Journalists demand Israel end Gaza entry ban
The Foreign Press Association of Israel and the Palestinian Territories is demanding Israel let journalists into Gaza.
How Trump shifted from opposing foreign wars to threatening war in Iran
The rationale to justify the US striking first has shifted from the country killing protesters to its developing weapons
As senior Democrats emerged from a classified briefing on Iran with the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, earlier this week, the leaders of the opposition delivered reserved, cryptic warnings of what may become the US’s largest military intervention since the Iraq war.
This was not a line in the sand against a new war in the Middle East. Instead, Democrats targeted the opaque decision-making around Donald Trump – as well as his own unpredictable whims – that could guide the weightiest foreign-policy decision of his two terms in office.
Continue reading...EU opens up funding to guarantee abortion rights across bloc
Women from countries with near-total bans on terminations will be given help to access services elsewhere
EU states will be able to tap into a social fund to help citizens access safe abortions, in an announcement hailed as a “victory for women”.
The roots of Thursday’s announcement go back to a long campaign for the European Commission to create a funding mechanism that would allow women from countries with near-total bans on abortion, such as Malta and Poland, to go where it is legal.
Continue reading...How US economic warfare pushed Cuba to humanitarian collapse
The US has eased its fuel embargo on Cuba, after sanctions helped pushed the country to what the UN calls “humanitarian
Europe Needs Some Space From China and Trump. Its Firms Don’t. – The New York Times
- Europe Needs Some Space From China and Trump. Its Firms Don’t. The New York Times
- China Wants Germany in Its Corner. It’s Not That Easy. The New York Times
- Germany's Merz says challenges remain as he concludes inaugural China trip Reuters
- Germany Shows How Difficult It Is to Rewire Relations With China WSJ
- Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning’s Regular Press Conference on February 26, 2026 fmprc.gov.cn
Conservative theatre-making will kill the UK industry, says National’s director
Indhu Rubasingham calls in Jennie Lee lecture for renewed commitment to creative risk and new writing
The National Theatre’s artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, has said conservative theatre-making will kill the industry, even if it helps venues balance the books for now.
Delivering the second-ever Jennie Lee lecture in front of an audience of 200 representatives from the UK arts industry on Thursday, Rubasingham called for a renewed national commitment to backing creative risk and new writing.
Continue reading...Playwrights’ ‘thrilling’ debuts share the Susan Smith Blackburn prize
Hannah Doran’s The Meat Kings! (Inc) of Brooklyn Heights and Ro Reddick’s Cold War Choir Practice declared joint winners of award for female, transgender and non-binary writers
The Susan Smith Blackburn prize for female, transgender and non-binary playwrights has been awarded to joint winners, both for their debut plays.
Hannah Doran’s The Meat Kings! (Inc) of Brooklyn Heights and Ro Reddick’s Cold War Choir Practice beat the other eight finalists to the 48th annual award. Doran and Reddick each receive a cash prize of $25,000 (£18,500) and a signed print by the artist Willem de Kooning.
Continue reading...Brady Tkachuk decries White House’s AI video of him insulting Canadians after US gold
Player is captain of NHL’s Ottawa Senators
Tkachuk expresses regret over Trump joke
US ice hockey star Brady Tkachuk has said he does not appreciate an AI video released by the White House that shows him insulting Canadians.
Tkachuk played in the Americans’ victory over Canada at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, which secured the US men their first gold medal since 1980. In the wake of that win, the White House’s TikTok account published video of Tkachuk saying: “They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating fuckers a lesson.”
Continue reading...Latest US-Iran nuclear talks conclude with claims of ‘significant progress’
Mediators say more talks to be held next week but no clear evidence two sides any closer on uranium enrichment
High-stakes talks between the US and Iran over the future of Tehran’s nuclear programme ended on Thursday with the Omani mediators claiming that “significant progress” had been made and predicting the talks would reconvene at a technical level next week in Vienna.
But there was no immediate evidence to support suggestions that the two sides had drawn closer together on the fundamental issues of Iran’s right to enrich uranium and the future of its highly enriched uranium stocks.
Continue reading...TikTok and Snapchat posts urge London pupils to join ‘school wars’ fights
Met urges pupils not to get involved and asks platforms to ban accounts promoting ‘fights’ with images of weapons
Pupils aged 11 to 16 are being encouraged to join in school fights in posts circulating on TikTok and Snapchat, prompting police to urge children not to get involved.
