Donald Trump heckled during State of the Union
Donald Trump has sparked uproar during his State of the Union address after asking lawmakers to prove loyalty to the US.
South Korea’s birthrate rises for second year with experts saying ‘echo boomers’ behind boost
Rebound in the country – which has been having demographic crisis – said to be partly because of 3.6 million born between 1991 and 1995 having children
South Korea recorded 254,500 births in 2025, the largest annual increase in 15 years, driven largely by a temporarily enlarged generation – known as “echo boomers” – now in their early thirties, alongside marriage rates recovering from Covid-era delays.
The country’s fertility rate – the average number of babies a woman is expected to have in her lifetime – rose to 0.80 from 0.75 last year, returning to the 0.8 range for the first time since 2021, according to provisional figures released by South Korea’s ministry of data and statistics on Wednesday.
Continue reading...Iran’s FM says deal with US ‘within reach’; Trump says he prefers diplomacy
Foreign Minister Araghchi's remarks ahead of Geneva talks come as second US aircraft carrier heads towards Middle East.
China restricts exports to 40 Japanese entities with ties to military – AP News
Children among 16 killed in car crash in southern Yemen
A bus collided with a truck in Yemen's second-deadliest traffic accident in recent years, and the worst so far in 2026.
Shein’s elusive boss hails Chinese roots in rare public appearance
His speech follows years of the firm focusing away from China as it moved its headquarters to Singapore.
South Korea’s birthrate, the world’s lowest, rises again amid signs of easing demographic crisis – Reuters
- South Korea's birthrate, the world's lowest, rises again amid signs of easing demographic crisis Reuters
- South Korea baby bump grows Financial Times
- South Korea’s birthrate rises for second year with experts saying ‘echo boomers’ behind boost The Guardian
- South Korea Birth Rate Rises 6.8% 조선일보
- South Korea birth rate jumps but still under key fertility threshold The Mountaineer
Lawmaker ejected during Trump’s State of the Union address
Democrat Al Green was ejected from US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address over protest sign.
Great Barrier Reef: World’s largest coral colony discovered off Australian coast by mother-daughter team – CNN
- Great Barrier Reef: World’s largest coral colony discovered off Australian coast by mother-daughter team CNN
- Citizen scientists discover a Great Barrier Reef coral giant ‘like a rolling meadow’ The Guardian
- Mother-daughter team finds world’s largest known coral on Great Barrier Reef The Times of India
- Largest Known Coral Colony Discovered on Great Barrier Reef by Citizen Scientists Букви
- World's largest coral colony discovered off Australian coast by mother and daughter Telegrafi
Nepal’s rapper-mayor in pole position to become prime minister – Reuters
- Nepal's rapper-mayor in pole position to become prime minister Reuters
- Nepal election 2026: When is the vote and who are the main candidates? BBC
- Who is contesting Nepal's polls and what is at stake? Reuters
- Can Elections Secure Nepal’s Youth Revolution? Foreign Policy
- Former Rapper Turned Mayor Leads Race for Nepal Prime Minister Fine Day 102.3
Aid groups petition Israeli Supreme Court as Gaza, West Bank work ban nears
Israel has ordered 37 aid groups to halt operations in war-torn Gaza, as well as occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Threat of further violence looms after Mexican cartel rampage
The BBC speaks to Guadalajara residents days after cartel members sought to avenge the killing of Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera.
FBI director’s private jet use delayed investigations, Democrat alleges
The allegations came days after Patel was seen celebrating in Italy with the men's USA hockey team after their Olympics win.
Anger over plans to abolish New Zealand’s dedicated environment ministry
Critics say proposal to fold department into a new ‘mega ministry’ will dilute accountability and put nature protections at risk
New Zealand’s government is seeking to abolish its dedicated environment ministry to cut down on bureaucracy, a move critics say could dilute environmental protections.
Under the plan, the department would be folded into a new “mega-ministry” that will cover housing, urban development, transport, local government and the environment.
Continue reading...Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall – The Guardian
- Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall The Guardian
- Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 25 BBC
- Hope Fades In Search For Missing After Deadly Brazil Rains Barron's
- At Least 30 Dead After ‘Massive Landslide’ Wipes Out Hillside Neighborhood as 39 People Remain Missing People.com
- At least 23 dead as heavy rains unleash floods in southeastern Brazil Al Jazeera
Drones hammer Sudan’s gold and oil zone – the pivotal new front line
Intensified attacks in the Kordofan region have led to mass casualties as peace remains elusive.
Western analysts say Russia is losing 50,000 soldiers a month. A Meduza investigation suggests those estimates are based on manipulated data. – Meduza
- Western analysts say Russia is losing 50,000 soldiers a month. A Meduza investigation suggests those estimates are based on manipulated data. Meduza
- Ukraine Battlefield Dead Could Reach 500,000 in Fifth Year, Estimates Suggest The New York Times
- How Russia’s fatalities compare with Ukraine’s The Economist
- Russian Offensive Hampered by Losses, Western Officials Say Bloomberg.com
- Struggling Russian army now losing troops faster than it can replace them Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Half of Britons avoid calling GP when they are ill, survey finds
Most believe they will struggle to get an appointment, with over a quarter choosing to manage ailment themselves
Almost half the public delay or avoid contacting their GP surgery when they are ill, mainly because they think they will struggle to get an appointment.
Overall 48% of people across the UK did not bother to ask their family doctor for help – either initially or at all – when they got sick over the past year, a survey found.
Faster access to GPs and A&E are the public’s top priorities for the NHS.
Only 32% believe the NHS provides a good service nationally.
42% think the standard of NHS care has worsened over the past year and only 12% think that it has improved.
47% fear NHS care will decline further over the next year and just 15% expect it to get better
Continue reading...Marco Rubio briefs US lawmakers on Iran as Trump uses State of the Union to threaten nuclear programme
Secretary of state makes rare briefing to so-called ‘gang of eight’ as US deploys largest force of aircraft and warships to Middle East since 2003
Marco Rubio delivered a rare briefing to top US lawmakers on Iran, just a few hours before Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to say that Tehran would never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.
Amid the largest deployment of aircraft and warships to the Middle East since the 2003 buildup to the Iraq war, Trump said he wanted to solve the confrontation with Iran through diplomatic means while claiming that Tehran was seeking to develop ballistic missiles that could reach the US, without providing further details.
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