US urges stronger transatlantic alliance at Munich Security Conference
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:42:0 ISTMarco Rubio’s address at the Munich Security Conference marked a more conciliatory stance for the U.S., following Vice President JD Vance’s harsh critique of Europe last year for ignoring an internal “threat,” shirking its defense responsibilities, and allowing left-wing influence in cultural matters. Although Rubio still encouraged European allies to consider policies akin to Donald Trump’s America, his speech clearly aimed to ease tensions and mend transatlantic relations. Antonia Kerrigan reports.
'All records broken' as Storm Nils leaves swaths of southwest France under water
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:30:5 ISTFrance's flood alert agency has been working round the clock over the past month amid relentless rain and a series of winter storms, the agency's chief said Saturday, as large swaths of the southwest remained under water following the passage of Storm Nils.
US Secretary of State Rubio reaffirms US-Europe ties at Munich
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:57:5 ISTMarco Rubio adopted a notably softer approach than JD Vance, who sharply criticized America’s allies at the same forum last year, stressing instead that the United States and Europe are fundamentally bound together, even as he warned against deindustrialisation and mass migration and took aim at the United Nations, arguing it has failed to help resolve conflicts, remarks delivered against a backdrop of mounting European unease over US foreign policy and how far to accommodate the Trump administration amid ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East and wider global economic uncertainty. France24 correspondent, Nick Holdsworth reports the latest from Munich.
Budget standoff over immigration shuts down US Department of Homeland Security
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:38:4 ISTA prolonged impasse between US lawmakers over immigration enforcement ensnared the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a partial government shutdown on Saturday, with Democrats in Congress vowing to withhold funding until major changes are enacted in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Second US carrier heads to Middle East
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:34:4 ISTUS envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to hold talks with Iran in Geneva on Tuesday, as Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that regime change would be the best possible outcome for the country, remarks that come as a second US aircraft carrier is redeployed toward the Middle East from the Caribbean, a journey expected to take at least a week. Peter O'Brien reports.
Brazil: 6 million expected at Rio Carnival
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:33:0 ISTFriday evening marked the opening of the annual carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, with an estimated six million revelers expected to flood the city’s exuberant street parties, where troupes of musicians, percussionists, and stilt performers attract vast crowds of glitter-covered, often scantily clad partygoers, as this year’s festivities also pay tribute to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, honored with a towering 22-meter metal figure, symbolizing the three-time leader’s enduring presence over both Brazil’s political life and the streets of Rio. Gabrielle Nadler reports.
Havana refinery fire under control
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:28:4 ISTSince the United States took control of Venezuela’s oil, the country’s longtime ally Cuba has been grappling with worsening fuel shortages, a situation intensified after Donald Trump pledged to cut off oil supplies to the communist-led island, while a recent fire at a refinery in a port area of the capital Havana briefly added to the strain before being brought under control. Morgan Ayre reports.
39th Arican Union Summit in Ethiopia: Water, Security and AI on the agenda
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:27:0 ISTAs the 39th summit of the African Union opened in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, the chair of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, used his opening address to denounce what he described as the “extermination” of the Palestinian people, while António Guterres spoke to African leaders on Saturday, renewing his appeal for the continent to gain permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council; although this year’s official theme focuses on access to water and sanitation, ongoing conflicts across the continent—particularly in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—have already pushed security to the forefront of discussions, as our correspondent Tom Canetti reports from Addis Ababa.
Replay: Europe and the US 'belong together', Rubio tells Munich Security Conference
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:11:3 ISTUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a robust message of unity with Europe on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, saying Washington's destiny was intertwined with Europe and that it had no intention of abandoning the Transatlantic alliance. Watch his full address.
Writing for survival: Gaza author dares to hope against the odds
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 08:42:0 ISTPalestinian author Safaa Al-Nabaheen has kept working in Gaza through Israeli attacks, the loss of loved ones and food shortages. She has won fellowships, residencies and admission in Western universities. But the bureaucracy of occupation keeps her tied, against her will, in the besieged enclave. And the lessons she taught in creative workshops are proving to be a challenge.
Trump says Iran regime change 'best thing that could happen' as second carrier heads to region
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:44:2 ISTUS President Donald Trump said Friday that a change in power in Iran "would be the best thing that could happen" as he confirmed the deployment of a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East. The US president is hoping to strike a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but has warned of severe consequences if one does not come through.
