The Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys pulsed like a living beast Sunday night as Barcelona eviscerated Sevilla 5-1, Raphinha’s electric hat-trick the spark that lit a firestorm of Catalan dominance. Hansi Flick’s table-toppers—La Liga’s unrelenting machine—unleashed a masterclass in ruthless efficiency, high-wire pressing, silken midfield mastery, and killer finishes that left Real Madrid’s shadows trembling and Europe on notice. The Brazilian winger, reborn from Xavi-era doubts into a goal-devouring force, claimed the pitch as his kingdom, three lashes of brilliance amid a symphony screaming championship pedigree. Kickoff cracked electric—Barca gripped the throttle, intensity suffocating Sevilla into fumbles. Penalty No. 1 landed…
Author: Staff Contributor
Iran’s police chief lit up state TV Monday with a chilling tally: 500 souls swept into cells across the nation, branded as informants feeding “foreign enemies” precious intel amid the grinding regional war now clawing into week three. The dragnet—hailed as a gut-punch to a shadowy network plotting to blindside national security—targets folks accused of snapping geo-tagged pics of drone factories, IRGC bunkers, and airstrike scars, piping them straight to U.S. and Israeli handlers. It’s Tehran’s latest iron-fist flex, a sprawling security blitz born from precision coalition strikes that have left Kharg Island smoking and Hormuz a ghost lane since…
Under the cloak of a West Bank night, Israeli troops barreled into a tightly packed neighborhood, their operation erupting into a heartbreaking catastrophe that claimed a Palestinian father, mother, and their two small children. Paramedics and the Palestinian health ministry sifted through the aftermath, confirming the family arrived lifeless at a local clinic after a ferocious shootout transformed ordinary homes into killing fields. What started as a precision sweep for militants devolved into chaos—heavy vehicles growling through lanes, rifles cracking, civilians pinned as bullets chewed cinderblock walls and dreams alike. Relatives and neighbors named the victims as stretchers rolled under…
As hopes for regime change in Iran fade, Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a major political test over the outcome of Israel’s war with Tehran. For decades, the Israeli prime minister has built much of his political identity around confronting Iran, which he views as Israel’s biggest threat. The recent conflict was presented by Netanyahu as a defining moment, even describing it as a “fateful campaign for our very existence.” Israeli military leaders also framed the operation as a historic effort to secure the country’s future. However, the original goal of regime change in Tehran now appears unlikely. Despite major military…
Florida, March 9 – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to escalate the war with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East, even as he predicted a quick end to the conflict. Trump’s warning came at the end of a day that saw global financial markets seesawing on concerns that Iran’s security establishment was rallying behind new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and was not prepared to back down any time soon. Trump said the United States had inflicted serious damage on Iran’s air force and navy and predicted the conflict would end well before the initial four-week time…
WASHINGTON, March 7 – The White House video, opens new tab begins with a scene from “Call of Duty,” the action-packed, first-person shooter game. It then quickly cuts to images of fighter jets launching from an aircraft carrier, missiles streaking through the sky and targets exploding in slow motion – all set to the pounding beat of rapper Childish Gambino’s song “Bonfire” and a deep-voiced narrator declaring, “We’re winning this fight.” The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. A “Call of Duty” kill score, which shows the numerical value earned for…
Dust-choked Jeddah bus depot, 40°C furnace, families slumped on rucksacks, phones dying as they spam embassies: “Get us out.” That’s the scene as world’s governments scramble repatriation ops for 1M+ nationals marooned by Iran’s fireball grounding 21K+ flights—DXB, DOH, AUH reduced to sleeping-bag cities. I’m dodging touts hawking $500 desert taxis to Muscat, eavesdropping on Aussie backpackers bartering for Jordan overland. Worst aviation apocalypse since COVID, analysts gasp—skies branded “combat zones,” commercial jets grounded, leaving grannies, gap-year kids, execs in transit purgatory. Repat corridors flicker like candleflame; one Houthi drone buzz, poof—gone. Australia’s Penny Wong’s on war footing: 115K Aussies…
Picture Cole Palmer, 22 and fearless, last spring at Stamford Bridge—ghosting past markers, curling ice-cold pens into the top bins, single-handedly dragging Enzo’s ragtag Blues from mid-table muck to Europa dreams. That cheeky Man City kid turned penalty ice-man, 25 goals, 15 assists, PFA Young Player buzz. Pure magic. Fast-forward to 2026’s chill February, and the golden boy’s glow’s dimmed. Three months, two goals, creativity constipated. What’s happened to our No.10? Maresca’s sweating bullets, fans murmuring in the Shed End: can we kick-start Cole before the top-four bus sails? It’s not sulks or slumps—it’s a perfect storm. Defenders who’ve binge-watched…
