Gunmen have killed at least 162 people in west Nigeria attack, says Red Cross 04. February 2026 (13:50) 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...(The Guardian)
Ukraine and Russia begin second round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi 04. February 2026 (13:31) Major obstacles to viable deal remain after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of violating energy truceEurope live – latest updatesUkrainian and Russian negotiators have begun a second round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi as Washington seeks a pathway to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.The two-day trilateral talks starting on Wednesday come after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of exploiting a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile weapons before launching a record number of ballistic missile attacks at Ukraine on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s environmental rollbacks contradict RFK’s healthy America promise, report finds 04. February 2026 (13:30) Dismantling rules will make children vulnerable to chronic diseases ‘make America healthy again’ wants to eradicateDonald 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...(The Guardian)
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of ex-Libyan leader, killed, say officials 04. February 2026 (13:25) Dictator’s second son, a key figure in post-2011 Libyan politics, reportedly shot dead at home by masked assailantsSaif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and for years the second most powerful person in the country, has been killed in a village south-west of Tripoli, officials said on Tuesday night.The 53-year-old died from gunshot wounds in the town of Zintan, 85 miles south-west of the capital, according to the Libyan attorney general’s office. Gaddafi’s own office said he was killed in his home by masked assailants. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ugandan opposition leader still in hiding as feud with president’s son escalates 04. February 2026 (13:07) Bobi Wine’s whereabouts unknown since he fled what he said was night raid on his home by police and militaryBobi Wine, Uganda’s most prominent opposition figure, remains in hiding nearly three weeks after a disputed election, as a high-stakes social media feud with the east African country’s military chief escalates.Wine’s whereabouts have been unknown since 16 January, when he fled what he said was a night raid by the police and military on his home, leaving his family behind. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Billionaire US investor Ken Griffin accuses Trump White House of ‘enriching’ itself 04. February 2026 (13:01) Citadel hedge fund boss, Republican donor and vocal Trump critic says administration has made ‘distasteful’ choices not in the public interestThe billionaire investor Ken Griffin has accused Donald Trump’s administration of “enriching” its families, and criticised its interference in American businesses as “distasteful”.Griffin, who is the chief executive of the hedge fund Citadel and a large Republican donor, rebuked the Trump administration, saying it “has definitely made missteps in choosing decisions or courses that have been very, very enriching to the families of those in the administration”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Democrats launch aggressive campaign to win back infrequent voters 04. February 2026 (12:00) DNC’s Local Listeners initiative will target one million ‘infrequent’ voters in battleground districtsDemocrats are launching an aggressive campaign to win back voters they lost, not to Donald Trump, but to the proverbial “couch,” as they look to regain support ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a new initiative called Local Listeners with the goal of targeting over one million “infrequent” voters in key battleground districts. Seeking to build on the party’s string of off-year election victories, which extended into 2026 with an upset in Texas last weekend, the DNC is betting that early, localized outreach will be crucial in winning back these voters’ trust – and their ballots – this time around. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Striking Starbucks workers urge customers to delete coffee chain’s app 04. February 2026 (12:00) Unionized baristas continue to fight for a fair contract and ask public for solidarity as strike stretches into third monthStriking Starbucks baristas are calling on customers of the world’s largest coffee chain to delete its popular mobile app in solidarity with their demands for a first union contract.Starbucks Workers United, which has been coordinating a strike for almost three months, is vowing to press ahead. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police investigating ‘serious incident’ at De Montfort University in Leicester 04. February 2026 (11:57) Road closures in place as university says it is ‘offering direct support to students and staff who witnessed the incident’Several roads have been closed in Leicester after a “serious incident” on a university campus.De Montfort University said it was working with Leicestershire police, who confirmed the incident took place on Oxford Street in the city on Tuesday evening. They gave no further details about the incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Streeting says Labour members feel ‘bitterly’ betrayed by Mandelson revelations in Epstein scandal – UK politics live 04. February 2026 (11:52) Health secretary says ‘You can see the outrage across the political spectrum and from people up and down our country’Newly released Jeffrey Epstein files: 10 key takeawaysKemi Badenoch has said that her humble address motion is intended to end the “cover-up” over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as an ambassador. In a post on social media, she said:Today MPs have a choice: support our efforts to reveal the truth about how & why Mandelson was appointed Ambassador despite his links to paedophile Epstein; or they can help Starmer and Morgan McSweeney dodge scrutiny over this sordid affair.This cover up has gone on too long.I’ve seen the amendment and it brings in issues of national security, international relations and foreign affairs … If this amendment were to stand at face value, it would be to throw a cloak over the entire Mandelson affair. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
