
— Fully loaded Kuwaiti tanker set alight as attacks continue despite Trump's warning he would obliterate Iran's energy facilities if the strait of Hormuz was not reopened.
— Two container vessels belonging to the Chinese shipping giant Cosco have successfully passed through the strait of Hormuz as they have exited the Gulf, ship tracking data indicates. Iran has effectively blocked the vital waterway but allowed a trickle of ships through from nations it deems "non-hostile", such as Thailand, China, Pakistan and India.
— Citing 'special concern for his safety' amid Iranian missile threats, police stated the Old City's narrow alleys prevent emergency vehicle access during a 'mass casualty incident.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since reversed the ban.
— Following air strikes on the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement declaring that all US and Israeli universities in the Middle East are now "legitimate targets," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The group stated these sites would remain targets until two universities are struck in retaliation for the destroyed Iranian facilities.
— Police said around 3:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) they spotted two men near the bank carrying a shopping bag. One of them had reportedly just placed a device, consisting of an ignition system and container full of liquid believed to be fuel, and was about to light it when he was detained. His accomplice fled the scene. An initial assessment also found some 650 grams (23 ounces) of explosive powder in the device. The object was taken to a forensics lab for a full analysis. AFP cited an unnamed police source as saying the first arrested suspect had been recruited via the Snapchat social media app to carry out the bombing in exchange for €600 (roughly $692).
— A White House spokesperson called the protests "Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions" and said the only people who care "are the reporters who are paid to cover them". In Los Angeles, two people were arrested for assaulting federal law enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In a statement to X, it said that two officers had been hit with the cement blocks and were receiving medical care, after a group of what it described as "1,000 rioters" surrounded the Roybal Federal Building and began throwing things at DHS agents. Elsewhere in the city, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said "multiple arrests" had been made after protesters did not obey dispersal orders in an area near a federal prison. Reuters reports that arrests were also made in Dallas, after "minor scuffles erupted" when counter-protesters blocked streets and disrupted the No Kings march.
— DW: In the Cuban capital, the crew of nine which included a four-year-old boy along with American, French and German citizens appeared to be in good health and spirits. The boats had left Isla Mujeres, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, last week and were bound for Havana, carrying the final shipments of Nuestra America Convoy.
— On Saturday, the Mexican Navy said the sailboats were spotted by a maritime surveillance aircraft some 80 nautical miles (roughly 148 kilometers) northwest of Cuba. The Reuters news agency cited them as saying they were slowed by unfavorable weather conditions. A Mexican ship escorted them to Havana to ensure their safe arrival in the Cuban capital, the Mexican Navy said.
— They can cost anywhere from $2 million to $4 million each, depending on the generation and variant. They are also time-consuming to produce.
— Against a campaign to discredit and silence Francesca Albanese with U.S. sanctions on 9 July 2025 the unpaid U.N. expert's only real weapon (aside from the symbolic authority of her office) was her voice. That's a point her family will take up in a court in the District of Columbia on Wednesday as they challenge the sanctions on free-speech grounds. Albanese is unable to bring suit herself under U.N. rules. Not only has the U.S. blocked them from their property, but banks have frozen Albanese's accounts. Transactions involving her are stopped because intermediaries, such as Stripe, are American. Her health insurance has halted payments. Hotels have canceled bookings in her name. She lives as a "financial outcast," she said. She hides her identity, surviving on cash and the goodwill of friends and family. "If I were alone, I would be utterly, utterly screwed," she said.
— She had to tell her researchers at Columbia University, which provided her U.N. office with student assistants, that continuing to work with her would place them in legal jeopardy. Georgetown closed her email account. ("Institutions are prohibited by federal law from affiliating with individuals subject to U.S. sanctions," said a Georgetown spokesperson.)
— Prosecutors argued that "Daedone and her co-conspirators exercised control through economic pressure, psychological manipulation, physical exhaustion and emotional degradation, leaving behind a trail of financial ruin and lasting trauma." She and another woman were accused of using economic, sexual, and psychological abuse, intimidation, and indoctrination to coerce OneTaste members into sexual acts they found uncomfortable or repulsive, such as engaging with prospective investors or clients.
— Previous research had indicated that the big dorsal nerve of the clitoris gradually diminished as it approached the glans. However, the new scans appear to show that some of what medics have been learning in anatomy is wrong and the nerve continues strongly all the way to the end. About 22% of women who undergo surgical reconstruction after female genital mutilation experience a decline in orgasmic experience after their operation, so a better understanding of how far the nerves extend could reduce that percentage.
— CNN: Ukrainian drones have struck several Russian refineries and export terminals in the last week, accelerating a campaign that began last summer to target one of Russia’s biggest revenue sources. The Ukrainian military claims to have carried out 10 major attacks this month on Russian energy infrastructure — some of the strikes deep inside Russia.
— The 60-year-old manager, who famously won a charity lunch with Buffett in 2007, noted that the meticulous research once used to beat the market is being rapidly commoditized by artificial intelligence. Aquamarine Fund has delivered a lifetime return of 1,186% since 1997, outpacing the S&P 500, but it has underperformed the benchmark for eight consecutive years. The hedge fund manager argued that the "Buffett-and-Munger" philosophy of identifying overlooked, high-quality companies at reasonable prices has become increasingly difficult as data becomes universally accessible.
— "In the most candid section of [his annual] letter [to his partners in February] , Spier recounted how a grand mal seizure while driving back from a skiing day in Klosters with his children led to the discovery of a brain tumor. Surgery at Hirslanden Hospital in Zurich revealed grade 4 glioblastoma. Despite early and aggressive treatment under the Stupp protocol, the cancer recurred in September 2025, fundamentally changing Spier's priorities." — (LINK)
— The fund will transition to a family office structure, with Spier continuing to manage his own capital alongside his existing team.
— Last week, Democratic lawmakers launched an inquiry into Lewandowski and whether he sought personal payments from contractors while working at DHS.
— WTO members with large digital economies such as the U.S., the EU, Canada and Japan want the moratorium permanently extended because they say it ensures predictability for global digital trade. The policy was first adopted in 1998 at the WTO's Second Ministerial Conference in Geneva as part of a declaration to encourage early digital trade growth. It covers cross-border transmissions such as software downloads, e-books, music and movie streaming and video games. Originally intended to be temporary, the tariff moratorium has been renewed roughly every two years at each WTO ministerial conference, and was most recently extended for two years at the 13th conference in 2024.
— More than 6,000 retailers, 1,600 international journalists, and some 1,500 guests from around the world are expected to attend this major watchmaking event. Watches and Wonders Geneva will open its ticket office on February 10 on its website. With a brand new 600-square-metre space in the heart of the city, Quai Général-Guisan, the Montreux Jazz Festival will enliven the evenings with a music programme from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., including DJ sets and live performances.
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