as February but repeated setbacks stalled that goal and even necessitated rolling the rocket back to its hangar for analysis and repairs.

And then there is the weather: as of Monday, NASA reported that the forecast shows "an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions."

"Cloud coverage and potential for high winds on the ground" were their primary concerns, the agency said.

Teams are also monitoring solar weather.

"I'm just gonna make an appeal to the space gods, okay?" Kshatriya said to laughter on Monday.

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Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey was sacked by the team on Monday after condemning the NBA's support for the LGBTQ community.

A brief statement from the Bulls said the 24-year-old had been waived by the team for "conduct detrimental to the team."

The decision came after Ivey appeared to take aim at the NBA over its support for Pride month throughout the league.

"They proclaim Pride Month in the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, 'Come join us for Pride Month,' to celebrate unrighteousness," Ivey said in an Instagram live post.

"They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim it in the streets — unrighteousness. So how is it that one can't speak righteousness? How are they to say that, 'Man, this man is crazy'?"

Ivey, who only joined Chicago two months ago in a trade from the Detroit Pistons, also took aim at Catholicism in an exchange with a commenter.

"Catholicism is a false religion. And is not the true Doctrine of Christ. (It) does not lead to salvation in Jesus Christ," he commented.

Ivey was regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the NBA when he was chosen with the fifth pick of the draft by Detroit in 2022.

However his career has been disrupted by injuries over the past two seasons, and he played only four times for Chicago after joining the team in February.

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A host of tech giants including Facebook and YouTube are under investigation for potentially breaching Australia's world-leading social media ban for under-16s, the nation's online watchdog said Tuesday. 

Australia in December banned users under 16 from the world's largest social media platforms, citing the need to protect them from "predatory algorithms" and online bullying.

There were "significant concerns" that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube may have breached the ban, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

"While social media platforms have taken some initial action, I am concerned through our compliance monitoring that some may not be doing enough to comply with Australian law." 

Possible breaches included providing "insufficient measures to prevent new under 16 accounts being created". 

"As a result, we are now moving into an enforcement stance," said Inman Grant. 

Inman Grant said "powerful" tech interests were always expected to push back against the laws, likening their efforts to "Big Tobacco". 

"This reform is unwinding 20 years of entrenched social media practices," said Inman Grant. 

"Durable, generational change takes time -- but these platforms have the capability to comply today and we certainly expect companies operating in Australia to comply with our safety laws." 

A growing body of research suggests too much time online is taking a toll on teen wellbeing. 

Australia's ban has been widely hailed as a godsend for parents sick of seeing children glued to their phones. 

Malaysia, France, New Zealand and Indonesia are among the nations now eyeing similar measures. 

Social media companies bear the sole responsibility for checking Australia-based users are 16 or older. 

Some platforms have said they would use AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while young users could also choose to prove their age by uploading government ID.

- 'Legally erroneous' -

While most tech companies have pledged to abide by Australian laws, they have warned that the heavy-handed move could simply push teens to darker, less-regulated corners of the internet. 

Initial impacts of the legislation "suggest it is not meeting its objectives of increasing the safety and well-being of young Australians", Meta argued in January. 

Meta said parents and experts were worried about the ban isolating young people from online communities.

Online discussion site Reddit has filed a legal challenge against Australia's ban, which it described as "legally erroneous". 

The US-based company said there were serious privacy concerns associated with platforms verifying age, with the collection of personal data creating a risk of leaks or hacks. 

Reddit's challenge is yet to be heard in Australia's High Court.

sft/msp

Iraq coach Graham Arnold said Monday he is trying to shield his squad from news of the war in the Middle East as they prepare for a crunch 2026 World Cup playoff against Bolivia.

Arnold's Iraq-based players were forced to train and travel under the shadow of conflict embroiling the region, and arrived in Mexico after a gruelling journey that involved overland travel to Jordan.

However Arnold is determined not to let the troubled build-up distract his team as they bid to secure Iraq's first appearance at the World Cup since the 1986 finals in Mexico. 

"Representing 46 million people is a unique experience," Arnold told reporters in Monterrey on Monday. "A major part of my job has focused on the mental aspect. 