Three US fighter jets have been shot down over Kuwait in what American officials are describing as an apparent case of friendly fire, amid ongoing US and Israeli military operations against Iran. The aircraft involved were F-15 jets operating in support of the conflict when they were mistakenly targeted by Kuwaiti air defence systems, according to a statement released on Monday by US Central Command. All six crew members on board the three jets were able to eject safely and have since been recovered. US officials confirmed that none of the personnel were killed in the incident. An investigation has…
Donald Trump stepped onto the House chamber floor on Tuesday night and delivered a State of the Union address that was as confrontational and choreographed as it was familiar. Declaring what he called an American “turnaround for the ages,” the president offered a performance aimed less at persuading sceptics and more at energising supporters ahead of high-stakes midterm elections later this year. Despite polls showing broad public dissatisfaction with the country’s direction — and with Trump himself — the speech gave little indication that the president intends to recalibrate his approach. Instead, he leaned into a campaign-style message, mixing patriotic…
A bombshell World Bank report exposes a “shockingly large” chasm between shiny gender equality laws and women’s lived grind worldwide. “Women, Business and the Law 2026” crunches numbers: ladies snag just two-thirds of men’s legal perks—no nation delivers full parity. They beefed metrics with violence safety and childcare access, unmasking the facade. Progressive statutes? Toothless sans enforcement. Picture a mom acing quals but sidelined—no harassment cops, equal pay myths. Globally, 95 countries mandate equal pay for equal work, but under 40 back it with watchdogs. Safety tanks scores: anti-abuse laws abound, but hotlines, shelters, specialist squads? Scarce, leaving women dodging…
The UK’s data tsar has dropped a £14.4 million hammer on Reddit, blasting the platform for shoddy child protection and age checks. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ruled the California crew didn’t lift a finger to stop under-13s from signing up and scrolling through its wild west of user content. This bombshell stems from a deep-dive probe into Reddit’s handling of UK users’ data from 2018 to 2023. Regulators found zilch in proactive age vetting—leaving kids wide open to creepy crawlies online and data slurps without mum or dad in the loop. ICO chief John Edwards called it “concerning” stuff,…
Aston Martin rolled into Formula 1 with sky-high ambitions, flashing podium silverware early last season and pouring billions into a gleaming Silverstone empire. But now? It’s a stark nosedive. Despite poaching elite engineers and unveiling the slick AMR24, they’re getting outpaced by McLaren and Mercedes’ relentless evolution. What’s gone so brutally wrong? At the heart of the mess are aero upgrades that looked brilliant on paper but flop spectacularly on track. Wind tunnel whispers promise downforce mountains, yet Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are wrestling a beast that’s twitchy and unforgiving, especially blasting through high-speed sweeps. It’s classic “correlation catastrophe”—sims…
President Trump’s Tuesday night State of the Union lands amid a whirlwind 12 months of court brawls, shutdown scares, and agency shakeups—divided D.C. on blast. Fresh off Oval return, his address spotlights econ wins amid brickbats. Expect econ brag: Low jobless, soaring stocks. But inflation bites, rates sting—household headaches he’ll tackle head-on. Rapid-fire exec orders? Check—federal revamps under fire in courts nationwide. “DOGE” efficiency drive stars: Workforce trims, “waste” slashed—bureaucracy bloodbath touted. Legislative mud: Funding fights, border beefs nearly torched lights multiple times. Trump’ll vent the chaos, rally for wall cash. Judiciary flip: Conservative bench flood reshapes enviro regs, labor…
Deep into year five, Ukraine’s brutal slog has birthed a drone-dominated frontline—a 1,200-km death strip where motion equals targeting. Forget tank thunder; $300 FPV buzz-bombs now script the chaos, spotting and shredding in minutes. Casualties tell the tale: Drone kills leaped from 10% in 2022 to 80% now, per frontline tallies. Charges crumble; it’s a stalled stalemate of aerial hunters. Tanks, once kings, cower under camouflage nets or morph into static guns. Venture out? Recon drone cues explosive FPV—game over. Soldiers evoke a haunted overhead: Endless “waves” prowl. Kostiantynivka drone-jammer Andriy: “50 strikes in 60 minutes—buzz, dive, explode. No breath.”…
Hong Kong powerhouse CK Hutchison got the boot Monday from its Panama Canal strongholds—Balboa on the Pacific and Cristobal on the Atlantic—after Panama’s government seized the reins per a Supreme Court green light. Workers cleared out as Danish titan Maersk swooped in, ending 25 years of CK dominance. Panama’s port bosses moved lightning-fast post-ruling, pausing ops briefly for the swap. Ships idled at anchors, a short-term hiccup in the global trade artery. CK Hutchison called it a “forced ouster,” gutted over losing its logistics throne. They’d handled massive trans-shipment volumes through the isthmus—now, poof. President José Raúl Mulino framed it…
