Spanish police have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure at sea, intercepting a Cameroon-flagged merchant vessel in the Atlantic Ocean carrying nearly 10,000 kilograms (about 11 tons) of cocaine hidden within a shipment of salt, en route from Brazil to Europe.

The operation, named "White Tide," involved international cooperation with agencies from the US, Brazil, the UK, France, and Portugal, and resulted in the arrest of 13 crew members and the recovery of a firearm used to guard the drugs.

The vessel, identified as the United S, was boarded by Spain’s Special Operations Group (GEO) while en route from Brazil to Europe, and after running out of fuel, it drifted for nearly 12 hours before being towed to the Canary Islands by Spain’s maritime rescue service, SASEMAR.

The cocaine, packed into 294 bales, was concealed among tons of salt cargo, requiring officers to search through the holds to uncover the illicit shipment.

The bust is the largest maritime cocaine seizure in Spain’s history, surpassing the previous record of 7.5 tonnes seized in 1999. The seized drug is valued at over $116.5 million (€100 million).

This operation marks a significant blow to a multinational criminal network involved in trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe via commercial shipping routes.

Spain has increasingly become a key entry point for cocaine into Europe, with authorities seizing 123 tonnes nationwide in 2024, up from 118 tonnes in 2023.

In October 2025, Spanish police seized 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a vessel off the Canary Islands following a tip from US authorities, and in June 2025, a network using high-speed "narco boats" was dismantled.

American commentator Candace Owens has said that Israel’s Likud Party, through its lawmaker Dan Illouz, has declared her and journalist Tucker Carlson as enemies and threatened them, asserting that "these people are murderers" and that Israel would be responsible if anything happens to them.

Owens' remarks followed Illouz’s speech in the Knesset, where he criticized what he described as "intellectual vandalism" by Carlson and Owens, framing their rhetoric as a dangerous threat to Western values Owens shared the remarks on social media, questioning the U.S. government’s tolerance of such statements.

The comments originated from a Knesset address by Illouz, a Likud Party member, who warned of a “new enemy rising from within” the West, accusing Owens and Carlson of spreading “poison” under the guise of patriotism.

Owens stated on X: “The Likud party in Israel just named me and Tucker Carlson as enemies that must be fought. These people are murderers. Murderers are threatening me and Tucker Carlson over speech. How is this at all acceptable to our government?”

The American conservative commentator is a known critic of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and she has condemned the Jewish nation's genocidal military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza, and the undue influence of Israli agents on American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Illouz responded directly on X, clarifying that a Member of Parliament speaking is a democratic debate, not a party directive, and dismissed Owens’ claims of threats as a “desperate silencing tactic” typical of cancel culture. He claimed that Israel, as a democracy, stands for freedom and will not be silenced, asserting that the bond between Israel and America is eternal.

The Likud Party is currently led by Netanyahu and is Israel’s largest right-wing political party, with a history of holding power since 1977.

Apple and Google have officially confirmed a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology, enabling future Apple Intelligence features, including a significantly upgraded Siri, to be launched later this year.

This partnership marks a major strategic shift for Apple, which had previously relied on OpenAI’s ChatGPT for some AI functions, and signals a decisive move to leverage Google’s advanced AI capabilities to accelerate its own AI ambitions while maintaining strict privacy standards.

The collaboration centers on Apple using Google’s Gemini models as the foundational technology for its own Apple Foundation Models, which will power a range of AI-driven features across Apple’s ecosystem.

The new Siri, expected to debut in the OS 26.4 update in March or April 2026, will be built on this Gemini foundation, offering enhanced personalization, in-app actions, and on-screen awareness.

Despite the deep integration of Gemini technology, Apple will customize the models for its own use, meaning the resulting Siri will not be identical to Google’s Gemini or Google Assistant.

Apple emphasized that all Apple Intelligence features, including the new Siri, will continue to run on Apple devices and its Private Cloud Compute architecture, ensuring user data remains protected and does not flow to Google’s servers.

A joint statement by both companies stated that after a thorough evaluation, Google’s AI technology was determined to provide the most capable foundation for its models, a decision that has been viewed positively by Wall Street and has contributed to Alphabet’s market capitalization surpassing $4 trillion.

"Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the statement reads on X. "These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.

"After careful evaluation, Apple determined that Google's Al technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models and is excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for Apple users. Apple Intelligence will continue to run on Apple devices and Private Cloud Compute, while maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy standards."

The deal follows speculation that Apple might pay Google around $1 billion annually to use its models, though the financial terms of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed.

This partnership builds on Apple’s existing relationship with Google as the default search engine on its devices, a long-standing arrangement that generates significant revenue for Apple.

Commenting on the collaboration, xAI and Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X, "This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that the also have Android and Chrome."