U.S. Calls for Reassessment of International Aid to Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan 
Boeing Secures $289 Million Smart Bomb Contract With Israel 
FBI Warns of Possible Iranian Drone Attacks on California Amid U.S.-Iran War 
Taiwan's MQ-9B SkyGuardian Drone Order Stays on Schedule Despite Middle East Conflict 
U.S. Senate Greenlights AI Chatbots for Official Staff Use 
Iran-U.S. Oil Tensions Escalate as Revolutionary Guards Threaten Strait of Hormuz Blockade 
Israel-Iran War: Herzog Urges Patience as U.S. and Israeli Strikes Intensify 
Pentagon Taps Wall Street Talent to Manage $200 Billion Defense Investment Fund 
Shots Fired at U.S. Consulate in Toronto in Suspected National Security Incident 
U.S. Patriot Missiles Redeployed From South Korea Amid Middle East Conflict 
Trump Hints at Possible U.S. Takeover of Cuba Amid Deepening Humanitarian Crisis 
Trump-Putin Call Addresses Iran War, Ukraine Peace, and Global Oil Crisis 
IEA Releases Record 400 Million Barrels of Oil Amid U.S.-Iran War 
Trump Nominates State Department Official Sarah Rogers to Lead U.S. Agency for Global Media 
Russian Drone Strikes Hit Kharkiv and Dnipro, Injuring Over 20 Civilians 
Bipartisan Housing Bill Advances in Senate, Aims to Tackle U.S. Affordability Crisis 
U.S. and Russia Hold Diplomatic Talks in Florida Amid Ongoing Tensions 
Thousands of civil servants in the United Kingdom are set to take strike action starting in April. The strike action comes amidst waves of strikes staged by several key sectors in the country.
The British Public and Commercial Services union said Friday last week that over 3000 civil servants across four government agencies would take part in a strike on April 11 over pay, pension, and job security. The agencies affected would be the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Forestry Commission, Rural Payments Agency, and the Marine Management Organization.
“They demand the government holds meaningful talks with us and puts some money on the table to give them a decent pay rise,” said PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka.
On Saturday, the Unite union representing over 3,000 bus drivers for National Express ended their strike action after its members voted to accept the 16.2 percent pay increase. Unite said the pay deal at National Express West Midlands also included a guarantee of the implementation of the new terms and conditions that were agreed upon last year.
“This is an important win for Unite members. By standing together our members at National Express secured an above-inflation pay offer,” said Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham.
The spokesperson for National Express West Midlands said the company was pleased that the pay offer was accepted and apologized to customers for the disruption in the services as a result of the strikes.
The UK has had surges of strike action across the country in recent months as thousands of workers in key sectors such as education, healthcare, transportation, and the public sector have demanded higher wages in order to keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living.
On the same day, the British Communication Workers’ Union announced that its members who are part of the post office are being asked to vote on a pay proposal of a nine percent pay increase after “an extremely lengthy dispute” with employers. This post office dispute is separate from the unresolved dispute with Royal Mail Group workers.
Thousands of post office workers have held eight strikes and taken other industrial actions in their demand for higher wages since last year.
