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US troops will be able to deploy to a string of bases along the Panama Canal under a joint deal seen by AFP Thursday, a major concession to President Donald Trump as he seeks to reestablish influence over the vital waterway.The agreement, signed by top security officials from both countries, allows US military personnel to deploy to Panama-controlled facilities for training, exercises and “other activities.”The deal stops short of allowing the United States to build its own permanent bases on the isthmus, a move that would be deeply unpopular with Panamanians and legally fraught.But it gives the United States broad sway to deploy an unspecified number of personnel to bases, some of which Washington built when it occupied the canal zone decades ago.Trump, since returning to power in January, has repeatedly claimed that China has too much influence over the canal, which handles about 40 percent of US container traffic and five percent of world trade. His administration has vowed to “take back” control of the strategic waterway that the United States funded, built and controlled until 1999.The United States has long participated in military exercises in Panama.However, a longer-term rotational force — such as the one the United States maintains in Darwin, Australia — could prove politically toxic for Panama’s center-right leader Jose Raul Mulino.- ‘Country on fire’ -Mulino was on Thursday in Peru, where he revealed that the United States had asked to have its own bases.Mulino said he had told visiting Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth that US bases, allowed under an earlier draft, would be “unacceptable.”He warned Hegseth: “Do you want to create a mess, what we’ve put in place here would set the country on fire.”In the watered-down “Memorandum of Understanding”, signed by Hegseth and Panama’s security chief Frank Abrego Wednesday, Panama won its own concessions.The United States recognized Panama’s sovereignty — not a given following Trump’s refusal to rule out an invasion — and Panama will retain control over any installations.Panama will also have to agree to any deployments.But given Trump’s willingness to rip up or rewrite trade deals, treaties and agreements, that might offer little comfort to worried Panamanians.”What we have here is a setback to national sovereignty,” Panamanian trade union leader Saul Mendez told AFP.”What the Panamanian government has done is an act of treason. They are traitors and must be tried.”- Difficult history -The country has a long and difficult relationship with the United States. They have close cultural and economic ties, despite the decades-long US occupation of the canal zone and US invasion 35 years ago to overthrow dictator Manuel Noriega.That invasion killed more than 500 Panamanians and razed parts of the capital. Trump’s vow to take back the canal, and his claim of Chinese influence have prompted mass demonstrations.By law, Panama operates the canal, giving access to all nations.But the US president has zeroed in on the role of a Hong Kong company that has operated ports at either end of the canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for decades.Under pressure from the White House, Panama has accused the Panama Ports Company of failing to meet its contractual obligations and pushed for the firm to pull out of the country.The ports’ parent company CK Hutchison announced last month a deal to offload 43 ports in 23 countries — including its two on the Panama Canal — to a consortium led by US asset manager BlackRock for $19 billion in cash.A furious Beijing has since announced an antitrust review of the deal.

The Trump administration suffered a setback in a closely watched immigration case Thursday, as the US Supreme Court ordered it to “facilitate” the return of a wrongly deported Salvadoran migrant.Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, was living in the eastern state of Maryland until he became one of more than 200 people sent to a prison in El Salvador last month as part of Republican President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants.Most of the deportees were suspected members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has declared a foreign terrorist organization.Justice Department lawyers later admitted that Abrego Garcia — who is married to a US citizen — was deported due to an “administrative error.”The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the government to “‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” the conservative-majority court said in its unsigned ruling.- Protected status -Abrego Garcia had been living in the United States under protected legal status since 2019, when a judge ruled he should not be deported because he could be harmed in his home country. Following his deportation and internment in the notorious CECOT counter-terrorist prison, lower courts had ordered that the US government return him to the United States by midnight on Monday.The Supreme Court put that order on hold hours before the deadline, after the administration requested an emergency ruling.In its challenge, the government argued that Abrego Garcia is a member of Salvadoran gang MS-13 — a claim the lower courts found lacked evidence.The US government also argued that it no longer had jurisdiction to have Abrego Garcia released now that he is on Salvadoran soil, calling the lower courts’ orders “unprecedented and indefensible” and a “demand that the United States let a member of a foreign terrorist organization into America tonight.””We’re confident that people that are (in CECOT) should be there, and they should stay there for the rest of their lives,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday, according to news site Axios.Noem had visited the prison in person on March 26.The White House has trumpeted a $6-million deal with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in return for his holding alleged gang members in the ultra-high-security jail.- ‘Deport any person’ -“The (Monday) deadline in the challenged order is no longer effective,” the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.However, “the rest of the District Court’s order remains in effect” requiring Abrego Garcia’s return, the judges added — although the lower court must clarify its order “with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”A statement signed by liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson argued there was “no basis in law” for Abrego Garcia’s removal to El Salvador.”The government’s argument… implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including US citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court could intervene,” they added.Human Rights Watch on Friday called on the US government to disclose information about all the people it has moved to CECOT and allow them contact with the outside world.”The cruelty of the US and Salvadoran governments has put these people outside the protection of the law and caused immense pain to their families,” the rights group said in a statement.

