Death of near-blind refugee in Buffalo ruled a homicide, officials say

Thedeath of a nearly blind refugeefrom Myanmar who had been missing for several days after U.S. Border Patrol agents left him outside a Tim Hortons restaurant in upstate New York has been ruled a homicide, officials announced Wednesday, April 1.

Nurul Amin Shah Alam, 56, was found dead on Feb. 24 near the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo, New York, in freezing weather, according to officials. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said it was unclear how Shah Alam got to the sports arena, which is where the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres play, and that officials did not have information on how long he had been there before his body was discovered.

TheErie County Medical Examiner's Officedetermined Shah Alam's death was caused by complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer precipitated by hypothermia and dehydration. The medical examiner's office said his death was ruled a homicide because it resulted from the "volitional act of another, which may include negligent acts or omissions."

The medical examiner's office noted that the designation of homicide "does not imply intent to cause harm or death" and that the determinations of the manner of death are "neutral, non-legal, and exist for vital statistical purposes, only."

"I want to express my deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Amin Shah Alam for the death. It should not have happened, simple as that. The death was one that we believe could have been prevented," Poloncarz said at anews conferenceon April 1.

Poloncarz added that he was unable to comment on whether the Border Patrol was responsible for Shah Alam's death and said any conclusions would be up to law enforcement agencies, such as the Erie County District Attorney's Office.

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Family member: Arrest due to misunderstanding with police

Shah Alam, who was an Erie County resident and from a family of Arakan Rohingya refugees, did not speak English and walked with a cane. He had been missing since Feb. 19, when Border Patrol agents dropped him off outside a Tim Hortons restaurant miles from his home.

Border Patrol had briefly detained Shah Alam after he was released from a county jail, where he had spent much of the last year awaiting trial on criminal charges that resulted in a misdemeanor plea deal. Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam's children, previously told Reuters that his father's arrest about a year ago was due to a misunderstanding with police officers.

Shah Alam had been out for a walk and had been using a curtain rod he purchased as a walking stick, Faisal said. He said his father then got lost and walked onto the property of a Buffalo resident who called the police.

When Shah Alam did not understand police commands to drop his curtain rod, they arrested him, according to Faisal. "Nobody told me or my family or attorney where my dad was dropped off," Faisal added.

The Erie County District Attorney's Office said Shah Alam was arrested following an incident that resulted in minor injuries to two Buffalo police officers. Shah Alam was released on bail this month after agreeing to a plea deal, according to the district attorney's office.

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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said agents had dropped Shah Alam off at the Tim Hortons after they determined he had entered the country as a refugee and could not be deported. At the time, temperatures in Buffalo were below freezing.

"Border Patrol agents 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, rather than be released directly from the Border Patrol station," the agency said. "He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues or disabilities requiring special assistance."

At the time of Shah Alam's death, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on X that the death had "nothing to do" with Border Patrol and called the story "another hoax being peddled by the media and sanctuary politicians to demonize our law enforcement."

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'He was abandoned and left to suffer alone'

At the time of the incident, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said in a statement that Shah Alam's death was preventable and the result of "inhumane" decision-making by federal immigration authorities.

"A vulnerable man — nearly blind and unable to speak English — was left alone on a cold winter night with no known attempt to leave him in a safe, secure location," Ryan said. "That decision from U.S. Customs and Border Protection was unprofessional and inhumane."

During the April 1 news conference, Burstein said the official autopsy and report on Shah Alam's death could not be publicly released due to New York state law. But Erie County Health Commissioner Gale Burstein said Shah Alam developed a "stress ulcer" that had burst, and the "stress was felt to be hypothermia, being in very cold temperatures and dehydration, so no access to liquids."

"That is a medical emergency and if that is not repaired in a short period of time, it can cause death, which is what we have seen in this instance," Burstein said at the news conference.

Shah Alam's death sparked outrage over the treatment of immigrants in PresidentDonald Trump's contentious immigration enforcement. Other than Shah Alam's case, at least 14 people have died in immigration custody this year, according to Reuters.

