- France pushes shift to ‘wartime economy’ as US turns its back on Ukraine FRANCE 24 English
- French economy minister floats taxing the rich to fund military buildup POLITICO Europe
- 'They can no longer rely on US': Macron calls for European defense fund worth 'hundreds of billions' The Times of India
- French fiscal woes crimp Macron's defence spending plans Reuters
- France Eyes Taxes on Rich, Not Companies, to Help Fund Defense Bloomberg
Trump threatens further tariff hikes after Canada retaliates
US president posts warning on social media after Canada PM Trudeau slammed 'dumb' trade war.
Ukrainian Drones Blow Up 5 Russian Oil Pipelines, Refineries & Depots – Forbes
- Ukrainian Drones Blow Up 5 Russian Oil Pipelines, Refineries & Depots Forbes
- At least one injured after Russian oil refinery set ablaze in suspected Ukraine drone strike Yahoo
- Fire erupts at key oil facility deep inside Russia amid drone exchange with Ukraine ABC News
- Blaze erupts at Ufa oil refinery amid explosion reports FXStreet
- Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Facilities in Southern Russia The Moscow Times
Hong Kong firm to sell stake in Panama ports amid Trump pressure
Deal with US finance giant BlackRock, valued at almost $23bn, comes amid push to curb perceived China influence
CK Hutchison Holdings, the Hong Kong-based logistics giant, announced plans to sell a majority stake in a business that controls ports in Panama to investors including the US financial giant BlackRock in a deal worth almost $23bn.
The sale of a 90% interest in Panama Ports Company, which holds the contract to run the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal until 2047, is part of a wider deal for Hutchinson Port’s global business. The deal comes at a time Donald Trump has piled on pressure to end what he sees as China’s influence and control over the Panama canal.
Continue reading...Arab leaders, UN endorse Egypt’s $53 billion Gaza plan – DW (English)
- Arab leaders, UN endorse Egypt's $53 billion Gaza plan DW (English)
- Arab leaders endorse Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza as an alternative to Trump’s proposal The Associated Press
- Trump sticking to Gaza relocation plan, as White House seems to dismiss Egyptian proposal Fox News
- Arab Plan for Gaza Leaves Thorny Issues Unanswered The New York Times
- Israel’s “condemnation” of Arab League’s Gaza plan “meaningless” Al Jazeera English
Controversial floats of Trump, Putin and Elon Musk with swastika leave people shocked at German parade – UNILAD
- Controversial floats of Trump, Putin and Elon Musk with swastika leave people shocked at German parade UNILAD
- Video. Germany’s Carnival: Colourful Parades, political satire and controversy Euronews
- From Trump to Putin, Germany’s Carnival puts politics on parade South China Morning Post
- German police on alert after Islamic State calls for carnival attacks Reuters
- Daring German carnival floats mock Trump, Putin and AfD Yahoo
Is Israel using starvation as a weapon of war?
Israel's government is refusing to allow food, medicine and fuel into the Gaza Strip.
Bombing kills at least 12 in northwest Pakistan, police say
Jaish al-Fursan, a group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Arab leaders approve $53bn alternative to Trump’s Gaza plan
Egypt puts forward a counterproposal to the president's vision for a US takeover of post-war Gaza.
Europe is running out of hope Trump is still open to persuasion over Ukraine
Where the US president sees a convivial leader an ocean away, Europeans see a tyrant on its borders breaking all agreements
In the Four Quartets TS Eliot wrote “humankind cannot bear very much reality”.
At moments in history like these, when there is simply too much head-spinning change and too many postwar assumptions being ripped from their moorings, it sometimes appears too much for any human to absorb, let alone offer a response.
Continue reading...AP files amended complaint against White House over press pool ban
White House adviser’s quote included in suit: ‘The AP and the WHCA wanted to f--k around. Now it’s finding out time.’
The Associated Press amended its complaint against the Trump administration on Monday, including in its epigraph a punchy quote from an anonymous White House adviser: “The AP and the White House Correspondents Association wanted to f--k around. Now it’s finding out time.”
The unnamed White House adviser’s quote came about during an exchange on 25 February 2025 and was first reported by Axios last week.
Continue reading...Songs Yarden Bibas chose to play at funeral of his wife and sons now top Spotify viral chart – Ynetnews
- Songs Yarden Bibas chose to play at funeral of his wife and sons now top Spotify viral chart Ynetnews
- 'Could have been saved': MK reads Yarden Bibas letter to Netanyahu in Knesset The Jerusalem Post
- 'I Don't Know What It Does for Them. I Know What It Does for Me': At the Bibas' Shiva Haaretz
- At Funeral for Shiri Bibas and Children, an Israeli Outpouring of Grief The New York Times
- What Israel’s leaders, Donald Trump, and the rest of the free world owe Yarden Bibas The Times of Israel
Pentagon policy chief hearing highlights GOP foreign policy divide – POLITICO
- Pentagon policy chief hearing highlights GOP foreign policy divide POLITICO
- Trump’s Pick for Key Pentagon Role Faces Off With GOP Hawks Foreign Policy
- Contentious Trump Defense Pick Stresses pro-Israel Credentials in Senate Confirmation Hearing Haaretz
- GOP senators grill Trump defense nominee on Iran, Taiwan, NATO The Hill
- Trump DOD pick says military force an option to prevent nuclear Iran USA TODAY
Arab leaders adopt Gaza reconstruction plan in Egypt summit
Arab summit in Cairo adopts Egyptian plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, countering US President Donald Trump’s proposal.
Peter Sichel, Wine Merchant With a Cloak-and-Dagger Past, Dies at 102 – The New York Times
What is Egypt’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza?
Arab League endorses Egyptian proposal that provides alternative to US President Trump's plan to takeover Gaza.
Germany’s future coalition partners to relax debt rules to boost defence budget
Conservative alliance and Social Democrats to propose exempting spending of more than 1% of GDP on defence
The prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.
They said they will also seek to set up a huge €500bn ($533bn ) fund to finance spending on Germany’s infrastructure over the next 10 years.
Continue reading...Not Time’s Fool: A Rare Version of a Shakespeare Sonnet Is Discovered – The New York Times
- Not Time’s Fool: A Rare Version of a Shakespeare Sonnet Is Discovered The New York Times
- Rare Handwritten Copy of Famous Shakespeare Sonnet Found in Oxford Library Gizmodo
- Rare handwritten Shakespeare sonnet found in Oxford, England Semafor
- Oxford University researcher uncovers hidden copy of Shakespeare sonnet University of Oxford
- Rare Handwritten Shakespeare Sonnet Found in Oxford Library BroadwayWorld
Israel says Hamas must commit to free more hostages for ceasefire to be extended – The Times of Israel
- Israel says Hamas must commit to free more hostages for ceasefire to be extended The Times of Israel
- Gaza food prices spike and shortages loom after Israel halts aid BBC.com
- Updates: Israel ramps up threats against Hamas in bid to change truce deal Al Jazeera English
- Gazans Worry as Israeli Border Block Sends Food Prices Climbing The New York Times
- A Political Dilemma for Israel's Prime Minister NPR
Pentagon nominee deflects on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in hearing – Defense News
- Pentagon nominee deflects on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in hearing Defense News
- Nominee for top DoD policy job sidesteps questions on Russian invasion of Ukraine Breaking Defense
- Defense deputy secretary pick avoids saying Russia invaded Ukraine POLITICO
- Sen. Mark Kelly exposes the truth: Everyone is lying about Ukraine | Opinion The Arizona Republic
- Sen. King presses Pentagon nominee about Russian invasion of Ukraine WABI