Republican calls on Trump ally Howard Lutnick to quit cabinet over Epstein files 09. February 2026 (17:43) Congressman Thomas Massie says commerce secretary ‘has a lot to answer for’ over ties to late convicted sex offenderUS House member Thomas Massie has called for the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick – a fellow Republican – to resign over his ties to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Massie, who co-authored a law mandating the release of the so-called Epstein files, appeared Sunday on CNN’s Inside Politics and said Lutnick, a staunch Donald Trump ally, “has a lot to answer for”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Paul Thomas Anderson and Jonny Greenwood demand Phantom Thread music removed from Melania film 09. February 2026 (17:27) Director and composer of 2017 drama allege breach of agreement after score reused in controversial documentaryPaul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, the director and composer, respectively, for Phantom Thread, have requested that music from the 2017 film be removed from the controversial new documentary on Melania Trump.“It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary,” the pair said in a statement to Variety. “While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright in the score, Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sarwar has shown his ruthless streak. But will his swipe at Starmer mean anything to voters? 09. February 2026 (17:20) Scottish Labour leader is gambling that by declaring his loyalty to Scotland, the electorate will rally behind himUK politics live – latest updatesAnas Sarwar calls for Keir Starmer to stand downAnas Sarwar has shown he has a ruthless streak. Once one of Keir Starmer’s staunchest cheerleaders and allies, the Scottish Labour leader is now the most senior party figure to call for him to quit.Despite anger among his colleagues and criticism that his decision to demand Starmer stands down was “idiotic, immature and self-defeating”, Sarwar’s political calculation is blunt and uncompromising. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ofcom under fire after refusing to investigate ‘misleading’ GB News Trump interview 09. February 2026 (16:57) US president not challenged over false claims climate change is ‘hoax’ and parts of London have sharia lawThe UK’s media regulator Ofcom has been accused of abandoning “any pretence” of guarding against misleading and biased television coverage, after it refused to investigate a series of complaints about a GB News interview with Donald Trump.During the interview with the rightwing network, broadcast last November, the US president falsely claimed human-induced climate change was “a hoax” and that London had no-go areas for police. He said parts of the capital had “sharia law”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon urges US to ‘keep fighting’ for right to free press 09. February 2026 (16:56) Journalist arrested after covering anti-ICE protest says it was ‘very frightening’ to experience government overreachThe former CNN anchor Don Lemon has warned the US must “keep fighting” for its right to a free press, calling it “the breath in the lungs of democracy” following his arrest alongside another journalist by the Trump administration.Lemon was arrested late last month, days after covering an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French riot officers go on trial accused of beating gilets jaunes protesters 09. February 2026 (15:36) Nine members of police’s CRS division allegedly ‘repeatedly struck non-hostile demonstrators’ in Paris in 2018Nine officers from the French riot police have gone on trial in Paris accused of beating peaceful protesters who were sheltering from teargas during the “gilets jaunes” (yellow vests) anti-government demonstrations in 2018.The case at Paris’s criminal court is one of the biggest trials over alleged police violence during the unrest in 2018 and 2019, when hundreds of thousands of protesters in fluorescent jackets took to the streets over rising fuel taxes in what morphed into broader anti-government protests against the president, Emmanuel Macron. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Files cast light on Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to cryptocurrency 09. February 2026 (15:00) Newly released documents detail convicted sex offender’s early backing of bitcoin and Coinbase Millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein have brought to light his ties to the highest echelons of the cryptocurrency industry.Documents published last week by the US Department of Justice reveal Epstein bankrolled the “principal home and funding source” for bitcoin, the world’s largest cryptocurrency, during its nascent stages; he also invested $3m in Coinbase in 2014, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US, and cut a check that same year to Blockstream, a prominent bitcoin-focused technology firm. Both crypto startups accepted Epstein’s investments in 2014 – six years after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian ministers met Japanese gas companies 20 times amid fossil fuel lobbying push 09. February 2026 (15:00) Thinktank analysis suggests Japan campaigns to prolong the carbon industry in Australia and hinder move to clean energyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian government ministers met Japanese gas company executives more than 20 times in the last term of parliament as Labor encouraged investment in the fossil fuel industry.The list of meetings is detailed in a report by the thinktank InfluenceMap that argues Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies have worked with Australian gas interests to lobby for favourable local government policy to prolong the life of the industry and slow a shift to clean energy in Asia Pacific. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Whistle becomes key tool in protests against Trump’s ICE crackdown 09. February 2026 (15:00) Protesters have been blowing whistles to alert people to agents’ presence – and that has upset figures on the rightWhen Justin Vernon of Bon Iver appeared on the red carpet at the Grammy awards he was wearing an accessory that has become a must-carry for activists in neighborhoods targeted by ICE: a whistle.The whistle has become a key part in the defense against Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, used to alert people to the presence of agents. But it has also become a target for the right, who have branded whistles “hearing-loss-causing machines” and said the act of blowing a whistle may constitute “assault”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A tale of two Scott Farquhars: how one small change set back political transparency in Australia 09. February 2026 (15:00) Australia needs a balance between protecting the privacy of donors and preserving the transparency of how political parties are fundedWant to get more charts in your inbox every fortnight? Sign up for The Crunch hereIn the latest round of political donation disclosures there was a curious detail. It appeared as if Scott Farquhar, the billionaire co-founder of Atlassian, had donated $22,250 to the Queensland Greens in addition to giving $1.5m to support Climate 200.Had the tech guru fallen prey to the Greens’ legendary email marketing apparatus?It is very uncommon for two donors in a single disclosure period to have the same name. In that very unusual occurrence, the unique client identifier is a method to distinguish them as separate individuals. The AEC is further considering such matters for the implementation of other Electoral reform amendments due to commence 1 July 2026. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
