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Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned that Israel would resume preventing in Gaza if Hamas didn’t launch extra hostages by midday on Saturday, endorsing a menace by Donald Trump that would shatter the three-week-old ceasefire between the 2 sides.
It got here a day after Trump instructed reporters: “If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12pm, I would say cancel the ceasefire. Let all hell break loose.”
It was not clear whether or not Netanyahu can also be demanding that every one 76 captives nonetheless theoretically held in Gaza be launched, or simply the three hostages scheduled for launch on Saturday below the ceasefire.
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What did Netanyahu say? “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon – the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated,” he mentioned.
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What about Hamas? Hamas mentioned on Monday it will delay the discharge of Israeli hostages indefinitely over “violations” of the ceasefire deal. On Tuesday, Hamas had softened its stance, reiterating its dedication to a diplomatic answer.
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It is a growing story. Observe our stay weblog right here.
Elon Musk seems with Trump and tries to assert ‘Doge’ staff is clear
Elon Musk claimed that his so-called division of presidency effectivity (Doge) was offering most transparency because it bulldozed its means via the federal authorities, remarks contradicted by the fact of how he has operated in deep secrecy.
The looks from Musk was the first time he had taken questions from journalists since his arrival in Washington.
Musk asserted, with out proof, that USAid officers had been taking “kickbacks” and that authorities officers had “managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars.”
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What’s the newest on Musk’s slash and burn marketing campaign? Doge has terminated almost $1bn in Division of Schooling contracts. On Monday, it mentioned $101m was slashed from 29 DEI coaching grants; on Tuesday, it mentioned $881m in contracts was worn out – together with the federal company’s analysis and statistics workplace.
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What was that about transparency? The Related Press mentioned it was barred from sending a reporter to the Oval Workplace government order signing, in an effort to “punish” the company for upholding using the title of the Gulf of Mexico.
Danes provide to purchase California to spite Trump’s Greenland goals: ‘We’ll convey hygge to Hollywood’
Since returning to the presidency final month, Donald Trump has known as for Canada to turn out to be the 51st US state, urged he would possibly take over the Panama Canal, floated US possession of Gaza – and tried to purchase Greenland.
Now, Denmark, which owns Greenland, is firing again.
Greater than 200,000 Danes have signed a satirical petition to purchase California from the US. “Have you ever looked at a map and thought: ‘You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates.’” the petition reads. “Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!”
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However, however, however: Though the Danish petition to buy California could also be a joke, the US bid to buy Greenland seems fairly critical. Buddy Carter, a Republican consultant of Georgia, introduced that he had launched a invoice to authorize the acquisition of Greenland and rename it “Red, White and Blueland.”
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And the US is now seen as a world danger: That’s based on organizers of the influential Munich Safety Convention, who mentioned of their pre-summit report that Trump’s proposed “land grabs” imply the US is not perceived as “an anchor of stability, but rather a risk to be hedged against.”
In different information …
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Europe can’t assure Ukraine’s safety with out the US, because the Ukrainian president mentioned he would provide US corporations profitable reconstruction contracts to attempt to get Donald Trump onside.
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Google calendars will not embody references to Black or Girls’s Historical past Months, LGBTQ+ holidays, and different occasions, one other change Google has made since Donald Trump regained energy.
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The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, is heading to Washington for high-stakes talks in an try and keep away from a commerce struggle with Donald Trump.
Stat of the day: 1,219 incidents of transnational repression in final decade, with China chargeable for 22% of recorded instances
Freedom Home, a nonprofit, documented 1,219 incidents of transnational repression – focusing on political exiles overseas to silence dissent – from 2014 to 2024. China was essentially the most frequent offender, chargeable for 272 incidents, or 22% of recorded instances. Russia, Turkey and Egypt additionally rank among the many worst perpetrators.
Don’t miss this: Dismissed, excluded and now adored – the revenge of the feminine surrealists
Final yr was the one hundredth anniversary of the Surrealist Manifesto. The centennial prompted a flurry of curiosity in feminine surrealists – who had been usually excluded from the motion and written off as “muses”. In a world that feels more and more unpredictable, their work has an actual resonance right this moment round ladies embracing instability and utilizing it to gasoline their inventive work.
Local weather examine: Intense heatwave in southern Brazil forces colleges to droop return
As a heatwave scorches Brazil, town of Quaraí recorded the nation’s highest temperature of the yr on 4 February: 110.8F (43.8C). Brazilian colleges have suspended lessons in some areas, as greater than 70% of faculties in Rio Grande do Sul state lack air-con.
Final Factor: ‘I tried to cut out single-use items for a month – and it almost broke me’
“The scale of plastic pollution is so terrifying, I mostly try to avoid thinking about it, but some facts stop me in my tracks. According to the UN Foundation, there is already enough plastic in the oceans to fill 5m shipping containers,” writes Emma Beddington, who tried to go with out for a month. “It’s quickly apparent in supermarkets how many aisles are off-limits.”
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