England got back to winning ways against Scotland but their T20 World Cup hopes look slim unless there are significant improvements, writes Matthew Henry.
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Saturday, February 14, 2026
Friday, February 13, 2026
Iran regime accused of killing 19 Christians in anti-regime protests as persecution continues: watchdog
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s atrocities against demonstrators opposed to the regime has reportedly resulted in security forces killing at least 19 Iranian Christians, according to Article 18, an organization that promotes religious freedom in Iran.
Article 18 reported on Feb. 9 that "The total number of Christians confirmed to have been killed during the protests is at least 19, including members of Iran’s recognized (Armenians and Assyrians) and unrecognized (converts) communities."
According to the Article 18 statement, the Islamic Republic’s "brutal response to last month’s mass demonstrations" resulted in the security forces murdering Iranian Christians Nader Mohammadi, 35, and Zahra Arjomandi, 51, who were both shot dead on Jan. 8 in separate protests 1,000 miles apart.
INSIDE TRUMP’S IRAN WARNING — AND THE UNEXPECTED PAUSE THAT FOLLOWED
Mohammadi was the father of three young children, and was killed in Babol in northern Iran. Arjomandi, who was a mother of two children, died in her son’s arms on the Persian Gulf island of Qeshm, in southern Iran, noted Article 18.
The Iranian Christian website Mohabat News stated that regime security forces refused to release Arjomandi's body for six days. Mohabat reported that her body was only released for burial under "strict security measures", which included a media blackout and prohibiting a memorial service.
Mansour Borji, the executive director for Article 18, told Fox News Digital that, "Today, Christians, like millions of other Iranians, seek the freedom and justice that they have been denied for nearly five decades, and they know well that this comes at a price. Every year many Christians are arrested and imprisoned under torturous conditions for practicing their right to religious freedom, where a simple act like praying together in house-churches seems like an act of civil disobedience."
IRAN WILL RETALIATE 'WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE' IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
He continued, "Our organization considers the Islamic Republic’s massacre of all peaceful protesters a crime against humanity that should not go unpunished. There must be an end to the impunity that, for far too long, has enabled this regime to commit crimes like at home and abroad. Branding peaceful protesters as ‘terrorists,’ and Christians that are persecuted every year as ‘Zionist mercenaries,’ is nothing but scapegoating."
He warned that "The Islamic Republic's regime has, since its inception, demonstrated all traits of a totalitarian state. Most Iranians have now come to realize that their fundamental rights have been taken away from them, including the freedom to choose one’s own religion or belief, political self-determination and even their lifestyle choices. Christians were some of the earliest to experience this, when an Anglican priest and convert to Christianity, Rev. Arastoo Sayyah, was killed in his church office less than 200 hours after the 1979 revolution."
A comprehensive 2025 report titled, "The Tip of the Iceberg" about the persecution of Iranian Christians was released by Article 18 in collaboration with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Middle East Concern.
According to the "The Tip of the Iceberg" report, Mohammad Nasirpour, the deputy prosecutor of Tehran and head of the 33rd District Prosecutor’s office, stated in his indictment against four Iranian Christians on June 2022: "Armenian and Assyrian Christians in the Protestant denomination, with their evangelical nature and mission to Christianize Iran, are perceived as a security threat to the Islamic Revolution, aimed at undermining the Islamic foundation of the Islamic Republic. It could be said that Persian-speaking evangelical movements are supported by fundamentalist evangelical Christians and Zionists."
According to a Feb. 10 report on the website of Christianity Today, Iranian Christians want President Trump to intervene to stop the Ayatollah’s regime from continuing with its massacre of Iranians.
"That’s probably one of the most frustrating aspects of the whole situation right now," said Shahrokh Afshar, founder of Fellowship of Iranian Christians. "Everyone was hoping he would do something," Afshar told the outlet after the Iranian authorities killed thousands of protesters in January, according to some estimates.
