‘Where r u? I miss you’: how vivid new Epstein emails sealed Mandelson’s fate 02. February 2026 (20:18) The latest revelations and reaction to them may mean he has finally encountered a scandal he is unable to outrun It was the evening of 6 May 2010 and months after being released from jail for procuring a child for prostitution, Jeffrey Epstein was curious as to the result of Britain’s general election.“Well?” he emailed Peter Mandelson, the then de facto deputy prime minister in Gordon Brown’s government. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran’s top diplomat says government is ready for talks with US on a nuclear deal 02. February 2026 (20:07) Abbas Araghchi suggests nuclear programme negotiations could begin imminently, as American forces amass in regionIran’s top diplomat has said the government is ready for negotiations with the US as the two countries reportedly prepared to send top envoys to Istanbul for high-stakes talks on the Iranian nuclear programme later this week.As US warships and aircraft have amassed in the region for a potential strike on Iran, the country’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, suggested that talks could take place imminently. Donald Trump on Saturday said Iranians were “seriously talking to us” as he hinted at a deal to avert military strikes against Tehran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florida couple sue fertility clinic after being implanted with wrong embryo 02. February 2026 (19:40) Couple say they love their daughter immeasurably but have a moral obligation to try to find child’s biological parentsA couple is suing a Florida fertility clinic after learning that they were implanted with the wrong embryo, and are going public with their attempts to find their child’s biological parents.Tiffany Score and Steven Mills have filed a lawsuit against IVF Life Inc, which operates as the Fertility Center of Orlando, and its lead physician, Dr Milton McNichol. The suit, which was initially filed under pseudonyms to protect their family’s privacy, states that three viable embryos were created with Score’s eggs and Mills’s sperm, and an embryo was successfully implanted in April 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
London schools face cuts to staff and budgets as pupil numbers fall 02. February 2026 (19:36) Demand for year 7 pupils is expected to fall by 7.6% over the next four years, with similar numbers expected in primary schoolsSchools in London could lose £45m in funding over the next four years as pupil numbers continue to fall, a report has warned, with secondary schools facing staff and curriculum cuts as budgets dwindle.Until now, primary schools in the capital have been worst hit by falling birth rates, leading to about 90 school closures or mergers in the past five years. But the crisis is now spreading to secondary schools, which are expected to see steep declines in pupil numbers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arizona home of Today show host’s missing mother treated as ‘crime scene’ 02. February 2026 (18:54) Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, 84, was last seen on Saturday evening and signs indicate she did not leave aloneAuthorities in Arizona searching for the 84-year-old mother of the Today show presenter Savannah Guthrie said on Monday they were treating the missing woman’s home as a crime scene, and expressed “grave concern” for her safety.Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family at her house near Tucson on Saturday night, and was reported missing on Sunday at lunchtime, sparking a search using a helicopter, drones and dogs, officials said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lack of mental health beds contributed to UK teenager’s death, inquest finds 02. February 2026 (18:54) Poor communication also cited as factor in death of Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, on Worthing hospital’s groundsA shortage of mental health beds and poor communication between agencies contributed to the death of a teenage girl on hospital grounds, an inquest has found.Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had a history of self-harm, died in March 2022 after absconding from an acute children’s ward where she had been put because of a dearth of appropriate mental health beds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says he will cut tariffs on India after Modi agrees to stop buying Russian oil 02. February 2026 (18:51) US president made announcement on Truth Social after a Monday call with India’s prime ministerDonald Trump claimed India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as he announced plans to cut US tariffs on Indian exports.The US president announced that he and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, whom he proclaimed to be “one of my greatest friends”, had agreed to strike a trade deal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gordon Brown asks top civil servant to investigate Mandelson ‘leak to Epstein’ 02. February 2026 (17:53) Ex-PM asks cabinet secretary to investigate whether Mandelson shared market-sensitive informationUK politics live – latest updatesThe former prime minister Gordon Brown has asked the cabinet secretary to investigate Peter Mandelson’s apparent disclosure of highly sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein.Mandelson was business secretary during Brown’s premiership, when he appears to have leaked an economic briefing to Epstein, who was serving a jail sentence at the time for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Democrats vow to fight ‘full-blown cover-up’ after release of Epstein files 02. February 2026 (17:49) Democrats and one Republican demand release of millions more pages they insist are still being deliberately withheldDemocrats have promised to fight what they say is a “full-blown cover-up” of the Epstein files after the Trump administration on Sunday effectively declared its investigation into the disgraced late financier and sex offender closed.The release of more than 3m new pages by the justice department (DoJ) on Friday represented the final act of compliance with legislation ordering the full disclosure of all investigative documents in its possession, according to deputy attorney general Todd Blanche. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Second woman alleging Epstein sent her to UK for Andrew encounter wants apology from king’s lawyers 02. February 2026 (17:32) Lawyers of woman said to be in her 20s at the time said she spent night with former prince at Royal Lodge in 2010Lawyers for a second woman who alleges she was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with the then Prince Andrew have urged King Charles’s lawyers to issue a “real apology”.Brad Edwards, from the US firm Edwards Henderson, previously told the BBC his client, said not to be British and in her 20s at the time, had spent the night with Andrew at Royal Lodge in 2010 and been given a tour of Buckingham Palace. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
