World News

Summary

Berlin police identified a 19-year-old Syrian refugee as the suspect in a stabbing at the Holocaust Memorial.

The attacker stabbed a 30-year-old Spanish tourist in the neck, leaving him in a coma.

Police stated the suspect admitted planning to “kill Jews” for several weeks. Arriving in Germany in 2023 as an unaccompanied minor and residing in Leipzig, he was unknown to law enforcement.

The incident, occurring two days before a February 23 election, has intensified debates over migration and security amid rising antisemitism, prompting widespread concern.

When some of the mind games and manoeuvres that turned a Murdoch family “retreat” into an ordeal appeared in Succession, the TV drama about squabbling family members of a right-wing media company, members of the real-life family started to suspect each other of leaking details to the writers. The truth was more straightforward. Succession’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, said that his team hadn’t needed inside sources – they had simply read press reports.

Future screenwriters have been gifted a whole load of new Murdoch material in the past few days, after two astonishing stories in the New York Times and the Atlantic lifted the lid on the dysfunction, paranoia and despair at the heart of the most powerful family in global media.

The stories followed the end of the secret trial involving the fate of the Murdoch family trust. The mogul’s four eldest children – Lachlan, James, Elisabeth and Prudence – were set to inherit the family firm following Rupert’s death. But four years ago, just after turning 90, Rupert had tried to cut James, Liz and Prue out of their inheritance and hand the businesses over to Lachlan, his favoured heir who also happens to share his increasingly right-wing politics.

The lawsuit was brought by the three errant offspring, and in December a Nevada commissioner ruled in their favour, accusing Rupert and Lachlan of acting in “bad faith”. The trial took place in secret, but the fallout – thanks to the New York Times investigation and a 13,000-word Atlantic interview with James – has been anything but.

Summary

The U.S. has reportedly warned Ukraine that access to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet could be cut off if Kyiv does not agree to a deal granting the U.S. access to its critical minerals.

This was raised in talks after Ukrainian President Zelenskiy rejected a proposal involving a 50% share of Ukraine's minerals, including lithium and uranium.

Starlink is crucial for Ukraine’s military operations, and losing it would be a significant blow.

Negotiations are ongoing, but tensions between Zelenskiy and Trump are escalating over Ukraine's war strategy and mineral wealth.

Summary

Germany’s upcoming election is dominated by immigration and economic concerns, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surging to second place in polls.

The AfD, backed by figures like Elon Musk, has doubled its support since 2021 but faces political isolation due to Germany’s anti-fascist policies. center-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz is favored to win but faces coalition uncertainty.

The election occurs amid foreign political interventions, economic downturn, and security concerns over NATO commitments.

The AfD’s rise reflects a broader European trend of nationalist gains challenging the political establishment.

Now Litherland has told the Observer he believes he has identified the location of a second tomb belonging to Thutmose II. And this one, he suspects, will contain the young pharaoh’s mummified body and grave goods.

Archeologists believe this second tomb has been hiding in plain sight for 3,500 years, secretly buried beneath 23 metres of limestone flakes, rubble, ash and mud plaster and made to look like part of the mountain.

“There are 23 metres of a pile of man-made layers sitting above a point in the landscape where we believe – and we have other confirmatory evidence – there is a monument concealed beneath,” he said. “The best candidate for what is hidden underneath this enormously expensive, in terms of effort, pile is the second tomb of Thutmose II.”

The world’s glaciers lost ice at the rate of about 255 billion tons (231 billion metric tons) annual from 2000 to 2011, but that quickened to about 346 billion tons (314 billion metric tons) annually over about the next decade, according to the study in this week’s journal Nature.

And the last few years, the melt has accelerated even more, hitting a record 604 billion tons (548 billion metric tons) lost in 2023, the last year analyzed.

The study drew on an international effort that included 233 estimates of changes in glacier weight. In all, the world’s glaciers have lost more than 7 trillion tons of ice (6.5 trillion metric tons) since 2000, according to the study.

Summary

The Cook Islands signed a five-year agreement with China for deep-sea mineral exploration, sparking concerns in New Zealand.

The deal focuses on research, technology transfer, and logistics but does not grant mining rights.

New Zealand criticized the Cook Islands for not consulting Wellington, emphasizing their constitutional ties.

The announcement comes amid broader regional concerns over China’s growing influence, with New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. closely monitoring Beijing’s activities in the Pacific.

Two Palestinian children were shot in the back and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Ayman Nasser al-Haymouny, 12, was killed in Hebron while 13-year-old Rimas al-Amouri was shot in the Jenin governorate, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Wafa news agency confirmed.

Israeli forces opened fire on al-Haymouny and shot him when he was visiting relatives south of Hebron. He was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries.