Bangladesh's Tarique Rahman poised to become PM as Islamists concede defeat
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:41:1 ISTBangladesh's largest Islamist party conceded defeat in elections on Saturday, despite earlier alleging problems with the vote count, clearing the way for Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman to become prime minister after 17 years in self-imposed exile.
Live: US insists Ukraine make concessions but not Russia, Zelensky tells Munich conference
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:26:3 ISTWashington too often asks Kyiv to make concessions in peace talks but not Russia, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday as he addressed the Munich Security Conference. Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure European allies, telling the annual gathering that the US and Europe "belong together". Follow our live blog for the latest developments.
US doesn't want to separate from Europe 'but revitalise' alliance, Rubio tells allies
Sat, 14 Feb 2026 03:45:1 ISTUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to assuage European leaders' worries about fraying ties with Washington as he addressed the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, telling the annual gathering that Europe and the US "belong together" and that Washington wants to "revitalise" the transatlantic alliance.
African leaders to gather in Ethiopia for the 39th summit of the African Union
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:00:3 ISTWater scarcity, sanitation gaps, climate stress and big promises in Addis Ababa. African leaders will gather in Ethiopia for the 39th summit of the African Union. After 15 years of closure, Kenya is set to reopen parts of its border with Somalia. Also, for families separated for more than a decade. And, with Valentine’s Day approaching, love is going digital in northern Nigeria. In Kano, professional matchmakers are blending tradition with artificial intelligence to help singles find the perfect partner, proving romance can be both high-tech and deeply rooted in custom.
Macron tells Munich conference that Europe must become geopolitical power in its own right
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:56:4 ISTFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Friday told the Munich Security Conference that it is time for Europe to become a geopolitical power that can provide its own security by rearticulating its nuclear deterrent in the face of an aggressive Russia. “Everyone should take their cue from us,” he said.
New conspiracy theories hold that Jeffrey Epstein is alive and well
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:30:1 ISTA number of social media users are claiming that late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is actually still alive and well. Their supposed proof? Some have shared images they claim show Epstein walking in Tel Aviv, while others have claimed that he’s been playing Fortnite. Turns out the images were doctored, and the Fortnite account belongs to another user entirely. We take a look.
Munich, Epstein, Confessions of Love Cheat
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:40:3 ISTThis Friday in The World This Week, we talk about the unravelling of the Epstein Files, the end of the Old World Order and the Olympic Helmet Dilemma.
Knife-wielding Arc de Triomphe attacker dies after being shot by Paris police
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:26:5 ISTA man who on Friday attempted to stab a French officer during a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe monument in central Paris has died from his injuries after being shot by police. The suspect was released from prison in December after having served a 12-year sentence for terror-related charges.
Arundhati Roy boycotts Berlin fest premiere of her revamped 1980s cult classic – the film shows why
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:17:4 ISTIndian writer Arundhati Roy on Friday said she was withdrawing from the Berlin Film Festival over the jury president’s Gaza remarks. The award-winning author and activist was set to attend the world premiere of a restored version of 1989 cult classic “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones”, which she wrote and starred in. The film provides hints of her unflinching courage, 37 years after its release.
Trump says second aircraft carrier ‘leaving very shortly’ for Middle East
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:09:0 ISTUS President Donald Trump on Friday upped the stakes in Washington’s already tense relationship with Iran, saying that a second American aircraft will be “leaving very shortly” for the Middle East. Trump is hoping to strike a deal with Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but has warned of severe consequences if one does not come through.
'Europe managed to support Ukraine'
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:07:2 ISTGavin Lee is pleased to welcome, live from Munich, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Former Ukrainian Prime Minister, who served in the critical time in the recent history of Ukraine, 2014 to 2016.
'For Azerbaijan, peace with Armenia is achieved,' President Ilham Aliyev says
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:46:2 ISTIn an interview with FRANCE 24, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared that "peace is achieved" with Armenia following an August White House summit. "For me, it is done," he said. Aliyev however firmly refused to grant clemency to imprisoned Nagorno-Karabakh separatist leaders, an issue that was raised during a meeting he had this week with US Vice President JD Vance.
#CIA: Video aims to recruit #Chinese military officers as spies
Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:09:1 ISTThe #CIA has posted a video on its YouTube channel targeting members of the #Chinese military in an attempt to #recruit them as spies. The video depicts a fictional disillusioned Chinese military officer who decides to contact the CIA and comes after a recent dramatic purge of China's top generals.
