The first Europeans reached Ukraine 1.4 million years ago – new research

The first Europeans reached Ukraine 1.4 million years ago – new research

Remains of the castle in Korolevo, close to the site. Катерина Байдужа/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA By John Jansen, Czech Academy of Sciences During warm periods in Earth’s history, known as interglacials, glaciers the size of continents pulled back to reveal new landscapes. These were new worlds for early humans to explore and exploit, and 1.4 million years ago this was Europe: a Terra nullius unoccupied by humans. Long before it emerged as the epicentre of global colonialism, Europe was itself…

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Trump’s financial problems are very real and very bad

Trump’s financial problems are very real and very bad

David A. Graham writes: The danger posed to Donald Trump’s finances by two recent judgments against him has been, if anything, underappreciated. The size of the awards, the structure of the former president’s business empire, and the condition of the real-estate market combine to create a truly perilous moment for the former president’s company and, by extension, for Trump’s personal finances. Trump must put up the $83.3 million awarded to the writer E. Jean Carroll for defamation by March 9….

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White House considering imposing restrictions on how Israel uses weapons supplied by U.S.

White House considering imposing restrictions on how Israel uses weapons supplied by U.S.

David Ignatius writes: The Biden administration, worried about a new humanitarian catastrophe, appears to be considering ways to prevent Israel from using U.S. weapons if it attacks the densely populated area around the city of Rafah. President Biden and senior advisers haven’t made any decision about imposing “conditionality” on U.S. weapons. But the very fact that officials seem to be debating this extreme step shows the administration’s growing concern about the crisis in Gaza — and its sharp disagreement with…

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UK plan in place to resume UNRWA funding after ‘hasty’ suspension

UK plan in place to resume UNRWA funding after ‘hasty’ suspension

Middle East Eye reports: The British government has a plan in place to resume funding to the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, Middle East Eye has learnt from a parliamentary source with direct knowledge of the matter. A second source told MEE that a little over a week after the UK announced it was pausing its funding to the UN agency, Foreign Secretary David Cameron acknowledged the decision had been “too hasty” and was looking for face-saving measures…

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Zelenskiy hails Sweden’s NATO entry, eyes day Ukraine might also join

Zelenskiy hails Sweden’s NATO entry, eyes day Ukraine might also join

RFE/RL reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed Sweden’s entry into the NATO military alliance, largely viewed as a reaction to Russia’s invasion of his country in 2022, saying the Scandinavian country was a “strong ally and a country that can be trusted.” Zelenskiy, who seeks eventual NATO membership for Ukraine, added that “there will be a day when Sweden will be able to congratulate Ukraine on joining the alliance as well. Together, we are always stronger.” Sweden joined NATO in…

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Spate of fake news sites with Russian ties pop up in U.S.

Spate of fake news sites with Russian ties pop up in U.S.

The New York Times reports: Into the depleted field of journalism in America, a handful of websites have appeared in recent weeks with names suggesting a focus on news close to home: D.C. Weekly, the New York News Daily, the Chicago Chronicle and a newer sister publication, the Miami Chronicle. In fact, they are not local news organizations at all. They are Russian creations, researchers and government officials say, meant to mimic actual news organizations to push Kremlin propaganda by…

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PragerU is a conservative video giant. Here’s why it’s trying to get into schools

PragerU is a conservative video giant. Here’s why it’s trying to get into schools

NPR reports: Despite the suggestive sound of its name, PragerU is not a university. It’s a content creator. The conservative media nonprofit makes short, well-produced videos crafted to appeal to college students and young people. It has polished animations and titles like “What Radical Islam and the Woke Have in Common” and “Is There Really a Climate Emergency?” Recently, news headlines have focused on its PragerU Kids content. Arizona recently became the latest state where education officials have embraced online…

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Landmark study links microplastics to serious health problems

Landmark study links microplastics to serious health problems

Nature reports: Plastics are just about everywhere — food packaging, tyres, clothes, water pipes. And they shed microscopic particles that end up in the environment and can be ingested or inhaled by people. Now the first data of their kind show a link between these microplastics and human health. A study of more than 200 people undergoing surgery found that nearly 60% had microplastics or even smaller nanoplastics in a main artery. Those who did were 4.5 times more likely…

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Biden may be engaging in one of the most selfish and destructive acts ever undertaken by an American president

Biden may be engaging in one of the most selfish and destructive acts ever undertaken by an American president

Mark Leibovich writes: As a general rule, voters tend not to appreciate late-career politicians when they’re trying to stick around. Hillary Clinton was among the most admired leaders in America when she left her post as secretary of state, in early 2013. That esteem eroded considerably when she started seeking a promotion in 2015. Perhaps Biden’s turnabout owes to a similar phenomenon: Voters preferred his presidency as a farewell tour more than an endurance run. Even many of Biden’s biggest…

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U.S. floods arms into Israel despite mounting alarm over war’s conduct

U.S. floods arms into Israel despite mounting alarm over war’s conduct

The Washington Post reports: The United States has quietly approved and delivered more than 100 separate foreign military sales to Israel since the Gaza war began Oct. 7, amounting to thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid, U.S. officials told members of Congress in a recent classified briefing. The triple-digit figure, which has not been previously reported, is the latest indication of Washington’s extensive involvement in the polarizing five-month conflict even as top…

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Starvation in Gaza. There is no precedent for what is happening — and it is entirely preventable

Starvation in Gaza. There is no precedent for what is happening — and it is entirely preventable

Devi Sridhar writes: The news from Gaza feels too painful to watch. Videos of immediate violence capture TV and social-media audiences: within seconds, entire hospitals are destroyed and buildings fall to the ground. We are watching death in real time. In my last piece on Gaza, I highlighted the records being set: considering its short duration, it has been the deadliest war in modern history for children, for journalists, for healthcare workers and for UN staff. But there are parts…

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Canadian government will resume funding to United Nations relief agency for Palestinians

Canadian government will resume funding to United Nations relief agency for Palestinians

CBC reports: The federal government is resuming funding to UNRWA, the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, CBC News has learned. In addition to going ahead with a scheduled payment in April of $25 million, Canada’s international development minister also intends to announce new funding, according to a senior government official. The Canadian government announced a pause on funding in January after Israel alleged that 12 employees of UNRWA were involved in some capacity in the Oct. 7 attack on…

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What NATO allies must do to prepare for Russian aggression

What NATO allies must do to prepare for Russian aggression

Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Greg Weaver write: The U.S. has long framed the invasion of Ukraine as a strategic failure for Russia. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared it as such in June 2023, saying: “Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been a strategic failure, greatly diminishing Russia’s power, its interests, and its influence for years to come.” And yet, in the last two months, a growing number of Western officials have warned of a military threat from Russia against…

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Inside Big Oil’s plot to keep their emissions confidential

Inside Big Oil’s plot to keep their emissions confidential

The New Republic reports: The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday voted 3–2 to finalize a rule on what companies disclose about their greenhouse gas emissions and how climate change stands to impact their business. On its face, that wouldn’t seem to be much cause for alarm. Companies are already required to disclose information on their management structures, overall financial health, and the kinds of risks facing their business. Large segments of the oil and gas industry, though, as well…

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