Six people including three children were killed after a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the Hudson River in New York on Thursday, sparking a major water rescue operation, authorities said.The crash killed all those onboard the aircraft: the pilot and a family from Spain. Two of the victims were initially taken to a hospital, but later succumbed to their injuries.”At this time, all six victims have been removed from the water. And sadly, all six victims have been pronounced deceased,” Mayor Eric Adams told a briefing, after earlier calling it a “heartbreaking and tragic crash.”Officials have yet to release the identities of the victims, but widespread US media reports identified one of the people aboard the helicopter as Agustin Escobar, a Spanish executive at global technology company Siemens.The chopper’s landing skids were seen protruding from the river beside a tunnel vent as several boats clustered around the impact site. Police from both New York and New Jersey, which is on the opposite side of the river from Manhattan, responded to the scene along with fire department vessels.The NBC4 channel reported that its own helicopter was unable to take off because of weather conditions, with the weather in New York on Thursday gusty under thick cloud cover.A witness told AFP it appeared like the helicopter’s rotor blade “shattered in the sky.” “And after it shattered, then we saw the helicopter just spiral… And then it just crashed into the water just like that,” said fashion designer Belle Angel.The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement it was Bell 206 helicopter. “The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate,” it added.President Donald Trump took to social media to call the crash “terrible.””The footage of the accident is horrendous. God bless the families and friends of the victims,” he wrote on Truth Social.- ‘Heartbreaking’ -The river is a busy shipping channel and the scene of a dramatic 2009 incident when a US Airways jet safely landed in the water. All 155 people on board escaped alive in an event dubbed “Miracle on the Hudson.”The river is as deep as 200 feet (60 meters) at points, and an AFP correspondent saw what appeared to be floatation devices deployed on the helicopter’s skids.The average temperature of the river is 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) at this time of year, according to the US Geological Survey.”Three adults and three children were on board a Bell 206 helicopter that had left from the downtown Skyport at just about 3 pm,” Adams said, adding that the tourists were a family from Spain.Police and fire service (FDNY) divers raced to pull survivors from the wreckage, he said.”NYPD divers pulled four people from the crash site, and FDNY Divers recovered an additional two. Immediate lifesaving measures were undertaken on the vessels at the scene, as well as the adjoining pier,” police commissioner Jessica Tisch said. “Four victims were pronounced dead on scene, and two more were removed to local area hospitals, where, sadly, both succumbed to their injuries.”The chopper took off around 3 pm, flying south before heading up the Manhattan shoreline to the George Washington Bridge, turning back towards the downtown Manhattan heliport, losing control and hitting the water near a Hoboken pier, Tisch said.The police commissioner said the aircraft was operated by New York Helicopter, which did not respond to a request for comment but lists the Bell 206 among its fleet.There have been around 30 helicopter crashes in New York since 1980, Brooklyn Borough President Mark Levine told reporters, calling for tighter restrictions on helicopter traffic in the city.

