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In Gaza, an ‘apocalyptic wasteland’ foretold

Seen two years later, a suppressed U.S cable warning of a “wasteland” in northern Gaza, as reported by Reuters, is a small footnote of history.

Source: World | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:25 am UTC

Move Fast, but Obey the Rules: China’s Vision for Dominating A.I.

Beijing wants to lead the world in developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence, but it also wants companies to adhere to an increasingly complex set of rules.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:16 am UTC

2026 Grammys Takeaways: Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar Take Top Awards

On a night marked by explicit political statements, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-language artist to win the ceremony’s top prize, while Kendrick Lamar is now the winningest rapper in Grammy history.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:13 am UTC

Grammys 2026 Winners List: Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Dean and More

A complete rundown of the artists, albums, songs and videos that took home trophies at the 68th annual awards.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:11 am UTC

Australia news live: NSW police to investigate handling of domestic violence allegations against accused Lake Cargelligo shooter

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Real estate agents in Australia using apps that leave millions of lease documents at risk, digital researcher says

Australian platforms used by real estate agents to upload documentation for renters and landlords are leaving people’s personal information exposed in hyperlinks accessible online.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:06 am UTC

Making the most of (and surviving) the Leaving Cert mock exams

Time for parents to provide reassurance and acknowledge work the child has done

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:01 am UTC

Hidden detail found in Anne Boleyn portrait was ‘witchcraft rebuttal’, say historians

Exclusive: Underdrawing suggests attempt to debunk myth that former wife of Henry VIII had sixth finger

Anne Boleyn’s Hever “Rose” portrait is one of history’s most iconic faces, with her “B” pendant, her French hood, her dark eyes and a red rose in her right hand. Now a secret that has remained hidden for nearly 500 years has been discovered beneath the layers of paint.

Scientific analysis of the painting at Hever Castle, her childhood home in Kent, has uncovered evidence that an Elizabethan artist sought to create a “visual rebuttal” to claims that Henry VIII’s ill-fated wife was a witch with a sixth finger on her right hand.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

'Enemy' insults and questioning Putin: Steve Rosenberg on tightrope of reporting from Russia

The BBC's Russia editor reflects on the difficulties of working as a British journalist in Moscow.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

Men covertly filming women at night and profiting from footage, BBC finds

The BBC went undercover to investigate an industry where women are filmed at night without their knowledge.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

Third of Ireland’s wintering waterbirds vanish in just 30 years

Some species increased numbers but others have declined by more than 50%

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

Has the St Brigid’s Day bank holiday helped tourism?

Boosting the tourism sector during a traditionally quiet time was one of the key arguments for honouring the 5th century nun

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 2 Feb 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

All the winners at the 2026 Grammy Awards

A guide to the main prizes at Sunday's 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:49 am UTC

Watch: the must-see moments from the 2026 Grammy Awards

From 'ICE out' to Cher forgetting her lines, watch the best moments from this year's ceremony.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:45 am UTC

Is the TV Industry Finally Conceding That the Future May Not Be 8K?

