World
Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect, IDF begins pulling back in Gaza
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A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect at 12:00 p.m. local time, marking the beginning of the end of the brutal war that has gone on for more than two years. The development also brings the hostages one step closer to returning home.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Friday morning that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that Israel completed the first phase of the withdrawal and that Hamas’ 72-hour window to release the hostages had begun.
The Israeli government approved and signed the deal overnight, local time, kicking off a 24-hour countdown clock during which time troops had to withdraw to a pre-determined position.
“Following the political echelon’s instructions and due to the situational assessment, the IDF has begun operational preparations ahead of the implementation of the agreement. As part of this process, preparations and a combat protocol are underway to transition to adjusted deployment lines soon. The IDF continues to be deployed in the area and prepared for any operational development,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on X.
TRUMP PEACE DEAL TRIGGERS 72-HOUR COUNTDOWN FOR HAMAS TO RELEASE 48 HOSTAGES FROM GAZA
Israeli soldiers stand atop military vehicles on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border on Oct. 10, 2025, after the Israeli government ratified a deal with Hamas. (Shir Torem/Reuters)
Hours later, the IDF confirmed that the ceasefire commenced and that troops had positioned themselves “along the updated deployment lines.”
While Israel’s presence has decreased in Gaza, the peace agreement stipulates that it will still occupy 53% of the enclave until the next phase.
IDF spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee sent out a statement in Arabic regarding the exact situation on the ground. He warned Palestinians against approaching IDF troops, as doing so “endangers your life.” Adraee also said that the northern part of the Gaza Strip is still “extremely dangerous,” particularly the areas of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, Shejaiya and any other area with a “concentration of troops.” Other areas included in the warning were the Rafah Crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor.
“Do not move toward Israeli territory, and do not approach the security zone. Approaching the security zone is extremely dangerous. For your safety, do not begin moving to these areas until official approval has been granted,” Adraee said in his message.
Now that the IDF has completed its repositioning, Hamas has 72 hours to release all the hostages, living and dead. This includes the bodies of U.S. citizens Omer Neutra and Itay Chen.
Palestinians, who were displaced to the southern part of Gaza at Israel’s order during the war, make their way following their arrival in Gaza City after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect on Oct. 10, 2025. (Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters)
WORLD LEADERS PRAISE ‘LANDMARK’ ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL MEDIATED BY US: ‘NEW HORIZON OF HOPE’
The U.S. is not deploying troops to Gaza; however, two U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News that 200 troops from CENTCOM will be sent to Israel to help oversee the ceasefire. They will facilitate security and humanitarian flow and monitor the implementation of the deal, including transportation, logistics and engineering, the officials said.
President Donald Trump said in a Cabinet meeting on Thursday that he expected the hostages to be home on Monday or Tuesday. The president also announced that he would be making a trip over to the Middle East for the official signing of the agreement.
“We secured the release of all of the remaining hostages, and they should be released on Monday or Tuesday,” Trump said, adding that the day the hostages return will “be a day of joy.”
People walk past posters of hostages held by the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 10, 2025. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, hours after the announcement that Israel and Hamas signed the first phase of the deal, Trump spoke with family members of hostages being held in Gaza. The families thanked the president and praised him for securing a deal that would bring their loved ones home after more than two years in captivity.
World
Ukraine strikes major Russian ammo depot with ‘Flamingo’ missile as Trump urges Zelenskyy to move on deal
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Video released this week shows Ukraine launching domestically produced FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles, as Kyiv pushes deeper strikes on Russian military infrastructure nearly four years into the war.
Ukraine’s military said the missiles were used in an overnight attack on February 11 to 12 targeting a missile, ammunition and an explosives arsenal near the settlement of Kotluban in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast, describing the facility as belonging to Russia’s Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, known as GRAU, and said it was among the largest ammunition storage hubs used by Russian forces.
Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.
RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KHARKIV WIPES OUT YOUNG FAMILY, LEAVING PREGNANT MOTHER AS SOLE SURVIVOR
Ukraine launches domestically produced long-range FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles toward targets in Russia. (East2West)
Russian regional authorities acknowledged an incident at a Defense Ministry facility in the same area. Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov said air defenses repelled a missile attack and that falling debris triggered a fire at a military facility near Kotluban. He said an evacuation of nearby residents was ordered during firefighting because of the threat of detonation. Anadolu Agency reported that buses were prepared to move residents to temporary accommodation centers.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has also publicly referenced the Flamingo system. In a daily update carried by Russian state media, the ministry said its air defenses shot down five Flamingo long-range cruise missiles over the previous 24 hours. The ministry did not provide evidence in the statement, and Kyiv has not confirmed how many missiles were intercepted.
BATTERED IN UKRAINE, RUSSIA RACES TO REARM — BUT QUESTIONS LINGER OVER ITS MILITARY STRENGTH
Footage shows the launch of Ukraine’s homegrown long-range “Flamingo” cruise missiles during a strike on Russian military infrastructure. (East2West)
Ukraine has increasingly highlighted indigenous long-range capabilities, including the FP-5. An East-to-West News agency video report previously cited Ukrainian officials describing the missile’s range as 3,000 kilometers, or about 1,864 miles, and said officials claim accuracy within about 14 meters, though battlefield performance is difficult to independently verify.