Fighter jets from the United States, France, Finland and Germany roar into the skies from a Dutch base as part of NATO’s biggest air exercise this year. The aim: to practice stopping — and then defeating — an enemy attack against the alliance as Russia’s war in Ukraine fuels fears in Europe.But while NATO focuses on the menace from the east, another potential threat is looming from within the alliance. Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has sowed doubt over Washington’s commitment to underpinning European security and his administration has warned it could move forces away from the continent to deal with challenges elsewhere like China.For now, NATO commanders insist nothing has changed — showcased by the latest drills.”We recently elected a new president, and we’re still trying to figure out the exact policies that they’re going to be coming out with,” General James Hecker, the top US and NATO air commander in Europe, told reporters during the exercises.”I think you’re going to see us hand in hand with the Europeans for quite some time.”But if Trump does decide to withdraw US forces, there are fears that could leave European militaries struggling to plug gaps in key areas as they race to face off against an emboldened Moscow.While attention often centres on the roughly 100,000 US troops currently stationed on the continent, above them in the skies, commanders and experts point to multiple areas where Europe could struggle without Washington.Those include air defences, spy planes and satellites, electronic systems that can jam radar, tankers to refuel jets mid-flight and hulking aircraft used to transport troops.”Hypothetically, if the environment over Taiwan deteriorates, the US is going to look to move key assets” from Europe, said Douglas Barrie from the International Institute for Strategic Studies.- ‘Best equipment’ -European nations have hiked defence spending since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and are set to go even further, under pressure from Trump. But while purchases of the latest US F-35 fighter jets have risen in recent years — acquiring systems in which Europe lags will be costly and time-consuming.”It would take three to five years for some systems, five to 10 years for others, depending on where you wanted to spend your money,” Barrie said. Not to mention assets such as satellite systems and strategic nuclear bombers that would take decades to replace — if they can ever really be substituted.Doubts over Trump’s reliability have also fuelled questions about whether Europe should keep buying equipment from the United States.Worries he could hobble F-35s by refusing software updates or spare parts have led several countries to reconsider purchases — and prompted renewed calls from the likes of France to cut reliance on Washington.”This is a real opportunity for Europe to question its own model and possibly its own dependencies,” said French air force general Laurent Rataud.But while equivalents for much of the equipment do exist in Europe, production times are often long and the continent doesn’t yet produce a fifth-generation stealth jet like the F-35.”It’s of the utmost importance that my women and men have the best equipment,” said Dutch air force chief Andre Steur.”For me it’s less relevant where that kit is built.”- ‘No match’ -Despite gaps in their inventories, NATO’s European members insist they’d be able to handle a fight for the skies against Russia — even without the United States. “We actually have some pretty strong air forces,” Lieutenant Colonel Martin Friis, a Danish officer at NATO’s air command, told AFP.”Some of them maybe have gotten smaller, but the technology, the weapons and the training is, compared to what we see from at least one potential opponent — they’re no match.” During the Cold War, the NATO alliance believed it would have air dominance over the Soviet Union thanks to its technological superiority.As the threat receded after the fall of Communism, air forces often downsized and readapted to new missions in places like Afghanistan, where their opponents lacked firepower.  NATO has closely watched how Moscow failed to gain air superiority in Ukraine against Kyiv’s much smaller force, and learnt its lessons. Commodore Marcel van Egmond, head of the Dutch air combat command, said he is confident that European countries would have the upper hand over Russia — at least in the early days of any conflict. “But we need help for the longer fight, maybe from the US,” he told AFP. “The long-term sustainment, in terms of capacity that we have, might be a challenge.”

