Rights groups warn World Cup visitors over US travel

The foreigner ministers of Chile and Bolivia met Thursday in a step toward restoring relations severed 50 years ago, the latter's foreign minister said.

These two countries severed ties in 1975 after failing to reach agreement on a long-standing beef for landlocked Bolivia: access to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia used to have a coast but lost it in a war with Chile in the late 19th century. Regaining this access has been a key goal of Bolivia for decades.

Every year Bolivia celebrates a holiday called Dia del Mar, or Day of the Sea, to remember the loss of its 250-mile (400-km) stretch of coastline to Chile in the conflict known as the War of the Pacific.

On Thursday foreign ministers Francisco Perez Mackenna of Chile and Fernando Aramayo of Bolivia met at a border crossing and traveled together to La Paz.

Aramayo told reporters the meeting was "a fundamental milestone" on the road to restoring relations.

Ties between the two former enemies are warming now that center-right President Rodrigo Paz governs in Bolivia and far right President Jose Kast recently took power in Chile.

A key focus for Chile is to crack down on illegal immigration across its northern border with Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in South America. Chile is one of the most developed.

Kast, who took power March 11, ordered the digging of a three meter (10-foot) deep ditch along the frontier to make it harder for people to sneak into Chile. Bolivia has not publicly objected to this project.

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Victor Wembanyama will travel with the San Antonio Spurs to Portland for Friday's NBA playoff game, coach Mitch Johnson said, but he remains in concussion protocols with an uncertain playing status.

The 22-year-old French superstar was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a hard fall to the court in Tuesday's 106-103 Portland victory at San Antonio, which evened their best-of-seven first round series at 1-1.

Wembanyama, this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year, appeared at team workouts Wednesday and Thursday but was not allowed to take part under league concussion protocols.

"Wemby" can slowly progress in his activity but is evaluated medically after each step and must be cleared by doctors before he is once again eligible to play.

"He's looking good," Johnson said Thursday. "The update is that he's following each protocol and he's progressing and will travel with the team."

The Spurs were set to fly to Portland late on Thursday.

Wembanyama, a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player award, averaged a career-high 25.0 points, a career-best 11.5 rebounds, a league-best 3.1 blocked shots, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals a game this season.

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The new multinational force tasked with combating gangs in Haiti will deploy in "phases" over the coming months, a special representative for the force said Thursday.

"We are at a critical early phase of establishing the GSF," said Jack Christofides, the special representative for the Gang Suppression Force, told the UN Security Council.

He said the GSF will gradually replace the previous Multinational Mission to Support the Haitian Police (MMAS).

The council green-lit the GSF at US urging last September amid concerns that the MMAS was under-equipped and under-funded.

"We remain acutely aware of the suffering endured by the Haitian people, particularly those living under gang control. There is an urgent need for concrete action to restore security and hope," said Christofides, a South African diplomat.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. It has for years been plagued by criminal gangs responsible for killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings. 

According to the UN, gangs controlling nearly all the capital of Port-au-Prince have expanded their influence beyond the city in the past year. 

"The urgency is absolute. The deployment of the gang repression force must take place without delay," said Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime.

- Plans for a 5,500-strong force -

On setting up the GSF, Christofides said "force generation is progressing, with impressive pledges from member states." He did not provide details.

An initial deployment plan has been approved, adhering to the ceiling of 5,500 troops and police officers authorized by the Security Council, and "deployments will take place in phases over the coming months," he said.

So far, only 400 Chadian soldiers have arrived in Port-au-Prince to participate in the GSF. Chad has pledged a total of 1,500 personnel.

The departure of police officers from the MMAS -- which at its peak comprised about 1,000 officers, primarily from Kenya -- is expected to proceed gradually to avoid a security vacuum as the new force deploys.

"Efforts continue to broaden participation and ensure that the mission is equipped with the capabilities required to fulfill its mandate," Christofides said.

"Maritime and border dimensions for the mission will be particularly important including support for Haiti's capacity to manage its ports and commercial entry points," he added.

He said the goal was "to enable Haitian institutions to regain control and to create the conditions for longer term stability."

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the UN representative in Haiti, welcomed political progress in the country, specifically the transfer of power in February from the Transitional Presidential Council to Prime Minister Fils-Aime.

"Elections remain the only legitimate path back to constitutional order," he said.

Haiti has not held elections since 2016, primarily because of poor security.

According to the latest report by experts mandated by the Security Council, law enforcement operations have succeeded in curbing the expansion of gangs in the capital.

However, "the security situation remains deeply concerning," said Ruiz Massieu, also drawing attention to Haiti's nearly 1.5 million displaced persons.

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There is a "misimpression" about the extent of Canada's economic reliance on the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday, again pushing back on suggestions Ottawa must capitulate to Washington's trade demands.

