Suspected Iran drone kills US worker in Syria; US retaliates

Activist groups say US airstrikes targeting positions of Iranian-allied forces in Syria killed at least four people.

In a story published March 22, 2023, about China’s failure to prepare for an exit from its zero-COVID policy, The Associated Press erroneously reported that China CDC director Gao Fu agreed with foreign experts urging China to plan a reopening at a private event at the German Embassy in Beijing. He didn’t say he agreed with the foreign experts during the event, but rather urged more vaccinations in China.

Health experts proposed detailed plans for a gradual end to anti-virus controls, but the Chinese government rebuffed them and dropped restrictions in December with no preparations to cope with the chaotic aftermath, The Associated Press has found. Over a year ago, scientists called on authorities to begin preparations for reopening. But Beijing took none of the steps experts said were needed before dropping controls. Millions of older people weren’t vaccinated, and hospitals weren’t reinforced for a possible surge in cases. Experts and scientific models estimate China’s lack of preparation led to hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been avoided.

Irma Reyes feels like she can’t wake up from nightmare. In a Texas case involving her daughter, prosecutors gave two men charged with sex trafficking a deal to walk free with five years’ probation. Reyes’ daughter was 16 when the men were accused of keeping her at a motel where men paid to have sex with the girl. Their cases are among thousands under a cloud of dysfunction at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office. The Republican’s staff declined to answer questions about the cases. One of the men’s lawyer’s said his client would have been acquitted but trial was too risky. Reyes addressed the men in court, her voice breaking. Hundreds of miles away, her daughter struggles to cope. They’re both are still grasping for closure.

Irma Reyes feels like she can't wake up from nightmare. In a Texas case involving her daughter, prosecutors gave two men charged with sex trafficking a deal to walk free with five years' probation. Reyes’ daughter was 16 when the men were accused of keeping her at a motel where men paid to have sex with the girl. Their cases are among thousands under a cloud of dysfunction at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office. The Republican's staff declined to answer questions about the cases. One of the men's lawyer's said his client would have been acquitted but trial was too risky. Reyes addressed the men in court, her voice breaking. Hundreds of miles away, her daughter struggles to cope. They're both are still grasping for closure.

Protesters angry at French President Emmanuel Macron are continuing scattered actions on Friday following mass demonstrations the previous day. Over 450 protesters were arrested as some 300 demonstrations drew more than a million people nationwide to protest against unpopular pension reforms. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said some 441 police and gendarmes were injured and that nearly 1,000 trash bins were set on fire in the French capital. Amid a weeks-long refuse collectors strike, trash bins have become a symbol of the protest against Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.