World

NATO announced on Wednesday the launch of a mission, called "Arctic Sentry," to bolster its presence in the Arctic, a move intended to appease US President Donald Trump following his retraction of claims on Greenland. The new mission "will leverage NATO's strength to protect our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure," according to a statement from US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. "Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world's most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas," the statement said. According to NATO, the mission would initially oversee ongoing operations by alliance members in the region, such as upcoming exercises by ...

NATO announced on Wednesday the launch of a mission, called "Arctic Sentry," to bolster its presence in the Arctic, a move intended to appease US President Donald Trump following his retraction of claims on Greenland. The new mission "will leverage NATO's strength to protect our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure," according to a statement from US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. "Arctic Sentry underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world's most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas," the statement said. According to NATO, the mission would initially oversee ongoing operations by alliance members in the region, such as upcoming exercises by ...

The European Union (EU) is getting ready to counter drones more effectively. The commissioners for Tech Sovereignty, Transport and Internal Affairs presented a new strategy on Wednesday, February 11, in Strasbourg. The aim: boost resilience and cooperation among member states.  A series of foreign drone and balloon incursions across the EU in 2025 has added urgency. In September, an unprecedented wave of Russian drones entered Polish airspace and were shut down by the military. In Denmark, airports temporarily closed after unidentified drones were spotted overhead.  A new drone and counter-drone strategy for the EU  With the new plan, the Commission wants to strengthen Europe's ability to prevent, detect and respond to malicious drone activity. It focuses on improving coordination betwe...

Police identified the suspect in the deadly Tumbler Ridge shooting in Canada as an 18-year-old local woman who had a history of police visits to her home to check on her mental health. She is suspected of shooting dead six people at the local high school on Tuesday after killing her mother and stepbrother at home. Police revise death toll down The suspect killed eight people, police clarified, and not nine as had been previously reported. The confusion came after they mistakenly thought a victim airlifted to a hospital had died, police commander Dwayne McDonald said at a press conference on Wednesday.  Five of those killed at the school were students aged 12 and 13, while the sixth was a teacher, he said. "There is no information at this point that anyone was specifically targeted," ...

US President Donald Trump said there was no agreement on a plan to move forward with Iran after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated," Trump said in a social media post after meeting his Israeli counterpart on Wednesday. Netanyahu sees an Iran with nuclear weapons as an existential threat to Israel, and has long pressed for regime change in the country.    Israel likely hoping to convince Trump to widen scope of nuclear deal Netanyahu and Trump ⁠spoke behind closed doors for more than two and a half hours in what Trump described as a "very good meeting," but said no major decisions were made. Wednesday's meeting between the l...

India's Ministry of Information Technology has updated rules for the use of generative artificial intelligence on social media platforms. Now platforms have three hours to remove content requested by authorities. Previously, they had a 36-hour window to take down such content. Under India's IT rules, authorities can order the removal of content deemed illegal under any of its laws, including those related to national security and public order. India's new rules require labelling of AI content It will also be mandatory for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube to clearly label what the government calls "synthetically generated information." The labels must be permanent markings that can't be suppressed or removed. The government is also holding social media platforms r...

What to know: Two more Canadian airlines have suspended their services to Cuba Germany issued an advisory against all non-essential travel to Cuba Air Canada said on Monday it couldn't fly to the island due to a lack of fuel Fuel stocks on the island are running out as US puts pressure on Cuba's oil suppliers Which airlines have suspended services to Cuba? Two more Canadian airlines, Air Transat and WestJet, announced a halt in flights to Cuba. Air Transat said it was canceling all flights to Cuba until at least April 30. This follows "the rapid developments of the past few hours and the announcement by Cuban authorities of an anticipated aviation fuel shortage at destination airports," it said in a statement. Cuba warned on Sunday that jet fuel will be unavailable at airports a...

A shooting at a high school in the Canadian province of British Columbia left eight dead, including the suspect, authorities said on Tuesday. Two more people were found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident, authorities added. "As part of the initial response to the active shooting, police entered the school to locate the threat. During the search, officers located multiple victims. An individual believed to be the shooter was also found deceased with what appears to be a self‑inflicted injury," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. Canadian media have described the shooter as a woman, which would be unusual, as mass shootings in North America are almost always carried out by men. At a press conference, the RCMP declined to provide any details on the ...

The United States and Bangladesh unveiled a new trade agreement on Monday. Under the deal, certain volumes of imports from Bangladesh into the US can receive preferential treatment, attracting zero tariffs. But the volume will be related to how much textiles the US exports to Bangladesh. The US had "committed ⁠to establishing a mechanism for textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh using US-produced cotton and man-made fiber to receive zero reciprocal tariff in US market," Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus said in a statement. The US is Bangladesh's biggest single destination for apparel exports, totaling $7.34 billion (€6.17 billion) in 2024.  But Bangladesh faces stiff competition from other Asian nations, such as India, which announced its own trade deal framework with th...

The high-stakes match between India and Pakistan at the T20 World Cup is back on after the Pakistani government on Monday directed its national cricket team to play India. The announcement ends a week-long boycott that had threatened one of the highlight events at the tournament, which is being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The decision came after a phone call between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Pakistan's government said in a statement posted on X. The talks involved the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the statement said, with the decision taken to protect "the spirit of cricket." The T20 World Cup match is scheduled for February 15 in the Sri Lankan...