Canada and the United States are heading towards fractious negotiations on the future of a North American free trade agreement that President Donald Trump signed and praised in his first term, but now says is "irrelevant."

The Trump administration's key trade figures -- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer -- have been highly critical of Canada's posture ahead of talks set to accelerate over the coming weeks.

Appearing in Congress on Wednesday, Lutnick defended Washington's tough rhetoric and said "Canada's economy leans on the incredible 30 trillion dollar economy of America."

Carney told reporters on Thursday that "there is a misimpression, by some, of the degree to which we are reliant on the United States."

"Yes, it is our biggest trading partner by far. We are also their second-biggest trading partner. There is a symbiosis between the two," the prime minister said.

Canada's "destiny is first and foremost going to be determined by what we do here."

Trump has repeatedly said the US economy does not need anything Canada produces and told the World Economic Forum in January that "Canada lives because of the United States."

Greer's comments about Canada have been more muted.

He said this month that "pillars" of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) are functioning reasonably well and would likely be preserved, while stressing substantial parts of the deal need to be changed.

Both Greer and Lutnick on Wednesday voiced anger over an Ontario provincial government decision to ban the sale of US liquor and wine in retaliation for Trump's steel and auto tariffs, which are hurting the economy of Canada's largest province.

Lutnick told Congress the ban was "insulting and disrespectful to America."

Greer told US lawmakers "there may have to be an enforcement action to deal with this issue," an apparent reference to dispute mechanisms within the USMCA.

Asked about Ontario's US alcohol ban on Thursday, Carney said it was a provincial decision but noted US breaches of the USMCA are undeniable.

"The tariffs on steel, the tariffs on aluminum, the tariffs on automobiles...those are violations of our trade deal," Carney said.

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More than 120 rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a travel advisory on Thursday warning that visitors to the 2026 World Cup could face "serious rights violations" due to the US government's immigration policies.

The coalition said fans, players, journalists and other travelers to World Cup games in the United States risked being affected by what it described as the Trump administration's "draconian immigration and anti-human rights agenda."

The grouping called on football's world governing body FIFA -- whose president, Gianni Infantino has close ties to Donald Trump -- to lobby the US government to ensure the safety of all travelers to the tournament.

"FIFA has been paying lip service to human rights while cozying up with the Trump administration, putting millions of people at risk of being harmed and their basic rights violated," said Jamil Dakwar, ACLU human rights program director. 

"It's past time that FIFA use its leverage to push for meaningful policy changes and binding assurances that will make people feel safe to travel and enjoy the games."

The coalition advisory warned that foreigners visiting the United States for the World Cup face specific risks, including "arbitrary denial of entry and risk of arrest, detention or deportation; invasive social media screening and searches of electronic devices; violent and unconstitutional immigration enforcement and racial profiling."

The advisory also said visitors potentially faced "suppression of speech and protest and increased surveillance; cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment – and even death" while detained by US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The majority of matches at the World Cup -- 78 out of 104 -- are scheduled to take place in the United States, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

Four qualified nations - Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast -- may find themselves without their supporters due to travel bans imposed by the US government, as Donald Trump has made anti-immigration policy the centerpiece of his second term.

Washington has assured that the administration's immigration crackdowns measures do not affect tourist visas -- and, by extension, fans holding tickets for the World Cup. 

FIFA has also established an expedited consular appointment process for visa applications, though without guaranteeing that a visa will be granted.

Concerns among supporters have intensified amid ongoing ICE operations targeting undocumented migrants. 

In January, two US citizens protesting the immigration crackdown were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, prompting widespread outrage.

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© Agence France-Presse

More than four million tickets were sold worldwide for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during this month's first window for purchases, organizers announced on Thursday.

Ticket buyers were from 85 nations, with top global sales beyond the United States coming from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.

"The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic," LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said. "Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games."

The next opportunity for 2028 Olympic ticket purchases will be in August, with people able to register through July 22. Fans will be able to buy up to 12 tickets for Olympic events and up to 12 tickets for Olympic football matches that don't count toward the 12-ticket Olympic maximum.

According to organizers, 95% of all tickets available under $100 were sold in the opening wave, with women's sessions outselling men's sessions 93% to 88%.

Gymnastics tickets sold the fastest with all available inventory sold for new Olympic offerings flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash.

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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is taking an indefinite break to seek counseling following controversy over his links to a female journalist, US media reported on Thursday.

Vrabel, who is married, has denied any impropriety after the publication of photos showing him embracing and holding hands with The Athletic NFL reporter Dianna Russini while poolside at an adults-only resort in Arizona last month.

Russini, who is also married, also denied wrongdoing. She subsequently resigned from her job as The Athletic launched an investigation into the incident.

