Massive release of Epstein files includes 3 million documents and photos

The Justice Department released more new documents Friday from the Jeffrey Epstein files, more than a month after the DOJ's original deadline to do so.

Nvidia, OpenAI appear stalled on their mega deal. But the AI giants still need each other

Five months after OpenAI and Nvidia announced a $100 billion deal, no contract has been signed and no money has changed hands.

Trump suggests Republicans should nationalize voting

President Trump has continued to claim without evidence that there is widespread fraud in U.S. elections.

California officials move forward with plans to exterminate mule deer from island

Conservancy sees nonnative species as major threat to local biodiversity, while residents rally to preserve local identity

California wildlife officials moved forward last week with a plan to eradicate a mule deer herd from Santa Catalina Island: extermination.

The plan has long pitted locals from the island off the coast of Los Angeles against the Catalina Island Conservancy, an environmental non-profit that manages 88% of the island’s terrain. The conservancy sees mule deer, which are not native to the island, as a major threat to local biodiversity, water quality and fire resilience.

China bans hidden car door handles, which can trap people after crashes

China has introduced new regulations, starting in 2027, requiring all car doors to open manually from both sides. Electric door handles can malfunction in a crash or battery failure.

Trump: If states can't run elections 'honestly,' then 'somebody else should take over'

Trump had been asked what he meant when he called on members of the Republican Party to "take over the voting" in a recent interview with Dan Bongino.

Ransom note being investigated in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, sheriff says

The sheriff says the note was sent to a local Arizona news station, which agreed not to report on it, following the disappearance of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie.

Chipotle stock sinks as restaurant chain reports falling traffic, weak guidance

Chipotle stock has fallen about 33% over the last year, dragging the company's market value down to about $51 billion.

Apple adds agents from Anthropic and OpenAI to its coding tool

Apple is introducing agentic coding to Xcode, jumping into one of the biggest trends in technology.

Collision between Greek coastguard patrol and and migrant boat kills 14

Search and rescue operation involving boats, helicopter and divers under way off the eastern Aegean island of Chios

A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coastguard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has killed at least 14 people, the coastguard said.

A search and rescue operation involving four patrol vessels, an air force helicopter and a private boat carrying divers was under way for potential missing passengers.

More companies are pointing to AI as they lay off employees

Although economists have generally downplayed the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, some employers are highlighting their adoption of AI.

AMD shares drop as forecast comes up short of some expectations

AMD's first-quarter forecast fell short of what some analysts were hoping for amid an AI spending boom.

‘It’s sick’: Trump administration uses mascot called ‘Coalie’ to push dirtiest fossil fuel

Cartoon lump of coal with giant eyes was spotlighted by US interior secretary in X post saying: ‘Mine, Baby, Mine!’

The Trump administration has turned to an unusual weapon in its attempt to resurrect coal mining – a cartoon lump of coal, complete with giant eyes and yellow mining garb, called “Coalie”.

The administration’s new mascot, kitted out with a helmet, boots and gloves, was introduced in a seemingly artificial intelligence-generated picture posted online by Doug Burgum, Donald Trump’s interior secretary. “Mine, Baby, Mine!” Burgum wrote on X, adding that Coalie will act as a “spokesperson” for Trump’s “American Energy Dominance Agenda”.

Kai Havertz adds killer touch as Arsenal hold off Chelsea to book final place

When the final whistle blew, a huge wave of relief swept over this stadium. Arsenal may not have been at all convincing against a Chelsea side who caused them the occasional problem but Mikel Arteta will not care one bit. After four successive semi-final defeats, Arsenal are on their way to Wembley. At last.

After the drama of the first leg at Stamford Bridge that saw Liam Rosenior’s side travel to north London needing to overturn a 3-2 deficit, this was a much more cagey affair that was eventually settled in stoppage time by Kai Havertz’s breakaway goal against his former club. Arsenal had seemed content to keep Chelsea at arm’s length for most of the evening and rarely looked like extending their advantage until then.

NASA hopes to fix Artemis II moon rocket leak with on-pad repair

NASA plans to test the planned leak repair with a second dress rehearsal fueling test later this month.

Watchdog shares whistleblower complaint involving Gabbard with Congress after delay

The complaint was closed administratively by the intelligence community inspector general's office in June 2025, under prior leadership, watchdog says.

‘People are dying, you have to help’: Guardiola decries wars in Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine

• Manchester City manager opens up on global conflicts

• UN reports UAE have backed Sudan paramilitary group

Pep Guardiola has spoken out against killings across the world, including in Sudan, where a paramilitary group backed by the United Arab Emirates, which in effect owns Manchester City, is embroiled in a civil war that has cost more than 150,000 lives.

Guardiola named Sudan when talking about conflicts where innocent people were dying. War crimes are said to have been carried out by both sides in the conflict. The vice‑president of the UAE, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, owns City, where Guardiola is the manager.

