Michigan accuses big oil of being ‘cartel’ that fuels climate crisis and high energy costs 05. February 2026 (14:00) In first-of-its-kind complaint, state accused four fossil fuel majors and US oil lobbying group of climate disinformationAmid rising concern about global heating and soaring energy costs, Michigan has sued big oil for allegedly fueling both crises – a move experts have hailed as groundbreaking.In a first-of-its-kind complaint, the state’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, accused four fossil fuel majors and the top US oil lobbying group last month of acting as a “cartel” to stifle the growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs), while suppressing information about the dangers of the climate crisis. The conduct, the lawsuit alleged, violates federal and state antitrust laws. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer apologises to Epstein victims as he seeks to weather Mandelson scandal 05. February 2026 (13:56) PM says he is sorry for believing ‘lies’ told by former Labour minister and that he too is ‘angry and frustrated’UK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has attempted to reboot his faltering premiership, apologising for appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and urging his MPs to unite behind him.The prime minister gave a lengthy speech on Wednesday about community cohesion, but faced a barrage of questions about his leadership after one of his most turbulent days since entering Downing Street. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Calls to shut down Texas ICE facility for children grow amid measles outbreak 05. February 2026 (13:00) At least two cases confirmed at detention center for children and their parents in Texas At least two cases of measles have been confirmed at a major immigration detention center for children and their parents in Texas as cases of the dangerous virus in South Carolina, Arizona, Utah and other US states continue growing and alarming experts.In January alone, the US saw 25% of the total confirmed in all of last year, and the outbreak shows no sign of slowing as federal officials stay silent on vaccination. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s border-czar takeover does little to calm Minneapolis tensions: ‘The agenda is still the same’ 05. February 2026 (13:00) Experts say Tom Homan’s charge, replacing Greg Bovino’s aggressive tactics, may change the tone, but not the missionIn his clearest attempt yet to “de‑escalate” tensions in Minneapolis, Tom Homan, Donald Trump’s “border czar”, announced on Wednesday that the administration will draw down 700 federal immigration officers as the statewide crackdown continues.The Twin Cities remain on edge, waiting to see whether the fear will ease. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minister defends Starmer, saying Mandelson ‘conned everyone’ – UK politics live 05. February 2026 (11:50) Peter Mandelson ‘lied, manipulated and deceived everybody,’ said Steve Reed in a staunch defence of the prime minister and his chief of staffBack to that Reform UK press conference in Newport, Wales, for a moment.The Welsh-born former London council leader Dan Thomas has been unveiled by Nigel Farage as the leader of Reform UK in Wales ahead of the Senedd elections in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ukraine, Russia agree to exchange prisoners after ‘productive’ talks with US - Europe live 05. February 2026 (11:43) US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that the countries agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, with talks to continue in coming weeksUS presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said that the US, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners in “the first such exchange in five months.”He said:“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”“We may be, in the course of 2026, coming to a point where the whole thing becomes unsustainable, because so much of the Russian economy has been distorted so much by the building up of the war economy at the expense of the civil economy. I think defying the laws of economic gravity can only go on for so long.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Loss of life was avoidable in worst small boat disaster in Channel, inquiry finds 05. February 2026 (11:31) Cranston report highly critical of systemic failings and missed opportunities around deaths of more than 30 peopleLoss of life was avoidable in the worst mass drowning from a small boat crossing in the Channel, a public inquiry has found.The 454-page report by the former high court judge Sir Ross Cranston is highly critical of failings around the deaths of at least 24 men, seven women and two children in November 2021. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Maduro’s alleged frontman Alex Saab reportedly captured in Caracas 05. February 2026 (11:30) FBI and Venezuela’s intelligence agency also reportedly arrest billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín at same addressA close and powerful associate of the deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has reportedly been detained during a joint operation by Venezuela’s intelligence agency and the FBI.Alex Saab, a wealthy Colombian-Venezuelan businessman long considered Maduro’s frontman, was removed from his position in Venezuela’s government a fortnight after US forces captured his ally on 3 January. In the early hours of Wednesday, the 54-year-old was reportedly detained by members of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) at a luxury home in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK health body says 36 cases of toxin poisoning linked to baby formula 05. February 2026 (11:27) Clinical reports show the children had consumed batches of recently recalled products, UKHSA saysThere have been 36 clinical reports of children suffering symptoms consistent with toxin poisoning linked to recent baby formula recalls, the UK Health Security Agency has said.The UKHSA said it and partner agencies had received 24 notifications in England, seven in Scotland, three in Wales, one in Northern Ireland and one from the crown dependencies of children who had consumed implicated batches and developed symptoms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuela plan to turn notorious prison into cultural centre scrubs past horrors, critics say 05. February 2026 (11:00) The move is among several measures the acting president has touted since Maduro’s capture – yet critics say it erases Venezuela’s long history of repressionIt was designed in the 1950s to be the world’s first “drive-through shopping centre”, a futuristic structure with more than than two miles of ramps looping past 300 shops, as well as cinemas, a hotel, a private club, a concert hall and a heliport.But the building was never completed, and under the regimes of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, spaces envisioned as shops were turned into cells, and El Helicoide became Venezuela’s most notorious torture centre for political prisoners. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
