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Singapore has dissolved their Parliament as global conditions around the world continue to change, and their upcoming election has been set for May 3. The People's Action Party (PAP) has sat at the forefront of Singaporean politics since its independence in 1965, making them the assumed winner. However, they have called for this snap election to restore their support. Singapore has only had four leaders in the city-state's short lifetime, beginning with former Prime Minister Lee Yuan Kew in 1965. He remained prime minister for 31 years before handing it over to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, who kept the position until 2004. Following Goh's departure, Singapore elected Lee's son, Lee Hsien Loong. Then, last year, he handed the presidency over to Lawrence Wong, the incumbent prime minister. However, in recent years, the PAP's support has been slowly declining, reaching a record low level of 61% in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. While they still maintained control over Parliament, with 83 out of the 93 total seats, support has continued to slip. Both Singapore's internal and globally related situations are contributing to this. Many young Singaporeans are unhappy with the current state of the city-state, which has risen to become one of the most expensive cities in the world. The government's previous approach to affordable housing has faded away, and prices across the city are skyrocketing. In addition, tight restrictions on internet media and harsh rules have decreased the PAP's support. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's recent tariffs have not helped the situation either, increasing costs, and the city-state's GDP grew less than expected this quarter. Now, they will hope to restore confidence in their party with a general election, while also making some changes. This election will allow Singaporeans to choose from a multitude of candidates, and the PAP hope that it will bring their support back up to where it was prior to the pandemic. Fact of the Day (Today): Cleopatra was born in Egypt, but she actually comes from Greek Macedonian descent. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You never make the same mistake twice. the second time you make it, it is no longer a mistake. it is a choice. (Lauren Conrad) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Pugnacious (adj, pug-NAY-shus) - Someone described as pugnacious shows a readiness or desire to fight or argue. In a Sentence: There's one pugnacious member on the committee who won't agree to anything.

The British government is scrambling to keep British Steel alive as its Chinese owner prepares to shut down another one of its blast furnaces. British Steel is a company that has changed hands many times, but it is still operating to this day. It was founded in 1967 as a nationalized steel company, originating from the British Steel Corporation. Then, in 1999, it merged with Koninklijke Hoogovens, a Dutch steel producer, to form the Corus Group. In 2007, the group changed hands again after being acquired by Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate. In 2016, Tata Steel Europe sold British Steel to Greybull Capital, and it was finally acquired by Jingye Group, a Chinese conglomerate, in 2020. British Steel's headquarters are located in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, at a large plant that contains four blast furnaces, two of which are operational. Over 3,500 people work here, and the plant produces virgin steel that is used all over the UK. Unfortunately, British Steel is losing money, and they continue to fall into deeper and deeper debt. For years, British Steel has struggled to pay their debts due to tough market conditions, and the recent tariffs imposed by Trump have not helped their situation. Estimates place British Steel's losses at a staggering $922,000 per day, and the BBC confirmed that British Steel is experiencing an annual net loss of around $233 million. Due to this, Jingye Group prepared to shut down another of Scunthorpe's two remaining blast furnaces. Blast furnaces are expensive to run, but it is even more expensive to restart a blast furnace after it has been shut down due to the fact that the molten metal solidifies inside the furnace. However, before they could do this, the British government stepped in-- three days ago, the British Parliament decided to bring the company under government control in an attempt to save the company. The loss of British Steel would force the UK to import all of their steel, which could significantly raise costs in other sectors. Nevertheless, it is not that easy. Due to British Steel's rising debt, they have run out of raw materials to use at the Scunthorpe plant. Blast furnaces never stop running, and the temperature must stay above around 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to allow the metal to melt. Coking coal and iron ore are the two primary materials necessary to keep a blast furnace going, and if a blast furnace is allowed to cool past a certain temperature, it can put the entire furnace out of commission. Now, the British government is scrambling to get raw materials to the Scunthorpe plant before the blast furnaces cool, but if the materials do not get there in time, they will be forced to shut down at least one of the two blast furnaces. They will also be making an attempt to switch over to cleaner, more eco-friendly ways to produce steel at the plant, but it will take a massive investment and some time for that to happen. Fact of the Day (Today): The longest concert in music history was held in honor of Canada's 150th anniversary. It took place in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada and lasted from March 17 to April 5, 2017-- a total duration of 437 hours, 54 minutes, and 40 seconds. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Dreams are the seeds of change. Nothing ever grows without a seed, and nothing ever changes without a dream. (Debby Boone) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Druthers (noun plural, DRUH-therz) - Druthers is an informal word that refers to the power or opportunity to choose—in other words, free choice. It is used especially in the phrase if one had one's druthers . In a Sentence: If I had my druthers , I would travel all the time.

