Author: OMN AI

A senior legal adviser to the European Court of Justice has said the European Commission should not have unfrozen billions of euros in funding for Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued that Hungary failed to fully implement the judicial reforms required before about €10bn in EU funds could be released. The commission had suspended payments in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law breaches under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it decided reforms were sufficient and lifted the freeze. The European Parliament challenged that decision, claiming the commission made serious errors. Ćapeta said the commission did not properly assess…

Senior defence officials from the United States and Europe gathered in Brussels this week with a clear message: the future of NATO will require Europe to shoulder more of the burden. While both sides appear to agree on that direction, their motivations are not entirely the same. Washington has long argued that European allies must take greater responsibility for defending the continent, especially as the US looks to focus more attention on the Indo-Pacific and other strategic priorities. European leaders, meanwhile, are increasingly aware that relying too heavily on an unpredictable US administration carries its own risks. Washington’s Push for…

Narrow Vote Exposes Divisions in Congress The US House of Representatives voted to overturn President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Lawmakers approved the resolution with 219 votes in favor and 211 votes against. Six Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to support the measure. The vote remains largely symbolic because the US Senate must approve it and Trump must sign it. Trump is very unlikely to approve the measure if it reaches his desk. Trump Escalated Tariffs After Re-Election Trump imposed several tariffs on Canada after his re-election. He recently threatened a 100% import tax in response to Canada’s proposed trade…

Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming or dancing can act as a frontline treatment for mild depression and anxiety, researchers say. A large analysis of 63 published reviews covering nearly 80,000 people found that physical activity significantly reduced symptoms, especially in young adults and new mothers. The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that heart rate–raising aerobic exercise had the strongest impact on depression. Resistance training and yoga also helped, though to a lesser degree. Group or supervised sessions delivered added benefits, suggesting social interaction plays a key role. Neil Munro of James Cook University said…

Victims Discovered Inside School and Nearby Home A quiet community in northern British Columbia was shaken Tuesday after a deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School left at least nine people dead. Authorities confirmed that six victims were found inside the school building, while another died on the way to hospital. The suspected gunman was also discovered at the scene with what police described as a self-inflicted injury. Police later located two additional victims at a residence in Tumbler Ridge believed to be connected to the attack. In total, nine people lost their lives in one of the deadliest school…

Agency Refuses to Review Seasonal Flu Shot The US Food and Drug Administration refused to accept Moderna’s application to review its first mRNA seasonal flu vaccine. The company announced the decision on Tuesday. The refusal delivers another setback for mRNA vaccine development in the United States. Several officials in the Trump administration have recently criticized the technology. The FDA said the application lacked an adequate and well-controlled trial. The agency said the control group did not reflect the best available standard of care in the United States during the study. Moderna said regulators did not raise any safety or efficacy…

Doctors say a return to Nepal’s traditional lentil and rice diet could help tackle a growing type 2 diabetes crisis. Around one in five Nepalis over 40 now lives with the condition, driven partly by the spread of western processed foods. With diabetes medication often unaffordable, complications can quickly become life-threatening. Small studies in Kathmandu and nearby communities show promising results. A calorie-controlled traditional diet helped about half of participants achieve remission within four months, with modest weight loss. The research forms part of a wider four-year project led by the University of Glasgow and Dhulikhel Hospital in Nepal. The…

Refusal to Testify in Epstein Probe Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee during a deposition on Monday. Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in a Texas federal prison for sex trafficking, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights in a video call with lawmakers. The committee is investigating individuals who may have helped Epstein carry out decades of abuse. Clemency as a Condition for Testimony Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told lawmakers that she would speak openly if granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump. Markus claimed…

Discord will soon require users worldwide to verify their age before accessing adult content. Users must confirm their age with a face scan or upload an official ID. The platform says it has more than 200 million monthly users. The company says the new safety system will place all users into a teen-appropriate environment by default. Discord already requires age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws. The platform will expand the system globally from early March. Savannah Badalich, Discord’s policy head, said teen safety remains a central priority. She added that teen-by-default settings strengthen…

Ice-Free Routes Come at a High Cost As global temperatures rise, Arctic sea ice is melting faster than ever, opening waterways that were previously frozen year-round. This has led to a surge in cargo ships, fishing vessels, and even cruise liners navigating the region. But the environmental cost is steep: soot, or black carbon, from ship engines darkens ice and snow, causing it to absorb more heat from the sun and accelerating melting. “It ends up in a never-ending cycle of increased warming,” says Sian Prior, lead adviser for the Clean Arctic Alliance. The effects ripple far beyond the Arctic,…