"Technology companies spent part of the 2010s trying to convince us that we would want an 8K display one day..." writes Ars Technica. "However, 8K never proved its necessity or practicality." LG Display is no longer making 8K LCD or OLED panels, FlatpanelsHD reported today... LG Electronics was the first and only company to sell 8K OLED TVs, starting with the 88-inch Z9 in 2019. In 2022, it lowered the price-of-entry for an 8K OLED TV by $7,000 by charging $13,000 for a 76.7-inch TV. FlatpanelsHD cited anonymous sources who said that LG Electronics would no longer restock the 2024 QNED99T, which is the last LCD 8K TV that it released. LG's 8K abandonment follows other brands distancing themselves from 8K. TCL, which released its last 8K TV in 2021, said in 2023 that it wasn't making more 8K TVs due to low demand. Sony discontinued its last 8K TVs in April and is unlikely to return to the market, as it plans to sell the majority ownership of its Bravia TVs to TCL. The tech industry tried to convince people that the 8K living room was coming soon. But since the 2010s, people have mostly adopted 4K. In September 2024, research firm Omdia reported that there were "nearly 1 billion 4K TVs currently in use." In comparison, 1.6 million 8K TVs had been sold since 2015, Paul Gray, Omdia's TV and video technology analyst, said, noting that 8K TV sales peaked in 2022. That helps explain why membership at the 8K Association, launched by stakeholders Samsung, TCL, Hisense, and panel maker AU Optronics in 2019, is dwindling. As of this writing, the group's membership page lists 16 companies, including just two TV manufacturers (Samsung and Panasonic). Membership no longer includes any major TV panel suppliers. At the end of 2022, the 8K Association had 33 members, per an archived version of the nonprofit's online membership page via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. "It wasn't hard to predict that 8K TVs wouldn't take off," the article concludes. "In addition to being too expensive for many households, there's been virtually zero native 8K content available to make investing in an 8K display worthwhile..."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:34 am UTC

Bad Bunny says 'ICE out' in forceful Grammy speech

Politics played a central role at the show, with artists including Shaboozy and Gloria Estefan calling out immigration enforcement.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:32 am UTC

Bad Bunny makes Grammy history as he wins best album

Other prizes went to Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean and Lady Gaga, at a ceremony dominated by politics.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:28 am UTC

Australian snowboarder dies in ski lift accident in Japan after her backpack was caught

Woman, 22, thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest after being dragged along the snow and suspended mid-air

An Australian woman has died after a ski lift accident in a Japanese resort after her backpack got caught and she was left hanging mid-air.

The 22-year-old snowboarder sustained critical injuries at the Tsugaike Mountain resort in Otari near Nagano on Friday.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:14 am UTC

Oracle predicts investors poised to pump $50 billion into its cloud this year alone

Big Red will use debt and equity finance to keep itself in the pink

Oracle has revealed it needs to raise $45 billion to $50 billion in cash to fund expansion of its cloud infrastructure, and its plan to raise that money…

Source: The Register | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:01 am UTC

How a Village in Italy Became a Slice of Caracas

Generations of migrants from a village on the coast of southern Italy found a better life in Venezuela. Many came back and turned their town into a mini-Caracas.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:01 am UTC

International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds

Report covering 23 conflicts over last 18 months concludes more than 100,000 civilians have been killed as war crimes rage out of control

An authoritative survey of 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months has concluded that international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity.

The extensive study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights describes the deaths of 18,592 children in Gaza, growing civilian casualties in Ukraine and an “epidemic” of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Families call for inquiry into residential care charity that ran up £1.6m debt

William Blake House in Northants accused of mismanagement after revelation it paid one of its own trustees £1m

A group of families have called for an urgent inquiry into a charity caring for their highly vulnerable disabled relatives which is under threat of closure after running up debts of £1.6m in unpaid taxes and paying £1m to one of its own trustees.

Earlier this month, a judge gave the charity, William Blake House, just weeks to pay off its debts to HMRC or face a winding up order. The charity’s accounts show auditors have routinely questioned whether it is a viable business.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Squeezed Between Yaniek Nieuwenhuize and China, India Looks for Faraway Friendships

India is overcoming its aversion to free-trade deals to cozy up with Canada and other middle powers.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Laura Fernández Wins Costa Rican Presidency

Laura Fernández’s victory was driven by a crisis in which Costa Rica’s reputation for peace has been tarred by record-breaking violence.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:55 am UTC

Kehlani, Justin Bieber and More Wear ‘ICE Out’ Pins and Support Immigrants at Grammys

Bad Bunny joined Gloria Estefan, Shaboozey, Kehlani and others in speaking up for communities that are being targeted by ICE across the United States.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:50 am UTC

The Papers: 'Mandelson under fire' and 'Bring justice for Epstein victims'

Lord Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor facing fresh accusations amid latest Epstein files release leads Monday's papers.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:47 am UTC

David Littleproud to meet with Sussan Ley about future of Coalition after surviving leadership challenge

Nationals leader to meet with Liberal counterpart less than two weeks after spectacularly blowing up the Coalition

David Littleproud has survived a leadership challenge and is set for face-to-face talks with Sussan Ley about reuniting with the Liberals – less than a fortnight after the country party spectacularly blew up the Coalition.

