Video - "You're All Dressed Up": How Trump Greeted Zelensky At White House

United States President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Washington DC on Friday.

His visit comes at a time when the US is pursuing a rare earth material deal with Ukraine, and the US President has been actively talking about ending the Russia- Ukraine war and also holding talks with several Western leaders on the issue.

"Oh look, You are all dressed up today!" President Trump said while welcoming his Ukrainian counterpart.

Wow!!! ???

Trump: “You're all dressed up today.” pic.twitter.com/zDTX1OQs4p

— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) February 28, 2025

On Thursday, during a visit to the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Kier Starmer said that Trump thinks progress is being made on ending the Russia-Ukraine war and that an agreement will "either be fairly soon or it won't be at all."

During his first visit to Washington DC as Prime Minister, Starmer said that his country is ready to put "boots on the ground" to support peace.

"I'm working closely with other European leaders on this, and I'm clear that the UK is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last," Starmer said.

Trump said that his plan to sign a rare earth minerals deal with Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday is "really going to get us into that country". Trump definitely seemed a bit softer on his views about the Ukrainian President.

Prior to him, French President Emmanuel Macron also visited the White House amid growing scepticism regarding the conclusion of the war.

During the meet, Macron emphasised their shared desire to build peace- but warned that it shouldn't happen if Ukraine is forced to surrender.

"This peace must not mean a surrender of Ukraine. It must not mean a ceasefire without guarantees. This peace must allow for Ukrainian sovereignty and allow Ukraine to negotiate with other stakeholders," he said.

Trump said that he believes Macron agrees with him on "many of the most important issues," including that this is the right time to end the war.

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"Make A Deal Or We Are Out": Trump And Zelensky Argue In Oval Office

Minutes into the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, a verbal clash broke out between the two leaders at the Oval Office. In a loud and stern voice, President Trump told Me Zelensky that you "either make a deal or we are out".

"You are in big trouble...you are not winning this," he said.

President Zelensky responded in equal measure, saying that "We are in our own country, and we have stayed strong all this time. We have even thanked you for it (your support)".

This led to an extraordinary shouting match between the two leaders as the international media watched in utter disbelief. "I'm afraid dealing this way is going to make things very difficult," said President Trump as hopes for a peace deal in Ukraine hung in the balance.

"You're gambling with the lives of millions of people. You're gambling with World War Three, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to this country," Donald Trump added.

The argument extended to the US Vice President as well, when Zelensky asked him not to "talk loudly". US Vice President JD Vance told President Zelensky that "diplomacy was needed" to end the war, but Mr Zelensky hit back saying "what kind of diplomacy?" Mr Vance then accused him of being "disrespectful" in the president's office.
 

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Citigroup Credited $81 Trillion In Account Instead Of $280 By Mistake: Report

Citigroup accidentally credited an account with $81 trillion instead of $280 as it meant to before catching the error, the  Financial Times reported.

The snafu, a "near miss" in banking industry lingo, eluded a payments employee and a second bank official before being caught by a third employee 90 minutes after it posted, the newspaper reported late Thursday.

The bank said it posted the payment to a client, without specifying what kind of client.

The payment was reversed several hours later and no funds ever left the bank, the newspaper said.

Citigroup, which has $1.7 trillion in assets according to Federal Reserve data, said there was "no impact to the bank or our client," according to a bank statement.

"Despite the fact that a payment of this size could not actually have been executed, our detective controls promptly identified the inputting error between two Citi ledger accounts, and we reversed the entry," Citigroup said.

Citi's snafu stemmed from a system blockage of payments that had to be entered manually under a program that came pre-populated with 15 zeros, according to the Financial Times report.

In July 2024, the Federal Reserve and Office of Comptroller of the Currency fined the bank $136 million for failing to sufficiently upgrade its systems under a 2020 order by the regulators to address poor risk management.

In October 2020, the OCC fined Citigroup $400 million for deficiencies in risk management, data governance and internal controls.

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How Trump's Threats Played A Role In The Comeback Of Trudeau's Liberal Party

The Liberal Party of Canada has made a stunning comeback, surpassing the Conservative Party in polls for the first time in four years. According to a recent Ipsos survey, the Liberals now hold a 2% lead over the Conservatives, a significant shift from the 26% deficit they faced just six weeks ago.
This dramatic turnaround is largely attributed to the anti-Trump sentiment sweeping Canada. US President Donald Trump's aggressive stance on trade and territorial expansion has led to a surge in Canadian patriotism, with many rallying behind their government in opposition to Trump's policies.

The situation is a far cry from the bleak outlook faced by the Liberal Party just a few weeks ago. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation on January 7, following intense unpopularity and opposition from within his own party, seemed to signal the end of the Liberal Party's chances. However, the party's fortunes have since reversed, with the Liberals gaining significant ground in the polls.

The Ipsos survey published on February 25 reported that 38% of voters now favour the Liberals, while 36% support the Conservatives. This shift is a remarkable reversal of the situation just six weeks prior, when the Conservatives held a commanding 46% to 20% lead over the Liberals.

Trump's aggressive rhetoric, including his claims that the US will annex Canada and make it the 51st state, has been met with widespread criticism and ridicule. Trudeau, in a passionate speech, highlighted the long history of cooperation and friendship between Canada and the US, from fighting together in World War II to providing aid during natural disasters. Trudeau's words struck a chord with Canadians, who are increasingly feeling a sense of betrayal and humiliation at the hands of the US.

As Trudeau so eloquently put it, "We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world... This is Team Canada at its best."
 

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Failed To "Imagine Scenario" Like Oct 7: Israel Army Probe On Hamas Attack

The Israeli army failed to "imagine such a scenario" as October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants attacked Israel from Gaza, a military official said Thursday as the army released an internal probe.

"We did not even imagine such a scenario," a military official told journalists ahead of the release of the probe's findings, adding that Palestinian militants led by Hamas caught Israel by surprise, not only in terms of the size and scale of the attack, but also its "brutality".

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PM Modi Was First To Call Us After Oct 7 Hamas Attack: Israeli Ambassador

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his friendship and for always standing by Israel, Reuven Azar, the Ambassador of Israel to India, on Wednesday revealed that the Indian PM was the first world leader to call the Israeli leadership following the deadly Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023.
More than 1200 people were killed in Israel during the horrific massacre and another 250 taken as hostages.

"We are actually looking with admiration to the achievements of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His friendship is very dear for us. We saw he was the first to call us following the 7th of October. We saw how he stood by us during the last-year-and-a-half. We know that we think alike on many things. We look at things in a similar way. We have similar challenges. Therefore, I am confident that in the coming years, we will be able to do many more things together," Azar told IANS in an exclusive interview.

He also spoke on the situation in Gaza, the ceasefire, the support of the current US administration and several other issues.

Interview excerpts:

IANS: AS Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said recently, this is indeed a "historic turning point" and defining times for Israel. Your thoughts

Reuven Azar: Yes, indeed, that it is, a very important moment in our history because we have withstood, we have managed to, actually not only survive, but also to succeed in giving a decisive answer to the attack that happened to us on the 7th of October. Not just what Hamas did to us, which was atrocious but in the context of what the entire Iranian proxies have tried to do against Israel. So, we have managed to remove from Israel a very significant threat of hundreds of thousands of rockets that were coming from Hezbollah, capabilities that were being built in Syria, were being built in Iran against us. And, the fact that we have succeeded in this military operation, that there's no longer a military machine of Hamas that is capable of threatening all the centers of population in Israel. The fact that Hezbollah is no longer a threat to northern Israel in a significant way, and that Iran got hit very severely in very strategic points of their missile programme, is very significant because when those enemies that have sworn to destroy us are debilitated, this gives peace and stability a chance. We have a window of opportunity now, a combination of the Israeli military victories and the coming of the Trump administration to do many good things for the region.

IANS: How is the situation in Gaza, right now?

Reuven Azar: We have managed to bring back most of our hostages. We are left now with about 69 hostages. Of which about half of them are dead. We have managed to bring almost 190 hostages back and we are trying to be persistent on the goal that our cabinet has determined. That means that we have to bring back all our hostages and also make sure that Hamas is destroyed and that it can no longer constitute a military threat, nor be the government in Gaza. Because we know that if Hamas comes back to become the government in Gaza, the time frame until we will have another 7th of October will shorten and therefore we are very stubborn on achieving both goals - the hostages and destroying Hamas' capability to attack us removes them from power.

IANS: What is your take on US President Donald Trump's offer to relocate people from Gaza?

