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Summary

Trump proposed offering refugee status and U.S. resettlement for white South Africans amid alleged oppression and rights abuses, claiming protection for Afrikaners.

Leading Afrikaner organizations, including Solidarity and AfriForum, rejected Trump’s offer, stating their commitment to remain in South Africa and build a future locally.

The U.S. executive order cut aid to South Africa and accused its government of enabling attacks and enforcing a law seizing white-owned farmland.

South Africa’s officials dismissed Trump’s claims as misinformation, noting that Afrikaners remain economically privileged and integral to the nation’s recovery from apartheid.

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Channel 12 Israel has aired a video showing an Israeli military officer issuing instructions to his soldiers to withdraw from the Netzarim Corridor.

“We are preparing for the final exit from the Netzarim. The order of exit is the same as the entry,” the Israeli army officer says.

“We will return here, do not worry. Hamas is preparing, but we are also preparing. We will return and we will recover all the kidnapped. God willing, the Trump plan will go into effect and we will return to settlement here and build all the settlements. Please confirm receipt.”

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  • In interview, Ukraine's Zelenskiy offers mineral partnership to US

Zelenskiy emphasizes need for security guarantees in any deal

Ukrainian president keen to speak to Trump before Putin does Ukraine proposes using its gas storage for U.S. LNG supplies

KYIV, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pored over a once-classified map of vast deposits of rare earths and other critical minerals during an interview with Reuters on Friday, part of a push to appeal to Donald Trump's penchant for a deal.

The U.S. president, whose administration is pressing for a rapid end to Ukraine's war with Russia, said on Monday he wanted Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.

"If we are talking about a deal, then let's do a deal, we are only for it," Zelenskiy said, emphasising Ukraine's need for security guarantees from its allies as part of any settlement.----

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Summary

Mexican environmental regulators found 30,000 tons of improperly stored hazardous material at the Zinc Nacional plant, which recycles toxic waste from the U.S.

The investigation followed a report by The Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, revealing potential contamination. Authorities ordered the material moved within 15 days and shut down unauthorized equipment.

Tests found high lead, cadmium, and arsenic levels near the plant. Officials are assessing community risks, while Zinc Nacional claims compliance.

Experts stress independent testing to evaluate health threats from the toxic waste.

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Israeli troops were ordered to shoot and kill captive Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023, Israel’s then defence minister admitted this week. The order to carry out Israel’s so-called Hannibal Directive was issued “tactically” and “in various places” next to Gaza, Yoav Gallant told Israel’s Channel 12 on Thursday. “In other places it was not given, and that is a problem,” he continued.

Contrary to Gallant’s statement that the Hannibal Directive was unevenly applied in different areas, Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported in January 2024 that at midday on 7 October, an unambiguous order was given from the high command of the Israeli military to invoke the Hannibal Directive across the entire region.

In July, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the order “not a single vehicle can return to Gaza” was issued to the Gaza Division of the Israeli military at 11:22 am that day. But Gallant’s new statement is highly significant, as the first public admission by a contemporary Israeli minister that their troops were ordered to fire on their own people on 7 October.

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Summary

Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance, is attempting to regain control of the migration debate by courting support from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.

This gambit has backfired, failing to attract AfD voters and instead sowing doubt among mainstream voters about Merz’s ability to govern effectively.

Many Germans fear that this political polarization could lead to a repeat of the Weimar era, where extremist parties gained power.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will try to strengthen Canada's trade and security ties over the next five days with European allies also facing threats from U.S. President Donald Trump over their economy and sovereignty.

Trudeau is heading to Paris and Brussels starting Saturday — just days after Trump agreed to pause tariffs on Canada until March 4.

Roland Paris, a former adviser to Trudeau, says it's important for Canada and the European Union (EU) to share notes about how to deal with Trump during this time of great uncertainty and co-ordinate if he does unleash punishing tariffs against them.

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Summary

Trump’s 90-day freeze on foreign aid, announced on January 20, has disrupted life-saving programs worldwide.

Despite waivers for “core life-saving” aid, confusion and lack of communication from U.S. officials have left malaria, HIV, and famine relief efforts stalled in countries like Ghana, Haiti, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

USAID, the primary aid agency, is in turmoil, with mass firings and restrictions on external communication.