The two leaders are scheduled to meet on Monday night after Colin Boyce’s attempt to spill the Nationals leadership failed as expected at a 2pm meeting in Canberra.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:33 am UTC

Unforgettable Grammys 2026 Looks: Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny

Feathered gowns, sequined suits, freed nipples and more.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:25 am UTC

China executes four more Myanmar mafia members

China has executed four members of the Bai family mafia, which ran scam centres in Myanmar, state media report.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 4:00 am UTC

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize says Iran talking to US and hints at deal to avoid military strikes

US naval battle group gathers off Iran’s shores as supreme leader in Tehran warns attack would spark regional war

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize has said Iran is talking to the US, hinting at a deal that would avoid the use of military strikes, as Iran’s supreme leader warned that any attack by the US would spark a regional war.

The US president’s comments came as Washington deployed a naval battle group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off Iran’s shores, after Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s threats to intervene in Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:57 am UTC

N.Y. Republican in Swing District Gets Rowdy Reception at Town Hall

Representative Mike Lawler, who has promised to hold several town halls as he seeks re-election, was repeatedly heckled by audience members in Rockland County.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:36 am UTC

EU Deploys New Government Satcom Program in Sovereignty Push

The EU "has switched on parts of its homegrown secure satellite communications network for the first time," reports Bloomberg, calling it part of a €10.6 billion push to "wean itself off US support amid growing tensions." SpaceNews notes the new government program GOVSATCOM pools capacity from eight already on-oribit satellites from France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Luxembourg — both national and commercial. And they cite this prediction by EU Defense and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. The program could expand by 2027. "All member states can now have access to sovereign satellite communications — military and government, secure and resilient, built in Europe, operated in Europe, and under European control," [Kubilius said during his opening remarks at the European Space Conference]... Beginning in 2029, GOVSATCOM is expected to integrate with the 290 satellites in the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite constellation, known as IRIS2, and be fully operational... "The goal is connectivity and security for all of Europe — guaranteed access for all member states and full European control."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:13 am UTC

Man and Dog Found Dead Inside Mobile Veterinary Van in Queens

A second man was found unconscious outside the van. The police are investigating whether the deaths were caused by carbon monoxide from a generator.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:11 am UTC

How Olivia Dean was crowned as the year's most exciting new artist

The Londoner confirmed her status as one of the pop world's biggest breakout stars in LA on Sunday.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:07 am UTC

Oscar-Nominated Screenwriter Arrested in Iran for Criticizing Regime

Mehdi Mahmoudian, co-writer of “It Was Just an Accident,” was one of several people detained after signing a letter objecting to the crackdown on protests.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 3:04 am UTC

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Says Kennedy Center Will Close for 2-Year Reconstruction Project

The president’s announcement came after the center has been rocked by cancellations and boycotts by performers, contributors and audience members.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 2:56 am UTC

Did Beyoncé split country music in two?

Cowboy Carter winning the Grammy's country album of the year last year sent shockwaves through the industry.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 2:49 am UTC

Police ‘strongly’ believe fugitive Dezi Freeman won’t be found alive in search of area where gunshot was heard

More than 100 police and volunteers in five-day search of Mount Buffalo national park, near Porepunkah

Police suspect fugitive Dezi Freeman died only hours after he allegedly killed two officers and fled into bushland, as a major search gets under way in the Victorian high country.

