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Camila Cabello Speaks Out Against ‘Oppressive Regime’ in Cuba: ‘People Are Starving’

Camila Cabello  is using her platform to raise awareness for her home country of Cuba .  In a Friday (Feb. 20) post on Instagram , the Fifth Harmony alum shared photos of herself as a young girl living in the Caribbean nation alongside present-day pictures of Cuban citizens protesting conditions under the current government. “There is so much going on here at home and so much I can say about the heartbreaking things the immigrant community is experiencing here in the US,” she wrote. “I also feel a personal responsibility to speak about what’s happening in Cuba, I still have family on the island that we speak to and send medicine, food and clothes to.” “It has been 67 years of a failing dictatorship and an oppressive regime,” Cabello continued. “The Cuban people are suffering in an echo chamber where no one can hear them because to speak is to risk your life. Many people are starving, looking for food in trash heaps, and the only way to survive is having relati...

Trump fires Noem as frustrations build among White House officials, GOP lawmakers

President Donald Trump said Thursday on social media  he was firing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and would name Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to replace her. Trump thanked Noem for her service, saying in his Truth Social post she “has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!)” and that she “will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere.” He said Mullin would take over the position March 31. Trump loves watching Mullin on TV, aides said, which played a role in the president’s decision to tap him for the position. Trump has called Mullin following combative interviews to praise him and White House staffers have often dispatched the senator to do cable news hits around big moments for the administration. Noem thanked the president in a social media post shortly after the announcement. “The western hemisphere is absolutely critical for U.S. s...

Australia, Canada sign new deals on critical minerals

SYDNEY, March 5 (Reuters) - Australia and Canada said on Thursday they had signed new agreements ‌on critical minerals as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a landmark address to the Australian parliament, a sign of the developing bond between the "middle powers". Carney is on a multi-leg trip across the Asia-Pacific region also taking in Japan and India. His ​stop in Australia included the first address to Australia's parliament by a Canadian leader since 2007. "In ​a world of great power rivalry, middle powers have a choice: compete for favour ⁠or combine for strength," he told lawmakers. Introducing Carney in parliament, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his address ​represented the closeness of the ties between the two nations. "Australia and Canada are middle powers in a world ​that is changing. We cannot change it back, but we can back ourselves, back our citizens, and back each other," he said. G7 ALLIANCE Albanes...

US asked Ukraine for help fighting Iranian drones, Zelensky says

The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He said Ukraine's partners had been reaching out and there had been "requests from the American side". Zelensky said he had given instructions "to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security". Asked about the Ukrainian offer, US President Donald Trump said: "I'll take any assistance from any country." Earlier Zelensky had made clear Ukraine would help on condition that its own defence was not weakened and that there were diplomatic gains for Kyiv. He suggested, in particular, that Ukraine would be willing to swap its interceptor drones for more US Patriot air defences to protect against Russian ballistic missiles. The war in the Middle East has raised fears Ukraine could suffer if its allies are distracted by the conflict. There have also been...

Global order is 'breaking down', Carney tells Australian parliament

With the post-war "global architecture breaking down from consecutive crises" Australia and Canada should work together as "strategic cousins", Mark Carney has told the Australian parliament. The question for middle powers was whether they would write the new rules that determine security and prosperity or "let the hegemons dictate outcomes", the Canadian prime minister said. Carney said the two countries should co-operate further to boost sovereign capabilities including in the areas of critical minerals, defence and AI. The speech echoed previous statements, including a speech in Davos in January in which he said the "old order is not coming back" and urged middle powers to band together. Many countries were deciding to increase their sovereign autonomy, Carney said on Thursday, the first time a Canadian prime minister has addressed parliament in Canberra in almost 20 years. "This impulse is understandable when the rules no lon...

Mexican authorities meet FIFA to review World Cup security

MEXICO CITY -- FIFA representatives met with Mexican authorities on Wednesday to assess security for the World Cup  matches to be played in  Mexico .  Concerns arose following violent incidents last week in several Mexican states after a military operation led to the capture and death of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho," leader of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel. "We reviewed the intelligence, prevention, and operational deployment protocols that will be implemented during this international event," Federal Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said on his social media accounts. Mexico, the  United States  and  Canada  are co-hosting the World Cup. Mexico is scheduled to host 13 matches, distributed among three cities: Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. The tournament's opening match -- Mexico vs. South Africa  -- will be played June 11 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The iconic Mexican v...

