South Korean military investigators have charged two Air Force pilots with criminal negligence after a bombing accident last week injured at least 29 people and caused severe property damage in a village near the North Korean border.
According to the Defense Ministry's Criminal Investigation Command, the pilots mistakenly entered coordinates into the aircraft's systems, which was a "direct factor" in the accidental bombing.
The pilots now face charges of criminal negligence causing bodily harm, and the investigation is ongoing.
The incident occurred when two fighter jets participating in a live-fire training exercise accidentally launched eight unguided air-to-surface bombs, which struck a village in Pocheon, a region known for its military training grounds used by both South Korean and U.S. forces.
For years, local residents have complained about the safety risks and disruptions caused by military drills in the area.
The two pilots involved have been relieved of flight duties, and a review of their mission certification has been scheduled, a ministry official confirmed.
The Air Force chief of staff has apologized for the accident and promised a thorough review of mission procedures to prevent future incidents.
Meanwhile, North Korea, which frequently criticizes joint South Korean-U.S. military drills, claimed the accident demonstrates the dangers of such exercises and warned of the potential for armed conflict, arguing that the bombs could have landed north of the border.
A massive power outage plunged western Cuba into darkness on Friday night, marking the country's first general blackout of 2025, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
The failure, which occurred at around 8:15 p.m., was caused by a breakdown at a power substation in the Diezmero neighborhood south of Havana, triggering a collapse of the national electricity system.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, writing on X, assured the public that the government was "working tirelessly" to restore electricity.
Just before midnight, officials announced that independent circuits had been activated to supply power to priority sectors, such as hospitals in some provinces.
However, the outage left much of Havana in total darkness, forcing residents to navigate the streets using only flashlights and phone screens.
"My God, this is terrible, we're in for a dark weekend," said Karen Gutierrez, a 32-year-old ice cream seller in the capital.
Only hotels, private businesses with generators, and essential services like hospitals had lights on.
In Camaguey, a central city, Angelica Caridad Martinez, 50, said she lost her appetite when the power cut interrupted her dinner plans.
"I'm not even hungry anymore," she told AFP. "This situation is unsustainable, no one can live like this."
Andres Lopez, a 67-year-old from Holguin, expressed frustration over yet another blackout.
"It really bugs me," he said. "Let's see when they get the power back on."
This latest outage follows a series of crippling blackouts in late 2024, including three nationwide failures in the year's final months—two lasting several days.
Cuba is grappling with its worst economic crisis in 30 years, worsened by food, medicine, and fuel shortages, soaring inflation, and a mass exodus of migrants, primarily to the U.S.
Racing to Expand Solar Power
The blackout crisis has been exacerbated by the ageing condition of Cuba's eight thermal power plants, most of which were built in the 1980s and 1990s and suffer frequent breakdowns.
Meanwhile, Turkish floating power barges, which provide additional electricity, rely on imported fuel, which is both costly and scarce.
In October 2024, a breakdown at Cuba's largest power plant, Guiteras, left the island without power for four days.
The same facility suffered another major failure in December, taking down the grid once again.
In November, Hurricane Rafael also knocked out electricity nationwide.
The Cuban government continues to blame the U.S. trade embargo, which has been in place for over six decades, for its ongoing energy struggles.
To address the crisis, Cuba is accelerating the construction of 55 solar farms using Chinese technology, aiming for completion by the end of 2025.
Authorities claim these renewable energy projects will contribute 1,200 megawatts, covering 12% of Cuba’s total electricity needs.
A crane collapse at a construction site in Bangkok on Saturday has left at least four people dead, with rescuers still working to retrieve a fifth body trapped under the debris, Thai police reported.
The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning on Rama II road, a major highway connecting Bangkok to the country's southern region.
At the site, where a tollway was under construction, at least four construction workers were confirmed dead, while dozens sustained injuries, according to the police.
"We have retrieved four bodies, but one remains trapped in the debris," said senior police official Sayam Boonsom, adding that the fifth person was presumed dead.
Among the victims, three were Thai nationals, Sayam confirmed.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
An eyewitness speaking to Thairath TV described hearing two loud bangs before seeing the crane fall.
"Workers were pouring cement when it happened," the witness recalled.
Construction site accidents are common in Thailand, where lax enforcement of safety regulations often results in deadly incidents.
In November last year, a crane collapse in Samut Sakhon, west of Bangkok, killed three workers and injured 10 others.
A similar incident in March 2024 claimed seven lives when a crane collapsed at a factory east of Bangkok.
In 2023, at least two people died and a dozen were injured after a road bridge under construction in Bangkok collapsed.
The political crisis in South Korea has escalated as large crowds gathered in Seoul on Saturday to express support or opposition to impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose fate now rests with the Constitutional Court.
The court is expected to rule in the coming days on whether Yoon should be removed from office, following his controversial imposition of martial law, which lasted only briefly but triggered the nation’s worst political crisis in decades.
In central Seoul, anti-Yoon protesters filled a large square, chanting for his immediate removal. They were joined by opposition politicians who have been vocal in pushing for his ouster.
Just a few blocks away, Yoon’s supporters occupied an entire avenue, waving South Korean and American flags while calling for his return to office.
The Democratic Party, the main opposition force, claimed a million attended the anti-Yoon rally, while police estimates put the number of attendees at 43,000 for each side, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Yoon is also facing a criminal trial for insurrection, though he was released from detention last week.
His decision to impose martial law, and its fallout, has deepened social and political divisions in the country, with institutions and the military caught in a difficult position over how to respond.
