News

A house fire in northeast Columbus, Ohio, injured two people Friday morning. Crews responded to the scene, located in the 4500 block of Gallery Street west of North Stygler Road, at approximately 5:05 a.m.

Fire Response and Injuries

According to Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Jeffrey Geitter, two individuals were transported to a hospital for treatment. As of this reporting, their conditions remain unknown.

Firefighters observed damage to both the front of the house and the roof. The fire originated inside the home, but the specific cause is currently under investigation.

Authorities have stated that additional information is not immediately available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the fire occur?

The fire occurred in the 4500 block of Gallery Street in northeast Columbus, Ohio, west of North Stygler Road.

When were firefighters called to the scene?

Crews with the Columbus Division of Fire were called to the scene around 5:05 a.m. On Friday morning.

What is the current status of the investigation?

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, and additional information is not immediately available.

As the investigation continues, further details regarding the fire’s origin and the extent of the damage are likely to emerge. It remains to be seen what factors contributed to this incident and what steps may be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

After years of escalating costs, the U.S. Rental market is showing signs of cooling. A surge in fresh apartment construction, coupled with economic uncertainties, is creating conditions that could favor renters in the coming months.

Shifting Market Dynamics

Rent prices have spiked since 2020 due to a combination of factors, including inflation, limited housing availability, and challenges to homeownership. However, the latest data suggests a potential turning point. In January, the shelter index, which includes rent, was up 2.8% over the previous year, slightly outpacing overall inflation at 2.4%.

Increased Supply and Decreased Demand

The increase in available rental units is a key driver of this shift. More inventory is giving renters more options and, in some cases, prompting property managers to lower asking prices to attract tenants. This trend is not expected to last indefinitely, however.

What’s on the Horizon?

While the current conditions are beneficial for renters, economists suggest this period may be temporary. Slowing construction activity could lead to a stabilization or even an increase in rents later in the year. With construction permitting already slowing, the supply of new units may not keep pace with demand for long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why have rents been increasing in recent years?

Rent prices have increased since 2020 due to a combination of inflation, low inventory, barriers to homeownership, and shifts in tenant demand.

Is the rental market still unaffordable?

Yes, rents were unaffordable for 22.6 million households in 2023, an all-time high.

What could cause rents to rise again?

Slowing construction activity of multifamily housing could lead to rents increasing again.

How might these shifting rental market conditions impact your housing plans?

The increasing use of digital technology in schools is raising concerns about student data privacy, according to research from Dublin City University. While technology offers benefits like personalized learning and streamlined communication, it also creates a growing collection of data on children, prompting questions about ownership and security.

The Expanding Digital Footprint in Education

Irish parents are increasingly using apps like Aladdin, VSWare, and Microsoft Teams to receive school reports and communicate with teachers. In the classroom, students utilize tools like Kahoot and Quizlet on devices such as Chromebooks and iPads. These technologies provide real-time feedback to educators, but simultaneously generate substantial amounts of student data.

Many of the technologies used in schools were originally designed for general office productivity or consumer use, rather than specifically for educational purposes. This “platformisation” of education, as it’s been termed, allows big tech companies to increase their presence in schools and potentially influence teaching and learning.

Data Breaches and Cybersecurity Risks

The potential for data breaches is a significant concern. Irish higher education institutions, including the National College of Ireland, Technological University Dublin, Munster Technological University, and South East Technological University, have experienced large-scale cyberattacks and ransomware operations. Similar incidents have impacted schools in the U.S., such as the 2020 attack on the Miami-Dade public school system and a 2021 breach exposing data on over 1 million New York City students. Even Mount Temple School in Clontarf, Ireland, recently experienced a data breach where student evaluations were inadvertently shared.

Beyond security threats, new software services are emerging that monitor student communications for concerns related to mental health and school shootings. But, commentators have noted that these services lack proven effectiveness and collect highly sensitive data on students’ private conversations.

The Need for Transparency and Stakeholder Input

The collection of personal data is governed by regulations like the GDPR and the EU AI Act, which emphasize fairness, transparency, and consent. Research at Dublin City University suggests that increased teacher awareness of data implications can be a positive step. However, researchers Costello and Lowney argue that a broader conversation is needed, involving teachers, parents, and students themselves, to determine the appropriate role of technology in schools and the types of data collected.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is “platformisation” in the context of education?

“Platformisation” refers to how systems like MS Teams or Google Classroom become embedded in schools and can influence teaching and learning.

What regulations govern the collection of student data?

The collection of personal data is regulated by laws such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and, more recently, the EU AI Act.

What happened with Google Chromebooks in Denmark?

Google Chromebooks were effectively banned from schools in Denmark in 2022 for violations of GDPR.

As digital technology becomes increasingly integrated into education, how can schools balance the benefits of innovation with the need to protect student privacy and data security?

Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg – A Eurojackpot prize of nearly 75 million Euro has been won by a player in Heilbronn, according to Westlotto. The winning numbers were 7, 17, 19, 28, and 47, with Euro numbers 2 and 7. The jackpot totaled approximately 74.8 million Euro.

