A color photograph showing US President Barack Obama (left) and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (right) standing and shaking hands after signing New START. Each also holds in their left hand a leather binder (perhaps containing their spoken remarks). Bound and signed copies of the treaty are visible on the table in front of them. Multiple US and Russian flags are on display behind them.

Today in 2010, President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Prague, Czech Republic. New START—which expired on February 5—limited each country to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and a combined total of 700 ICBMs, SLBMs, and bombers.

UK to receive last tanker of jet fuel from Middle East this week Industry warnings of disruption contrast with government calls for calm

Turns out we actually needed renewables to firm fossil fuels for when the ship doesn't sail and the pipeline doesn't flow.

‘Not a very good arrangement’: Rubio warns US will rethink NATO after Iran war Donald Trump’s top diplomat complains that European allies are not helping America out in the Middle East.

How many times do they need to dump on their allies before Albo faces reality and admits that we’re not getting the subs?

#auspol @albomp.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/marc...

Iran was nowhere close to a nuclear bomb, experts say Although President Trump has claimed Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, much more work was needed for the country to do so

Iran was nowhere close to a nuclear bomb, experts say

Although President Trump has claimed Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, much more work was needed for the country to do so

www.scientificamerican.com/article/iran...

New: Pentagon briefers acknowledged to congressional staff in a briefing Sunday that Iran was not planning to strike US forces or bases in the Middle East unless Israel attacked Iran first, multiple sources to @NatashaBertrand , @jmhansler & me. Why this matters: It undercuts Trump admin’s argument on Saturday that Iran was planning to potentially strike the US preemptively & posed an imminent threat:

No legal basis under either U.S. or international law to attack Iran.

No attack upon the U.S., nor imminent threat of one, nor any congressional authorization.

And the USG ought to be able to restrain the principal recipient of U.S. military assistance from provocations.

All utterly lawless.

UK Hosts Senior NATO Leaders to discuss Nuclear Deterrence NATO officials discussed the Alliance's approach to nuclear deterrence and Euro-Atlantic security in flagship meeting on 27 February.

While waiting for Macron’s speech on French nuke role, and following uncertainty about US commitment to defend NATO, UK convene NATO officials to discuss the future of nuclear deterrence in Europe. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Trump campaign peace promises loom large over wartime presidency The "anti-war" candidate has bombed seven countries and launched a new regime-change war in Iran.

💥 No president in the modern era has ordered more military strikes against as many different countries as Donald Trump.

He's attacked 7 nations, three of which had never been targeted by U.S. military strikes. He authorized more individual air strikes in 2025 than Biden did in four years.

Whole lotta crazy despots watching this happen to Iran but not North Korea and thinking - “I need nukes”

AND he’s got the codes. Truly awful.

Very worried about what’s next, if these planes went down because Iran took them down.

Trump hasn’t the temperament, presence of mind, intellectual capacity or competence to respond in a way that’s even remotely rational, and is surrounded by officials who are there only b/c they won’t contain him.

To all the progressive Labor voters who in Albanese had hoped for Gough but now see Howard - the Greens are here for you.

#auapol @albomp.bsky.social

Supporting ‘illegal aggression’ against Iran ‘the worst thing’ Australia could do, international law experts say Ben Saul says ‘rolling over’ after Israel and US attack is counterproductive for middle powers because it undermines rules-based order * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast International law experts have criticised Australia for “rolling over” and backing what they say is an illegal attack by Israel and the US on Iran. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, endorsed the fresh war by stating that “Australia supports action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security”. Continue reading...

Supporting ‘illegal aggression’ against Iran ‘the worst thing’ Australia could do, international law experts say

Disgraceful seeing Albo fall over himself to back this illegal war.

Let’s not for a minute think he’d hesitate to put Australian troops in front of foreign bullets, if his mate Donald asked him to.

#auspol @albomp.bsky.social

Trump pledging to “totally obliterate” the nuclear program he said he “obliterated” only 6 months ago.

Why should anyone trust an Australian government that so routinely goes "International laws don't count in this instance"?

Penny Wong backs Israeli and US strikes on Iran as Labor group decries ‘sycophantic capitulation to militarism’ Australian foreign affairs minister says Israel and US should explain ‘the legal basis for the attacks’ on Iran and won’t say if Pine Gap used during strikes

Backing in a war that has no legal basis, no moral basis, no clear objective, no motive, no strategy, no popular support, no exit plan - just as Howard did with Iraq.

Albanse Govt fast turning into the one it replaced.

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

In Trump’s Case for War, a Series of False or Unproven Claims

All of the claims the Trump administration made this week to justify possible U.S. military action against Iran were either false or unproven: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/u...

-Zero Congressional consultation or approval.
-Zero preparation of public for need/consequences of war.
-Zero evidence of thought about "OK, what might the other side do?" Next month. Next year.
-Zero mention of anti-nuke agreement Trump voided, or Trump claim last year that nukes "obliterated."

Can't think of another example where the serving Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff essentially made it known that he considered a military operation a mistake *beforehand*, but the admin went ahead anyway.

In short, the US and Israel have started this war with vague and unachievable objectives, with no int law base, and little or no support from Gulf states or other US allies. If Iran succeeds in hitting US/Israeli targets or disrupts oil exports, Trump will find using mil force is not risk free. End

A map titled "Where the U.S. and Israel Attacked Iran." It shows scattered red explotion marks across the country, including Tehran, Urmia and Minah.

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday in a major assault that threatened a broader regional conflict. Iran vowed to retaliate and several Arab states that host U.S. military bases said they had been attacked. Follow live updates. nyti.ms/4cDmanV

Could AUS PM Albanese not go a single day without saying or doing something disappointing, cowardly, spineless, unprincipled, or making Australia complicit in international war crimes?! 🤬 #auspol

What the USA & Israel are doing in bombing Iran is a violation of the UN Charter & international law. This is an illegal war, unprovoked & can’t be justified as self - defence & is without UN Security Council authorisation.

Albanese says Australia supports US action against Iran and stands with the Iranian people’s ‘struggle against oppression’ Department of foreign affairs warns travellers of risk of reprisal attacks, further escalation and flight cancellations in Middle East

What Australia SHOULD be supporting is international law, the UN Charter, and the right for states not to be subject to wars of aggression.

Disgraceful to hear this from our PM.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Opinion | Trump Risks Igniting a Nuclear Wildfire

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/o...

Today, under the cover of the Liberals tearing each other down, Labor has approved another coal mine extension.

Extending Middlemount to 2044 means Labor has now approved 35 fossil fuel projects.

In the middle of the climate crisis, they're approving more coal & gas.

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware The world is closer than thought to a “point of no return” after which runaway global heating cannot be stopped, scientists have said. Continued global heating could trigger climate tipping points, leading to a cascade of further tipping points and feedback loops, they said. This would lock the world into a new and hellish “hothouse Earth” climate far worse than the 2-3C temperature rise the world is on track to reach. The climate would also be very different to the benign conditions of the past 11,000 years, during which the whole of human civilisation developed. Continue reading...

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say

Launching the official Bluesky account of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the only international medical organization dedicated to the abolition of nuclear weapons. www.ippnw.org

@albomp.bsky.social’s take on Herzog protesters facing police brutality:

"…we do need to be able to have people express any views peacefully in an appropriate way."

A standard not applied, it seems, to those accused of inciting genocide.

Inspections Without Inspectors This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of trans...

🚨 New @scientistsorg.bsky.social report by Igor Morić + me tackling a critical question:

Given that on-site nuclear arms control verification between the US + Russia is unlikely in the near-term, could a cooperative use of remote sensing tools act as a replacement?

fas.org/publication/...