While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Feb 14, 2026
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The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, with at least 40 fighter jets on its deck, off the coast of Saint Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands.
PHOTO: PLANET LABS PBC VIA AFP
Trump sends second US aircraft carrier to pressure Iran
US President Donald Trump said on Feb 13 he was sending a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East – warning it would be a “bad day for Iran” if it fails to make a deal on its nuclear programme.
Mr Trump has upped the military threat against the Islamic republic in the wake of Tehran’s deadly crackdown by security forces on protests in January that rights groups say killed thousands.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Mr Trump told journalists at the White House, when asked about reports the USS Gerald R. Ford would be moved from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
“It’ll be leaving very soon. We have one out there that just arrived. If we need it we’ll have it ready, a very big force.”
Erratic posts on Bersatu social media after expulsions
Amid the mass expulsion of several party leaders, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Facebook page on Feb 13 is replete with a series of erratic posts questioning the leadership’s actions.
One post uploaded asked: “Macam mana nak jadi PM? FB pun tak boleh uruskan” (How can you become Prime Minister if you can’t even manage Facebook?).
Another post questioned the rationale behind the sackings, which included former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
Dubai’s DP World replaces leader over Epstein ties
PHOTO: HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRATS/NYTIMES
Dubai’s DP World named a new chairman and chief executive officer on Feb 13, replacing former leader Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem after the Epstein files revealed frequent correspondence between him and the convicted sex offender.
The statement did not mention Mr Bin Sulayem. But his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein were revealed in documents recently released by the US Department of Justice, where he is cited more than 9,400 times – making international headlines and sparking condemnations.
“DP World announced the appointment of His Excellency Essa Kazim as chairman of its board of directors and the appointment of Yuvraj Narayan as group chief executive officer,” the group said, in a statement published by the Dubai media office.
Senators urge Trump to scrap foreign tourist vetting
PHOTO: REUTERS
Two Democratic senators urged the Trump administration on Feb 13 to abandon a proposal to require millions of foreign visitors to provide social media handles used over the past five years.
The proposed policy from US Customs and Border Protection would require travellers from countries in the visa waiver programme to submit the social media data.
“By requiring travellers to disclose their personal social media information, CBP will force people who simply want to visit family in the United States, conduct business with US companies, or attend events such as the upcoming World Cup to submit to sweeping digital surveillance,” said Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden. “No doubt many Americans would be outraged if countries such as Great Britain, France, or Australia imposed a similar policy on American tourists.”
Two men jailed for life in UK over ISIS-inspired gun plot
PHOTO: REUTERS
A UK court on Feb jailed two men for life for planning an Islamic State-inspired gun attack on a Jewish gathering in northern England.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, intended to target an anti-Semitism march in Manchester before killing more Jews in the north of the city.
Their deadly plan was thwarted when they revealed it to an undercover operative posing as a like-minded extremist who could help import weapons.
