- Europeans explore troops for Ukraine ceasefire — and want U.S. support The Washington Post
- Will British troops be sent to Ukraine? – podcast The Guardian
- U.K., Sweden say troops could head to post-war Ukraine as Trump fuels a European "collective security" drive CBS News
- Thin majority of Germans back role in possible Ukraine peacekeeping mission Reuters.com
- Live: France is not ‘preparing to send ground troops to the front’ in Ukraine FRANCE 24 English
Trump International Hotel and Tower, Gaza – CounterPunch
- Trump International Hotel and Tower, Gaza CounterPunch
- Trump’s plan for Gaza leaves Arab nations facing an impossible choice | Nesrine Malik The Guardian
- Trump and Netanyahu Have Devised the Crime of the Century Haaretz
- Netanyahu says Israel committed to Trump’s ‘take over’ Gaza plan Al Jazeera English
- How does Netanyahu measure up to history? The Jerusalem Post
Campaigners urge F-35 fighter jet producing nations to stop supplying Israel
Exclusive: More than 200 civil society groups say governments have failed to prevent planes from being used to violate international law
More than 200 organisations worldwide have called on nations involved in producing F-35 fighter jets to “immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel” amid fears they have failed to prevent the planes from being used to violate international law.
The letter, signed by 232 civil society organisations, was sent on Monday to government ministers in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the US and the UK as the war in Gaza reached 500 days.
Continue reading...Cook Islands releases terms of deal with China amid protests about lack of transparency
Agreement includes sections on deep-sea mining and education, document shows, as opposition accuses PM of risking relationship with New Zealand
A strategic partnership deal between China and the Cook Islands spans areas from deep-sea mining to education scholarships but excludes security ties, a document released by the Pacific island nation’s government showed.
Western nations that traditionally held sway in the region have become increasingly concerned about China’s push for influence in the Pacific, after Beijing signed defence, trade and financial deals with countries in the region over the past three years.
Continue reading...North Korea slams US and Asian rivals for pursuing ‘absurd’ plans to denuclearize North – ABC News
- North Korea slams US and Asian rivals for pursuing 'absurd' plans to denuclearize North ABC News
- North Korea vows to expand nuclear forces, blasts US for 'outdated' denuclearization plan Fox News
- North Korea denounces 'absurd' denuclearisation pledge by US and allies Reuters
- North Korea Doubles Down on Nukes Amid Rising Tensions with US and Asia Newsweek
- North Korea rejects ‘absurd’ U.S. call for denuclearization Yahoo
Egypt developing Gaza reconstruction plan to counter Trump’s ‘take over’ – Al Jazeera English
- Egypt developing Gaza reconstruction plan to counter Trump’s ‘take over’ Al Jazeera English
- Palestinians to Live in 'Secure Areas' in Egyptian Five-year Gaza Reconstruction Plan Haaretz
- Egypt draws up Gaza reconstruction plan that would exclude Hamas The Guardian
- Egypt said to propose Gaza ‘secure areas’ where Palestinians will live as Strip rebuilt The Times of Israel
- Egypt's Sisi talks Gaza hostage deal with World Jewish Congress president The Jerusalem Post
War Day 500: Hamas Leader Eliminated, Directorate Established to Help Gazans Leave – Anash.org – Good News
- War Day 500: Hamas Leader Eliminated, Directorate Established to Help Gazans Leave Anash.org - Good News
- Families of remaining Israeli hostages mark grim milestone CBS News
- 'They Tell Us Only the Good Things for Now': Parents of Released Israeli Spotters Fight to Bring All Hostages Home Haaretz
- Congress members mark 500 days since Hamas-led assault in Israel on Oct. 7 JNS.org
- Some hostage families are still waiting to learn if their loved ones are dead Ynetnews
4 candidates want to be Germany’s next chancellor. Who are they? – Yahoo
- 4 candidates want to be Germany's next chancellor. Who are they? Yahoo
- German Election Spotlight Turns to Trump The New York Times
- What’s in Store for Germany as Far-Right AfD Eyes Big Election Gains? Bloomberg
- Who is Friedrich Merz, Merkel’s rival and German election frontrunner? CNN
- German election: Top candidates spar in four-way showdown DW (English)
Bus crash in Bolivia kills at least 30 people
The driver likely lost control of the vehicle, causing it to plunge almost 800 meters.
