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China resumes direct flights to North Korea after 6 years

By
The Associated Press
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BEIJING (AP) — China’s flag carrier resumed direct flights between Beijing and North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang on Monday not long after the restoration of passenger train services between the capitals.

The Air China flight was welcomed by the Chinese ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, and other diplomats, according to Chinese state media.

Passenger train service from China to North Korea had resumed March 12.

Flights and passenger trains to North Korea had been suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

North Korean carrier Air Koryo resumed flights between the capitals in 2023.

North Korea banned all foreign tourists during the pandemic but has started easing the restrictions, with a Russian tour group entering the country in 2024.

Chinese tour groups had made up 90% of all visitors to North Korea prior to the ban, and the delay on resuming Chinese tours surprised observers.

China is Pyongyang’s biggest trading partner and major ally, but Beijing has expressed disapproval over the years at North Korea’s test-launches of missiles that could be used to target South Korea and the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing in September to attend a massive military parade, marking the first time a North Korean leader had been present at a Chinese military parade in decades.

Empty Bowls event raises funds for local food pantries

By
Staff Reports
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Carla Clark | For The Republic People gather in the main gym to eat and listen to karaoke singers perform during the Empty Bowls fundraiser, benefiting local pantries and shelters, held at Central Midddle School, Columbus, Ind., Saturday, March 28, 2026

Carla Clark | For The Republic People gather in the main gym to eat and listen to karaoke singers perform during the Empty Bowls fundraiser, benefiting local pantries and shelters, held at Central Midddle School, Columbus, Ind., Saturday, March 28, 2026

The community gathered Saturday for the 28th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, with all proceeds going toward supporting local food pantries.

Proceeds this year will go towards food pantries at the Community Center of Hope, the Salvation Army, Columbus North High School, Columbus East High School, Taylorsville Elementary School, IU Columbus and Ivy Tech. The goal was to raise $25,000 this year, event spokesperson Dick Boyce said.

The Columbus North and Columbus East ceramics departments made bowls for the event, which were available for purchase alongside other artisan bowls by local artists, teachers and students. Several gift baskets were also be available for auction with one of these baskets containing over $500 in gift items.

Helping to serve food this year were Mayor Mary Ferdon, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Superintendent Chad Phillips and Community Education Coalition President and CEO Jim Roberts.

CPD replacing two damaged vehicles

By
Brad Davis
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City officials Tuesday gave authorization to the Columbus Police Department to purchase a new vehicle after two were totaled in recent weeks.

The Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety agreed to allow the purchase of a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor from Community Ford of Bloomington for $47,325.25.

Deputy Chief Matt Martindale said the purchase will be paid for through the use of the insurance proceeds from the two crashes, as well as some existing funds.

One of the crashes happened as an officer was backing up another officer on an emergency call. The other took place during the course of normal driving, when a civilian driver on State Street pulled out in front of the driving officer, Martindale said.

Both crashes were due to another driver essentially not looking left and not paying attention, Martindale said, meaning the crashes weren’t the fault of CPD.

Asking Eric: Friend never picks up when called

By
Staff Reports
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Dear Eric: I have a lady I consider a friend, but I notice that she only calls me when it’s convenient for her. I call her to talk, and she makes everything about her. I am really considering stopping talking to her.

She says she doesn’t have any friends. She is in her 70s and I’m in my 50s and I have said something to her about the problem. Am I wrong for not wanting to be her friend because sometimes when I text her, she doesn’t answer or when I call, she doesn’t answer? I think that’s disrespectful. I don’t do that to her. I politely respond even if I’m busy or working.

– Left Unanswered

Dear Unanswered: It seems there’s two issues in the friendship here. First is the misalignment in your communication styles. And second is your frustration with what you talk about when you do talk. Either could be a dealbreaker. Sometimes friendships run their courses or two people who once were compatible find that they no longer are. It’s OK if you feel it’s time to put some space between you.

However, do consider that her phone response habits may not be a sign of disinterest or disrespect. The prevalence of cellphones and texting continues to change and reshape society. We all have different relationships to how available for communication we are. She may not always keep her phone handy, or she may simply not enjoy replying to every call or text she gets.

