News from February 12, 2025 at 2 PM

Two Australian nurses employed at a Sydney hospital have been suspended after a video emerged showing them threatening to kill Israeli patients and boasting about refusing to treat them. Authorities in New South Wales (NSW) are investigating the incident. State Health Minister Ryan Park announced a thorough investigation to ensure no adverse patient outcomes, though a rapid review of hospital records found nothing unusual. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the video as 'sickening and shameful' after it went viral online. This incident follows Australia's recent passage of tougher anti-hate crime laws. NSW Police have identified the individuals in the video and immediately suspended them, promising they will never work in the NSW healthcare system again. The video was shared on TikTok by Israeli content creator Max Veifer.

On February 9, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying to New Orleans for the Super Bowl. Subsequently, the White House barred an Associated Press reporter from an Oval Office event for refusing to alter its style on the Gulf's name. Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP, called the move unacceptable and a violation of the First Amendment. Trump had previously announced the name change and signed an executive order. Mexico's president responded sarcastically, while Google Maps adopted the new name and Apple Maps retained the original. The AP stated it would continue using the Gulf of Mexico name but note Trump's renaming decision.

On February 11, 2025, former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales testified in court that he was 'absolutely sure' he had Jenni Hermoso's consent before kissing her during the 2023 Women's World Cup final medal ceremony in Australia. Rubiales is on trial for sexual assault and attempting to coerce Hermoso into publicly stating the kiss was consensual. Hermoso insists she did not give permission, calling the incident a stain on one of her happiest days. The event sparked widespread protests, leading to Rubiales's resignation in September 2023. Three former colleagues are also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso. Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half-year jail term for Rubiales, with the trial set to conclude on February 19.

Greece's parliament has elected former speaker Kostas Tasoulas as the country's new president after four rounds of voting. Tasoulas's candidacy was supported by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The first three rounds, held on January 25, 31, and February 6, were inconclusive. In the first two rounds, a candidate needed two-thirds of the votes (200 out of 300), while in the third round, 180 votes were required. Tasoulas received only 160 votes in the first three rounds. In the fourth round, a candidate is deemed elected with 151 votes, and the ruling New Democracy party, which nominated Tasoulas, holds 156 seats in parliament.

A female teacher suffering from depression in Daejeon, South Korea, stabbed an 8-year-old girl, Kim Hana, to death on a school campus on Monday, shocking the nation. Kim Hana disappeared after leaving her after-school care program at 4:40 PM, and her parents reported her missing at 5:15 PM. Police found the teacher and Kim Hana in a pool of blood in the audio-visual room at 5:45 PM, with the girl succumbing to her injuries. The teacher confessed to the crime and attempted self-harm. She had taken a medical leave for depression in December but returned to work early, experiencing anxiety and irritability. Prior to the incident, she assaulted a colleague, and the school's recommendation for her to take leave was rejected by the education office. Citizens and parents expressed concerns over school safety and management, with the victim's father urging the government to legislate to prevent similar tragedies.

Ukrainian forces conducted a drone attack on Wednesday targeting the city of Enerhodar near the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, according to the Moscow-installed regional governor. The plant's management reported no safety violations, stating that the radiation levels at the site and in the observation area remained normal. The drones struck a car park approximately 300 meters from one of the plant's reactors, Governor Yevgeny Balitsky noted on Telegram. Reuters was unable to independently verify the report, and there was no immediate response from Ukraine. Russian forces seized control of the nuclear plant, Europe's largest, shortly after President Vladimir Putin deployed troops to Ukraine in February 2022. All six reactor units are in a 'cold shutdown' to mitigate the risk of a nuclear accident. Russia and Ukraine frequently accuse each other of shelling the plant and surrounding areas. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has permanent monitors at the site and has urged both sides to refrain from attacks. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned last week of an increase in attacks on the plant, noting that it is impossible to determine responsibility based on the analysis of drone fragments.

On October 1, 2024, US Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking to Fox News after participating in the Vice Presidential debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York, stated that the US will protect its artificial intelligence and chip technologies to prevent their 'weaponization.' At the AI Action Summit in Paris, Vance highlighted that some authoritarian regimes have stolen and used AI to enhance military and surveillance capabilities, and vowed that the US will block such efforts. He also criticized Europe for focusing too much on regulating AI, urging a more proactive embrace of the technology. The EU has recently implemented stringent AI regulations and plans to invest 200 billion euros in AI technologies.

