Politics

Keir Starmer has not spoken to Donald Trump since the Venezuela operation, and UK and Danish leaders are raising concern after senior US officials discussed Greenland’s future.

Diosdado Cabello, a long-time Venezuelan powerbroker, was reappointed interior minister in August 2024 and oversees the country's security and intelligence services; the United States has posted a $25 million reward for his capture, accusing him of drug trafficking and terrorism.

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure reportedly cut water and heating to over one million people in Dnipropetrovsk, officials said, and repair work is under way while neighbouring Zaporizhzhia is also affected.

Gov. Gavin Newsom will give his final State of the State address in Sacramento as he outlines priorities for his last year in office and amid discussion of a potential 2028 presidential run.

The Lebanese military announced it has finished the first phase of a plan to deploy across southern Lebanon and restrict weapons held by non-state groups; officials say further government meetings are planned and the military will announce next stages.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism and named former High Court judge Virginia Bell to lead it, saying the inquiry will examine the nature and prevalence of antisemitism and the December 14 Bondi Beach attack. He set a deadline of 14 December 2026 and said the commission would be tightly managed to avoid prejudicing any criminal proceedings.

Essex Library Service has been accepted into Arts Council England's new Libraries Development Framework, a programme intended to strengthen public library services. The service applied in July and was assessed on how its libraries understand and impact their communities.

Steny Hoyer, 86, said he will not seek reelection after more than 40 years in the U.S. House and plans to announce his retirement in a floor speech, the Washington Post reported.

The partner of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good said she had urged Good to go to a Minneapolis immigration enforcement scene and later blamed herself after Good was shot dead by ICE agents; federal and state investigators are now looking into the incident.

An 18-year-old Wisconsin man accused of killing his parents and of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump is expected to enter a plea deal Thursday; a state trial is scheduled for March 2.

Human Rights Watch and Justice say recent laws in England and Wales have chilled lawful protest and call for repeal; the Home Office has announced an independent review of public order legislation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will appoint former High Court judge Virginia Bell to head a federal Royal Commission into antisemitism after cabinet approval, and some Jewish community figures and opposition politicians have publicly criticised the choice.

AP reports the U.S. seized two sanctioned tankers as part of a plan to oversee Venezuelan oil sales, and that an ICE officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver, which officials described as self-defense.

Two weeks after US airstrikes in north-west Nigeria, officials have released limited information and it remains unclear how many members of the Islamist group Lakurawa, if any, were killed.

The House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Leslie Wexner to give a deposition about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia said; the panel also approved subpoenas for executors of the Epstein estate.

Mogadishu's tightened security and intelligence-led operations have coincided with fewer major al-Shabab attacks in the capital, while clashes and shifting control of towns continue in southern regions such as Lower Shabelle.

A judge ordered a mental health evaluation for Kerri Aherne, who is charged in a December stabbing at a Macy's bathroom in midtown Manhattan; she pleaded not guilty and remains in custody with a Feb. 11 court date.

Senator Lindsey Graham said President Trump has "greenlit" a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill after a meeting and that he expects a bipartisan vote possibly as early as next week.

The White House announced the U.S. will depart 66 international organizations, nearly half of them affiliated with the United Nations. Many of the named bodies work on climate, labor, migration and related areas.

Zelenskyy said he has received no unequivocal answer from European allies about how they would defend Ukraine; European leaders and US envoys announced agreed security guarantees that include a proposed European multinational force contingent on a ceasefire.

A 37-year-old woman was shot and killed during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, and Minnesota Democratic leaders rejected the Department of Homeland Security's account while calling for ICE to leave and for a prompt investigation.

The House voted 221-205 to advance a measure reviving an enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidy that expired last month; the action followed a discharge petition backed by four centrist Republicans and Democrats. The Senate is not required to consider the bill, and lawmakers in both chambers are exploring alternative proposals.

Republican senators held a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing urging the House to advance impeachment articles against judges who ruled against former President Donald Trump, while Democrats on the panel criticized the effort and said impeachment is not the remedy for judicial decisions.

President Trump signed an order suspending US support for 66 international organizations, including the UNFCCC climate framework and the UN population agency. The State Department says reviews of US participation and funding are ongoing.

Georgia Senate Republicans backed a plan to phase out the state's personal income tax by 2032; lawmakers are divided and questions remain about how the state would replace the lost revenue for services like education and health care.

President Trump criticised NATO allies, saying Russia and China would not fear the alliance without the United States; his comments came after US authorities seized a Russian-flagged tanker in European waters.

The Department of Homeland Security said an immigration officer in Minneapolis fired in self-defense after a driver allegedly tried to strike officers; city officials said video appears to show the shooting was reckless. Officials and reporting say this is at least the fifth death linked to the expanded immigration enforcement, and no officers have been charged.

President Trump issued a statement after an ICE officer shot and killed a woman during an encounter in Minneapolis, and he attached a video clip to his post. Officials say the officer is reported to be recovering in hospital and that the incident is under review.

Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit China next week for trade talks; the visit follows reciprocal tariffs between Canada and China on electric vehicles, steel and several agricultural products.

The Justice Department filed lawsuits against Connecticut and Arizona after the states declined to turn over detailed voter records requested by the federal government; state officials say the requests would violate state and federal privacy laws.