It may help you to set a regular time to call. This way, expectations get managed and, ideally, she’ll pick up.

Dear Eric: One of my relatives is a young lady in her early 30s. She’s gainfully employed and is in a year-long relationship. She would like to marry her friend who is about her age and also has a career. So far, no ring. My theory, which I’m not sharing with her, is that if a man has been with a woman for this long without a commitment to marriage, he is using her as a convenience and she should move on. Any thoughts?

– No Ring

Dear No Ring: My thoughts, respectfully, are that those thoughts should continue to be kept to yourself unless your relative explicitly asks for them. Every relationship runs on its own timeline. A year is short; they’re still getting to know each other.

Regardless, it seems that their timelines aren’t matching up. She’s expressed a desire to marry. Even if it’s premature, you can, if she wants, support her in advocating for herself, or finding ways to talk through what her partner’s hesitations are. Or choose to end it, if she so desires. It’s often better to have a wise sounding board who can help us think through problems, rather than someone who is going to tell us what we should be doing.

Now, as to her partner’s motivations? I can’t say. Relationships can be tricky; many people feel unmoved to marry or even afraid of it. Some people want a few more revolutions around the sun. The key for any couple, even if they’re aligned in what they want, is clear communication so that everyone is making clear-eyed decisions.

Dear Eric: I was so happy to read the question from “Lover of Flowers and Friends” where the hostess receives fresh flowers from guests and feels obligated to unwrap them, cut the stems, put them in the vase, arrange and display them, while greeting other guests and finishing up last-minute preparations.

After encountering this kind gesture from my guests many times over my party-giving career, I came upon a brilliantly simple solution. What I do is place several vases pre-filled with water along my kitchen counter and some in the bathrooms and I simply pop the fresh cut flowers into an already prepared vase. If the wrap is still on the flowers, I still do it and I prepare the flowers the next day.

During Christmastime, someone inevitably will bring me a large, beautiful poinsettia, which I don’t have room for because of the food and dishes I’ve set out. I place a table outside my front door and place the poinsettia there and bring it in at the end of the party. That way it looks like a beautiful greeting to my guests. I hope this suggestion helps your readers.

– Another Flower Lover

Dear Flower Lover: I really like this suggestion. It’s very adept party-hosting, because good hospitality involves anticipating guests’ needs. You’re anticipating that guests might need a place to put the flowers and you’re anticipating that you’ll need to offload the task of floral preparation to later. A win all around. I’m also quite impressed that you’ve cultivated a circle of friends who always come bearing bouquets. What a treat.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Around Town – March 30

By
Staff Reports
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Editor’s Note: Submissions to Around Town are opinions submitted anonymously by readers, not factual representations, and do not reflect the viewpoints of The Republic or its staff.

March 30

Orchids to

the person at Chick-fil-A who paid for our order in the drive thru lane. God bless you.

the peaceful and enthusiastic No Kings Day demonstration downtown Columbus.

great but sobering column by Michael J. Hicks about the ongoing war with Iran and its possible long term consequences.

choirs of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, Fairlawn Presbyterian Church, Roberts Park United Methodist Church and St. John United Church of Christ for a moving, excellent, exhilarating, divine performance of the Stabat Mater.

columnist Mickey Kim for a good common sense approach to utilizing AI for investing or anything else.

Looking Back – March 30

By
Staff Reports
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Terena Saltsman, 14, left, eighth grader at Hauser, won the Bartholomew County Spelling Bee at Hauser High School in Hope on March 29, 1976. Susan Kirr, 12, sixth grader at St. Columba Catholic School, was runner-up.

2016

Longtime Columbus philanthropists Bob and Helen Haddad donated the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s office and music instruction space at 315 Franklin St. to the orchestra. The building had served as the orchestra’s home since 2003.

2001

Columbus North sophomore Leah Retrum and Columbus East sophomore Nikki Howe were named The Republic’s All-Area Winter Female Athletes of the Year.

1976

Hauser eighth grader Terena Saltsman won the Bartholomew County Spelling Bee after correctly spelling “subliminal.” Runner-up was St. Columba sixth grader Susan Kirr.