"The players need to concentrate on themselves -- thinking of their families and a few close friends -- rather than the entire country; otherwise, the pressure becomes too great," the 62-year-old Australian added.

Iraq's preparations for Tuesday's intercontinental playoff have been heavily disrupted over the past month by the war in the Middle East — a conflict involving Israel and the United States against Iran — whose shockwaves have rippled across the region.

Most of the Iraqi squad only reached Mexico around 10 days ago after a three‑day journey from Baghdad that began with an overland crossing into Jordan.

At least 101 people have been killed in Iraq since the conflict erupted on February 28, according to an AFP tally.

"It has been a very difficult month," admitted Arnold, who had initially pushed for Tuesday's playoffs to be delayed.

"I prefer not to talk about it right now (the war in the Middle East). I have tried to shield my players from it. 

"A tremendous amount is happening in the Middle East; if they dwell on it too much, it will mess with their heads. They know what they have to do for their country. These past 20 days have been very difficult for them, but now they are relaxed."

Arnold said he believes qualification could "change a country and the perception of it."

"In Iraq, there is an obsession with football; it is the national sport," he said. "It is an honor to work with these players; I tried to be a father figure this week because I have experienced these situations (playoffs) before with Australia," he added.

rg/rcw/dmc

(The Center Square) – The U.S. officially reopened its embassy in Caracas on Monday for the first time after its ousting of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The U.S. shuttered its Venezuelan embassy in 2019, after a breakdown in diplomatic relations with the country. The U.S. would not recognize Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela and diplomats were facing increasing hostility, including orders from Maduro to leave the country. Since 2019, the U.S. has carried out diplomatic engagement with Venezuela through a team operating from its embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.

“The resumption of operations at U.S. Embassy Caracas is a key milestone in implementing the President’s three‑phase plan for Venezuela and will strengthen our ability to engage directly with Venezuela’s interim government, civil society, and the private sector,” the State Department said in a statement Monday.

The department sent longtime ambassador Laura Dogu, who has previously served as the ambassador to Nicaragua and Honduras, to Caracas in January to lead diplomatic efforts on the ground and the restoration of the chancery building. The U.S. conducted its targeted nighttime operation to oust Maduro on Jan. 3. 

The U.S. will eventually resume consular operations once the building is restored enough for full personnel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a transcribed interview with Al Jazeera that after stabilization and recovery, the final phase of American efforts in Venezuelan a is “a full transition” to a truly democratic form of government.

Currently, Delcy Rodríguez, who was vice president under Maduro since 2018, is serving as the acting president of Venezuela.

(The Center Square) – On its 44th day, the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is officially the longest government shutdown in American history.

Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, however, are pointing fingers rather than canceling their scheduled two-week recess, and President Donald Trump is unhappy.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump is “encouraging Congress to come back to Washington to permanently fix this problem and to fund and reopen the Department of Homeland Security entirely.”

Some members of Congress also support canceling the recess. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, pointed out that under Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, Trump could force the Senate to convene.

“If a department with 260,000 employees (DHS) going unfunded isn’t an ‘extraordinary occasion’ – especially while the Senate is out on a two-week recess during that shutdown with no plans to resolve the impasse beyond ‘we’ll deal with that in two weeks’ – I don’t know what is,” Lee stated on X.

The shutdown could have ended Friday if the House had accepted the last-minute deal Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., brokered with Democrats.

Using a voice vote, the Senate passed a Homeland Security appropriations bill to fund DHS agencies like TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard, but not the agencies handling immigration enforcement and border security.

Thune’s idea was for the House to approve the Senate’s funding deal, and then use another party-line budget reconciliation bill to give ICE and Border Patrol their fiscal year 2026 money – minus the plethora of immigration enforcement reforms Democrats had demanded in the original bill.

Senate Democrats triggered the shutdown on Feb. 13 by tanking the fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security bill, refusing to let it pass unless Republicans implemented a laundry list of new immigration enforcement restrictions and reforms.

