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Women worldwide march to demand end to violence, inequality

Demonstrations from Buenos Aires to Lagos demand justice for victims of femicide and urge reforms to protect women. Demonstrators have taken to the streets across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas to mark International Women’s Day, with many demanding an end to gender-based violence and inequality. In cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday, those warnings were particularly grave, as protesters railed against austerity plans put forth by President Javier Milei that they say will roll back services for women. Milei’s government has shut down the country’s Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity and plans to strike “femicide” – the term for the murder of women in the context of gender violence – from the country’s penal code. His justice minister has called the term a “distortion of the concept of equality”, claiming it indicates a higher value for women’s lives. Reporting from Buenos Aires, Al Jazeera’s Teresa Bo said demonstrators say the move is particularly harmful given that one woman is killed every 30 hours in the country. A UN report released last year found that about 60 percent of women and girls killed in 2023 were murdered by their intimate partner or a close relative. Advertisement “Women here say that they’ve been fighting for too long, that they won’t back down, that they won’t be silent,” Bo said. “They say that their fight is too important, and that’s why they say that they will continue with their struggle on the streets.” Women wearing masks hold signs with the names of those who, according to them, are victims of gender-based violence [Susana Vera/Reuters] Hundreds of women in Ecuador marched in the capital Quito holding signs that opposed violence and the “patriarchal system”. “Justice for our daughters!” demonstrators yelled in support of women slain in recent years. In Bolivia, thousands of women began marching late Friday, with some scrawling graffiti on the walls of courts, demanding that their rights be respected and denouncing impunity in femicides, with less than half of those cases reaching sentencing. Placards and a cutout depicting Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa are attached to a monument in Quito, Ecuador [Karen Toro/Reuters] In many European countries, women also protested against violence, for better access to gender-specific healthcare, equal pay and other issues in which there are still disparities with men. In Poland, activists opened a centre across from the parliament building in Warsaw where women can go to have medical abortions, also known as non-surgical abortions, either alone or with other women. Opening the centre on International Women’s Day across from the legislature was a symbolic challenge to authorities in the traditionally Roman Catholic nation, which has one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. People attend a demonstration to call for gender equality and demand an end to violence against women to mark International Women’s Day in Paris, France [Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters] Protesters also took to the streets in Madrid, Spain. Advertisement Some protesters held up hand-drawn pictures depicting Gisele Pelicot, a French woman who was drugged by her now ex-husband in France over the course of a decade so that she could be raped by dozens of men while unconscious. Pelicot has become a symbol for women all over Europe in the fight against sexual violence. A woman holds a poster honouring Gisele Pelicot, the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot [Susana Vera/Reuters] In the Nigerian capital of Lagos, thousands of women gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, dancing and singing and celebrating their womanhood. Many were dressed in purple – the traditional colour of the women’s liberation movement. In Russia, the women’s day celebrations had more official overtones, with honour guard soldiers presenting yellow tulips to girls and women during a celebration in St Petersburg. In Ukraine, a ceremony was held in the city of Kharkiv to commemorate female soldiers who had died fighting Russia’s invasion. Adblock test (Why?)

Maharashtra reports 225 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, 12 deaths

Of the reported cases, 179 patients have recovered and been discharged. However, 24 individuals remain in intensive care, with 15 requiring ventilator support.

JD Vance says he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while walking with toddler daughter

Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he was confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters while he was out walking with his 3-year-old daughter.  “Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance posted Saturday afternoon on X.  “I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone,” he continued. “Nearly all of them agreed.”  Vance said it was a “mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a s— person.”  VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS WHERE THINGS ‘BROKE APART’ DURING TRUMP-ZELENSKYY BLOWUP AT THE WHITE HOUSE “Slava Ukraini” is a battle cry for the Ukrainian armed forces, meaning “Glory to Ukraine.”  While the vice president didn’t specify what he talked to the protesters about, the Trump administration has cut off funding in the last week for Ukraine and stopped intelligence sharing with the country after a tense Oval Office exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump and Vance.  Fox News Digital has reached out to the vice president’s office for comment. Tensions rose during the Oval Office meeting Feb. 28 over a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be trusted and had breached other agreements. TRUMP PAUSES AID TO UKRAINE AFTER FIERY MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY Trump and Vance then accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful for the support the U.S. has provided over the years and said the Ukrainian leader was in a “bad position” at the negotiating table.  “You’re playing cards,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III. You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country.” After Vance told Zelenskyy Ukraine had manpower and military recruiting problems, Zelenskyy said war means “everybody has problems, even you,” adding the U.S. would feel the war “in the future.” “Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump responded. “We’re trying to solve a problem. Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel.” Zelenskyy was asked to leave the White House after the exchange, a scheduled news conference was canceled and a deal for Ukraine to give the U.S. its rare earth minerals was left unsigned.  The White House has said Zelenskyy must publicly apologize for the Oval Office meeting or the minerals deal won’t be considered.  On Tuesday, Zelenskyy called the meeting “regrettable” and said he is ready to pursue peace with Trump’s help.  Vance was also met by protesters last weekend, when his family went on a ski vacation in Vermont a day after the Feb. 28 exchange.  The protesters called him a “traitor” and told him to “go ski in Russia.”  Liberal commentator Tim Miller criticized Vance over his X post Saturday, writing, “Dozens are dead in Ukraine because you stopped giving them the intelligence that protected the country from bombs so you can probably handle some yelling in a free country boss.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was considering “large-scale” sanctions on Russia “until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached.”  “Get to the table right now, before it is too late,” he wrote of Russia and Ukraine.