SAN SINGAPORE — A bleak vision of an artificial intelligence–driven future—marked by mass unemployment, financial stress and economic slowdown—is rippling through global markets, unsettling investors who only months ago were enthusiastically betting on the technology’s promise. At the center of the anxiety is a now-viral report from Citrini Research, which sketches a dystopian 2028 scenario in which unemployment climbs to 10.2% as AI rapidly displaces workers across software, logistics and delivery-related industries. The report has become the latest in a wave of widely circulated “think pieces” warning that the pace of AI disruption could overwhelm the economy’s ability to adapt.…
Milan Fashion Week opens on Tuesday with an unusual level of anticipation, as several major fashion houses unveil new creative leadership at a moment when the luxury industry is searching for renewed momentum. Among the most closely watched debuts is that of Georgian designer Demna Gvasalia, who will present his first runway show for Gucci on Friday. His arrival comes after a difficult year for the brand, whose sales fell by 22% in 2025, prompting parent company Kering to seek a dramatic creative reset. The Milan womenswear shows follow New York and London Fashion Weeks and precede Paris, with the…
Residents and visitors in Mexico have spoken of scenes they describe as “heartbreaking” after a sudden outbreak of violence swept across several states, following actions by one of the country’s most feared criminal groups. The unrest began after Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, widely known as El Mencho and regarded as Mexico’s most wanted fugitive, was killed during a security operation on Sunday. Oseguera Cervantes was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the country. Videos captured by residents and tourists showed vehicles engulfed in flames and thick smoke billowing over towns…
Step into the mind of a leader who’s flipped off America and Israel for 35 unrelenting years. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took the supreme reins post-Khomeini in 1989, instantly recasting Iran’s foreign playbook as a fortress—eyes peeled for Yankee schemes and Saudi knife-work in the shadows. His US hatred? Primal pulse. Washington looms as a rampaging Goliath, chipping away at the Islamic Republic via drones, spies, and deals. It’s survived Bush’s shock-and-awe, Obama’s secret letters, Trump’s “maximum pressure,” Biden’s fits-and-starts—plus sanctions that starve like a siege and protests that torch the night. Khamenei hasn’t defended; he’s conquered terrain. From whispers, he…
Sleeves rolled up amid the clang of steel presses in Rome, Georgia, drops a bombshell Thursday—Swiss pharma titan Novartis greenlights 11 sprawling US plants. He pins it square on his tariff threats and “America First” crusade, the kind of win he brandishes like a trophy at these heartland rallies. The scoop stemmed from a cozy Wednesday White House tête-à-tête with CEO Vas Narasimhan. Trump recounted how the exec nodded to blockbuster expansion: reshoring med production to bulletproof supply lines for everything from blood pressure pills to chemo breakthroughs. No more betting the farm on fragile global chains. Novartis’ flacks verified…
NASA’s dropped a bombshell 311-page report on Boeing’s Starliner fiasco, painting a picture of leadership meltdowns, shouting spats, and a pressure-cooker vibe while two astronauts floated in limbo. It’s a raw autopsy of the 2024 crewed debut gone sideways. Finalized last November and unsealed this February, it slaps a “Type A” mishap label on the flight—NASA’s top-tier for near-catastrophes, rubbing shoulders with Challenger and Columbia in risk-of-life stakes. New boss Jared Isaacman didn’t mince words, blasting old guard for chasing program milestones over safety. The push to keep Boeing as SpaceX’s crew rival bred distrust, where engineer red flags got…
US investigators are reported to be coordinating with Mexican authorities as the search for Nancy Guthrie, the mother of American broadcast journalist Savannah Guthrie, enters its third week with no clear breakthrough. Officials from the sheriff’s department in Arizona and the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to confirm whether they had formally reached out to counterparts across the border. However, Guthrie’s family has contacted a Mexican non-profit that specializes in locating missing people in the region. Investigators say they have reviewed roughly 40,000 tips since the 84-year-old was reported missing earlier this month. Despite repeated public appeals from her daughter,…
Set gently along the banks of the Kamogawa River, with Kyoto’s mist-covered mountains forming a soft, atmospheric backdrop, The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto stands as one of Japan’s most understated yet sophisticated luxury hotels. For travellers drawn to calm refinement, cultural depth and impeccably intuitive service, this property offers far more than accommodation — it delivers a deeply immersive experience rooted in Japanese elegance. From serene Zen gardens and thoughtful architectural details to exceptional dining experiences, the hotel achieves a rare balance between centuries-old tradition and contemporary indulgence. Why Kyoto Remains Essential for Luxury Travel Kyoto is the spiritual and cultural heart…