Thune’s compromise sidestepped their demands without impacting the operations of ICE and CBP.  While other DHS agencies have struggled, ICE and CBP have continued operations by dipping into their respective $70 billion funding boost allocated by the “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed last year.

But House Republicans revolted.

“Why didn’t the House vote on the Senate DHS bill? Because we read it. It defunds over 25% of DHS and undermines efforts to combat child exploitation and drug trafficking,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., explained Monday on X. “Congress must FULLY FUND DHS to keep our borders secure and our homeland safe.”

Rather than voting on the Senate-passed deal, Republicans instead passed a Continuing Resolution Friday night that would have funded all DHS agencies for the next 60 days.

By that time, the Senate had already left town, and the CR would have certainly failed in the Senate regardless.

“Republicans officially own the longest government shutdown in U.S. history,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif, said Monday on social media. “They rejected a bipartisan bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security that would pay TSA, FEMA, and the Coast Guard. Republicans would rather play politics than pay our federal workers.”

Not only are Democrats and Republicans blaming each other, but House and Senate Republicans are at war with each other as well.

Reps. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., both categorized the Senate leaving D.C. without taking up the CR “a disgrace” and blamed “weak leadership.”

“No urgency, no accountability. Just walked away while our national security hangs in the balance,” Mills fumed Monday on X. “Cancel the recess. Get back to Washington. Do your job and pass the bill.”

The White House on Monday defended praying for US troops engaged in the Iran war after Pope Leo XIV warned that God rejects the prayers "of those who wage war."

"I don't think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our servicemembers and those who are serving our country overseas," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in response to a question about the pontiff's comments.

With the conflict in the Middle East stretching into its second month, Pope Leo said during his Palm Sunday homily: "This is our God... A God who refuses war... who does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war."

Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, has repeatedly condemned the war and called for dialogue. 

But the 70-year-old pontiff has been cautious in his statements since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that started the war on February 28, refraining from naming any party in his condemnations and appeals for peace.

Leavitt and other members of the Trump administration have made an conspicuous display of their Christian faith. At the start of the press conference, she said her team had just finished a "little loud prayer" before the briefing began.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also used quasi-religious language to frame the conflict with Iran, offering a prayer last week at the Pentagon in which he said, "Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation."

In response to the pope's comments, Leavitt -- who is Catholic, along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- said the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values. 

Leaders and troops have prayed "during the most turbulent times in our nation's history, and if you talk to many servicemembers they will tell you they appreciate the prayers," she added. "In fact, I think it's a very noble thing to do."

Last week, the pope called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, saying more than a million people had been forced to flee their homes and urging the warring parties to hold talks.

mjf/mlm

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have required the state to be part of the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship.

Evers called the program a nationwide expansion of private voucher schools while proponents of the legislation say that it simply allows every taxpayer to donate up to $1,700 to help fund education.

“The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ created the first major federal program to effectively redirect public funds to private school tuition through tax incentives,” Evers wrote in his veto. “It is the first-ever federal effort to fund private school scholarships through vouchers the federal government will pay individuals in exchange for donating to organizations that award scholarships to attend private schools.”

Evers said that the tax credit is a redirect of tax money that should be received by the government to pay for programs and instead it is being redirected to private schools.

“Put another way, the federal government is now going to use public funds that should be used for public schools to essentially reimburse donors for helping fund private schools instead,” Evers wrote. “No joke.”

The Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools, however, argued that public schools stand to benefit also.

“The FTCS simply allows taxpayers to make a charitable contribution to the educational entity of their choice,” the group said in a statement. “As public schools have far more students than private schools, public schools stand to gain so much more funding through the FTCS. We see the value of a healthy educational ecosystem in Wisconsin, and the FTCS will help to ensure every student in Wisconsin has the ability and the resources to succeed.”

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly insulted and criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, famously calling him a "numbskull" and demanding the independent central bank lower interest rates despite stubbornly high inflation.

The Trump administration has ramped up the pressure on Powell, initiating an unprecedented investigation into him over cost overruns related to a Fed building renovation project.

Powell's term as chairman is due to end in May, and Trump has named former central banker Kevin Warsh to replace him. But with the investigation ongoing, the process remains stalled.

