(KENYA) — A baby eastern black rhino has been born in Kenya, an event wildlife researchers are dubbing as a conservation success for the critically endangered species.
The calf, estimated to be 6 months old, was discovered in the Chyulu Hills in southern Kenya via a complex system of cameras and motion-sensor monitoring rangers in the region, Amy Baird, deputy director of Big Life Foundation USA, a conservation nonprofit, told ABC News.
The birth is considered rare because there are only about eight individuals in the small population of rhinos that live in the region. The rangers “didn’t quite believe their eyes” when they first saw the baby while checking the feed, Baird said, adding that most rhino calves are born in conservation areas.
The Chyulu Hills are a unique and remote ecosystem and is very difficult to monitor, making the discovery even more exciting, Baird said. The calf even “disappeared” for a couple of months, which made the conservationists nervous since rhino calves are so vulnerable at the newborn stage, she added.
“When they’re so small, they have to stay very close to their mothers, and there’s a lot of predators and other situations,” Baird said.
But the baby, which has not yet been named, was spotted again in February, putting the researchers a bit at ease due to its overall healthy condition and growth. The calf has been seen following its mom around and learning the ins and outs of its natural bush surroundings, according to the nonprofit.
The rhino calf will be given a name once rangers are certain that he or she is thriving ad going to become an established member of the population, Baird said. Researchers believe his parents are a female named Nontoyie and a male named Dickson, Baird said.
The rangers have also been unable to determine the calf’s gender so far, according to the nonprofit.
There are less than 1,000 eastern black rhinos still living in the wild, the researchers said. Rhino populations in Kenya have been threatened for decades due to poaching and trade of rhino tusks, which contain keratin.
The 1980s and early 1990s was the last time eastern black rhinos were thriving in the Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, Baird said. For a long time it was even believed that they were functionally extinct from the region, but when rangers patrolling the remote portion of the region saw footprints embedded in an area of lava, rock and sand, they realized some rhinos had survived, she said.
An increase in monitoring and anti-poaching efforts have likely contributed to the survival of the population as well, Baird said. There have been no poaching events of rhinos in the areas since 2015. Rangers are also making sure the rhinos have the resources they need to survive, including three water points to provide drinking water.
But the conservationists are not hopeful to the threat of poaching being eliminated completely.
“There’s always going to be a risk of poaching, just given how valuable rhino is on a black market,” Baird said.
Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Long gestation periods of 13 to 15 months and then recovery period of another two years make it difficult for populations that were nearly wiped out to recover, Baird said.
“The program to protect them has really grown,” Baird said.
Pentagon Press Secretary U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. Via Joseph Clark/Department of Defense
(WASHINGTON) — The United States hasn’t given Israel every weapon it has asked for as it continues military operations against Hamas in Gaza, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters on Thursday.
“Although we’ve been supporting them with capability, they’ve not received everything they’ve asked for,” Gen. CQ Brown said at an event hosted by the Defense Writers Group,
That is partly “because they’ve asked for stuff that we’re — either don’t have the capacity [for] or not willing to provide, not right now, in particular,” said Brown, America’s top military officer.
He did not provide details about what weapons systems are not being given to Israel: “I don’t make those kinds of those decisions on what goes or doesn’t go.”
When asked if the U.S. has been withholding some aid to in order to get Israel to focus more on humanitarian aid or protecting civilians — something the White House has criticized Israeli forces for, though Israel maintains it takes such steps despite the high death toll in Gaza — Brown responded that the Israeli requests are seen through the same prism used for requests from other countries: how they could impact U.S. military readiness.
“It is a constant dialogue,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, wouldn’t elaborate on Brown’s comments during a separate briefing on Thursday, saying only that the U.S. remains committed to its “longstanding efforts to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge.”
A spokesperson for Brown subsequently issued a statement clarifying that his remarks about Israel were “solely in reference to a standard practice before providing military aid to any of our allies and partners.”
“We assess U.S. stockpiles and any possible impact on our own readiness to determine our ability to provide the requested aid,” said the spokesperson, Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey. “There is no change in U.S. policy. The United States continues to provide security assistance to our ally Israel as they defend themselves from Hamas.”
Earlier this week, Brown participated in Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s meeting at the Pentagon with Austin’s Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant. But Brown on Thursday declined to provide full details of that discussion.
He said that the Israelis had provided “broad concepts” of their operational plan for an expected incursion into the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza next to Egypt.
