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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses a press conference in New Delhi yesterday.(AFP) Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (pictured) urged Donald Trump yesterday to treat all countries equally after the US leader imposed a 15% tariff on imports following an adverse Supreme Court ruling. “I want to tell the US President Donald Trump that we don’t want a new Cold War. We don’t want interference in any other country, we want all countries to be treated equally,” Lula told reporters in New Delhi. The conservative-majority Supreme Court ruled six to three on Friday that a 1977 law Trump has relied on to slap sudden levies on individual countries, upending global trade, “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”. Lula said he would not like to react to the Supreme Court decisions of another country, but hoped that Brazil’s relations with the US “will go back to normalcy” soon. The veteran leftist leader is expected to travel to Washington next month for a meeting with Trump.“I am convinced that Brazil-US relation will go back to normalcy after our conversation,” Lula, 80, said, adding that Brazil only wanted to “live in peace, generate jobs, and improve the lives of our people”. Lula and Trump, 79, stand on polar opposite sides when it comes to issues such as multilateralism, international trade and the fight against climate change. However, ties between Brazil and the US appear to be on the mend after months of animosity between Washington and Brasilia. As a result, Trump’s administration has exempted key Brazilian exports from 40% tariffs that had been imposed on the South American country last year. “The world doesn’t need more turbulence, it needs peace,” said Lula, who arrived in India on Wednesday for a summit on artificial intelligence and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ties between Washington and Brasilia soured in recent months, with Trump angered over the trial and conviction of his ally, the far-right former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro.Trump imposed sanctions against several top officials, including a Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula. Lula said that, as the two largest democracies in the Americas, he looked forward to a positive relationship with the US.“We are two men of 80 years of age, so we cannot play around with democracy,” he said. “We have to take this very seriously. We have to shake hands eye-to-eye, person-to-person, and to discuss what is best for the USand Brazil.” Source link
People walk through Times Square as snow falls during a winter storm in New York City, yesterday. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani yesterday ordered the shutdown of the city’s entire traffic network for all but emergency travel ahead of a massive snowstorm expected to hit the northeast US. Tens of millions of Americans from the US capital Washington to the northern state of Maine braced for the storm, with up to two feet (60 centimetres) of snow forecast in some areas. The National Weather Service said blizzard conditions would “quickly materialise” from Maryland up to southeastern New England, making travel “extremely treacherous.” Snow could fall at a rate of two to three inches per hour at the peak of the storm, with nearly 54mn people in its path, it said.Power outages are likely due to heavy snow and strong wind gusts, forecasters said. In New York, which has more than eight mn people, Mamdani said streets, highways and bridges would be shut down from 9:00pm yesterday (0200 GMT) until noon today.“New York City has not faced a storm of this scale in the last decade,” he said, explaining the state of emergency. “We are asking New Yorkers to avoid all non-essential travel.”The ban will not affect essential workers or New Yorkers needing to travel due to emergencies, according to Mamdani. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill declared a state of emergency beginning midday yesterday, freeing up funds and allowing the swift deployment of resources to address the weather crisis.In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu closed all public schools and municipal buildings today. “We ask everyone to plan ahead, stay safe and warm, and stay off the roads to help our public works and public safety efforts,” Wu said.The National Weather Service said “moderate to major” coastal flooding affecting waterfront roads and properties was possible from Delaware up to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The storm comes just weeks after the region recovered from another devastating weather system that was linked to more than 100 deaths.“The worst is yet to come,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press briefing yesterday. “Whatever you need — any groceries, any medicines you need to be refilled at the pharmacy, any pet food you need to have — do it right now.”Then, she advised, “just settle in.”“Watch some more Olympics, read a book, catch up on the news, call your family members, call your moms — especiallyyour moms.” Source link
Eighteen people were killed Monday when a passenger bus traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu plunged into the Trishuli River in the Dhading District of central Nepal. Local authorities reported that the bus, carrying approximately 45 passengers, fell from the highway into the river, resulting in the fatal accident.A spokesperson for the local administration office said that most of the 27 injured passengers were transferred to hospitals in Kathmandu for treatment.Bus accidents in Nepal are typically blamed on poor road conditions and weather factors, with most accidents occurring during the monsoon season each year. Source link
A winter storm that struck the US East Coast disrupted air travel and forced school closures, with the National Weather Service warning of heavy snowfall and strong winds.New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani announced at a press conference yesterday, “We expect between 33 and 43 centimeters of snow,” warning that the snow could reach “50 centimeters or more,” and urging all city residents to stay home.US authorities stated that parts of the Northeast could see up to two feet of snow and winds reaching 70 miles per hour, increasing the risk of downed trees and power outages.Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and ordered state employees to stay home. (QNA)A violent winter storm hit the region in late January, killing more than 100 people. Source link
Somaliland is willing to give the United States access to its minerals and military bases, a minister has told AFP, as the breakaway region of Somalia seeks international recognition. The government in Mogadishu still considers Somaliland an integral part of Somalia even though the territory has run its own affairs since 1991, with its own passports, currency, army and police force. “We are willing to give exclusive (access to our minerals) to the United States. Also, we are open to offer military bases to the United States,” Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, told AFP in an interview on Saturday. “We believe that we will agree on something with the United States.” Source link
