Politics

Paul McManus, a millionaire drummer, has said he will fund Alex Salmond's legal action after Moira Salmond transferred the case's legal rights, and the Scottish government has denied there was a plot.

Two men were jailed for life after plotting an attack targeting the Jewish community; a third man was convicted of failing to disclose information about the plan.

On 26 January in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, gym owner Deepak Kumar intervened when a 70-year-old Muslim trader was reportedly pressured to change his shop name; a video of the exchange went viral and Mr Kumar later said he received threats. A group of senior advocates and other supporters have offered sponsored memberships and pro bono legal help, while police say inquiries are ongoing.

A US congressman told a House hearing that a woman pictured with Andrew in photos from Jeffrey Epstein's New York home should be treated as a sex trafficking victim, while US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the images do not prove criminality.

Days after the Trump administration oversaw removal of a Pride flag from the Stonewall national monument, New York City officials raised the flag again at the site in Greenwich Village.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said he expects to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference, while recent Russian strikes in Ukraine have left thousands of people without power.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has claimed a majority in the parliamentary election held after Sheikh Hasina's overthrow, with early counts showing about 185 of 300 seats and the US embassy congratulating the party.

Sussan Ley became Liberal leader in May 2025 promising to modernise and consult; after 276 days she lost the leadership amid internal disagreement over policy and party direction.

Police said they attended the Tumbler Ridge suspect's home multiple times for mental health concerns and that firearms seized about two years ago were later returned; investigators say the probe is in its early stage.

The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a U.S. Marine and his wife will remain the child's legal parents, saying a state law that finalises adoptions after six months bars challenges; three justices dissented, calling the process flawed.

Vincent Chan has been sentenced to 18 years in prison with an additional eight years on extended licence after admitting sexual offences against children and some women; the court said he will be eligible for parole two-thirds into the custodial term.

Governor Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order barring federal immigration officers from non-public areas of state-owned property without a judicial warrant and launched an online portal for residents to submit photos and videos of enforcement activity.

Mia Mottley's Barbados Labour Party won all 30 House of Assembly seats, giving her a third term and unseating opposition leader Ralph Thorne.

A 410-pound manatee was found trapped in a Melbourne Beach storm drain, freed by a multi-agency team and taken to SeaWorld Orlando, where staff report it is breathing and showing interest in food.

Israeli president Isaac Herzog paid tribute at a Bondi Pavilion memorial for the 15 victims and said the global rise in antisemitism is a 'global emergency'; he will meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra and travel to Melbourne.

Police will refer children aged 10–17 found carrying knives to youth justice services for compulsory mentoring, the Ministry of Justice said; the change is part of Labour's manifesto and follows recent reported school knife incidents.

The government will introduce a bill to lower the UK voting age from 18 to 16, saying it would engage young people; opponents argue adulthood and voting rights should start at 18, and the bill must pass both Houses before becoming law.

Top editor Matt Murray told staff there is a widespread sense of loss after the Washington Post cut nearly a third of its workforce; management says the reductions were guided by readership data and that leadership is pursuing a new direction.

The U.S. economy added 130,000 jobs last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, beating economists' forecast of about 55,000; the national unemployment rate remained near 4.3 percent.

An Indian court sentenced journalist Ravi Nair to one year in jail for certain social media posts about the Adani Group, saying they were unverified and defamatory. Nair has said he will appeal the conviction.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to those affected by recent nationwide protests and the government's crackdown, and said Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons as talks with the United States continue.

Two pupils were stabbed at Kingsbury High School in Brent and are reported to be in a serious condition; a 13‑year‑old has been arrested and remains in custody while counter‑terrorism officers lead the police investigation, which has not been declared a terrorist incident.

Ministers say secondary schools in England will be expected to have 'inclusion bases'—separate spaces where pupils with SEND and neurodiversity can receive support—as part of a wider SEND reform backed by a £3.7bn programme and a £700m school repairs fund.

An X post on Vice President JD Vance's visit to the Tsitsernakerd memorial describing the 1915 events as a 'genocide' was deleted, and a Vance aide said staff posted it in error.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration's move to end temporary protected status for roughly 350,000 Haitians, and churches in Springfield, Ohio, are expanding support as the administration appeals and the legal outcome remains unsettled.

On 10 February the Prime Minister spoke in Welwyn Garden City, emphasising the cost of living and his working-class background.

At the Super Bowl halftime, Bad Bunny highlighted Puerto Rican cultural symbols — including a cuatro and a light-blue Puerto Rican flag tied to independence — and led a parade of hemispheric flags while saying 'God Bless América'.

Sergei Lavrov said there is 'still a long way to go' in peace talks after recent meetings in Abu Dhabi; Russia continues to press territorial and security demands while Ukraine reported strikes on energy infrastructure including in Odesa.

An immigration court found on Jan. 29 that the Department of Homeland Security had not proved that Turkish Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk should be removed and terminated her removal proceedings, her attorneys said; the department may appeal.

UN rights chief Volker Turk described last October's violence in El-Fasher as a 'preventable human rights catastrophe' and warned similar abuses may be repeated in Kordofan; Britain said it had imposed new sanctions and raised the matter at the UN Security Council.