“We got a little more detail on some of the broad concepts of the humanitarian [plan] and moving civilians than we got on the operational piece,” Brown said. “So I’m anxious to hear both of those and how that all comes together.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to go into Rafah to target Hamas fighters, despite U.S. concerns about the potential civilian casualties, some six months into a war that was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack.
Approximately 1.4 million Palestinians are thought to be taking refuge in the city.
More than 32,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a trip to the Middle East last week, said a major military operation in Rafah would be a “mistake” that would result in more civilian deaths and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Netanyahu has said going into Rafah is crucial for victory over Hamas and to prevent future terror attacks. Israeli forces have also said they plan to push civilians toward “humanitarian islands” in the center of Gaza in advance of an offensive in Rafah.
Brown said on Thursday that he would like to hear more details of the Israeli plans that “will help tell us a bit more of the feasibility of their plan and how they’re going to execute.”
ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Almost a million people have been forced to flee their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of the year following an upsurge in violence in the east of the Central African nation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, has announced.
Humanitarian agencies are raising alarm at the “humanitarian and medical toll of the violence,” saying the situation has reached a “devastating level” as thousands of weapon-wounded civilians pour in to hospitals in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and surrounding areas.
In a dramatic resurgence of violence, the March 23 Movement armed rebel group has been expanding its territory and advancing towards Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, forcing thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire to flee as fighting intensifies between M23, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and various other armed groups.
Xavier Collard de Macquerh, head of programs at the International Committee of the Red Cross, told ABC News that the situation is dire and “we are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.”
“People are experiencing loss in a repetitive manner, displaced several times in a row,” he said.
Collard de Macquerh says moving frontlines are triggering a wave of displacement, hospitals in Goma supported by the ICRC receiving more and more wounded civilians. “We are receiving more and more weapon-wounded and seeing a sharp increase in those wounded by shrapnel, explosives, which is a major concern.”
Collard de Macquerh told ABC News many civilians are also fleeing north to hard-to-access areas for humanitarian organizations due to security.
“People are in need of access to basics such as food, water, hygiene and access to health,” he told ABC News over the phone from Kinshasa, calling on armed actors to take all possible precautions to protect civilians caught in the crossfire.
According to the World Food Programme, around a quarter of the Central African nation’s population is facing “crisis levels of hunger or worse,” with many living in poor conditions with no access to food, education or health services. It’s a conflict-driven hunger crisis, WFP said in a statement last week.
Almost 300,000 people have arrived in Goma and its surroundings since “violent clashes” enveloped the town of Sake in Masisi territory in February, UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh said at a press briefing in Geneva. The mass displacement has caused spontaneous and official displacement to “swell” as civilians desperately seek refuge from “indiscriminate bombing and other human rights abuses.”
The DRC now stands as the second-largest displacement crisis globally, second only to Sudan, the U.N. said, with over 7.1 million people internally displaced, including 800,000 in the last three months.
“Close to 10 million people are on the move,” said Saltmarsh. “Poverty and hunger affect a quarter of the population or 25.4 million people. The spread of cholera and other infectious diseases pose significant threats to the populations health.”
International Childrens charity Save the Children said the violence has also closed over 500 schools in the North Kivu region, creating chaos for children and “putting them at risk of being recruited by armed forces.” There have been at least two cases of teachers being kidnapped.
The U.S. has called on warring parties to turn to the Luanda Process.
“There is no military-only solution to the crisis in eastern DRC,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood said in a briefing to the U.N. Security Council. “The United States strongly supports the efforts led by regional actors to resume the Nairobi and Luanda processes, which offer the most viable paths toward resolving this 30-year conflict.”
“The United States calls on the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC to make the decision to pursue peace – for the sake of their people, the region, and the world,” the ambassador said.
(LONDON) — Artificial intelligence could eliminate up to nearly 8 million jobs in the United Kingdom, according to a new study, which cautions that women and early-career employees are most at risk of being put out of work.
Government policy, however, could allow the U.K. to avert job losses and harness AI for a breakneck economic surge, according to the left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research, the think tank that authored the report.
“The world of knowledge work will be transformed by generative AI,” the report said, referring to a type of AI that can create content, such as text or images. “We need to start preparing for this now.”
Researchers analyzed 22,000 tasks carried out by workers across the U.K. economy, finding that 11% are currently exposed to the threat of displacement by AI, the study said. The jobs at greatest risk include entry-level, part-time and administrative roles — a set of positions disproportionately held by women, the study added.