Iran conducted live-fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as diplomatic talks with the United States resumed in Geneva, amid a growing U.S. military buildup in the Middle East. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, the exercise — titled “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” — was carried out by the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the supervision of IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Pakpour, a major general. Iran International also reported on the drills. State media said the exercise was designed to assess the readiness of operational units, review existing security…
The specialist investigator had run out of options. For months, Greg Squire had been trying to trace a young girl his team called Lucy, whose abuse was being shared across the dark web. Every lead collapsed into nothing. The images were circulating in heavily encrypted online spaces, accessible only through specialist software designed to hide users completely. Whoever was abusing Lucy clearly knew how to stay hidden. Faces were cropped out, backgrounds altered, and anything that could point to a location was carefully obscured. There was no clear way to tell who Lucy was, or where she was being held.…
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said there is “more to do” after the UK economy recorded a sluggish end to 2025. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the economy grew by just 0.1% in the final three months of the year, coming in slightly below economists’ expectations. The ONS said growth towards the end of the year remained “subdued”. Reeves, however, pointed to the wider picture, noting that the economy expanded by 1.3% across the whole of 2025, beating earlier forecasts. The Conservatives responded by accusing Labour of having “weakened our economy”. Growing the economy has been Labour’s…
The Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived, with Italy set to host one of the most wide-ranging Winter Games in history. Around 2,900 athletes from more than 90 countries will compete across snow and ice over 16 days. Events are spread across northern Italy, stretching from Milan to Cortina d’Ampezzo, with competitions also taking place in Predazzo, Tesero, Livigno and Bormio, all set against the backdrop of the Dolomites and Alpine resorts. Opening ceremony Although competition began earlier in the week, the Games officially open on Friday with a ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium. A star-studded lineup is expected,…
An email believed to be from Ghislaine Maxwell appears to confirm that a widely circulated photograph showing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around Virginia Giuffre is authentic. The former prince, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, had previously questioned whether the image had been doctored and said he had never met Giuffre. However, the email — released as part of the latest batch of Epstein-related documents — suggests otherwise. The message, dated 2015 and titled “draft statement,” was sent by someone identified as “G Maxwell” to Jeffrey Epstein. In it, the sender wrote: “In 2001 I was in London when…
Many parents support banning smartphones in schools, but for some, there is one lingering worry. Sam Marlow had always assumed she would give her daughter Rubie a smartphone when she started secondary school. That plan changed last September when Rubie’s school introduced a ban on smartphones for new students, allowing only basic “brick” or “dumb” phones that can call or text but have little or no internet access. “It basically meant we didn’t have to be the bad guys,” Sam says. “Rubie was a bit disappointed, but she knew it applied to everyone in her year.” The biggest drawback for…
Europe and the US are co-dependent and large tech companies cannot depend on one continent or the other, the CEO of Nokia Justin Hotard said on Thursday as the European Union considers strengthening support for the region’s industry. “Every single one of us cannot subsist on one continent or the other. We need both,” Hotard told Reuters in an interview. “Particularly in technology, where the window and the right to win is dictated by that technology cycle, it’s really critical that you have as big a market access as possible.” Nokia and its Swedish counterpart Ericsson (ERICb.ST), have been highlighting…
Feathers, fabulous fashion and famous faces it can only be Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. The exclusive four-day event, held twice a year, showcases custom-fitted, handmade designs from an elite group of 13 fashion houses. This season featured debut haute couture collections from Chanel and Dior’s new creative directors, alongside the first Armani Privé show since the death of Giorgio Armani last year. Celebrities including Victoria and David Beckham, Gracie Abrams, Dua Lipa, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna lined the front rows to watch the latest high-end designs unfold in the French capital. Essence of Chanel One of the most anticipated…
