US trade deficit swells in December as imports surge
The US trade deficit deteriorated even though President Trump unleashed a barrage of tariffs to close trade imbalances.
Qatar pledges $1bn for Gaza peace mission
Qatar has pledged $1 billion to support the Board of Peace’s mission in Gaza
South Africa police arrest son of former Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe
The youngest son of the former Zimbabwe president was detained after a gardener was shot at his home in South Africa.
Veteran dissident who refused exile released
Mikola Statkevich, who spent more than five years in prison in his native Belarus, is now recovering from a stroke at home, his wife says.
Files reveal Epstein was offered chance to buy US Pentagon, FBI buildings
New files show Epstein, who had close ties to Israel, was offered sensitive US government real estate deals.
New Zealand bug of the year: moth named Avatar after mining threat crowned winner
Arctesthes avatar moth, which won nearly half of the votes, was discovered in 2012 and is critically endangered
A tiny critically endangered moth, named after the Avatar films because of the proposed mining activity threatening its primary habitat, has been crowned New Zealand’s bug of the year.
The Avatar moth won by a wide margin, earning 5,192 of the more than 11,000 total votes cast. It won 2,269 more votes than the runner-up, the mahoenui giant wētā, one of the world’s largest insects. Other contenders included the wonderfully spiky hellraiser mite, the country’s heaviest spider – the black tunnelweb – and a giant earthworm that glows in the dark.
Continue reading...What’s next for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson?
Former duchess has stood by the former prince through waves of allegations and has yet to comment on his arrest
While the spotlight has been on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, his arrest has prompted questions about what is next for his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
Ferguson, known by the tabloids as Fergie, married the then prince Andrew in 1986 and was divorced from him 10 years later after an alleged affair with an American financial adviser. It was one of multiple scandals in the 1990s and 2000s involving the former duchess, who was widely considered an embarrassment to the royal family.
Continue reading...Trump says world has 10 days to see if Iran agrees deal or ‘bad things happen’
The US is surging forces to the Middle East amid negotiations with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear programme.
Trump changed mind on Chagos deal ‘after UK blocked use of Diego Garcia for Iran strikes’
US president links deal with military strikes against Iran in connection with Tehran’s nuclear ambitions
Donald Trump changed his mind on supporting the Chagos Islands deal because the UK will not permit its airbases to be used for a pre-emptive US strike on Iran, the Guardian has been told.
In his latest change of heart on the deal, the US president said on social media that Keir Starmer was “making a big mistake” by handing sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in exchange for continued use by the UK and US of their airbase on one of the islands, Diego Garcia.
Continue reading...French prosecutor seeks murder charges over killing of far-right activist
Political tensions rise after fatal attack at protest in Lyon as Emmanuel Macron hits out over remarks by Italian PM
A French prosecutor is seeking murder charges against seven suspects in the fatal beating of a far-right activist that has fuelled political anger beyond France’s borders, prompting Emmanuel Macron to tell Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to keep out of French affairs.
Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a far-right protest in Lyon on 12 February. Most of the 11 suspects who have been detained are from far-left movements.
Continue reading...US-Iran tension: Why Tehran may choose confrontation over ‘surrender’
The Iranian leadership is weighing up whether resisting US demands is the best option for its survival.
Forget the Board of Peace, Trump may be closer than thought to attacking Iran
Tehran may claim it will not negotiate under duress, but that is precisely what it is being required to do
Although much attention will be given to the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, it is the “arsenal of war” that Donald Trump has assembled in the Middle East, and what it implies for the stately pace of Washington’s negotiations with Iran, that deserves more.
The well-connected Axios reporter Barak Ravid is hated in Iran – one news site on Thursday described him as a one-man psychological war operation against Tehran. But he is widely read, as was his report that the US viewed the talks in Geneva on Tuesday as a “nothing burger”, and that a full-scale attack on Iran was far closer than most Americans realised. The story led to a spike in oil prices and front-page pieces in US newspapers saying Trump’s military preparations would be complete by the weekend, with the president hinting a decision would be made “probably over the next 10 days”.
Continue reading...RSF siege of El Fasher in Sudan has ‘hallmarks of genocide’, UN mission finds
Report details harrowing 18-month occupation of North Darfur capital, showing destruction aimed at ethnic communities
The siege and capture of the Sudanese city of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group last October bore “the hallmarks of genocide”, a UN-mandated fact-finding mission has said.
In a report detailing the harrowing 18-month occupation of the capital of North Darfur, investigators concluded that the RSF and allied militias deliberately inflicted conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Zaghawa and Fur ethnic communities.
Continue reading...Live Updates: Former Prince Andrew Arrested in Britain Over Epstein Ties – The New York Times
- Live Updates: Former Prince Andrew Arrested in Britain Over Epstein Ties The New York Times
- Andrew arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office as King says 'law must take its course' BBC
- Timeline: How Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor fell from grace over his ties to Epstein CNN
- For the Royals, No Playbook Exists for the Arrest of a Former Prince The New York Times
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein Associated Press News
Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’
Consulting firm keen to increase uptake of technology and is reportedly monitoring adoption by workforce
Accenture has reportedly started tracking staff use of its AI tools and will take this into consideration when deciding on top promotions, as the consulting company tries to increase uptake of the technology by its workforce.
The company told senior managers and associate directors that being promoted to leadership roles would require “regular adoption” of artificial intelligence, according to an internal email seen by the Financial Times.
Continue reading...Sudan atrocities are ‘hallmarks of genocide’, UN says
A UN fact-finding mission issued the report after investigating the capture of el-Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces.
Son of Robert Mugabe arrested in South Africa on suspicion of attempted murder
Bellarmine Mugabe is in custody after a man who worked at the place where he was staying was shot and injured.
Trump gathers members of Board of Peace for first meeting, with some U.S. allies wary – NPR
- Trump gathers members of Board of Peace for first meeting, with some U.S. allies wary NPR
- Live Updates: Trump Says U.S. Will Commit $10 Billion to Board of Peace for Gaza Redevelopment The New York Times
- Countries That Attended Trump's First Board of Peace Meeting in Washington U.S. News & World Report
- Trump launches his ‘Board of Peace’ with billions pledged for Gaza, but many allies are wary CNN
- Authoritarians, strongmen and dictators: who is on Trump’s Board of Peace? The Guardian
Hosts Italy voice ‘absolute opposition’ to Russia flag flying at Winter Paralympics
Italian government urges IPC to reconsider its stance
Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under flags
Italy, the Winter Olympic hosts, has called for a reversal of the decision to let 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes compete with national flags and anthems at next month’s Paralympic Games.
The foreign minister Antonio Tajani and sports minister Andrea Abodi urged the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider its stance due to Russia’s four-year-old invasion of Ukraine, saying it contradicted the Olympic spirit.
Continue reading...Austrian mountaineer ‘endlessly sorry’ for girlfriend’s death but denies criminal wrongdoing
Thomas P gives evidence on first day of trial in case that could shape standards for mountain sports
An Austrian mountaineer has said he is “endlessly sorry” his girlfriend froze to death on a joint climb to the country’s highest peak, but denied criminal wrongdoing as his trial began in Innsbruck.
The 37-year-old defendant, identified only as Thomas P, gave evidence on the first day of the high-profile proceedings over the tragedy on Großglockner, in a case that could shape international standards for liability in mountain sports.
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