Summary

China’s navy fired live rounds in the Tasman Sea for a second straight day, according to New Zealand’s defense minister.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed the navy was monitoring and tracking the three Chinese vessels—comprising a frigate, a cruiser, and a supply tanker—which previously disrupted commercial flights.

While neither Australia nor New Zealand allege any violation of international law, both governments criticize Beijing’s inadequate advance notice.

Australia has demanded a satisfactory explanation, stating that 12-24 hours’ warning is standard practice for ensuring safety in international waters.

Mexico will never tolerate an invasion of its national sovereignty by the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Thursday after Washington designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

"This cannot be an opportunity for the U.S. to invade our sovereignty," she said. "With Mexico it is collaboration and coordination, never subordination or interventionism, and even less invasion."

On Wednesday, the Trump administration formally labeled eight cartels as terrorist groups. They include Mexico's two main drug trafficking organizations, the Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels.

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The Mexican army says it has arrested a key player in the Sinaloa drug cartel in the northern city of Culiacán.

José Ángel Canobbio, also known as "El Güerito" (little blond one), is accused of being the right hand man of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, one of the sons of infamous jailed drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

Mexican security forces say the arrest of Canobbio, who they say was in charge of security for Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, is a severe blow to the Sinaloa cartel.

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“I don’t think that this ‘peace process’ is for Ukrainians’ sake. It is laughable that they pretend it is,” said Iryna, 26, a lawyer from Kyiv.

Iryna was among thousands of Ukrainians who got in touch with the Guardian to share how they felt about the Trump administration-led peace talks with Russia, which exclude Ukraine.

“It doesn’t seem like a negotiation to me, more like a cruel auction. My main concern is that we are being sold for someone else’s gain. I am afraid that the USA sees us as just an asset to sell and move on, while Europe is too concerned about itself.”

Israel has sparked global outrage after dropping leaflets over the besieged Gaza Strip, warning Palestinians to either cooperate with its forces or face forced displacement or eradication. The messages, written in Arabic, carried explicit threats, including the chilling statement: "The world map will not change if all the people of Gaza cease to exist."

The move, condemned as a psychological warfare tactic, has intensified concerns over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, with many seeing the leaflets as an open admission of ethnic cleansing.

The threats also reference a so-called "Trump plan", aligning with recent remarks by US President Donald Trump. who suggested the mass expulsion of Gaza's population to neighbouring countries. The posters featured images of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity and wanted by the IC

Summary

The city of Buriticupu in Brazil’s Amazon declared a state of emergency after huge sinkholes threatened hundreds of homes.

In Maranhão state, rapidly expanding sinkholes have already destroyed several buildings and risk displacing about 1,200 people from a population of 55,000.

Known locally as “voçoroca,” these erosions have worsened over 30 years due to deforestation, poorly planned construction, and heavy rains eroding vulnerable sandy soils.

Authorities admit their limited capacity to address the erosion and relocation.

Summary

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that forcing Ukraine into an unfair peace deal would lead to more war, rejecting any agreement that concedes territory to Russia without security guarantees.

She urged Europe to pressure the U.S. to support its NATO allies. Meanwhile, Trump dismissed Zelensky's role in peace talks, claiming Ukraine has "no cards" to negotiate.

U.S.-Ukraine relations remain strained, though some American officials signaled continued support.

Trump's team insists Zelensky will eventually accept a U.S. rare earth mineral deal despite Kyiv’s current resistance.

• Digital service taxes a longstanding trade irritant for US
• Countries including France, Canada, UK have DSTs
• White House says it will scrutinize EU tech regulations

President Donald Trump on Friday ordered his trade chief to revive investigations aimed at imposing tariffs on imports from countries that levy digital service taxes on U.S. technology companies.

A White House official, providing details of the order, said Trump was directing his administration to consider responsive actions like tariffs "to combat the digital service taxes (DSTs), fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies."

. . .

The memo directs the U.S. Trade Representative's office to renew digital service taxes investigations that were initiated during Trump's first term, and investigate any additional countries that use a digital tax "to discriminate against U.S. companies," according to a White House fact sheet.

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Israel prepared Saturday to receive six more hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees as a body returned from Gaza on Friday was confirmed to be that of hostage Shiri Bibas.

Summary

Thousands of people across Germany rallied in mid-February under the slogan “Vote for love,” protesting the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) ahead of an election expected to see the party surge in support.

Activists warn of increasing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and violence, citing 26 attacks on Pride marches last year.

The AfD opposes LGBTQ+ rights, despite its chancellor candidate Alice Weidel being openly lesbian.

Concerns also mount over mainstream parties adopting AfD’s stances, including efforts to repeal Germany’s Self-Determination law.