Trump signs $1.2tn funding bill, ending partial government shutdown

Appropriations measure will let Democrats negotiate with White House and GOP leaders over mass deportation efforts

Donald Trump on Tuesday signed legislation to end a government shutdown hours after it was approved by the House of Representatives, as top Democrats warned they will block further funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if their demands for restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation campaign are not addressed.

The Republican-controlled House approved the $1.2tn appropriations measure by a narrow 217-214 vote, with all but 21 Republicans voting in favor and all but 21 Democrats against. The president signed it later in the afternoon at the White House, bringing to an end the shutdown that began after midnight last Friday, which had halted many operations at departments including defense, health and human services, labor, and transportation.

New York to create team of legal observers to document ICE raids

Attorney general Letitia James says observers will monitor if Trump enforcement ‘remains within bounds of the law’

New York is creating a team of legal observers that will don purple vests to monitor and record the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement officers as they seek to detain and deport migrants, the state’s attorney general said on Tuesday.

The announcement follows weeks of sometimes violent tumult in Minneapolis, where Donald Trump has deployed thousands of armed, masked agents as he tries to deport more migrants than any of his predecessors.

Netflix co-CEO grilled by US senators over Warner Bros Discovery merger

While most focused on competition issues, Josh Hawley accused Netflix of promoting trans content to children

Netflix co-chief executive Ted Sarandos faced tough questioning over whether the streamer is “overwhelmingly woke” or killing competition on Tuesday afternoon during a congressional hearing focused on its pending acquisition of the film and streaming assets of Warner Bros Discovery.

The hearing was conducted by the Senate subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights. Bruce Campbell, chief revenue and strategy officer for Warner Bros Discovery, also testified in the packed Senate hearing room.

House committee report accuses DHS of Good, Pretti killings cover-up

The Democratic members of a U.S. House committee have released the findings of a report examining last month's fatal shootings in Minneapolis by federal immigration officers.

Nvidia's Jensen Huang denies OpenAI deal rumors: 'There's no drama'

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the chipmaker's plan to invest in OpenAI remains "on track."

Trump signs bill ending federal government shutdown

President Donald Trump signed a federal government funding package hours after the House of Representatives approved it.

Disney names Josh D'Amaro as its new CEO

D'Amaro will take over next month from Bob Iger, who has led the company for nearly two decades.

Consumer Reports' top 10 vehicles for 2026 — see which cars made the list

For the first time, the top 10 cars on Consumer Reports' annual list of best new vehicles also include electric or hybrid models.

SBA shuts out non-U.S. citizens from its main lending program

Starting March 1, the SBA will no longer guarantee loans for small businesses owned by foreign nationals, including green card holders.

Pfizer says obesity injection shows promise as monthly treatment in mid-stage trial

The data on Pfizer's GLP-1 offer early evidence that the injection can be administered less frequently than existing drugs without sacrificing efficacy.

Pfizer beats quarterly estimates despite Covid product decline, reaffirms modest outlook

The pharmaceutical giant reaffirmed the modest 2026 outlook that rattled investors in December.

PepsiCo's drink sales are improving, and it's planning to cut snack prices

PepsiCo reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street's estimates.

Merck tops quarterly estimates, posts modest 2026 guidance as generic competition looms

Merck posted a modest 2026 outlook that fell short of estimates, as it prepares for some drugs to go off patent later this year and face generic competition.

Officials warn against drinking raw milk after baby dies from listeria

The New Mexico Department of Health said officials believe the baby contracted listeria after their mother drank raw milk during pregnancy.

Blood found inside home of Savannah Guthrie's mother, source says

Investigators are combing through the house of "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy, in search of clues to the 84-year-old's disappearance.

Sen. Warner calls Gabbard to testify after Georgia election office raid, Trump FBI call

President Donald Trump, in an interview with former FBI deputy director and podcaster Dan Bongino, recently called on members of the Republican Party to "take over the voting."

Syria, once home to a large Jewish community, takes steps to return property to Jews

A Jewish heritage foundation has set out to help restore private property appropriated after Syrian Jews left the country.

NASA delays the launch of Artemis II lunar mission by at least a month

NASA is targeting March for the launch of four astronauts on a ten-day mission to circle the moon and return safely to Earth, traveling farther than any humans have ventured in deep space.

Arizona officials say they ‘don’t know where’ Savannah Guthrie’s mother is, three days after disappearance

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night and is believed to have been taken against her will

Officials in Arizona said on Tuesday afternoon they were no closer to finding the missing mother of Savannah Guthrie, the Today show host, three days after the octogenarian disappeared from her Tucson home – which detectives are treating as “a crime scene”.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Saturday night and is believed to have been taken against her will, Chris Nanos, the Pima county sheriff, said. Media reports on Tuesday said blood was found at the residence, and there were signs of forced entry.

The U.K. investigates its ex-ambassador to the U.S. over alleged leaks to Epstein

The U.K. government says newly released files related to Jeffrey Epstein suggest that the former British ambassador to the U.S. may have shared market-sensitive information with Epstein.

