US ‘not powerful enough to go it alone’, Merz tells Munich conference 13. February 2026 (20:47) German chancellor rebuts idea of American unilateralism and says ‘democracies have partners and allies’The US acting alone has reached the limits of its power and may already have lost its role as global leader, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, warned Donald Trump at the opening of the Munich Security Conference.Merz also disclosed he had held initial talks with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, over the possibility of joining France’s nuclear umbrella, underlining his call for Europe to develop a stronger self-standing security strategy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AOC accuses Trump of trying to usher in ‘age of authoritarianism’ at Munich conference 13. February 2026 (20:10) Congressperson says US president and Marco Rubio are tearing apart transatlantic allianceAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez has accused Donald Trump of tearing apart the transatlantic alliance with Europe and of seeking to introduce an “age of authoritarianism”, as she condemned his administration’s foreign policy in front of its allies’ top policymakers at the Munich Security Conference.Speaking at a panel on populism on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez outlined what she called an “alternative vision” for a leftwing US foreign policy, challenging the Trump administration’s shift to the right in front an audience of US allies who have grown increasingly wary of the US’s increasingly nationalist – and militaristic – global posture. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Indian man accused of plot to assassinate US activist pleads guilty 13. February 2026 (20:00) Nikhil Gupta faces up to 40 years over alleged India-backed attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh PannunThe Indian man who US prosecutors accused of plotting to kill a prominent US-based activist after being recruited by an agent of the Indian government has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan.Nikhil Gupta faces a maximum 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money-laundering charges in connection to the failed attempt to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US resident who is an advocate for a sovereign Sikh state in
northern India. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New York police leader charged with bribery over school alert system scheme 13. February 2026 (19:26) Kevin Taylor allegedly accepted trips and lavish dinners for help in selling a ‘mobile panic alert system’ to city schoolsA New York police leader tasked with protecting the city’s schoolchildren allegedly accepted bribes to help a businessman sell his “mobile panic alert system” to schools in 2023, Manhattan federal prosecutors have alleged.Kevin Taylor, former commanding officer of the New York police department’s school safety division, “repeatedly abused his authority and considerable influence … by soliciting or demanding bribes in two bribery schemes” – allowing him to enjoy lavish travel and luxe eateries, an indictment against him alleged. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Original Bramley apple tree ‘at risk’ after site where it grows is put up for sale 13. February 2026 (19:19) Tree has never been granted preservation order to protect it under law and prevent it from being cut downThe future of the original Bramley apple tree, which is responsible for one of the world’s most popular cooking apples, is at risk now that the site where it grows has been put up for sale, campaigners have warned.The tree is situated in the back garden of a row of cottages in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, which has been owned by Nottingham Trent University since 2018 and has been used as student accommodation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK mother separated from children for years has ‘draconian’ order overturned 13. February 2026 (19:01) Flawed evidence by psychologist Melanie Gill was used to remove children from woman in 2019A mother who did not see her children for nearly six years after they were taken away by the family courts has been reunited with her son after the flawed evidence used in her case was overturned.An assessment by an unregulated psychologist led to “extraordinary” and “draconian” orders that effectively terminated her relationship with her children, lawyers told the high court. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bad Bunny gets first solo UK Top 10 hits thanks to Super Bowl boost 13. February 2026 (19:00) The Puerto Rican star’s album Debí Tirar Más Fotos jumps to No 2, while the song DTMF rises to No 4Despite being one of the most streamed musicians in the world, Bad Bunny had never had a solo UK Top 10 hit – until now.The Puerto Rican musician has attracted a huge number of curious new fans – and jubilant preexisting ones – after last week’s Super Bowl, where he performed in a half-time show described by many people as one of the greatest in NFL history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
University expels student who called for accountability over Hong Kong fire 13. February 2026 (18:58) Discipline committee decides to terminate Miles Kwan from studies because of ‘multiple acts of misconduct’A Hong Kong university student who had called for accountability over a deadly fire at an apartment complex in the city has been expelled by the school for disciplinary offences.Miles Kwan, a politics student, was detained for two nights by the city’s national security police last year for “seditious intent” after handing out flyers calling for an independent investigation into a fire that killed 168 people in November. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bitter dispute between Trump and EU over Gaza’s future breaks out into the open 13. February 2026 (18:51) EU’s head of foreign policy claims ‘Board of Peace’ is vehicle for Trump with no accountability to Palestinians or UNA bitter dispute between Europe and the US over the future of Gaza has broken out into the open, with the EU’s head of foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, warning that Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” was a personal vehicle for the US president that removed any accountability to Palestinians or the United Nations.Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, also accused Trump of trying to bypass the original UN mandate for the board, and said Europe, one of the chief funders of the Palestinian Authority, had been excluded from the process. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump sends second aircraft carrier to Middle East in effort to increase pressure on Iran 13. February 2026 (18:46) USS Gerald R Ford will take about three weeks to sail to region, amid push for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitionsDonald Trump has ordered the world’s largest aircraft carrier to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in an effort to increase pressure on Iran amid discussions over curbing its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.The USS Gerald R Ford and its supporting warships should take about three weeks to return to the region, where they will join the USS Abraham Lincoln, dramatically increasing the military firepower available to the US leader. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