Community calendar – March 30

By
Staff Reports
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Events listed for Monday, March 30

“Color Your Future” Week — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., IU Columbus, 4601 Central Ave., Columbus. Get individual, walk-in help during “Color Your Future” Week. All attendees will receive a free coloring book.

Flow Yoga — noon to 1 p.m., Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join library staff for a one-hour session with certified yoga instructor Sonia Aponte. This class will focus on a smooth, continuous flow of movements linked to the breath to help achieve a mind/body balance.

Pop-Up Storytime with the CNHS Cast of “The Sound of Music” — 6 to 6:30 p.m., Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join library staff for a storytime and song with Maria and the Von Trapp family from the Columbus North High School cast of “The Sound of Music.”

Adults Reading YA Book Club: Romantasy — 6 to 7:30 p.m., Camila’s, 1824 25th St., Columbus. Jump on the Romantasy bandwagon and read any teen Romantasy book. Come prepared to share with the group what you read. Register on the Bartholomew County Public Library website.

Asian shares decline as oil prices soar amid the war in Iran, echoing last week’s Wall Street drop

By
The Associated Press
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TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly dipped in Monday morning trading as worries continued about soaring oil prices and the potential for further escalation in the U.S. war with Iran.

The drops in Asia follow the deep declines on Wall Street last Friday that finished off a fifth straight losing week, its longest such streak in nearly four years.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 4.5% in morning trading to 50,979.54. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.2% to 8,417.00. South Korea’s Kospi dove 3.2% to 5,264.32. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 1.7% to 24,519.63, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.7% to 3,884.57.

Worries have been great in Japan and the rest of Asia about the effective lack of access to the Strait of Hormuz because of the war in Iran, as the region relies greatly on such access for oil shipments.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude jumped $2.28 to $101.92 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, soared $2.88 to $115.45 a barrel. Before the war, brent had been price at about $70 to a barrel.

Investors are now bracing for the war to last for some time, which would likely set off inflation in global markets, and eventually may stunt Asia’s economic growth.

“Although we do not expect the conflict to be protracted, we anticipate heightened volatility in the near term,” said Xavier Lee, senior equity analyst at Morningstar Research.

Oil prices are again climbing after momentarily easing when President Donald Trump extended a self-imposed deadline to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants to April 6.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 1.7% to close its worst week since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 793 points, or 1.7%, and fell more than 10% from its record set last month, while the Nasdaq composite sank 2.1%.

The S&P 500 is 8.7% below its all-time high set in January. Big Tech stocks were among the heaviest weights on the market, including Amazon and Nvidia.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 108.31 points to 6,368.85 last Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 793.47 to 45,166.64, and the Nasdaq composite sank 459.72 to 20,948.36.

In the bond market, the yield for the 10-year Treasury rose as high as 4.48% before pulling back to end last week at 4.43%. That’s up from 4.42% late Thursday and from just 3.97% before the war began.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar inched down to 159.97 Japanese yen from 160.32 yen. The euro cost $1.1505, down from $1.1510.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock tosses 6 no-hit innings in 8-0 win over Guardians

By
The Associated Press
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SEATTLE (AP) — By the time Emerson Hancock’s first start of the 2025 season ended, he had recorded just two outs.

Once Hancock’s inaugural outing of 2026 concluded, though, a few very different figures lit up the scoreboard at T-Mobile Park.

Six innings.

No runs.

And most impressive — no hits.

Not only did the Seattle Mariners starter pick up his first win of the season Sunday in the team’s 8-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, Hancock also proved to himself in a very concrete way that he has made sizable steps forward since the spring of 2025.

After all, Hancock won a spot in the Mariners’ rotation in large part because of a spring training injury to Bryce Miller.

“A year ago, right now, we’re having a completely different conversation. Things went completely different,” Hancock said with a laugh. “But, I think that’s just part of this game. And you’re going to struggle, there’s going to be ups, there’s going to be downs.”

There were no “downs” to speak of Sunday, at least not according to the 30,800 fans on hand who rewarded the sixth overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft with a standing ovation after he worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

In the process, Hancock joined Félix Hernández as the only Mariners pitchers to strike out nine or more in a hitless outing of at least six innings. Hernández did so when throwing a perfect game in 2012.