In response to a reporter’s question on Friday on the talks between the sides, President Donald Trump put the onus back on President Zelenskyy to make a deal.
“Well, Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving. Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving otherwise, he’s going to miss a great opportunity. He has to move,” he said.
A new round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine is expected in Geneva next week, even as fighting persists along the more than 1,200-kilometer front line.
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Ukraine fires six FP-5 Flamingo missiles in a night strike on Russia’s 117th GRAU arsenal in Kotluban, Volgograd region. Feb. 11, 2025. (East2West)
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Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks across Ukraine continue, saying on Friday that a Russian drone assault on port infrastructure near Odesa killed one person and injured six others, while a separate strike near the eastern front line killed three brothers, including an eight-year-old and wounded their mother and grandmother.
World
Macron says Europe must redesign security, cites nuclear deterrence
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Emmanuel Macron told the Munich Security Conference on Friday that Europe will have to redesign its security architecture on its own terms as it faces an aggressive Russia.
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The French president said the current security framework won’t hold in the future and Europeans must set out new parameters in their own terms. Macron said that it may include a more “holistic” approach to nuclear deterrence among European allies.
Macron said plans for “a day after” implying a future coexistence with Russia must be drafted by Europeans independently due to their geographical reality and a “bloated” Russian army on what the French leader described as a belligerent “sugar high.”
“We have to be the ones to negotiate this new architecture of security for Europe for the day after because our geography will not change,” he said.
“We will live with Russia in the same place, and the Europeans at the same place, and I don’t want this negotiation to be organised by someone else,” he said in an apparent reference to the United States and their direct talks with Moscow.
Macron told the gathering in Munich, which focuses on security and brings together world leaders, future parameters of security may include a new, more holistic nuclear deterrence among European allies. Until now, deterrence has been a strictly national domain and a highly delicate issue because of its implications on sovereignty.
The French leader teased a “new strategic dialogue” on nuclear arms.
“We have engaged a strategic dialogue with Chancelor Merz and (other) European leaders in order to see how we can articulate our national doctrine” with special cooperation and common security interests in some key countries, he said.
“This dialogue is important because it’s a way to articulate nuclear deterrence in a holistic approach of defence and security. This is a way to create convergence in our strategic approach between Germany and France,” he added.
Earlier, Merz had told the conference he had engaged in “confidential talks” on European nuclear deterrence.
“We Germans are adhering to our legal obligations. We consider this strictly within the context of our nuclear sharing within NATO and we will not allow zones of differing security to emerge in Europe,” Merz said.
The comments are significant as it shows Europeans are beginning to think of a future security that relies on their own capabilities, becoming less dependent on the US umbrella for the first time since the end of the Cold War.
The French president said he would deliver more details in the coming weeks.
‘Europe is vilified, but it should be proud’
Macron sought to rally support for a stronger and proud Europe, which often lacks self-confidence despite its many strengths, according to the French President, who suggested Europeans are being vilified through false claims amplified on social media.
“We need a much more positive mindset. There has been a tendency in this place and beyond to overlook Europe and sometimes to criticise it outright,” Macron said.
“Caricatures have been made, Europe has been vilified as an aging, slow, fragmented construct sidelined by history. As an overregulated economy that shuts innovation, as a society preyed by migration that would corruption its precious traditions.
“And most curiously yet, in some quarters, as a repressive continent,” he added.
In his remarks, Macron appeared to push back at the US administration which urged Europe to reverse course or face “civilisational erasure” citing excessive regulation, illegal migration and repressive social media policies curtailing free speech.
“Everyone should take a cue from us, instead of trying to divide us,” he said.
World
James Van Der Beek’s Family Earns $2 Million After His Death as Friends Thank GoFundMe Donors: ‘It Reminds Us That Love Is Real’
A GoFundMe campaign for James Van Der Beek’s family has raised $2 million after his death at 48.
Van Der Beek, who starred as Dawson Leery on the hit WB series “Dawson’s Creek,” died on Feb. 11 following a battle with colorectal cancer. Shortly after the news broke, friends launched a GoFundMe to support his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek, and their six children.
“In the wake of this loss, Kimberly and the children are facing an uncertain future. The costs of James’s medical care and the extended fight against cancer have left the family out of funds,” the message on the GoFundMe reads. “They are working hard to stay in their home and to ensure the children can continue their education and maintain some stability during this incredibly difficult time. The support of friends, family, and the wider community will make a world of difference as they navigate the road ahead.”
The friends who created the page thanked fans on Feb. 12 for their donations, saying, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for showing up for James and his beautiful family. Your kindness has meant more than we can put into words. In the middle of deep grief, your support has been a light. It reminds us that love is real, that community is strong, and that James’s spirit continues to bring people together.”
They added that the family is spending time together to mourn and asked for privacy. “Your respect and understanding will give them the room they need to heal,” the statement continues. “Please continue to keep James’s wife and loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for honoring his life with compassion, generosity, and love.”
Van Der Beek was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2023 and publicly shared his diagnosis the following year. In 2025, he partnered with Propstore to auction memorabilia from “Dawson’s Creek” to help cover the costs of his treatment. He later expanded the effort by selling jerseys from the 1999 film “Varsity Blues,” raising funds for his own medical costs and to help other “families walking the same path.”
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