Sweden is ‘no longer a country that cannot be trusted’
Sweden and Finland's defence sectors are benefiting from their countries joining Nato.
River campaigners to sue Ofwat over water bill rises
Group claims regulator signed off on ‘broken system’ making customers pay for industry’s neglect
An environmental group is to take legal action against Ofwat, the water regulator, accusing it of unlawfully making customers pay for decades of neglect by the water industry.
River Action will file the legal claim this month, arguing that bill rises for customers that have been approved by the regulator could be used to fix infrastructure failures that should have been addressed years ago.
Continue reading...Town hall leaders condemn ‘ill-thought-out’ plan to merge English councils
Survey reveals senior officials think changes will do little to address local authorities’ dire financial crisis
Ministers’ plans to shake up the structure of English local government by merging councils are “ill-thought-out”, “insane” and a “bizarre diversion” that will fail to deliver savings, according to a survey of town hall leaders.
The depth of unhappiness with the plans is revealed in an annual poll of senior councillors and executives, most of whom said the changes would be costly, time-consuming and do little to address the dire financial crisis facing councils.
Continue reading...Trump posts fresh ultimatum to Hamas as US enters direct talks with group
US president tells group to ‘release all of the Hostages now ... or it is OVER for you’ as White House enters negotiations
Donald Trump has posted a fresh ultimatum to Hamas, telling the group to “release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you”.
“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye,” he wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, in an apparent reference to the beginning of direct talks with the group.
Continue reading...Hundreds of US diplomats decry dismantling of USAid in letter to Rubio
Officials say slashing of US Department for International Development leaves power vacuum for adversaries
Hundreds of diplomats at the state department and US Agency for International Development have written to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, protesting against the dismantling of USAid, saying it undermines US leadership and security and leaves power vacuums for China and Russia to fill.
In a cable expected to be filed with the department’s internal “dissent channel”, which allows diplomats to raise concerns about policy anonymously, the diplomats said the Trump administration’s 20 January freeze on almost all foreign aid also endangers American diplomats and forces overseas while putting at risk the lives of millions abroad that depend on US assistance.
Continue reading...Can Trump’s tariffs break China’s grip on manufacturing?
The "Made in China" juggernaut was built over decades. Can Trump's moves set it back?
Bangladesh leader likens Sheikh Hasina regime to ‘terrible tornado’
The interim leader tells the BBC he's on a learning curve after protests ousted the old government.
Trump issues ‘last warning’ to Hamas as US confirms direct hostage talks
The president also appeared to threaten civilians in Gaza, saying they would be "dead" if they held hostages.
Pentagon official condemned over tweet about Jewish victim lynched by Georgia mob
Kingsley Wilson cast doubt on circumstances of death of Leo Frank, in echo of white supremacist talking point
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has condemned a past social media post by the Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson that disputed the innocence of Leo Frank, a Jewish businessman whom most historians agree was wrongfully convicted of killing a 13-year-old factory worker and lynched in 1915 during a wave of antisemitism in the US.
“Leo Frank raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl. He also tried to frame a Black man for his crime,” Wilson wrote on X in response to an August 2024 tweet by the ADL marking the 109th anniversary of Frank’s lynching. “The ADL turned off the comments because they want to gaslight you.”
Continue reading...Iranian singer ready ‘to pay price for freedom’ after 74 lashes – Yahoo
Statement from the Press Secretary – The White House
- Statement from the Press Secretary The White House
- Released From Hamas Captivity, a Hostage Finds His Family Gone The New York Times
- White House says Trump ‘listened intently to the hostages’ heartbreaking stories’ The Times of Israel
- 'They handcuffed one of the boys, cut his hand—and smiled' Ynetnews
- ‘You were sent by God’: Freed hostages meet Donald Trump in White House The Jerusalem Post
9 vacationing students missing in Mexico found dismembered on highway – New York Daily News
- 9 vacationing students missing in Mexico found dismembered on highway New York Daily News
- 9 Students Who Went Missing While on Vacation Found Dismembered on the Side of a Highway in Mexico PEOPLE
- Disappearance of eight young people and the silence of three states highlights opacity of crime in Mexico EL PAÍS USA
- Chilling cartel warning to 'thieves' is found on note stuck to victim's body as new details emerge in slaughte Daily Mail
- 9 Students Who Went Missing On Mexico Holiday Found Dismembered With "Bag Of Hands" NDTV
Boom to gloom: India middle-class jitters amid trillion-dollar market rout
One in five Indian households invest in the stock market, but the recent crash has left investors anxious.