Hancock’s nine strikeouts were a career high, a figure buoyed in large part by a four-seam fastball that generated nine swings-and-misses. Paired with a sweeper that Hancock spent a lot of time refining in the offseason, Hancock’s fastball kept Cleveland’s hitters off balance all evening.

“You’re playing the speed game and the break game,” Hancock said. “It’s something slower, it’s something that is breaking a lot through the zone. And if you can throw it in the zone, it can help a ton. And then the heater for me, I’m just trying to see it as the mask and just kind of rip it.”

Hancock effortlessly maneuvered through Cleveland’s lineup. The only baserunners the 26-year-old right-hander allowed came when he walked José Ramírez in the first inning and hit CJ Kayfus with a fastball in the sixth.

But after six innings and 97 pitches, manager Dan Wilson decided Hancock was done, and there was no consideration to seeing if he could produce the seventh no-hitter in Mariners history.

“What he did today was really good execution,” Wilson said. “Really hard to take a guy out after no hits, six innings. But, pitch count was where it was.”

Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter lined a clean single leading off the seventh against reliever Cooper Criswell to break up Seattle’s bid for a combined no-hitter.

Across the board, Hancock’s velocity was down relative to last season, too. He and Wilson chalked that up in part to it being early in the season. It didn’t help that the temperature hung in the low 40s all game on a chilly late afternoon in the Pacific Northwest

As much as the elements may have shortened Hancock’s start, though, they only added to its brilliance. From the outset, third baseman Brendan Donovan was impressed with Hancock’s willingness to attack hitters, evidenced by the right-hander throwing first-pitch strikes to 12 of the 19 batters he faced, as well as not allowing a batted ball against him to leave the infield.

“I feel like he had confidence in everything that was coming out of his hand,” Donovan said. “Mixing speeds, locations, high levels. Kind of in and out, down, everything seemed to be working for him.”

Such an assessment could not be applied to Hancock’s first start of the 2025 season, one he ultimately finished coming out of the bullpen as Seattle’s starting rotation got healthier. But if Hancock can spin the ball the way he did Sunday more frequently, Wilson will have tougher decisions to make beyond whether he should keep the righty in the game.

“What an incredible performance by Emerson Hancock,” Wilson said. “It was impressive.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

Trump says he has ‘no problem’ with Russian oil tanker bringing relief to Cuba despite blockade

By
The Associated Press
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ABOARD AIRFORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday night said he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker off the coast of Cuba delivering relief to the island, which has been brought to its knees by a U.S. oil blockade.

“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload because they need… they have to survive,” Trump told reporters as he flew back to Washington.

When asked if a New York Times report that the tanker would be allowed to reach Cuba was true, Trump said: “I told them, if a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not.”

Tracking data shows the oil tanker carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of oil, was just off the eastern tip of the island on Sunday night and slated to arrive in the city of Matanzas by Tuesday. Journalists working for Cuban state media also reported the on the boat’s expected arrival, though Cuban officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The vessel, Anatoly Kolodkin, is sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom following the war in Ukraine.

Trump, whose government has come at its Caribbean adversary more aggressively than any U.S. government in recent history, has effectively cut Cuba off from key oil shipments in an effort to force regime change. The blockade has had devastating effects on the civilians Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio say they want to help, leaving many desperate.

Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.

Experts say the anticipated shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel — enough to feed Cuba’s daily demand for nine or 10 days.

Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.

Cuba has long been at the heart of geopolitical tug-of-war between the U.S. and Russia, dating back decades. Trump on Sunday dismissed the idea that allowing the boat to reach Cuba would help Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It doesn’t help him. He loses one boatload of oil, that’s all it is. If he wants to do that, and if other countries want to do it, it doesn’t bother me much,” Trump said. “It’s not going to have an impact. Cuba’s finished. They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership and whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter.”

He added: “I’d prefer letting it in, whether it’s Russia or anybody else because the people need heat and cooling and all of the other things.”

——

Associated Press reporters Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City and Andrea Rodríguez contributed from Havana.

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