Reuven Azar: There is an anomaly when it comes to Gaza. You know, when you look at conflicts in the region and outside the region, you can see very clearly, for example when the Ukraine, the Russia-Ukraine war started, five million Ukrainians left Ukraine. When there was a civil war in Syria, eight million Syrians left Syria. So, in any conflict zone, people are being allowed to go to refuge, to go to a quiet place until things are over, until the war is over, until things get through a construct and then they come back. The only place in the world in which it is not allowed, apparently, is the Gaza Strip. So the (US) President was saying something that is very natural. We can temporarily relocate Gazans to go to a safe haven until things get better in Gaza. This is not something that is going to happen by force, it is something based on a voluntary basis. So, if there are countries that are ready to accept Palestinians that want to take refuge, then we can do it.

IANS: How different is the Trump administration from the Biden regime?

Reuven Azar: We are optimistic because we saw what the first Trump administration did to the region. We reached the Abraham Accords. And Israel got very important achievements from that administration that have to do with the American recognition of Jerusalem, our capital, the moving of the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and many other things. So, we have a hope that with this Trump administration, we can achieve more. We always had good relations with any American administration and also with the Biden administration. But, we had some gaps with them when it comes to the management of our struggle, to defend ourselves from the Hamas attack. If you remember, the administration tried to make us refrain from doing the Rafah operation or was withholding some weapons that we needed for the war. So these are no longer there. These limitations are no longer there. And, we've heard very clearly from President Trump himself that he's going to back Israel in whatever decisions Israel has to make to defend itself. That's very encouraging.

IANS: US President Donald Trump has expressed concerns over the USAID role and its fundings that could have been used for toppling govts...

Reuven Azar: That's an American decision to make, in which way America wants to be involved in the world. That's a decision that America will have to make. We are not interfering in that. I haven't seen the USAID toppling governments. What we have seen is that sometimes money is being used by different agencies for different purposes. So the question is whether the administration wants to continue to use money in that way or to alter the ways in which they operate. That's a completely, independent decision that the United States will have to make. And we've been working in the USA with the USA in the past, especially in coordinating assistance to the Palestinians and whenever the Americans want to give assistance to the Palestinian people, we would coordinate that whether it comes from USAID, State Department or any other American agency.

IANS: Are you concerned with the ongoing coverage of the conflict by some media outlets. Recently, the BBC has been questioned over its Gaza documentary's Hamas link...

Reuven Azar: Yes, it is. And there are few problems that most people don't know when it comes to covering the Middle East. First of all, there are, of course, those networks from within the Middle East that are doing a lot of propaganda for the radical Islamists. Al Jazeera is one of them. And there are many others. And this is a challenge, to us, to the Western world, to the civilized world, because these values that are being promoted by these channels are, promoting violence against, non-Muslims. And that's problematic. In addition to that, you have many outlets in the West which are completely biased because the reporters that work in these networks, especially those that cover the Middle East and they do the coverage in Arabic, are also part of this network. For example, it is pretty well known that the BBC in Arabic, has many people affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood that are working there. So the materials that you see coming out from BBC in Arabic, is problematic. Another problem that we face is that in many cases, terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip are portraying themselves as journalists, while at the same time serving terrorist organizations or even being members of terrorist organizations. So we saw the example with the BBC movie for, the BBC piece in which one of the children that were being covered, there was a relative, his father was a Hamas leader, Hamas operative. And, people many times do not know how to make the difference, do not verify the stories. And by this, propaganda coming from the terrorist organizations without checking it thoroughly. So these are all problems that we have to face. We are pretty outnumbered when it comes to the challenge, because Israel is one country, we don't have many means of communication, and they are not spread all over the world. So we don't invest in that enough. And even if we would have invested, it wouldn't be enough to pair with the huge number of outlets you have in the Arab world and in the Muslim world.

IANS: What do you have to say to the sympathisers of radical Islamists?

Reuven Azar: What I can say is that we have one advantage against radicals that we love life more than they love death. Okay, so this cult of death, pretending that because of the fact that they don't mind dying for the cause gives them an advantage is actually a huge disadvantage because in Israel, for example, because of the fact that we love life and we sanctify life, we are ready to do a lot in order to defend it. We are not ready just to sacrifice our life for the country for no reason. We want to live in a prosperous country. We are going to defend our families. We want to defend things that are important for us, and we don't have anywhere else to go. Therefore, we have a huge advantage towards radicals. And we have to engage together to work in order to work with people, to deradicalize the societies. And this is one of the challenges where we're facing now in the Gaza Strip. Since Hamas took over 18 years ago, they have been radicalizing the education system in a systematic way, teaching each and every child in the Gaza Strip that their role is not to live in peace or to build Gaza, but to destroy Israel and to kill Jews. This has to change because unless the education system changes, nothing will change in the future, and we will have a very grim future. So we have a challenge together, to work for moderation, to work for, to defeat radicals.

IANS: Is Hamas a threat to India as well, especially due to its Pakistan connection?

Reuven Azar: Unfortunately, terrorist organisations work in networks and many times they find ways to support each other in a way that is detrimental for many countries, not just for our region. So the fact that, for example, there was a meeting only a couple of weeks ago in the areas that are under Pakistani control in Kashmir, of leaders of Hamas tells you something about how these terrorist organisations are inspiring each other. Apparently, they are cooperating in order to achieve their common goal which is to terrorise us and to terrorise you. This is something that we have to take into account.

IANS: What advice would you give to Indian leaders who support the Palestine cause?

Reuven Azar: I'm not in the role of giving advice to anybody. I think that we have a common goal. We want to live in peace. We believe that people in our region deserve to live in peace and that we can satisfy the aspirations of everybody as long as they are not trying to destroy or to completely erase the other side. So, those Palestinians that want to live with us in peace and that are ready to recognise our right for self-determination, we will recognise their rights for self-determination and we can negotiate a peace deal. But those who refuse that and only want to seek Palestinian rights without recognising our rights and using illegitimate means to do so, this has to be completely refuted. Our expectation is that any peace-loving leader or party, wherever they are, in India or outside India, will join us with this quest of creating a better world that is free of violence.

IANS: At the same time, India-Israel partnership is making giant strides. What do you have to say about it?

Reuven Azar: This is indeed a great partnership because I think our leaders think alike. They have an agenda of development. They want to create entrepreneurs. They believe in freedom. They believe in free markets and in reform. This has brought them together. We have been working with India on many issues on defence, on defence industry, on irrigation and water-related issues. We have a challenge to work on additional issues on high tech and innovation that can create a huge effect on the economy. So, we are thinking about ways of doing that. We had two weeks ago a huge delegation from Israel led by our Minister of Economy Nir Barkat. About 80 to 100 companies came here to do business. They met with Indian companies, we also want to work together in the field of infrastructure. India has a lot to offer in the field of infrastructure. So, we have a huge task ahead of us. We want to sign agreements to ease business with us, agreements on trade and on the financial realm. We have mapped all these things we want to do together. We are working very seriously together with the Indian government. I hope that this year in which we are coming out of this war and we are energized to do more things, we will achieve it. We've been having a number of visits lately where a Minister of Transport came, the Minister of Economy came twice, a Minister of Tourism came. We are also working to bring additional ministers here. We have been seeing presidents of universities from Israel coming here. They want to not just do academic cooperation but also connect together the innovation units of universities to work together on the technologies of tomorrow. India is a rising power in the world. It is becoming important to us, not just as a business partner, but also as an element in our supply chain. This will become, I believe, part of our national security strategy and that's why I'm very happy to be here.

IANS: US President Donald Trump has offered to sell F-35 fighter jets to India. Israel also uses these state-of-the-art jets, what difference could its acquisition bring?

Reuven Azar: I think that the advanced technologies in the military realm are very important to create an edge over adversaries. We already have received several squadrons of F-35s, and they are proving themselves to be very efficient in creating Israeli supremacy over the skies of the Middle East. If India manages to do the same and acquire F-35s, no doubt it will give it a similar edge.

IANS: Indian diplomacy has come in for huge praise for its balanced approach in recent times... What is your take on it?

Reuven Azar: Well, diplomacy is always a balancing act. I think that we have seen during this last year and a half that the support we needed from India came and it was a good support, both orally and also in deeds. It wasn't on the account of any other thing that India does. So, it proves that you can have good relations with us without being detrimental to the relations you have with other countries in the world.

IANS: India and Israel are also working together on connectivity initiatives, including IMEC and the port of Haifa...

