There is a golden rule in the EU’s criteria for accepting new members that officials often repeat: membership is “merit-based’, meaning no candidate country can join until fully aligned with EU laws and democratic standards. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But Ukraine may prove an exception. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for a fixed deadline for Kyiv’s EU accession in US-brokered peace talks with Russia – forcing a major scramble in the EU executive to rethink its decades-old enlargement policy. Speaking to reporters in a WhatsApp chat on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will “do everything to be technically ready for (EU) accession by…

STARTRAKSPHOTO.COM John F. Kennedy Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy had a high-profile romance right up until their tragic deaths. When the couple began dating in 1994, the world was fascinated by their relationship. Considered to be one of the most eligible bachelors at the time, Kennedy Jr. decided to settle down with Bessette-Kennedy. As he was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, President John F. Kennedy, many thought Besette-Kennedy would become the next Jackie Kennedy. Many members of the Kennedys’ inner circle knew Bessette-Kennedy was “The One” for Kennedy Jr. right away. The Real Housewives of New…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Parent Teacher Association officials in one of the wealthiest school districts in the country hosted a training session last month instructing families on how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.The virtual PTA session in Montgomery County, Maryland, was held on Jan. 20 and was headed by Councilwoman Kristin Mink. The meeting was titled “ICE Response & Organizing Tools for PTAs, Parents & Guardians.” According to the National Review, Mink has previously hosted multiple sessions on ways schools can equip themselves with “tools to slow ICE down and protect each other.”…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! EXCLUSIVE: Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called out the “hypocrisy” of the Democratic Party advocating for states’ rights in Minnesota after he was widely lambasted, and even sued, for his efforts to enforce the border during the Biden administration.Abbott remarked that “hypocrisy is the word choice that really applies to them, because, suddenly, these Minnesota states, they want to insist on states’ rights,” during an interview with Fox News Digital.In 2021, Abbott launched “Operation Lone Star,” which deployed state troopers and the Texas National Guard to the border and funded barrier construction…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Jordan Spieth wants to get back to his old form, and he’s hoping this weekend at Pebble Beach is the start of it.Spieth, of course, won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, then was coasting to back-to-back green jackets before what’s become an infamous collapse. Since then, he’s won the PGA Championship but has never quite regained what he used to have in the tank.This weekend, though, Spieth will be at a famed course where he’s won before, taking home the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2017.  “There’s no better place…

This year, Friday the 13th is your lucky day. To sweeten the doom date, Krispy Kreme is giving away 13,000 boxes of Original Glazed dozens. The 13,000 free dozens of doughnnuts will be given to randomly selected guests at participating locations throughout the day on Friday, Feb. 13. Krispy Kreme is giving away 13,000 boxes of Original Glazed doughnuts. Krispy Kreme But guests won’t just be given a box upon arrival — the free boxes will be in the form of a coupon that guests can redeem with any purchase for 13 days, starting Sunday, Feb. 15. Anyone going into…

The rock opera sensation The Who’s TOMMY will launch its North American tour in Cleveland, OH at Playhouse Square in the fall of 2026 in an all-new production. The tour will make stops across North America, including engagements in Boston, Denver, Houston and Minneapolis in its first year.  In 1969, The Who created a rock opera that changed the course of music history. And now, it’s back in a dazzling all-new production that feels more relevant than ever. Myth and spectacle combine in this fresh reinvention that includes the unforgettable anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation,” and “Pinball Wizard.” After…

Friday, February 13, 2026 9:10AMLOS ANGELES () — A suspect who was believed to be armed led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase Thursday night through the San Fernando Valley, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph.7 began monitoring the pursuit around 8 p.m.At one point, the suspect was driving over 100 mph while fleeing from officers on the 210 Freeway.The chase didn’t last long. The driver pulled over near Sayre Street and Borden Avenue, bringing the chase to an end in Sylmar.That’s where officers took the suspect into custody.A high-speed chase in Sylmar ended with the driver surrendering to…

Published on 13/02/2026 – 10:39 GMT+1 Péter Magyar filed a police report on Thursday concerning a video allegedly recorded without his knowledge during a sexual encounter with his ex-girlfriend, accusing the Hungarian government of orchestrating the incident to undermine his political campaign. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The opposition leader claimed his former girlfriend lured him to a Budapest flat in August 2024 following a party, where their consensual encounter was secretly recorded using what he described as “secret service means”. Magyar characterised the incident as a “honey trap” operation. “In Europe, it is unprecedented that a ruling party wants to discredit, blackmail…

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! Bargain shoppers, listen up! This weekend’s forecast is calling for major sales on top fashion brands (looking at you, Levi’s), and it’s all thanks to Amazon’s Presidents’ Day Sale. Though there’s technically still five weeks until spring, we can’t help but ready our closets with fresh denim, Hamptons-inspired dresses and rich-looking accessories. Considering this weekend-long sale includes ‘It’-girl fashion staples that are heavily marked down, it only makes sense to snap up these deals before they expire at midnight on…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! TMZ reported Thursday afternoon that it had received a second email from a person demanding one bitcoin in exchange for the name of Nancy Guthrie’s alleged kidnapper. “I am not being taken seriously,” the person reportedly said in the message. TMZ reported that the person making the demand said he or she wants one bitcoin, worth about $65,000 today, to “lay low” out of fear of retaliation for giving up the kidnapper’s name.  NANCY GUTHRIE’S ALLEGED BITCOIN RANSOM COULD BE PAID IN MINUTES AS MONDAY DEADLINE APPROACHES: EXPERTThe messenger also reportedly said it would…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz was slammed online by Republicans after proposing a $10 million emergency relief package for small businesses across the state impacted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.Walz unveiled the proposal Thursday after Border Czar Tom Homan announced that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota would be ending. The proposal calls for forgivable loans ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 to be distributed to eligible businesses that are able to demonstrate “substantial revenue loss” during “specified dates” tied to the operation.”The campaign of retribution by the federal administration has been more…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Two American skiers lost while backcountry riding in Italy near an Olympic venue in Livigno were rescued Tuesday night with the help of thermal imaging cameras and drones. The harrowing scene began when the two male skiers, who were not identified, became “stranded at high altitude” after they “lost their bearings” in the dark, Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, said in a translated statement.  Officials said the men provided their GPS coordinates and with the help of the Alpine Rescue Corps and the use of drones equipped with thermal…

As previously reported, Great Performances will air a filmed recording of Suffs, the Broadway musical from Tony Award winner Shaina Taub. Now, it has been revealed that the capture will air this Spring on Friday, May 8, 9:00 p.m. ET on PBS. The recording was filmed during the show’s original Broadway run, which opened in April 2024 and ran until January 2025.  Also, this May is the premiere of Top Hat, the stage musical inspired by the 1935 movie starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The revival is directed and choreographed by three-time Tony-winner Kathleen Marshall and features a score by Irving Berlin, with classic songs such as “Cheek to Cheek,”…

The CIA has released a new Mandarin-language recruitment video aimed at Chinese military officers, portraying a fictional, mid-level People’s Liberation Army officer grappling with corrupt leadership and ultimately choosing to contact the American intelligence agency.The video is the latest installment in a public-facing recruitment campaign targeting China, which CIA Director John Ratcliffe has described as the agency’s top intelligence priority amid what he has called a “generational competition” with Beijing.In the short film, the central character watches as qualified officers are removed and replaced by political loyalists lacking military credentials. Troubled by what he sees as corruption, and concerned about the impact…