The winning ticket was purchased online, Westlotto stated, and the winner’s name is known but will remain confidential. Players who participate online are required to register with their names.

The winner from the Heilbronn district will be notified of their win via email. A Westlotto spokesperson also noted, “With such a high win, we also write a letter.”

The winner will also be invited to a consultation where they will receive advice on managing their newfound wealth. “We recommend telling as few people as possible,” the spokesperson said. Careful consideration should also be given to how the money is invested.

Players in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia can celebrate wins of over 430,000 Euro, missing only the Euro number. A player in North Rhine-Westphalia matched five numbers and will receive approximately 182,000 Euro.

Recent Eurojackpot Wins

In December, 10 million Euro from the Eurojackpot went to Baden-Württemberg. In November, around 54 million Euro was won in North Rhine-Westphalia. And in October 2025, a player in Hesse won a 70-million-Euro jackpot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did the winning ticket originate?

The winning ticket was purchased online by a player in the Landkreis Heilbronn (district) of Baden-Württemberg.

What were the winning numbers?

The winning numbers were 7, 17, 19, 28, 47, with Euro numbers 2 and 7.

How will the winner be contacted?

The winner will be contacted via email and will also receive a letter from Westlotto, as well as an invitation to a consultation.

What does it mean to you when someone wins a life-altering sum of money like this?

PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women’s tennis team will attempt to improve its season record this weekend with matches against Lehigh, and Maryland. Penn will host Lehigh on Saturday at 11:00 a.m., followed by a road match against Maryland on Sunday at noon in College Park, Md.

The team is looking to rebound after a 4-3 loss to Delaware at the Hecht Tennis Center. That result brought Penn’s overall season record to 5-4.

Against Delaware, Penn lost two of three doubles matches. In singles play, the team won three of six matches.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Penn’s current season record?

Penn’s current season record is 5-4.

Who won Penn’s only doubles match against Delaware?

Maya Urata and Joleen Saw won Penn’s only doubles match against Delaware.

When and where will Penn play Lehigh?

Penn will host Lehigh on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

How will the team’s performance this weekend affect their momentum as the season progresses?

Surveillance footage contradicts the US Department of Homeland Security’s claim that Border Patrol agents dropped Nurul Shah Alam, a 56-year-old nearly blind Rohingya refugee, at a “warm, safe location” after his release from jail last week, days before he was found dead.

The Case of Nurul Shah Alam

The video, obtained by the Buffalo-based outlet Investigative Post late Wednesday, showed a white van arriving at a Tim Hortons donut shop at approximately 8:18 pm Eastern, more than an hour after the store—except its drive-thru window—had closed for the night.

The footage shows a man identified by Investigative Post as Shah Alam walking by the drive-thru window and approaching the locked door before walking across the parking lot.

The Border Patrol agents who dropped off Shah Alam, who spoke no English, appeared to make no attempt to ensure the Tim Hortons was accessible to him. The van left the parking lot less than a minute after Shah Alam exited it.

When news of Shah Alam’s death on a Buffalo street days after his release—and following a period of subfreezing temperatures—broke Wednesday, a spokesperson for Border Patrol stated that the agents had “offered him a courtesy ride, which he chose to accept to a coffee shop” determined to be a “warm, safe location near his last known address.”

The spokesperson also claimed that Shah Alam, who used a walking stick, “showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities requiring special assistance.”

The agents did not notify Shah Alam’s family or lawyers that he had been dropped off at the Tim Hortons.

“So when [the Department of Homeland Security] says they ‘offered him a courtesy ride to a warm, safe location’… they mean they abandoned him in the parking lot of a closed Tim Hortons in the middle of a winter evening in Buffalo,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International. “They lie about EVERYTHING.”

Shah Alam had been detained at the Erie County Holding Center since February 2025, after getting lost while purchasing a curtain rod to use as a walking stick. He ended up in a woman’s backyard, who called the police, reporting that Shah Alam was swinging the rod “in a menacing manner”—a claim his lawyer disputes.

Police body camera footage obtained by Investigative Post shows Shah Alam saying, “OK” and dropping the curtain rod when an officer asked him to put it down. The footage also shows officers Tasering and tackling Shah Alam.

After the incident, Shah Alam was charged with assault, trespassing, and possession of a weapon—his walking stick—and held until last Thursday, when he took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to trespassing and possession of a weapon, avoiding immigration detention despite a detainer issued by Border Patrol.

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan told Investigative Post that Border Patrol should have returned Shah Alam to the Erie County Holding Center, where sheriff’s deputies familiar with his family could have contacted them.

A family friend, Khaleda Shah, told the outlet, “The lawyer was not informed, and the family is just saying, ‘You had our contact information, you had our address.’ Why not drop him at the address that’s on file for him? Why not bring you back to the holding center, rather than Tim Hortons?”

When Fresh York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof posted about Shah Alam’s death on X, DHS responded with its claim that the agents had brought him to a safe location.

Kristof replied, “Video shows that it was night and the coffee shop was closed, so he never entered it… Instead, mostly blind and in need of a cane, unable to speak English, he tried to walk home through the freezing night — since your agents never called his family or lawyer but seem to have left him to die. Do you see how your credibility is undermined when you repeatedly make claims that are later contradicted by video evidence? Why should we trust statements from an agency with such a record of deceit?”