For weeks, hundreds of thousands of pro- and anti-Yoon demonstrators have taken to the streets, further amplifying the tension.
"Last week, I thought that the Constitutional Court would rule, but it didn’t. Then Yoon was released, making me incredibly frustrated," said Song Young-sun, a 48-year-old protester. "So this week I came here, hoping that the Constitutional Court will rule on the impeachment case next week."
According to a Gallup Korea poll published on March 14, 58% of respondents supported Yoon’s impeachment, while 37% opposed it.
Meanwhile, pro-Yoon protesters remain hopeful. Kim Hyung-joon, a 70-year-old supporter, said, "I hope that the judges of the Constitutional Court will make a precise judgment and dismiss the case."
Vietnamese coffee’s bold and intense flavors, powered by robusta beans, often leave first-time tourists stunned by its strength and caffeine content. Many recount unforgettable experiences after their first sip.
British tourist Ben Maguire visited Ho Chi Minh City in February and was overwhelmed by the intensity of Vietnamese coffee. He joked that his caffeine intake could probably "power a small city."
Having heard from friends that Vietnamese coffee was extremely strong, Maguire decided to try a glass of iced black coffee on his first day in HCMC.
His reaction went viral on social media, gaining nearly 400,000 views and 15,000 interactions.
In his post, he humorously described the first sip as delicious, the second sip as a soul-leaving-the-body experience, and by the third sip, he felt like he could start a business, run for president, and learn Vietnamese in 10 minutes.
Many foreign tourists could relate, recalling their own dizzying first encounters with Vietnamese coffee.
Ingrid Baghag, a French visitor, compared Vietnamese coffee to nuclear energy.
Dickie Suzuki from Hong Kong was so overwhelmed by two glasses of cà phê sữa đá (iced milk coffee) that he had to rush back to his hotel and spend three hours pacing in his room to shake off the jitters.
David Poppinga, an American tourist, recounted that two cups of egg coffee in Hanoi left him dazed for an entire day.
Even as a regular coffee drinker, Maguire was shocked by the strength and bold flavor of Vietnamese coffee.
"Vietnamese coffee is no joke. It is rich, strong, and shocking for first-timers," he said.
Maguire appreciated the phin (filter) brewing method, describing it as a ritual rather than just a drink.
During his week in HCMC, he tried various types of Vietnamese coffee, including iced black coffee, egg coffee, and salt coffee.
He fondly recalled sipping coffee while sitting on plastic stools by the roadside, watching the bustling city life, which, he said, made the coffee taste even better.
Maguire’s love for Vietnamese coffee is not uncommon.
Hilary Hilton, an American tourist, confessed that she missed the flavor of iced milk coffee after her trip to Vietnam, joking that the drink was “not for the faint-hearted.”
In February, TasteAtlas ranked iced milk coffee second among the top 10 best coffees in the world. Three other Vietnamese coffees—iced black coffee, egg coffee, and yogurt coffee—also made the list of the 63 best coffees worldwide.
According to Cuong Pham, a coffee shop owner in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the strength of Vietnamese coffee comes from using robusta beans, which contain twice as much caffeine as arabica.
He explained that coffee plants naturally produce caffeine as a defense mechanism against pests.
Robusta, grown at lower altitudes with more pests, develops higher caffeine content as protection.
Arabica, cultivated at higher altitudes with fewer pests, has lower caffeine levels.
Most foreign tourists, accustomed to arabica coffee from Ethiopia or Kenya, often find themselves overwhelmed by the bitterness and strength of robusta-based Vietnamese coffee.
To prevent tourists from feeling dizzy, Cuong often mixes robusta and arabica beans and adjusts the strength based on their preferences.
He also noted that robusta’s bitterness pairs well with condensed milk and whipped egg, while arabica’s acidity would clash with these flavors.
Despite its intensity, Vietnamese coffee leaves many tourists hooked on its unique flavors.
Whether it's a shock to the system or a newfound addiction, one thing is clear—Vietnamese coffee is an experience they’ll never forget.
U.S. presidents have used autopens since Thomas Jefferson; the first to use an autopen to sign a law was Barack Obama.
By Grace Deng
This story was updated on March 14, 2025, to include a statement from the National Archives that debunked The Heritage Foundation's alleged proof that former President Joe Biden used an autopen.
In mid-March 2025, a rumor spread online that former U.S. President Joe Biden used an autopen — an automatic signing machine — to sign official presidential documents.
The claim spread through posts on Facebook, X and Reddit, as well as reports from media outlets including Fox News, Newsweek and The Independent. A Fox News Facebook post about Biden's purported autopen signatures has nearly 200,000 reactions and more than 55,000 comments as of this writing.
These reports originated from a March 6 X post by the Oversight Project, an investigative arm of the conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation — the same group that authored Project 2025. "WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY," the X post read.
The Heritage Foundation and its Oversight Project have a reported history of spreading misleading political information; the group did not respond to a request for comment for more information about its methodologies.
These reports are not credible evidence demonstrating Biden's purported frequent use of an autopen, given that the digitized version of official documents from the U.S. government all use the same image of the president's signature, regardless of who is in office. However, according to CNN, Biden used an autopen to sign at least one piece of legislation — although he would not be the first: Presidents have signed documents using signature copying devices since Thomas Jefferson in 1804; former President Barack Obama was reportedly the first to sign actual legislation with an autopen in 2011.
It is unclear how often Biden signed other documents, including executive orders and pardons, via autopen. We were unable to reach Biden's team as of this writing.
