World
AI Summary
- Global powers are actively forming alliances and stockpiling critical minerals to reduce reliance on dominant suppliers, while geopolitical tensions persist with direct military encounters in strategic regions and continued international legal scrutiny over conflicts.
- High-profile political figures in the US and UK face intensified legal and ethical scrutiny, with key individuals called to testify regarding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and various lawmakers facing charges related to pandemic fraud and election integrity.
- Key industries are experiencing significant shifts and challenges, from a major pharmaceutical company missing sales targets due to intensifying competition and a "SaaSpocalypse" impacting the tech and private credit sectors, to growing consumer pressure leading to price adjustments and concerns over long-term energy affordability.
- Domestic policy debates on immigration, language, and social conduct are prominent, exemplified by Florida's move to English-only driver's license tests, legal challenges to immigration policies, and discussions around free speech and hate speech in educational institutions.
- Humanitarian crises and armed conflicts continue across several regions, including the protracted Israel-Gaza conflict leading to disputes over aid and international law, civil unrest and disputed elections in Myanmar, and significant casualties from mining disasters and militant attacks in Africa and South Asia.
ZeroHedge
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English Only: Florida Eliminates Foreign Language Options For Driver's License Testing
20 minutes ago
by Tyler Durden
English Only: Florida Eliminates Foreign Language Options For Driver's License Testing Florida announced on Friday that all driver's license exams will be conducted in English only starting Feb. 6, and will end testing in other languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and Russian, the state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said. Vehicles travel along I-95 in Miami, Fla., on May 24, 2024. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The change applies to both commercial and non-commercial driver's licenses and permits. The move comes after federal authorities mandated last year that all commercial drivers be proficient in English to ensure safety - leading to 9,500 commercial truckers getting booted from service by
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Trump Says Administration Will Seek $1 Billion In Damages From Harvard
40 minutes ago
by Tyler Durden
Trump Says Administration Will Seek $1 Billion In Damages From Harvard Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), President Donald Trump said on Feb. 2 that his administration would demand Harvard University to pay $1 billion in damages, labeling the university as “strongly antisemitic.” A flag hangs on campus at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Sept. 4, 2025. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters “We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” the president said in a Truth Social post. The Trump administration last year attempted to freeze billions of dollars in
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Third Georgia Democrat Lawmaker Accused Of Pandemic Fraud
an hour ago
by Tyler Durden
Third Georgia Democrat Lawmaker Accused Of Pandemic Fraud A Democrat member of the Georgia House of Representatives was charged Friday with lying to obtain thousands of dollars in emergency pandemic unemployment assistance, according to federal prosecutors - the third Democrat in the Georgia House to be accused of doing so. Rep. Dexter Sharper, 54 Dexter Sharper, 54, of Valdosta, is accused of falsely claiming he was unemployed while collecting benefits intended to those who had lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharper allegedly received $13,825 in unemployment assistance between April 2020 and May 2021, while continuing to earn income from various sources. "While many of his constituents and fellow citizens were losing jobs
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The Numbers Don't Lie... Again
an hour ago
by Tyler Durden
The Numbers Don't Lie... Again Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Stunning new statistics from Washington, D.C. showcase the ongoing triumph of President Trump’s law-and-order agenda. Year-to-date figures for 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 paint a picture of decisive victory over crime, with homicides plummeting 80%, robberies down 58%, burglaries reduced by 28%, motor vehicle thefts slashed 57%, and overall crime dropping 26%. These numbers, highlighted in a recent Fox News segment, underscore how Trump’s aggressive crackdown is transforming the nation’s capital from a hotspot of disorder into a model of security. The Metropolitan Police Department’s data, as displayed on Fox
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Mamdani NYC Housing Plan Has Insiders Curious, Skeptical
2 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Mamdani NYC Housing Plan Has Insiders Curious, Skeptical Authored by Petr Svab via The Epoch Times, The new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, has put forward a plan to make housing more affordable, including the government building more housing, freezing rents, and potentially taking over properties from landlords who fail to fix them up. Affordability is indeed an issue worth addressing, several industry insiders told The Epoch Times. But they weren’t sure how Mamdani could succeed where previous administrations largely hadn’t. “He’s proven to be really skilled at walking a fine line between opposing parties with different priorities and making each party
The Guardian
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Handful of sick and wounded Palestinians allowed through Rafah crossing on first day
a day ago
by Lorenzo Tondo
Gaza, Egypt, Israel, Middle East and north Africa, Palestine, World news, AfricaNumbers Israel permitted to enter Egypt after reopening border were far lower than expected following delays A small number of sick and wounded Palestinians have begun crossing into Egypt to seek medical treatment after Israel permitted a limited reopening of the Palestinian territory’s Rafah border post as fragile diplomatic efforts to stabilise the conflict inch forward. About 150 people were due to leave the territory on Monday, and 50 to enter it, according to Egyptian officials, more than 20 months after Israeli forces closed the crossing. However, by nightfall, Reuters reported that Israel had permitted 12 Palestinians to re-enter the territory, according
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Weather tracker: Cyclone Fytia in Madagascar kills several people and floods homes
a day ago
by Maggie Shopova and Ed Walton for Met Desk
Madagascar, Environment, World news, Africa, Europe, Extreme weatherIsland’s first tropical storm of season may bring 150mm of rain – meanwhile, eastern Europe freezes with possible night-time lows of -30C At least three people have died and nearly 30,000 people have been affected by flooding after Madagascar’s first tropical storm of the season hit over the weekend. Tropical Cyclone Fytia formed to the north-west of Madagascar over the northern Mozambique Channel on Thursday. Continue reading...