Ecuador has re-elected their current president, hoping to change the current situation as rampant drug violence rages across the South American country. President Daniel Noboa succeeded in getting a majority of the votes in the election, beating several of his opponents. Noboa, backed by the National Democratic Action party, was a right-wing candidate who placed heavy emphasis on fighting crime in the streets. Back in 2023, during a snap election, he edged out the left-wing Luisa González, who comes from the Citizen Revolution Movement party. Noboa gained just over half of the vote, giving him the majority. However, due to the fact that it was a snap election, he was only president for one year, as the term of the previous president needed to be completed. Now, in the 2025 election, Noboa's biggest opponent was González once again, but he defeated her by over one million votes. Despite this, González has demanded a recount, as she refuses to believe that the public would choose Noboa over her. Unfortunately, Noboa has a tough situation to fix. Ecuador is struggling with street violence, with over 1,000 murders in the first three months of 2025 alone. Drugs are also constantly circulating throughout towns and cities, increasing issues. Drug traffickers and cartels cause conflicts across the country as they search for routes to bring their goods to the United States, killing scores of people along the way. Since he was elected, he has begun construction on a maximum security prison to hold these criminals, and he has deployed troops all over Ecuador to combat the violence. Noboa has confirmed that he will continue to take measures like these to mend the country's current situation, but it will take time. Upcoming Events: World Chagas Disease Day (Monday, April 14) Vaisakhi (Monday, April 14) World Snooker Championship Begins (Saturday, April 19) Chinese Language Day (Sunday, April 20) Easter (Sunday, April 20) Passover Ends (Sunday, April 20) Ridván Begins (Sunday, April 20) Fact of the Day (Today): The script for "The Terminator," created by James Cameron, was sold to producer Gale Anne Hurd for just $1. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more. (Jonas Salk) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Reminisce (verb, rem-uh-NISS) - To reminisce is to talk, think, or write about things that happened in the past. In a Sentence: After the official reunion dinner, the old friends gathered at a pub to reminisce about their high school days, now long past.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) have officially agreed on a new rule that will force shipping companies to pay fees for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere, which is a significant step forward in the fight against greenhouse gases and climate change. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulates global shipping and establishes rules in international waters, focusing on safety, security, and environmental protection. Part of their efforts towards environmental protection included a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which heavily involved the usage of clean energy aboard ships. Another pledge made in 2023 involved reducing shipping emissions by at least 20% by 2030. Today, shipping is responsible around 2-3% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, a significant number when compared to other sources. Ships use primarily fossil fuels to move themselves across oceans, releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. While alternatives like hydrogen and methanol are available, they are not mainstream, and not many shipping companies have taken the initiative to switch to these greener fuels. Initially, in order to meet these goals, a carbon tax was suggested on shipping around the world. The revenue from the tax, which was projected to be around $60 billion per year, would go towards helping poorer countries fight climate change. The tax would also motivate shipping companies to move towards greener fuels, which would help the environment. However, the idea was heavily opposed by wealthier countries, who would not benefit from the plan, and it was eventually scrapped. Instead, the IMO has agreed on a new, much more simplified version of the original plan that has been met with mixed reactions. The updated idea will only raise around $10 billion per year, and the proceeds will go to shipping companies to help them research technologies for clean energy. It will also allow ships to trade carbon credits, building a trade network that will allow companies to collectively work together to bring down their emissions. While the deal is a significant step forward, as it will motivate shipping companies to shift towards greener fuels, it has also been heavily criticized. The new plan does not help poorer countries like the older one did, and it will only reduce shipping emissions by 8% by 2030-- achieving under half of the IMO's pledge and nowhere close to their net-zero pledge by 2050. Small island nations like Tuvalu and Vanuatu have expressed their opinions that the deal should be considered a disappointment, and they maintain the view that they have been failed by wealthier nations who are simply aiming to continue profiting off of oil and gas. They have placed the blame for climate change squarely on the shoulders of countries opposing these deals, like the US and Saudi Arabia, and unfortunately, the situation is only getting worse. Fact of the Day (Today): The largest bowling alley in the world is at Inawaza Grand Bowl outside of Nagoya, Japan, which has 116 lanes in a row on the same floor. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. (Heraclitus) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Gustatory (adj, GUSS-tuh-tor-ee) - Gustatory describes things that are related to or associated with eating or the sense of taste. In a Sentence: The deli has been widely praised for its astonishing variety of gustatory delights .

