Iran rejects ‘fictional narratives’ of power grab after protest killings
Former President Hassan Rouhani denies reports he wants to replace Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, blames US and Israel.
Herzog’s visit to Ethiopia strengthens Israel ties – The Jerusalem Post
- Herzog’s visit to Ethiopia strengthens Israel ties The Jerusalem Post
- Will Ethiopia be part of Israel’s ‘hexagon’ alliance rivalling its enemies? Al Jazeera
- Visiting Ethiopia, Herzog touts Israel’s ‘strong’ relationships across Africa The Times of Israel
- Two Ancient Nations, One Emerging Horizon ENA English
- 3 major global powers arrive in Ethiopia in the space of one month Business Insider Africa
The Evolving Foundations of Math – Quanta Magazine
- The Evolving Foundations of Math Quanta Magazine
- The Man Who Stole Infinity Quanta Magazine
- Newly found letters show Georg Cantor stole his famous infinity proof Boing Boing
- How Can Infinity Come in Many Sizes? Quanta Magazine
- New Series from Quanta Magazine Explores the Infinite Evolution of Math Quanta Magazine
Russia economy meltdown as Putin makes desperate move as oil revenues plummet – Daily Express
- Russia economy meltdown as Putin makes desperate move as oil revenues plummet Daily Express
- Russia Remade Its Economy for War, but It’s Come at a Huge Cost The New York Times
- Three myths about the Russia economic war Al Jazeera
- From bakeries to beauty shops, Russian businesses are feeling the pain from a new wartime tax policy AP News
- In Russia, many restaurants and cafes close as consumption stalls amid major slowdown Reuters
Iceland to hold referendum on EU accession talks in next few months, PM says – as it happened – The Guardian
US to offer passport services to citizens in illegal West Bank settlements
Israel welcomes move described by Palestinian Authority as undermining possibility of an independent state
The US will provide on-site consular services in two Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank for the first time, breaking with previous policy, in a move that has been criticised by Palestinian officials as “a clear violation of international law”.
In a post on X, the US embassy in Jerusalem said that as part of an initiative to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, it would provide Americans with routine passport services in the West Bank settlement of Efrat on Friday “for one day only”.
Continue reading...Syria confirms ‘mass escape’ from ISIS-linked camp – NBC News
- Syria confirms 'mass escape' from ISIS-linked camp NBC News
- Syria reports ‘mass escape’ from detention camp holding ISIS-linked families amid reports thousands fled CNN
- Syria confirms ‘mass escape’ from camp housing relatives of ISIL fighters Al Jazeera
- From Bad to Worse in Northeast Syria Foreign Policy
- EU memo raises security concerns over mass escape from IS-linked Syria camp Reuters
Iceland to hold EU referendum ‘in the coming months’, PM says – Reuters
- Iceland to hold EU referendum 'in the coming months', PM says Reuters
- Iceland to hold referendum on EU accession talks in next few months, PM says – as it happened The Guardian
- Iceland looks to fast-track vote on joining EU politico.eu
- Island nation moves to restart EU membership talks after Trump’s threats The Independent
- Watch the video: Is Iceland planning to join the EU? Euronews.com
In Lenten meditation, Bishop Erik Varden addresses abuse, corruption – Crux
- In Lenten meditation, Bishop Erik Varden addresses abuse, corruption Crux
- Lenten Retreat: Bishop Varden reflects on 'Bernard the Realist' Vatican News
- “We need to know where we are going”: An interview with Bishop Erik Varden Catholic World Report
- Dust Called to Glory Commonweal Magazine
- Vatican Retreat: Varden on St. Bernard ‘the Idealist’ EWTN Vatican
‘Fear is everywhere’: BBC reports from Mexican city turned into war zone by drug cartel feud
Culiacán in northern Mexico has seen a surge in violence as rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel battle for control.
‘Fear is everywhere’: BBC reports from Mexican city turned into war zone by drug cartel feud
Culiacán in northern Mexico has seen a surge in violence as rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel battle for control.
Swiss bar fire victims to get solidarity payout
The so-called solidarity contribution will go to each of the 115 injured and the families of the 41 who died.