Fox News Digital has reported over the decades on the Islamic Republic’s high-intensity persecution of Iranian Christians in the wake of the growing popularity of Christianity in the Muslim-majority country. Iran’s regime targets diverse groups of Christians, including Evangelicals and Catholics. In 2017, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) arrested two Christians – a mother and her son – as part of a brutal crackdown on Catholicism in the country’s West Azerbaijan Province.
STATE DEPARTMENT DEMANDS IRAN HALT EXECUTION OF 19-YEAR-OLD WRESTLING STAR AS IOC REMAINS SILENT
The family’s bibles and literature on Christian theology were also seized during the raid.
The United States State Department has designated Iran as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC)" because the Islamic regime has "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom" with respect to violations of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
The Iranian regime -controlled statistical center of Iran claims there are 117,700 Christians of recognized denominations as of the 2016 census, according to the most recent U.S. State Department report on the plight of Iranian Christians.
However, the State Department noted that, "The Christian advocacy NGO Article 18 estimates there are 500,000 to 800,000 Christians in the country, while the Christian advocacy NGO Open Doors International estimates the number is 1.24 million. Christian NGOs report many Christians are converts from Islam or other recognized faiths." The population of Iran is roughly 92 million.
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ICE director stands his ground after Swalwell blowup, says Democrats are ‘misleading their constituents’
EXCLUSIVE: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons told Fox News Digital he stands by his response to Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, after the California gubernatorial candidate demanded he resign and find work as an "otherwise employable" law enforcement officer.
Swalwell, who made the comments during a hearing this week, was the latest in a slew of Democrats calling on Lyons to resign after an immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis led to the agent-involved shooting deaths of two agitators.
"Leading this agency is a choice, and it’s one I make to stand side-by-side with the brave men and women who enforce this nation’s immigration laws," Lyons said.
"I’m proud of the work they do every day to keep our country, our communities, and our families safe — and like them, I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States."
ICE DIRECTOR FLIPS SCRIPT ON SWALWELL AFTER DEM DEMANDED HIS RESIGNATION
Lyons said that if lawmakers want to "mischaracterize" ICE’s mission and use their recollection as grounds for resignation demands, they are "misleading their constituents and doing our nation a disservice."
"I will not resign, because I believe in the rule of law and will continue to uphold my oath," he told Fox News Digital.
Beyond the outspoken Alameda congressman, several other Democrats have demanded Lyons’ ouster — and often followed up with the same request to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
DEM REP LABELS FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS 'THUGS' IN TENSE HEARING
Rep. Daniel Goldman of Manhattan, Swalwell’s co-sponsor on the ICE OUT Act, told Lyons in that same hearing that if he did not want his agency compared to "a fascist regime or secret police, then stop acting like one."
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., whose district has been ground zero for ICE’s battle against agitators and illegal immigrants in Minneapolis, called for Lyons to be held accountable for the "military style occupation," while Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., of similarly anti-ICE Seattle led 156 other lawmakers in a formal demand for leadership changes at ICE.
Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont have also made calls for ICE and DHS leadership accountability.
The most pointed remarks directed at Lyons during his hearing came from Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey, who is also facing charges for allegedly accosting federal immigration agents outside a Newark compound being used to hold detainees.
McIver asked Lyons whether he believes he is going to hell.
"I'm not going to entertain that question," Lyons replied before Chairman Andrew Garbarino of New York interjected to admonish McIver’s line of questioning as potentially breaching decorum.
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World's fastest humanoid robot runs 22 MPH
A full-size humanoid robot just ran faster than most people will ever sprint.
Chinese robotics firm MirrorMe Technology has unveiled Bolt, a humanoid robot that reached a top speed of 22 miles per hour during real-world testing. This was not CGI or a computer simulation. The footage, shared by the company on X, shows a real humanoid robot running at full speed inside a controlled testing facility.
That milestone makes Bolt the fastest running humanoid robot of its size ever demonstrated outside computer simulations. For robotics, this is a line-crossing moment.
