Iran has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of economic pain and isolation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday that it will only increase hostility after Trump threatened “crushing economic measures” against Iran. Doctors Without Borders has condemned the decision by Israel’s military not to investigate two fatal attacks on the medical humanitarian group's staff. Six European countries rebuked Israel over a settlement project near Jerusalem. The U.K. calls it “an unacceptable and destructive act.” A mass funeral was held in Gaza City for 50 people killed in Israeli airstrikes nearly three years ago but whose remains were just recovered.
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Chinese Valentine’s Day, or Qixi, is more than just flowers and chocolates. It's rooted in legend, prayer, and cultural activities. The festival is observed on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar. Beijing’s Folk Custom Museum hosted activities on Wednesday, highlighting traditional crafts and skills. Participants engaged in hands-on activities like dyeing fingernails and creating brocade bead paintings. The festival is based on a legend of a weaver girl and cowherd separated by the Milky Way, reuniting once a year. Efforts are underway to revive Qixi in places like Singapore, preserving its cultural significance.
A restaurant in Beijing is preserving culinary traditions associated with China’s imperial court, from pastries once served to emperors to techniques passed down through generations of chefs. Imperial cuisine encompassed everyday meals and elaborate court banquets governed by rituals and hierarchy, while food also carried broader cultural, political and ceremonial meanings. Today, a handful of chefs are adapting centuries-old traditions to modern ingredients and tastes while seeking to preserve their history, craftsmanship and cultural legacy.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish families are an unmissable facet of Israeli life. The numbers and the political and cultural clout of the adherents of this practice of Judaism are continuing to grow. That’s bringing their vision of faith, Jewish identity and civic practices on a collision course with that of other religious and especially secular Israelis. Mass protests over proposed changes to the exemption from the military draft for ultra-Orthodox men highlight the most contentious issue as the country approaches three years of war on multiple fronts and national elections. At the core of ultra-Orthodox doctrine is the belief that studying scripture is a higher duty than any other, including working or fighting.
U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insists the Strait of Hormuz remains open. This comes after a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway and as Iran and Oman say they are close to a deal to reopen the waterway. Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this week as the country tried to reach a deal. Iran says the waterway will not reopen until the U.S. meets its conditions. Shipping data platform Kpler says transits fell nearly 20% through the Strait of Hormuz last week.
A whistleblower is alleging that a Trump administration task force created to combat antisemitism pushed for settlements with Ivy League universities. That's despite government investigations the whistleblower says were rushed and incomplete or that failed to establish legal violations by the schools. The complaint made public Tuesday details allegations made by a former Justice Department attorney who was involved in the task force. The complaint alleges that the investigations into some of the nation’s most prestigious academic institutions were designed to strong-arm the schools into cutting deals for political purposes.
Trump says the US has no talks planned with Iran but insists the Strait of Hormuz is operating despite limited traffic.
A marathon meeting between U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the fate of the Gaza ceasefire unclear. Officials signaled moderate optimism after Monday's talks but offered no concrete commitment by Israel to the latest US-proposed plan. American negotiators appeared to acquiesce to Israeli demands that Hamas disarmament must come before any reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian enclave. They did not publicly signal that Israel had made any commitments to withdraw its troops from the 60% of Gaza they currently occupy. That’s a major sticking point in the plan.
The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East has visited the long-deployed USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner has held a rare meeting with the Hamas leader about the Gaza ceasefire before visiting Israel and meeting with its prime minister. The 60-day negotiating period set by the interim agreement between the U.S. and Iran is ending. Iran again alleges that Qatar is holding three of its downed pilots. And a new Israeli strike in Gaza has wounded five people including a child.
An enormous statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be Europe’s tallest has been inaugurated in a small Polish village. It was financed by one of Poland’s richest businesspeople. The monument towers 55.6 meters (182 feet) over Konotopie in central Poland. Its height includes a crown-shaped 15-meter (49-foot) pedestal. It’s taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which measures some 38 meters (125 feet) including its pedestal. The vast majority of Poles identify as Catholic, but the influence of religion in public life has gradually declined in recent years.