- Where are we now? -

In theory, Powell will preside over his final interest-rate-setting meeting as Fed chair on April 28-29. 

Powell first took the helm of the Federal Reserve during Trump's first presidency in 2018, and was reappointed to the position under Democrat Joe Biden in 2022.

Since his return to power in January 2025, Trump has relentlessly attacked Powell, questioning his mental abilities and labelling him "too late" for not lowering interest rates at the Republican's preferred pace.

Trump has pressured Powell to resign and even threatened to fire him, although the president backed off the latter when markets reacted poorly to the move.

In 2025, the US president went as far as visiting the Fed's under-renovation headquarters, where he verbally tussled with Powell as the two toured the site.

The renovation project has seen cost estimates increase from an initial $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion.

In January, in an extraordinary move, Powell disclosed that Trump's Justice Department had threatened him with a criminal indictment as it investigated the renovation project.

"The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President," said Powell at the time.

Soon after, following a months-long process, Trump named Warsh, a former Fed governor, as his candidate to replace Powell.

- What's the hold-up? -

Warsh must now be confirmed by the US Senate before he can take up the role. 

The Justice Department probe, however, has ruffled many lawmakers' feathers, and Senator Thom Tillis -- a member of Trump's own party who sits on the Senate Banking Committee -- has vowed to hold up the nomination as long as the investigation remains unresolved.

Earlier this month, a federal judge quashed subpoenas issued to the Fed as part of the probe, with the court saying there was "a mountain of evidence" to suggest the investigation was a pressure tactic.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro -- a Trump ally -- has vowed to appeal that decision.

While Powell's chairmanship ends in May, his term as a member of the Fed's board of governors runs until January 2028.

After the Fed's last rate-setting meeting in March, Powell vowed he would not leave his post as a Fed governor "until the investigation is well and truly over, with transparency and finality."

While it is not unheard of, it is rare for a Fed chair to remain on as a member of the board after their term as chief expires.

And as long as Warsh's nomination process continues, Powell can legally remain in his role as chair.

myl/els/eml/aha/mlm

Megastar singer Celine Dion on Monday announced her return to performing after a lengthy break prompted by a rare health condition, calling the comeback news revealed on her birthday "the best gift". 

Addressing fans in a video released on social media, the 58-year-old Canadian said her condition had improved and she would perform a series of shows in Paris beginning in September. 

"This year, I'm getting the best birthday gift of my life. I'm getting the chance to see you, to perform for you once again," she said. 

"I want to let you know that I'm doing great, managing my health, feeling good."

Dion first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder.

The Quebec-born star was forced to cancel the remainder of her shows indefinitely.

Treatment can help alleviate symptoms of the condition that can cause stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs.

The 2024 documentary "I Am: Celine Dion" provided an intimate look at the charismatic performer's career and the severity of her pain from the condition, including suffering a seizure.

Despite the diagnosis, Dion vowed she would fight her way back to the stage.

"I'm not dead," the singer told AFP in 2024 on the red carpet ahead of the premiere of the documentary.

Later that year Dion sang from the Eiffel Tower for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony, while athletes sailed down the river in pouring rain.

- Singing again -

Dion was launched onto the global stage in 1988 representing Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin.

Then aged 20, she sang "Ne partez pas sans moi" (Don't Leave Without Me), which won her the prize. 

The following year, Dion opened the TV extravaganza for host Switzerland with her winning French-language song. 

She then premiered the single "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" -- heralding her career switch into English, which set her on the path to global chart domination.

She has sold more than 260 million albums during a career spanning decades, and has won five Grammys -- two for "My Heart Will Go On", the hit song from the 1997 epic "Titanic".

On Monday, Dion told fans that she has continued to feel their support despite her years off stage. 

"Even in my most difficult times, you were there for me. You've helped me in ways that I can't even describe, and I'm truly so fortunate to have your support," she said, describing that she was now "singing again, even doing a little bit of dancing". 

Dion is set to perform 10 shows over five weeks at the Paris La Defense Arena beginning on September 12. 

burs-giv/pdw