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WARM-SKINNED AI ROBOT WITH CAMERA EYES IS SERIOUSLY CREEPY
In the promotional video, the run is shown using a split-screen view. On one side of the screen, Wang Hongtao, the founder of MirrorMe Technology, runs on a treadmill. On the other side, Bolt runs under the same conditions. The comparison makes the difference clear. As the pace increases, Wang struggles to keep up and eventually gives up, while Bolt continues running smoothly, maintaining balance as its stride rate increases.
Bolt takes shorter strides than a human runner but makes up for it with a much faster stride rhythm. That faster rhythm helps the robot stay stable as it accelerates. Engineers say this performance reflects major progress in humanoid locomotion control, dynamic balance and high-performance drive systems. Speed is impressive. Speed with control is the real achievement.
Bolt stands about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 165 pounds, putting it close to the size and mass of an average adult human. MirrorMe says that similarity is intentional. The company describes this as the ideal humanoid form.
Rather than oversized limbs or exaggerated mechanics, Bolt relies on newly designed joints paired with a fully optimized power system. The goal is to replicate natural human motion while staying stable at extreme speeds. That combination is what sets Bolt apart.
HUMANOID ROBOTS ARE GETTING SMALLER, SAFER AND CLOSER
Bolt did not appear overnight. MirrorMe has focused on robotic speed as a long-term priority since 2016. Last year, its Black Panther II robot stunned viewers by sprinting 328 feet in 13.17 seconds during a live television broadcast in China. Reports suggested the performance exceeded comparable tests involving Boston Dynamics machines.
In 2025, the company also set a record with a four-legged robot that surpassed 22 mph, reinforcing its focus on acceleration, agility and sustained high-speed motion. China's interest in robotic athletics continues to grow. Beijing even hosted the first World Humanoid Robot Games, where humanoid robots competed in sprint races on a track.
Running at 22 mph grabs attention, but MirrorMe says speed alone is not the point. The engineers behind Bolt care more about what happens at that speed. Balance, reaction time and control matter more than a headline number. Those skills are what let a humanoid robot move like a trained runner instead of a machine on the verge of tipping over.
That is where the athlete angle comes in. MirrorMe envisions Bolt as a training partner that can run alongside elite athletes, hold a steady pace and push limits without getting tired. By matching and slightly exceeding human performance, the robot could help runners fine-tune form, pacing and endurance while collecting precise motion data. In that context, the sprint is not a stunt. It shows how humanoid robots could move beyond demos and into real training and performance settings.
Humanoid robots that can run at highway speeds are no longer something you only see in demos or concept videos. As these machines get faster and more stable, they start to fit into real-world roles. That includes athletic training, emergency response and physically demanding jobs where speed and endurance make a real difference. At the same time, faster robots bring real concerns. Safety, oversight and clear rules matter even more when machines can move this quickly around people. When robots run this fast, the limits need to be clear.
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HUMANOID ROBOT MAKES ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY BY DESIGNING A BUILDING
Bolt running at 22 mph is eye-catching, but the speed is not the main takeaway. What matters is what it shows. Robots are starting to move more like people. They can run, adjust and stay upright at speeds that used to knock machines over. That opens the door to real uses, but it also raises real questions. How fast is too fast around people? Who sets the rules? And who is responsible when something goes wrong? The technology is moving quickly. The conversation around it needs to move just as fast.
If humanoid robots can soon outrun and outtrain humans, where should limits be set on how and where they are allowed to operate? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Trump honors special forces behind Maduro capture at Fort Bragg as global tensions escalate
President Donald Trump is visiting Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Friday to honor U.S. special forces and their families for their roles in the high-profile military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in January.
Trump will be joined by first lady Melania Trump, who also is slated to spend time with military families during the base visit — one of the largest home stations for U.S. Army special operations forces.
Trump’s social media posts ahead of the visit highlighted what he called "extraordinary" relations between the United States and Venezuela’s interim leadership, including cooperation on oil revenue and transition planning.
After the dramatic capture of Maduro, his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, took over as Venezuela’s leader.
