VATICAN - Pope Francis said Sunday that military disarmament is not optional but constitutes a “moral obligation” for all nations. “How many resources are wasted on military expenditure, which, because of the current situation, sadly continues to increase!” he told the estimated 20,000 tourists and pilgrims gathered in the square. He went on to express his hope that “the international community will understand that disarmament is first and foremost a duty, and that disarmament is a moral obligation.” “Let’s get this into our heads,” he added. “And this requires the courage of all members of the great family of nations to move from a balance of fear to a balance of trust.” In the past, the pope has suggested that if people are really serious about world peace, the solution is to “ban all weapons.”

USA - The $16 bacon cheeseburger may not be enough to save your neighborhood bar and grill. Independent restaurants are on financial life support, owners say, squeezed between escalating payroll costs and diners’ dwindling tolerance for ever-higher checks. Wages for waitstaff, table bussers and line cooks will grow more expensive for many eateries this year, with 22 states in January raising the minimum wage for hourly workers.

UK - Ultra-processed foods are to blame for the state of more than half the patients I see, says Professor Rob Galloway. We must act to stop them killing more. Last night, I got back late from work and, feeling stressed and tired, I raided the kitchen cupboards and scoffed a bowl of Coco pops, two pieces of toast and all the Tunnock’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafers in the biscuit tin. I knew what I was eating was highly processed and unhealthy — but the temptation of the short-term hit was too great to worry about any of the health implications.

UK - It has been touted as the 'golden liquid' that is teeming with miraculous benefits - but many experts are pushing back on what they call olive oil 'propaganda'. In recent years, olive oil has earned a reputation as a superfood, partly because of research showing the 'Mediterranean diet' is linked to numerous positive health outcomes - and olive oil is a staple of the diet. The consensus among experts is that cooking with a splash of olive oil is safe and indeed the preferred cooking oil of many professional chefs and dietitians alike.

USA - Stand-up comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, who was the second Asian American Woman to have a stand up special on HBO, recently ignited a viral discussion with her joke about dietary allergies and intolerances. She has now unintentionally shone a light on a pervasive issue: the questionable state of American food. The punchline, rooted in the observation that dietary issues such as gluten intolerance seemed to be predominantly a ‘white’ problem, had people not just laughing but thinking and sharing their experiences on social media. One user stated, “I am lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant until I leave the US. I can eat anything in other countries just fine… it’s insane.” This comment opened the floodgates, with numerous others sharing anecdotes of their dietary woes disappearing abroad but re-emerging upon returning to the States.

UK - During a coffee break on Tuesday morning I pondered on the state of the nation (as you do) and let loose this verdict on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the name I still prefer to use) where I have 1.2 million followers: ‘The UK is drifting, unhappy, losing faith in previously respected institutions (like the police), buffeted by extremists (often allowed to run amok), dismayed by decline, angry at the inability of the political class to do anything about it, despairing that the Westminster politico/media bubble pursues an agenda, issues and priorities (look at the obsession with Lee Anderson) which are not most people’s — and had enough of being lectured to by a disconnected, de haut en bas chattering class.

GERMANY - Berlin must be ready for “major disasters,” Karl Lauterbach has said. Germany must improve its healthcare system to be able to swiftly respond to crisis situations, such as a new pandemic or a military conflict, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has said. Legislation for reforms expected to be presented this summer will be “a turning point for the healthcare system,” the Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician told the newspaper Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung in an interview published on Saturday. Though the ruling ‘traffic light coalition’ has already pushed for reforms following the Covid-19 pandemic, the health minister said that with the Ukraine conflict, the challenges have become even more important. “In the event of a crisis, every doctor, every hospital, every health authority must know what to do.”

USA - The devastating impact of the Texas wildfires is beginning to emerge as the cattle industry braces for historic losses. One of several wildfires raging in the Texas Panhandle has now grown to become the largest in state history. The Smokehouse Creek fire has been burning since Monday and has so far destroyed over one million acres of land in Texas alone. However, emergency crews have made little progress in containing it. It has so far torched the most land than any other recorded wildfire in the history of the state. The same blaze has also destroyed 31,500 acres in Oklahoma, according to CNN. The owners of the historic Turkey Track ranch in Texas estimate that it has lost at least 80% of its land to the wildfires. “The loss of livestock, crops, and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure is, we believe, unparalleled in our history,” the ranch said in a statement.