A total of six people were killed after a helicopter crash into the Hudson River over New York City, marking yet another aviation accident in 2025. The helicopter took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at around 2:59 pm, flying down the Hudson River on a sightseeing tour before taking a U-turn back around. 16 minutes into the flight, the helicopter was seen plummeting into the river, with propellers dramatically breaking off and spinning downwards into the same area. Six people were onboard the plane, consisting of a family of five and a pilot. All three adults and one child were found dead when they were pulled from the water, and two other children survived the crash but died on the way to the hospital later on. Agustín Escobar, a former senior executive for Siemens, a German technology firm, was onboard, along with his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal. Escobar was the CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens for some time, while his wife was the global commercialization manager for Siemens Energy. They were also onboard with their three kids-- two sons aged 4 and 11 and an 8-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, the pilot, Sean Johnson, was qualified to fly and was also killed in the crash. Witnesses have confirmed that the helicopter seemed to stop in midair before starting to drop to the ground. Once the helicopter began dropping, it fell like a stone, with debris and propellers flying off during its rapid descent. Experts have also established that based on the reports and the footage, it was impossible to prevent the crash once the dropping had begun. Weather could have played a small factor in the incident, but the conditions at the time were mild. Temperatures were usual, visibility was at least 10 miles, and wind speeds were brisk but not fast at 10-15 mph. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and New York Police Department (NYPD) are working together to try to determine the exact cause of the crash, but the aforementioned eyewitness reports are helping authorities put the pieces together. Fact of the Day (Today): The specks on strawberries are single seeds called achenes. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If you’re scared to fail , you don’t deserve to be successful. (Charles Barkley) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Kitsch (noun, KITCH) - Kitsch refers to something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often cheap or tacky. Kitsch also refers to a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition. In a Sentence: The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.

At least 221 people are dead after the roof of a nightclub collapsed in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic. The incident occurred at the Jet Set nightclub, one of the most popular nightclubs in the city, early in the morning on Tuesday, around 1 am. At the time, the venue was hosting a live music event that takes place every Monday, with hundreds of people attending. Unfortunately, during the concert, the roof collapsed onto the crowd, sparking chaos. Rescue workers and firefighters rushed to the scene soon after the incident, and they quickly began searching for survivors. According to the head of the city's fire department, some rescue workers stayed in the area, searching, for over 53 hours straight. After the extensive, multi-day search-and-rescue operation came to an end, it was confirmed that a total of 221 bodies were recovered from the rubble, along with 189 survivors. Local police have also confirmed that no one is missing, and everybody is accounted for. Just a few of the victims of the collapse include the merengue singer, Rubby Pérez, who was performing onstage at the time; several other famous merengue singers, like Juan Luis Guerra; former Major League Baseball players, like pitcher Octavio Dotel; Nelsy Cruz, the governor of Dominican Republic's Montecristi Province; and fashion designer Martín Polano. Three days of national mourning have been declared for the country after the terrible disaster, and families are now swarming the morgue to find and recover the bodies of their lost loved ones. So far, authorities have identified around 150 of the bodies, and they are working hard to complete autopsies for each person and identify everyone as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, local police are still trying to determine the cause of the collapse. The building was over 50 years old, so old infrastructure may have played into it, but investigations have just begun now that the search-and-rescue operation has finished. Fact of the Day (Today): Competitive art used to be an Olympic sport. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): What has passed is already finished with. What I find more interesting is what is still to come. (Emil Zátopek) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Chary (adj, CHAIR-ee) - Chary is usually used with about or of to describe someone who is cautious about doing something. In a Sentence: The director is chary about spending money.