Trump suggests Republicans should ‘take over’ elections to protect the party

President claims idea to ‘nationalize’ elections in 15 states before midterms is to prevent rare noncitizen voting

Donald Trump suggested on a conservative podcast released on Monday that Republican state officials “take over” and “nationalize” elections in 15 states to protect the party from being voted out of office.

Trump framed the issue as a means to prevent undocumented immigrants from voting. Claims that noncitizens are voting in numbers that can affect an election are a lie. But it raises concerns about potential efforts by the president to rig the November midterm elections.

Clintons will testify in Epstein probe after contempt threat, House panel says

Hillary Clinton will appear for a deposition on Feb. 26, while former President Bill Clinton will appear on Feb. 27, according to the House Oversight Committee.

Gold and silver rebound, pulling global mining stocks and precious metal ETFs higher

Gold and silver prices rebounded after suffering a historic selloff, with analysts suggesting that the recent violent correction was more a positioning reset.

LIV Golf tour hits out at decision to only award ranking points to top-10 finishers

• Ranking points to be awarded at LIV events for first time

• Saudi-backed tour attacks ‘unprecedented restriction’

The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Tour has hit out at what it regards as victimisation from those presiding over the sport’s world rankings process, despite seeing their wait of nearly four years for recognition by the system finally end.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that those competing in LIV tournaments will receive official world golf ranking points but only when finishing in the top 10. A statement from the OWGR board said this “recognises there are a number of areas where LIV Golf does not meet the eligibility standards set out”.

French prosecutors ask appeal court to keep ban on Marine Le Pen running for office

Far-right leader was barred for five years after being found guilty of extensive fake jobs scam at European parliament

French state prosecutors have asked appeal court judges to maintain a five-year election ban on the far-right leader Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of European parliament funds in a fake jobs scandal.

If the judges decide to grant the request, Le Pen would probably not be able to run in France’s 2027 presidential election.

Trump refuses to be outdone by Europe, signing his own U.S.-India trade deal

The U.S. deal comes after global trading partners have been signing trade pacts, leaving America looking ostracized and more isolated.

Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with murder of his wife

Linda Stevenson found unresponsive on 28 December after police responded to domestic dispute

The ex-husband of former US first lady Jill Biden has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, officials said on Tuesday.

William Stevenson, 77, was taken into custody on Monday and is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Linda Stevenson, according to a grand jury indictment filed in Delaware.

Met police launch investigation into alleged Mandelson-Epstein email leaks

Epstein files appear to show then business secretary passing market sensitive information to child sex offender

• UK politics live – latest updates

The Metropolitan police have formally launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Peter Mandelson leaked Downing Street emails and market sensitive information to the child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Documents from the Epstein files released in recent days appeared to show the then business secretary sent confidential details of internal discussions to the late financier in the aftermath of the financial crash.

Elon Musk is taking SpaceX’s minority shareholders for a ride | Nils Pratley

Merger with loss-making xAI looks to some investors more like a bailout than a rocket trip to the future

• Elon Musk merges SpaceX with xAI at $1.25tn valuation

To Elon Musk’s fanclub, there is nothing to see apart from more evidence of the great man’s visionary genius. SpaceX, the rocket firm, is buying xAI, the artificial intelligence developer, and the combination of these two Musk-controlled entities is being valued at $1.25tn (£910bn). Feel the positive vibes ahead of a stock market debut due in June! The most valuable private company in history! The largest ever transaction!

Or, as Musk described it, he is creating “the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free-speech platform”.

French headquarters of Elon Musk’s X raided by Paris cybercrime unit

Prosecutors’ announcement comes amid a hardening of European attitudes to social media firms

Prosecutors 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.

Virginia Giuffre's family criticizes DOJ in handling of Epstein files

The brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's most vocal accusers, are speaking out about the Justice Department's handling of the latest Epstein files release.

Zelenskyy accuses Russia of violating Trump-brokered truce amid cold snap

Moscow launched ‘terrorising’ attack on energy grid as temperatures reached -20C, Ukrainian president says

Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Tuesday of violating an agreement with Donald Trump to hold off from attacking Ukraine’s energy systems in the depths of a freezing winter, as its forces carried out large-scale airstrikes on Kyiv on the eve of three-way talks in Abu Dhabi.

Ukraine’s president said Moscow carried out a massive and “deliberate” attack overnight as temperatures in Kyiv plunged to -20C. It involved a record number of 71 ballistic missiles as well as 450 drones, he said, sent to destroy energy infrastructure.

US shoots down Iranian drone flying towards aircraft carrier, navy says

Shahed-139 said to have approached USS Abraham Lincoln ‘with unclear intent’ as US warships head towards Iran

The US military says it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.

The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying toward the carrier “with unclear intent” when an F-35 fighter jet shot it down, US Central Command said on Tuesday.

Alabama man faces execution despite not pulling trigger in 1991 killing

Charles "Sonny" Burton faces execution in Alabama for his role in a 1991 robbery in which a man was fatally shot, even though Burton did not fire the gun or witness the killing.

