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A new 30 MW / 60 MWh battery storage site began operating in Lancashire, and the UK's first rapid-charging battery passenger train entered service on a west London branch line.

A Washington state woman, Mandie Miller, was sentenced to 32 years after pleading guilty in the 2022 death of her eight-year-old adopted daughter; prosecutors say the couple transported the child’s body across state lines and the woman's former partner faces an upcoming sentencing on February 10.

Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson said the UK should work with China to access renewable technology, after Octopus agreed a joint venture with Chinese firm PCG Power and plans to import wind turbine technology that the company says could be cheaper and create jobs.

Dr Mehmet Oz urged Americans to get the measles vaccine as outbreaks spread across several states, with South Carolina reporting hundreds of cases and officials warning the US could lose its measles elimination status.

Ministers announced reforms to speed up apprenticeship approvals from about 18 months to as little as three months and pledged £725 million to support 50,000 more apprenticeships.

The government will pilot a university-style clearing system to redirect near-miss apprenticeship applicants to local vacancies and launch an online platform showing earnings and progression data, backed by the Growth and Skills Levy to expand apprenticeship places.

Juan Pablo Guanipa has been released after eight months in detention, his son said; rights group Foro Penal said he was among at least 30 people freed on Sunday.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised a Super Bowl ad featuring Mike Tyson discussing his past junk-food addiction and a family loss; the ad directs viewers to RealFood.gov and is sponsored by MAHA Center Inc.

A 26-year-old surfer was swept offshore near Haskell's Beach and was found clinging to a lobster trap buoy about a quarter-mile out; Santa Barbara County firefighters located him by drone and rescue swimmers brought him back to shore where he received medical attention.

Manchester City beat Liverpool at Anfield, with Marc Guéhi's defending and a penalty from Erling Haaland helping secure the victory and tightening the Premier League title race.

Pope Leo XIV has accepted an invitation to attend the 54th International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in October 2028 and is expected to celebrate a Sunday mass at Royal Randwick for about half a million worshippers.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir said she will carry a stuffed rabbit belonging to her three-year-old daughter on the upcoming SpaceX Crew-12 flight to the International Space Station, which is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral early Wednesday.

Imperial's Soup Run Society supports the Children of Adam Soup Kitchen, which runs a weekly Sunday food drive at Lincoln's Inn Fields; the author recently volunteered after meeting committee members and found the experience welcoming.

Durham Stick Makers received £1,836 from the Banks Community Fund to purchase specialist equipment and expand capacity; the club meets twice weekly in Fence Houses and teaches traditional walking-stick making.

Supporters say Iran has sentenced Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi to an additional seven years in prison and that she has been on a hunger strike; her lawyer said the Mashhad court issued the ruling.

The Alix Foundation has given more than $8.6 million over the past 15 years to local projects including upgrades at Bluewater Health, the Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery, and resurfaced community courts, and a spokesperson said the family views the donations as a way to repay community support.

Ebo Taylor, the Ghanaian guitarist, composer and bandleader who helped define highlife and influenced Afrobeat, has died at the age of 90, his family announced.

Actress Beverley Callard has announced a breast cancer diagnosis and says it is in its very early stages; she will return to the UK for tests, surgery and radiotherapy and expects to resume work on Fair City in a few weeks.

Camden Council and the local NHS launched a scheme in 2025 offering £500 grants to pregnant women described as being in the greatest financial need; the council says the scheme will continue into 2026 to help more expecting parents.

Rod Wisniewski collected Christmas trees for recycling and raised £1,400, which he split between Link2 and a fund for a child needing an eye-powered wheelchair.

The Shoebury Residents Events Team organised a December Christmas market and this week handed £2,000 to Southend in Sight after months of planning.

The Friends of the Ivy group in Heddington has bought the Grade II-listed Ivy Inn after raising £436,000, and aims to reopen by Christmas while seeking further funds for renovations.

Anthropic has rolled out Claude Opus 4.6, coding tools and industry plug-ins while moving toward a large funding round and an IPO, drawing investor attention and a market reaction; the company reports that annualised revenue grew from about $1bn early last year to over $9bn by end-2025 and has guided it will exceed $30bn this year.

Organisers say the Grantham Rotary Swimarathon at Meres Leisure Centre has reached a £40,000 fundraising target in its 36th year, with around 1,400 swimmers taking part.

A community-run 'Month of Mud' in the Quantock Hills draws on the Anglo-Saxon Solmōnaþ tradition to offer muddy walks, art sessions and storytelling aimed at reconnecting people with the landscape.

Taylor Wimpey Yorkshire staff in Wakefield raised £13,000 for St George's Crypt through events including a week-long cyclathon, with around £9,000 coming from subcontractor sponsorship.

Random Café in Watford has launched a crowdfunding appeal to add a second building next to its Garsmouth Way site; organisers say a council grant has paid for the basic structure but about £6,000 remains to be raised.

This year’s Super Bowl commercials emphasize health and caring messages alongside nostalgia and humor, with many spots featuring celebrities, AI themes and references to Mister Rogers.

Newly released Department of Justice files include photographs and records related to Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro ranch near Santa Fe and show federal prosecutors told New Mexico officials they had not searched the property around his 2019 arrest; New Mexico lawmakers are pursuing a proposed bipartisan truth commission.

The article reports that the New START treaty expired on 5 February, raising concerns about a renewed US–Russia arms race, and calls for renewed global peace activism to press for limits and new negotiations.