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Rodríguez has publicly maintained that both Maduro and Cilia Flores are "innocent," rejecting assertions of wrongdoing that led to their capture. Despite her alignment with Maduro, the U.S. has insisted it could assert influence over her leadership.
In late January, the U.S. and the interim Rodríguez government signed a massive energy pact. The U.S. has already begun marketing Venezuelan crude oil, with proceeds flowing into U.S.-controlled accounts to be disbursed at the discretion of the U.S. government.
Nearly 200 U.S. troops were involved in the Maduro operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve. Seven were injured.
Venezuela’s defense ministry said 83 people were killed in the mission on its own side, including Venezuelan security forces and 32 Cuban security personnel.
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is also home to units that could be deployed if diplomatic efforts in the Middle East falter, including Trump’s push for Iran to reach an agreement or face what he has warned could be a "very traumatic" outcome. The visit comes just as the U.S. deployed a second aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, to the region while talks continue.
The Pentagon has not revealed which military units were involved in the operation.
LAWMAKER WHO FLED COMMUNISM DRAFTS SPECIAL RESOLUTION HONORING TRUMP AFTER MADURO OUSTER
Trump has repeatedly hailed the Maduro capture as a "spectacular" operation that showed the U.S.’s capability to assert dominance in its own backyard. He called the special operators involved a "group of unbelievable talented patriotic people that love our country. You couldn’t hold them back."
The president has also hinted at a secret weapon he calls the "discombobulator" used in the operation to disable Venezuelan communications and equipment and disorient personnel.
"I’m not allowed to talk about it," Trump said in an interview with NBC News. "But let me just tell you, you know what it does? None of their equipment works, that’s what it does.
"Everything was discombobulated."
from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/6k72nLE
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Meta, Google face massive liability as ‘addicted kids’ trial continues in LA
Meta and Google returned to Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday for the second day of a landmark trial over claims their platforms were designed to addict young users — a closely watched case that could carry major consequences for hundreds of similar lawsuits nationwide.
The outcome could put the social media giants on the hook for significant damages in this case and others should a Los Angeles jury side with the plaintiffs. The lawsuit is widely viewed as a bellwether for roughly 1,600 related cases across the country, underscoring the potential legal and financial ripple effects.
Still, much remains uncertain. Attorneys told the court the trial could stretch six to eight weeks, offering little early indication of how jurors might ultimately rule.
As day two nears a close, here's an overview of where things stand.
SUPREME COURT APPEARS SKEPTICAL OF BLOCKING US BAN ON TIKTOK: WHAT TO KNOW
The lead attorney for the plaintiff, identified only as K.G.M, and for Meta presented dueling opening statements to jurors this week, offering an early preview of their most compelling arguments and points they are likely to revisit for the duration of the trial.
Mark Lanier, the attorney for the plaintiffs, told jurors that deciding in favor of his client, K.G.M., would be "as easy as ABC," which he told the court stands for "addicting the brains of children."
Lanier's opening statement was neither short nor lacking in props, including a toy Ferrari, a bicycle hand brake, and eggs — introduced to the jury, one-by-one, over the course of his two-hour remarks.
He argued the selective tactics used by tech giants were the same tactics embraced by casinos, "borrowing heavily" from slot machines and tobacco companies in an attempt to "deliberately" develop design features that maximize youth engagement, target younger users — and make it difficult for them to disengage from the platforms compared to older users and adults.
"For a teenager, social validation is survival," Lanier said, noting that Meta, Google, and others "engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation."
TRUMP SAYS FATE OF TIKTOK SHOULD BE IN HIS HANDS WHEN HE RETURNS TO WHITE HOUSE
Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt, for his part, starkly contrasted Lanier's tactics in his own remarks to the jury. His presentation was more formal and buttoned-up as he ticked carefully through the points denoted in a PowerPoint presentation.
Schmidt argued that K.G.M.'s struggles existed largely independently of the platform, telling jurors that their responsibility is to determine only whether Meta played a "substantial factor" in her mental health struggles.
