Several European leaders pledge to stand by Ukraine after confrontational Oval Office meeting with Trump. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

— A major summit is scheduled for Sunday in London, hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. More than a dozen European and EU leaders, including Zelenskyy, will gather for a meeting meant to drive forward action on Ukraine and security.

Trump-Zelensky summit explodes: "He can come back when he is ready for peace". — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump-Zelensky Oval Office shouting match, Trump cancels press conference. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump says he doesn't remember calling Zelenskyy a dictator when confronted in Oval Office: 'Did I Say That?' — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

UN talks end in Rome with nations backing $200bn-a-year plan to protect nature. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Panama and Costa Rica turning into a 'black hole' for migrants and deportees from US, observers warn. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

FDA allowed to help WHO update flu shots, despite Trump ban. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump issued major executive order on 25 November about healthcare. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

— According to the executive order, the Trump administration's regulations will require U.S. hospitals to provide a "consumer-friendly display of pricing information" for as many as 300 "shoppable services" and a file containing the negotiated rates for "every single service" provided by the hospitals.

A former JPMorgan employee has accused the bank of obscuring the true size of its trading business to evade capital requirements. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Microsoft has confirmed that Skype, the iconic video conferencing program, will shut down in May 2025. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Gene Hackman was likely dead for over a week when found, sheriff says. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

EPFL startups raised a record CHF 512 million in 2024, continuing to attract investors despite a downward trend in venture capital for Switzerland as a whole. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Scientists at EPFL have revealed how quantum interference and symmetry dictate molecular behavior in collisions with gold surfaces, offering new insights into molecular interactions. The findings can have important implications for chemistry and materials science.. — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump says he doesn't remember calling Zelenskyy a dictator when confronted in Oval Office: 'Did I Say That?' — 28 February 2025 (LINK)

International summit outlines steps to improve resilience of submarine telecommunications cables worldwide, including promoting diverse routes and landings to enhance resilience and continuity. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

— "With an average of 150 to 200 faults reported globally each year, disruptions to communications affect economies, access to information and public services, as well as the daily lives of billions of people."

EU pushes back hard against Trump tariff threats and his caustic comments that bloc is out to get US. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

Moderna's bird flu vaccine has a problem: $590 million contract being reevaluated because RNA-based. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

The World Economic Forum and VivaTech have agreed to launch a European Centre for AI Excellence (CAIE) in Paris in 2025. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

Right-wing influencer Andrew Tate and brother leave Romania on jet headed for Florida, lawyer says. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

— The Tate brothers, who are dual US and UK nationals, had been banned from leaving Romania after being arrested in 2022 and charged with rape, human trafficking, money laundering and starting an organized crime group. They have denied all wrongdoing.

Trump to end Chevron license in Venezuela in blow to Maduro: He cited the electoral conditions in Venezuela and its failure to take back migrants from the US as quickly as it promised. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump's $1bn plan to bring U.S. egg prices down. — 27 February 2025 (LINK)

Israel, Hamas agree on new exchange, leaving fragile ceasefire intact. The exact date has not been defined. — 26 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 93 media reports (LINK)

Trump and DOGE haven't actually saved any money. — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

— According to an analysis published by Reuters, the Trump administration spent $710 billion between January 21 and February 20, nearly a billion more than Joe Biden spent in a similar time period last year.

Elon Musk has received $38 billion in aid from the federal government. Now he's slashing that help for others. — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump posts madcap Trump Gaza 'Riviera' AI video featuring sunbathing Netanyahu and Musk. — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

Ukraine PM says minerals deal agreed with US. — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

— Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said a clause said that the US was "supporting Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to build lasting peace". Media reports say Washington has dropped initial demands for a right to $500bn in potential revenue from the natural resources but has not given firm security guarantees. US President Donald Trump said he was expecting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington to sign the deal this week.

Hong Kong to slash 10,000 civil service jobs, push AI in bid to reverse deficit. — 26 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK)

A Texas child who was not vaccinated has died of measles, a first for the US in a decade. — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

Gene Hackman, 95, wife found dead in Santa Fe home along with pet dog; "no foul play suspected". — 26 February 2025 (LINK)

WHO, WIPO, and WTO hold first joint briefing for Geneva-based officials on 26 February — reported on 28 February 2025 (LINK)

— The WHO-WIPO-WTO Technical Assistance virtual Platform was also briefly introduced at the meeting. It allows Members to easily request joint technical assistance from the three organizations to access the full range of expertise at the intersection of health, trade, and IP in a coordinated manner.