Biden's signature
The Oversight Project, in its X post, claimed it "gathered every document we could find with Biden's signature over the course of his presidency. All used the same autopen signature except for the the announcement that the former President was dropping out of the race last year."
Biden's purported autopen signature (top) compared with the signature from his letter dropping out of the race (bottom). (Federal Register / Oversight Project on X)
Fox News claimed it "examined more than 20 Biden-era executive orders documented on the Federal Register's office between 2021 and 2024 and found each had the same signature." The Federal Register is the U.S. government's daily publication for executive orders and other official documents.
While it is true that many of Biden's executive orders carry a signature matching the one posted by the Oversight Project, the National Archives, which runs the Federal Register, said in an emailed statement that official documents published in the Federal Register use a copy of the president's signature that "comes from one graphic file."
"At the beginning of each administration, the White House sends a sample of the President's signature to the Office of the Federal Register, which uses it to create the graphic image for all Presidential Documents published in the Federal Register," communications staff at the National Archives wrote.
As the Federal Register's digitized documents do not represent what the signature looks like on the original documents, the Oversight Project's claim lacks credibility.
Neither the project nor Fox News provided evidence that these are autopen signatures, other than the fact that the purported autopen signature looked different from the signature Biden used in a letter announcing he would drop out of the presidential race in 2024.
Furthermore, there are photos of Biden signing — by hand and in person — executive orders that carry signatures matching the purported autopen signature. For example, see this Jan. 26, 2021, Getty Images photo matching this executive order on criminal justice and this July 8, 2022, photo matching this executive order on reproductive rights. One image shows him virtually signing an August 2022 executive order cited by the Oversight Project as supposed evidence that Biden used an autopen (he had COVID-19 at the time and was isolating).
Biden signs an executive order on Jan. 26, 2021. A close-up and rotated screenshot of his signature in this image shows similarities to his alleged autopen signature but it does not appear to be an exact match. (Getty Images / Snopes Illustration)
The image of Biden signing the order by hand seems to show a signature similar to the purported autopen one but does not appear to have the loop in the "R" pictured on the Federal Register's copy, demonstrating that, as the National Archives said, the original signature on the documents is not reflected by the digitized versions.
As Fox News noted, many of President Donald Trump's executive orders from both of his terms also use the same signature.
A sampling of Trump's signature on his executive orders published by the Federal Register. (Federal Register / Snopes illustration)
According to a May 2024 CNN story citing an anonymous White House official, Biden did use an autopen to sign a bill extending funding for the Federal Aviation Administration while in San Francisco. The same story said "the use of the autopen has been a rarity in the Biden administration. The White House has gone to great lengths at times to fly physical bills to Biden while he's traveling abroad, including a $40 billion Ukraine aid package the president signed while in South Korea in 2022 and a 2022 bill to avert a government shutdown while the president was on vacation in St. Croix."
Other reputable news outlets, including The Associated Press, covered the White House's efforts to fly bills both to South Korea and St. Croix.
History of the presidential autopen
Thomas Jefferson was the first U.S. president to use a version of the autopen, then known as the polygraph, just a year after its invention in 1803, according to the National Museum of American History. He called it "the finest invention of the present age."
According to the National Park Service's official Facebook page for the White House and President's Park, the first commercially successful autopen was not developed until 1942, when it "quickly gained popularity in the government."
"Harry Truman was said to have been the first to put the autopen to use, but Lyndon B. Johnson was the first to be photographed using it. In 1968 the National Enquirer published an article featuring those photos titled "The Robot that Sits in for the President," the post said.
The page noted that it would be "incredibly challenging" for a president to sign, by hand, the thousands of pieces of paper requiring a signature — "from bills and executive directives to letters and photographs."
In 2005, former President George W. Bush asked his Justice Department to determine whether signing legislation passed by Congress with an autopen is constitutional, given that the U.S. Constitution dictates in Article I, Section 7 that presidents "shall sign" bills into law. The government's lawyers determined the president "need not personally perform the physical act of affixing his signature to a bill he approves and decides to sign in order for the bill to become law" and may "direct a subordinate to affix the President's signature to the bill."
However, Bush never used an autopen to sign legislation; presidents reportedly did not sign legislation with autopens until Obama used one while in France to sign a four-year extension of the Patriot Act, a post-9/11 bill meant to combat terrorism, according to numerous news articles. Obama's use became the subject of controversy: 21 Republicans signed a letter calling on Obama to personally re-sign the Patriot Act and commit to signing legislation by hand. It is unclear whether Trump has signed legislation or policy with an autopen, although some reports suggest he signed campaign items for sale via the device.
Thus, the claim Biden used an autopen to sign official documents may be somewhat truthful, but it lacks context. There is credible evidence that Biden's executive orders purportedly signed via autopen were signed in person and by hand. Furthermore, presidents have used versions of autopens since the 1800s due to the vast number of documents requiring the commander-in-chief's signature.
The White House cites a dubious figure on “factories” lost since 2000.
Analysis by Glenn Kessler
“Our country has lost more than 5 million jobs in more than 90,000 factories due to devastating globalization over the last three decades alone. North Carolina lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs, including 60 percent of its furniture manufacturing jobs in the years following NAFTA. And in Michigan, globalist policies destroyed 250,000 jobs, including 40 percent of the auto industry.”
— White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, remarks at a news briefing, March 11
With worldwide stock markets plunging because of a trade war unleashed by President Donald Trump, the White House was quick to defend itself this week. Leavitt asserted that “we are in a period of transition from the mess that was created under Joe Biden” and claimed that Trump inherited a “country in an economic disaster.”