In a statement on April 1,New York Attorney General Letitia Jamessaid her office would continue to review the "circumstances and treatment" that led to Shah Alam's death.New York Gov. Kathy Hochulalso called for accountability in the case and said her office was in contact with the local district attorney.

"Mr. Shah Alam fled genocide to build a life in this country. Instead, he was abandoned and left to suffer alone in his final hours," James said in a statement.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Death of nearly blind refugee in Buffalo ruled a homicide: Officials

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April 01, 2026

Death of near-blind refugee in Buffalo ruled a homicide, officials say

Thedeath of a nearly blind refugeefrom Myanmar who had been missing for several days after U.S. Border Patrol agents left...

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South Korea's Lee urges prompt passage of $17 billion extra budget amid Middle East energy crisis

SEOUL, April 2 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae ‌Myung on Thursday urged ‌parliament to promptly pass a 26.2 ​trillion won ($17.3 billion) supplementary budget to shore up the economy amid "the worst energy security threat" ‌posed by ⁠the Middle East crisis.

FILE PHOTO: South Korea considers nationwide driving curbs as oil prices soar

"Even if the war ends ⁠tomorrow, it will take a considerable period of time ​for the ​destroyed ​energy infrastructure facilities ‌in the Middle East to be restored and supplies to run as smoothly as before," Lee told parliament in ‌a televised speech.

Parliament ​is expected to ​pass the ​extra budget by ‌April 10.

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The government plans ​to ​implement the budget as soon as it is approved ​by parliament.

($1 = ‌1,521.6000 won)

(Reporting by Joyce ​Lee and Jihoon LeeEditing ​by Ed Davies)

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April 01, 2026

South Korea's Lee urges prompt passage of $17 billion extra budget amid Middle East energy crisis

SEOUL, April 2 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae ‌Myung on Thursday urged ‌parliament to promptly pass a 26.2 ​t...

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New Zealand and Cook Islands sign a defense pact, easing tensions over a China deal

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand and Cook Islands signed a defense and security pact Thursday, easingmore than a year of tensionbetween the Pacific nations over Cook Islands' deepening ties with China.

New Zealand Cook Islands

The fraught diplomatic standoff that prompted Wellington topause millions of dollars in aidto Avarua was hardly a clash of geopolitical heavyweights: New Zealand has a population of 5 million, while Cook Islands has 15,000 people. But the lengthy freeze gripped Pacific observers because it reflected the struggle confronting tiny island nations with close ties to Western countries such as New Zealand and Australia as they seek to balance their traditional alliances with overtures from Beijing.

In the new declaration, Cook Islands pledged New Zealand would be its "partner of choice regarding defense and security matters," apparently quashing the prospect, feared by Wellington, of China occupying the role. It resolved "ambiguity" about the two countries' existing ties, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said.

Diplomatic spat began over China deal

When Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown inked acomprehensive strategic partnershipbetween his country and China during a visit to Beijing in February 2025, it provoked alarm in Wellington because Brown wouldn't divulge the content of the deal first, a refusal New Zealand officials said could have security implications. Cook Islands is a self-governing country with a 60-year free association relationship to New Zealand, which means it's defended by New Zealand's military and citizens can live and work freely in New Zealand.

The links require Cook Islands leaders to consult with Wellington on deals with other countries that might affect New Zealand. Brown defended his decision not to disclose the contents of his pact with China, which he said was unnecessary under his country's existing accords with Wellington.

New Zealand — which is Cook Islands' biggest benefactor — froze millions of dollars in aid over the episode, although it wasn't a large amount of the total funding that Wellington contributes. That aid would now flow again, Peters told reporters during a visit to Cook Islands on Thursday, where he and Brown signed the new agreement.

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"This declaration seeks to remove previous ambiguity about the nature of the relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, especially as it pertains to defense and security," Peters said.

Larger powers vie for sway in the Pacific

Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands in the vast South Pacific Ocean, is among manysmall nations in the regionto be courted by Beijing, which has offered aid, loans and deals throughout the Pacific to increase its sway. The sparsely populated South Pacific is considered strategically important and many of its countries, including Cook Islands, have large and lucrative exclusive economic zones, where Brown is exploring prospects for mining of deep sea minerals.

