The Telegram messaging app is expected to reach 1 billion active monthly users within a year, according to its founder Pavel Durov. The app, which aims to remain neutral and not involved in geopolitics, has become a crucial tool for both governments and individuals during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite criticism for spreading misinformation.
An Ohio judge has temporarily blocked a Republican-backed state law banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, including puberty blockers and hormones. The law would also prevent transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams. The judge’s order will remain in place for two weeks, or until a hearing on the families’ motion for a longer-term block of the law. Ohio is one of at least 22 Republican-controlled states that have passed laws restricting gender-affirming care. Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, had vetoed the law after hearing from parents of transgender youth that gender-affirming care had been lifesaving for their children. The judge ruled that the families challenging the law were likely to succeed in their argument that it improperly addressed healthcare and sports as separate subjects, rather than a single subject as required by the Ohio constitution.
A Russian poetry competition, the Andrei Dementyev All-Russian Poetry Prize, has banned transgender individuals from submitting entries this year in order to protect traditional values. Russia has implemented a crackdown on LGBTQ rights, including designating the international LGBT social movement as extremist and banning gender change surgery and hormone therapy for transgender people.
Turin has banned outdoor smoking unless people are at least five meters away, with a fine of 100 euros for those who do not comply. The ban covers various smoking products and prohibits smoking near children and pregnant women. Milan also has similar restrictions on outdoor smoking, but enforcement of the laws is limited.
Paris St Germain and Borussia Dortmund won the first two Champions League quarter-finals, defeating Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. They will now face each other in the semi-finals at the end of the month.
– Some H&R Block customers faced frustrating outages when trying to file their taxes on the last day
– The outage was resolved by Monday afternoon
– The IRS deadline to file for 2023 was Monday at 11:59 pm
– The bad gateway error affected some desktop software users
– Customers were advised to either file again or print, file, and mail the form to the IRS
– Some customers were charged multiple times when attempting to file their taxes
– Customers who encounter tech glitches can avoid penalties by mailing in their payment by the deadline
– Taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts have until April 17 to file their taxes
The federal government is increasing capital gains taxes on wealthy individuals and companies to finance new spending on housing and other government priorities.
The federal government announced intentions to raise the inclusion rate on capital gains taxes for corporations and individuals earning beyond a certain threshold, which will impact wealthy individuals who are benefiting from tax advantages not available to middle class Canadians, according to the Budget 2024.
Two men were arrested for embezzling over 0,000 from a casino in Kyrenia by sending forged invoices and receiving payments in cash.
The government of Cyprus is ready to revoke the protection status of around 30 people from Syria who have traveled back to Syria via the north in the past year. These individuals will not have the right to appeal the decision.