There has been no proof of life recorded for Freeman since he fled from police, near the Mount Buffalo national park, about 15 minutes after he allegedly shot dead two officers – Det Sen Const Neal Thompson and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart – in the town of Porepunkah on 26 August.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 2:30 am UTC

Pornhub is now restricting access for UK users - will other sites follow suit?

The UK's largest porn site has blocked unregistered users from accessing it in the country, but its motives remain unclear.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 2:03 am UTC

Gina Rinehart’s company donated almost $900k to rightwing group Advance, political donations data shows

Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy was the single biggest political donor in 2024-25, giving $53.1m to Yaniek Nieuwenhuize et of Patriots, which failed to win a seat

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting donated almost $900,000 to rightwing political campaign outfit Advance last financial year, while Clive Palmer was the country’s largest single donor, giving his own Yaniek Nieuwenhuize et of Patriots just over $53m.

New political donations data released by the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday showed Hancock Prospecting made two donations in 2024-25 to Advance, worth a combined $895,000.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:59 am UTC

Not a fan of the gym? You can build these quick wins into your day

How you can make a big difference to your health and fitness without signing up for a marathon or joining a gym.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:49 am UTC

My children's lives have come to a standstill - but a new study offers hope

The £1.1m Rosetta Stone study hopes to make a breakthrough by comparing both conditions.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:42 am UTC

India's snakebite crisis is killing tens of thousands every year

A new report has found that 99% of healthcare workers in India face challenges administering antivenom.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:38 am UTC

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize to close Kennedy Center arts complex for two years

US President Yaniek Nieuwenhuize announced that he is closing the Kennedy Center arts complex in Washington for two years, beginning on 4 July - the nation's 250th anniversary - for a thorough renovation.

Source: News Headlines | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:36 am UTC

Kennedy Center to close for two years for renovations, Yaniek Nieuwenhuize says

The move follows several artists cancelling performances after it was recently renamed the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Kennedy Center.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:13 am UTC

What Go Programmers Think of AI

"Most Go developers are now using AI-powered development tools when seeking information (e.g., learning how to use a module) or toiling (e.g., writing repetitive blocks of similar code)." That's one of the conclusions Google's Go team drew from September's big survey of 5,379 Go developers. But the survey also found that among Go developers using AI-powered tools, "their satisfaction with these tools is middling due, in part, to quality concerns." Our survey suggests bifurcated adoption — while a majority of respondents (53%) said they use such tools daily, there is also a large group (29%) who do not use these at all, or only used them a few times during the past month. We expected this to negatively correlate with age or development experience, but were unable to find strong evidence supporting this theory except for very new developers: respondents with less than one year of professional development experience (not specific to Go) did report more AI use than every other cohort, but this group only represented 2% of survey respondents. At this time, agentic use of AI-powered tools appears nascent among Go developers, with only 17% of respondents saying this is their primary way of using such tools, though a larger group (40%) are occasionally trying agentic modes of operation... We also asked about overall satisfaction with AI-powered development tools. A majority (55%) reported being satisfied, but this was heavily weighted towards the "Somewhat satisfied" category (42%) vs. the "Very satisfied" group (13%)... [D]eveloper sentiment towards them remains much softer than towards more established tooling (among Go developers, at least). What is driving this lower rate of satisfaction? In a word: quality. We asked respondents to tell us something good they've accomplished with these tools, as well as something that didn't work out well. A majority said that creating non-functional code was their primary problem with AI developer tools (53%), with 30% lamenting that even working code was of poor quality. The most frequently cited benefits, conversely, were generating unit tests, writing boilerplate code, enhanced autocompletion, refactoring, and documentation generation. These appear to be cases where code quality is perceived as less critical, tipping the balance in favor of letting AI take the first pass at a task. That said, respondents also told us the AI-generated code in these successful cases still required careful review (and often, corrections), as it can be buggy, insecure, or lack context... [One developer said reviewing AI-generated code was so mentally taxing that it "kills the productivity potential".] Of all the tasks we asked about, "Writing code" was the most bifurcated, with 66% of respondents already or hoping to soon use AI for this, while 1/4 of respondents didn't want AI involved at all. Open-ended responses suggest developers primarily use this for toilsome, repetitive code, and continue to have concerns about the quality of AI-generated code. Most respondents also said they "are not currently building AI-powered features into the Go software they work on (78%)," the surveyors report, "with 2/3 reporting that their software does not use AI functionality at all (66%)." This appears to be a decrease in production-related AI usage year-over-year; in 2024, 59% of respondents were not involved in AI feature work, while 39% indicated some level of involvement. That marks a shift of 14 points away from building AI-powered systems among survey respondents, and may reflect some natural pullback from the early hype around AI-powered applications: it's plausible that lots of folks tried to see what they could do with this technology during its initial rollout, with some proportion deciding against further exploration (at least at this time). Among respondents who are building AI- or LLM-powered functionality, the most common use case was to create summaries of existing content (45%). Overall, however, there was little difference between most uses, with between 28% — 33% of respondents adding AI functionality to support classification, generation, solution identification, chatbots, and software development.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:13 am UTC