They whimper, drink from baby bottles and crawl oh so tentatively — they look like cute white puppies, not the fruit of a daring project to resuscitate an extinct species.A Texas startup called Colossal Biosciences made a big splash this week by releasing footage of canines they say are dire wolves, a species that vanished more than 12,000 years ago.”For the first time in human history, Colossal successfully restored a once-eradicated species through the science of de-extinction,” the company states on its website.Photos and video of these critters have flooded social media and shaken the scientific community, which has reacted with a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism over this experiment reminiscent of “Jurassic Park” — the fictional story of a quirky rich man’s attempt to bring back the dinosaurs.The company says it did it by tweaking the DNA of a modern-day gray wolf with carefully chosen genes from dire wolf fossils. This modified genetic material was then inserted in a grey wolf egg and implanted in a common dog as a surrogate mom.The result: three baby dire wolves, Colossal Biosciences claims.”I think the claims are vastly overblown,” Alan Cooper, an evolutionary molecular biologist who took part in a previous study of dire wolf DNA, told AFP.”It would be like me putting a couple of genes into you from Neanderthals that made you extra hairy and grow more muscles, and then called you a Neanderthal,” said Cooper. “That’s a million miles from Neanderthal. It’s a hairy human.””This is not the dire wolf. This is something they have created that has phenotypic characteristics of dire wolf,” said Lisette Waits, an ecologist and professor of wildlife resources at the University of Idaho.Waits, who has worked extensively on grey wolf genetics and red wolf conservation issues, nonetheless called this achievement a breakthrough.The pups are named Romulus and Remus, in a nod to the twin brothers of Roman mythology, and Khaleesi, of “Game of Thrones” fame.- Debate – The Colossal Biosciences team studied DNA from two dire wolf fossils  — a tooth from 13,000 years ago and a skull fragment dated back 72,000 years — and compared them to the DNA of the gray wolf, a species that is alive and well. The team concluded these two kinds of DNA are around 99.5 percent identical, Beth Shapiro, the company’s chief science officer, told AFP.An analysis of the differences between the two kinds of DNA determined which genes could be responsible for the dire wolf’s size, muscle structure and its white fur.With this information the team modified blood cells from a grey wolf by inserting some of those dire wolf genes. A total of 20 changes were made using the genetic manipulation technique known as Crispr-Cas 9, which is also used in human genetics.The blood cells were then transferred to a gray wolf egg cell that was implanted in a dog. The results: Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi.Whether these animals are actual dire wolves or simply genetically modified gray wolves, Shapiro insisted, “is a semantic, philosophical argument.”She added that it will never be possible to create an animal that is 100 percent genetically identical to a species that is extinct.”But neither is that the goal. Our goal is to create functional equivalents of those species,” the scientist said.- Dodos and wooly mammoths -The company plans to apply this technique to dodo birds and woolly mammoths. Just last month it released photos of mice injected with genetic material from one of those extinct pachyderms, yielding controversy and some very furry rodents.Some scientists say the goal of recreating extinct species is unattainable and even dangerous. But others welcome it as an ambitious way to fight the planet’s steady loss of biodiversity.Waits, the conservation specialist, said that aside from the hoopla over this experiment this technique could help endangered species recover.Colossal Biosciences has managed to lure more than $200 million in investment money, which would be a very tall task for other conservation causes, she added.Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy and ethics at Northeastern University, said he worries this technique might lead to “moral distraction” away from the causes of animals going extinct, like climate change and habitat loss.

A new Oscar for stunts will be handed out when Hollywood’s glitziest party celebrates its 100th birthday, awards officials said Thursday.The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said films released in 2027 will be eligible for an Oscar for Achievement in Stunt Design.”Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion.”Rules on eligibility and who will vote for the winner will be unveiled in two years’ time.The announcement marks the culmination of a growing campaign for a “best stunts” category at the Oscars, with supporters arguing that the input of the unsung performers who risk life and limb equals that of the sound mixers, makeup artists and visual effects gurus who are already honored.Stunt work is already honored at some prestigious movie and TV ceremonies, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards where “Fall Guy” took home the 2024 prize.The Academy has been expanding the Oscars to create more categories that reflect how complex flimmaking has become.Last year, a new Oscar was established for casting, which will be awarded for the first time next year.

US authorities are conducting a large-scale study into the cause of the autism “epidemic,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday.”We’ve launched a massive testing and research effort that’s going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world,” Kennedy said at a televised cabinet meeting chaired by President Donald Trump. “By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic. And we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, who has long promoted a debunked theory linking childhood vaccines to autism, said the prevalence of autism has jumped dramatically in recent decades.”The autism rates have gone — from our most recent numbers, we think are going to be about one in 31 from one in 10,000 when I was a kid,” he said, without offering more details or citing the source of the figures.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently puts the rate of autism in children in the United States at one in 36, compared to earlier rates of 1 in 150.”That’s a horrible statistic and there’s got to be something artificial out there that’s doing this,” Trump commented.Autism is a developmental disability, whose symptoms can include delays in language, learning, and social or emotional skills.A 2022 review of autism prevalence worldwide pinned the rise on multiple factors, including “the increase in community awareness and public health response globally, progress in case identification and definition and an increase in community capacity.”There is also evidence linking advanced parental age to autism.