The report describes a soon-to-begin phase of AI adoption during which some of these “low-hanging fruit” jobs will be replaced by the technology. The overall workforce impact over the period could be limited, the study said, but some roles will experience massive effects, such as the elimination of one-third of administrative jobs.
A second phase could bring much deeper integration of AI that will threaten up to 59% of tasks, the report said. If companies allow AI to access proprietary information and execute key tasks, the study said, the resulting disruption may slash a wider swathe of jobs, including a larger share of high-paying positions.
While offering up potential outcomes, the study acknowledged that a wide range of job-displacement scenarios remains possible, including the potential for job losses to be avoided entirely.
Experts who spoke to ABC News last year noted the absence of job losses during a surge of AI adoption over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While data on the scale of displacement remains limited, the experts said, anecdotes confirm that the technology eliminates some positions while creating others.
The increased sophistication and use of AI is expected to displace jobs over the coming years, the experts added. AI will enhance productivity and increase compensation for some jobs but it risks leaving out workers who fail to keep up, they said.
Artificial intelligence could displace roughly 15% of workers, or 400 million people, worldwide between 2016 and 2030, according to a McKinsey study released in 2018. In a scenario of wide AI adoption, the share of jobs displaced could rise to as much as 30%, the firm found.
The report out on Tuesday presented policy proposals that the authors believe could reduce the likelihood of job losses and heighten the possibility of an AI-induced economic boom.
A policy described by the report as “ringfencing,” for example, would mandate the continued use of human involvement for certain tasks, such as medical diagnoses. A combination of government incentives and public-private partnerships could help achieve the measure.
In its most optimistic potential scenario, the report outlines a future of AI adoption in which no jobs are lost and gross domestic product increases by 13%.
“There is no one predetermined path for how AI implementation will play out,” the report’s authors said.
(NEW YORK) — Global households are discarding an exorbitant amount of food every year, despite food insecurity remaining one of the top concerns in several regions around the world, according to a new report by the United Nationals Environment Programme.
Households across all continents wasted more than 1 billion meals per day in 2022, according to the UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report, released Wednesday. The annual cost of the food wasted is estimated to be worth more than $1 trillion and weigh in at 1.05 billion tonnes, according to the report.
Nearly one-fifth (19%) of the food available to consumers at the retail, food service and household level was wasted, according to the report.
Most of the world’s food waste comes from households, accounting for approximately 60% (631 million tonnes) of the total food waste in 2022. Food service and retail sectors accounted for around 28% and 12% respectively, the authors estimated.
An individual wastes, on average, approximately 79 kilograms — or about 174 pounds — of food annually, the report found.
The UNEP estimates that approximately 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to food waste and loss — almost five times the total emissions from the aviation sector, according to the report.
There is more food waste per capita in households that are located in typically hotter countries around the world, the report states. Factors such as extreme heat events and overall higher seasonal temperatures make it more challenging to store, process, transport, and sell food safely, often leading to a significant volume of food being wasted.
The report also highlights that there are food waste disparities between rural and urban populations. In middle-income countries, rural populations are generally wasting less compared to more urban areas.
The report recommends focusing efforts to strengthen circularity in cities and enhance food waste reduction programs.
Only four G20 countries — Australia, Japan, the U.K. the U.S. — and the European Union have food waste estimates suitable for tracking progress to 2030, according to the report.
An additional two G20 countries — Canada and Saudi Arabia — have suitable household estimates with Brazil’s estimate expected later this year. This is related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to “end poverty, reduce inequality and build more peaceful, prosperous societies by 2030.”
Some countries, such as the U.K. and Japan, show that change on a national scale is possible. In Japan, total food waste has been reduced by 31% since 2008.
In the U.S., food is the single most common material sent to landfills, encompassing more than 24% of municipal solid waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Organic materials, including food waste, are responsible for 58% of fugitive methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills, the EPA estimates.
Fugitive methane emissions include all of the methane that is released into the atmosphere from various sources. Like carbon dioxide, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and is actually much more potent and effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide.
Methane is over 28 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, according to the EPA. While methane only accounts for about 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, according to the International Energy Agency.
The concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere reached record levels in 2022 and there is no end in sight to the rising trend, according to a 2023 report by the World Meteorological Organization.