Reuven Azar: Logistics indeed works in networks. So the question is, what is the level of efficiency of the networks that you have that allow you to do trade in a way that is cheaper, that is more effective and is faster? So in this context, the quest of India to create connectivity is very understandable. We want to be part of that. It also has to stand on stable strategic foundations. So the fact that we have security cooperation in our region between Israel and our Arab countries, between Israel and the Gulf under an American umbrella, gives me the confidence that we will be able to execute these corridors of connectivity that are coming from India to Europe, passing through the Middle East, and vice versa. This has huge potential. It's going to happen not instead but, you know, in addition to current, logistic ways in which trade happens. We are not talking only about trade, we are talking about connectivity in communications, in energy, in many other fields. So if we are going to be able to realise it, I think it's going to serve not only India, but also all the countries in the region.

IANS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as a powerful global leader, how do you view his leadership?

Reuven Azar: We are actually looking with admiration to the achievements of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His friendship is very dear for us. We saw he was the first to call us following the 7th of October. We saw how he stood by us during the last year and a half. We know that we think alike on many things. We look at things in a similar way. We have similar challenges. Therefore, I am confident that in the coming years, we will be able to do many more things together.

IANS: How special is the partnership between India and Israel - from defence to agriculture to tech and in several other areas?

Reuven Azar: I will tell you why this is so special. First of all, when it comes to our defence cooperation, Israel has been the first country, I think, that adapted to the 'Make in India' policy. We today stand in a situation in which we have created a lot of joint ventures here. We're producing together on Indian soil, advanced drones. We are producing autonomous helicopters, autonomous amphibious machinery. We are producing ammunition together. Israel industries have established factories here that do maintenance for the equipment that we have supplied to the Indian Army. We are beginning to do R&D together. So this is something that is very special and shows the level of trust that exists between the security establishments and also between the companies. This is not something you can take for granted. This was something that was built with many years of hard work. It's very important for both countries. In the field of agriculture, the fact that India has decided to bet on Israeli technology paid off big time because today many farmers in India use these technologies and they have been able to increase their crops and to create not only food security but also has made India into a net food exporter which is also important.

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One-Third Of Elon Musk's DOGE Staff Resign In Protest

Roughly a third of staffers at Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency have resigned in protest, saying that they will not push through demanded changes that put the country at risk.

"We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations," 21 staffers of DOGE wrote in a letter, seen by AFP on Tuesday, to White House chief of staff Susan Wiles.

"However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments," they added.

The workers initially worked for the United States Digital Service, which was transformed into DOGE after President Donald Trump took office on January 20th, with Musk effectively taking over the department.

Musk is the political force behind DOGE, with a small group of employees faithful to the multi-billionaire being dispatched across government and working toward gutting federal staffing and spending.

While Musk is not the formal administrator of DOGE, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO is nonetheless directing operations and will even attend Trump's first cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The world's wealthiest person and a top Trump donor, Musk has no ministerial portfolio or formal decision-making authority but has status as a "special government employee" and "senior adviser to the president."

He downplayed the significance of the departures, saying that the workers were "political holdovers" who worked remotely and refused to return to the office as ordered by Trump.

"They would have been fired had they not resigned," he added on X, the platform he owns.

The signatories describe a chaotic transition process that began on January 21 with hastily conducted interviews by unidentified individuals wearing White House visitor badges.

The interviewers questioned staff about political loyalty, attempted to create division among team members, and displayed "limited technical ability."

Tensions escalated on February 14 when approximately one-third of USDS staff were abruptly terminated via anonymous email.

The dismissed employees had been working on modernizing critical government systems including Social Security, veterans' services, tax filing, healthcare, and disaster relief platforms, the letter said.

"Their removal endangers millions of Americans who rely on these services every day. The sudden loss of their technology expertise makes critical systems and Americans' data less safe," the letter stated.

The employees explicitly refused to participate in what they described as efforts to "compromise core government systems, jeopardize Americans' sensitive data, or dismantle critical public services."

- Software for firing -

The USDS was established in 2014 during Barack Obama's administration and has historically operated as a non-partisan technology unit tasked with improving government digital services.

The mass resignation came days after Musk engineered a mass email to the federal government's two million workers, ordering them to justify their work in an email or risk being fired.

Government departments on Monday largely told staff to either ignore the DOGE-inspired email or downplayed the risks of not answering it.

According to Wired magazine, engineers at DOGE are working on new software that could assist mass firings of federal workers across the government.

So far, thousands of mainly probationary workers -- employees who are recently hired, promoted, or otherwise changed roles -- have been terminated since Trump's inauguration.

The new software would streamline the dismissal process, known as a reduction in force, for firing federal workers with stronger civil service protections.

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Ailing Pope Francis "Critical But Stable", Says Vatican

Pope Francis, who is in hospital with pneumonia in both lungs, is still in a critical condition but is stable and working from his sick bed, the Vatican said Tuesday.

Catholics across the globe have been praying for the 88-year-old amid hope he may be turning a corner on what doctors warn could be a long path to recovery.

"The Holy Father's clinical condition remains critical but stable," the Vatican said the evening of Francis's 12th day in the papal suite of Rome's Gemelli hospital.

"There have been no acute respiratory episodes and hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable," it said in a statement, referring to measurements such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Francis, admitted on February 14 with breathing difficulties, suffered asthmatic respiratory attacks at the weekend that required high levels of oxygen and blood transfusions to combat anaemia.

On Tuesday, "he underwent a scheduled follow-up CT scan in the evening for radiological monitoring of bilateral pneumonia", the Vatican said.

"The prognosis remains reserved," it said.

Despite his critical condition, the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Catholics has striven to keep up with Church matters from his hospital suite on the Gemelli's 10th floor, according to the Vatican.

"In the morning, after receiving the Eucharist, he resumed work activities," the statement said.

- 'Praying for you' -

The Argentine pope worked Monday too, receiving the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Francis approved the canonisation of two Venezuelan and Italian laymen who died in the early 20th century, while authorising the first steps towards sainthood for three 19th-century priests.

He also called the parish priest of Gaza's Catholic community, as he has routinely done since the war there broke out, the Vatican said.

This time, he was thanking him for a video the parish sent him.

"The whole world is praying for you... and everyone wishes you good health," the priest said in the video, published on Vatican News.

Catholics left messages and candles outside the hospital, where a group of faithful held up a banner reading: "Today, more than ever, we need you Francis".

Dozens of people attended special prayers for the pope at an Argentine church in Rome Tuesday evening, led by Italian Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

In the chapel of Our Lady of Lujan at the Santa Maria Addolorata church, faithful could leave messages for Francis in a notebook, which would then be sent to him.

"Prayers are being sent from every part of the world... Let it become a choral prayer, (to) give Pope Francis health, strength, give him the ability to face this moment too, as he has always done", Reina said.

- 'Breath of fresh air' -

In Buenos Aires, where the former Jorge Bergoglio served as archbishop before being made pope in 2013, hundreds of Argentines prayed for the pontiff.

Speaking in the plaza where Bergoglio used to rail against injustice and inequality, Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva called Francis's papacy "a breath of oxygen for a world suffocated by violence, suffocated by selfishness, suffocated by exclusion".

"Let our prayer be that breath of fresh air that reaches his lungs so that he can recover his health," he said.

Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, a former coordinator of the pope's Council of Cardinals, told La Repubblica daily Tuesday he felt hopeful the pope would pull through.

"It's not yet time for him to go to heaven," Maradiaga said.

"He is someone who does not back down in the face of difficulty, does not get discouraged, does not freeze, and does not stop moving forward," he told the paper.

- Recovery time -

Doctors have cautioned that any recovery will take time and that Francis will likely stay in hospital beyond this week.

The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has increasingly suffered health complications in recent years.

He is prone to respiratory infections, is overweight and suffers knee and hip pain that has led to his reliance on a wheelchair.

It takes a young person at least two weeks to get over double pneumonia, Massimo Andreoni, scientific director of the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, told newspaper La Stampa.

"For an older person like Pope Francis, with all the added complications... you have to wait even longer for a complete recovery," Andreoni said.

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China Opens Its Arms For Dhaka As Bangladesh-India Ties Deteriorate

A significant diplomatic development is unfolding as a 22-member delegation from Bangladesh, comprising political leaders, civil society activists, academics, and journalists, embarks on a 10-day visit to China. This "goodwill visit", initiated by Beijing, aims to strengthen ties between the two nations amid rising tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.

"It's basically a goodwill visit, initiated by Beijing," Abdul Moyeen Khan, a senior official from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told the BBC.

"It is unique because China this time has invited a team representing various groups in Bangladesh," he added.

The delegation, led by Khan, will engage in discussions with Chinese government officials and senior members of the ruling Communist Party.

The delegation's visit comes at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have become increasingly strained. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since her ousting in August, and Delhi has refused Dhaka's request for her extradition. Hasina's government was criticised for its crackdown on protesters, resulting in approximately 1,400 deaths, according to UN reports.