This is the kind of hyperbole one would expect from a White House spokesperson. Never mind that The Economist magazine, in a cover story that appeared a month before the presidential election, declared the U.S. economy to be “The envy of the world” — and that it had “left other rich countries in the dust.”
For the purposes of this fact check, we’re interested in the data that Leavitt cited to justify Trump’s tariff policies. “Despite the globalist mainstream media’s attempts to worry consumers, President Trump will not repeat the trend of past American presidents who broke their promises to the American public and smiled while they stuck a knife in the back of American workers and shipped their jobs overseas,” she said by way of introduction.
Where does this come from? And how accurate is it?
The Facts
At her media briefing, Leavitt celebrated that “the manufacturing sector gained 10,000 new jobs in just one month under President Trump.” During Trump’s first term, the White House counted jobs created from January, but this administration has chosen to start with February — perhaps because manufacturing jobs fell in January. But in any case, even the February number overlaps Biden’s term. So Trump can’t claim full credit yet.
A president takes the oath of office on Jan. 20. But for the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, employers report data to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. In other words, the February number in essence shows jobs created (or lost) from Jan. 12 to Feb. 12 — or eight days of the previous president. We applaud the White House for citing the February number, but the first full month under Trump will be March. (This number will be revised two more times, so Trump shouldn’t count his chickens yet.)
In his first term, Trump and his team regularly claimed that Barack Obama lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs — a figure that stemmed from starting the count in January 2009, when the Great Recession was in full force. If you start counting in February, as many economists recommend, Obama over eight years actually had a modest gain in manufacturing jobs — 4,000.
At The Fact Checker, we are dubious about the practice of measuring job growth by presidential term. Presidents do not create jobs; companies and consumers do. This huge difference in a two-term presidency because of a one-month shift simply shows how mindless and arbitrary this game can be.
Now let’s look at Leavitt’s statistics.
“Our country has lost more than 5 million jobs in more than 90,000 factories due to devastating globalization over the last three decades alone.”
A White House official said the source was a 2020 report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. The headline was: “We can reshore manufacturing jobs, but Trump hasn’t done it.”
According to the article — written by a now-retired EPI economist — “the U.S. has suffered a net loss of more than 91,000 manufacturing plants and nearly 5 million manufacturing jobs since 1997.”
The data in the article ended in 2018, so it’s seven years old, but the number of manufacturing jobs is roughly now where it was in 2018. Manufacturing jobs plunged during the pandemic, then climbed to the highest level since 2007 in February 2023 before sputtering and losing ground again in 2024.
One likely reason is that the big boom in durable-goods consumption during the pandemic (such as Pelotons and home office equipment) flattened out — and Biden’s big investments in infrastructure and chip manufacturing are still ramping up.
There’s no doubt that 5 million manufacturing jobs disappeared, starting around 2000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the 90,000 factories statistic is more dubious. Note that the report referred to “91,000 manufacturing plants” but it also uses the term “factories,” as Leavitt did.
The data comes from the Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics, which has a tool that breaks down the data. About a third of the manufacturing establishments employ four or fewer people, which hardly makes them factories. The manufacturing establishments with more than 500 people fell from 4,535 in 2000 to 3,316 in 2022. That’s a decline of about one-quarter, but the number (1,219) is much smaller than 90,000.
Regular readers may recall that Trump, in his first term, frequently bragged that he created 12,000 factories, including in his 2020 State of the Union address. When we checked that out, it came from a different data source — a BLS database set known as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which counts the number of “establishments in private manufacturing.”
More than 80 percent of these “manufacturing establishments” employ five or fewer people and include bakeries, candy stores and custom tailors. This figure soared during Biden’s presidency, and there are now more manufacturing establishments, according to this metric, than in 2000.
In any case, it’s correct that manufacturing jobs have not recovered from the double whammy of trade deals with China and the Great Recession. Whether Trump’s tariffs would restore the jobs is dubious, according to the organization cited by the White House.
The employment-loss numbers “are about the job displacements associated with higher trade deficits,” said Josh Bivens, chief economist at EPI, in an email. “These deficits are, in our view, definitely a problem. But we’d also argue that they are a problem that will not be effectively addressed with large, across-the-board increases in tariffs. Large, across-the-board tariffs have no real chance of really reducing trade deficits unless they become so prohibitive that they shut down essentially all trade. Tariffs can be a useful and strategic tool to hit targeted goals and provide effective protection to narrow industries, but they cannot work to increase manufacturing employment generally.”
“North Carolina lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs, including 60 percent of its furniture manufacturing jobs in the years following NAFTA.”
There is no dispute that North Carolina’s furniture manufacturing industry was devastated by Chinese imports when the United States lowered tariff barriers after China joined the World Trade Organization. The White House official provided an article published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
The article noted that furniture manufacturers led the way to production overseas, forming relationships with Asian companies to take advantage of low-wage labor to receive semifinished furniture. “The business of many North Carolina furniture companies gradually shifted away from manufacturing and toward importation and distribution,” the article said.
“And in Michigan, globalist policies destroyed 250,000 jobs, including 40 percent of the auto industry.”
The White House official supplied a Detroit Free Press article from 2018 — also rather out of date. Michigan has gained about 95,000 jobs since the article was published — and employment was higher under Biden than any period under Trump, according to BLS data. But manufacturing jobs have not entirely recovered from the pandemic.
$200 billion ‘subsidy’ to Canada
No matter how we do the math, the numbers don’t add up.
Analysis by Glenn Kessler
“We’re spending $200 billion a year to subsidize Canada.”