The Metropolitan police have asked social media platforms to ban accounts promoting “school wars”, while headteachers have warned parents about the posts.
Continue reading...Narendra Modi signs ‘Post’ front page in Jerusalem – The Jerusalem Post
- Narendra Modi signs 'Post' front page in Jerusalem The Jerusalem Post
- Thank you Israel, for the warmth and affection. Deeply touched that Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mrs. Netanyahu personally came to the airport to see me off. Confident that the India–Israel partnership will continue to reach new heights in the years to come. x.com
- Who is really safe in India and Israel? Al Jazeera
- Brothers-in-arms: How Modi and Netanyahu are bringing India and Israel closer together France 24
- India and Israel pledge to boost ties in defence and technology BBC
Huge lines wait to see beloved monkey Punch at Japanese zoo – USA Today
- Huge lines wait to see beloved monkey Punch at Japanese zoo USA Today
- Meet Punch, the baby monkey that went viral. See why. USA Today
- Columbus Zoo expert assures Punch, the viral baby monkey with a plush, is in safe, caring hands 10TV
- The tragedy of Punch the monkey: why do mother animals abandon their offspring? The Guardian
- Want your own stuffed orangutan like Punch the monkey? We found some adorable options WGAL
International doctors forced to leave Gaza over Israeli demands
Seventeen aid groups have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court after the government moved to ban 37 NGOs in Gaza.
Hillary Clinton calls for Trump to testify at US House Epstein hearing
The former secretary of state accused the Republican-led panel of seeking to protect political allies in probe.
Cuba vows to fight ‘terrorist aggression’ after attack from US-registered boat
Cuban president says country will ‘defend itself with determination’ after deadly coastal assault by exiles
Cuba has vowed to defend itself against any “terrorist and mercenary aggression”, a day after border guards said they had killed four exiles on a Florida-registered speedboat that opened fire on a patrol.
Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wrote on X that the Caribbean country would “defend itself with determination and firmness” after the incident in which six other people on the boat were injured.
Continue reading...Cuba vows to fight ‘terrorist aggression’ after attack from US-registered boat
Cuban president says country will ‘defend itself with determination’ after deadly coastal assault by exiles
Cuba has vowed to defend itself against any “terrorist and mercenary aggression”, a day after border guards said they had killed four exiles on a Florida-registered speedboat that opened fire on a patrol.
Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wrote on X that the Caribbean country would “defend itself with determination and firmness” after the incident in which six other people on the boat were injured.
Continue reading...Man, 82, crushed to death in car at Munich scrapyard
Police said the car was meant to be scrapped and the man must have climbed into it without being noticed.
Ocado failing to deliver on its potential as one of UK’s great technology hopes
Firm’s automated warehouses are struggling to compete against swift deliveries from stores by bike riders
Only six years ago, the boss of Ocado Group was writing the obituary for supermarkets as he predicted that a surge in online grocery shopping during the pandemic had brought forward the hi-tech future.
“Not every store will disappear, but there will be a dramatic shift,” Tim Steiner said at the height of the Covid pandemic, when shopping from the sofa became the only option for many.
Continue reading...European Commission says EU funds can be used for cross-border abortion access – Euronews.com
- European Commission says EU funds can be used for cross-border abortion access Euronews.com
- EU says social fund can be used to allow access to safe abortions across bloc Reuters
- EU states told to use existing fund for safe abortions after citizens' petition BBC
- EU opens up funding to guarantee abortion rights across bloc The Guardian
- EU Commission rejects new abortion financing proposal, points to existing fund politico.eu
US congressman says Jamaica to face ‘consequences’ after PM’s Cuba statement – Jamaica Observer
- US congressman says Jamaica to face ‘consequences’ after PM’s Cuba statement Jamaica Observer
- Gimenez clashes with Jamaica prime minister over remarks on Cuba at CARICOM meeting Miami Herald
- Caribbean leaders call for ‘de-escalation and dialogue’ amid US oil embargo on Cuba The Guardian
- The Caribbean People’s Debt to Cuba Black Agenda Report
- Congressman Carlos Giménez condemns Jamaica for "covering up" the Cuban dictatorship CiberCuba