Addressing the controversy on Tuesday, Vrabel said he had had "difficult conversations" with his family, the Patriots, coaches and players over the scandal which he described as "positive and productive."

In a statement to ESPN quoted across US media on Thursday, however, Vrabel said he had decided he now planned to step away from his job to begin counseling starting this weekend.

The decision means Vrabel will not be part of the Patriots team managing the third round of the NFL Draft on Saturday.

"As I said the other day, I promised my family, this organization and this team that I was going to give them the best version of me that I can possibly give them," Vrabel was quoted as saying in the statement.

"In order to do so, I have committed to seeking counseling, starting this weekend. This is something that I have given a lot of thought to and is something I would advise a player to do if I was counseling them.

"I have always wanted to lead by example, and I believe this is what I have to do to be the best husband, father and coach that I possibly can be. This is not an easy thing for me to admit, but it is one that I know will make me a better person." 

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a player for the Patriots alongside Tom Brady, has helped transform the franchise since being hired as head coach in early 2025.

In Vrabel's first season in charge, the Patriots finished 14-3 and reached the Super Bowl, where they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in February.

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(The Center Square) – Michigan Secretary of State and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson is facing scrutiny over her past role with the Southern Poverty Law Center following a federal indictment against the organization.

A grand jury indictment announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday charges the SPLC with 11 counts, including wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Federal officials allege the organization directed more than $3 million in donor funds between 2014 and 2023 to individuals associated with extremist groups. Benson served on the SPLC’s board of directors from 2014 through early 2019, which overlaps with the timeframe outlined in the indictment.

The allegations against the SPLC have prompted questions about the role board members, like Benson, played in the alleged crimes.

“This indictment raises serious questions about how the SPLC has been spending donor money,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “As a member of their board, did Jocelyn Benson know that donor money was reportedly being used to fund extremism and violence?”

According to the federal indictment, some of the groups that recieved funding include the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America and the National Socialist Movement, as well as an individual tied to organizing the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

“The SPLC is a nonprofit entity that purports to fight white supremacy and racial hatred by reporting on extremist groups and conducting research to inform law enforcement groups with the goal of dismantling these groups,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference announcing the charges. “The SPLC was not dismantling these groups. It was instead manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

SPLC CEO Bryan Fair said the group is “outraged by the false accusations.”

“Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do,” Fair said. “To be clear, this program saved lives.”

Benson’s office did not respond to a request for comment from The Center Square regarding her role on the SPLC board or the federal charges. She has also not released a statement regarding the indictment.

Separately, Benson is also facing multiple lawsuits alleging racial discrimination within the Michigan Department of State, which she leads.

A lawsuit filed just last week by Metro Detroit employees Jaqueline Griffin and Cherylann Sanker alleges they were subjected to discrimination and retaliation. The plaintiffs are seeking $10 million in damages.

The case marks at least the fourth lawsuit in recent years alleging racial discrimination within the department. A separate lawsuit filed in January on behalf of four employees also alleged a “racially hostile environment."

In a sworn statement included in that case, former Assistant Secretary of State Heaster Wheeler said he raised concerns directly with Benson.

“I brought these matters to the attention of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson,” Wheeler wrote. “Ms. Benson did not act to correct this situation.”

Benson’s department has denied the allegations of racial discrimination. Previous disputes have resulted in settlements, including a $775,000 agreement reached in 2024 with a former employee who alleged a "racially hostile" work environment.

This all comes as Benson campaigns for governor and is considered a leading Democrat candidate for the election, which is in just 194 days.

The sad saga of a humpback whale stranded a month ago on the German coast has sparked a flood of compassion but also a media frenzy, angry spats, conspiracy theories and death threats.

As Germans have followed the travails of the sea mammal, dubbed "Timmy" by a newspaper, on their live news tickers, TV screens and influencers' YouTube and TikTok channels, some worry about what its epic struggle says about a nation's collective psyche.

Sociologist Christian Stegbauer said the whale, a highly intelligent and social animal, had become an object of human "projections", with people engaging, especially on social media, in "a kind of competition on who cares most for the animal". 

While rescue workers have exhausted themselves in cold water, the odyssey has also featured heated rifts between veterinarians and self-proclaimed "whale-whisperers",  fundraising scams and esoteric attempts to heal the whale through chanting.

The drama began when the 13-metre (over 40-foot) cetacean was beached on a Baltic Sea sandbank on March 23 at the seaside resort Timmendorfer Strand near Luebeck, far from its Atlantic Ocean habitat, with remains of a fishing net in its mouth and in poor physical condition.

Since then a series of rescue attempts -- involving volunteers, environmental groups, maritime police, work crews with excavators and millionaire sponsors -- have repeatedly raised hopes that were quickly dashed, as the whale has swum off, zig-zagged and ended up beached again.

