The position of Director-General for the Austrian public broadcaster ORF from 2027 onwards has been advertised, seeking candidates with digital, social, and economic competence, as well as leadership experience and a university degree.
Disney Lorcana has announced new card sets and expansions, including "Wilds Unknown" and "Attack Of The Vine!", revealing new cards from popular Disney and Pixar franchises like Toy Story, Brave, and The Incredibles. Details regarding release dates and Illumineer’s Trove contents were also shared.
Galicia will permit the use of artificial intelligence in education to identify learning difficulties, with new regulations also stipulating that students can only use digital devices individually in classrooms from fifth grade onwards.
Police in Ethiopia have arrested a man suspected of being the mastermind behind a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking ring that has lured thousands to Libya since 2018, with the promise of onward travel to Europe.
After a warm and sunny day across much of Japan, Western Japan is expected to experience strong rain and wind from April 30th onwards, with residents advised to check the latest weather updates.
Cyprus is expected to experience mainly cloudy skies today, with local showers, isolated thunderstorms, and possible hail, particularly in coastal areas and increasing from midday onwards.
Speakers of Japan's House of Representatives and House of Councillors met to discuss stable imperial succession, agreeing to swiftly begin consultations among party representatives from April onwards to consolidate legislative consensus.
The Indian government plans to increase the income limit for post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Denotified Tribes (DNTs) starting from the 2026-27 academic year, with proposals for widespread changes to scholarship schemes and a plan to name an overseas scholarship for SCs after Dr. Ambedkar.
Japan's Machida Zelvia booked their place in the Asian Champions League quarter-finals in their competition debut after beating South Korea's Gangwon 1-0 in Tuesday's last 16 second leg.The Asian Champions League becomes a single-leg knock-out competition from the quarter-finals onwards, with all games set to be played in Saudi Arabia next month.
Women in Tamil Nadu are increasingly claiming their space in local administration, supported by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 which mandates at least 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions across India.
Cyprus will start Friday with mainly fine weather, but clouds are expected to form from noon onwards, bringing rain and potentially isolated thunderstorms, with gentle to moderate winds.
A new measure will lead to an additional €12 million annual burden on the state budget from 2026 onwards, aimed at improving the quality of food provided to the Armed Forces.
Boasberg Rubber-Stamps DOJ Request To Keep FBI-Twitter Payments Secret
When the Twitter files hit in December of 2022, they revealed that the Biden administration had paid Twitter at least $3.4 million between October 2019 and February 2021 to reimburse the pre-Musk, left-leaning social media giant for a flood of requests.
During this period, the Biden DOJ was going after vaccine skeptics, lab-leak proponents, 2020 election 'deniers,' Catholic parents, Hunter Biden laptop / Burisma content, and conservative news outlets. We also learned that the FBI's Elvis Chan and crew were holding weekly meeting with Twitter on "misinformation," and flagged thousands of accounts for the above.
Days after the Twitter files were released, watchdog group Judicial Watch sued the Biden DOJ, which oversees the FBI, over a FOIA request demanding to know how much the FBI paid Twitter from 2016 onward. The FBI initially refused, but eventually released 44-pages of documents with the key payment details redacted - claiming the data was protected under FOIA's "Exemption 7(E)," which lets agencies hide info about law enforcement methods if releasing it could help criminals or enemies dodge detection.
Judicial Watch then narrowed their claims to just those redacted payment amounts (JW dropped other issues such as vendor names), however in December of 2025, the Trump DOJ asked Judge James Boasberg for a Motion for Summary Judgement to deny Judicial Watch's request - effectively concealing the extent to which the FBI, under Trump and Biden, was going after Americans.
In its request for summary judgement, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office (say it ain't so!) argued that revealing payments that are tied to real investigations could reveal super secret investigative methods - such as how much the FBI is "engaging" with Twitter vs. other platforms, which could lead to 'bad guys' (criminals, hackers, foreign spies) to switch to platforms with less FBI activity, and that it might reveal shifts in FBI priorities over time.
Revealing the quarterly totals could also betray "mosaic theory," where seemingly harmless info (like one quarter's payment) can be pieced together with public data (e.g., Twitter's transparency reports) to form a big picture of FBI strategies.
Earlier this month, Boasberg agreed - ruling that revealing the payments could expose FBI "techniques and procedures" (how they monitor online threats) and help bad actors figure out what the FBI is focused on, allowing them to adapt and change strategies.