Asian elephant born at Washington DC zoo for first time in 25 years

Smithsonian’s National Zoo invites public to vote for name for female calf born to mother Nhi Linh

For the first time in almost 25 years, an Asian elephant has been born at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC.

The 308lb (140kg) female calf was born at 1.15am on 2 February to 12-year-old mother Nhi Linh and 44-year-old father Spike, the zoo announced in a statement.

U.S. shoots down Iranian drone that approached aircraft carrier, military says

U.S. Central Command said the drone "aggressively" approached the USS Abraham Lincoln as it was crossing through the Arabian Sea.

What we know about Savannah Guthrie's missing mother

Nancy Guthrie is 84 and has mobility issues, but she is mentally sharp, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. She was last seen Saturday evening at her home near Tucson, Arizona.

Back seats aren't as safe as they should be. A crash test is trying to help

Better engineering has made the front seat much safer in head-on collisions. But the back seat hasn't kept pace. It's a problem one vehicle safety group is trying to solve.

December CRE deal volume sinks further, but office is a surprising bright spot

The recovery in office has been swelling, as return-to-office orders and a boom in AI employment counter the pandemic-driven narrative that office is over.

Mandy wonders where it all went wrong as Labour throws him to the wolves

Mandelson tried to explain as everyone from Harriet Harman to Robert Jenrick lined up to condemn him

Last week, Peter Mandelson was giving his comeback interview to the Times, scheduled to be published later this month. He posed for cosy pics with the dog as he explained how hard done by he had been and how much the country could benefit from his largesse and expertise.

Late on Sunday night, that interview was crowbarred into a hastily rearranged one to take in Mandy’s sudden resignation from the Labour party after seemingly more revelations of Peter taking money in the recently released Epstein files. Mandelson appeared to take it in his stride.

US private investigator did ‘unlawful stuff’ for the Daily Mail, court hears

In case brought by Prince Harry and others, Daniel Portley-Hanks says he received about $1m for work for Associated Newspapers Ltd

A US-based private detective bought a large house in California and had $150,000 in savings “almost entirely” from work he did for the publisher of the Daily Mail, the high court has heard.

Daniel Portley-Hanks, also known as “Detective Danno”, said he received about $1m for work carried out for the Mail on Sunday, another title published by Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL).

‘Finally got him to go’: how Epstein was given inside track on events that rippled through global markets

Apparent leak by Peter Mandelson gave advance notice of Gordon Brown’s resignation and €500bn eurozone deal

On a brisk Monday evening in May 2010, Gordon Brown stood on the steps of Downing Street and delivered one of the most dramatic announcements of the New Labour era: his resignation as UK prime minister.

The decision came days after a nail-biting general election that left no single party with a clear run at No 10. Brown kept his decision, which followed days of political wrangling, to a tight inner circle. Nick Clegg, who would go on to serve as deputy prime minister of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, was formally told of Brown’s resignation only 10 minutes before the announcement.

IOC president gives clearest signal so far that Russia could be at 2028 Olympics

• Kirsty Coventry: ‘Keep sport a neutral ground’

• Ukraine sports minister hits out at Fifa president

The International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, has given her clearest signal yet that Russia could be back for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

A day after the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, said he wanted Russia reinstated to international football, Coventry used her opening address to the 145th IOC congress in Milan to argue that all athletes should be allowed to compete in sport – regardless of their government’s behaviour.

New home, new outlook? What’s next for the Sundance film festival?

The final Utah edition of the hub for American independent film saw slow sales and a mixed bag of movies but a future in Colorado could bring a refresh

Sundance is over. Well, not quite. The Sundance we all know, with Robert Redford as its head and Park City, Utah, as its location, is over. The festival’s beloved founder died last year months after the festival also opted for a move to Boulder, Colorado.

But on the alarmingly snow-light ground, there was also chatter about what would become of Sundance as a whole, once the shining beacon of American independent cinema, after it entered a new phase. There were standout films as ever but again not quite enough to override concerns over what the festival now represents in a harsh new world where it’s arguably easier to make an indie (or whatever cobbling together bits of AI slop might be called) but harder to get it sold.

Are the Whitecaps about to die? Vancouver sound alarm bells amid difficult sale process

Scheduling and financial impasses at Vancouver’s World Cup stadium are leading down a road the league hasn’t traveled in over a decade

On the surface, Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster’s press conference last week would have felt familiar to almost any North American sports fan. Once again, a team was agitating for more money or a better stadium. Once again, local governments were at least partially to blame.

Some of his comments, though, felt more alien, and raised a question that seemed unfathomable just a couple of months ago: are the Vancouver Whitecaps about to die?

House votes to end partial government shutdown, setting up contentious talks on ICE

The House has approved a spending bill to end a short-lived partial government shutdown. Now lawmakers will begin contentious negotiations over new guardrails for immigration enforcement.

Ben Jennings on the latest revelations from the Epstein files – cartoon

Continue reading...

‘Supermax-style units’ for most dangerous criminals to be introduced in England and Wales

David Lammy also tells MPs he will draw up legislation to stop prisoners using human rights laws to challenge tougher conditions

The most dangerous extremist prisoners in England and Wales will be held in “supermax-style units” similar to those used in US jails, David Lammy has told MPs.