China has been increasing its engagement with Bangladeshi leaders, activists, and delegations, including those from Islamist parties. This week's visit follows a January meeting between the interim government's foreign policy advisor, Touhid Hossain, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The BNP has also made its second visit to China in recent months, highlighting Beijing's efforts to strengthen its foothold in Bangladesh.

Analysts suggest that China's diplomatic outreach is driven by its desire to expand its influence in the region. Bangladesh, with its population of approximately 170 million people, presents a significant opportunity for China. The two nations have a substantial trade relationship, with bilateral trade reaching around $24 billion, predominantly consisting of Chinese exports.

In contrast, India has had limited interactions with the interim Bangladeshi government and political leaders over the past six months, as reported by the BBC. The BNP has protested against India's alleged interference in Bangladesh's internal affairs, prompting a strong response from Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised that it is up to Bangladesh to determine "what kind of relationship they want with us".

As tensions between Dhaka and Delhi continue to escalate, some analysts believe that Bangladesh may be driven closer to China. Chinese analyst Zhou Bo told BBC that India should not consider the entire subcontinent to be under its sphere of influence, "I don't believe India should consider the whole subcontinent is under Delhi's sphere of influence. That attitude would make India suffer."

In the midst of these developments, Bangladesh is preparing for upcoming elections, likely to be held by December this year or March next year. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has been urging India to repatriate Hasina to face charges of crimes against humanity and money laundering.
 

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Elon Musk Is A "Hateful Person", Says American-Islamic Relations Body

Billionaire Elon Musk has come under fire for amplifying claims labelling US-based Muslim aid groups as "terrorist organisations." The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned Musk's remarks, calling him a "hateful person" whose words fuel Islamophobia and put American Muslim communities at risk.

On Sunday, the Tesla CEO reposted a claim that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) had given over $164 million to "terrorist-linked organisations," including American Near East Refugee Aid, the Arab American Institute, the Islamic Relief Agency, and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

He wrote on X, "As many people have said, why pay terrorist organisations and certain countries to hate us when they're perfectly willing to do it for free?"

As many people have said, why pay terrorist organizations and certain countries to hate us when they're perfectly willing to do it for free? https://t.co/zQwFpnMNNS

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad responded sharply, saying the billionaire "baselessly" labelling law-abiding American Muslim organisations as "terrorists" was "reckless and dangerous."

"This kind of rhetoric fuels Islamophobia, endangers innocent lives, and undermines the values of justice and equality. Do better," he said.

Elon, baselessly labeling law-abiding American Muslim organizations as 'terrorist' is reckless and dangerous. This kind of rhetoric fuels Islamophobia, endangers innocent lives, and undermines the values of justice and equality. Do better. #StopHate #Accountability

— Nihad Awad (@NihadAwad) February 23, 2025

The advocacy group said the listed organisations were legitimate nonprofits, many of which previously partnered with the US government, including during Donald Trump's first term.

The organisation said that assuming any American charity with "Islam" in its name is linked to terrorism reflects ignorance and fuels Islamophobia. They added one who assumed so was "a hateful person who must know next to nothing about American Muslims and their contributions to our society, including humanitarian work."

The Muslim American and Arab American organizations smeared in these defamatory posts are duly registered nonprofit organizations that have the same right to apply for federal funding as every other eligible charity. In fact, many of these nonprofits partnered with the government… https://t.co/11Pk8eRcdp

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) February 23, 2025

CAIR also called out Musk for selectively targeting Muslim charities while ignoring other issues, questioning why he hasn't spoken about "the billions in American taxpayer dollars that the Israeli government has used to slaughter tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza."

US spending on Israel's military operations has reached at least $22.76 billion since October 7, 2023, a Brown University research found. This estimate includes approved security assistance, supplemental funding for regional operations, and additional operational costs but does not account for other economic expenses.

Of this, $17.9 billion has been allocated specifically for Israeli military operations in Gaza and beyond - the highest annual military aid to Israel since the US began its assistance in 1959. Reports suggest this is only a fraction of the full financial support provided during the ongoing conflict.

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Germany's Far-Right Celebrates "Historic" Gains In National Elections

Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) celebrated a record election result Sunday that fuelled its wildest hopes of one-day entering government, a horror scenario for its many foes.

The anti-immigration party scored 19.5-20 per cent of the vote according to exit polls, making it the second strongest party after the conservative CDU/CSU alliance of winner Friedrich Merz on at least 28.5 percent.

"We have achieved a historic result," the party's top candidate Alice Weidel, 46, told party supporters cheering and waving the German national flag at an election night party in Berlin.

For many German citizens and the mainstream parties, it was an anticipated but still shocking result, spelling the death knell for the notion the country still seeking to atone for the Holocaust was immune to a far right-wing revival.

Weidel insisted that the party was now "firmly anchored" in the political landscape and had "never been so strong on a national level".

She again made overtures to the CDU/CSU to work together in government, an idea that Merz has vehemently rejected.

The AfD itself sometimes insists it is "conservative-libertarian", and the ideological kin of US President Donald Trump, whose cabinet members and billionaire ally Elon Musk have voiced full-throated support for it.

Weidel predicted that if the CDU/CSU continued to refuse to work with her party to "implement the will of the people", the AfD would "overtake" them in the next election expected four years from now.

- Ultra-conservative platform -

Under Weidel, the AfD has sought to play down some of its harshest nativist and revisionist rhetoric.

Attempts to whitewash Germany's Nazi and Holocaust history prompted state security services to put the party under observation and made it the target of mass street protests.

Weidel during the campaign was at pains to nudge the AfD further into the political mainstream -- recalling the efforts of other right-wing populist leaders abroad -- helped by getting air time in TV debates with the other top candidates.

The AfD is abhorred by many Germans for openly railing against irregular migrants, Islam and multiculturalism.

In the social media-fuelled culture wars increasingly splitting Western liberal democracies, the AfD voices anti-"woke" views, doubts climate change and leans toward Moscow on the Ukraine war.

Russian-linked disinformation campaigns have heavily supported pro-AfD views and narratives.

In vast areas of ex-communist eastern Germany -- where nostalgia lingers for the Soviet era alongside resentment against being effectively absorbed by the rich West in 1990 -- the AfD scored above 30 percent.

But in western areas too, to a growing number of voters the AfD's hardest edges have been softened, in part by Weidel's personal story, which defies some of the party's ultra-conservative "family values" platform.

Weidel lives with a female Sri Lanka-born partner -- with whom she is raising two children, in a town across the border in Switzerland -- and is a Mandarin speaker who during a business world career spent several years in China.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Germany's Conservative Alliance Wins Elections, Show Exit Polls: Report

Germany's conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz won Sunday's elections with between 28.5 and 29 percent of the vote, according to first TV exit polls.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) followed in second place with 19.5 to 20 percent, roughly doubling its result in the last election in 2021, based on initial figures from public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

The surge of the anti-immigration AfD was fuelled by public fears over immigration and security after a spate of deadly attacks blamed on migrants and worries about the ailing economy.

Despite the strong result, the AfD is set to stay out of power for now, because its possible coalition partners refuse all cooperation with the far right. 

If the exit polls are confirmed in the final count, Merz looks near certain to become the next chancellor of Europe's top economy.

But in order to build a majority in parliament, he would have to team up with one or more parties, potentially the Social Democrats (SPD) of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The SPD recorded what was likely to be their worst result in the history of Germany's post-war democracy, with between 16 and 16.5 percent. 

The Greens, another possible partner for the CDU/CSU, had 12 to 13.5 percent of the votes according to the exit polls. 

But the exact opportunities could depend on the final result for smaller parties. The far-left Linke looked to have cleared the five-percent hurdle to enter the Bundestag, with 8.5 to nine percent.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), who were in government until recently, were right around the five-percent threshold, as was another far-left party, newcomer the BSW.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New York-Delhi Flight Diverted To Rome Over "Security Threat": Report

An American Airlines flight from New York to New Delhi was diverted to Rome due to a "possible security issue", news agency Reuters reported.

American Airlines flight AA292 departed New York's JFK International Airport on February 22 and was scheduled to arrive at Delhi but was diverted to Rome.

A report in ABC News also quoted the airline as saying that the American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi was diverted to Rome over a "possible security issue."

Italy's ANSA news agency said that the diversion was caused by an "alleged bomb threat".

The flight has landed safely at the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport, the airport authorities told ABC News.

"Safety and security are our top priorities and we thank our customers for their understanding," the airline said in a statement.

According to the flight's status on the American Airlines website, flight AA 292 departed New York's JFK airport at 8:14 pm on February 22 and was estimated to arrive at the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport in Fiumicino, Italy at around 5:30 pm local time.