— President Donald Trump, during remarks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, March 13
As he hosted the NATO secretary general, Trump once again took the opportunity to bash NATO member Canada. “We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need their lumber. We don’t need anything that they give,” he said, arguing that Canada’s 40 million people should give up their sovereignty and agree to become the 51st state.
We were curious about Trump’s math about the alleged $200 billion subsidy. Trump has a habit of exaggerating trade deficits to justify tariffs, but the $200 billion figure is so off-kilter that we suspected Trump was counting something else. Indeed, a White House official said he was also counting military expenditures allegedly spent on behalf of Canada.
So does this get Trump close to $200 billion?
The Facts
Let’s start with the trade deficit. As we often remind readers, it’s incorrect to claim that a trade deficit is a “subsidy.” A trade deficit simply means that people in one country are buying more goods from another country than people in the second country are buying from the first country. Americans want to buy these products from overseas, either because of quality or price.
Trade-deficit numbers are also shaped by underlying factors, such as an imbalance between a country’s savings and investment rates. A bigger federal budget deficit — caused by, say, a large tax cut or more government spending — can boost the trade deficit because the country saves less and borrows more from abroad. A booming economy can also be at fault — the more money people have, the more they can spend on goods from overseas. And a strong currency means those foreign goods are cheaper for a particular country and its goods are more expensive for foreign consumers.
In other words, Trump can impose as many tariffs as he wants, but the sheer force of economics might still leave a trade deficit.
But, for the sake of argument, what’s the trade deficit with Canada? It’s not much. Canada is the United States’ second-biggest trading partner — and it has one of the smallest deficits.
In 2024, the deficit in trade in goods and services was about $45 billion. The deficit in goods — which is what Trump concentrates on — was about $63 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A trade surplus in services, mainly Canadians flowing over the U.S. border for tourism and education, helped close the gap — but that surplus may fall this year because Canadians are so angry at Trump that they are canceling trips across the border.
So the trade deficit only gets Trump about one-quarter of his $200 billion.
As for military spending, Trump has long griped that Canada does not pull its weight in NATO. The military alliance in 2014 set a goal of members spending at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense spending, and Canada only achieved 1.37 percent in 2024. (Canada’s GDP in 2024 was $2.12 trillion.)
That’s $13 billion short of 2 percent. The White House official suggested that Canada should match the 3.4 percent of GDP spent by the United States, which would mean Canada theoretically is short $43 billion. But we also cannot forget that the United States is significantly larger than Canada in population and economic might.
Even if we grant Trump this figure — again, it’s not really a subsidy — that still leaves him far short of $200 billion.
The White House official also pointed to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a combined U.S.-Canada air defense program originally aimed to detect Soviet bombers. The official noted that the United States shoulders 60 percent of the cost.
But Binyam Solomon, a research professor at Carleton University who has studied NORAD burden-sharing, said the 60-40 split refers to a $20 billion radar system, and that Canada is responsible for a lot of the maintenance because most of the installations are in that country. (Canada houses about 73 percent of the long-range radars and 92 percent of the short-range radars.) “These systems are not expensive,” he said. ‘We’re not going to get $200 billion from that.”
Solomon, along with colleague Ross Fetterly of the Royal Military College of Canada, has calculated the relative burden-sharing of the United States and Canada for North American defense. Depending on the way the numbers are calculated, the differences are stark.
“The U.S. shoulders about 97.6 percent of the North American defense burden but receives about 64 percent of the benefits,” they wrote. “Meanwhile, Canada contributes about 2 percent of the burden and enjoys 36 percent of the benefits.”
But when the vast Canadian coastline is taken out of the calculations, the numbers change: The United States enjoys 91 percent of the benefits for 97.6 percent of the cost, but Canada receives only 9 percent of the benefits in exchange for about 2.4 percent of the cost. That’s still an imbalance, but not nearly as large as the initial calculation.
The Defense Department budget does not break out spending by region, so it’s unclear how much is spent for defense of the Northern Hemisphere. But even under the initial Solomon-Fetterly calculation, the imbalance does not appear to be enough get Trump to a total of $200 billion.
The Pinocchio Test
Since becoming president again, Trump has claimed more than a half-dozen times that the United States provides a $200 billion annual “subsidy” to Canada. Never mind that a trade deficit is not a subsidy. Even if one includes various buckets of military spending, we can’t figure out how Trump calculated this figure. The White House offered some suggestions, but the math still does not add up.
Canada is a much smaller country and certainly benefits from the military might of its larger neighbor. The United States would need to protect itself from missiles in any case, and Canada provides the land on which to base early-warning radar systems. Trump has a point that the burden is somewhat unequal, but his numbers make little sense.
Until the White House can provide a more precise accounting, Trump earns Four Pinocchios. We suspect, for marketing purposes, he just liked a nice round number, and that’s the source of $200 billion.
A 7th-grade male student in central Thanh Hoa Province had his bangs cut in front of the class by his teacher for forgetting his notebook for the Civics lesson.
The female teacher, who was teaching Civics under a fixed-term contract, cut the student's hair during class last month, Doan Van Son, the Quang Chieu Secondary School's principal, said on Tuesday.
Son added that representatives from the school, along with the teacher and local authorities, visited the student's home to apologize. The teacher has been suspended from teaching for a week and is required to submit a written report.
Loi, the boy's mother, recalled that on the morning of Feb. 5, she noticed her son came home later than usual after school. After talking to him, she learned about the incident.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with many viewing it as an infringement on the student’s physical integrity, particularly considering the teacher’s role in teaching Civics.