Boasberg wrote in his opinion that the 7(E) exemption is valid because it could "risk circumvention of the law."
So @JudicialWatch sued to find out how much the Deep State/Biden FBI was paying Twitter (now @X) to censor and spy on Americans. Kash Patel's FBI and Pam Bondi's Justice Department told a federal court we shouldn't get even summary quarterly totals of the payments because it… https://t.co/6P6oqQDxDj
February 18, 2026
What the actual...
.@FBIDirectorKash this was probably handled by lower-levels — a personal intervention on this one, which impacts 100 million voters & is critically important for Americans to restore trust in the bureau, at zero cost to FBI time or resources, would be greatly appreciated https://t.co/aHwXCi9h55
February 19, 2026
Maybe Elon can just give Tom Fitton the deets?
The filings for your reading pleasure...
DOJ request to deny Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch Inc v Us Department of Justice Dcdce-23-03004 0024.0 by Zerohedge Janitor
Boasberg's opinion granting the DOJ request:
Judicial Watch Inc v Us Department of Justice Dcdce-23-03004 0027.0 by Zerohedge Janitor
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/19/2026 - 18:50
Thai Airways International will raise its fuel surcharges by nearly 100% on many routes for tickets issued from May 1 onwards to cope with the soaring price of jet fuel.
Cyprus is expected to experience unsettled weather on Monday and Tuesday, with local showers and storms primarily anticipated from midday onwards in mountainous regions and the eastern half of the island, according to meteorology officer Andreas Chrysanthou.
Taiwan is scheduled to start collecting carbon fees from May onwards. This initiative is part of the island's broader efforts to address climate change and promote environmental sustainability.
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis is reportedly planning to use a pre-dawn debate as a "plunger" for the pre-constitutional review process, focusing on support measures, a constitutional counterattack after OPEKEPE, and preparing for elections from autumn onwards.
Cyprus is expected to experience unsettled weather, including increased cloud cover, local showers, isolated thunderstorms, and possible hail, affecting much of the island from Tuesday onwards through Easter week.
Čarna Brković's book on the transformations of humanitarianism in the Balkans, from the Cold War onwards, will be presented this evening in Podgorica, Montenegro, at Petrović Castle.
Meteorological models suggest a 'Super El Niño' could develop in the Pacific region starting this summer, potentially leading to extreme weather events from 2027 onwards.
Anna Masaryková, the eldest of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk's four grandchildren, faced challenges even during the First Republic, and especially after, due to her lineage. She and her sister Herberta maintained their connection to their grandfather's legacy into old age.
Sales on Weverse Shop will begin on Mar 20, 2pm KST onwards, with the official album merchandise and items from the BTS X Mu:ds Collaboration available online.
INFO LE FIGARO - In addition to the kitchens of Castellet (Var), Fabien Ferré will oversee, from May onwards, the gastronomic destinies of the hotel taken over by the Singaporean group COMO at...
China is targeting tax reform as a major goal for its new 5-year plan, from 2026 onwards, as local governments face fiscal challenges and growing public service obligations.
The Greek government's Gov.gr platform now offers digital access to 12,375 undergraduate degrees from the Agricultural University of Athens, available for graduates from the academic year 1983-1984 onwards.
A century ago, the Serra da Estrela mountains were Portugal’s answer to the Swiss health resorts of St Moritz and Davos. Now, a historic sanatorium has been given a 21st-century makeover and is drawing people back to the hills
Navigating the high slopes of Portugal’s Serra da Estrela in midwinter requires serious negotiation with the elements, but my guide, João Pedro Sousa, makes it look simple. Angling his lean frame into the wind, he digs his plastic snow-shoes into a steep drift and pauses, scanning the white ridgeline. He’s looking for mariolas – small cairns of rocks, fused by ice, that will indicate our onward trail. “The landscape changes every day so you have to learn how to read it afresh,” he says, setting off again. “At this time of year, nature is a true artist.”
I plod inelegantly in his wake, still clumsy in the frames clipped to my boots to keep me from sinking into the powder. At a quartzite outcrop rippled with rose and amber, we pause and drink in the view. Below us, cupped in the glacial scar of the Zêzere valley, is the terracotta-roofed town of Manteigas – founded in the 12th century and today the modest hub for tourism in the region. Ahead, on the horizon, João Pedro points out mainland Portugal’s highest peak, the 1,993-metre Torre, home to a small ski resort suited to beginners. “This region is full of surprises,” he grins.
Continue reading...