Visuals on social media showed the Boeing 787-9 aircraft being escorted by the Italian Air Force before landing in Rome.

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Shooting At Hospital In US' Pennsylvania, Reports Say Gunman Killed

Several shots were fired at a hospital in central Pennsylvania, with the gunman being reportedly killed in the encounter with police. The incident took place at the UPMC Memorial Hospital and some people are reportedly injured.

Pennsylvania Governor, Josh Shapiro, said, "I've been briefed on the tragic shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County and I am on my way to the scene. The hospital is now secure and members of the police are on the ground responding alongside our local and federal partners."

I've been briefed on the tragic shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County and I am on my way to the scene.

The hospital is now secure and members of the @PAStatePolice and @PEMAHQ are on the ground responding alongside our local and federal partners.

Follow the…

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) February 22, 2025

"Follow the direction of local authorities and stay clear of the area. We will share more updates as they become available," Mr Shapiro said.

A video, which is viral on social media, shows a police car approaching the hospital and people running out of the premises. After shots were fired, the area was cordoned off by the police.

???#BREAKING | NEWS ⚠️
Active shooter situation at UMPC hospital in York, Pennsylvania story is still developing multiple victims reported pic.twitter.com/GqOAqWMtiE

— Todd Paron?????? (@tparon) February 22, 2025

According to reports, two law enforcement officers and a nurse sustained injuries in the shooting.

The New York Times, quoting an official from the hospital said, "A gunman was at the hospital on Saturday and shots were fired." "The hospital is now secure and the threat has been neutralized," the hospital said.

Officials at UPMC Memorial in York said that no patients were injured and that the gunman is dead, the news agency Associated Press reported, adding that law enforcement agencies are on-premises and are managing the situation.

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Trump Says Zelensky, Putin Must "Get Together" To End War

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin will have to "get together" to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv.

"I think that President Putin and President Zelensky are going to have to get together. Because you know what? We want to stop killing millions of people," Trump told reporters at the White House.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Hadi Matar, Accused Of Trying To Kill Salman Rushdie, Found Guilty

An American-Lebanese man was found guilty by a jury Friday of attempting to kill novelist Salman Rushdie when storming a stage and repeatedly plunging a knife into the "Satanic Verses" author.

Hadi Matar now faces up to 25 years in prison, and will be sentenced on April 23, a court official said in a statement confirming the conviction on attempted murder and assault charges.

Matar's legal team had sought to prevent witnesses from characterizing Rushdie as a victim of persecution following Iran's 1989 fatwa calling for his murder over supposed blasphemy in "The Satanic Verses."

Rushdie had told jurors at the trial that Matar "was stabbing and slashing" at him during the event in August 2022 at an upscale cultural center in rural New York.

"It was a stab wound in my eye, intensely painful, after that I was screaming because of the pain," Rushdie said, adding that he was left in a "lake of blood."

He said it "occurred to me I was dying" before he was helicoptered to a trauma hospital.

Jurors heard closing arguments from both prosecutors and defense lawyers before retiring to consider their verdict Friday.

Matar was rapidly found guilty of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times with a six-inch blade that was shown to witnesses and the court.

He repeatedly used the trial to grandstand, shouting pro-Palestinian slogans on several occasions.

- Free speech debate -

Matar previously told media he had only read two pages of "The Satanic Verses" but believed the author had "attacked Islam."

Rushdie lived in seclusion in London for a decade after the 1989 fatwa, but for the past 20 years -- until the attack -- he lived relatively normally in New York.

He became the center of a fierce tug-of-war between free speech advocates and those who insisted that insulting religion, particularly Islam, was unacceptable in any circumstances.

Last year, he published a memoir called "Knife" in which he recounted the near-death experience.

The optical nerve of Rushdie's right eye was severed, and he told the court that "it was decided the eye would be stitched shut to allow it to moisturize. It was quite a painful operation -- which I don't recommend."

Asked to describe the intensity of the pain over the attack, he said it was "a 10" out of 10.

His Adam's apple was also partially lacerated, and his liver and small bowel penetrated.

"The first thing I said on regaining the ability of speech was 'I can speak'," he said to stifled laughter from jurors.

"How do you squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush with only one hand?" he explained when asked about injuries to his hand received as he tried to defend himself.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New FBI Director Kash Patel's Family Has Roots In This Gujarat Village

Indian-American Kash Patel, confirmed by the US Senate to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), traces his roots to Bhadran village in Gujarat's Anand district, from where his family migrated to Uganda 70 to 80 years ago, members of the community he belongs to said on Friday.

New York-born Patel (44), who belongs to the Patidar community, has become the first Indian-American to lead the premier law enforcement agency of the United States.

Leaders of the Patidar community said all close family members of Mr Patel are settled in foreign countries. They sold their ancestral houses in Bhadran once they shifted to Africa.

Chh Gam Patidar Mandal, an organisation of the community based in Anand, maintains a `vanshavali' (family tree) of its members.

"In the 'vanshavali' we have names of Kash Patel's father Pramod Patel and also his brothers and grandfather," said secretary of the organisation and Anand district BJP present Rajesh Patel.

Rajesh Patel told PTI that though Kash Patel's name was yet to be added to the family tree, the entry of 18 generations of his family is there in the 'vanshavali' and it is stored in their office along with those of all members of their community.

"As per our records, the family used to live in Moti Khadki area of Bhadran village and they migrated to Uganda some 70 to 80 years ago," he informed.

"The family sold their ancestral house and land and all of his relatives are settled in foreign countries, especially in the USA. Now, when a family member of Kash Patek comes back to India we will seek their permission to record their next generation's names, including his own name, in the 'vanshavali'," Rajesh Patel informed.

"We have not met Kash Patel as the family has not visited Anand in recent years. But many in our community know them as the Patidar community is a close-knit one," he said.

Rajesh Patel said, as far as he knows, that the family had returned for a brief time to India after their expulsion from the African country in the 1970.

"Those Indians who were expelled from Uganda had come to India for a brief stay as they had applied for asylum in the UK, US or Canada. Kash Patel's family had also come here for a brief stopover and then moved to Canada once their applications were accepted," he said.

From Canada, they shifted to the US, where Kash Patel was born in 1980, Rajesh Patel maintained.

Indians who migrated to Uganda were expelled from the African country by dictator Idi Amin who seized power in a military coup in 1971. In 1972, he ordered the Indian community to leave his country in 90 days.

Chh Gam Patidar Mandal is an organization of the Patidar community from six villages/towns of Anand district -- Dharmaj, Nadiad, Sojitra, Bhadran, Vaso and Karamsad. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of the country, hailed from Karamsad.

The new FBI chief served as the former Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defence Christopher Miller. He was responsible for leading the Secretary's mission at the Department, including his executive staff and providing counsel to him on all matters concerning its operations, the US Department of Defence's short biography on Kash Patel said.

A native of New York, Kash Patel completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond before returning to New York to earn his law degree, along with a Certificate in International Law from University College London Faculty of Laws in the United Kingdom, it said.

Kash Patel, a trained lawyer, is an ice-hockey fan and has been playing the sport since he was six, it said.

"We are Gujarati,” he had told PTI in an earlier interview in the United States. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Pope Francis, Who Has Pneumonia, "Not Out Of Danger", Say Doctors

One of the doctors treating Pope Francis said on Friday the 88-year-old, who has pneumonia, was "not out of danger" and would likely stay in hospital "at least all next week".

Professor Sergio Alfieri said the pontiff's condition was "slightly better", made clear he was not hooked up to any machine -- and said Francis was cracking jokes.

"The question is, is the pope out of danger? No, the pope is not out of danger," he told a press conference at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where Francis was admitted on February 14 with breathing difficulties.

What began as bronchitis developed into double pneumonia, causing widespread alarm.

"If we send him to Santa Marta (his home at the Vatican), he'll start working again as before," Alfieri continued.

"So we're keeping him here. Right now, he's in the hospital, at least for all next week.

"We're keeping him here so that when he goes back to Santa Marta, it'll be harder for him to overdo it."

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Germany's Gen Z Leans Right As Nation Votes For New Government This Sunday

As Germany heads to vote this Sunday, Gen Z is increasingly favouring the Right. Till as recently as 2021, many young German voters were seen supporting environmental protection and social justice causes, but that has changed dramatically in the last few years.

The war in Ukraine, a surge in migration, and a tanking economy and some of the leading reasons for a shift in outlook for young voters.

Germany's right-of-centre political landscape comprises of the moderates or conservatives, who support the CDU/CSU - currently the second-largest party, and the far-right AfD, which is gaining ground in the eastern region.