Aid workers fear critical funding may not be restored, jeopardizing millions of lives dependent on humanitarian support.

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Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed willingness to strike a deal with Donald Trump, offering U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for resumed military aid.

Trump, who had paused aid, conditioned further support on securing Ukraine’s mineral resources, including uranium, titanium, lithium, and graphite.

This aligns with Ukraine’s "Victory Plan" to leverage its natural resources for economic stability.

The proposed deal is expected to dominate talks when Zelensky and Trump meet next week, as Trump aims to end the war within six months.

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Summary

A German court ruled that Elon Musk’s X must immediately provide researchers with data on politically related content ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 election.

The lawsuit, filed by Democracy Reporting International and the Society for Civil Rights, accused X of blocking efforts to track election interference.

The ruling enforces the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), requiring major platforms to grant researcher access. It also orders X to pay legal costs and imposes a €6,000 procedural fine.

The decision sets a legal precedent, but it remains unclear if X will appeal.

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Summary

Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia have disconnected from Russia’s power grid to prevent "geopolitical blackmail."

The move, decades in the making, was accelerated by fears of Russian pressure after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Baltic states will test their energy stability for 24 hours before integrating with Europe’s grid via Poland.

Officials warn of potential cyberattacks and sabotage, with increased security in place.

Estonia’s Kaja Kallas called the move "a victory for freedom and European unity."

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Summary

A Canadian task force detected a "coordinated and malicious" online campaign linked to China, targeting Chrystia Freeland, a candidate to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister.

The campaign was traced to a WeChat news account linked to the Chinese government, with over 30 accounts participating. China’s embassy has not responded, but Beijing has denied interference allegations.

This follows previous claims of Chinese election meddling.

Freeland stated she "will not be intimidated." Trudeau remains PM until a new Liberal leader is chosen on March 9.

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The United States has announced the approval of the sale of more than $7.4bn in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel, which has used American-made weapons to devastating effect during the war in Gaza.

The state department has signed off on the sale of $6.75bn in bombs, guidance kits and fuses, in addition to $660m in Hellfire missiles, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The proposed sale of the bombs “improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats”, the DSCA said in a statement.

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A pitiless crackdown on on illegal immigration. A hardline approach to law and order. A purge of “gender ideology” and “wokeness” from the nation’s schools. Erosions of academic freedom, judicial independence and the free press. An alliance with Christian nationalism. An assault on democratic institutions.

The “electoral autocracy” that is Viktor Orbán’s Hungary has been long revered by Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” (Maga) movement. Now admiration is turning into emulation. In the early weeks of Trump’s second term as US president, analysts say, there are alarming signs that the Orbánisation of America has begun.

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Trump presented his ethnic cleansing plan as if he had the best interests of the Palestinians at heart. As if he was saving them from a disaster-prone earthquake zone, not from a genocidal neighbour he counts as Washington’s closest ally. His comments were greeted with shock and horror in western and Arab capitals. Everyone is distancing themselves from his blatant backing for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza’s population.

But these are the same leaders who kept silent through 15 months of Israel’s levelling of Gaza’s homes, hospitals, schools, universities, libraries, government buildings, mosques, churches and bakeries. Then, they spoke of Israel’s right to "defend itself" even as Israel caused so much damage the United Nations warned it would take up to 80 years to rebuild the territory - that is, four generations.

What did they think would happen at the end of the wrecking spree they armed and fully supported? Did they imagine the people of Gaza could survive for years without homes, or hospitals, or schools, or water systems, or electricity? They knew this was the outcome: destitute Palestinians would either risk death in the ruins or be forced to move out.

And western politicians not only let it happen, they told us it was "proportionate", it was necessary. They smeared anyone who dissented, anyone who called for a ceasefire, anyone who went on a protest march as an antisemite and a Jew hater.

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Summary

A German government report reveals a surge in Russian disinformation on X ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 election, driven by the Kremlin-backed Doppelgänger operation.

This network uses fake news sites, sleeper accounts, and AI-generated content to spread false narratives, mainly targeting Germany’s support for Ukraine.

