US distances itself from Gaza food delivery group amid questions over its leadership, funding

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had faced criticism from aid groups even before this week’s chaotic rollout

After a rollout trumpeted by US officials, the US- and Israeli-backed effort that claimed it would return large-scale food deliveries to Gaza was born an orphan, with questions growing over its leadership, sources of funding and ties to Israeli officials and private US security contractors.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had said it would securely provide food supplies to the Gaza Strip, ending an Israeli blockade that UN officials say have led to the brink of a famine.

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Australia news live: McCormack says ‘never say never’ on Nationals leadership after ‘madness’ of Coalition’s brief breakup

Nationals backbencher says we ‘weren’t told everything that went on between Sussan Ley’ and David Littleproud. Follow today’s news live

McCormack says he expects Nationals to revisit net zero position eventually

McCormack expects the Nationals to revisit net zero by 2050:

I think we need to have a very serious discussion about that. When I go to places such as Crookwell, and others, where they have got huge wind towers, they have done their heft lift as far as making sure they put these massive turbines up, the solar … that are popping up all over, taking up arable country, farmland, you know.

I think regional Australia has done its fair share and we need to revisit that, given the fact the world, indeed America and other countries and other political parties in other nations, have really revisited this net zero. I think the Nationals will do the same.

Look, you never say never. I’m not going to draw a line through my name because that would be silly, but, look, it’s up to the party room. It’s the gift of the party room. I have always accepted that.

I had the great honour of leading the party for three and a bit years and being the deputy prime minister at the same time. [A] truly great honour. One that I’ll cherish. But if it comes to pass that the party decides that I’m the one to lead them again in the future so be it.

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Far-right Chega party becomes main opposition in Portugal’s parliament

Party takes second place in election after overseas votes counted, overturning decades of bipartisan politics

The far-right Chega party has overturned decades of bipartisan politics in Portugal by squeaking into second place in the country’s third snap election in three years, edging out the socialists to become the biggest opposition party in parliament.

The centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by the prime minister, Luís Montenegro, finished first in the election 10 days ago, but once again fell well short of a majority, taking 31.2% of the vote and winning 91 seats in Portugal’s 230-seat assembly. But the race for second place was a closely fought contest between the Socialist party (PS) and Chega.

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‘What is it if not a war crime?’: Ehud Olmert says he can’t defend Israel anymore – CNN – The Jerusalem Post

  1. 'What is it if not a war crime?': Ehud Olmert says he can't defend Israel anymore - CNN  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes - Opinion  Haaretz
  3. Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert condemns Gaza war as humanitarian crisis deepens  ABC News
  4. Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says his country is committing war crimes  The Guardian
  5. Israeli public outraged: Media, former IDF top brass echo Hamas  Cleveland Jewish News
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Donald Trump commutes sentence of former Chicago gang leader

Larry Hoover, 74, ex-chief of Gangster Disciples in Chicago, had been serving multiple life sentences for over 50 years

Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader, who had been serving multiple life sentences for more than five decades.

Hoover, 74, is the co-founder of Gangster Disciples, a gang described in court documents as “large and vicious” that sold “great quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago”.

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Glacier Collapse in the Swiss Alps Destroys Most of a Village – The New York Times

  1. Glacier Collapse in the Swiss Alps Destroys Most of a Village  The New York Times
  2. Watch: Dramatic footage shows glacier burying Swiss Village  Times of India
  3. Mud and rock bury Swiss village after glacier collapse, one person missing  Reuters
  4. Glacier collapse buries most of Swiss village  BBC
  5. Alpine village is largely destroyed when a Swiss glacier collapses  AP News
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Musk is pivoting from DC and Doge’s failures – and wants investors to know

The billionaire mogul is signaling far and wide that he’s back to business, and even criticizing Trump’s tax bill

Elon Musk really wants the public – and investors – to know that he’s leaving Washington DC behind.