Developing Story ~ Trump's war on Iran: Shifting stories and unanswered questions

In the lead up to the 28 February strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump and his administration signalled that an attack was imminent. Since then, the president and his top officials have offered varying explanations for its actions in the war with Iran. The BBC's Analysis Editor Ros Atkins takes an in-depth look at how the Trump administration's narrative on the war with Iran has shifted, and the key questions that remain unanswered.

China is about to show the world its plan to win the future

Beijing  —  China spent the last five years cultivating innovation  and new technology at home. The next half decade will be dedicated to deploying the fruits of its labor to transform its economy – and its place in the world. That’s set to be an overarching message as thousands of delegates from across China  gather in the nation’s capital for the “Two Sessions” – a carefully choreographed annual meeting where the country’s leadership signals its priorities for the year ahead, and its rubber-stamp legislature approves them. The pomp and ceremony of the gathering has long stood as a symbol of China’s tightly controlled political process, and Beijing’s authoritarian leaders are well aware of the juxtaposition that creates as the US, the world’s most powerful democracy, is riven with partisan infighting and engaged in another spiraling conflict  in the Middle East. At the top of the agenda this time around is approving the 15th “Five-Year Plan,” a blue...

Taylor Swift’s Bold Bodysuit Look Proves She’s the Ultimate Showgirl

Taylor Swift  channelled her showgirl energy once more as she donned a bold bodysuit for the Elizabeth Taylor vinyl cover art. On March 2, it was announced that the 7-inch vinyl, called Cry My Eyes Violet Glitter, will be available for purchase on Record Store Day until supplies last. Taylor Swift lounges on couch wearing bold bodysuit for ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ cover art release Take a look at the Opalite singer posing on the couch: On the cover art for the vinyl,  Swift posed in a sparkling, crystal-embellished bodysuit. The strapless piece had a figure-hugging silhouette. She paired it with fishnet tights and strappy crystal-encrusted heels that matched her bodysuit. Draped around her shoulders and arms was a cloud of white feathers, which added movement and volume. Instead of her signature blonde hair, she appeared to be sporting a sleek, dark bob with short bangs. She accessorised with a sparkling headpiece and a bracelet. The whole look was theatrical...

FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket frenzy unfolds amid global unrest

With 100 ⁠days to go until the tournament kicks off, appetite for tickets to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada is reaching fever pitch despite eye-watering prices that have fans crying foul amid global unrest after the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. In addition ⁠to the war against Iran – a country scheduled to play its World Cup group stage games in the US – the heavy-handed immigration crackdowns in the US and the violence that erupted near host city Guadalajara after the death of Mexico’s most-wanted drug cartel leader are causing concern for fans. "I’m afraid I might not ⁠be allowed into the country. I’ve decided to fly to Canada at most but not to the USA,” German football fan Tom Roeder told the Reuters news agency “I hope that at least the issue of war with Iran does not reach North America, at least not in a way that affects us personally.” FIFA, which did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment, has said nearly 2 mill...

Happy 29th birthday to the talented Camila Cabello.

~ UMG

UK will allow US to use bases to strike Iranian missile sites, PM says

The UK has agreed to a US request to use British military bases for "defensive" strikes on Iranian missile sites, Sir Keir Starmer has said. But the prime minister said the UK had learned lessons from the "mistakes of Iraq", and was not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and "will not join offensive action now". The BBC understands the US is likely to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strikes on Iranian missile sites. The PM made the announcement just hours before a British RAF base in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike  on Sunday night with no casualties reported. Investigations are under way to establish where it was fired from. The attack at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus took place at around midnight local time (22:00 GMT) with the MoD later saying that "minimal damage" was caused. In a video statement released earlier on Sunday, Sir Keir said the basis of the decision to accept the US request...