Blue state mayor proposes city ordinance to strengthen transgender care protections in the face of Trump EOs

Seattle’s Democratic mayor this week proposed a city ordinance that would strengthen protections for those seeking transgender care and surgeries, while calling out the Trump administration’s “hateful, dangerous and discriminatory attacks” against the LGBTQ+ community.  Mayor Bruce Harrell campaigned as a moderate before his win in 2021, pushing public safety and helping local businesses, according to The Seattle Times, although he has expressed support for transgender care previously.  Harrell was elected following riots in the city after George Floyd’s death and the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone that, along with the pandemic, devastated parts of the downtown area.  Harrell “symbolized a shift toward the center, away from some of Seattle’s further-left leaders,” The Seattle Times wrote in 2023 of Harrell’s 2021 win.  SEATTLE MAYOR INTERRUPTS SPEECH TO DUPE FANS OVER POTENTIAL NBA EXPANSION TEAM: ‘JUST KIDDING’ On Thursday, conservative Seattle radio host Jason Rantz called Harrell’s proposed city legislation “extreme,” but “mostly toothless” and mainly “virtue signaling” to gain favor with Seattle progressives.  Harrell proposed the legislation after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting federal funding for providers of transgender healthcare for people under 19.  “We are proud of Seattle’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city for the LGBTQ+ community and recognize their immeasurable contributions to the vibrancy and culture of our city,” Harrell said in a statement this week.  “This legislation is a tangible step to strengthen local protections and stand with our LGBTQ+ community in the face of hateful, dangerous and discriminatory attacks from the Trump administration and others, ensuring that everyone has access to essential healthcare services.” HOSPITALS WARNED THEY MUST PROTECT CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION: HHS AGENCY MEMO Trump’s executive orders have been met with lawsuits and are currently blocked by the courts.  Some hospitals across the country halted transgender care after Trump’s executive orders to avoid losing funding.  A judge in Seattle also blocked the orders in four states in one of the lawsuits filed by a group of Democrat-led states. Harrell added that the ordinance affirms Washington state’s “Shield Law” that protects transgender people needing reproductive services and those who provide them from prosecution.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harrell noted this week in a release by the city that he signed a bill in 2022 that made encroaching on reproductive or transgender care a misdemeanor offense.  He added that, as a member of Seattle’s City Council before his election, he was a “vocal” supporter of access to transgender care for city employees.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Republicans demand Trump cut American legal association out of nominee process

Several Republican senators have taken issue with the American Bar Association (ABA) and are calling for President Donald Trump to take drastic action against the group. In a letter to ABA President William Bay, lawmakers said the group, which plays a key role in judicial nominations, had become “biased and ideologically captured.” Now, those lawmakers want President Trump to “remove the ABA from the judicial nomination process entirely.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Bernie Moreno and Sen. Mike Lee are also calling on their fellow senators to “disregard the ABA’s recommendations.” BONDI WARNS THREE STATES TO COMPLY WITH LAW KEEPING BOYS OUT OF GIRLS’ SPORTS OR FACE LEGAL ACTION In the explosive letter there are allegations, including that the ABA has taken political stances against the Trump administration and that the group has been quiet about its taking funds from USAID. The federal aid group has been a target of the Trump administration, something the ABA has criticized. “The ABA states, ‘Americans expect better.’ But President Trump won both electoral and popular votes. It seems Americans expect — and want — the Trump administration,” the senators’ letter reads. Sen. Schmitt tweeted out the letter along with several criticisms of the ABA’s recent actions and statements. In particular, Schmitt took issue with statements the ABA published on Feb. 10 and March 3, both of which were critical of the Trump administration. “It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law,” the ABA wrote in its Feb. 10 statement. Additionally, the Feb. 10 statement condemns the “dismantling of USAID.” LAW PROFESSORS SAY NEW FOCUS ON RACE AND GENDER CAUSE THEM TO ‘MASSIVELY’ CENSOR THEMSELVES The senators reference this statement in their letter, saying that the ABA made “inflammatory claims” against the Trump administration “without citing legal reasoning for those arguments.”  One of these claims is that the “dismantling of USAID” is illegal, but the senators note that the ABA does not explain why these actions are not permitted under the law. “It is questionable whether the ABA is committed to defending liberty or its own sources of funding,” the senators wrote, referring to the organization’s defense of USAID. The lawmakers also criticized the ABA’s March 3 statement in which the group slams purported “efforts to undermine the courts.” In their letter, the lawmakers note that the association did not issue any statements against former President Joe Biden when he defied the Supreme Court on student loan forgiveness. In their letter, the senators call out the ABA’s implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, which the Trump administration has been working to root out of the government.

