News Information and Media Site: Thursday Briefing: U.S. House poised to pass immigrant protections

Today's top stories

Republicans are jockeying for Trump's blessing, Russia wants a U.S. apology, and where did the water on Mars go?

Young 'Dreamer' immigrants living illegally in the United States would be placed on a path to citizenship under a bill to be voted upon in the House of Representatives today, as Democrats try to reverse former President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policies.

We explain why more migrant children are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border and follow a Guatemalan teenage mother's journey.

More than a year before party primaries begin for congressional and state elections in 2022, Republicans are in a mad scramble to secure Trump's approval.

Dozens of hopefuls have already reached out to Trump or plan to do so to seek his endorsement, according to more than a dozen candidates and two Trump advisers who spoke to Reuters.

Michael Yeadon was a scientific researcher and vice president at drugs giant Pfizer. He co-founded a successful biotech. Then his career took an unexpected turn. Read our special report on the scientist who became an anti-vax hero.

↑ Mayra, a 17-year-old asylum-seeking mother from Guatemala, carries her 13-month old son Marvin after they crossed the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico on a raft in Penitas, Texas, March 17, 2021

WORLD

↑ Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a ceremony launching a gold mining plant in Kyrgyzstan via a video link in Moscow, March 17, 2021

Russia wants an apology from the United States after President Joe Biden said he thought Vladimir Putin was a killer and may retaliate against Washington unless it gets one, a senior Russian lawmaker says.

Myanmar faces growing isolation with increasingly limited internet services and its last private newspaper ceasing publication as the military builds a case against ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Peru’s Rafael López Aliaga, an ultra-conservative who practices celibacy and says he wears a sackcloth to keep his physical desires in check, has a serious shot at becoming the Andean country’s next president.

Mars was once a wet world, with abundant bodies of water on its surface. So what happened? Scientists have a new hypothesis.

Business

With many high-earning employees not expected back in the office full-time, the ‘home nesting’ that became a feature of the pandemic is set to continue - leading to sustained higher spending on home offices, gym equipment and renovations, a new report by McKinsey has found.

Canada’s tiny Flair Airlines, which made headlines by handing Boeing a crucial order for 737 MAX jets last week, is forging growth plans inspired by the austerity that transformed Hungary’s Wizz Air into one of Europe’s largest carriers.

BlackRock has warned companies that rely on nature or have an impact on natural habitats to publish a “no deforestation” policy and their strategy on biodiversity or face pushback from the asset manager at their annual meetings.

On Tuesday, Chinese livestreaming e-commerce came under scrutiny. On Thursday, it was “deepfakes”. And earlier this month, Chinese authorities imposed fines on operators of community group buying platforms. We examine how the country is delivering on threats to rein in the internet economy.