In a series of interviews and social media posts this week, Musk has criticized Donald Trump’s marquee tax bill and emphasized his recommitment to leading SpaceX, Tesla and the artificial intelligence company xAI. The world’s richest person claimed that he was back to working around the clock at his companies – to the point of sleeping in conference rooms and factory offices once again.

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Trump says he warned Israel against attack on Iran as nuclear deal ‘very close’

US president claims he told Tel Aviv he thought agreement on Tehran’s nuclear programme could come within weeks

Donald Trump has claimed he warned Israel against attacking Iran because he believed he was very close to a deal on Tehran’s nuclear programme in which US inspectors will be given unparalleled access to sites to ensure the country is not planning to build a nuclear bomb.

At a White House press conference on Wednesday, the US president confirmed he held talks last week with Israel and told them it was “not appropriate” to attack Tehran because he believed he could reach a deal within weeks.

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Mount Everest’s Record-Setting Sherpa Sees a Future of Snowless Mountains and Fewer Guides – The New York Times

  1. Mount Everest’s Record-Setting Sherpa Sees a Future of Snowless Mountains and Fewer Guides  The New York Times
  2. Climber Scales Mount Everest Four Times In 15 Days  The Weather Channel
  3. 'Everest Man' beats own record for most climbs up Mount Everest  BBC
  4. 55-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa breaks his own record: climbing Mount Everest 31 times  NPR
  5. Mount Everest: Nepali sherpa breaks own record with 31st summit  BBC
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Oregon zoo owner arrested after raid finds drugs, guns and $1.6m

Police also find widespread animal mistreatment, relocating 310 of the 450 animals and euthanizing three

Oregon police have arrested a zoo owner on drug charges following a police raid at the facility earlier this month that found drugs and widespread animal mistreatment.

The Coos county sheriff’s office said that Brian Tenney, the owner of West Coast Game Park Safari, was arrested on Tuesday on charges of methamphetamine possession, manufacturing and attempted distribution. He was later released as the district attorney’s office awaited more information, a staff member at the Coos county jail said when reached by the Associated Press.

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Prosecuting man for burning Qur’an ‘reintroducing blasphemy law’, UK court told

Hamit Coskun, 50, held burning text outside Turkish consulate London, Westminster magistrates court heard

Prosecuting a man for burning the Qur’an is “tantamount to reintroducing a blasphemy law” in Great Britain, a trial has heard.

Hamit Coskun, 50, shouted “fuck Islam”, “Islam is religion of terrorism” and “Qur’an is burning” as he held aloft the burning Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in London on 13 February, Westminster magistrates court heard.

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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, giant of African literature, dies aged 87

Kenyan writer’s death announced by his daughter, who wrote: ‘He lived a full life, fought a good fight’

The Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, who was censored, imprisoned and forced into exile by the dictator Daniel arap Moi, a perennial contender for the Nobel prize for literature and one of few writers working in an indigenous African language, has died aged 87.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dad, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, this Wednesday morning,” wrote his daughter Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ on Facebook. “He lived a full life, fought a good fight.”

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Peruvian farmer loses landmark climate case against German energy giant – NPR

  1. Peruvian farmer loses landmark climate case against German energy giant  NPR
  2. German court rejects Peruvian farmer's landmark climate case  BBC
  3. Court throws out Peruvian farmer’s climate lawsuit against energy giant  The Washington Post
  4. German court throws out Peruvian farmer's climate case against RWE  Reuters
  5. German Court Dismisses Climate Lawsuit Against RWE  The New York Times
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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o – a giant of African literature – dies aged 87 – BBC

  1. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - a giant of African literature - dies aged 87  BBC
  2. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, giant of African literature, dies aged 87  The Guardian
  3. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Writer Who Condemned Colonists and Elites, Dies at 87  The New York Times
  4. Acclaimed author, UC Irvine professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiang’o dies  Orange County Register
  5. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Kenyan dissident and author who was giant of global literature, dies at 87  PBS
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