Category: Asia

Nine U.S. fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept five Russian warplanes spotted off Alaska.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, based at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, said it had detected and tracked two Tu-95 long-range strategic bombers, two Su-35 fighter planes, and one A-50 spy plane crossing Alaska’s coastal Air Defense Identification Zone on Thursday.
NORAD said it had responded by launching two F-16s, two F-35s, one E-3, and four KC-135s to intercept the planes, positively identify them, and escort them out of the ADIZ.
The command described Russian activity in the ADIZ as a regular occurrence that was not considered a threat, adding that the five planes had not crossed into U.S. or Canadian airspace, according to CBS News.
Alaska’s ADIZ is the point at which American and Canadian jurisdiction ends and is a “defined stretch of international airspace that requires the ready identification of all aircraft in the interest of national security,” NORAD said…

An American Idol alum who gushed about his love for his wife during his appearance on the show is now accused of her murder in Ohio.
Caleb Flynn, a 39-year-old former music pastorwho appeared on the show’s twelfth series, was cuffed on Thursday evening amid an investigation into his wife’s death.
Authorities discovered 37-year-old teacher Ashley Flynn’s body at 2.30 am on Monday, after receiving reports of a burglary at the couple’s home in Tipp City, just north of Dayton.
Dispatch logs obtained by WHIO TV captured the moment officers were sent to the so-called reporting party’s address.
“Someone broke into the RP’s house, unknown if they are still there. Garage door is open,” the dispatcher said.
open image in galleryAmerican Idol contestant Caleb Flynn has been accused of killing his wife at their home (Miami County Jail)Ashley was pronounced dead at the scene, Tipp City Police Chief Greg Adkins told reporters. He also confirmed that there were signs of forced entry at the propert..

CloseJD Vance says US is seeking Iran nuclear deal through diplomacy 'or another option'The US could launch military strikes on Iran within days, according to reports, as the White House issued a stark warning that Tehran should make a deal.
President Donald Trump has sent warships, tankers and submarines to the Middle East to be ready for potential strikes as soon as Saturday, sources told CBS.
Washington and Tehran have been working to resolve a longstanding dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme, but concluded intensive talks in Geneva this week without a breakthrough.
While Iran said an understanding had been reached in principle, US vice president JD Vance said on Tuesday that Iran was still ignoring Washington’s core demands, suggesting strikes were still on the table.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned this week that Iran was prepared to retaliate, saying the United States “may be struck so hard that it cannot get back up” if it renews attacks against the regim..

Police in Australia seized posters depicting several world leaders in Nazi uniforms and will investigate the bar displaying them under the federal government's new hate laws after receiving a complaint.
David Howe, the owner of the Dissent Cafe in Canberra’s central business district, said the posters were satirical and “demonstrably anti-fascist in their message”. He said the venue was shut for about two hours on Wednesday as police investigated the posters that were displayed in the window.
“It was a crime scene – that was their words,” Mr Howe said.
“I was quite shocked that a work of art is considered worthy of this sort of police attention, particularly given the subject matter.”
The facade of the Dissent Cafe, sporting posters that were seized by Australian police under new hate laws (Facebook)The shutdown led to the cancellation of an interstate band’s performance at the venue as well, Mr Howe claimed.
In a statement, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Policing said office..

JD Vance criticized European nations for “doing a lot of things to sabotage themselves”, in a Fox News interview on Tuesday (17 February).

When Donald Trump signed a $51.4 billon (£37.8bn) foreign aid package earlier this month, including nearly $6bn for the global HIV response, the announcement was framed as a restoration of the key programmes that the US president had slashed when he came back into office at the start of 2025. Congress had rejected proposed cuts and compelled the White House to release funding for programmes that underpin treatment for millions of people.
The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has spoken of the “real bright lights we are starting to see” given the change. The figures looked familiar, with around $9.4bn for global health overall, covering HIV treatment and prevention; tuberculosis and malaria programmes; maternal and child health services and vaccine support – alongside humanitarian assistance.
Any increase in funding for such health projects is a good thing, but it is not a full restoration. Analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows that the global health budget now pl..

CloseUkraine neutralises North Korean 'Koksan' artillery after detecting heat signatureUkrainian soldiers have made battlefield gains on the eastern frontlines after Russian troops lost access to Starlink satellite internet, a US-based think tank said.
Ukrainian forces managed to recapture 78 sq miles from Russia between Wednesday and Sunday, equivalent to the Russian gains for the entire month of December, data from the Institute for the Study of War showed.
It marks the most land retaken by Kyiv’s forces in such a short period since a June 2023 counteroffensive, undoing weeks of Russian advances to the east of Zaporizhzhia city at a crucial time ahead of talks with Russia today.
Delegations will meet in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday for a fresh round of US-mediated peace talks that the Kremlin says are likely to focus on land, the main sticking point.
Russia is still asserting hardline demands that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the eastern region of Donetsk that Mosco..

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused the Trump administration of carrying out a “cover-up” in its handling of the Epstein files, while the president claims the files “totally exonerated” him and “pulled in” the Clintons.
“Get the files out,” Clinton told the BBC on Monday from Berlin, where she attended the World Forum. “They are slow-walking it.”
Her husband, former president Bill Clinton, is mentioned and pictured numerous times in the Epstein files. Both Clintons have denied any contemporaneous knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, and survivors and authorities have not accused them of wrongdoing.
Over the weekend, Clinton echoed her calls for transparency while speaking at the Munich Security Conference.
She called the contents of the Epstein files “horrifying” and demanded their full release.
open image in galleryHillary Clinton has accused the Trump administration of slowing down the release of the Epstein files, while Trump says the files ‘totally exonerated’ him whi..

Former NFL offensive lineman Tre' Johnson, an All-Pro during his distinguished career with Washington, has died suddenly at the age of 54.
His wife confirmed his passing on social media, revealing he died on Sunday during a family trip.
Irene Johnson shared the devastating news on Facebook, stating: “It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my husband, Tre' Johnson, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday … during a brief family trip. His four children, Chloe, EJ, EZ and Eden, extended family, friends, and I are devastated and in shock.”
Johnson was a prominent figure for the Washington franchise, playing from 1994 to 2000 and returning for a final season in 2002 after a year with the Cleveland Browns.
Primarily a guard, he started 72 of his 93 regular-season games and both playoff contests. His stellar performance in 1999 earned him a Pro Bowl selection and an All-Pro second team nod from the Associated Press.
open image in galleryTre’ Johnson had a stella..