The CDU/CSU are focusing their priorities to more pressing issues in Germany like immigration and the economy, while moderate parties are investing more on climate policies and welfare policies.

Unlike their parents, who have their loyalties to political parties, Germany's Gen Z voters are more flexible in terms of their vote, and are keenly looking out for what suits their immediate needs.

The Greens were the top party for 18-24 year olds in Germany's 2021 elections, at a time when the Fridays for Future movement drew many thousands onto the streets. But the Greens, who have championed Germany's often bumpy green energy transition and support a diverse, more multicultural society, have lost ground on a backlash for the exact same reasons.

As the rest of Europe is also leaning Right, immigration seems to be a major issue - something the left-leaning parties cannot part with in terms of a more liberal ideology. If last year's European elections are any indication - the CDU/CSU alliance emerged the most popular among young German voters, followed by the far-right AfD.

With days to go for the election, several surveys have highlighted a rightward shift among Germany's Gen Z voters.

Gen Z is generally recognised as the generation which is born between 1997 and 2012, many of whom attained the right to vote for the first time in their lives. Analysts believe that Gen Z voters worry less about the far-right AfD as Generation Z does not have the same relationship to World War II and its fallout as their previous few generations.

While right-wing political party CDU/CSU has the western regions of Germany as its stronghold, the far-right AfD has made significant inroads in east Germany. In three eastern regional elections last year, the AfD made strong gains among the 18-24 age group, especially at the expense of the Greens, polling institute infratest dimap found in its research.

Social media platforms, especially TikTok, has also played a major role in shaping the narrative in the German elections. It has also had an impact on the ideologies of young Germans. Both far-right AfD and the far-left Die Linke have successfully rallied support on social media platforms, though leaving Germany vastly polarised and divided in its views.

The most recent opinion polls reveal that around 30 per cent of German voters across all ages groups are still undecided about this week's election. This voter base might hold the key to who wins the election in Germany.

(Inputs from AFP)
 

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"I Am Okay, I Love You": Israeli Hostage's Message For Family

An Israeli soldier, held captive by Hamas since October 7, 2023, has sent a message for his family through recently released hostages, his father has confirmed.

"I am okay," Nimrod Cohen conveyed via former fellow captives, his father Yehuda told Israeli news outlet N12. "Don't worry about me. I love you," Mr Cohen told the people released by Hamas as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza.

Mr Cohen, 20, a gunner in an Israeli tank unit, was captured during the Hamas-led attack on the Nahal Oz army base. His three crewmates - Cpt Omer Neutra, Sgt Shaked Dahan, and Sgt Oz Daniel - were killed. He remains one of the last Israeli hostages held in Gaza, excluded from the first phase of the hostage release deal.

Yehuda Cohen, currently in Washington, DC, is on his fifth mission to advocate for his son's release.

"There is no doubt - he will return. He will come back alive and well," Yehuda Cohen said.

He has been outspoken in his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the hostage situation. He accused Netanyahu of sabotaging negotiations and claimed that US President Donald Trump and investor Steven Witkoff have stepped in as mediators "against our own government-a government that has betrayed us."

He also questioned Netanyahu's decision to appoint Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to lead hostage talks, alleging that Dermer had dismissed the possibility of any hostages being alive just three months ago.

As discussions continue on the second phase of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal, Yehuda Cohen, along with other hostage families - including Einav Zangauker, mother of captive Matan Zangauker - has petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice to force the government to disclose full details of the ceasefire agreement.

"Our goal is to make sure Netanyahu does not torpedo the second phase of the deal," Yehuda Cohen said, referring to the phase in which his son is expected to be included.

Back home in Rehovot, the Cohen family is fully committed to securing Nimrod's return. Yehuda Cohen and his eldest son, Yotam, regularly attend protests on Tel Aviv's Begin Road, while Viki, Nimrod's mother, and his twin sister, Romi, participate in silent demonstrations at Hostages Square.

Beyond Israel, Yehuda Cohen has taken his fight to the international stage, meeting with US lawmakers, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, and European officials to push for diplomatic and legal action against Netanyahu if negotiations stall.

Yehuda Cohen is convinced that Hamas is determined to keep the hostages alive - possibly even more so than the Israeli government, The Times Of Israel reported. 

He acknowledges that the process is long and methodical. "To get to Nimrod, there's a list, and it has to progress," he said. He recalled how in November 2023, Israel claimed Hamas provided the wrong list, leading to the collapse of a ceasefire. "Bibi looks for the spot where he can torpedo it all," he alleged, criticising the Israeli Prime Minister's handling of negotiations.

Watching the weekly return of freed hostages has felt surreal for Nimrod's brother, Yotam Cohen. "It's like watching a reality TV show," he said. "We all watch it and deserve to be a part of it after everything that so many Israelis have gone through in this struggle, but I'm jealous of them."

He also grieved for the hostages, who never returned. Among them was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a friend from his army service, killed in captivity in late August alongside five others. "They could have been at home," he said. "They could have come back to their families. It's the crime of the government that they're not coming back."

Israel has confirmed ongoing discussions for the next phase of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal. The ceasefire, which began on January 19, aims to end the war. So far, 19 hostages have been freed, with 14 more expected soon. Around 73 hostages - alive and dead - are still in Gaza. Hamas took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people in its October 7 attack.

In response, Israel's 15-month military offensive in the narrow strip killed almost 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

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Egypt Unveils First Ancient Royal Tomb Since Tutankhamun In 1922

Egypt's antiquities authority says it has found the ancient tomb of King Thutmose II, the first royal burial to be located since the famed discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.

The tomb, discovered near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in southern Egypt, belonged to King Thutmose II of the 18th dynasty, who lived nearly 3,500 years ago.

Thutmose II was an ancestor to Tutankhamun himself, and his half-sister and queen consort was Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Her giant mortuary temple stands on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor a few kilometres (miles) from where the tomb of Thutmose II was found.

Although preliminary studies suggest its contents were moved in ancient times -- leaving the tomb without the iconic mummy or gilded splendour of the Tutankhamun find -- the antiquities ministry on Tuesday called the discovery "one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years".

It has been excavated by a joint Egyptian-British mission, led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the New Kingdom Research Foundation.

The tomb's entrance was first located in 2022 in the Luxor mountains west of the Valley of the Kings, but was believed at the time to lead to the tomb of a royal wife.

But the team then found "fragments of alabaster jars inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Thutmose II, identified as the 'deceased king', alongside inscriptions bearing the name of his chief royal consort, Queen Hatshepsut", confirming whose tomb it was, the ministry said.

Shortly after the king's burial, water flooded the burial chamber, damaging the interior and leaving fragments of plaster that bore parts of the Book of Amduat, an ancient mortuary text on the underworld.

Some funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II has also been recovered from the tomb in "the first-ever find" of its kind, according to the ministry.

It quoted mission chief Dr Piers Litherland as saying the team will continue its work in the area, hoping to find the tomb's original contents.

There has been a surge of major archaeological discoveries in recent years, as Egypt seeks to boost its tourism industry as a key source of foreign currency revenue.

Last year, Egypt hosted 15.7 million tourists and aims to attract 18 million visitors in 2025.

The crown jewel of the government's strategy is the long-delayed inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the pyramids in Giza, which Egypt has said will finally open this year.

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Pope Accepts Resignation Of Canadian Bishop Accused Of Sexual Abuse

Pope Francis on Tuesday said he had accepted the resignation of a Canadian bishop who has been named in a class-action lawsuit against the church that alleges sexual assault.

The pope did not give a reason for replacing Jean-Pierre Blais, the 75-year-old bishop of Baie-Comeau in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec.

But in a statement, he noted that any bishop who turns 75 is automatically requested to offer his resignation. The pope makes a decision on whether to accept the offer "after he has examined all the circumstances", the statement said.

Blais is mentioned in a list of sexual predators filed as part of a victims' class action against the Archdiocese of Quebec. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Diocese of Baie-Comeau were not immediately available to comment on the pope's decision.

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Trump Envoy Says US Will Not "Impose" Deal On Ukraine

US envoy Keith Kellogg on Monday said that he would not tell Ukraine to accept whatever deal is negotiated by President Donald Trump to end Russia's war, ahead of a visit to Kyiv.

Kellogg is set to arrive in Ukraine on Wednesday for three days of talks that will include a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

His visit to Kyiv will come after top US officials meet Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first time since Trump blindsided allies by agreeing to launch peace efforts with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Kellogg said US officials were engaged in parallel efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table -- with him spearheading the outreach to Ukraine.

Trump's envoy insisted that it would ultimately be up to Zelensky to decide if Ukraine accepts any deal that the US leader brokers.