A Vietnamese teacher of English has achieved an overall IELTS score of 9.0 in his 20th IELTS attempt, using ChatGPT to improve his kills.
Nguyen Thanh Tung, 30, achieved the perfect score last month, after improving his writing score by 0.5 points. He already scored perfect marks in listening and reading and 8.5 in speaking.
According to IELTS statistics, only about 1% of test-takers in Vietnam score 8.5 or higher.
Nguyen Thanh Tung in a photo he provided.
Test-takers have up to 60 days to retake a single IELTS skill after their initial test, and Tung used this time to focus on Writing. He studied high-scoring essays from former IELTS examiners to refine his approach, particularly in Task 2, which requires writing argumentative essays.
He noticed that essays scoring 8.5 often featured concise sentences, whereas his writing was too wordy. For example, a recent prompt asked candidates why they hesitate to recycle and how to encourage recycling. Previously, he would write:
"People fear recycling due to high costs. Manufacturers face higher production expenses for recyclable goods, making them more expensive for customers. As a result, consumers prefer cheaper, readily available products over costly, reusable ones."
This time, he streamlined it: "Recycling adds financial strain on consumers, making them less likely to buy recyclable products."
"The sentence became shorter but still conveyed the full idea, cutting down from two or three sentences to one while improving the overall clarity," Tung said.
To improve his writing, Tung also used ChatGPT. He asked the AI chatbot to make his passages more concise without losing meaning. Over time, he learned to break long sentences into shorter, clearer ones.
"It's harder for examiners to follow arguments when sentences are too long and complex," he said.
Beyond refining sentence structure, he also used ChatGPT to test his ideas and spot weak arguments. This helped him strengthen his counterargument skills by presenting him with opposing views before letting him refute them.
For example, after arguing that producing recyclable goods raises costs for businesses, he countered by pointing out that government incentives could help offset these costs through pollution reduction programs.
In Task 1 of the writing section, which involves analyzing charts, Tung developed a structured approach. He summarized key trends in one paragraph using six key factors: largest, smallest, strongest, weakest, most similar, and most different.
"This approach helps me interpret charts quickly without missing key details," he said. To expand on these points, he grouped similar data together to avoid redundancy, ensuring a clear and logical analysis.
While writing was his primary focus, Tung also worked on improving his speaking skills. He admitted that he sometimes spoke too fast or stumbled over words and ideas. To fix this, he used AI to generate natural phrasing and practiced for hours daily until he spoke fluently. He also took mock exams with former IELTS examiners.
His use of AI extended to reading and listening.
In reading, he realized that many questions could be answered by analyzing grammar structures rather than just focusing on vocabulary. To refine this skill, he used ChatGPT to break down complex passages into simpler parts, making them easier to understand.
"English is like Lego - understanding grammar structures and how to use them helps build clearer sentences, not just knowing vocabulary," he said. He added that this method also helps middle school students excel in reading, even with complex topics like archeology and history.
For listening, he practiced dictation using the website Daily Dictation. While transcribing, he also read aloud to improve pronunciation.
"This way, I trained both my listening and pronunciation, killing two birds with one stone," he said.
Nguyen Hoai Thanh, a lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam who studied IELTS with Tung, described him as highly meticulous.
"He's meticulous about scoring criteria, always choosing what words and grammar structure he'd use carefully," Thanh said. "He's also hardworking and regularly shares study tips and materials with others."
Tung believes mastering English takes daily practice and persistence. Now that he's reached his goal in English, he plans to learn Chinese to broaden his language skills.
VietBF@ Sưu tập
A Korean-Canadian tourist has been sentenced to seven years in prison for armed robbery in Ho Chi Minh City.
Jang Jae Bin, 24, a Canadian citizen born in South Korea, received the sentence from the HCMC People's Court on Wednesday.
Jang, who moved to Canada with his family in 2008, entered Vietnam as a tourist early last year and resided in an apartment in Thu Duc City. Facing financial difficulties, he resorted to robbery.
According to the indictment, on Feb. 17, 2024, Jang targeted Alanna Beth Burke, a Canadian woman walking her dog in District 7. He threatened her with a folding knife, stole her phone, and fled.
The following day, Jang returned to the same area and targeted Wener Zimmer, who was out walking from a park. Jang approached Zimmer, asked to borrow his phone, and when refused, threatened him with the knife, stealing his phone. He was apprehended shortly after by District 7 police patrol officers.
The stolen phones were valued at VND5.4 million (US$216).
Jang confessed to the crimes, citing financial desperation due to unemployment during his travels. He expressed remorse and requested a reduced sentence to facilitate his return to his family.
VietBF@ Sưu tập
A strong spring storm system is set to impact much of the United States, bringing multiple severe weather threats across the country. This powerful system will generate an incredible array of dangerous weather conditions, from severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes to blizzard conditions and critical fire weather.
Key Points:
- Multi-day severe weather outbreak with significant tornado risk
- Blizzard conditions likely in the northern Plains
- Temperature swings of 20-35°F above normal
- Wind gusts potentially reaching 50-70+ mph
- Critical fire danger in the Southwest
- Potential for flash flooding from heavy rainfall
This is a particularly dangerous situation as the storm system will affect millions of Americans. Stay weather-aware and keep updated with your local National Weather Service office for the latest warnings and advisories.
That day, the man waited on the side of the road for the woman to catch a taxi to work. When he saw her arrive, he used scissors to stab her 18 times in succession.