Bus crash in Bolivia kills at least 30 people – BBC.com
Family of British couple detained in Iran seek their return – The Washington Post
- Family of British couple detained in Iran seek their return The Washington Post
- British motorcycling couple detained in Iran charged with espionage The Guardian
- British couple charged with spying in Iran Financial Times
- Iran’s Judiciary Charges British Couple With Spying for West Bloomberg
- Craig and Lindsay Foreman were warned to not travel to 'unsafe' Balochistan Sky News
Santorini earthquakes are decreasing but outlook is uncertain, top Greek scientist says – The Associated Press
- Santorini earthquakes are decreasing but outlook is uncertain, top Greek scientist says The Associated Press
- Santorini waits as earthquake swarm leaves island tourism on shaky ground The Independent
- Santorini not facing new volcano Kathimerini English Edition
- Santorini Earthquakes: What’s Been Happening – And Why? IFLScience
- Quakes leave Greek tourist island on tenterhooks RTÉ News
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 17, 2025 – Institute for the Study of War
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 17, 2025 Institute for the Study of WarView Full Coverage on Google News
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels tighten their grip on second major city in eastern Congo – The Associated Press
- Rwanda-backed M23 rebels tighten their grip on second major city in eastern Congo The Associated Press
- Congo army retreat from Bukavu leads to clashes with allied militias Reuters
- Why have Rwanda-backed rebels seized 2 Congolese cities and is there an end in sight? The Associated Press
- M23 rebels are marching across eastern DRC: the interests driving players in the conflict The Conversation
- Rebels Take Another City in Mineral-Rich Congo The Wall Street Journal
Albanese says RBA rate cut ‘won’t have an impact’ on timing of federal election – as it happened
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- Labor and Coalition welcome RBA interest rate decision as governor plays down chance of more cuts
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The prime minister was also asked to weigh in on the ongoing dispute between the NSW government and rail unions – and whether the federal government plans to intervene.
But Anthony Albanese shot this suggestion down, saying this was “a state dispute of a state branch of a union over pay with a state government”.
I support very much the efforts of the Minns government to bring this dispute to an end, common sense has to apply here, and I think that the union needs to acknowledge that it is alienating people through these actions of not turning up to work. And there was hope on the weekend that it would be settled, [and] it should have been …
We’re getting to the point where the union needs to see common sense, settle this dispute with the Minns government. [The NSW premier] Chris Minns is working very hard to get an end to this dispute.
Continue reading...Gerald Ridsdale, Australia’s most notorious pedophile priest, dies in jail
The pedophile priest died in jail while serving time for the abuse of more than 70 children over three decades
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A pedophile priest, convicted of abusing more than 70 children over three decades, has died.
Gerald Ridsdale, died on Tuesday morning in prison. He was 90.
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Continue reading...E-scooters blamed for big jump in children caught in UK driving without insurance
Hundreds of teenagers have been given an IN10 police endorsement since 2020, says road safety charity
Electric scooters have been blamed for a surge in the number of children being penalised for driving without insurance.
Since the start of 2020 almost 800 children aged between 13 and 16 have been given an IN10 endorsement – the code used by the police for “using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks” – according to data obtained by a road safety charity.
Continue reading...Prison system crisis due to overreliance on long sentences, says Gauke review
Successive governments’ ‘penal populism’ has driven England and Wales justice system to brink of collapse, report finds
Successive governments’ overreliance on prison sentences and desire to seem “tough on crime” have driven the justice system in England and Wales to the brink of collapse, an official review has found.
A form of “penal populism” where longer incarceration is seen as the only effective means of punishment has contributed to the crisis in the prison system, according to the interim findings of a review led by former justice secretary David Gauke.
Continue reading...European countries clash over sending troops to Ukraine – Financial Times
- European countries clash over sending troops to Ukraine Financial Times
- Europeans explore troops for Ukraine ceasefire — and want U.S. support The Washington Post
- U.K., Sweden say troops could head to post-war Ukraine as Trump fuels a European "collective security" drive CBS News
- What might a European military force in Ukraine look like? The Guardian
- UK 'ready' to put troops in Ukraine to support Russia peace deal, PM says ABC News
Major world city melts under staggering heatwave that smashes all records – Daily Express US
- Major world city melts under staggering heatwave that smashes all records Daily Express US
- Rio de Janeiro beachgoers cool down during dangerously hot summer Yahoo
- Rio de Janeiro’s hottest day in at least a decade sends residents to the beach The Associated Press
- Intense heatwave in southern Brazil forces schools to suspend return The Guardian
- Rio de Janeiro's hottest day in at least a decade sends residents to the beach ABC News