A spokesperson for the Kunduz Provincial Police confirmed to Xinhua that a suicide bombing occurred outside the Kabul Bank in Kunduz Province, northern Afghanistan, on the morning of November 11th. The attack has resulted in 5 deaths and 7 injuries. Following the incident, local authorities promptly launched an investigation, with further details still under investigation.

Renowned British-Indian author Sir Salman Rushdie testified in a New York state court about the stabbing attack on stage two years ago, which left him blind in one eye. He recounted thinking he was dying during the assault. The defendant, 27-year-old Hadi Matar, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault. Sir Salman had faced years of threats since the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses in 1988. The attack occurred on August 12, 2022, as he was about to speak at the Chautauqua Institution. He detailed the attack, stating he was stabbed 15 times, with the most severe injury to his eye. His wife, Lady Rushdie, cried in the courtroom as he recounted the incident. Despite reduced threats, the attack shattered his sense of safety.

US President Donald Trump's remarks about acquiring control over Denmark's autonomous territory Greenland have sparked controversy. In response, Danes launched an online petition proposing to buy California, which has garnered approximately 199,000 signatures. The petition suggests Trump might be willing to sell California and proposes renaming the California Disneyland to 'Hans Christian Andersen Land'. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Greenland and hinted at using military or economic means to seize it. The Danish government announced an investment of about $2 billion to strengthen Arctic and North Atlantic defenses, with the Greenland government supporting the move and insisting that Greenland is 'not for sale'.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the extension of temporary border controls for six months, informing the European Union, as he aims to demonstrate the government's commitment to combating irregular migration less than two weeks before the February 23 election. Germany reintroduced border checks in September in response to a surge in arrivals, particularly from people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East. The controls mainly target asylum seekers from neighboring EU countries, subject to the EU's Dublin rules for processing asylum applications. Data indicates the effectiveness of these measures, with 47,000 people rejected at borders, a one-third drop in asylum applications in 2024 compared to 2023, and the arrest of 1,900 smugglers. With the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) polling second at around 20% in most surveys, migration remains a top concern for voters ahead of the election.

Following the United States' announcement last month to withdraw from the World Health Organization, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier stated on February 11 that the organization is struggling to obtain information on avian flu outbreaks in the US. Lindmeier noted that communication challenges exist and traditional contact methods have been cut off. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office, January 20, to withdraw from the WHO. Some countries have expressed concerns that the US might stop reporting relevant information. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 68 human cases of H5N1 avian flu have been reported in the US since 2024. Currently, no human-to-human transmission has been detected, but the risk of infection is higher for individuals with prolonged exposure to birds, poultry, or cattle.

Iran warned the United Nations on Tuesday about what it termed as 'reckless and inflammatory statements' by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening the use of force, cautioning that any act of aggression would have severe consequences. In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani cited Trump's remarks in interviews with the New York Post and Fox News, emphasizing Iran's resolve to defend its sovereignty and national interests. Trump last week reinstated his 'maximum pressure' campaign against Iran, aiming to reduce its oil exports to zero. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian questioned the U.S.'s sincerity, while Iravani accused U.S. policy of escalating hostility against Iran. The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief revealed that Iran is significantly accelerating uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity.

This week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the White House, as India stands as the world's fifth-largest economy. By the end of President Donald Trump's second term, it may rise to the third position. The United States is betting on India's relentless ascent. During Trump's first term, the massive rallies 'Howdy Modi' and 'Namaste Trump' headlined by the two leaders became a visual symbol of a relationship that many in India hope will further deepen.

SoftBank Group reported an unexpected quarterly loss on Wednesday, with its Vision Fund investments turning red. The company's revenue also fell short of analysts' estimates. For the quarter ended December 31, the Vision Fund investments incurred a loss of 352.75 billion yen, reversing gains from the previous two quarters. The broader Vision Fund segment reported a quarterly loss of 309.93 billion yen. SoftBank's Vision Fund 1 saw a 2.8% decline in the fair value of its portfolio companies, while Vision Fund 2's value fell by 3.7%. In recent years, SoftBank has faced challenges with its high-value investments and is now pivoting to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. The company is close to finalizing a $40 billion investment in OpenAI, which would make SoftBank its top backer, surpassing Microsoft. SoftBank has committed to spending $3 billion annually on OpenAI's technology and announced a joint venture to market OpenAI's enterprise tech in Japan. The earnings were reported after the Tokyo stock exchange closed, with SoftBank's shares having gained 45% last year.