News
Federal Judge Intervenes, Halts Potential Demotion of Mark Kelly by US Military
Defence Secretary Hegseth initiated proceedings to reduce the rank of a retired Navy captain, who had informed servicemembers that they are not obligated to follow unlawful orders.
A federal court has intervened to prevent Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth from reducing the military rank of Senator Mark Kelly, following Kelly's public encouragement of service members to refuse orders they believe are unlawful.

In a strongly worded decision, US District Judge Richard Leon determined that Hegseth's actions constituted unconstitutional retaliation against Kelly, a retired Navy captain.
This development marks another obstacle in President Donald Trump's efforts to challenge Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video last year, urging troops to disobey orders they deemed illegal, which Trump characterized as "seditious".
Earlier this week, a grand jury declined to indict the six lawmakers on charges of seditious conspiracy, which had been sought by federal prosecutors.
Demoting Kelly would have resulted in a significant reduction in his retirement benefits.
In January, Kelly filed a lawsuit against the government, naming Hegseth as a defendant, and argued that Hegseth's attempt to demote him was an illegal act of retaliation for criticizing the Trump administration. Kelly requested a temporary injunction to block the demotion while his lawsuit proceeded.
The federal government argued that Kelly should have pursued his case through military channels rather than in a civilian court, but Judge Leon disagreed with this assessment.
According to Judge Leon, while active-duty service members have limited free speech protections under the First Amendment, there is no precedent for extending these limitations to retired service members.
Judge Leon stated that the evidence clearly indicates that the defendants have infringed upon Senator Kelly's First Amendment rights and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees.
The judge emphasized that retired veterans deserve greater respect from the government and that the Constitution mandates their rights be protected.
The video in question features the Democratic lawmakers stating that the current administration is pitting the military and intelligence community against American citizens.
Kelly appears in the video alongside several other lawmakers who have served in the military or intelligence agencies, including Senator Elissa Slotkin and Representatives Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jason Crow.
In the video, Kelly asserts that service members have the right to refuse unlawful orders, citing the clarity of existing laws.
Following the video's release, Trump posted on social media that the lawmakers should be arrested and tried, labeling their actions as "seditious" and "punishable by death".
Trump later clarified his statement in an interview with Fox News, stating that he was not threatening death but believed the lawmakers were in serious trouble.
The incident led to federal prosecutors launching a criminal investigation into the lawmakers and seeking indictments on charges of seditious conspiracy. However, a grand jury declined to approve the charges.
Meanwhile, Hegseth initiated proceedings to reassess Kelly's retirement grade and issued a formal letter of censure, characterizing Kelly's comments as "seditious in nature" and a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
In his decision, Judge Leon wrote that instead of attempting to restrict the First Amendment rights of retired service members, Secretary Hegseth and other defendants should appreciate the valuable contributions retired service members have made to public discussions on military matters over the past 250 years.
Entertainment And Arts
Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign
The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.
A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.

Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.
Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.
A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.
The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.
It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.
Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.
At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.
In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.
Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.

He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.
The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.
News
Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance
Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.
In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.
The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.
Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.
Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.
The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.
A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.
After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.
With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.
The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.
Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.
Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.
In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.
A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.
Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.
However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.
A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.
Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.
There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.
For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.
A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.
News
FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008
As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.
This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.
Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.
However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.
Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?
For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.
We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.
Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?
Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?
Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.
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