This article details the actual percentages of salary workers will receive during sick leave in Spain, explaining that no public benefit is paid for the first three days, 60% from day 4 to 20, and 75% from day 21 onwards, unless improved by collective agreement.
All 18 employees of the victim protection center Zara have been dismissed due to a funding cut, raising concerns about the future of the organization and its services from June onwards.
TechnologyReutersorfmarketwatch+7Times of Indiahindustan-timesindian-expressndtvchannel-news-asiaseeking-alphazerohedge12d ago10 sources
Meta is reportedly preparing for a significant wave of layoffs, with the first round targeting around 8,000 to 10% of its workforce set to begin on May 20. These job cuts are linked to the company's strategic shift towards artificial intelligence.
Monika Maron has published her diaries from 1980 onwards, chronicling her journey as a writer, chronicler of German reunification, and a controversial figure. An interview with F.A.S. regarding the diaries was not released by her.
Ta ratoborna stara himna „Onward Christian Soldiers“ ("Napred, hrišćanski vojnici") danas se retko čuje, iako je nekada bila omiljena među crkvenim zajednicama i na školskim okupljanjima.
The Philippine Palace has ordered a half-day work-from-home arrangement for government employees on Holy Wednesday, April 1, with work suspended from noon onward.
UK inflation has dropped from record highs but remains above the Bank of England's 2% target, with February's data considered stale and unlikely to significantly influence the Bank of England's policy decisions, as the economic effects of the Iran war are expected to become apparent only from March onwards.
Which supplements really work? Science journalist Bas Kast explains which preparations may protect against dementia, why he himself takes lithium, and which remedies he considers risky...
The National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection (ANPIS) has announced a national campaign to inspect over 400 residential social services for adults with disabilities, with checks scheduled from March onwards.
From the 18th century onwards, female authors gained unprecedented prominence, from Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters in the West to the rise of significant women writers in Qing-era China (1644–1912).
The increasing prominence of female Chinese authors was driven by Dream of the Red Chamber, an 18th-century masterpiece by Cao Xueqin, widely considered the pinnacle of Chinese fiction and one of the four great classical novels of Chinese history. Cao’s book was so important that a cottage...
The product is being withdrawn due to the inappropriate size of the ventilation holes, separation of the nipple during the tensile test, and missing warnings and instructions for use.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that the state government is considering a Rs 25,000 birth incentive for couples from their second child onwards to address the falling birth rate.
The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) is hearing climate lawsuits filed by Deutsche Umwelthilfe against BMW and Mercedes, seeking to ban the sale of internal combustion engines by the automakers from 2030 onwards.
The incident occurred as PHL Dauphin N3 helicopter was making journey from Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andamans to Rangat and onward journey to Maya Bunder.
If the filling quantity of packages is reduced at the same price, this must be marked from April 1st onwards. This could be contrary to EU law. – A guest post.
In Defense Of Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Authored by Charles Johnson via TheCritic.co.uk,
Far more energy has gone into condemning his phrasing than confronting the questions he raised...
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s statement that Britain has been “colonised by immigrants” has sparked a fierce reaction.
From Starmer to Bluesky, to the Athletic and all the football social media pundits in between, the co-owner of Manchester United has been bombarded with the same attack lines repeatedly.
He has been called a tax dodging, racist immigrant hypocrite.
Such an uproar has flared up in such a short space of time because Ratcliffe is radically different from those who have issued similar statements before. Ratcliffe is not a political figure: you do not see billionaires nor football club owners voicing discontent like this. The pushback has been fierce because Ratcliffe has no political incentive to say any of this. He isn’t running for office, seeking favour, or chasing votes — which makes his intervention harder to dismiss. Part of the backlash, too, reflects an unease that his diagnosis may be accurate.
The remarks came from an initial conversation regarding the economic challenges Britain faces in general, not solely on immigration. The snippet that has been so widely shared is merely part of a wider statement of the economic problems Britain faces; Ratcliffe refers to the issues of “immigration” and “nine million people” on benefits simultaneously.
Manchester United part-owner has told @EdConwaySky the UK has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, as he warns of the country facing profound political, social and economic challenges.
🔗 https://t.co/bie6uFZ1Tp pic.twitter.com/qFpiO0HkfO
February 11, 2026
Colonised is a strong opening salvo for a figure such as Ratcliffe, who is not known for any previous anti-migration stance. This generated responses of tone policing from his critics – cries that his choice of words were “disgraceful and deeply divisive” and that “this language and leadership has no place in English football” from Kick It Out, a notable “Anti Racism” football pressure group. There was no attempt to argue or debate: this was no more than tone policing, of “mate mate mate, you can’t say that mate”. It did not engage with the substantive point. It was not an argument.
