Macron swipes at Trump tariffs and Greenland threats in call for a stronger EU – Munich Security Conference live
The French president said Europe must show “unwavering commitment” to defending its interestsIf you need a primer on what’s on the agenda for the next three days, I spoke with the MSC’s head of policy Nicole Koenig, the author of the European part of their security report published ahead of the meeting.I asked her what is most likely to be the focus of this year’s forum, will Rubio deliver a “JD Vance 2.0” speech or say something more (nomen omen) diplomatic, and what other topics are likely to come up.“We have had years, decades of complaints by the US about the fact that in Europe, we were not spending enough on defence. That has changed since the summit in The Hague. The shift in mindset is that yesterday in the room, what we felt, all of us, there was a clear coming together of vision and of unity. “They want [us] to perceive the Russians as a mighty bear, but you could argue they are moving through Ukraine at the stilted speed of a garden snail, so let’s not fall the trap of the Russian propaganda.” Continue reading...
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ICE plans to spend $38.3bn converting warehouses to detention centers, documents show, as DHS shutdown looms – US politics live
Centers would have capacity for tens of thousands of people to be held; talks over funding bill stall hours before shutdown The annual rate of US inflation eased in January, according to the latest data consumer price index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over the last 12 months, the cost of goods has increased by 2.4% – down from 2.7% in last month’s report.Lawmakers in the House and Senate left Washington on Thursday as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) heads for another shutdown, when stopgap funding lapses tonight. Nearly all Democrats blocked a second attempt to pass the annual DHS appropriations bill as negotiations for guardrails on federal immigration enforcement have stalled. Senator John Fetterman was the only lawmaker to break ranks with the party. Continue reading...
German leader Merz calls on US and Europe to ‘repair trust’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a “deep rift” has opened between Europe and the US and called to “repair trust”.
How deep do Epstein’s ties to Britain’s elite go?
New Epstein files expose his ties to Britain’s elite. Could the fallout shake Keir Starmer’s Labour?
Inside India and Pakistan’s explosive cricket rivalry
Pakistan briefly refused to play India at the Cricket World Cup. Now the high-stakes match is back on.
What are the challenges facing Bangladesh’s election winners?
Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins in a landslide two years after student-led revolt.
ICE to spend $38bn turning warehouses into detention centers, documents show
US homeland security eyeing 24 buildings, some as ‘primary locations’ for deportations, in escalation of Trump agendaUS Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) expects to spend an estimated $38.3bn on a plan to acquire warehouses across the country and retrofit them into new immigration detention centers with capacity for tens of thousands of detainees, according to documents the agency sent to the governor of New Hampshire.The documents, published on the state’s website on Thursday, disclose that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates it will spend $158m retrofitting a new detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and an additional estimated $146m to operate the facility in the first three years. Continue reading...
Two Britons among three dead after avalanche in French Alps
A skier from France is also killed with manslaughter investigation to be carried out by mountain rescue policeTwo Britons are among three skiers to have been killed in an avalanche in the French Alps.The pair were part of a group of five people, accompanied by an instructor, off-piste skiing in Val d’Isère, in south-east France. A French national, who was skiing alone, was also killed. Continue reading...
Live Updates: Macron Insists Europe Remains Central to Global Stability
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, stressed European “fortitude.” Earlier, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany criticized President Trump’s rapid reorientation of U.S. foreign policy.
US lawmakers ask Mandelson to testify to Congress over Epstein relationship
Letter from committee on oversight says it is clear the former ambassador ‘holds critical information’Peter Mandelson has been asked to testify to the US Congress over his relationship with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.Robert Garcia, ranking member of the committee on oversight and government reform, and congressman Suhas Subramanyam have written to Mandelson requesting he be questioned as part of the investigation into Epstein. Continue reading...