Coordinated bot activity spiked dramatically in January, with thousands of posts daily. Berlin is intensifying countermeasures, collaborating with allies, and considering sanctions.

The campaign mirrors past Russian election interference across Europe, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity threats.

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Summary

French prosecutors have launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over allegations that it manipulated its algorithms to distort discourse.

The probe follows a report from a French lawmaker, citing "biased algorithms" that may have interfered with automated data processing.

Meanwhile, the EU is also investigating X for potential violations of the Digital Services Act, demanding internal algorithm documents by Feb. 15.

X has faced criticism for allegedly amplifying far-right content, with Musk publicly supporting Germany’s far-right AfD party.

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Summary

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a private meeting inadvertently broadcast via a hot mic, warned that Donald Trump is seriously considering annexing Canada to secure its critical mineral resources.

Speaking to business and labor leaders, Trudeau claimed Trump’s administration is keenly aware of Canada’s resource wealth and sees annexation as a means to control it.

The comments, cut off after staff realized they were audible, underscore growing economic and political tensions.

He also stressed the need to diversify trade, noting, “Geography means we’re always going to both benefit and be challenged by trade with the United States.”

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Summary

Governments worldwide condemned Donald Trump’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza war crimes.

Trump’s order imposed economic sanctions and travel bans on ICC staff, calling the warrants “illegitimate.”

The ICC and 79 nations, including Germany, France, and the UK, denounced the move as a threat to international justice.

Amnesty International called it “vindictive.” ICC officials fear the sanctions could disrupt their work, with Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan potentially targeted next.

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The United States has demanded that Hezbollah must not be part of Lebanon’s government.

Washington’s Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus said on Friday after meeting Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun that she was “not afraid” of the armed group “because they’ve been defeated militarily”. However, she said that the US has made its continued role in the government a “red line”.

Later on Friday, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad, slammed Ortagus’s comments as “blatant interference” in Lebanon’s affairs.

Ortagus is the first senior US official to visit Lebanon since US President Donald Trump took office and since Aoun was elected president.

Her visit comes amid a stalled cabinet formation process in Lebanon, where government posts are apportioned on sectarian lines. Hezbollah’s ally, the Amal Movement, has insisted on approving all Shia Muslim ministers, keeping the process in deadlock.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's supreme leader said Friday that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after President Donald Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also suggested that “there should be no negotiations with such a government,” but stopped short of issuing a direct order not to engage with Washington.

Khamenei's remarks upend months of signals from Tehran to the United States that it wanted to negotiate over its rapidly advancing nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of crushing economic sanctions worth billions of dollars.

Khamenei noted that Trump unilaterally withdrew from the earlier nuclear deal under which Iran drastically limited its enrichment of uranium and overall stockpile of the material, in exchange for crushing sanctions being removed.

“The Americans did not uphold their end of the deal,” Khamenei said. “The very person who is in office today tore up the agreement. He said he would, and he did.”

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Summary

NATO allies informally discussed deploying troops to Greenland after Trump threatened military action to seize the Danish territory.

Germany and other European nations explored possible responses, including invoking NATO’s Article 5, though it was ruled out due to US veto power.

Denmark pledged $1.5 billion to bolster Arctic security, while NATO considered expanding its presence.

Trump cites strategic concerns over Russian and Chinese influence and US missile defense. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged Arctic security needs but sought to defuse tensions.

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Summary

Trump reiterated his proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza after Israel’s military campaign, despite backlash from Republicans, international leaders, and human rights groups.

The plan, announced without consulting aides or conducting feasibility studies, suggests relocating Palestinians and rebuilding Gaza as a tourist hub.

The White House attempted damage control, calling relocation "temporary," but concerns persist over the plan’s implications and potential for escalating regional tensions.

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Summary

Experts warn that Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to "take over" Gaza is fueling jihadist propaganda and could inspire terrorist attacks.

Security analysts say extremist groups will use his remarks to recruit, portraying the U.S. as an occupying force.

Critics, including Sen. Chris Murphy, argue Trump’s rhetoric directly aids terrorist recruitment.

Despite global backlash, Trump has defended his stance.

Former officials warn that, combined with recent cuts to intelligence agencies, these statements heighten the risk of terrorism targeting Americans at home and abroad.

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