Reducing methane emissions is seen as especially important because it is one of the most effective short-term ways to limit global warming. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane gas has a short lifespan in the atmosphere, decomposing in about a decade, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
A growing number of governments are embracing public-private partnerships to reduce food waste and its impacts on climate and the environment, according to the report, which suggests that governments, cities, municipalities and food businesses of all sizes should work together to reduce food waste and encourage households to take action.
But very few countries have collected robust food waste data, according to the UNEP, which calls on them to use the Food Waste Index to measure food waste in a consistent manner, track progress and develop national baselines. This enhanced data would help better understand the scale of the problem, target hotspots, and investigate the efficacy of possible interventions, according to the report.
“Food waste is a global tragedy. Millions will go hungry today as food is wasted across the world,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP. “Not only is this a major development issue, but the impacts of such unnecessary waste are causing substantial costs to the climate and nature. The good news is we know if countries prioritize this issue, they can significantly reverse food loss and waste, reduce climate impacts and economic losses, and accelerate progress on global goals.”
First published in 2021, this year’s Food Waste Index Report, co-authored with WRAP, a climate action nonprofit, provides the most accurate global estimate on food waste at retail and consumer levels. The report also provides guidance for countries on improving data collection and suggests best practices in moving from measuring to reducing food waste.
The 2024 report builds on recent and greater datasets and provides an update on the scale of food wasted worldwide.
LONDON — A court in the United Kingdom on Tuesday ordered a delay in the possible extradition of Julian Assange, allowing the WikiLeaks founder to continue his appeal fighting a transfer to the United States to face charges in connection with one of the largest thefts of classified government information in American history
Assange is accused of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, who was then an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, in a leak of hundreds of thousands of classified documents, including about 250,000 U.S. Department of State cables. WikiLeaks began publishing those documents in 2010.
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed in 2019 an 18-count indictment accusing Assange of violating the Espionage Act by allegedly obtaining, receiving and disclosing classified information.
Those charges were unsealed following Assange’s arrest after he spent seven years living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He’s been incarcerated for the last five years in Belmarsh High Security Prison, a maximum-security facility in South London.
The British government approved the extradition after a hearing in London in June 2022.
Alice Jill Edwards, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, said in February she had concerns about Assange’s mental and physical wellbeing in prison. She said Assange “suffers from a depressive disorder.”
“Any extradition to the United States is very likely to exacerbate his medical underlying conditions — and there is a very real risk of suicide,” she said, according to U.N. News.
Stella Assange, a longtime partner who married Assange in 2022, added that the WikiLeaks founder had “no prospect” for a fair trial under the U.S. court system.
A U.K. Home Office spokesperson said a statement when the extradition was approved that the U.K. courts had not found that an extradition to the U.S. would “be oppressive, unjust or an abuse of process.”
The spokesperson added, “Nor have they found that extradition would be incompatible with his human rights, including his right to a fair trial and to freedom of expression, and that whilst in the US he will be treated appropriately, including in relation to his health.”
Assange, an Australian citizen, had continued appealing the decision. A hearing in February in London’s High Court was expected to be his final chance within the U.K. courts to stop the overseas transfer, although he may choose to continue his appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.
The 18 charges brought against Assange carry a potential penalty of up to 175 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice. Officials said in announcing the charges that “sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.”
A superseding indictment issued in 2020 added allegations that Assange had conspired with the Anonymous hacking group.
WikiLeaks published in 2010 and 2011 several caches of classified U.S. documents and other leaked material. Those included a U.S. military video published in 2010 that the group described as “depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad — including two Reuters news staff.”
The United Kingdom had as of 2022 denied at least 25 previous extradition requests made by the United States in separate cases, according to the Home Office.
“If Julian Assange is extradited, he will die,” Stella Assange said ahead of the February hearing, according to WikiLeaks.
ABC News’ Guy Davies, Mark Osborne, Jon Haworth, Lucien Bruggeman, Patrick Reevell and Joe Simonetti contributed to this story.
(GAZA) — Doctors with aid organizations have described an “unimaginable situation” at European Gaza Hospital amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
An emergency medical team with Medical Aid for Palestinians, the International Rescue Committee and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund issued a release on Monday reporting patients are suffering from serious malnutrition and dying from infections at the hospital, located near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
While surgeons said they have been able to complete both vascular and orthopedic surgeries, not all patients have been able to receive post-operative care, which led to some of them dying, the team said. Surgeons said they also had to administer emergency nutritional supplies because the malnutrition was affecting patient care.