"The decision by Ukrainians is a Ukrainian decision," Kellogg told journalists after talks with US allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"Zelensky is the elected leader of a sovereign nation and those decisions are his and nobody will impose those on an elected leader of a sovereign nation," Kellogg said.

He insisted that his job was to "facilitate" a deal that would "ensure that there are solid security guarantees that Ukraine is a sovereign nation".

European leaders on Monday met in Paris to try to come up with a strategy as fears swirl that they will be left on the sidelines of any talks.

Kellogg reiterated earlier suggestions that Europeans would not directly participate, but insisted they would have an "input".

"I don't think it's reasonable or feasible to have everybody sitting at the table," he said.

Kellogg said that "everything remains on the table" in the negotiations after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth poured cold water on Ukraine's goals of joining NATO or regaining all its territory.

He did not rule out that broader issues of European and global security would be brought up in negotiations between Washington and Moscow.

"I think what is brought into those discussions are unknowns," he said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if global issues are brought up," he added, pointing to potential efforts to break up Russia's ties with Iran, North Korea and China.

The US envoy said that after nearly three years of all-out war he believed that both Russia and Ukraine were ready to call a halt as neither can score a decisive victory on the battlefield.

"You get the feeling right now that both sides kind of want to tap out," he said.

"When you think about it, this is really unsustainable."

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Taiwan Considering Multi-Billion Dollar Arms Purchase From US: Report

Taiwan is exploring buying arms worth billions of dollars from the United States, sources briefed on the matter said, hoping to win support from the new Trump administration as China continues to apply military pressure on the island.

Three sources familiar with the situation, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation, told Reuters that Taiwan is in talks with Washington.

The package is meant to demonstrate to the United States that Taiwan is committed to its defense, one of the sources said.

A second source said the package would include coastal defense cruise missiles and HIMARS rockets.

"I would be very surprised if it was less than $8 billion. Somewhere between $7 billion to $10 billion," the source added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, US national security adviser Mike Waltz has said he wants to speed delivery of weapons to Taiwan.

Taiwan's defense ministry declined to comment on specific purchases but said it is focused on building its defenses.

"Any weaponry and equipment that can achieve those goals for building the military are listed as targets for tender," it said.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

TRUMP-TAIWAN RELATIONS

US President Donald Trump unnerved chip powerhouse Taiwan on the election campaign trail by saying the island stole American semiconductor business. This month, he threatened tariffs on chip imports.

But his administration maintained diplomatic support for the Chinese-claimed island.

Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a joint statement on February 7 opposing any attempt to change the current situation in the Taiwan Strait through force or coercion. The U.S. State Department also removed language on its website that it does not support Taiwan independence, a move praised by the island's government. China has urged the US to "correct its mistakes".

Taiwan plans to propose a special defense budget that prioritizes precision ammunition, air-defense upgrades, command and control systems, equipment for the reserve forces and anti-drone technology, a third source familiar with the matter said.

During his 2017-2021 term, Trump established regular arms sales to Taiwan, including multi-billion dollar deals for F-16 fighter jets. The Biden administration continued these sales, though often with smaller price tags.

Taiwanese officials see encouraging signs from Trump's administration even as tariff threats weigh on that optimism.

Taiwan does not believe Trump is looking to make a "grand bargain" with Chinese President Xi Jinping to sell out Taiwan's interests, one of the sources said. Trump is more concerned with putting tariffs on semiconductors, the source said.

In another sign of US commitment to Taiwan, the top US diplomat in Taiwan, Raymond Greene, will retain his post, three sources told Reuters, even as other US diplomatic postings undergo major reshuffles.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a question about Greene's job status.

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Donald Trump's Aid Freeze Could Cause Millions Of Deaths Due To AIDS: UN

President Donald Trump's decision to suspend US overseas funding could result in millions more deaths from AIDS, the head of the UN's programme for the illness warned Sunday. The United States is the world's largest provider of official development assistance, with most funds directed through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Trump ordered the bulk of US foreign assistance to be frozen for three months on returning to office in January, leaving global humanitarians scrambling to deal with the fallout.

"It's dramatic in many countries," UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima told AFP.

"I need to sound the alarm so that it's very clear that this is a big part (of AIDS relief funding). If it goes away, people are going to die."

The US move included a 90-day suspension of all work by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), although his administration later issued waivers for medication under the programme.

'Tenfold' death increase

That programme supports more than 20 million HIV patients and 270,000 health workers, according to an analysis from the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

"We could see additional deaths increasing by tenfold" to 6.3 million in five years, Byanyima said, citing UNAIDS estimates.

"Or we could see new infections increase up to 8.7 million" in the same period, she said.

The United States has said that "life-saving treatments" would be exempt from the freeze -- although front-line workers in Africa say facilities have already closed.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Byanyima said she had discussed the issue with leaders, urging them to transition from foreign funding towards using domestic revenue.

But she noted many African nations were saddled with huge debts -- some at "more than 50 percent of their entire revenue collections" -- which crippled their ability to even begin to plug the potential shortfall.

"Part of the answer is in pushing very hard for an immediate and comprehensive debt restructuring," she said.

"For many of them, debt is crowding out what could be spent on health and education."

Founded in 1961, USAID has an annual budget of more than $40 billion, used to support development, health and humanitarian programmes around the world, especially in poor countries.

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Internet Links Trump's Cryptic Quote To CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione

A cryptic quote from US President Donald Trump has ignited online debates, drawing comparisons to an unlikely figure - Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Donald Trump, facing mounting legal challenges over his executive actions, shared a phrase attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte on his Truth Social and X platforms: "He who saves his country does not violate any law." While the quote seemingly referenced Trump's ongoing legal battles, the internet swiftly latched onto a different interpretation, linking it to Luigi Mangione, who has become an unexpected anti-establishment symbol online.

https://t.co/QlQrXSfKsg pic.twitter.com/cov2VlNYxI

— rebecca (@babyybeckz) February 15, 2025

A user wrote on X, "Might is right, says Trump. The mighty will fall, says Luigi."

Might IS right says Trump.

The mighty will fall, says Luigi.

— Mords ⚙️ Game Dev (@modredcastleton) February 16, 2025

Another called Mangione a "true American hero."

TRUE AMERICAN HERO ????????????

— lucio ball (@BallLucio62118) February 16, 2025

Luigi Mangione, who pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and firearms offences, was arrested on December 9, 2024, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Authorities arrested him after a McDonald's worker identified him. They recovered a ghost gun, suppressor, and an alleged anti-healthcare manifesto. Police believe he gunned down Thompson in a targeted attack on December 4, citing frustration with the US healthcare system.

Despite the serious allegations, Mangione's arrest has fuelled a bizarre wave of online support. The hashtag "FreeLuigi" was trending across social media platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram. Supporters - frustrated with rising healthcare costs - view him as an anti-corporate vigilante, with some posts focusing more on his appearance than the crime itself.

On Saturday, from his detention facility in New York City, Mangione released a statement through a website created by his defence team, acknowledging the overwhelming support. "I am grateful for everyone who has written me... This support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions," he wrote. "While it is impossible to reply to every letter, please know I read each one."

The website, managed by his legal team, seeks to combat misinformation and raise funds for his defence. So far, supporters have crowdfunded nearly $400,000 for his legal expenses. Luigi Mangione's next court appearance is set for February 21 in Manhattan.

As Mangione's case fuels controversy, Trump remains entangled in multiple lawsuits over his executive orders, touching on issues like illegal immigration, military service bans for transgender individuals, and federal workforce reforms. One controversial order seeks to give the White House the power to fire employees who don't "faithfully implement administration policies."

At least 10 lawsuits target Trump's immigration policies, including seven challenging his move to end birthright citizenship. Another lawsuit, as reported by The New York Times, aims to block the release of FBI agents' names involved in the investigation of the January 2021 Capitol riot.

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"If It Saves The Country, It's Not Illegal": Trump Amid Many Legal Challenges

Echoing France's Napoleon Bonaparte, US President Donald Trump on Saturday took to social media to signal continued resistance to limits on his executive authority in the face of multiple legal challenges. "He who saves his Country does not violate any Law," Trump, a Republican, proclaimed on his Truth Social network. The White House did not respond to a request for more details.

The phrase, attributed to the French military leader who created the Napoleonic Code of civil law in 1804 before declaring himself emperor, drew immediate criticism from Democrats.

"Spoken like a true dictator," Senator Adam Schiff of California, a longtime adversary of Trump, wrote on X.

Trump, who took office on January 20, has made broad assertions of executive power that appear headed toward US Supreme Court showdowns. Some lawsuits accuse Trump of usurping the authority of Congress as set out in the US Constitution.

