First Thing: US indicts former Cuban president Raúl Castro as it seeks to oust regime

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Good morning.

On Wednesday, nan US issued a national criminal indictment against Raúl Castro, Cuba’s erstwhile president, and 5 others, successful a important escalation of nan Trump administration’s run to oust nan country’s communist regime.

The indictment, revenge successful US territory tribunal for nan confederate territory of Florida, comes astatine a clip of heightened hostility betwixt nan US and Cuba. Donald Trump has threatened subject action against nan Cuban government, and an power situation created by a tight US lipid embargo has caused rolling blackouts and prompted protests successful nan capital.

Trump was asked by reporters connected Wednesday if location could beryllium an apprehension akin to that of nan ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro successful January. “I don’t want to opportunity that,” he said.

  • What are nan details? Castro, 94, was charged pinch conspiracy to termination US nationals, 4 counts of execution and 2 counts of demolition of craft related to an incident successful 1996 – successful which 4 men were killed by nan Cuban military, erstwhile 2 mini planes were changeable down during a humanitarian ngo successful nan Florida Straits.

  • How has Cuba reacted? Miguel Díaz-Canel, nan Cuban president, condemned nan indictment arsenic a governmental stunt that sought only to “justify nan folly of a subject aggression against Cuba”.

Israeli information curate stirs negotiated outrage pinch flotilla activistic maltreatment video

Israeli curate Ben-Gvir posts video taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists – video

Israel’s far-right nationalist information minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked a negotiated situation by publishing footage of Israeli information forces abusing world activists who were detained arsenic they tried to sail to Gaza pinch aid.

Three activists were taken to infirmary arsenic a consequence of Israeli violence, lawyers representing nan group said. They were subsequently discharged. Dozens of others person suspected surgery ribs, resulting successful breathing problems. The authorities group Adalah said location had been “widespread beingness and psychological maltreatment by Israeli authorities”.

  • What does nan video show? Images of dozens of men and women kneeling successful rows, pinch their foreheads to nan crushed and their hands zip-tied down their back. Ben-Gvir posted it connected his societal media account. He appears waving an Israeli flag, mocking and taunting nan detainees.

  • What are world leaders saying? The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, 1 of nan country’s staunchest allies, described Ben-Gvir’s behaviour arsenic “despicable” and said nan curate had “betrayed nan dignity of his nation”. Others criticizing nan video were Italy, Spain, nan European Council, Australia, New Zealand, nan UK and others. The Spanish overseas curate called nan curen “monstrous, disgraceful and inhumane”.

US employers walk much than $1.5bn a twelvemonth to conflict labor unions

 ‘baristas connected strike’
Starbucks labor connected onslaught arsenic portion of a nationwide push for improved wages and benefits, successful Seattle, November 2025. Photograph: David Ryder/Reuters

US employers spend much than $1.5bn a year connected labour national guidance efforts, according to a study published connected Wednesday by nan Economic Policy Institute.

“This is millions aliases moreover billions of dollars that’s not going towards workers and investing into their workplace,” said Margaret Poydock, a co-author of nan study and a elder argumentation expert astatine nan EPI.

  • Where is nan money going? Employers spent institution money hiring consultants and rule firms specializing successful national avoidance and connected ineligible counsel, practice and litigation services during national elections and organizing campaigns.

  • What mightiness beryllium nan impact? Poydock said nan domiciled of these union-avoidance rule firms and consultants has, successful part, contributed to nan diminution of unionization rank and density complete respective decades. Union density successful nan US is astatine 10%, compared pinch 20.3% successful 1983. Despite this decline, Gallup polls study astir 70% of Americans o.k. of labour unions.

In different news …

A wellness worker takes nan somesthesia of a woman, arsenic authorities and assistance agencies intensify efforts to incorporate a caller Ebola outbreak successful nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo.
A wellness worker takes nan somesthesia of a female amid an Ebola outbreak successful nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo. Photograph: Arlette Bashizi/Reuters
  • An American expert who contracted Ebola successful nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo has been flown to Germany for treatment, on pinch his woman and 4 children, arsenic nan World Health Organization warned of nan “scale and speed” of nan outbreak.

  • Trump said connected Wednesday he would speak to Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, a break from negotiated norms for a US leader, which could roil US relations pinch China.

  • A man successful Tennessee, who was jailed for 37 days complete a Facebook post, has won an $835,000 settlement, aft he posted astir nan assassination of nan blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk.

  • The US has ordered its Jerusalem embassy to property nan Palestinian activity into dropping a bid for a elder position astatine nan UN wide assembly, anxious that nan domiciled could let Palestinians to chair high-profile debates connected nan Middle East.

Stat of nan day: SpaceX reveals scheme for $1.75tn banal marketplace debut that could make Musk a trillionaire

Elon Musk, center, departs aft a invited ceremonial pinch Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, successful Beijing this month.
Elon Musk, center, departs aft a invited ceremonial pinch Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, successful Beijing this month. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

SpaceX has announced plans to database connected nan US banal market, disclosing its investor prospectus and financials. Elon Musk’s rocket and outer operations institution will spell public on nan Nasdaq astatine a valuation of astir $1.75tn. It could move Musk person to becoming a trillionaire, from his existent nett worthy of $807.7bn, according to Forbes.

The Filter: The 7 champion non-toxic cooking pans successful nan US, tested successful a nutrient lab

Image of various pans
The Filter tried 13 non-toxic pans to study which navigator nan best, testing for macromolecule sear, heating rate, ovum stickiness and power retention. Composite: Guardian Composite/Smithey/Lodge Cast Iron/Caraway/Our Place

At Drexel University’s Food Lab, 13 of nan apical non-toxic pans were tested to study which navigator nan best, including buzzy brands specified arsenic Our Place and Caraway. Here are nan top picks from this Filter US article published successful February.

Don’t miss this: The emergence and autumn of nan only female yakuza

Mako Nishimura successful Japan successful October 2025.
Mako Nishimura successful Japan successful October 2025. Photograph: Shoko Takayasu/The Guardian

Mako Nishimura fought her measurement into nan Japanese underworld, but supplier addiction and nan slow demise of organized crime gangs almost destroyed her. For nan agelong read, Sean Williams writes astir Nishimura, astir apt nan only female ever to person been a full-fledged yakuza.

Climate check: The 20-year-old ambiance activistic taking connected Trump and nan fossil substance industry

Eva Lighthiser successful Paradise Valley. It is snowy.
Eva Lighthiser successful Paradise Valley. Photograph: Will Warasila/The Guardian

Young Americans, specified arsenic Eva Lighthiser successful Montana, are suing nan president for violating rights, pinch executive orders that substance nan ambiance crisis. If Lighthiser’s suit is successful, it would unit nan authorities to “acknowledge nan truth that they are doing progressive harm to young group successful this country”, she said.

Last Thing: Queer art, bowler hats and an Annie Hall book – wrong Diane Keaton’s archive arsenic treasures spell connected sale

Diane Keaton flanked Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty successful Reds, 1981.
Diane Keaton (center) flanked Jack Nicholson (left) and Warren Beatty successful Reds, 1981. Photograph: Paramount/RGR/Alamy

Four auctions of items belonging to nan character Diane Keaton, who died successful October, uncover immoderate of nan treasures she collected. Each waste focuses connected a chopped facet of Keaton’s identity, including her sartorial inclinations and photographic works.

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com