"The strategic environment we face is more complex and contested today than at any other point since New Zealand and the Cook Islands formed our free association relationship in 1965," Peters said Thursday.

Leaders silent on what the deal means for China pact

Cook Islanders hold New Zealand passports, which was partly why the deals with China prompted such dismay about security in Wellington. Brown in October 2024 suggested he would consider the creation of a separate Cook Islands passport, a plan he later shelved after he said New Zealand had "bared its teeth" over the matter.

"It's no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024," Peters said Thursday.

Both leaders, however, dismissed questions about what the declaration between New Zealand and Cook Islands meant for Avarua's earlier deal with Beijing, which covered matters such as deep sea mining, infrastructure and educational scholarships but didn't contain explicit security elements. Brown told reporters the agreement with New Zealand didn't affect his country's other pacts.

But New Zealand would be "our first port of call on anything to do with defense and security," Brown said.

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April 01, 2026

New Zealand and Cook Islands sign a defense pact, easing tensions over a China deal

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand and Cook Islands signed a defense and security pact Thursday, easingmore than ...

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Meryl Streep Wears Sweater in Famed Cerulean Blue from “The” “Devil Wears Prada”

Meryl Streep appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert wearing a cerulean blue sweater reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada

NEED TO KNOW

• The look nods to the film's iconic "cerulean" monologue scene between her character, Miranda Priestly, and Anne Hathaway's Andrea Sachs

• Streep also reflected on the film's legacy and how perceptions of female-led movies — and their budgets — have evolved ahead of the sequel

Meryl Streepoffered a subtle but unmistakable nod toThe Devil Wears Pradaahead of the anticipated release of its sequel.

While visitingThe Late Show with Stephen Colberton Wednesday, April 1, the Oscar winner wore a cerulean blue sweater reminiscent of the one seen in the original film.

The look instantly brought to mind the movie's unforgettable scene in which Streep's character, Miranda Priestly, delivers a biting monologue toAnne Hathaway's Andrea Sachs, explaining that the sweater she's wearing isn't just blue — it's cerulean.

Streep isn't the first star to wear the particular color in recent weeks. On Sunday, March 31, Hathaway was spotted on stylistAshley Afriyie's Instagram Stories wearing a white hoodie sweatshirt with a large blue Pantone square of the colorwith "ceruleo" (the Italian word for cerulean) written underneath.

The nostalgic moments come as excitement builds forThe Devil Wears Prada 2, which is set to hit theaters on May 1.

During Streep's interview withStephen Colbert, she reflected on how the original film was perceived when it was released in 2006.

At the time, she said, it was often labeled a "chick-flick," which impacted its budget.

"That designation has not worn well. AfterBarbieandMamma Mia!and other films that completely catch the studios by surprise, that people want to see them, because they have girls in the center of the story. Women in the center of the story," Streep said. "So we had to scramble for our budget."

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She added that things have changed in the years since.

"I've talked to Greta [Gerwig] about it. That was true withBarbiea little bit in comparison to what they spend on other films," she said. "This one, honey, they spent the money."

In a separate interview withHarper's Bazaarpublished on March 25, Hathaway reflected on how difficult it was to get fashion brands involved in the original 2006 film.

Streep, meanwhile, shared that the upcoming sequel offered a very different experience — including the opportunity for the cast to attend "actual fashion shows during Milan Fashion Week," as previouslyreported by PEOPLE.

She also spoke candidlyabout what she observed behind the scenes, tellingHarper's Bazaarshe was "struck by how not only beautiful and young — everyone seems young to me — but alarmingly thin the models were."

"I thought that all had been addressed years ago. Annie clocked it too," she continued, referring to Hathaway. "And she made a beeline to the producers about it, securing promises that the models in the show that we were putting together for our film would not be so skeletal!"

"She's a stand-up girl," Streep added.

Read the original article onPeople

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April 01, 2026

Meryl Streep Wears Sweater in Famed Cerulean Blue from “The” “Devil Wears Prada”

Meryl Streep appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert wearing a cerulean blue sweater reminiscent of The Devil Wea...

Read More