Thousands without power in freezing Ukraine as renewed Russian strikes continue
Ukraine's leader says regions including Kyiv and Kharkiv are among those suffering the most from blackouts as a result of recent attacks.
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Mandelson ‘lied repeatedly’ over Epstein links and betrayed Britain, Starmer says – UK politics live
PM says former cabinet minister and peer lied about ‘extent and depth of the relationship’ and should not have been appointed as US ambassadorNewly released Jeffrey Epstein files: 10 key takeawaysPMQs is starting soon. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.The Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has dismissed claims that his party’s plan to support the pub industry would cost far more than the £3bn it claims.To be honest with you, we’re not interested in who you’ve been talking to. We’re more interested who we’ve been talking to, and we’ve been talking to landlords and small businesses up and down the country, and every landlord that I speak to … they want this VAT cut.We can go on all day about the numbers. I’m not interested in the numbers that the BBC have sourced. You’re hardly a bastion of truth at the BBC when it comes to things like this.This doesn’t add up. This is an unfunded tax cut which also pushes hundreds of thousands of children into poverty.Reform says that reinstating the two-child limit for most, but not all, families would save £2.29bn in 2026/27. The party claims its package of tax cuts would also cost £2.29bn – making it cost neutral – with the bulk coming from a proposal to halve VAT on hospitality, which it estimates would cost £1.7bn. Continue reading...
Pro-gun groups quickly rallied for Alex Pretti. Why didn’t they do the same for a Black gun owner?
Philando Castile, a lawful gun owner, was shot and killed by a police officer in 2016 – gun rights groups were largely silentThe killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis has sparked a thorny conversation among gun rights groups and Trump administration officials about the second amendment and the right to carry concealed firearms at protests and demonstrations. Among the questions is which cases the movement rallies behind, and behind which it doesn’t.In the hours and days after Pretti’s killing, dozens of local national and local gun rights groups lambasted federal officials like Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, and Gregory Bovino, a senior border patrol official, who baselessly claimed that Pretti’s carrying of a handgun proved that he planned to harm and kill border patrol agents. Prominent gun rights organizations, including Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Rifle Association (NRA), called for an independent investigation into the shooting and defended Pretti’s right to carry a gun. Continue reading...
Trump calls for Americans to ‘move on’ from Epstein files – US politics live
President’s commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and on-off ally Elon Musk have both featured in the Epstein filesDonald Trump’s aggressive rollback of environmental protections directly contradicts the promises of his “make America healthy again” campaign, according to new research.Helmed by Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump’s health and human services department has touted pledges to “transform our nation’s food, fitness, air, water, soil and medicine” and “reverse the childhood chronic disease crisis”. But the president’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pushing the country in the opposite direction, says the new report from the liberal research and advocacy non-profit Center for American Progress (CAP). Continue reading...
Gunmen have killed at least 162 people in west Nigeria attack, says Red Cross
Government blames ‘terrorist cells’ for attack in Woro village, one of country’s deadliest in recent monthsGunmen have killed at least 162 people in a village in Kwara state in western Nigeria, a Red Cross official has said, making it one of the deadliest attacks in recent months in the country, which has been plagued by interlinked security crises.Armed gangs, known locally as bandits, who loot villages and kidnap for ransom, operate in swathes of the country, while jihadist groups are active in the north-east and north-west. Intercommunal violence is also prevalent in the central states. Continue reading...
Ukraine-Russia talks under way in Abu Dhabi in wake of ‘massive’ strikes on Kyiv – Europe live
Both sides downplay chances of immediate breakthrough in US-brokered talks as western allies reportedly weigh new defence pactThe Kremlin has reacted to comments made by French president Emmanuel Macron that he was looking to resume contact with Putin on the war in Ukraine.According to Reuters news agency, the Kremlin confirmed ongoing technical discussions between Russia and France, but provided no further details or indicated any dialogue between Putin and Macron.At night, the enemy carried out a massive attack with strike drones on the Odesa region. Damage to civilian, residential and industrial infrastructure was recorded.In the city of Odesa, about 20 residential buildings and cars were damaged. Four people were rescued from the rubble, but one person was unfortunately injured. Continue reading...
House shelves contempt vote as Clintons agree to testify in Epstein investigation
The couple will appear on two separate days in late February for a deposition after coming to an agreement with the House oversight committee.
Libyan prosecutors launch probe into killing of Gaddafi's son
The 53-year-old, once widely seen as the second most powerful person in Libya, was killed by "our unknown gunmen".
Two Chinese Journalists Are Detained for Reporting on Corruption
The move against the men, who wrote an article that was critical of a local official, demonstrates how the space for independent voices has shrunk in China.
Son of Norway's crown princess chokes back tears giving evidence at rape trial
Marius Borg Høiby gives evidence after the first woman he is alleged to have raped told the court she believed she had been drugged.