Plan to allow fishing around Chagos Islands alarms conservationists 03. February 2026 (13:08) Chagossian people would be allowed to fish in area that has teemed with life since ban was introduced in 2010One of the most precious marine reserves in the world, home to sharks, turtles and rare tropical fish, will be opened to some fishing for the first time in 16 years under the UK government’s deal to hand back the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.Allowing non-commercial fishing in the marine protected area (MPA) is seen as an essential part of the Chagossian people’s return to the islands, as the community previously relied on fishing as their main livelihood. But some conservationists have raised the alarm, as nature has thrived in the waters of the Indian Ocean since it was protected from fishing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nasa delays moon rocket launch by a month after fuel leaks during test 03. February 2026 (13:04) Artemis II mission was due to begin as early as next week and astronauts have spent almost two weeks in quarantineNasa has postponed its historic mission to send astronauts around the moon and back again, after issues arose during a critical test of its most powerful rocket yet.The US space agency had planned to launch the Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida as early as next week, but announced overnight that it would be delayed until March, without specifying a date. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French headquarters of Elon Musk’s X raided by Paris cybercrime unit 03. February 2026 (12:42) Prosecutors summon tech billionaire and company’s ex-CEO for questioning as part of expanded investigationEurope live – latest updatesProsecutors have raided the French headquarters of Elon Musk’s social media platform X and summoned the tech billionaire and the company’s former chief executive for questioning as part of an investigation into alleged cybercrime.“A search is under way by the cybercrime unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office, the national police cyber unit and Europol,” the Paris prosecutors’ office said in a post on X on Tuesday, adding that it would no longer be publishing on the network. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thousands without heating on icy night in Ukraine as Russia attacks before talks 03. February 2026 (12:26) Zelenskyy says Putin ‘taking advantage of the coldest days of winter to terrorise people’, as Kyiv hits lows of -20CMore than 1,000 residential buildings in Kyiv were without heating on Tuesday after a massive Russian air attack during one of the coldest nights of the winter, with temperatures in the capital falling to -20C.Overnight, the Kremlin fired 450 attack drones and more than 70 missiles across the country. The strikes caused damage in five Kyiv districts and injured at least nine people. Flames consumed an apartment on the upper floors of a Kyiv building. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Son of Norway’s crown princess denies four counts of rape as trial begins 03. February 2026 (12:25) Marius Borg Høiby, 29, pleads not guilty to most serious charges in trial that has embarrassed the royal familyThe son of Norway’s crown princess has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape on the first day of his trial for multiple offences, a legal saga that has embarrassed the royal family and raised questions over domestic abuse in Norway.Appearing in front of a packed courtroom at Oslo district court on Tuesday morning, Marius Borg Høiby also denied charges including abuse in close relationships and filming women’s genitals without their knowledge. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New Epstein files fail to quell outrage as advocates claim documents are being withheld 03. February 2026 (12:00) Advocates call for further disclosures after Trump’s justice department released more than 3m files last weekThe release of about 3m Jeffrey Epstein investigative files has failed to quell outrage over justice department officials’ handling of these disclosures, with advocates claiming potentially millions of documents are still being withheld.Donald Trump’s Department of Justice was required to disclose all investigative files by 19 December under The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). While the justice department did release some documents on that date, last week’s disclosure came nearly six weeks after this deadline. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos stays silent as employees brace for cuts 03. February 2026 (12:00) Bezos has not publicly responded to several letters sent by Post staffers urging him to curb potential layoffsWhile Washington Post employees remain in the dark about an impending round of cuts that could dramatically reshape the publication, the man that many hoped could soften or stop the blow, owner Jeff Bezos, has remained silent.So far, three staff-organized letters sent by Post employees to Bezos imploring him to protect the Post’s robust coverage have gone unanswered. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Paris prosecutors raid France offices of Elon Musk’s X – Europe live 03. February 2026 (11:59) The raid is linked to a year-long investigation into alleged abuse of algorithms and fraudulent data extraction by X The European Commission last month launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over the production of sexually explicit images and the spreading of possible child sexual abuse material by the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok.The investigation extended a probe into X’s recommender systems, algorithms that help users discover new content, as my colleague Jennifer Rankin noted in this story. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police spy tried to incite activists to firebomb shop, UK inquiry hears 03. February 2026 (11:03) Carlo Soracchi, who infiltrated anti-fascist group in early 2000s, accused of suggesting crime as he had ‘got nothing’Three anti-fascist activists have accused an undercover police officer of attempting to incite them to firebomb a shop that was said to be a front for the far right, the spycops inquiry has heard.The accusation has been levelled against Carlo Soracchi, an officer who spent six years infiltrating anti-fascist and leftwing groups. He has denied the claim. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Newly released files shed new light on Chomsky and Epstein relationship 03. February 2026 (11:00) Latest communications undermine Chomsky’s earlier claims that he primarily had financial dealings with EpsteinThe close friendship that Noam Chomsky maintained with Jeffrey Epstein continued being detailed extensively among millions of investigative records pertaining to the late convicted sex offender recently released by the US justice department, including Chomsky “fantasizing about the Caribbean island”.In Friday’s tranche of the so-called Epstein files, which built upon earlier disclosures of their close social ties, there is no indication that the famed academic and linguist was referring to his friend’s private Caribbean island where children were sexually abused. But the personal familiarity between the two men in that exchange is palpable, as it is in numerous other emails between Chomsky and Epstein aimed at planning more mundane social gatherings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
