NewsBytes

Netherlands creates fund to attract top foreign scientists

The Netherlands is setting up a fund to attract top foreign  scientists to the Netherlands, Education Minister Eppo Bruins said in a letter to parliament on Thursday. Bruins did not give a timeline but said the fund should be operational as soon as possible. “There is currently a great global demand for international top scientific talent. At the same time, the geopolitical climate is changing, which is currently increasing the international mobility of scientists,” Bruins wrote. While Bruins said the fund would be accessible to scientists of all nationalities, the announcement came as U.S. President Donald Trump's government is cutting research grants for several universities, including Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University.

USDA to invest up to $100 million in projects to combat bird flu

The US Department of Agriculture said it plans to invest up to $100 million in projects that will help fund research for therapies and potential vaccines to combat bird flu in poultry. The US will also begin importing more eggs from South Korea, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on a call with industry groups and reporters. South Korea joins Turkey and Brazil among nations sending more eggs to the U.S. as part of the Trump administration's effort to drive down prices of the kitchen staple. Bird flu has killed nearly 170 million egg-laying hens, turkeys and other birds in an outbreak that began in 2022. Egg prices reached record highs in recent months in large part due to the constrained supply. Humans and dairy cows have also tested positive.

Prioritise criminal appeals against conviction of aged accused on bail: SC

The Supreme Court has said the old age of an accused and a long lapse of time from the commission of an offence can always be a ground to give priority to appeals against the conviction of those on bail. Taking note of the huge pendency of criminal appeals against conviction and acquittal in high courts, the apex court said a right balance has to be struck by taking up for hearing some of the old criminal appeals against conviction, where the accused are on bail. “Therefore, it is desirable that certain categories of appeals against conviction, where the accused are on bail, should be given priority,” a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Augustine George Masih said.

Hamas studying US ‘bridge’ proposal on ceasefire

Hamas said on Friday it was reviewing a US proposal to restore the Gaza ceasefire as Israel intensified military operations in the enclave to press the Palestinian militant group into freeing remaining Israeli hostages. US special envoy Steve Witkoff's ‘bridge’ plan, presented last week, aims to extend the ceasefire into April, beyond Ramadan and Passover, to allow time for negotiations on a permanent cessation of hostilities. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military was ramping up air, land and sea strikes and would also evacuate civilians to the southern part of Gaza, speaking three days after Israel effectively abandoned the two-month-old truce.