“The situation is unimaginable,” Dr. Konstantina Ilia Karydi, an anesthetist with the team, said in a statement. “This hospital had an original capacity of just 200 beds and, at the moment, it has expanded to 1,000 beds. There are around 22,000 people that have been displaced from other parts of Gaza sheltering in the corridors and in tents inside the hospital, because people feel that it’s safer to be here than anywhere else.”
The team said the hospital has suffered significant damage as a result of fighting and there is a severe shortage of medical equipment, supplies and medicine, affecting the ability to provide care.
Dr. Husam Basheer, an orthopedic surgeon with the team, said hospitals are “managing with the bare minimum of resources.”
“One day we wanted to do a plate and screw, which is a standard procedure for bone fixation, but we didn’t have the right equipment,” he said in a statement. “Sometimes we’ve also lacked gauze which is a basic supply for surgery. We worked around the challenges we faced and managed in a different way, but the staff here are overwhelmed.”
There are no fully functioning hospitals in Gaza and 12 are partially functioning, according to the team.
Over the last week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been conducting an operation at Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, claiming the hospital is being used by Hamas terrorists to “conduct and promote terrorist activity.” Troops say there have been 170 “gunmen” killed and about 480 Hamas and Islamic Jihad “militants” have been detained.
Hamas has denied claims it is operating from within the hospital while Gaza health officials have said at least five patients have died as a result of the raid.
Additionally, the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) said IDF troops suddenly stormed Al Amal and Nasser hospitals, the latter of which has been largely abandoned and is not functional, according to the World Health Organization. The PRS said Monday that staff and wounded patients at Al-Amal Hospital were forced to evacuate on Sunday amid ongoing fighting. The IDF has not commented on the claims.
Meanwhile, groups have struggled to get aid into Gaza amid warnings that famine is “imminent” in some areas.
Israel, with the support of Egypt, has restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza since Hamas came to power in 2007. Those restrictions have tightened since Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, with authorities claiming they are trying to limit Hamas’ access to weapons.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the main aid agency operating inside Gaza, said on Sunday that Israeli authorities informed the U.N. they would no longer approve any UNRWA food convoys to northern Gaza. The agency has come under intense scrutiny since the end of January when Israel presented a dossier alleging 12 members of UNRWA’s staff participated in the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, leading to several countries pausing UNWRA funding.
“UNRWA are part of the problem, and we will now stop working with them,” David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Monday. “We are actively phasing out the use of UNRWA because they perpetuate the conflict rather than try and alleviate the conflict.”
Israeli officials have previously claimed Hamas steals aid meant for Gaza civilians and deny accusations they aren’t letting enough aid in. Israeli officials have also said the U.N., its partners and other aid agencies have created logistical challenges, resulting in a bottleneck. The U.N. disputes these claims.
It comes as the U.N. Security Council voted Monday to adopt a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire for the remaining days of Ramadan, the holy month observed by Muslims, and the immediate unconditional release of hostages being held by Hamas. The Council voted in favor 14-0 with the U.S. abstaining. Israel does have a vote on the Council.
Since Hamas’ surprise terrorist attack, at least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel. More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 73,000 others have been injured in Gaza since Oct. 7, amid Israel’s ongoing ground operations and aerial bombardment of the strip, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
ABC News’ Naser Atta, Jordana Miller and Sami Zayara contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have offered their support for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she opened up about her cancer diagnosis on Friday.
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement shared with ABC News.
The Sussexes, who stepped down as senior working royals in 2020, are among several family members who have rallied around Kate, including King Charles III, who shared in a statement on Friday that he is “so proud” of his daughter-in-law.
“His Majesty is ‘so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,'” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said Friday. “Following their time in hospital together, His Majesty has ‘remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.'”
“Both Their Majesties ‘will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time,'” the spokesman added.
In a video message shared on Friday, Kate, who is married to Prince William, said that after undergoing abdominal surgery in January, tests found “cancer had been present.”
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she said. “This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Kate’s diagnosis was revealed less than two months after Buckingham Palace announced Charles had also been diagnosed with cancer.
Like Kate, Charles is currently undergoing cancer treatment, though the palace has not said what type of cancer he has nor what type of treatments he is undergoing.
Kate’s announcement of her cancer diagnosis last week sparked reactions from high-profile figures around the world.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York
Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, Charles’ younger brother, said in a statement Monday that she is “full of admiration” for Kate.
“All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment,” Ferguson said in the statement, which was shared on X. “I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome.”