DHS had not publicly responded as of press time.

Refugees International is calling for a full investigation into Border Patrol’s “abandonment” of Shah Alam.

Daniel P. Sullivan, the group’s director Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, noted that the US determined in 2022 that the Myanmar military had committed genocide against the Rohingya people, and Shah Alam was resettled in the US in 2024 after surviving the violence and persecution.

“The death of Shah Alam comes in the midst of ongoing violent immigration enforcement operations by [Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents that have led to widespread abuse and neglect of legally resettled refugees as well as deaths of immigrants and American citizens alike,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan also stated that a member of the Rohingya community told the organization that Shah Alam’s “safe haven became a tragedy for him.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Nurul Shah Alam?

Nurul Shah Alam, a 56-year-old nearly blind Rohingya refugee, was found dead on a Buffalo street days after Border Patrol agents dropped him off at a closed Tim Hortons donut shop following his release from jail.

What did the Department of Homeland Security say about the incident?

The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed that Border Patrol agents dropped Shah Alam at a “warm, safe location,” but surveillance footage contradicts this claim.

What are people saying about the circumstances of Shah Alam’s death?

Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International, stated that the Department of Homeland Security “lied about EVERYTHING.”

Given the conflicting accounts and the tragic outcome, what level of oversight and accountability should be applied to Border Patrol’s release procedures?

Durban – KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has secured an urgent High Court interdict against businessman Calvin Mathibeli. The Durban High Court has ordered Mathibeli to retract and apologize for statements alleging or implying that Mkhwanazi is corrupt, a criminal, or abuses police authority.

Legal Action Follows Public Accusations

The legal action stems from a Facebook post made by Mathibeli, owner of Calvin and Family Security Services, which was widely shared. In the post, Mathibeli accused Mkhwanazi and the KZN police of being influenced by competitors. He too alleged that Mkhwanazi instructed that he be shot and killed.

Mkhwanazi characterized Mathibeli’s statements as personal attacks questioning his integrity and labeling him a criminal – accusations he strongly denied. The interdict follows a recent police operation conducted at Mathibeli’s business premises in Durban.

Further Claims and Reserved Judgement

Mathibeli further claimed Mkhwanazi was an “ice boy” to taxi and security company owners. Although the urgent interdict has been granted, judgment on the broader damages case has been reserved, meaning a decision on financial compensation for Mkhwanazi is pending.

A possible next step is for Mathibeli to comply with the court order by retracting his statements and issuing an apology. Failure to do so could result in further legal consequences. The reserved judgment on damages suggests that Mkhwanazi is also seeking financial redress for the harm caused by the allegations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the High Court order Calvin Mathibeli to do?

The Durban High Court ordered Mathibeli to retract and apologize for any statements alleging or implying that Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is corrupt, a criminal, or abuses police authority.

What prompted Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to take legal action?

Mkhwanazi took legal action in response to a Facebook post by Mathibeli that contained accusations against him and the KZN police, including an allegation that Mkhwanazi had instructed that Mathibeli be killed.

What is the status of the damages case?

Judgment on the broader damages case has been reserved, meaning a decision on financial compensation for Mkhwanazi is still pending.

How might this case influence the relationship between private security firms and law enforcement in KwaZulu-Natal?

A large-scale search is underway in Passau, Germany, after a suspect in a case of alleged violence escaped police custody. Authorities have warned the public that a potential threat remains.

Large-Scale Operation: Suspect Flees Police

On Friday, February 27th, a 22-year-old man being held for questioning in a case of alleged bodily harm fled following a court appearance at the Passau District Court. According to police, the man escaped while outside the courthouse, on his way to a parked police vehicle. The escape triggered a major operation that continued into the evening.

Police deployed multiple patrol units, as well as forces from the Bereitschaftspolizei (standby police), to locate the suspect. Spürhunde (tracking dogs) and a police helicopter were also utilized in the search. The suspect was last seen on a street leading towards the Passau city center, where officers lost track of him.

Suspect at Large: Public Warned

Authorities have cautioned the public, stating that a danger to the public cannot be ruled out. Police specifically advise against picking up hitchhikers in the Passau area.

The suspect is described as approximately 1.80 meters (5’11”) tall, with a slim build, dark, short, curly hair, a piercing in his left ear, and a mustache and goatee. He was wearing dark clothing at the time of his escape.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing their efforts to apprehend the suspect.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in Passau on February 27, 2026?

A 22-year-old man, who was being held for questioning in a case of alleged violence, escaped from police custody after a court appearance.

Is the public in danger?

Police have stated that a danger to the public cannot be ruled out and are advising people in the Passau area not to pick up hitchhikers.

What does the suspect look like?

The suspect is approximately 1.80 meters tall, with a slim build, dark, short, curly hair, a piercing in his left ear, and a mustache and goatee. He was wearing dark clothing and was still handcuffed when he escaped.

What steps will authorities take next to locate the suspect and ensure public safety?