NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said he had a conversation with a dog during his latest trip to Kiev, as he argued for continued military aid for Ukraine. He made the remarks during a joint panel with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

Rutte visited the Ukrainian capital in early February, where he vowed that Western nations would continue their support, potentially including deploying troops to Ukraine – which Moscow has called unacceptable.

On Saturday, he recalled his visit, including a meeting with a bomb-sniffing dog named Patron – whose name means ‘bullet cartridge’ in Ukrainian.

The Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese people. As it approaches, the joy of reunion and anticipation for the future are transforming into the most vivid expressions across China: the millions of travelers heading home in the great Spring Festival migration, the bright red couplets adorning every household door, and the warm greetings of "Happy New Year" exchanged among neighbors.

The Spring Festival brings a touch of warmth to the world: Global Times editorial

By Global Times

Amazon's doorbell camera producer Ring has ended their partnership with Flock Safety, a tech surveillance company, as the two firms face a backlash over privacy. The trigger? A Super bowl commercial about a lost dog.

Ring cuts surveillance firm ties amid Super bowl ad outcry
Darko Janjevic with AP material, DW sources

Why do you only criticize Western imperialism?

You are asking the wrong question to the wrong person.

You are talking to someone who grew up on the receiving end of Western power, not someone who learned geopolitics from Netflix.

I do not have a problem condemning imperialism "from all sides."

I have a problem pretending that all "sides" are equal when one bloc:

Built 800+ military bases abroad.

Controls the global reserve currency.

Runs the main sanction machinery.

Overthrew dozens of governments on every continent.

And backs the last open-air concentration camp in Gaza while calling it "self-defense."

That bloc is not Russia.

That bloc is not China.

That bloc is the U.S., its European vassals, and its little settler attack dog in West Asia.

The Australian government’s response to Gaza, and its handling of President Isaac Herzog’s visit, has blurred the line between antisemitism and criticism of Israel. The result is deeper division, weaker democracy and greater risk to Jewish communities.

John Menadue

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Volodymyr Zelensky should hurry up because Russia is willing to make a deal, otherwise, an opportunity will be missed.

"Zelensky is going to have to get moving. Russia wants to make a deal. And so let's get moving. Otherwise, he's going to miss a great opportunity," Trump told reporters.

As Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reported earlier on Friday, peace negotiations will continue on February 17-18 in Geneva. The Russian delegation will be led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. The two previous rounds were headed by Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

A temple to the sea goddess Mazu has become a focal point in Taiwan's debate over engagement with China. Temple leader Chen Ming‑kun urges cross‑strait peace, but his ties to China raise concerns about political influence. As Beijing steps up pressure, Taiwan is countering with outreach to religious communities to resist infiltration. Many worshippers object, saying faith shouldn't be politicized.

Lawmakers from both parties on Capitol Hill have demanded answers from the US Department of Justice over its monitoring of congressional investigators’ search activity while they reviewed sensitive, unredacted documents connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The controversy erupted after Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday with printed material listing specific files and queries that Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal had accessed.

Wohin geht Amerika?
Deutschland ist in Vielem von einem guten Verhältnis zu den USA abhängig. Deshalb ist das Bemühen verständlich, auf politischer und wirtschaftlicher Ebene einen möglichst guten Konsens mit dem Präsidenten zu suchen, den sich die Mehrheit der Amerikaner bei der Wahl im November 2024 geleistet hat.

Homo stupidus

Russi, Florian

The US Republican Party has accused Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of “calling for the execution” of President Donald Trump, after she called him a “pedophile” and suggested that he would be put to death if he were in her native Somalia.

“Last night, Ilhan Omar tweeted, calling for the execution of the President of the United States,” the Pennsylvania branch of the GOP stated on Wednesday. Pointing out that “calling for the execution of a federal official is a felony under United States law,” the party urged Democrats to “take responsibility” for the apparent threat to Trump’s life.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is spending the last day of his trip to Australia in Melbourne.

He had planned to visit the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, which was the target of a firebombing in 2024, but that was cancelled due to safety concerns.

Protesters have gathered in Melbourne to protest against his visit, with police deployed to monitor activity.

Police were granted special powers under terrorism legislation ahead of Mr Herzog's arrival in Melbourne.

Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill says that includes powers to stop and search vehicles or people in public places.

…in an old notebook of Marx’s I have found the eleven theses on Feuerbach […]. These are notes hurriedly scribbled down for later elaboration, absolutely not intended for publication, but they are invaluable as the first document in which is deposited the brilliant germ of the new world outlook.1

Last October, Deutsche Bahn (DB) launched a social media campaign with popular comic Anke Engelke in the main role. We watch Engelke, as train conductor Tina, and her team doing their best to navigate everything from defective doors to blocked toilets and broken-down trains — and, at the same time, keep passengers happy.

Upon its launch, a senior DB manager, Michael Peterson, called the nine-part series a "humorous declaration of love to the staff." Deutsche Bahn has some 230,000 employees.

Engelke's campaign was feted in the trade press for its media reach, too — with more than sixty major media organizations reporting on it. Within a few days of its launch, the promotion had already got over one million clicks.