MIDDLE EAST - Palestinian Islamic Jihad is calling for Ramadan to be a “month of terror” and seeks to escalate attacks in the West Bank and Gaza. In a recent speech, Abu Hamza, the spokesman for PIJ’s Al-Quds Brigades, said he wants Arab countries in the region and pro-Iranian groups to continue to “unify” various arenas and fronts against Israel. This is the latest indication that terrorist groups plan to seek an escalation in hostilities over the next month. Hamza’s remarks were published by Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news channel, which is pro-Iranian and frequently highlights Hamas and Hezbollah attacks. Ramadan is set to begin on March 10, when the new moon heralds the arrival of the new month on the lunar calendar.

ISRAEL - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a rare midweek press conference on Thursday to emphasize that Israel would continue to fight in Gaza, and defend its interests in spite of international pressure to end the war. Netanyahu spoke in the wake of a stampede in northern Gaza in which dozens of Palestinians were killed as they mobbed humanitarian aid trucks before dawn Wednesday morning. During the chaos, which reportedly occurred in several waves, Israeli soldiers were charged by civilians and opened fire when the crowd ignored warning shots. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its soldiers were responsible for no more than ten of the deaths in the incident. The incident illustrated the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which persists because Hamas, the terror organization that launched the war October 7, has refused to accept a temporary ceasefire unless Israel ends the war and leaves.

USA - Ed Pierson stepped down from his high-ranking position at Boeing in 2018, a move prompted by a devastating crash that year, and another in 2019. He felt he could no longer be part of the 737 MAX program, citing concerns over its safety and the compromised quality of work. Mr Pierson was stationed at Boeing’s Renton, Washington, production facility. It was there that he witnessed a major decline in employee morale and also observed that safety protocols and oversight were being ignored. After raising these issues with his superiors to no avail, he opted to retire. The fatal crashes of the MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019 pushed Pierson to discuss these matters publicly and also before Congress. You might also remember the recent incident on an Alaska Air flight where a door came off mid-flight. This happened on a MAX plane, indicating that issues with safety standards are clearly ongoing.

BRAZIL - Officials overseeing the Brazilian Amazon registered almost 3,000 fires during February, marking a new record for the South American country, according to data released by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). According to the institute, 2,924 fires were documented in February as of the Tuesday, February 26, cutoff date, up from 2,049 registered in January. February’s data marks a new record of rainforest fires registered since it began logging them in 1999. February 2024’s record represents a staggering 298 percent increase. INPE recorded 734 fires in February 2023. According to local media, the Brazilian Environment Ministry is yet to publicly comment on the report at press time. Experts stressed to local Brazilian media that the forest rarely catches fire on its own and most fires involve criminal human action. In most cases, the fires are used to open up new areas for grazing.

CANADA - German Chancellor Scholz’s innuendo that France and the UK have clandestinely deployed troops to Ukraine to assist with “target control” against Russian forces prompted a harsh reaction from the British, but his slip of the tongue simply spilled the beans on this proxy war’s worst-kept secret. No honest observer believed the prior denials about Western troops in that country since their Ukrainian counterparts couldn’t realistically be trained to operate such modern-day arms in such a short time.

UK - Britain for sale: The country's biggest firms are being picked off 'one by one' as foreign predators pounce. First it was Wincanton, then Currys and now Direct Line. Companies at the heart of the UK economy are being preyed on by foreign suitors – and it could be just the start. As global dealmaking comes back with a bang after a long hiatus, private equity barons and cash-rich corporations see listed British businesses as a bargain. And some observers fear the worst. ‘The situation is looking structural and terminal for UK mid-cap businesses,’ said Richard Bernstein, boss of activist investor Crystal Amber.

USA - Macy’s announced this week that they are closing 150 stores across the country. San Francisco Store Says Rampant Shoplifting to Blame for Closing. Macy’s will close 150 unproductive namesake stores over the next three years including 50 by year-end, the department store operator said Tuesday after posting a fourth-quarter loss and declining sales. In San Francisco, the flagship store is closing and as usual, theft was a big reason. San Francisco is going to be a ghost town if it continues down this road.