Ferguson, the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, was diagnosed with cancer herself twice in the past year.
She was diagnosed last summer with breast cancer, for which she underwent a mastectomy, and then in January revealed she had also been diagnosed with malignant melanoma.
“As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and I know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness,” Ferguson wrote of Kate. “I hope she will now be given the time, space and privacy to heal.”
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
“We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” Prince Harry and Meghan said in a statement.
James Middleton
James Middleton, Kate’s brother, also shared words of support for her in an Instagram post.
“Over the years, we have climbed many mountains together,” he said. “As a family, we will climb this one with you too.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wished Kate a “speedy recovery” in a message he shared on social media on Friday.
“My thoughts are with the Princess of Wales, Prince of Wales, the Royal Family and in particular her three children at this difficult time,” Sunak said. “The Princess of Wales has the love and support of the whole country as she continues her recovery.”
“She has shown tremendous bravery with her statement today,” he continued. “In recent weeks she has been subjected to intense scrutiny and has been unfairly treated by certain sections of the media around the world and on social media. When it comes to matters of health, like everyone else, she must be afforded the privacy to focus on her treatment and be with her loving family.”
“I know I speak for the whole country in wishing her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back in action when she’s ready,” he added.
White House
During a White House press briefing on Friday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the White House sends its thoughts to Princess Kate and is “incredibly sad” to her the news of her cancer diagnosis.
“Our thoughts are with [Catherine] and her family members and friends during this incredibly difficult time and certainly we wish her a full recovery and I think it’s important that we respect their privacy, especially at this time,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Jill Biden
First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, shared a message for Kate in a post on X.
“You are brave, and we love you,” she said.
President Joe Biden
President Joe Biden also shared a message on X for Kate and said, “Jill and I join millions around the world praying for your full recovery, Princess Kate.”
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, where Princess Kate and Prince William married in 2011, also shared their well wishes to Kate in a post on X following the news of her cancer diagnosis.
Olivia Munn
In the comments section of the video shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales on Instagram, Olivia Munn wished Kate “all the best.” Last week, Munn revealed in an Instagram post that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and a double mastectomy.
“Thank you for showing what it’s like to fight with grace and determination for yourself and for your family,” Munn said. “Wishing you all the best.”
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is from South Wales, also took to Instagram to offer support for Kate.
“Wales and the World is with you,” Zeta-Jones said. “HRH Princess of Wales. Love to you always.”
Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump, the daughter and former advisor to former President Donald Trump, said she is “deeply saddened to hear about Princess Kate’s diagnosis,” in a statement she shared on X, formerly Twitter.
“Amidst the trials she faces, her strength and grace continue to shine brightly,” Trump said. “It’s disheartening to see the speculation that has surrounded her, particularly during a time when support and kindness are most needed.”
“During this challenging period, my thoughts and prayers are with Kate and her family,” she continued. “I hope for her swift and full recovery, and I look forward to seeing her continue to inspire and make a positive impact in the lives of others. Let us all show our support by respecting her privacy and focusing on sending positive thoughts her way.”
Katie Couric
Katie Couric took to Instagram to send Kate and her family “healing thoughts” and to share how Kate’s news resonated with her and her own experience with cancer.
“Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed Friday that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is being treated with preventative chemotherapy,” Couric said. “As someone who has experienced cancer, I was deeply moved by her comments. Sending her and her family healthing thoughts.”
Mia Farrow
In a message on X, actress Mia Farrow also sent her prayers for Kate during this difficult time for the princess.
“Prayers for a swift and complete recovery for lovely Princess Kate and for everyone and every family now dealing with a tough diagnosis,” Farrow said.
Billie Jean King
Tennis legend Billie Jean King shared a message on X sending her support for Kate.
“Sending our love, support, and best wishes for a full and complete recovery to Catherine, The Princess of Wales,” King said.
Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer, the party leader of the Labour Party, sent his “best wishes” to Kate in a message on X.
Meghan McCain
Meghan McCain also took to X to share her well wishes to Kate.
“America is sending Princess Kate and the entire royal family strength and support during this challenging time,” McCain said. “Princess Kate has always been the epitome of class and grace — never more so than now.”
Humza Yousaf
First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, said he is “saddened to hear the news about the Princess of Wales/Duchess of Rothesay,” in a message he shared on X.
“I am praying for her swift recovery,” he said. “It must be an incredibly difficult time for the whole family. Royalty or otherwise, she has a right to privacy, which I hope will be respected.”