Recently, the brutal and unjust murder of a woman in Thailand has outraged the public. It is worth noting that the perpetrator mistook the victim for her sister, who looked very similar to her.
Information published in The Thaiger said that the attack occurred at around 6:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, on a road in Ayutthaya province, central Thailand. Police from Phak Hai police station were informed of the incident and when they arrived, they found the 39-year-old woman, Waraporn, seriously injured.
The victim suffered at least 18 stab wounds to her neck and body, with blood pooling on the ground beneath a large tree. Rescue workers rushed Waraporn to hospital but she later died from her injuries. Meanwhile, her 40-year-old sister, Jureeporn, informed police that the killer was her ex-husband, Boonma. Police contacted Boonma's mother, who revealed the route he took to flee the scene.
Police later tracked him down on a rural road in Bang Ban district, Ayutthaya province. Boonma explained that he had been married to Jureeporn before being arrested and detained three years ago. He was released about four months ago and continued to contact Jureeporn in the hope of reuniting with her.
However, Jureeporn rejected his advances, saying that she had a new boyfriend. Boonma often saw pictures of Jureeporn with her new boyfriend on social media. This brought out his jealousy and despair. He then planned to kill his ex-wife, believing that Jureeporn always left home early for work every morning.
He knew that Jureeporn would be waiting for the company welfare vehicle at the scene of the attack, so he waited there for her. Boonma admitted that he stabbed the victim with scissors but did not remember how many times. He truly believed that he had killed Jureeporn because the two sisters looked so much alike but was later told by his mother that the victim was actually his ex-wife's sister.
Boonma faces the maximum sentence under Section 289(4) of the Thai Penal Code for premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
Meet the world's oldest female barber: She is 108 but the slender, white-haired Japanese woman has no plans to retire anytime soon.
108-year-old Japanese woman named world's oldest barber
Shitsui Hakoishi, 108, poses for a photo with a Guinness World Records certificate recognizing her as the world's oldest female barber, at her shop in Nakagawa in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, March 5, 2025. Photo by AP
Meet the world's oldest female barber: She is 108 but the slender, white-haired Japanese woman has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Shitsui Hakoishi says the formal recognition by the Guinness World Records this week brought her much joy — other than her satisfied customers, that is.
She was presented with an official certificate from the international franchise on Wednesday. Guinness World Records has a separate category for male barbers but the man who was certified at age 107 in 2018, Anthony Mancinelli of the United States, has died in the meantime, leaving Hakoishi as the only holder of the record.
Her career has spanned nine decades and she says she owes it all to her customers.
"I could come this far only because of my customers," Hakoishi told a televised news conference Wednesday at a gymnasium in her hometown of Nakagawa in the Tochigi prefecture, northeast of Tokyo. "I'm overwhelmed and filled with joy."
Born on Nov. 10, 1916, to a family of farmers in Nakagawa, Hakoishi decided to become a barber at age 14 and moved to Tokyo, where she honed her craft first as an apprentice.
She got her barber's license at 20 and opened a salon together with her husband. They had two children before he was killed in the Japan-China war that broke out in 1937.
Hakoishi lost her salon in the deadly March 10, 1945, U.S. firebombing of Tokyo. Before that, she and her children were evacuated elsewhere in the Tochigi prefecture, according to the Guinness website.
It took her eight more years before she opened a salon again, calling it Rihatsu Hakoishi, in her hometown of Nakagawa. Rihatsu is Japanese for barber.
She says she isn't ready to put away her scissors.
"I am turning 109 this year, so I will keep going until I reach 110," she said and smiled confidently.
Read more
Hanoi is planning to demolish the 6-floor "Shark Maw" mall center to renovate the public space around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the city's central area.
The mall center at No. 7 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, also known as "Shark Mall" given its shape, was built from 1991 to 1993, facing towards the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc square.
To its left is the Hoan Kiem Lake, to its right is Cau Go Street, and behind it are restaurants and coffee shops.
The building spans 300 m2 with six floors, four of them being restaurants and cafes. The Hanoi Transport and Services company, a state firm under the Hanoi People's Committee, is running the location.
Even during weekdays, crowds would gather at the building to enjoy food and beverages, especially at lunches. People often park their vehicles outside the building as there is no basement for parking.
All the floors are either opened or equipped with glass panels, making it possible for people inside to gaze outward.
Bich Hanh, from Hoan Kiem District, said she feels sad to hear that the building would be dismantled. She often brings her friends who visit Hanoi to the place.
"But maybe the demolition would create a better space," she said.
People would come to the building for taking photos and sightseeing. It is often crowded during special occasions, such as music festivals and fireworks shows.
Nguyen Hong Dung, chairman of the Hang Bac Ward People's Committee, said the demolition of the "Shark Maw" would help expand the space at the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc square.
Besides the "Shark Maw", Hanoi has also requested units to consider making adjustments to certain buildings and houses in the area.
A suspected thief gulped down two pairs of diamond earrings during his arrest on the side of a Florida Panhandle highway last week, detectives say, leaving them with the unenviable task of waiting to “collect” the Tiffany & Co. jewelry worth nearly $770,000.
In the squad car, a state trooper heard the suspect say, "I should have thrown them out the window," and at the Washington County jail he asked staff, "Am I going to be charged with what is in my stomach?" according to the arrest report.
The 32-year-old man from Texas is accused of two felonies for forcibly stealing the earrings from an upscale Orlando shopping center last Wednesday.
An X-ray of his torso shows what the Orlando Police Department believed to be the diamond earrings — a white mass shining brightly against the gray backdrop of his digestive tract.