The deputy prime minister also said he would consider drawing up legislation to stop prisoners from using human rights laws to challenge tougher conditions in jail.

From ‘nerdy’ Gemini to ‘edgy’ Grok: how developers are shaping AI behaviours

AIs are not sentient – but tweaks to their ethical codes can have far-reaching consequences for users

Do you want an AI assistant that gushes about how it “loves humanity” or one that spews sarcasm? How about a political propagandist ready to lie? If so, ChatGPT, Grok and Qwen are at your disposal.

Companies that create AI assistants, from the US to China, are increasingly wrestling with how to mould their characters, and it is no abstract debate. This month Elon Musk’s “maximally truth-seeking” Grok AI caused international outrage when it pumped out millions of sexualised images. In October OpenAI retrained ChatGPT to de-escalate conversations with people in mental health distress after it appeared to encourage a 16-year-old to take his own life.

The dump dinner: spaghetti is now being served straight on to the table – but why?

A raft of online videos show parents serving up dinner without a single plate in sight, to the amazement of their families

Name: Dump dinners.

Age: Horribly new.

Sens. Shaheen, Collins urge Pentagon not to sideline Havana Syndrome research

Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Susan Collins of Maine sent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a letter warning against any changes that could affect victims' care.

Jacob Bethell dismantles Sri Lanka tail to deliver T20 series clean sweep for England

• 3rd T20i: England, 128-9, bt Sri Lanka, 116, by 12 runs

• Bethell takes 4-11 in 3.3 overs to seal 3-0 series win

It was a thriller on a Pallekele turner, the game going England’s way. Jacob Bethell’s part-timers turned lethal, his three-wicket over dismantling Sri Lanka’s tail to help secure a 12-run win in the third and final Twenty20 international.

The tourists put up just 128, their total built by Sam Curran’s 48‑ball 58, a score to which no one else came close. But it proved enough on a worn surface as England’s raft of spinners went to work. And while Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson are the veteran frontliners, this night belonged to Bethell and Will Jacks. The left-armer finished with four for 11, the offie with three for 14 off the full allotment.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s no-show leaves Saudi Pro League facing awkward questions

League’s star said to be unhappy over his club’s transfer dealings and Karim Benzema’s move. Now he could face his first backlash

Jurassic Park sounded great given the spectacular beasts on display, but there was chaos after they started to do their own thing. When Cristiano Ronaldo, surely the T rex, and Karim Benzema, perhaps a velociraptor, are scoring in spectacular fashion there are headlines around the world, but the Saudi Pro League is finding out that when they start to flex their muscles off the pitch, there is even more interest and, it turns out, a real problem for the competition.

What happened on a manic Monday in the SPL should have been about what unfolded on the pitch. Al-Hilal, in first, drew with third-placed Al-Ahli. Al-Nassr won, to stay second, closing to within a point of the leaders. If Brendan Rodgers, having a whale of a time with Al-Qadsiah, wins his game in hand then four points will separate the top four with just over a third of the season remaining. It is the kind of title race most leagues would love.

Want to see Super Bowl 2026 commercials early? These ads are already live.

Many Super Bowl 60 ads are already online, along with teasers for commercials that will be unveiled during the NFL championship on Feb. 8.

Gaza: Rafah crossing reopens under Israeli restrictions - The Latest

A small number of Palestinians from Gaza have started crossing into Egypt for medical treatment after Israel allowed a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing. It had been largely closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024, cutting off a critical lifeline for those in Gaza. Around 20,000 Palestinians needing medical care hope to leave Gaza using the crossing, but only a handful have been allowed through so far. The reopening of Rafah is seen as a key step in the US-brokered ceasefire agreement as it moves into its second phase. Lucy Hough speaks to chief Middle East correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison

Lens condemn racist abuse of Saint-Maximin after player’s children targeted in Mexico

• Winger suffers online racism on return to France

• Abuse of Frenchman’s family led him to leave Mexico

Lens have condemned the racist abuse aimed at new signing Allan Saint-Maximin after a previous racist incident involving the former Newcastle winger’s children ended his career in Mexico’s top flight.

Saint-Maximin joined Lens on a six-month deal during the winter transfer window. He left Mexican side Club América, saying his children were the victims of racist abuse there.

Meryl Streep cast as Joni Mitchell in new biopic

The Oscar-winning actor will star in the Cameron Crowe-directed feature about the singer-songwriter’s life

Meryl Streep is to play Joni Mitchell in a forthcoming biopic of the singer-songwriter directed by Cameron Crowe, according to record executive Clive Davis.

Davis confirmed the rumours surrounding the casting at his pre-Grammys party on Saturday, reports Rolling Stone. Last year, Anya Taylor-Joy was linked to the project in the role of the younger Mitchell, as was Streep’s Mamma Mia! co-star Amanda Seyfried.

Home prices could dip in 22 U.S. cities next year, report says. See where.