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International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds
2 days ago
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor
War crimes, International law, International criminal justice, International criminal court, Law, Gaza, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Middle East and north Africa, Europe, Africa, World newsReport covering 23 conflicts over last 18 months concludes more than 100,000 civilians have been killed as war crimes rage out of control An authoritative survey of 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months has concluded that international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity. The extensive study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights describes the deaths of 18,592 children in Gaza, growing civilian casualties in Ukraine and an “epidemic” of sexual violence in the Democratic
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More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say
4 days ago
by Reuters
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa, World news, MiningRubaya mine produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, used in mobile phones More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, a spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located, told Reuters on Friday. Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum – a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where local people dig manually for
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Islamic State claims attack on international airport and airbase in Niger
4 days ago
by Eromo Egbejule in Lagos and agencies
Niger, Africa, World news, Islamic StateMotorcycle-riding militants launch strikes using heavy weaponry and drones, damaging planes belonging to Ivorian carrier and Togolese airline Islamic State in the Sahel has claimed responsibility for an audacious assault at the international airport and adjacent air force base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadist activity and communications worldwide. The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, reportedly involved motorcycle-riding militants who launched a “surprise and coordinated” strike using heavy weaponry and drones, according to statements released via IS in the Sahel’s propaganda arm, Amaq news agency. Continue reading...
South China Morning Post
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Trump makes up with Colombia’s Petro in fireworks-free meeting: ‘he’s been very nice’
an hour ago
by Agence France-Presse
US President Donald Trump appeared to bury the hatchet with his Colombian counterpart on Tuesday after months of tensions, praising the leftist leader as he hosted him behind closed doors at the White House. “You are great,” Trump wrote to Gustavo Petro as he signed a copy of his 1987 book Art of the Deal, according to a picture posted by the Colombian president after their first ever face-to-face meeting. The two leaders had duelled online for months over drugs and immigration, while Trump even...
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Epstein files reveal the underbelly of Western elites
an hour ago
by Alex Lo
Now we know why they didn’t want to release the Epstein files. It’s not just about implicating US President Donald Trump, who was a long-time close friend of the infamous paedophile and sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Rather, they basically implicate the ruling and business elites of the Anglo-American world. In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a wave of mass hysteria sweeping across the United States based on fear of satanic cults, child abuse and sacrifices. Well, it turns out maybe it wasn’t...
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Trump signs spending bill to end US shutdown, setting stage for ICE fight
3 hours ago
by Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump signed a roughly US$1.2 trillion government funding bill Tuesday that ends the partial federal shutdown that began over the weekend and sets the stage for an intense debate in Congress over Homeland Security funding. The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote. “This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said. The vote on Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund...
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Jill Biden’s first husband charged with killing wife in domestic dispute
3 hours ago
by Associated Press
The first husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been charged with killing his wife at their Delaware home in late December, authorities announced in a news release on Tuesday. William Stevenson, 77, of Wilmington was married to Jill Biden from 1970 to 1975. Caroline Harrison, the Delaware Attorney General’s spokeswoman, confirmed in a phone call that Stevenson is the former husband of Jill Biden. Stevenson remains in jail after failing to post US$500,000 bail after his arrest on Monday on...
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US shoots down Iranian drone ‘aggressively’ approaching aircraft carrier
4 hours ago
by Reuters
The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a US official said. The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, and US President Donald Trump warned that with American warships heading towards Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached. The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier “with unclear intent”...
New York Times
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Walmart Joins Tech Giants With $1 Trillion Market Valuation
an hour ago
by Kailyn Rhone
Shopping and Retail, E-Commerce, Consumer Behavior, Walmart Stores Inc, Furner, John (1974- )The company’s rapid e-commerce growth and push into automation and artificial intelligence propelled its stock into the trillion-dollar club.
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‘Don Colossus,’ a Golden Statue of President Trump, Waits for Its Home
2 hours ago
by David Yaffe-Bellany
Sculpture, Virtual Currency, Trump Assassination Attempt (July 2024), Copyrights and Copyright Violations, Gold, Trump National Doral Miami (Doral, Fla), Trump, Donald J, Trump, Eric F (1984- )A group of cryptocurrency investors backing a memecoin hopes the statue will soon be installed at one of Mr. Trump’s golf courses in Florida.
- President Meets With Colombia’s Leader at White House 39 minutes ago by The New York Times
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Trump’s Kennedy Center Shutdown Plan Jolts Workers and Performers
2 hours ago
by Adam Nagourney and Julia Jacobs
United States Politics and Government, Classical Music, Opera, Geffen, David, Hall (Manhattan, NY), Kennedy, John F, Center for the Performing Arts, Borda, Deborah, Grenell, Richard, Trump, Donald J, Noseda, Gianandrea, Washington (DC)The administration’s announcement to shut the center for a major overhaul led to a swirl of confusion and anxiety among performers and patrons about its future.
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‘They Couldn’t Break Me’: A Protester, the White House and a Doctored Photo
10 hours ago
by Erica L. Green
United States Politics and Government, Black People, Demonstrations, Protests and Riots, Immigration Detention, Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Federal Actions in US Cities, Race and Ethnicity, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (US), Homeland Security Department, Justice Department, Easterwood, David, Good, Renee Nicole (1988-2026), Noem, Kristi, Trump, Donald J, MinnesotaPresident Trump and the White House regularly circulate imagery that has been manipulated by A.I. But the photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong was different.