While Trump said he abides by court rulings, his advisers have attacked judges on social media and called for their impeachment. Vice President JD Vance wrote on X this week that judges "aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power."

Washington lawyer Norm Eisen, who like Schiff worked on the first of Trump's two impeachment trials, said Trump's lawyers have repeatedly tried to argue that if the president does it, it's not illegal.

Napoleon's saying, he said, excuses illegal acts.

"This is a trial balloon and a provocation," Eisen said of Trump's message.

Trump, whose longtime slogan is "Make America Great Again," attributed his survival of an assassination attempt in July to God's will.

"Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness," he said after his election victory.

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1 Dead, 4 Injured In Knife Attack In Austria: Police

A 14-year-old boy died and four other people were injured in a knife attack in southern Austria on Saturday, police said, adding they have arrested a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker.

"A man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife," police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told AFP of the incident in the city of Villach. "One victim, a 14-year-old boy, died."

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Jack The Ripper's Identity Revealed After 137 Years? Historian Makes Bold Claim

The 137-year-old mystery surrounding the identity of infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper, responsible for the brutal rape and murders of at least five women, may have been solved at last. British historian and self-proclaimed 'Ripperologist', Russell Edwards has claimed to have made the breakthrough, based on evidence recovered from one of the victims, according to a report in news.com.au.

Mr Edwards purchased a shawl belonging to one of the victims, Catherine Eddowes, 46, in 2007 which contained blood and semen. Eddowes was an orphan with a daughter and two sons who was killed on the same night as the Ripper's third victim.

Working as a prostitute, she was found brutally murdered at 1:45 am. Her throat was cut and she was disemboweled. Her face was also mutilated. As per reports, the shawl left at the crime scene belonged to the killer, not Eddowes.

Mr Edwards put the shawl through forensic testing where it was found to contain DNA from two separate people. He explained that the DNA work took over four years with issues such as contamination and "many other hurdles" slowing down the process.

"We tested the semen left on the shawl. When we matched that, I was dumbfounded that we actually had discovered who Jack the Ripper truly was."

Also Read | Here's When The World Will End As Per Sir Isaac Newton's 1704 'Doomsday' Prediction

One of the samples matched with a descendant of the female victim while the other matched the descendants of a Polish immigrant. Upon discovering this male's name, Mr Edwards was able to unravel the mystery with the serial killer's name being: Aaron Kosminski.

"When we matched the DNA from the blood on the shawl with a direct female descendant of the victim, it was the singular most amazing moment of my life at the time," said Mr Edwards.

"Considering his DNA is on the shawl that was at the murder scene and he was named, I have never considered anyone else to be the Ripper," Mr Edwards said.

Notably, Kosminski was born in Klodawa in central Poland in 1865. His family fled the imperial Russian anti-Jewish pogroms and emigrated to east London in the early 1880s. He lived close to the murder scenes.

While Mr Edwards stands firmly behind his claims, some scientists have disputed his testing process and the eventual outcome.

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After Trump's Peace Talks Announcement, Zelensky Meets JD Vance In Munich

US Vice President JD Vance met Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich on Friday for crunch talks on ending Russia's war, as Kyiv insisted it wanted to hammer out a joint plan with Washington.

The sit-down in Germany was seen as a key moment for Kyiv as it seeks to keep Washington on its side after US President Donald Trump stunned allies by launching peace efforts with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"I will meet with Russians -- with only one Russian guy, with Putin -- only after we will have a common plan with Trump, Europe," Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference before seeing Vance.

"Only in this case I'm ready to meet."

Vance in the run-up insisted the United States was prepared to pressure Russia to end its three-year war on Ukraine, as he said Europe should "of course" be at the table.

But the vice president also told Europe to "step up" on bolstering its own defence to allow Washington to focus on threats elsewhere in the world.

US officials have sent mixed messages over Washington's strategy after Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth appeared to rule out Ukraine joining NATO or retaking all of its territory.

That has sparked major worries in Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine could be forced into a bad deal that leaves the continent facing an emboldened Putin.

But Vance told the Wall Street Journal that Trump would put everything "on the table" in potential talks, and that Washington could even use "military leverage" against Russia to force a deal.

The vice president did not give more away in a keenly-awaited keynote speech, as he avoided addressing the war in Ukraine and focused instead on scolding Europe over immigration and free speech.

- Trump's phone number -

Trump rattled US allies on Wednesday by agreeing to launch peace talks in his first publicly announced call with Putin since returning to office.

After being named by Trump as a likely venue for a meeting with Putin, Saudi Arabia said it would welcome holding any talks between the two leaders.

Zelensky appeared to play down fears that Trump was leaving Kyiv out in the cold, as he joked the US president had given him his personal number when they spoke.

"If he will choose our side, and if he will not be in the middle, I think he will pressure and he will push Putin to stop the war," Zelensky said.

In a bid to keep Washington close Kyiv has held talks over granting access to its rare mineral deposits in return for future US security support.

- Chernobyl strike -

European allies -- who along with Washington are Ukraine's strongest backers -- demanded that they too be included in negotiations that will impact their continent's security.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned that forcing Ukraine into a bad deal would harm US interests.

"I believe that by working together, we can deliver that just and lasting peace," she said.

While Europe nervously monitors the US stance on Ukraine, there is little ambiguity on Trump's determination to get Europe to spend more on its defence.

Fears Vance could announce a major US troop reduction in Europe did not materialise, but he repeated warnings that Washington needs to focus more on other parts of the globe.

Amid the diplomatic flurry in Munich, Zelensky said that back on the ground in Ukraine a Russian drone had struck a cover built to contain radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, adding that radiation levels were normal.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 133 drones across the country overnight -- including attack drones -- targeting northern regions of the country where the Chernobyl plant lies.

Zelensky said the attack was evidence that "Putin is definitely not preparing for negotiations -- he is preparing to continue deceiving the world."

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Trump Says Ukraine To Be "Part Of" Talks To End War

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Kyiv will be "part of" negotiations on ending Russia's brutal three-year-old war in Ukraine.

Trump spoke a day after he announced plans to begin peace talks, following separate telephone calls Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump said he is convinced the Russian leader "wants peace" adding "I think he would tell me if he didn't."

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"Allies Often Worse Than Enemies": Trump Announces Reciprocal Tariffs

US President Donald Trump today announced sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" hitting both allies and competitors, in a dramatic escalation of an international trade war that economists warn could fuel inflation at home.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he decided to impose reciprocal duties, telling reporters that US allies were often "worse than our enemies" on trade issues.

The levies would be tailored to each US trading partner and consider factors including value added tax (VAT).

Trump has announced a broad range of tariffs targeting some of the biggest US trading partners since taking office, arguing that they would help tackle unfair practices -- and in some cases using the threats to influence policy.

The president has referred to tariffs as a way to raise revenue, remedy trade imbalances and pressure countries to act on US concerns.

Trump's announcement came hours before he was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. It remains unclear when exactly the tariffs would take effect, if imposed.

Analysts have warned that reciprocal duties could bring a broad tariff hike to emerging market economies such as India and Thailand, which tend to have higher effective tariff rates on US products.

Countries such as South Korea that have trade deals with Washington are less at risk from this move, analysts believe.

Inflation Concerns

Cost-of-living pressures were a key issue in the November election that saw Trump sweep to power, and the Republican has promised to swiftly reduce prices. But economists caution that sweeping tariffs on US imports would likely boost inflation, not reduce it, in the near term and could weigh on growth eventually.

Trump's nominee for commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, however, has pushed back on the idea that duties would cause widespread inflation, even as certain costs might rise.

Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller previously said countries use the VAT to get an unfair trade advantage, although analysts have challenged this characterization. During election campaigning, Trump promised: "An eye for an eye, a tariff for a tariff, same exact amount."

For example, if India imposes a 25-per cent tariff on US autos, Washington will have a 25-per cent tariff as well on imports of autos from India, explained a Nomura report this week.

The consideration of non-tariff factors might shift this calculus.

PM Modi will hold talks with Trump today, and New Delhi offered some quick tariff concessions ahead of his visit, including on high-end motorcycles.

"Trump's objective of implementing reciprocal tariffs is to ensure fair treatment for US exports, which could indirectly also address US trade imbalances with partner countries," analysts at Nomura said.

Among Asian economies, India has a 9.5-per cent weighted average effective tariff on US exports, while there is a three-per cent rate on India's exports to the United States. Thailand has a 6.2-per cent rate and China a 7.1-per cent rate on US products, Nomura noted.

Higher tariffs are often imposed by poorer countries, who use them as a tool for revenue and protection because they have fewer resources to impose non-tariff barriers, Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome earlier told news agency AFP.

With inputs from AFP

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