A new report from Realtor.com projects that the housing market will shift in a more buyer-friendly direction in 2026.

Lindsey Vonn says she'll compete in Olympics despite ACL injury

Lindsey Vonn, 41, said she ruptured her left anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, but that she was still planning to compete.

‘Playing a god became a safety net’: Chris Hemsworth opens up about Thor, money and his insecurities

In the Marvel films he was unassailable, but in real life the actor says he’s more like the anxious thief he plays in Crime 101. He and its writer/director Bart Layton talk midlife angst, imposter syndrome – and Alzheimer’s

‘It’s like a therapy couch,” says Chris Hemsworth, as he takes a seat on a chaise longue in the London hotel room where we’re meeting. He laughs, but it quickly becomes clear the Australian actor is more than ready to examine his life and the image he has long presented to the world.

As Thor, the God of Thunder, Hemsworth has come to embody a certain idea of masculinity: invulnerable, assured, unshakeable. The role, which spanned nine films, put him up among the world’s highest paid actors and made him a global pin-up. Yet the confidence was, in part, a construction. “The character you see in interviews,” he says, easing into the chaise longue, “and the presentation of myself over the last two decades working in Hollywood, it’s me – but it’s a creation too. It’s what I thought people wanted to see.”

PepsiCo cuts prices of Cheetos, Doritos and other snacks

PepsiCo said the price cuts are aimed at making its products more affordable as consumers struggle with affordability.

Human Rights Watch researchers resign after report on Palestinian right of return blocked

The organization claims the report, which finds Israel’s denial of the right of return is a crime against humanity, is ‘paused pending further analysis and research’

Two Human Rights Watch (HRW) employees who make up the organization’s entire Israel and Palestine team are stepping down from their positions after leadership blocked a report that deems Israel’s denial of Palestinian refugees the right of return a “crime against humanity”.

In separate resignation letters obtained by Jewish Currents and the Guardian, Omar Shakir, who has headed the team for nearly the last decade, and Milena Ansari, the team’s assistant researcher, said leadership’s decision to pull the report broke from HRW’s customary approval processes and was evidence that the organization was putting fear of political backlash over a commitment to international law.

‘Pain is a violent lover’: Daisy Lafarge on the paintings she made when floored with agony

Suffering from a connective tissue disorder and enduring endless calls to try and get benefits, the poet and novelist turned to painting – resulting in work that could change perceptions of disabled people

Daisy Lafarge was lying on the floor in excruciating pain when she started her latest paintings. A severe injury, coupled with a sudden worsening of her health, had left her unable to sit upright, while brain fog and fatigue made reading and writing impossible. So the award-winning novelist and poet fell back on her art school training, using the energy and materials she had to hand to create impressionistic paintings of her surroundings – her cat Uisce, her boyfriend’s PlayStation controller – alongside unsettling imagery of enclosed gardens and flowers decaying.

“Making the paintings was a way of coexisting with pain,” says the 34-year-old. “I was on my living room floor in agony for a few hours, but I wanted to get something out of that time. I’ve always been fascinated by artists and writers who turn limitations into formal constraints. I see the paintings as my attempt at that.”

Tariq Ali claims BFI has frozen him out of multicultural TV season

Editor of groundbreaking Channel 4 show says he was shocked not to be invited to participate in new season

The editor of a groundbreaking Channel 4 show claims the BFI has frozen him out of an upcoming season on multicultural television and is presenting a skewed vision of the programme.

Tariq Ali was part of the creative team that produced the global current affairs Bandung File for Channel 4 in the 1980s. The current affairs programme spotlighted everything from the realities of apartheid South Africa to the fallout from the publication of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses.

Marwan Barghouti, ‘Palestine’s Mandela’, to publish book from prison

Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine is a collection of writings by the Palestinian political leader, who has been held in Israeli prisons since 2002

A collection of writings by the imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti will be published in November, bringing together prison letters, interviews, personal material and documents from the last three decades of Barghouti’s political life and incarceration.

As deadly attacks on Gaza continue despite a nominal ceasefire, the 66-year-old is seen by many as the best hope for a leader of any future Palestinian state.

Despite a 'ruptured' knee ligament, Lindsey Vonn says she will compete in the Olympics

The 41-year-old's remarkable comeback from retirement was thrown into jeopardy after she hurt her knee during a crash in competition last week. But that won't keep her from racing in the Olympics.

Pennines delight as drone survey offers hope for one of UK’s rarest birds

Conservationists find dunlin chicks thriving in boggy habitat created in collaboration with landowners

Deep in the Cumbrian Pennines, walkers might be lucky enough to spot small birds with spindly legs, long beaks and bodies like feathered balls hopping through the peat bogs.

These are endangered dunlins – at risk in England because their favoured soggy landscapes are drained and burned for farming and grouse shooting.

India's Nifty 50 closes 2.5% higher as long-awaited U.S. trade deal boosts investor sentiment

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday stateside said that U.S. will cut reciprocal tariff on India to 18% from 25%.

