As faith in the US wavers, can France’s nuclear umbrella deter Russia? – FRANCE 24 English

  1. As faith in the US wavers, can France’s nuclear umbrella deter Russia?  FRANCE 24 English
  2. Mocking him as 'Micron', Russia warns Macron not to threaten it  Reuters
  3. Emmanuel Macron says Europe must be ready to defend Ukraine without U.S. assistance  NBC News
  4. Putin referred to Napoleon's 1812 failure to conquer Russia  Euronews
  5. France to consider protecting European allies with its nuclear arsenal, Macron says  CNN
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When Europe needed it most, the Ariane 6 rocket finally delivered – Ars Technica

  1. When Europe needed it most, the Ariane 6 rocket finally delivered  Ars Technica
  2. Europe's Ariane 6 deploys spy satellite in first full mission  Reuters
  3. Europe's powerful Ariane 6 rocket launches for 2nd time ever, sending French spy satellite to orbit (video)  Space.com
  4. Ariane 6 takes flight for the second time  European Space Agency
  5. European rocket aims for first commercial launch after delays  Phys.org
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Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: wind and rain intensify as category 2 storm nears south-east Queensland and northern NSW

BoM path track map predicts TC Alfred will cross coast on Saturday near Brisbane, the first storm of its size to do so in decades. Follow the latest updates today

Welfare recipients told to perform mutual obligations as cyclone bears down

We have a news story this morning about the impact the cyclone is already having on life in Queensland.

Fallen trees and giant stands of bamboo blocked the single road to our farm until the army and council brought heavy machinery to clear a path some time after.

We were without running water or power for days, maybe weeks, the packing shed a makeshift kitchen where we ate meals cooked off a gas barbecue and drank instant coffee made with rainwater and UHT milk to the hum of a generator.

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US suspends aid to South Africa after Trump order – The Guardian US

  1. US suspends aid to South Africa after Trump order  The Guardian US
  2. Samkelo depended on USAID-backed drugs to stay alive. Then came Trump’s order  Financial Times
  3. Eye on Africa - US AIDS funding cuts send HIV treatment ‘off a cliff’ in South Africa  FRANCE 24 English
  4. Malema to Trump: 'The majority of SA love whites, so why would they kill them?'  News24
  5. Paxlovid May Offer Little Benefit for Vaccinated Older Adults  Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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Teenager charged after allegedly boarding Jetstar flight with ‘large gun’ at Avalon airport

Police charged 17-year-old with unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, orchestrating a bomb hoax and possessing a firearm

A teenager who allegedly tried to force his way on to a commercial flight at a Victorian airport before being dramatically overpowered by passengers was due to face court on Friday charged with a string of offences.

Police were called to Avalon airport near Geelong, in Victoria, on Thursday afternoon after reports a male wielding a firearm had attempted to board the Jetstar flight.

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About 20 countries could join Ukraine coalition, UK says – BBC.com

  1. About 20 countries could join Ukraine coalition, UK says  BBC.com
  2. Europeans embrace Zelensky after he was vilified by Trump  CNN
  3. UK's Starmer says Europe is at ‘crossroads in history’ as leaders agree to steps to Ukraine peace  The Associated Press
  4. Who Will Join Europe’s ‘Coalition of the Willing’ to Help Ukraine?  The New York Times
  5. Europe vows to defend Ukraine, but prays for Trump’s support  The Economist
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9 vacationing students missing in Mexico found dismembered on highway – The Seattle Times

  1. 9 vacationing students missing in Mexico found dismembered on highway  The Seattle Times
  2. What We Know About Chilling Case of Dismembered Students Found in Mexico  PEOPLE
  3. Disappearance of eight young people and the silence of three states highlights opacity of crime in Mexico  EL PAÍS USA
  4. Mexican official shares shocking new theory on murder of 9 students found with their hands cut off  Daily Mail
  5. 9 Students Who Went Missing On Mexico Holiday Found Dismembered With "Bag Of Hands"  NDTV
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FBI offers $10m reward for ex-Olympic snowboarder turned drug kingpin

Ryan Wedding, 43, wanted for role in billion-dollar cross-border drug trafficking operation and several homicides

Authorities in the United States have offered a $10m reward for information that leads to the arrest of a Canadian former Olympic snowboarder-turned-international drug kingpin.

Police in Los Angeles said on Thursday that Ryan Wedding – also known as “El Jefe”, “Giant” and “Public Enemy” – is wanted for his role in a billion-dollar cross-border drug trafficking operation and for several homicides linked to his drug sprawling network.

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The Recap: Trump bails on his tariffs, and Democrats bail on free speech – Daily Kos

  1. The Recap: Trump bails on his tariffs, and Democrats bail on free speech  Daily Kos
  2. March 6, 2025: Donald Trump presidency news  CNN
  3. What has Trump done today?  The Washington Post
  4. PRIME TIME POLITICS: SCOTUS rules on foreign aid, U.S. auto makers get tariff reprieve  Local News Live
  5. Your Washington Debrief: Tariffs, SCOTUS, and Mayors Taking a Stand  theSkimm
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Meloni Backs Giving Ukraine NATO Security Without Membership – Bloomberg

  1. Meloni Backs Giving Ukraine NATO Security Without Membership  Bloomberg
  2. NATO could extend Article 5 protection to Ukraine without membership, Italian PM says  Kyiv Independent
  3. Italian prime minister rejects proposal by Paris, UK to send soldiers to Ukraine  NBC 15 WPMI
  4. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shuts down UK-France plan; says, ‘We will not send Italian soldiers to Ukraine’  Mint
  5. Ukraine seeks details on Italy's proposal for guarantees  RTÉ News
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Pope from hospital: ‘Thank you for your prayers, I accompany you from here’ – Vatican News – English

  1. Pope from hospital: ‘Thank you for your prayers, I accompany you from here'  Vatican News - English
  2. Pope Francis shares first audio message since hospitalization: 'May God bless you'  Fox News
  3. Weak and breathless Pope Francis thanks faithful for prayers ‘from the bottom of my heart’ in audio message  New York Post
  4. Clutched by the global faithful and draped on candles and statues, rosaries abound for Pope Francis  The Associated Press
  5. Pope's Ash Wednesday absence looms large as Lent begins at the Vatican  National Catholic Reporter
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Trump delays tariffs on many products from Mexico and Canada

US president paused tariffs on Mexican products covered by USMCA and later stayed tariffs on many Canadian imports

Donald Trump pulled back from his trade war with Canada and Mexico on Thursday, temporarily delaying tariffs on many goods from the two countries once again.

Two days after imposing sweeping tariffs on all imports from his country’s closest trading partners, the US president announced that duties on a wide range of products would be shelved until April.

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US arts funding agency sued over Trump order targeting LGBTQ+ projects

Groups sue National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) after president bars funds for promotion of ‘gender ideology’

Several arts organizations are suing the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) over its new requirements following Donald Trump’s executive order barring the use of federal funds for the promotion of “gender ideology”.

The groups, which are seeking funding for projects that support art about or are made by transgender and non-binary people, say they have in effect been unconstitutionally blocked from receiving grants from the agency that was built to promote artistic excellence, despite having received funds for similar projects in the past.

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‘Watershed moment’: EU leaders agree plan for huge rise in defence spending

Leaders endorse von der Leyen proposal but show of unity over Ukraine is marred by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán

European leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels have agreed on a massive increase to defence spending, amid a drive to shore up support for Ukraine after Donald Trump halted US military aid and intelligence sharing.

But the show of unity was marred by Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, failing to endorse an EU statement on Ukraine pushing back against Trump’s Russia-friendly negotiating stance.

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