Eleven Palestinians die in Israeli strikes in Gaza, rescuers report

eleven-palestinians-gaza-strikes

Lead: Rescuers and Gaza health officials say Israeli strikes on Sunday morning killed 11 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip. Palestinian emergency services reported at least six deaths in a northern tent encampment and five in a separate southern strike. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted militants it said had violated a ceasefire … Read more

Could the puzzling case of slain Nebraska teen Mary Kay Heese be solved after 50 years?

mary-kay-heese-1969-murder

Lead On March 25, 1969, 17-year-old Mary Kay Heese disappeared after leaving school in Wahoo, Nebraska; later that night her body was found with multiple stab wounds. The case went cold for decades as investigators in 1969 lacked modern forensics and a clear suspect. Renewed inquiries — including a 1999 cold-case review, a new probe … Read more

Ukrainian drone strike ignites fires at Taman port ahead of US-brokered Geneva talks

taman-port-drone-strike

Lead: A Ukrainian long-range drone strike on Sunday set fires at the Taman port in Russia’s Krasnodar region, officials said, injuring two people and damaging an oil storage tank, a warehouse and terminals. The incident occurred just days before U.S.-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian envoys in Geneva, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Ukrainian and … Read more

How Trump’s Self-Promotion Is Shaping an American Cult of Personality

trump-self-promotion-cult-personality

Lead: President Donald J. Trump’s second year back in the White House has been marked by an intensified program of self-promotion that reaches from social posts to monumental statuary. In recent weeks a 15-foot bronze — later gold-covered — statue dubbed “Don Colossus” and a briefly shared racist video provoked national attention, while his administration … Read more

UK Signals End of Brexit Years, Seeks Closer EU Ties

uk-eu-closer-ties

At the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain has moved beyond the politics of the 2016 Brexit vote and pledged to deepen cooperation with the European Union on defence and trade. Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Starmer framed the shift as pragmatic and immediate, … Read more

How an assumable mortgage can get you under 3% in 2026

assumable-mortgage-under-3

Lead Buyers in 2026 can sometimes take over a seller’s low, pandemic-era mortgage rate through an “assumable mortgage,” letting them inherit sub-3% financing in some cases. Around 6 million U.S. homes are estimated to have an assumable mortgage with an interest rate below 5%, offering a potential shortcut to affordability. The transfer can benefit sellers … Read more

Rosebush Pruning review: Callum Turner and Elle Fanning in Karim Aïnouz’s dark satire

rosebush-pruning-satire

Lead: At the Berlin Film Festival (Competition), Karim Aïnouz’s Rosebush Pruning — starring Callum Turner and Elle Fanning — arrives as a high-gloss black comedy about a wealthy American family isolated on the Catalan coast. The film, written by Efthimis Filippou and loosely inspired by Marco Bellocchio’s 1965 Fists in the Pocket, skewers privilege through … Read more

Trump Is Eroding the Wall Between Church and State — And This May Be Just the Start

trump-church-state-erosion

Lead Since last year, the Trump administration has pushed a series of faith-centered initiatives that have brought explicit Christian practices and language into federal settings. A December Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advisory meeting opened with a Christian benediction delivered by a White House official, an episode attendees described as unusual for modern administrations. The White … Read more

When should you get a colonoscopy? Doctors weigh in after James Van Der Beek’s death

colonoscopy-screening-age-45

Lead: The death of actor James Van Der Beek at 48 has reignited concern about colorectal cancer in younger adults. Medical specialists say colorectal cancer incidence has risen among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s even as overall cancer mortality under 50 has fallen since 1990. Federal and major medical groups currently recommend routine … Read more

The Best Dividend Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever – The Motley Fool

best-dividend-stocks-buy-hold

Dividend investors seeking both steady cash flow and long-term capital appreciation are watching a handful of companies that blend current yields with meaningful growth potential. On February 14, 2026, two names stood out: Hong Kong–based Silicon Motion Technology, which posted a sharp revenue uptick tied to AI-related demand, and Microsoft, whose pullback has temporarily lifted … Read more

The Galaxy Cluster That Grew Up Too Fast – Universe Today

galaxy-cluster-grew-too-fast

Lead: Astronomers report a remarkably mature protocluster, JADES-ID1, assembling just 1 billion years after the Big Bang. Combining deep images from the James Webb Space Telescope with X-ray data from the Chandra Observatory, teams found at least 66 galaxies wrapped in million-degree gas — the hallmark of gravitational collapse. The system already contains roughly 20 … Read more

Keyshawn Hall ‘out indefinitely’ for disciplinary reasons – 247Sports

keyshawn-hall-out-indefinitely

Coach Bruce Pearl told the Auburn Sports Network before Saturday’s matchup that forward Keyshawn Hall will not play against Arkansas and is “out indefinitely” for disciplinary reasons. Pearl said Hall, a UCF transfer and the Tigers’ leading scorer, failed to meet program standards during the week and was held out of the final 12:38 of … Read more

‘Palestine Action ban ruled unlawful’ and ‘Matt grabs Olympic gold’ – BBC

palestine-action-matt-olympic

Lead British newspapers published a mixed set of leads one day ago, ranging from fresh questions about possible police interest in emails tied to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to claims about Lord Mandelson’s 2004 travel arrangements and criticism of postponed local elections. The Times says Thames Valley Police have held “informal discussions” with government officials about documents … Read more