Disney names parks chief Josh D'Amaro to succeed CEO Bob Iger

Josh D'Amaro, who oversees Disney theme parks and dozens of resort hotels worldwide, will become the next Disney CEO.

Rare earth stocks jump after Trump launches $12 billion critical minerals stockpile

The moves come shortly after President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a U.S. critical mineral reserve.

Lindsey Vonn confident she can compete at Olympics despite ‘completely ruptured’ ACL

• Vonn confident despite ACL rupture before Olympics

• Will decide after testing knee at race speeds soon

• Olympic downhill scheduled for Sunday at Cortina

Lindsey Vonn said she is “confident” she can compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Games despite revealing she has been managing a ruptured ACL, maintaining that her Olympic comeback remains on track after a crash last week raised fresh doubts over her participation.

Speaking on Tuesday, the 41-year-old American said she was approaching the final decision cautiously but remained focused on lining up for the downhill at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the Olympic women’s alpine programme opens Sunday.

The notable names in the Epstein files

A slew of notable individuals appear in the latest Justice Department release of Jeffrey Epstein files.

Waymo raises $16bn to fuel global robotaxi expansion

The funding round valued the Alphabet subsidiary at $126bn as company aims to expand more cities worldwide

The self-driving car company Waymo on Monday said it raised $16bn in a funding round that valued the Alphabet subsidiary at $126bn.

Waymo’s co-chief executives, Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov, touted the massive investment as a sign that the age of large-scale autonomous mobility has arrived.

PepsiCo will cut prices on Lay's, Cheetos by as much as 15%

The food giant is among many big brands worried as shoppers pull back on snack budgets after years of stubborn inflation.

The criminalizing of protest and dissent has a long history in America

Trump administration is accusing protesters of ‘domestic terrorism’ but this brazen tactic is as old as the country itself

When federal immigration agents shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on 23 January, the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, wasted no time claiming to the press, without credible evidence, that Pretti had been engaged in “domestic terrorism”. Though the administration seems to be trying to soften that initial response after fierce backlash, it’s an accusation that members of the Trump administration have been leveling at wide swaths of people beyond Pretti – including Renee Nicole Good, another Minnesotan killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents two and a half weeks prior, and Marimar Martinez, who survived being shot by ICE agents in Chicago in October – as part of an ongoing strategy to criminalize dissent.

It’s a claim ICE agents themselves have started to make directly in confrontations with citizens, seemingly to try and intimidate legal observers, sometimes known as ICE watchers. In one recent video from Portland, Maine, an ICE officer told an observer to stop recording him on her phone, and when she wouldn’t, he took her information down and said: “We have a nice little database … and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.”

From the moon landing to accidental sexting: your greatest ever TV moments

Live Aid, sweary punks and a kiss so romantic it never fails to make you cry … as TV turns 100, here are the things that are for ever lodged in Guardian readers’ brains

Television turns 100 this year, so the Guardian charted our pick of the biggest TV moments from a century of television. Then we asked readers to share their own milestone TV moments. Here are the best.

Gabrielle Union talks life lessons in the new animated movie "Goat"

Gabrielle Union talks about starring in the new animated movie "Goat," working with her husband and the real life issues portrayed in the movie.

Never forget Epstein’s little helpers – the powerful men who knew about his crimes, and helped him out anyway | Marina Hyde

I’m sorry, but this is not just a political scandal. Time to refocus on the horrific mistreatment of women and girls, and the role of these ghouls

Like a lot of women, I do vaguely care about the latest political implosion of Peter Mandelson – but I think we’re all massively more obsessed with the fact that there really was a network of incredibly famous and powerful men trying to help a known ex-con minimise and wave away his underage sex crimes. Amirite, ladies? Sure, I’m crying my eyes out about some Gordon Brown adviser having his asset-sale memo forwarded in 2009 … but at the same time I’m a whole lot more concerned about the actual Sex Bilderberg. Which, even now, our eyes seem to keep being conveniently dragged away from. Can we refocus?

We are, naturally, talking about the Jeffrey Epstein files. Since the latest lot dropped, I’ve been collating the emails from extremely famous men who actively sought to help the since-deceased underage sex trafficker trivialise his crimes in the years after his jail release in 2009. Richard Branson, Noam Chomsky, Steve Bannon, Mandelson, Andrew (obviously) – all of these men offer strategic advice, or media training, or chummy solidarity. Or, in the case of Chomsky, all of the above plus a drive-by on the notion of female victimhood. According to text signed under his first name that Epstein sent to a lawyer and publicist in February 2019, months after the Miami Herald had run an explosive series of articles laying out the scale of Epstein’s serial underage sexual abuse and the perversion of justice that covered it up, Chomsky sneered at “the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women”. Wow. Never mind Manufacturing Consent – have a read of Not Giving A Shit About Consent. I thought Chomsky cared about power and exploitative elites? Still, nice photo of him laughing it up with Steve Bannon.

Disastrous start for US TikTok as users cry censorship

New US-owned app struggled with a storm and was accused of blocking content critical of Trump – can it recover?

Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m Blake Montgomery, writing to you from Doha, where I’m moderating panels about AI and investing as part of the Web Summit Qatar.

I want to bring your attention to the impact of a Guardian story. In December, we published a story, “‘A black hole’: families and police say tech giants delay investigations in child abuse and drug cases”, about grieving families and law enforcement officers who say that Meta and Snapchat have slowed down criminal investigations. (The tech companies contend that they cooperate.) This month, Colorado lawmakers introduced a bill to compel social media platforms to respond to warrants in 72 hours.

Elon Musk had more extensive ties to Epstein than previously known, emails show

Tesla discontinues Model X and S vehicles as Elon Musk pivots to robotics

What is Moltbook? The strange new social media site for AI bots

The slopaganda era: 10 AI images posted by the White House – and what they teach us

Apple reports record iPhone sales as new lineup reignites worldwide demand

South Korea’s ‘world-first’ AI laws face pushback amid bid to become leading tech power

Can you guess our screen time? A priest, pensioner, tech CEO and teenager reveal all

‘Crime is a disease. Meet the cure’: Sylvester Stallone’s self-serious cop movie is ludicrous fun

Cobra’s politics are definitely on the iffy side and it takes itself very seriously indeed – but there’s absolutely no reason for you or I to

“Crime is a disease. Meet the cure.” With one of the funniest taglines in cinema history, how can you possibly resist revisiting Sylvester Stallone’s violent, ultra-earnest cult action movie Cobra, which turns 40 this year?

Marion “Cobra” Cobretti (Stallone) is a tough LA cop who plays by his own rules. Sporting aviator shades, a matchstick in the corner of his mouth and a gun emblazoned with a cobra, he takes on criminals with a steely dedication to violence and wisecracks, and an aversion to due process that would make Charles Bronson blush.

‘Charisma is a form of psychosis’: inspiring Eric Clapton, having kids at 70 … the irreverent life of post-punk puppeteer Ted Milton

He crossed paths with William Burroughs, Terry Gilliam and Spitting Image while whipping up almighty grooves with his band Blurt. Now 82, he’s back on tour – and bracing for a warts-and-all documentary made by his many children

The big bloke in the khaki suit speaks quietly these days. We are nestled in the corner of Ted Milton’s studio above a rehearsal space in Deptford, London, cocooned by record boxes, poetry books, plus a single big, bright suitcase, and I have to nudge the recorder closer to pick up his voice. Milton – a saxophonist, poet, countercultural survivor and one-time avant garde puppeteer – is 82, and uses a couple of sticks to get around, yet he is once again going on the road across Europe with his long-running band Blurt, as well as releasing a new album with his duo the Odes.

Today, he is making record covers destined for the tour merch table with the help of his old woodblock setup. “That orange suitcase?” he points across the desk. “I just bought it.” He booms out a massive laugh, as if to prove he still has the lung power to command a room. “I’m a fetishist about luggage. I know how to survive touring. Haha!”

The Muppet Show review – we all deserve a brief bit of happiness right now

This starry half-hour anniversary special captures the spirit of the original TV show at points, and will delight younger viewers. But Kermit’s voice takes some getting used to …

The Muppet Show celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Or so it is alleged. Obviously this cannot be true, because it would mean that all of us who remember gathering around the television for the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational half hour of the week must also be … Well, anyway. Let us not dwell.

Let us remember instead the magic that ensued as Jim Henson’s creation unfurled before us, as the chaotic troupe of puppets put on their traditional vaudeville show. The permanent cast included the inimitable Miss Piggy (“I don’t care what you think of me. Unless you think I am awesome, in which case you are right”), Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, sombre patriot Sam Eagle (“Freakos one, civilisation zero”), assorted pigs (often in space), scientist Dr Bunsen Honeydew and his heartbreakingly hapless assistant Beaker (the latter granting some of us our first stirrings of true empathy), and many, many chickens. There was also a guest appearance each episode by a famous human comedian, actor or musician. It could be anyone from Julie Andrews to Dudley Moore, as long as they could be trusted to play it straight and believe in their co-stars. It was all held together, if only just, by earnest, frazzled host and stage manager Kermit the Frog and his assistant, Scooter, despite constant heckling from the exquisitely cantankerous Statler and Waldorf looking down on the show, in every sense, from their box seats.

Landslides on one side, floods on the other: the Costa Rican village desperate to escape the climate crisis

With government action stalled and living in ‘inhumane’ conditions, families in San José are making plans to relocate

In Emilio Peña Delgado’s home, several photos hang on the wall. One shows him standing in front of a statue with his wife and oldest son in the centre of San José and smiling. In another, his two sons sit in front of caricatures from the film Cars. For him, the photos capture moments of joy that feel distant when he returns home to La Carpio, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Costa Rica’s capital.

Delgado migrated with his family from Nicaragua to Costa Rica when he was 10, as his parents sought greater stability. When he started a family of his own, his greatest hope was to give his children the security he had lacked. But now, that hope is often interrupted by the threat of extreme weather events.