— The next briefing session for Geneva-based health, IP and trade attachés is tentatively scheduled to take place in September 2025, after the summer break.

Debt crisis hits new highs in developing nations, relief deal needed, says UNDP. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

— Interest payments on debt exceeded 10% of government revenue in 56 developing nations — almost twice the number of countries compared to a decade ago, according to the UNDP report. Of those, 17 countries spent more than 20% of revenue on interest payments — surpassing a threshold strongly linked to default risk, UNDP said. Rising debt service burdens had surpassed levels not seen in more than two decades, it said.

— "The debt-development trade-offs threaten a lost decade of development progress for many of the world's poorest nations," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.

Israeli warplanes strike south of Damascus, security sources and TV say. — 25 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 29 media reports (LINK)

Trump says 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico 'will go forward' for 4 March. — 25 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 201 media reports (LINK)

Judge gives Trump administration two days to release billions of dollars in blocked foreign aid. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

US House narrowly passes Trump-backed spending bill by 217-215. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

— The House budget seeks $2tn in spending cuts over the next 10 years to pay for President Trump's agenda. It includes more than $100bn in new spending on immigration enforcement and the military. It would also extend tax breaks passed during his first term in office, which are due to expire at the end of the year.

Did no-tax-on-overtime pass? Not yet. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

— Despite claims on social media that it included Trump's campaign pledges to cut taxes on overtime and tips, the framework that passed on Tuesday is only a budget resolution meant to guide Congress on related legislation for the year. It does not provide funding for federal programs or change tax law.

Over 20 federal technology staffers resign rather than help Musk and DOGE. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

Nearly 40% of contracts canceled by Musk's DOGE are expected to produce no savings. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

Musk has lost more than $100B since December as Tesla gives up trillion-dollar company status amid sell-off. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

Trump's pick for FBI Deputy Director, Dan Bongino, is a Right-Wing conspiracy theorist. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

More than 100 intelligence staffers to be fired for sending sexually explicit texts in NSA chatrooms, Director of US National Intelligence Gabbard Says. — 25 February 2025 (LINK) — ground.news: 53 media reports (LINK)

White House reveals who DOGE acting administrator is: Amy Gleason from first term and a firm founded by DOGE adviser. — 25 February 2025 (LINK)

US twice sides with Russia in UN resolutions on Ukraine. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

— First, the US opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity — voting the same way as Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Then the US drafted and voted for a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for an end to the conflict, but contained no criticism of Russia. The Security Council passed the resolution, but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed.

— US diplomats pushed their limited resolution mourning the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calling for a swift end to it. European diplomats tabled a more detailed text, blaming Russia for its full-scale invasion, and supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

— UNGA members backed the European resolution by 93 votes with 8 against but, extraordinarily, the US did not abstain but actually voted against it, along with Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary and 11 other states, with 65 abstentions. The UNGA also passed the US resolution but only after it was amended to include language supporting Ukraine, which led to the US abstaining.

European leaders in Kyiv to mark three years of war: top US officials stay away: Ukrainian official says talks on minerals deal in final stages. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

U.K. unveils 100 sweeping new sanctions on Russia and its global backers. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

US backs Israel's decision to push off release of 602 Palestinian security prisoners. White House says Trump supports Israel's choices on Hamas, delay is 'appropriate response' to 'barbaric treatment' of hostages and 'hideous parade' of Bibas boys' coffins. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

New mpox variant clade1b spreading rapidly in DRC: scientists warn of global risk. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

German stocks rallied after a win by conservative Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz in Sunday's elections opened the way for a pivot to increased spending. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

US president places majority of workers on leave at USAID. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

Federal workers face mass confusion as Musk's deadline to list accomplishments looms. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

The rise and fall of Hawk Tuah: A case study in crypto scams. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)

Protesters fly upside-down flag in Yosemite over Trump efforts to reduce federal workforce. — 23 February 2025 (LINK)

Microsoft shelves AI data-centre deals in sign of potential oversupply, brokerage says. — 24 February 2025 (LINK)