Poland and Baltics to quit landmine treaty over Russia fears

Poland and the Baltic states have announced plans to withdraw from a key international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing the rising threat from Russia. In a joint statement, the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said since signing the Ottawa Treaty, threats from Moscow and its ally Belarus have “significantly increased”. It is … Read more

Explosions over Gaza as Israeli military launches new strikes

More than 400 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military says it’s hitting “terror targets” across Gaza after talks to extend the ceasefire failed – it’s the biggest wave of strikes since 19 January, when the ceasefire began. Follow live updates here

A Lifeboat to London for Darwin’s Frogs

The folk song “Frog Went a-Courtin’” recounts the efforts of a sword- and pistol-toting frog to woo a mouse, who warns him that without the consent of her Uncle Rat she “wouldn’t marry the president.” The courtship rituals of Darwin’s frogs, in the cool, temperate rainforests of southern South America, are not nearly as conditional. … Read more

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire dividing Georgians

Rayhan Demytrie South Caucasus correspondent Reuters Bidzina Ivanishvili is beloved by some Georgians and loathed by others Most of the villagers in Chorvila in north-west Georgia adore Bidzina Ivanishvili, their proudest son who’s widely seen as the country’s real man in power. It’s a picture postcard settlement where the roads are good, the houses well-maintained … Read more

Trump Administration Aims to Eliminate E.P.A.’s Scientific Research Arm

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research arm, firing as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists, according to documents reviewed by Democrats on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The strategy is part of large-scale layoffs, known as a “reduction in force,” being planned by the Trump … Read more