
— "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a post to his social media platform Truth Social . "The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION."
— History's first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the "delusion of omnipotence" that is fueling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world.
— National Today: The widespread US travel chaos highlights the fragility of the air travel system, as airlines and airports struggle with staffing shortages, supply chain issues, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. The situation also raises questions about whether smaller regional airports have the resources to handle even minor disruptions.
— Preliminary election results, based on more than 98% of counted votes, put Magyar's Tisza party on course for an extraordinary 138 seats, with Orbán's Fidesz on 55 and the far-right Our Homeland on six. Magyar stood on a platform of distancing Hungary from Russia in favour of more cordial ties with the EU and Ukraine.
— Tropical Storm Sinlaku is currently designated as a violent typhoon with forecasted winds up to 200 mph (320kmh), which is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. The storm is expected to intensify as it approaches the island of Guam, threatening direct impacts on the U.S. territory by Monday. No tropical cyclones in recorded history have made landfall on Guam during the month of April.
— CNBC: The president said in a Truth Social post he does not "want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do." He "was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican." Trump said Leo is "Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested," referring to a recent meeting between the pope and President Barack Obama's former political aide. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope who hails from Chicago, has condemned Trump's war effort with Iran.
— In a mission recently added to the docket for next year, Artemis III's yet-to-be-named astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are racing to have their company's lander ready first.
— 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.
Past week Ukraine Gaza Switzerland AI / ChatGPT Media UN Trump China Youth Travel
Afghanistan Bahamas Thailand Putin watch Biden News Metoo Science Sites to explore Digital tools