German media have broadcast the hapless creature lying motionless in shallow water for hours on end, with men in diving suits splashing water on it using kayak paddles.

Tide tables have become the stuff of national interest, and rare moments when the exhausted whale has blown water or flapped its fin have warranted breaking news bulletins.

- Cushions and pontoons -

The wave of sympathy tipped into public anger on April 1 when regional authorities announced they were convinced the badly injured and distressed animal could no longer be saved.

Activists quickly staged beach protests on the island of Poel near Wismar, where the animal had by then ended up, demanding further rescue attempts.

Various government officials, veterinarians and green groups received hate mail.

"The citizens participating in the debate react emotionally, while the scientists try to argue rationally," Stegbauer, the sociologist with Frankfurt University, told AFP. "The two approaches clash."

Conspiracy theories surfaced online that the whale had been deliberately driven into the Baltic Sea and all had been staged by a cabal of scientists, authorities and environmental organisations.

Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said some rescue workers had received death threats.

Despite experts warning that trying to save the creature would only cause it more pain, two multi-millionaires then jumped in with an elaborate rescue plan involving inflatable cushions and pontoons.

"I believe that life is the most important thing we have, and I simply felt that I had to do something," Walter Gunz, founder of a large consumer electronics retail chain, told the Neue Osnabruecker newspaper.

- 'Managed to death' -

News magazine Der Spiegel ran a long report about a local church on Poel island where the guestbook was no longer filled with personal reflections or prayers, but with messages about Timmy.

"You can do it, big boy!" read one.

During a press conference about the last-ditch rescue effort, veterinarian Janine Bahr‑van Gemmert was heckled by a man who burst through a security cordon.

"We have a right to know why this whale is being managed to death," he demanded.

Speaking to Welt TV, psychiatrist Borwin Bandelow said the whale may have become a symbol of Germans' wider and deeper dissatisfaction with a struggling economy and politics in general.

"The government is perceived as incompetent," he said. "Just as it can't solve many other everyday problems, it now can't solve this problem either."

A commentary in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung argued the saga had largely ignored more complex ecological issues and focused on the plight of a single animal, showing how modern society has lost touch with nature.

"In reality, the exhausted animal ... is not being saved for its own sake, let alone for the preservation of its species. It is being saved to spare us the live webcam images of its death."

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Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday said shareholders approved its sale to Paramount Skydance, giving a green light to a hostile takeover bid valuing the combined company at $110 billion.

The agreement ends a lengthy takeover saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape -- and connections to President Donald Trump's White House -- will be closely scrutinized.

The merged entity will include CNN, CBS, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood's most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission Impossible and SpongeBob SquarePants.

"Today's stockholder approval is another key milestone toward completing this historic transaction that will deliver exceptional value to our stockholders," WBD chief executive David Zaslav said in a release.

"We will continue to work with Paramount to complete the remaining steps in this process that will create a leading, next-generation media and entertainment company."

Under the terms of the agreement, Paramount will pay $31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding Warner Bros. shares, implying an equity value of $81 billion -- and $110 billion when including the mountain of debt Paramount will take on.

Paramount made its unsolicited offer for WBD after a contract was already in place for a sale to Neflix, triggering a bidding war that ended when the streaming upstart was unwilling to match its rival's offer.

Questions have pivoted to the Ellison family, which will control a constellation of media properties spanning the globe -- though at the cost of accumulating a pile of debt.

If regulators approve the deal, Paramount chief David Ellison is widely expected to embark on a painful round of cost-cutting to pare down the load.

His father, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison, one of the world's richest men, largely financed the takeover, offering a financial guarantee that finally persuaded the Warner Bros. board.

Larry Ellison is also a longtime ally of Trump, who said he would weigh in on approval of the buy.

The deal still faces regulatory hurdles. The European Commission is reviewing the merger, as are several US states, including California.

The Paramount offer includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds -- those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi -- which could also attract extra scrutiny on national security concerns.

- Celebrity ire -

An open letter signed by hundreds of Hollywood heavyweights was published earlier this month opposing the deal.

Actors including Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix and Bryan Cranston, as well as directors JJ Abrams and Denis Villeneuve, are among more than 1,000 people who have added their names to the protest opposing the mega-merger between two of Hollywood's storied studios.

"This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries -- and the audiences we serve -- can least afford it," the petition said.

"The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world."

Warner Bros. is home to mega-grossing franchises including Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

People across Tinseltown fear that the consolidation of two studios will inevitably lead to cuts, especially as the enormous price tag is reportedly set to be financed, meaning the new owners will have to make savings.

"Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major US film studios to just four," the letter said.

Paramount Skydance has pledged to continue cinematic releases at a regular clip.

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