‘Paradigm shift’: Australian researchers discover key to treatment of bacterial vaginosis
Study shows that male partners can help in limiting recurrence of the condition afflicting almost one in three women
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Like almost one in three women, Hanae has developed bacterial vaginosis (BV) – a condition when the normal healthy bacteria in the vagina are replaced by an overgrowth of other mixed bacteria.
When she got it for first time in 2021, she took the standard treatment of antibiotics, only for the condition to come back weeks later. “It came back time and time again, no matter how many times I got antibiotic treatment,” said Hanae, who lives in Melbourne.
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Continue reading...In 1st moves as IDF chief, Zamir orders recheck of Oct. 7 probes, dissolving Iran unit – The Times of Israel
- In 1st moves as IDF chief, Zamir orders recheck of Oct. 7 probes, dissolving Iran unit The Times of Israel
- Israel new army chief Eyal Zamir says Hamas mission ‘not accomplished’ Al Jazeera English
- New Israeli military chief assumes command with Gaza ceasefire in the balance Reuters
- Middle East crisis: Netanyahu tells new military chief Israel ‘determined’ to achieve victory – as it happened The Guardian
- New IDF chief Eyal Zamir faces old battles as Netanyahu seeks to dictate his first moves Haaretz
US pauses intelligence sharing with Ukraine
It remains unclear if the pause on intelligence sharing is partial or complete, and how long it will remain in effect.
Macron: France must face ‘Russian threat’ with or without US – POLITICO Europe
- Macron: France must face ‘Russian threat’ with or without US POLITICO Europe
- Macron warns Russian aggression ‘knows no borders’ in televised address The Guardian
- Macron will open debate about extending French nuclear protection to European allies Reuters
- Emmanuel Macron says Europe must be ready to defend Ukraine without U.S. assistance NBC News
- Macron says he’ll confer with allies on protecting Europe with French nuclear deterrence The Associated Press
The dangerous tension in Europe’s response to Trump – The Economist
- The dangerous tension in Europe’s response to Trump The Economist
- Willpower, Not Manpower, is Europe’s Main Limitation for a Force in Ukraine War On The Rocks
- Can Europe Back Ukraine’s Fight Alone? New Lines Magazine
- Trump wants to destroy the EU — and rebuild it in his image POLITICO Europe
- Europe Should Make a $200 Billion Deal With Trump Foreign Policy
As Israel and U.S. Align on Gaza, the Arab’s Plan Leaves Issues Unanswered – The New York Times
- As Israel and U.S. Align on Gaza, the Arab’s Plan Leaves Issues Unanswered The New York Times
- 'Obstacles' in Egypt's $53 billion plan to rebuild Gaza, install Palestinian Authority control CNBC
- The Arab League's plan for Gaza The Week
- Trump and Netanyahu Reject the New Arab Plan for Gaza – but for Very Different Reasons Haaretz
- Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian’s Regular Press Conference on March 5, 2025 MFA China
Jack Daniel’s maker says Canada pulling US alcohol off shelves ‘worse than tariff’
CEO Lawson Whiting calls Canada’s move ‘disproportionate response’ to levies imposed by Trump administration
The Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman’s CEO Lawson Whiting said on Wednesday Canadian provinces taking US liquor off store shelves was “worse than a tariff” and a “disproportionate response” to levies imposed by the Trump administration.
Several Canadian provinces have taken US liquor off store shelves as part of retaliatory measures against Donald Trump’s tariffs.
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