President Donald Trump claimed victory over Europe in the US tariffs war but acknowledged a “cost” to his surging trade offensive against superpower rival China as markets plunged again Thursday.Trump sought a victory lap at a White House cabinet meeting, saying the European Union had backed off from imposing retaliatory tariffs because of his tough stance on China.”They were very smart. They were ready to announce retaliation. And then they heard about what we did with respect to China… and they said, you know, ‘We’re going to hold back a little bit,'” he said.Trump acknowledged “a transition cost and transition problems,” but dismissed global market turmoil. “In the end it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was upbeat, telling reporters that “I don’t see anything unusual today,” as he touted better than expected US inflation numbers and other economic indicators.But major indices spent the entire day in the red, with the broad-based S&P 500 finishing down 3.5 percent after soaring 9.5 percent on Wednesday.The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 2.5 percent, while the tech-rich Nasdaq slumped 4.3 percent.Oil and the dollar also slid on fears of a global slowdown in economic activity, while safe-haven asset gold hit a new record.Thursday’s market losses followed giddy gains on Wednesday in the aftermath of a stunning Trump climbdown, where he maintained a 10 percent blanket tariff on most countries but paused plans for tariffs of 20 percent on the EU and even higher levies on multiple other trade partners.The dialing back of the planned global trade war left most of the focus on China, the world’s number two economy after the United States.The White House on Thursday clarified that levies on Chinese imports are now at a staggering total of 145 percent — not the previously reported 125 percent.This was because the latest tariff hike comes on top of a 20 percent tariff already imposed earlier. China has retaliated with levies of 84 percent on US imports.- Relief -Trump says he wants to use tariffs to reorder the world economy by forcing manufacturers to base themselves in the United States and for other countries to decrease barriers to US goods.Howard Lutnick, his commerce secretary, was bullish, posting on social media Thursday that “the Golden Age is coming. We are committed to protecting our interests, engaging in global negotiations and exploding our economy.”Amid questions over how far Trump is ready to push, the European Union welcomed the US president’s partial row-back on his original threat to impose 20 percent tariffs against the bloc.The 27-nation grouping responded with its own olive branch, suspending for 90 days tariffs on 20 billion euros’ ($22.4 billion) worth of US goods that had been greenlit in retaliation to duties on steel and aluminum.”We want to give negotiations a chance,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.She warned, however, that “if negotiations are not satisfactory, our countermeasures will kick in” and that all options remain on the table.Trump likewise warned that the partial thaw could return to deep freeze after a 90-day truce period.”If we can’t make the deal we want to make… then we’d go back to where we were,” he said.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called Trump’s reversal a “welcome reprieve” and said Ottawa would begin negotiations with Washington on a new economic deal after elections on April 28.Vietnam said it had agreed with the United States to start trade talks, while Pakistan is sending a delegation to Washington.In its latest measure, Beijing announced it would reduce the number of Hollywood films imported, but said it remained ready for dialogue.”We hope the US will meet China halfway, and, based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation,” Commerce Ministry spokeswoman He Yongqian said.Trump brushed off Beijing’s clampdown on US films, saying, “I think I’ve heard of worse things.”burs-sms-tgb/md

Grief-stricken Dominicans on Thursday began holding funerals for loved ones who were among at least 220 people killed in a nightclub rooftop collapse, even as dozens remained unaccounted for.More than 300 rescuers, aided by sniffer dogs, have worked tirelessly since disaster struck early Tuesday to pull survivors from the rubble of the Jet Set club in the Dominican Republic’s capital Santo Domingo.Officials called off the search for live victims on Wednesday night, as efforts shifted to recovering bodies from the mounds of twisted steel, zinc and brick that remain of the structure.Local media had reported there were between 500 and 1,000 people at the club — which could hold 1,700 — for a concert by renowned merengue singer Rubby Perez, who was on stage when the roof came down. The 69-year-old died on site, but his daughter made it out alive.Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Center for Emergency Operations, put the official death toll at 221 on Thursday, and said 189 people were pulled out of the debris alive.A consolidated report of victims will be published in the coming hours, Mendez told reporters, as the Dominican Republic observed three days of national mourning.”Our rescue team is already concluding the search operations,” he added.Health Minister Victor Atallah said earlier there could be more bodies under the rubble in the Caribbean nation’s worst tragedy in decades.”No one will be left unidentified. No one will be left without an answer,” he told reporters. “We are going to move every last stone that needs to be moved.”The Dominican presidency announced a commission of national and international experts will be set up to investigate the calamity.- ‘They are all dead’ -President Luis Abinader on Thursday attended a memorial for Perez at the National Theater, where family, friends and fans released white balloons as the hearse departed with his remains. “My soul is on the verge of exploding with love,” Perez’s daughter Zulinka chanted at the ceremony — a lyric from one of the many tunes her father had sung to her as a child.Perez’s coffin was surrounded by wreaths and topped with the artist’s signature hat and glasses.”Rubby is history, Rubby is a people’s artist, humble, who came out of poverty,” fan Alina Caminero, 56, told AFP outside the venue. His beloved songs include “Buscando Tus Besos” and “Volvere.”In the neighboring community of Haina, families held a collective ceremony for about 20 victims, their coffins lined up side-by-side on a basketball court.A provisional list of the deceased included a Haitian, an Italian, two French citizens and an American.Among the dead were the governor of the Monte Cristi province, Nelsy Cruz, as well as former Major League Baseball players Octavio Dotel and Tony Blanco.More than 500 people were injured.Families gathered at funeral homes Thursday to begin the mourning process, while others were still waiting at hospitals for news about missing loved ones.”This has been a very hard process, because yesterday we spent the day going from clinic to clinic, from hospital to hospital and also in front of the Jet Set, looking for our brothers with the hope of finding them alive,” 47-year-old Jose Santana, who lost four family members in the accident, told AFP at the morgue.”Unfortunately, this morning we were told that they are all dead.”A list of names of deceased people was put up on a tent erected near the morgue.”No pathology institute has the capacity to handle so many bodies so quickly,” said Atallah, adding that temporary centers will be set up to speed up identification processes.Aerial images of the site showed a scene resembling the aftermath of an earthquake, with a gaping hole where the roof of the club — a fixture of Santo Domingo’s nightlife for half a century — had been.A video posted on social media showed the venue suddenly plunged into darkness while Perez was singing, followed by crashing sounds and screams.

Files related to the assassinations of former US attorney general Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr will be released in the coming days, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Thursday.President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January directing the unredacted release of the Kennedy and King records along with those concerning the assassination of president John F. Kennedy.In March, the National Archives released the final batch of files related to the November 1963 assassination of president Kennedy.Gabbard, speaking at a White House cabinet meeting, said the Robert F. Kennedy and King records were currently being scanned.”I’ve had over 100 people working around the clock to scan the paper around RFK, senator Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination, as well as Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination,” she said.”These have been sitting in boxes and storage for decades,” Gabbard said. “They have never been scanned or seen before. We’ll have those ready to release here within the next few days.” The National Archives has released millions of pages of records over the past decades relating to the assassination of president Kennedy, but thousands of documents had been held back at the request of the Central Intelligence Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation.The Warren Commission that investigated the shooting of the charismatic 46-year-old president determined that it was carried out by a former US Marine sharpshooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone.But that formal conclusion has done little to quell speculation that a more sinister plot was behind Kennedy’s murder in Dallas, Texas, and the slow release of the government files added fuel to various conspiracy theories.Robert F. Kennedy, the slain president’s younger brother, was assassinated in California in June 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian-Jordanian man, while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination.King was assassinated in April 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.James Earl Ray, a career criminal, pleaded guilty to King’s murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He died in 1998.