An online appeal for a Herefordshire farmer affected by illegal dumping has passed £54,000, and the organiser plans to withdraw and hand over the funds in late February or early March. The Environment Agency has also announced new waste-crime enforcement measures, including a drone squad and screening tools.
Microsoft announced Phil Spencer's retirement and named Asha Sharma as EVP and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and Sharma pledged a renewed commitment to the Xbox console and to human-created game content.
A UK clinical trial will test whether a tampon can detect early signs of ovarian cancer by analysing vaginal fluid, recruiting 250 women with BRCA gene changes.
Nearly seven million households are expected to save about £200 on energy bills from April after a government energy bill discount and an anticipated fall in the Ofgem price cap; analysts warn the relief could be reduced over time as costs rise and support ends in April 2029.
John Swinney said Scottish independence is 'within reach' after a More in Common poll projected the SNP on 64 seats, and he linked growing momentum to a series of Westminster scandals.
Ofgem is expected to lower the energy price cap by about £120 for April–June following a government discount; the Resolution Foundation says the support is due to end in April 2029 and could reduce long-term savings.
The Lebanese health ministry said at least 10 people were killed and 24 wounded in Israeli strikes in the eastern Bekaa valley; security sources reported that Hezbollah leader Hussein Yaghi was killed and his funeral is set for Saturday.
The EPA told a federal appeals court it will defend the Biden-era rule that requires most cities to replace lead service lines within ten years, and said it will develop tools to support practical implementation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Vanda Pharmaceuticals' antipsychotic pill Bysanti (milsaperidone) for schizophrenia and acute bipolar I disorder, and Vanda said it expects a U.S. launch in the third quarter.
Two teenage boys were sentenced after Kamran Aman, 38, was fatally stabbed outside his mother's home in Barry in what the court described as an unprovoked racist attack; Marcus Staniforth received a minimum 17-year term and the 16-year-old a minimum 15-year term.