"These foreign objects are suspected to be the Tiffany & Co earrings taken in the robbery but will need to be collected ... after they are passed," the department's arrest report said.
This image provided by the Orlando Police Department shows an x-ray of what are believed to be two diamond earrings that were stolen from a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in central Florida and were swallowed by the suspect.
This image provided by the Orlando Police Department shows an x-ray of what are believed to be two diamond earrings that were stolen from a Tiffany & Co. jewelry store in central Florida and were swallowed by the suspect.
Orlando police spokeswoman Kaylee Bishop said Wednesday she was checking with the lead detective on whether the earrings had been recovered yet. The earrings’ status also wasn’t known to a deputy who answered the phone but wouldn’t give his name in the rural Panhandle county where the suspect was arrested near Chipley, Florida.
Handwriting on an order of commitment document filed Monday said "outside medical," suggesting he was at a medical facility.
During the theft, the man allegedly told Tiffany sales associates he was interested in purchasing diamond earrings and a diamond ring on behalf of an Orlando Magic basketball player. Sales associates escorted the man to a VIP room where he could view the jewelry. A short time later, he jumped out of his chair, grabbed the jewelry and tried to force his way out of the door.
One of the sales associates was injured trying to block him but managed to knock the diamond ring, valued at $587,000, out of his hands.
Detectives obtained the license plate of the suspect’s car through shopping mall security footage and believe he was driving back to Texas. State troopers tracked the car from tag readers on the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 10 until he was pulled over for driving without rear lights in Washington County, almost 340 miles (550 kilometers) away, the Orlando police report said.
The suspect was charged with first-degree felony grand theft and robbery with a mask, a third-degree felony. Court records showed no attorney for him, and he was listed as being in police custody in Orange County Florida, which is home to Orlando, as of Wednesday morning.
VietBF@ Sưu tập
Bangkok Airways announced on Wednesday that it will suspend flights between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son for more than a month due to poor visibility caused by air pollution.
The airline stated that flights to the northwestern province would be halted as smog is expected to make landing conditions unsafe. Mae Hong Son airport authorities previously announced on Facebook that flights would be suspended from March 15 to April 20.
This marks the second consecutive year that Bangkok Airways has faced disruptions due to extreme smog levels in the region. Northern Thailand, especially Mae Hong Son, experiences severe air pollution between December and April as farmers burn crop stubble to prepare for the next planting season.
In response to worsening air quality, the Thai government banned crop burning in early 2025, imposing fines and legal action on violators. However, the effectiveness of the ban remains uncertain.
According to IQ Air, the air quality index in Mae Hong Son is currently 7.9 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended safety levels, highlighting the severity of the pollution crisis.
The number of foreign residents in South Korea reached a historic milestone in 2024, exceeding 5% of the total population, with the majority coming from China and Vietnam.
According to data released by the Korea Immigration Service under the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign nationals residing in the country—both short- and long-term—surpassed 2.65 million by the end of 2024. This accounted for 5.17% of South Korea’s total population, marking a significant rise from the previous record of 4.89% in 2023.
Over the past decade, South Korea has seen a steady increase in its foreign resident population, growing from 1.9 million in 2015 to 2.52 million in 2019. Although the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily caused a decline, the numbers rebounded in 2022 and have continued to rise since. The 2024 figure represents an increase of 126,127 compared to the previous peak recorded in 2019.
Foreign Resident Demographics
Among the total foreign residents, 2.04 million (77%) were long-term residents who had officially registered their stay, while 608,766 were short-term visitors. The Ministry of Justice defines short-term residents as those staying for 90 days or less without registering, while long-term residents are those who register to stay for at least 91 days.
In terms of nationality, the largest group of foreign residents came from:
China: 958,959 individuals
Vietnam: 305,936
Thailand: 188,770
United States: 170,251
Uzbekistan: 94,893
A significant portion of the foreign population is composed of young adults, with those in their 20s and 30s making up nearly half of all foreign residents. Meanwhile, 15.9% are in their 40s, 12.9% are aged 60 and above, and 12.6% fall within the 50s age group.
Rise in International Students
South Korea has also seen a steady increase in the number of international students over the past five years. The total number of foreign students grew from 153,361 in 2020 to 263,775 by the end of 2024, representing a 16.5% increase from the 226,507 students recorded in 2023.
Of these students:
178,519 were enrolled in degree programs
85,256 were in the country for short-term studies, including Korean language programs
Decline in Undocumented Residents
While the overall foreign population in South Korea has grown, the number of undocumented residents has decreased. By the end of 2024, there were 397,522 undocumented foreign residents, reflecting a 6.2% year-on-year decline.
The increase in foreign residents, particularly young workers and students, highlights South Korea’s growing appeal as a destination for work and education, as well as its evolving role as a multicultural society.
Diễn Đàn Người Việt Hải Ngoại. Tự do ngôn luận, an toàn và uy tín. Vì một tương lai tươi đẹp cho các thế hệ Việt Nam hãy ghé thăm chúng tôi, hãy tâm sự với chúng tôi mỗi ngày, mỗi giờ và mỗi giây phút có thể. VietBF.Com Xin cám ơn các bạn, chúc tất cả các bạn vui vẻ và gặp nhiều may mắn.
Welcome to Vietnamese American Community, Vietnamese European, Canadian, Australian Forum, Vietnamese Overseas Forum. Freedom of speech, safety and prestige. For a beautiful future for Vietnamese generations, please visit us, talk to us every day, every hour and every moment possible. VietBF.Com Thank you all and good luck.
