Palestine Action activists cleared of aggravated burglary at Israeli defence firm site 04. February 2026 (14:54) None of the six activists were convicted of any offence over break-in at Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in 2024Six Palestine Action activists have been cleared of committing aggravated burglary over a break-in at an Israeli defence firm’s UK site.Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin were accused of threatening unlawful violence and using sledgehammers as weapons after a prison van was driven into Elbit Systems’ factory in Filton, near Bristol, on 6 August 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Specialist UK insurer Beazley agrees to £8bn takeover by Zurich 04. February 2026 (14:36) Deal values cyber-attack specialist at a 60% premium but marks another loss for the London stock marketA British company specialising in insuring against cyber-attacks which also covers fine art and luxury yachts has agreed to be taken over in a £8bn deal, as it became the latest loss to the London stock market.Beazley said on Wednesday it had agreed the deal with its larger rival Zurich, after the Swiss company raised its bid for the Lloyd’s of London insurer Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump calls for Americans to ‘move on’ from Epstein files – US politics live 04. February 2026 (14:33) President’s commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and on-off ally Elon Musk have both featured in the Epstein filesTom Homan, the president’s so-called “border czar” is set to speak to reporters in Minneapolis shortly.A reminder that Homan took over the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota from senior border official Gregory Bovino, just days after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and the mounting backlash in the Twin Cities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
PM says he knew when giving Mandelson US job he had kept ties with Epstein after conviction 04. February 2026 (14:22) Starmer defends ambassador appointment, saying he was lied to ‘repeatedly’ about extent of contact between pairUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has confirmed for the first time he knew about Peter Mandelson’s longer-term relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him US ambassador, saying the peer had “lied repeatedly” about the extent of his contact with the child sex offender.Questioned repeatedly at prime minister’s questions, Starmer said Mandelson had “betrayed our country” in his dealings with Epstein. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coroner opens inquest into five babies murdered by Lucy Letby 04. February 2026 (14:15) Cheshire coroner says there is ‘reason to suspect unnatural deaths’, with proceedings to begin in SeptemberA coroner has formally opened inquests into the deaths of five newborn babies Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering.In a 20-minute hearing at Cheshire coroner’s court, the senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish heard brief details of the deaths before adjourning proceedings until September. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US prosecutors seek life sentence for man who tried to assassinate Trump in Florida 04. February 2026 (14:06) Ryan Routh, convicted of attempting to kill the president at a West Palm Beach golf club in 2024, set to face sentencingFederal prosecutors will ask that a man convicted of trying to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course in 2024 be sentenced to life in prison at a hearing on Wednesday.Ryan Routh is scheduled to appear before US district judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
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)