He cited excerpts from the plaintiff's medical history, therapy sessions and childhood to argue that the struggles she encountered appear to stem from other issues, including family problems, bullying, and issues with body image.
Schmidt also cited a 2025 interview in which K.G.M. said she continues to use Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, which he said undercut the claim of substantial harm.
The outcome of the case could have a profound impact on hundreds of other cases in the U.S., including some that are slated to begin as early as this year.
It comes as parents, school districts, and other regulators have cited concerns about phone use among young people, including social media use.
Plaintiffs in the cases have argued that the companies themselves should be held liable for knowingly embracing design features that they say aim to keep children online.
The majority of lawsuits filed to date against the companies have alleged similar harm, including addiction, depression, anxiety or self-harm behaviors.
Because the case is being heard in civil court, it is unclear how much a jury might award to the plaintiff, should they find in favor of K.G.M.
But experts say these outcomes could have far-reaching consequences beyond simply financial exposure, impacting the design and regulation standards for social media giants for years to come.
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Tori Spelling living in a 'borderline hoarder' home as living conditions worsen
Tori Spelling's living conditions seem to be getting worse.
During Friday's episode of her "misSPELLING" podcast, the "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum, 52, and her co-host Amy Sugarman openly discussed how the current state of her home could have possibly led to her recent ailment that took Spelling "down for eight weeks."
"I know I have had a past of getting sick a lot and frequently, but this one took me down eight weeks," she said. "I couldn't work… I mean it started with the five petri dishes that live in my house, but they bring things home, that's normal. And, you know, you work through it, you get sick."
Sugarman alluded to another possible factor: Spelling's "lifestyle."
After asking Spelling to send a picture of the state of the house, Sugarman gasped and said, "It's not good."
"And I don’t want to be mean, but the Christmas tree is up," she added.
"You can see the bones in here, like the shelves could be really pretty, the living room could be really pretty. You have beautiful things," Sugarman said. "You can’t even sit in there… It’s borderline hoarder, I’m not gonna lie."
After Sugarman asked Spelling if she'd be comfortable inviting the president of iHeart over to her house for a hypothetical meeting, Spelling said, "I would have to pass."
"I’d be like, ‘Where, I’ll come to you wherever you are.’ I would change everything… I stopped having people over."
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The actress admitted that her home wasn't always a mess during her marriage to ex-husband Dean McDermott.
"When Dean and I were together and lived together, I was able to have a house that was presentable because he wouldn’t live like that," Spelling said. "We were working at different times, so I had downtime when he’d work."
Though Sugarman voiced her concerns, Spelling noted her life isn't going to change anytime soon.
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"My busy, chaotic work and children lifestyle is not gonna change," she said. "In fact, in the next year, there’s gonna be things coming up, it’s gonna be escalated. So I need to be on my A game and once someone comes in and does all this, yes, I can maintain it if I have someone helping me."
In a 2023 interview, McDermott told the Daily Mail that he insisted on separate sleeping arrangements in 2017 because Spelling had animals, including a pig, sleeping in their shared bedroom.
During an episode of her "misSPELLING" podcast in 2024, Spelling said it was McDermott's "choice" that the former couple sleep in "different bedrooms" for "three years," but insisted the decision was not due to their pet pig.
"He gave an interview saying he stopped sleeping in the bed because of a pig. That is not true," she said.
While Spelling admitted that there was a pig in their bed in 2017, she claimed that the animal only spent one night sleeping with them.
TORI SPELLING FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM DEAN MCDERMOTT AFTER 18-YEAR MARRIAGE
The California native explained that the couple adopted the baby pig while she was pregnant with their fifth child, and she was told that the animal needed to sleep in a bed.
"I was just following orders that it was used to snuggling, and it needed that for a few nights," Spelling said.
She continued, "But then when it peed between us in the bed, he was like, 'The pig's leaving the bed.' And I was like, 'Understood.' And that was it. That was the only night the pig was in the bed."
"The animals and kids didn't come between us in the bed," Spelling added.
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