Iranian officials held out hope for progress towards a deal to head off renewed conflict when talks with US negotiators resume on Thursday, despite a huge build-up of American military might in the Middle East. Speaking to CBS News yesterday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that details of a possible deal were being drawn up ahead of the renewed talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, as Washington’s envoy Steve Witkoff pondered why Tehran had not yet “capitulated”. Badr Albusaidi, foreign minister of regional mediator Oman, said that talks would resume on Thursday in Geneva “with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal”.US threats of military action have multiplied since a nationwide protest movement in Iran sparked a crackdown.“If the US attacks us, then we have every right to defend ourselves,” Araghchi said, alluding to American interests in the region as potential targets. Still, he said, “there is a good chance to have a diplomatic solution”.In a social media post, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian likewise said that previous talks “yielded encouraging signals”. After a recent round of discussions in Geneva, Iran said it was preparing a draft proposal for an agreement that would avert military action.“I believe that when we meet, probably this Thursday in Geneva again, we can work on those elements and prepare a good text and come to a fast deal,” Araghchi told CBS. Axios had earlier reported, citing an unnamed senior US official, that if Iran submitted its proposal in the next 48 hours, Washington was ready to meet again later in the week “to start detailed negotiations”.The US has sent two aircraft carriers to the Middle East in recent weeks, along with other jets and ships, and has also shored up its air defences in the region to back up its threats of military intervention. US President Donald Trump’s chief Middle East negotiator Witkoff said on Saturday in a Fox News interview that the president was questioning why Iran had not yet given in to the pressure.“He’s curious as to why they haven’t… I don’t want to use the word ‘capitulated’, but why they haven’t capitulated,” he said. “Why haven’t they come to us and said, ‘We profess we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do’?” Western governments fear Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at developing a bomb, which Tehran has long denied, though it insists on its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. On the subject of uranium enrichment, Araghchi said yesterday that Iran had “every right to decide for ourselves”. A previous round of diplomacy last year was interrupted by Israel’s bombing campaign against the Islamic republic.That sparked a 12-day conflict in June that the US briefly joined with strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Despite the recent Oman-mediated talks, Iranians’ fears of a new conflict have grown.“I don’t sleep well at night even while taking pills,” Tehran resident Hamid said. IT technician Mina Ahmadvand, 46, believes that “at this stage, war between Iran and the US as well as Israel is inevitable”.“I don’t want war to happen, but one should not fool around with the realities on the ground.”The concerns have prompted several foreign countries to urge their citizens to leave Iran, including Sweden, Serbia, Poland and Australia.Iran has previously said that quickly striking a deal is in its interests if it means relief from sanctions that have hamstrung its economy, which contributed to protests late last year over the high cost of living. Source link
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, announced the launch of a new password feature for its users on iOS and Android, as part of efforts to enhance the security of personal accounts. The new feature adds an extra layer of protection: users will be required to enter a password (a second verification code) after successfully registering their phone number, making it harder for unauthorized users to access the account, even if they obtain the six-digit verification code. Users will be able to create a password consisting of a combination of letters and numbers, between 6 and 20 characters long, including at least one letter and one number. The app will also display a strength indicator to help users choose stronger passwords. Setting a password will be optional, and users can update or remove it at any time, giving full flexibility and control over account security. However, the password will always be required after entering the six-digit verification code when logging into the account. This step is part of WhatsAppâ€s ongoing efforts to enhance the protection of personal accounts and reduce the risk of potential breaches. The feature will be rolled out gradually in the coming period. Source link
Officers parade as they attend the 87th Raising Day celebrations of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Guwahati, India February 21, 2026. REUTERS Officers parade as they attend the 87th Raising Day celebrations of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Guwahati, India, Saturday. Source link
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned remarks by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said it would be “fine” if Israel took control of the entire Middle East, describing the comments as reckless and a flagrant violation of international law.The controversy erupted after Huckabee, an evangelical Christian Zionist and former governor of Arkansas, made the remarks on Friday during a wide-ranging interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. Carlson pressed Huckabee to identify the exact borders of land to which he responded: “It would be fine if they took it all,” before later adding that Israel was not actively seeking to expand across the Middle East and had a right to live in the land it currently holds.The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the remarks “contradict religious and historical facts, international law, and the position expressed by US President Donald Trump rejecting the annexation of the West Bank.”There was no immediate comment from Israel or the US State Department, which CNN said it had contacted for a response.In a strongly worded statement, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “categorically denounced” the comments, rejecting what it described as “irresponsible statements, which constitute a violation of international laws, the Charter of the United Nations, and diplomatic norms.”Riyadh warned that the remarks represented a dangerous precedent, particularly given that they came from a serving US official, and amounted to a disregard for Washington’s relations with countries across the region.The backlash was swift and region-wide. Egypt’s foreign ministry called Huckabee’s comments a “blatant violation” of international law, stating that “Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands,” while the League of Arab States said the remarks were “extremist and lacking any sound basis” and would “serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions.”Jordan’s Foreign Ministry labelled the remarks “absurd and provocative,” stating they violate the UN Charter and contradict President Trump’s own official stance on rejecting West Bank annexation.The remarks come at a particularly volatile moment. The UN human rights office, just days earlier, accused Israel of committing war crimes and said practices displacing Palestinians and altering the demographic composition of the West Bank “raise concerns over ethnic cleansing.”Israel has also encroached on more land since the start of its war with Hamas in Gaza, and under the current ceasefire, still controls more than half of Gaza’s territory.Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to formally clarify its position, stressing that the proposal was “opposed by all peace-loving nations.” Reiterating its long-held stance, Riyadh stressed that “the only path to achieving a just and comprehensive peace is ending the occupation on the basis of the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.” Related Story Source link
Muslims offer prayers and recite the Koran while waiting for the time to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan in Medan, North Sumatra…