‘Heinous crime’: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah directs officials to take ‘immediate action’ in Hampi rape incident

Two women, including an Israeli national, were allegedly raped by three men near the Hampi heritage site in Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district on the night of March 6, Koppal Police said on Saturday.

Venezuelan parents watch from home as their son is buried in Texas after drowning

Gustavo Alfonso Garcia Olivares died at 24, drowning in the Rio Grande not far from where he was buried Thursday at the Maverick County Cemetery in Eagle Pass.

Congress unveils spending plan after Trump calls on Republicans to avoid government shutdown

Congressional negotiators have released a bill that, if passed, will avert a partial government shutdown during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s term. The 100-page legislation would roughly maintain current government funding levels through the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2026, which begins Oct. 1. The current deadline to avert a shutdown is Friday, March 14. House GOP leaders are confident that they can pass a bill to keep the government funded with Republican votes alone, something that has not been achieved since they took over the chamber majority in January 2023. But on a call with reporters on Saturday morning, House Republican leadership aides emphasized that the bill was “closely coordinated” with the White House – while stopping short of saying Trump backed the measure completely, noting he has not reviewed the specific pages yet. DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT Defense spending would increase by roughly $6 billion from FY 2024, while non-defense spending that Congress annually appropriates would decrease by about $13 billion. There’s also an added $6 billion for healthcare for veterans. The White House has requested additional spending in areas that were not present in the last government funding extension, known as “anomalies.” Among the anomalies requested by Trump and being fulfilled by the bill is added funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aides said the funding is meant to meet “an operations shortfall that goes back to the Biden administration.” “That money, most of that, has already been obligated prior to the start of this administration. So that request reflects an existing hole,” a source said. The bill also ensures that spending caps placed under a prior bipartisan agreement, the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), are followed. The FRA mandated no more than a 1% federal spending increase in FY 2025.  Cuts to non-defense discretionary spending would be found by eliminating some “side deals” made during FRA negotiations, House GOP leadership aides said. Lawmakers would also not be given an opportunity to request funding for special pet projects in their districts known as earmarks, another area that Republicans are classifying as savings. Overall, it provides for $892.5 billion in discretionary federal defense spending, and $708 billion in non-defense discretionary spending. “Discretionary spending” refers to dollars allocated by Congress on an annual basis, rather than mandatory spending obligations like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The bill is what’s known as a continuing resolution (CR), which differs from Congress’ annual appropriations bills in that it just extends the previous fiscal year’s government funding levels and priorities. It would be the third and final CR extending FY 2024 numbers, through the remainder of FY 2025. Republicans believe it will put them in the best possible position to negotiate conservative government funding priorities in time for Oct. 1. The previous two extensions were passed under the Biden administration, when Democrats controlled the Senate. And while some Democratic support is needed to reach the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, it’s very possible Republicans will have to carry it through the House alone with their razor-thin majority. DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT House Democrats traditionally vote to avoid government shutdowns. Now, however, Democratic leaders are directing lawmakers in the lower chamber to oppose the Republican CR. In a joint letter to colleagues sent on Friday, House Democratic leaders accused Republicans of trying to cut Medicare and Medicaid through their CR – despite it being the wrong mechanism to alter such funds. “Republicans have decided to introduce a partisan continuing resolution that threatens to cut funding for healthcare, nutritional assistance and veterans benefits through the end of the current fiscal year,” the statement said. “House Democrats would enthusiastically support a bill that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans health and Medicaid, but Republicans have chosen to put them on the chopping block to pay for billionaire tax cuts.” But House GOP leaders will need to work to convince nearly all Republican lawmakers to support the bill – despite a history of dozens of conservative defections on CRs over the last two years. At least one Republican has already signaled he will oppose it. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who has voted against CRs previously, wrote on X last week, “I am a NO on the CR. Congress needs to do its job and pass a conservative budget! CR’s are code for Continued Rubberstamp of fraud, waste, and abuse.” GOP leaders are hoping their close coordination with the White House and a blessing from Trump, however, will be enough to sway remaining holdouts.  While he has not weighed in on the specific bill, Trump posted on Truth Social this week, “I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda.” “Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year,” Trump wrote.