This week marks one year since The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on espionage charges while on a reporting trip.
A year into what the U.S. State Department has declared to be a wrongful detainment, Evan Gershkovich’s parents say they are optimistic.
“We know that the U.S. government is taking Evan’s case very seriously,” his mother, Ella Milman, told “Good Morning America” co-anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive sit-down interview.
“I think if you let the pessimism in … the game is over,” she said. “And our saying in the family is we’re moving forward. Moving forward.”
“And he says that he’s fighting. He’s fighting,” she added.
The 32-year-old American was working as a reporter for the Moscow bureau of The Wall Street Journal and had been accredited by Russia’s foreign ministry to work as a journalist when he was arrested on March 29, 2023, on espionage charges. Evan Gershkovich, the U.S. government and The Wall Street Journal firmly deny the allegations.
He has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. A Russian court denied his latest appeal on Feb. 20, extending his pretrial detainment through March 30, more than a year after his initial arrest.
In December, the U.S. State Department said that Russia rejected a proposal that would have included the release of Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan. Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently suggested that he could be open to a prisoner swap involving the journalist. In an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson last month, Putin said he believed “an agreement can be reached” on his release.
His parents said they are encouraged by that.
“We were happy that both governments have expressed willingness to negotiate,” his father, Mikhail Gershkovich, told Stephanopoulos. “We are confident that [the White House is] doing everything they can, and we want them to continue to do that.”
Evan Gershkovich’s parents both attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in February, during which the president said the administration is “working around the clock to bring home Evan” and other Americans being “unjustly detained by the Russians.”
His father said the address was a sign that “everybody in the U.S. government — the Senate and Congress and the White House — are taking the freedom of the press seriously, and that’s important.”
“We’re still holding up,” Milman said. “We have President Biden’s promise delivered to us personally, and in the State of the Union.”
The Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker told Stephanopoulos she believes that their reporter will be eventually freed.
“Evan will be released, but it’s complicated to get there,” she said. “There are a lot of different people and governments involved. So I think, you know, we just have to be patient, and optimistic.”
Tucker said their main focus has been keeping his story “front of mind.”
“To remind people that an innocent journalist is behind bars, in prison, for doing his job,” she said.
Evan Gershkovich’s parents said they have continued to write their son letters and receive updates on him from Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia. He also sends his parents and friends gifts, they said.
“He remembers his friends’ birthdays. We received flowers from him for International Women’s Day on March 8,” Milman said. “He really cares. He wants to thank people for their care about him, for keeping his story front and center.”
His father has even been playing long-distance chess with him.
“He’s teaching me,” Mikhail Gershkovich said. “It’s a friendly game. It’s not a competition, and especially because he is so much better than I am at it.”
“I will be just happy to play a face-to-face game of chess with him,” he said.
MOSCOW and LONDON — Two suspects have pleaded guilty after Friday’s terror attack at a Moscow concert venue that killed at least 137, as Russian President Vladimir Putin raised questions about the alleged attackers’ motives.
Each of the four suspects was arrested and charged with committing a group terrorist attack resulting in the death of others, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. All appeared in court with visible injuries.
Russian investigators said at least three children were among the scores killed in the attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.
Another 182 people were injured and at least 97 were being treated in hospitals as of Monday morning, the Russian Investigative Committee said. Many victims have yet to be identified.
ISIS-K, a group associated with the Islamic State group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamic State group-linked news agency Amaq released footage that it claimed was body camera video.
Dalerdzhon Mirzoyev, 32, and Saidakrami Rachabalizoda, 30, pleaded guilty, according to the press service of the Moscow courts. That service identified the other two suspects as Shamsidin Fariduni, 25, and Mukhammadsobir Faizov, 19. All four men are citizens of Tajikistan, according to Russian officials.
Putin claimed that following the terrorist attack the four suspects headed towards the Ukrainian border, a claim for which neither Putin nor the Kremlin provided evidence.
Videos aired on Russian state TV appeared to show people being detained by officers with the Federal Security Service, or FSB, close to the highway that leads from Moscow to Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the claim that his country had been involved in the attack.
“What happened in Moscow yesterday is obvious, and Putin and other scums are trying to shift the blame to someone else,” he said on Saturday.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, on Monday said the Russian government had had “no contacts” with Western leaders following the terror attack.
“There are no contacts with the West right now,” Peskov said, according to TASS, a state-run news service.