The Prime Minister has pushed for Ratcliffe to apologise. Less than a year ago, Starmer was referring to Britain as an ”Island of Strangers”; he has little argument here. Sir Ed Davey has stated that Ratcliffe is “totally wrong” and is “out of step with British Values”. Once again this is weak tone policing, not an argument. Regardless, which British values are being violated in particular? What are British values precisely meant to mean here?
The fact is that Ratcliffe’s vocabulary choice is nowhere near as divisive as the impacts of mass migration in the last quarter century.
Mass migration is the most important issue in British political debate. It has bought sectarianism, Bengali and Palestinian politics swinging both local council and Parliamentary elections, a deepening of housing crisis, the rape and murder of British women from taxpayer funded hotels and programs which bloat the welfare state even further. It is undeniable mass migration has defined British politics of the 2010s onwards. It has been much more harmful and divisive than any comment made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. His words are nothing compared to the actions of Deng Chol Majek, or Hedash Kebatu, to name a couple of examples.
Critics have also cried that Ratcliffe is “an immigrant himself, dodging tax in Monaco”. The difference between Ratcliffe and migration into Britain is so different they are almost incomparable. In the 2017/18 tax year Ratcliffe was the fifth highest taxpayer in the country, footing a bill of £110.5 million. With such an extraordinarily high bill, it is no wonder that he has since moved to Monaco. Meanwhile, the average salary of of a migrant entering Britain in 2023 (which has fallen by £10,000 since 2021) was £32,946, according to a report by the Centre for Migration Control. From this we can estimate a migrant would pay about £5,000 in income tax. That means it would take over 22,000 (statistically average) migrants to foot the tax bill that Ratcliffe paid in one year alone. Ratcliffe has been an exceptional cash cow to the British state. He has been taxed incredible amounts and contributed more to this country than almost anyone currently living; to call him hypocritical since he dared to criticise migration and its impact on the welfare state is simply not fair.
Census data from the ONS in 2021 shows that migrants from four nations – Somalia, Nigeria, Jamaica and Bangladesh – head over 104,000 social homes in London alone. With such incredible numbers of subsidised housing going to foreign born nationals, it is absolutely correct to state that mass migration is costing the British economy a fortune. The same census states that over 70% of Somali born households are in social housing in England and Wales, whilst also being of lowest contributors to income tax in the nation – paying well under the £5,000 stated per head previously. The increase and sheer scale of benefit reliance for many immigrants in Britain is not sustainable, and it is a problem that is right to be addressed.
Perhaps the most nonsensical argument presented by some is that as co-owner of Manchester United he employs a significant number of immigrant players. Bruno Fernandes is not living in social housing in Wythenshawe. Benjamin Sesko is not in a single bed council flat in Hulme. When he arrived in Manchester last year, the first thing Senne Lammens did was not register for Universal Credit. Not a single foreign player is a drain on the state. They are, as elite athletes in the most lucrative league in the world, very clearly exceptions to the norm of British migration. The difference between Bruno Fernandes, who earns a reported £300,000 a week, and the over 40% of Bangladeshi immigrants who are economically inactive should really not need spelling out. We are referring to just 17 foreign senior team players who all earn more in a week than the average migrant – or Brit – will earn in a year. It is ludicrous to even attempt to compare the two. Regardless, employing or working with immigrants does not mean you waive your right to criticise the state of affairs in Britain. As an Englishman, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a given and inalienable right to comment on the affairs of his country.
Ratcliffe’s critics have entirely focused on his choice of the word “colonised”, and how they consider it inflammatory. This choice of phrase was not entirely accurate or intentional by Ratcliffe – proved by the fact he issued an apology over his “choice of language”, rather than the substance and argument behind his critique of the broader economic challenge of Britain.
The bottom line is, Ratcliffe was right to raise a perfectly reasonable concern. He is directionally correct, and close enough to the truth that the obsessive focus around his phrasing is both absurd and clearly no more than a tactic to dodge the substance of his argument entirely.
His critics have been intentionally evasive around the underlying subject: it is a harsh, necessary truth they have no reply too.
They avoid the debate because, despite his wording being wrong, Ratcliffe is right.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/17/2026 - 06:30