‘Registration for Mahila Samridhi Yojana will begin soon’: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi Cabinet on Saturday (March 8, 2025) approved the ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’ to provide Rs 2,500 per month to women.

ICE raids at schools: Federal judge gives green light

A federal judge has ruled against the Denver public schools system’s attempts to block immigration officials from carrying out raids on school grounds, marking a win for the Trump administration as it looks to ramp up its deportation efforts.  U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said Denver Public Schools failed to prove that a recent drop in student attendance at schools was due to the Trump administration reversing a 2021 Biden-era policy of protecting schools — and other sensitive areas like churches — from ICE raids. There are currently more than 1.4 million individuals on ICE’s final order of removal docket. Denver Public Schools filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for reversing the policy, claiming the district was “hindered in fulfilling its mission” to students who didn’t turn up to school for fear of immigration enforcement.   Denver Public Schools had sought a preliminary injunction barring the federal government from making arrests at sensitive locations, which was denied. Domenico also denied a request that he grant a nationwide preliminary injunction forcing immigration officials to revert to the 2021 guidance. COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT FIRST IN COUNTRY TO SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FEARS OF ICE RAIDS ON CAMPUSES Besides a drop in attendance, Denver Public Schools said it had to divert resources to respond to fear among students and families over the lifting of longtime rules. The school system also argued that rescinding the policy had caused schools to devote time and resources to teaching students and staff how to remain safe from immigration enforcement. Denver Public Schools has trained staff on how to handle ICE officers if they show up at school, telling them to deny agents entry if they don’t have a warrant signed by a judge.  Domenico, a Trump appointee and Colorado’s former solicitor general, said that it wasn’t clear how much of the fear surrounding possible enforcement actions in schools was really due to the new rules as opposed to broader concerns of increased immigration actions. He also pointed out that Denver Public Schools had not yet experienced any raids and noted that the head of ICE also issued a directive to its officers that immigration arrests at sensitive places still had to be approved by supervisors. The fear over the new rules, as well as the belief that the old rules provided protection to schools, both seem to be “overstated,” Domenico said. It wasn’t clear how much of the fear surrounding possible enforcement actions in schools was really due to the new rules as opposed to broader concerns of increased immigration actions, he said. Denver Public Schools issued a statement expressing disappointment with the ruling, while asserting that its lawsuit was successful in making public details of the Trump administration rules. The lawsuit was brought by the school district, not the city of Denver, which is a sanctuary city. The lawsuit stated that there were more than 90,000 students in the Denver Public Schools system during the 2023-2024 school year, and approximately 4,000 were immigrants. COLORADO COUNCILWOMAN ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO ‘REPORT’ ICE ACTIVITY TO HELP ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AVOID CAPTURE The ruling came just days after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and the Democratic leaders of other cities were grilled by Republican members of Congress about their so-called sanctuary city policies that they see as undermining Trump’s immigration and mass deportation efforts, as well as making such cities more dangerous.  Since Jan. 20, ICE has arrested and deported thousands of people in the U.S. illegally – most of them being criminals with convictions in the U.S. or their home countries.  Denver has seen a massive population jump in recent years as the city predicts nearly 43,000 people have arrived in the area from the southern border, the lawsuit said.  The ruling also comes as the Trump administration has restarted the detention of illegal alien families that have deportation orders.  Parents are now being detained, including with their children, at two ICE facilities in Texas. These are families who have already had their cases heard and have been ordered removed.  Fox News is told ICE is now actively going into the interior of the U.S. and arresting migrant families that crossed the border illegally in years prior and have been ordered deported from the U.S. by a Justice Department immigration judge. This is known as a final order of removal, of which there are currently more than 1.4 million individuals on ICE’s docket. Border Patrol data shows more than 2 million migrant family units were apprehended while crossing the southern border illegally during the Biden administration.  Fox News’ Bille Melugin and Elizabeth Pritchett as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.