Treasury calls in Blair thinktank to advise on using AI across public services
Tech equity campaigners compare move to ‘inviting in foxes to consult on the future of the henhouse’
Ministers have called in Tony Blair’s thinktank and private tech companies to guide them on deploying AI across the UK government in a move campaigners compared to “inviting in foxes to consult on the future of the henhouse”.
James Murray, chief secretary to the Treasury, chaired a meeting on Wednesday with the director of AI at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), the chair of IBM and senior executives at AI companies including Faculty AI, now part of Accenture, and Dex Hunter-Torricke, a former communications adviser at Google, Facebook and Elon Musk’s Space X.
Continue reading...UK ministers explore ways of easing burden of student loans
Government reviews options for plan 2 loans, such as increasing repayment thresholds, amid growing pressure
Ministers are examining ways to ease the burden of student loans after weeks of pressure over a policy pulling more people into repayments, the Guardian understands.
The Treasury and the Department for Education are reviewing different options to offer relief to graduates with Plan 2 student loans, often paying tens of thousands more than their original loan amount.
Continue reading...85-year-old widower kidnapped and murdered in apparent case of mistaken identity in Australia – CBS News
- 85-year-old widower kidnapped and murdered in apparent case of mistaken identity in Australia CBS News
- Chris Baghsarian: Grandfather kidnapped from his bed and murdered in case of mistaken identity, police say CNN
- Two charged over alleged murder of Sydney grandfather kidnapped by mistake BBC
- Man charged with murder of Chris Baghsarian in Sydney likely ‘no mastermind’, lawyer says The Guardian
- A cigarette butt, a burnt car and Pig Latin: Inside the hunt for alleged killers of Sydney grandfather SMH.com.au
Foreign Office denies minister’s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been paused – UK politics live
Minister told MPs the deal had been been paused, but that was immediately denied by the Foreign Office
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published figures showing that local authorities in England dealt with 1.26m flytipping incidents in 2024/25 – 9% increase on the previous year.
And there was an 11% increase in incidents involving a “tipper lorry load” amount of rubbish. There were 52,000 of these, up from 47,000 in 2023/24. Defra said these alone cost councils £19.3m.
These figures show the equivalent of 142 monster landfills a day took place, confirming what communities across the country know all too well – our beautiful countryside is being used by criminal gangs as their personal landfill.
For far too long, waste gangs have pocketed millions in illegal earning, poisoning our environment and our health without consequence. The Liberal Democrats are demanding an end to this environmental vandalism.
Continue reading...Confusion over Chagos Islands deal as Foreign Office denies handover ‘paused’
Minister ‘misspoke’ by telling MPs UK was ‘pausing for discussions with our American counterparts’, officials say
Plans to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius are still on track, the UK government has insisted, after a minister caused confusion by telling MPs that the deal was “paused”.
Hamish Falconer, a Foreign Office minister and former diplomat, was speaking on Wednesday as the deal came under increasing pressure from opposition parties in the UK and from Donald Trump.
Continue reading...Fearing Ukrainian action, Orbán deploys soldiers to energy facilities – Euronews.com
- Fearing Ukrainian action, Orbán deploys soldiers to energy facilities Euronews.com
- Orban steps up oil accusations against Ukraine after vetoing EU loan to Kyiv BBC
- Hungary accuses Ukraine of 'oil blockade,' deploys soldiers to key energy facilities CNBC
- Hungary’s Orban orders extra security, alleges Ukraine attacks plot Al Jazeera
- EU asks Ukraine to repair Druzhba pipeline as Croatia offers alternative route Euronews.com
States sue Trump administration over changes to vaccine recommendations for children
States call move an illegal threat to public health and argue CDC puts children’s lives at risk with new guidance
More than a dozen states, including California, sued the Trump administration over its rollback of vaccine recommendations for children, calling the move an illegal threat to public health.
The states argue that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put children’s lives at risk when it announced last month that it would stop recommending all children get immunized against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. Under the new guidance, which was met with criticism from medical experts, protections against those diseases are recommended only for certain groups deemed high risk or when doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.”
Continue reading...Watch: Moment a sinkhole in Omaha traps cars and drivers
Several witnesses jumped into action helping both drivers get to safety while others directed traffic, according to police.