Top World News

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Exclusive: Government forces issued threat because Australian government failed to coordinate with them, official saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSyrian government officials warned a convoy of Australian families linked to Islamic State fighters that they would be fired upon if they continued towards Damascus last week, a Kurdish official said.A group of 34 Australian women and children, assisted by their relatives, left al-Roj detention camp on Monday 16 February under a Kurdish military escort, with the aim of reaching Damascus before flying to Australia. But about 50km away from the camp, Kurdish security forces received a call from the government in Damascus, telling them that the convoy would be “struck” if they tried to reach territory controlled by Syrian government forces. Kurdish forces de-facto control much of north-east Syria, including the area by the Iraqi border where al-Roj is located, and the convoy needed to “cross” a checkpoint controlled by the Syrian government to reach Damascus. Continue reading...

Feb 23, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump announced last week that a U.S. Naval hospital ship was en route to Greenland, sparking outrage at yet another imperialist move on the Danish territory despite its residents' repeated insistence they have no interest in joining the United States. Trump cited a supposed public health crisis going on in Greenland, without any details or explanation.But according to the Wall Street Journal, no such hospital ship on the way."The U.S. has two hospital ships, the East Coast-based USNS Comfort and the West Coast-based USNS Mercy, which are designed as floating medical treatment facilities," said the report. "Both vessels are currently in a shipyard in Mobile, Ala., according to maritime tracking information. The Comfort is undergoing repairs that are expected to be completed in April, while the Mercy is in the middle of a one-year maintenance period that began last July."Moreover, even if a ship were on the way, the report noted, it couldn't do much."Even if the Pentagon were to send one of the ships to Greenland, Danish authorities would have to make a formal request for their assistance before they could dock on the island, one of the U.S. officials said," said the report. "Danish officials have publicly rejected Trump’s offer to send a hospital ship."This comes after reporting that the Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederick Nielsen, rebuffed the offer of a hospital ship visit to the island, saying, “President Trump’s idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens.”

Feb 23, 2026 - World

The United States on Monday ordered non-emergency personnel to leave its embassy in Beirut as President Donald Trump threatens strikes on Iran, which has close relations with Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Blizzard warnings issued as some areas receive two feet of snow, creating whiteout conditionsBlizzard shuts down the north-east US – in picturesMillions of people in the north-eastern US were stuck at home on Monday as heavy snow and strong winds created white-out conditions, grounding flights in the area and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.Snowfall totals in 21 cities and towns across New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts had reached at least 2ft, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). In some areas, that snow has been accompanied by strong wind gusts of over 30mph (48km/h) and low visibility. Continue reading...

Feb 23, 2026 - World

Designer Daniel Lee’s trenchcoats and bomber jackets fizz with urban energy in collection that embraces bad weatherIn a winter of record-breaking rain, Burberry – purveyor of the stalwart British coat – is back in the zeitgeist. A season of downpours has provided an apt backdrop for a return to form, as the brand re-entered the FTSE 100 last autumn after an ignominious year out of the charts.The classic check scarf was ranked the fourth hottest fashion item in the last quarter of 2025 on the search, sales and social media metrics of the Lyst index, with overall demand for the brand up 239% year on year. Continue reading...