Cuba on the brink as Trump turns up the pressure: ‘There is going to be a real blockade’ 01. February 2026 (14:00) Country is already suffering acute fuel shortage; experts say complete cutoff will be ‘catastrophic’ to its infrastructureIt’s just gone midday on Linea, one of the main roads through Havana’s Vedado neighbourhood, and Javier Peña and Ysil Ribas have been waiting since 6am outside a petrol station. They’re passing the time fixing a leak on Ribas’s 1955 gold and white Mercury.A tanker has pulled up on the forecourt in front of them, and so the queue behind is growing fast. Although this station only takes US dollars, at a cost far out of reach of most Cubans, Peña says it’s their only choice. “There is no gas in the national pesos,” he says, shrugging. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anglican clergy in London to be asked to promote antiracism in sermons 01. February 2026 (13:00) Exclusive: Thousands of pounds unlocked to fund more diversity initiatives in diocese of capitalWhat is Project Spire and why is it dividing the church?Church of England clergy will be encouraged to promote antiracism in sermons as senior figures unlock thousands of pounds in funding to promote diversity initiatives in London.Church Commissioners, the body that manages C of E assets, is funding the Diocese of London, which covers more than 400 parishes and 18 boroughs north of the River Thames, to boost inclusion work as part of the three-year Racial Justice Priority (RJP) project. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why TikTok’s first week of American ownership was a disaster 01. February 2026 (12:00) App endured a major outage and user backlash over perceived censorship. Now it’s facing an inquiry by the California governor and an ascendant competitorA little more than one week ago, TikTok stepped on to US shores as a naturalized citizen. Ever since, the video app has been fighting for its life.TikTok’s calamitous emigration began on 22 January when its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, finalized a deal to sell the app to a group of US investors, among them the business software giant Oracle. The app’s time under Chinese ownership had been marked by a meteoric ascent to more than a billion users, which left incumbents such as Instagram looking like the next Myspace. But TikTok’s short new life in the US has been less than auspicious. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK minister calls latest image of Andrew ‘very disturbing’ and urges him to testify – UK politics live 01. February 2026 (11:59) Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor features heavily in the latest tranche of the Epstein files, released on Friday by the US justice departmentElon Musk had more extensive – and more friendly – communications with the financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein than previously publicly known, according to documents released on Friday by the Department of Justice. Emails in the files appear to show the two cordially messaging each other on two separate occasions to make plans for Musk to visit Epstein’s island.The documents include Musk and Epstein emailing in both 2012 and 2013 to determine when Musk should make the trip to Little St James. Neither exchanges appear to have resulted in Musk visiting the island, due to logistical issues. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Second woman alleges Epstein sent her to UK to have sex with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor 01. February 2026 (11:30) Woman claims she spent night at Royal Lodge and had tour of Buckingham Palace, says lawyerA second woman has alleged that Jeffrey Epstein sent her to the UK to have a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, according to her lawyer.The woman has claimed she spent the night at the former prince’s residence Royal Lodge in 2010, her US lawyer, Brad Edwards, told the BBC. The woman, who is not British, was in her 20s at the time, it was reported.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Preparations begin for reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing, officials say 01. February 2026 (11:13) Approximately 20,000 Palestinians expected to leave territory for urgent medical care abroadPreparations to reopen Gaza’s main border crossing into Rafah began on Sunday though it was uncertain if any Palestinians would pass through it before the day’s end, officials have said.Before the war, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was the only direct exit point for most Palestinians in Gaza to reach the outside world as well as a key entry point for aid. It has been largely shut since May 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Costa Rica heads to polls amid fears of authoritarian turn 01. February 2026 (11:00) Voters to choose president and 57 members of congress, with current president’s hardline pick Laura Fernández expected to win first roundCosta Rica heads to the polls on Sunday in an election dominated by increasing insecurity and warnings of an authoritarian turn in a country long seen as a model of liberal democracy in the region.Crime is a big concern for many voters as criminal groups battle to control lucrative cocaine trafficking routes to Europe and the US, casting a shadow on the Central American country famous for its wildlife tourism. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US, UK, EU, Australia and more to meet to discuss critical minerals alliance 01. February 2026 (09:00) About 20 countries including G7 states in talks on rare earths including calls for US to guarantee minimum priceMinisters from the US, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance over critical minerals.The summit is being seen as a step to repair transatlantic ties fractured by a year of conflict with Donald Trump and pave the way for other alliances to help countries de-risk from China, including one centred on steel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Calls grow in Iran for independent inquiry into protest death toll 01. February 2026 (08:00) Pressure mounts after government said it would publish names of those killed during recent unrestCalls are growing inside Iran for an independent inquiry into the number of people killed during recent protests after the government said it would oversee the publication of the names of the deceased.The highly unusual government move, announced on Thursday, is designed to head off claims that crimes against humanity have been committed and that as many as 30,000 Iranians have been killed. Iran’s official death toll released by the Martyr’s Foundation is 3,117, including members of the security services. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Michael Jackson detailed his thoughts on children in previously unheard audio 01. February 2026 (08:00) Late singer said kids loved his personality and wanted to touch and hug him, and ‘sometimes it got me into trouble’As Michael Jackson saw it, children would become enamored with his personality as well as want to touch and hug him – and “sometimes it [got] me into trouble,” the late US pop superstar says in previously unheard audio recordings contained in a new documentary.The UK’s Wonderhood Studios included the recordings of Jackson voicing those thoughts for a new four-episode documentary series beginning on Wednesday that explores his acquittal on child sexual abuse charges after a 14-week criminal trial near Los Angeles in 2005. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