Around midday yesterday, United States President Donald Trump confirmed a pause on reciprocal tariffs for the next 90 days, sending stock markets around the world soaring-- but there is an exception. In case you missed it, last week, Trump announced a baseline 10% tariff on all countries that the US imports goods from, and specific countries received additional, reciprocal tariffs depending on how much alleged "cheating" they had done to get money from the US. This "cheating" included factors like tariffs and the trade deficit between countries and the US. Read more about the initial announcement of the tariffs here . Then, two days ago, as part of an escalating trade war with China, Trump announced additional 50% tariffs for the East Asian nation after they retaliated to his reciprocal tariff with a 34% tariff of their own. That brought China's tariff total to 104%, sinking stocks even further. Read more into the growing US-China trade war here . Next, yesterday afternoon, Trump announced a 90-day pause on all reciprocal tariffs, with the exception of China. He stated that all countries will still be charged the baseline rate of 10%, but countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and India can breathe sighs of relief after being slapped with rates of 46%, 36%, and 26%, respectively. However, there is a catch. The 90-day pause does not apply to China, who Trump will still be charging. Instead, due to the fact that China implemented additional retaliation tariffs yesterday, he raised their tariff even higher-- bringing the total to a staggering 125% on all products. In addition, Canada and Mexico will continue to be charged with the existing 25% rate they face, as those are not considered reciprocal tariffs. Despite the fact that China was not included, stock markets skyrocketed yesterday after the news was released. The Dow shot up 7.87%, gaining almost 3,000 points in a major rally, while the S&P 500 Index went up 9.52% to achieve its best day since 2008. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite, a primarily tech-focused index, blasted up 12.16% in its best day since 2001 and its second-best day of all time. Fact of the Day (Today): Tooth enamel is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning . (William Arthur Ward) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vouchsafe (verb, vowch-SAYF) - Vouchsafe is a formal and old-fashioned word meaning "to give (something) to someone as a promise or a privilege." In a Sentence: He vouchsafed the secret to only a few of his closest allies.

United States President Donald Trump has further increased the country's tariff on China, and stock markets across Asia are tanking after the announcements. Recently, Trump announced a baseline 10% tariff on every single country that the US imports goods from, and specific countries received additional tariffs depending on how much alleged "cheating" they had done to get money from the US. This "cheating" included factors like tariffs and the trade deficit between countries and the US. Read more about the initial announcement of the tariffs here . Among the countries hit with additional tariffs, China, which already had an existing 20% tariff from earlier this year, was slapped with an additional 34% tariff. This would bring the country's total to 54%, the highest of any country. However, as part of any trade war, China retaliated. So far, among all countries that have been hit with American tariffs, only Canada and China have retaliated-- several other nations, in addition to the EU, are considering retaliation but have not executed it yet. Now, in response to Trump's tariff, China placed a 34% tariff back on the United States, which is known as a reciprocal tariff. Unfortunately for China, this move motivated the Trump administration to take action once again. Yesterday, Trump announced an additional 50% tariff on all Chinese goods, bringing the total tariff to 104%. That new tariff has already gone into effect, and it may spark further retaliation from China. Nevertheless, China has maintained that a trade war is not in their interests, and they claim that the US is "bullying" other countries into submission. They have confirmed, though, that they refuse to allow Trump to place tariffs on them without retaliation, as that is their duty to their people. They also stated that they are willing to negotiate with the United States, if necessary. Fact of the Day (Today): Allodoxaphobia is the fear of hearing other people’s opinions. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. (Lou Holtz) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Apparatchik (noun, ah-puh-RAH-chik) - Apparatchik is used disapprovingly to refer to a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization, such as a corporation or political party. In a Sentence: This generation of graduates wants more out of life than to become establishment apparatchiks .

