Entertainment
Outrage after Trump claims Nato troops avoided Afghan front line
- Trump says Nato forces stayed off front lines in Afghanistan.
- UK minister says Nato answered US call after Sep 11 attacks.
- Trump suggests Nato would not come to aid of US if asked.
Britain on Friday said Donald Trump was “wrong to diminish” the role of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) troops in Afghanistan, as a claim by the US president that they did not fight on the front line sparked outrage.
In an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday, Trump appeared unaware that 457 British soldiers died during the conflict in the South Asian country following the September 11 attacks on the United States.
“They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan,” Trump told the US outlet, referring to Nato allies.
“And they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines,” he added.
Trump also repeated his suggestion that Nato would not come to the aid of the United States if asked to do so.
In fact, following the 9/11 attacks, the UK and a number of other allies joined the US from 2001 in Afghanistan after it invoked Nato’s collective security clause.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed Trump’s claim as “insulting” and suggested the US leader should apologise.
“I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer said, adding that had he misspoken in such a way “I would certainly apologise.”
As well as British forces, troops from other Nato ally countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Denmark and others also died.
“Their sacrifice and that of other Nato forces was made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally,” Starmer’s official spokesman said.
“We are incredibly proud of our armed forces and their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he added.
‘Heroes’
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock earlier said he expected Starmer would bring the issue up with Trump.
“I think he will, I’m sure, be raising this issue with the president… He’s incredibly proud of our armed forces, and he will make that clear to the president,” he told LBC Radio.
“It just doesn’t really add up what he said, because the fact of the matter is the only time that Article 5 has been invoked was to go to the aid of the United States after 9/11,” he added in an interview with Sky News.
Defence Minister John Healey said Nato’s Article 5 has only been triggered once.
“The UK and Nato allies answered the US call. And more than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan,” he said.
The troops who died were “heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation”, he added.
Lucy Aldridge, whose son William died aged 18 in Afghanistan, told The Mirror newspaper that Trump’s remarks were “extremely upsetting”.
Emily Thornberry, chair of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced them as “so much more than a mistake”.
“It’s an absolute insult. It’s an insult to 457 families who lost someone in Afghanistan. How dare he say we weren’t on the front line?” the Labour Party politician said on the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday evening.
According to official UK figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties who died in Afghanistan were killed in hostile military action.
The US reportedly lost more than 2,400 soldiers.
February’s full moon, also known as the “Snow Moon”, is glowing up in the evening sky.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports that the moon will be in its full illumination on Sunday, February 1, at 5:09 p.m.
It will appear fullest while low on the eastern horizon near sunset, creating a striking, bright orange spectacle.
The Moon will still appear nearly full on Saturday, January 31, 2026 and Monday, February 2 evenings.
The origin of the name “Snow Moon” comes from the heavy snowfall that was traditionally prevalent in North America during the month of February, a tradition recorded by the Farmers’ Almanack.
In some tribes, it is also called the Sleet Moon, Wind Moon, and Crow Moon.
The Moon will be visible with the naked eye. However, you can use a telescope or binoculars to get a clearer view.
NASA’s chief of Planetary Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Laboratory stated, “Go out and look at it when it’s full, when it’s partially full, and learn its geography.”
The Snow Moon unlocks the full roster of full moons of 2026 with slightly bigger supermoons at the end of the year (November and December).
Beyond the full Moon, astronomers expect a complete lunar eclipse in the U.S. on March 3. The lunar eclipse is referred to as a “blood moon.”
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s perseverance rover has successfully completed its first artificial intelligence (AI) driven drive on another planet.
The perseverance used an AI model, Claude, developed by Anthropic, to design a 400-meter safe route across the rocky terrain of Jezero Carter. The plan was executed on December 8 and 10, 2025.
Previously, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) performed this manually.
As Mars is, on average, 140 million miles away from Earth, it creates a communication delay of about 20 minutes, which makes it unable to drive rovers in real-time.
Instead of it, operators meticulously plan a series of way points also known as “breadcrumb trail” with the help of orbital images and rover data, which the rover then follows autonomously between points.
For this test, engineers gave Claude years of mission data in context.
The AI system analysed high-resolution orbital imagery, detected dangers such as boulder fields and sand ripples, and produced a continuous path.
It even produced the commands in the rover’s specialised programming language.
Before application, JPL engineers verified it via standard verification simulation, checking over 500,000 variables.
One minor adjustment was needed after tests. Resultantly, perseverance drove 689 ft and then 807 ft on the two sols (Marian days), completing the AI-planned route without issue.
Just in time for love filled February moments, Meghan Markle has unveiled a special limited edition chocolate collection through her lifestyle brand As Ever on Saturday.
The new As Ever x Compartés Valentine’s Day box brings together gourmet flavours and beautifully designed packaging.
“Our Valentine’s Day As ever x @compartes collection is here!” she wrote.
Created in collaboration with Los Angeles luxury chocolatier Compartés, the collection features four handcrafted bars.
Think rich Strawberry Spread Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Spread Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate with Flower Sprinkles and Milk Chocolate with Shortbread Cookies and Bee Pollen, all wrapped in cheerful floral-inspired boxes.
The duo’s holiday chocolate trio in 2025 flew off shelves in record time, selling out in under an hour and fans are already anticipating another quick disappearance this season too, especially with Valentine’s Day just around the corner.
It first started with small-batch spreads, teas, baking mixes and sweet treats, and has expanded into wines, candles and now premium chocolates.
In fact, the brand’s name, As Ever, represents her desire to build something timeless and warm that feels like home.
February’s full ‘snow Moon’ peaks Sunday night
NASA’s perseverance rover completed first-ever AI-planned drive on Mars
Meghan Markle sweetens Valentine’s day after last year’s big sell out
-
Business1 week agoSuccess Story: This IITian Failed 17 Times Before Building A ₹40,000 Crore Giant
-
Entertainment1 week agoDrake takes legal battle over Kendrick Lamar track to next level
-
Business1 week agoSilver ETFs Jump Up To 10%, Gold ETFs Gain Over 3% On Record Bullion Prices
-
Sports1 week agoSenegal coach defends team’s AFCON final walkoff and chaos
-
Tech1 week agoRuckus gears up for networking partnership with TGR Haas F1 Team | Computer Weekly
-
Fashion1 week agoSouth Korea tilts sourcing towards China as apparel imports shift
-
Sports1 week agoTransfer rumors, news: Saudi league eyes Salah, Vinícius Jr. plus 50 more
-
Entertainment1 week agoUS warships head to Middle East amid Iran tensions