Cinemas in South Africa will not be showing the documentary about US First Lady Melania Trump, which is due to be released globally on Friday. The South African distributor, Filmfinity, has decided not to release the film, according to its head of sales and marketing, who spoke to the New York Times and South Africa-based outlet News24. The company did not clearly state the reasons behind the decision. The documentary, Melania, is not being promoted on the websites of South Africa’s major cinema chains. One independent cinema in Cape Town said it had been contacted by Filmfinity and instructed not…
The European Union is investigating Elon Musk’s X platform over concerns it spread illegal content, following reports that its Grok AI chatbot generated manipulated sexual images. The European Commission announced Monday that it will examine whether X protected users by properly assessing and managing risks connected to Grok. The probe follows a similar investigation by the UK’s Ofcom and recent temporary bans of Grok in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia due to concerns about deepfake images. The Commission said earlier this month that AI-generated sexual images of women and children on X were illegal and condemned them as appalling. EU…
Winners will come out of the artificial intelligence boom, but “there will be carnage along the way,” warned Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems. Speaking to the BBC, Robbins said AI will be “bigger than the internet” but admitted the market is likely a bubble, with some companies destined to fail. Cisco, a top tech company, provides key IT infrastructure for AI and partners with firms like Nvidia. Robbins said some jobs, especially in customer service, will be changed or eliminated by AI. He urged workers not to fear the technology but to learn to use it, saying, “You shouldn’t…
TikTok has been malfunctioning for U.S. users since Sunday, and the platform’s newly appointed American owners have now confirmed what caused the disruption: a power failure at a U.S.-based data center. On Monday morning, the TikTok USDS Joint Venture addressed the issue in a post on X, stating, “Since yesterday we’ve been working to restore our services following a power outage at a U.S. data center impacting TikTok and other apps we operate. We’re working with our data center partner to stabilize our service. We’re sorry for this disruption and hope to resolve it soon.” By Monday night, service had…
A US federal judge in Minnesota has ordered the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear in court this week, warning he could be held in contempt over the agency’s failure to comply with multiple court orders. In a sharply worded filing late Monday, Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz said acting ICE director Todd Lyons must personally explain why the agency missed a deadline to provide a detainee with a bond hearing. The judge said Lyons must show cause on Friday as to why he should not be held in contempt. “This court has been extremely patient with…
France is moving closer to banning social media access for younger teenagers, as debate on a proposed new law opened in the National Assembly. The legislation would block under-15-year-olds from accessing platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok. President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants the ban implemented by the start of the school year in September. The proposal forms part of a wider global push to restrict children’s access to social media, driven by growing concern over its impact on mental and emotional health. “We cannot leave the mental and emotional health of our children in the hands of…
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that trilateral talks involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia are expected to take place in the United Arab Emirates, as diplomatic efforts to end the war intensify. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos after meeting US President Donald Trump, Zelensky said the central unresolved issue remains territorial control in eastern Ukraine. “It’s all about the land,” he said, adding that any agreement would require compromises from Russia as well as Ukraine. Trump described his meeting with Zelensky as positive, while his envoy Steve Witkoff travelled to Moscow for talks with Russian President…
A federal law enforcement officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel while attempting to make an arrest, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the city following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent last week, which sparked protests that have since spread to other parts of the United States. In a statement posted on X, DHS said the shooting occurred after a vehicle pursuit involving a Venezuelan national who was allegedly in the country without…
A sports referee and a university student are among the hundreds of people reported to have been killed during sweeping anti-government demonstrations across Iran. Amir Mohammad Koohkan, a 26-year-old futsal coach and referee, was struck by live ammunition on 3 January while protests were taking place in the town of Neyriz, according to a close friend “He was known everywhere for his kindness,” the friend said, adding that Koohkan’s family is devastated and furious over his death. “They are grieving because they lost their son, and angry because he was killed by the regime.” Five days later, Rubina Aminian, a…