New Travel article: Firm Plans for Massive Skyscrapers to Store Energy Using Gravity Energy Vault and SOM are working together on a new building that could use gravity as a renewable energy source, revolutionizing the energy industry. Read the full article here . The International Maritime Organization is getting closer to implementing a fee for shipping emissions across member nations, serving as a carbon tax to demotivate companies from burning fossil fuels aboard ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulates global shipping and establishes rules in international waters, focusing on safety, security, and environmental protection. Part of their efforts towards environmental protection included a pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which heavily involved the usage of clean energy aboard ships. However, in order to take the current environmental shipping standards to the next level and achieve their goal, a committee within the IMO is working on a global carbon tax for ships. The Marine Environment Protection Committee has been working on creating a fee which ships would pay for their carbon emissions, which would change the entire industry. Member nations of the IMO are required to follow the standards set by them, meaning that paying this tax would become mandatory for ships from 176 countries. Today, shipping is responsible around 3% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, which is a significant number when compared to other sources. Ships use a massive amount of oil and gas to move themselves across oceans, releasing large amounts of gases like carbon dioxide. While alternatives like hydrogen and methanol are available, they are not mainstream, and not many shipping companies have taken the initiative to switch to these greener fuels. If passed, the new tax would be a huge step forward for the world, who have not shown strong support for environmental protection in recent months. Usually, climate change is taken on at a domestic, country-wide level, but the IMO has begun to address it at a global scale. Fact of the Day (Today): Golf balls are covered in small dimples, minimizing drag and allowing the ball to travel at a greater speed. The average golf ball contains around 336 dimples. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): See the future as the greatest opportunity. (Marty Sklar) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Malleable (adj, MAL-ee-uh-bul) - Something described as malleable is capable of being stretched or bent into different shapes, or capable of being easily changed or influenced. In a Sentence: Let the cookie dough thaw until it becomes malleable enough to thinly roll.

South Sudan seems to be inching closer and closer to a civil war, meaning the world's youngest nation could soon face intense strife in the coming months. South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in 2011, is the world's youngest nation. However, the country is the epicenter of some of the worst humanitarian crises in Africa, and despite being the third-largest oil reserve holder in Africa, their economy yields a GDP per capita of just $334. Unfortunately, political instability at the higher ranks has contributed to these issues, and a civil war is now imminent. Just two years after it achieved independence, South Sudan experienced a long civil war where several factions grappled for power over the country. 400,000 people were killed, and almost 4 million people were displaced. The conflict began to come to an end in 2018, when a deal was reached between two opposing sides. President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka ethnic group, and Vice-President Riek Machar, from the Nuer ethnic group, had been fighting for control, but the 2018 deal ensured peace by establishing power-sharing between the two of them. Nevertheless, conflict between the two of them remained. Elections were supposed to take place in 2024, but they have been moved to 2026, and President Kiir has made several changes in the South Sudanese government that avoid giving additional power to Machar. Meanwhile, Machar claims that President Kiir had used the country's forces to attack him and his forces. Despite that, Machar claims that he has no affiliation with the White Army, a group of the Nuer people that battled with Kiir's army earlier last month. Now, the threat of conflict looms once again, as Machar has been arrested by police on the basis of trying to stir up a rebellion. Machar's political party has stated that his arrest puts an end to the peace deal they achieved in 2018, and it could quickly begin to cause numerous problems for South Sudan-- conflict between ethnic groups, conflict between governmental powers, or both; these are all likely scenarios at this point. Machar maintains his support with the Nuer people, along with his own forces stationed across South Sudan. On the other side, President Kiir has the backing of the Dinka people, along with South Sudan's entire armed forces. In addition, Uganda has sent troops to Juba to support Kiir, though they deny this allegation. The African Union and Kenyan President William Ruto are both attempting to put an end to this conflict before more war ensues, but if another civil war breaks out, it could have deadly consequences. Upcoming Events: International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (Monday, April 7) World Health Day (Monday, April 7) Masters (Monday, April 7 to Sunday, April 13) International Day of Human Space Flight (Saturday, April 12) Passover (Saturday, April 12 to Sunday, April 20) Fact of the Day (Today): The average person blinks 14-17 minutes per minute. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear. (Greg Kincaid) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impresario (noun, im-pruh-SAHR-ee-oh) - An impresario is a person who manages, puts on, or sponsors a performance or other entertainment, such as a concert, play, or sporting event. In a Sentence: The former heavyweight retired from the ring and later became a boxing impresario .