Scientists called the news ‘particularly worrying’ because ice reflects sunlight and cools the planet

Global sea ice fell to a record low in February, scientists have said, a symptom of an atmosphere fouled by planet-heating pollutants.

The combined area of ice around the north and south poles hit a new daily minimum in early February and stayed below the previous record for the rest of the month, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday.

Phil Goff questioned Donald Trump’s grasp of history at a Chatham House event in London, prompting the foreign minister to say his position is ‘untenable’

New Zealand’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom has been removed from his role after publicly questioning US President Donald Trump’s grasp of history – remarks that have rendered his position “untenable” in the eyes of New Zealand’s government.

At a public Chatham House event in London this week, high commissioner Phil Goff asked a question of Finnish foreign affairs minister Elina Valtonen, who was speaking on how to keep the peace with Russia, with which Finland shares a border.

Michael Ivory Fletcher alleged to have entered at least seven stores, loaded cart with Lego items and left quickly

A man in California has been charged with nabbing about $25,000 of Lego in two state counties, according to officials.

Michael Ivory Fletcher, 32, is accused of stealing the Lego products from Target stores in Walnut Creek and San Ramon between 15 August 2024 and 15 February 2025, according to the Contra Costa district attorney’s office. He faces multiple charges of commercial burglary and grand theft.

Trump tells Hamas to release all hostages or ‘it is over for you’ as US stops sharing intelligence with Ukraine – key US politics stories from Wednesday at a glance

Donald Trump posted a fresh ultimatum to Hamas, telling the group to “release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you”.

“‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye,” he wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, in an apparent reference to the beginning of direct talks with the group.

Two killed and 28 injured in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home city; Ukrainian president to join EU leaders in Brussels, with shared nuclear deterrence on the agenda

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