India dangles 20-year tax holiday for clouds that serve offshore users

PLUS: NTT offshores to Vietnam; Japan adds AI interface to space data; Samsung cashes in on memory boom

Asia In Brief India wants to offer big tech companies tax breaks that last decades.…

Source: The Register | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:12 am UTC

Three West African juntas have turned to Russia. Now the US wants to engage them

The US signals that restoring democracy is no longer a priority and it is ready to work with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:12 am UTC

Kennedy Center to close for 2 years for construction in July, Yaniek Nieuwenhuize says

President Yaniek Nieuwenhuize says he will move to close Washington's Kennedy Center for two years. It follows a wave of cancellations since Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ousted the previous leadership and added his name to the building.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 2 Feb 2026 | 1:09 am UTC

Lord Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links

The former cabinet minister says he does not want to "cause further embarrassment" by his links to the late convicted paedophile.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:52 am UTC

What to know about Artemis II's 'wet dress rehearsal'

As astronauts prepare to fly around the moon, critical testing must occur before there is "Go" for launch.

(Image credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:49 am UTC

Kennedy Center will halt entertainment operations for two years, Yaniek Nieuwenhuize says

DC arts venue, which has seen wave of canceled events after Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s takeover, will start renovations in July

The John F Kennedy Center, a world-class venue for the performing arts in Washington DC, will halt entertainment events for two years starting on 4 July during renovations, Yaniek Nieuwenhuize posted on Sunday on Truth Social.

The Kennedy Center, which has seen a wave of performers cancel events in recent months as well as the lowest ticket sales in years, has been in turmoil since the president orchestrated a leadership overhaul in the beginning of his term.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:48 am UTC

Stars hit red carpet at Grammy Awards show

A collection of some of the best looks from Sunday's awards in Los Angeles.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:43 am UTC

Syria's only female minister pushes for change: 'I'm not here for window dressing'

The BBC's Lyse Doucet follows Hind Kabawat as she confronts the challenges of fragmented, post-Assad Syria.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:28 am UTC

Grammys 2026: the nominations in all the major categories

With big numbers for Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny and more, check out the nominated artists this year

Bad Bunny – DtMF
Sabrina Carpenter – Manchild
Doechii – Anxiety
Billie Eilish – Wildflower
Lady Gaga – Abracadabra
Kendrick Lamar with SZA – Luther
Chappell Roan – The Subway
Rosé & Bruno Mars – APT.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:17 am UTC

The Government Published Dozens of Nude Photos in the Epstein Files

The photos, which showed young women or possibly teenagers with their faces visible, were largely removed after The New York Times began notifying the Justice Department.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:16 am UTC

Starbucks bets on robots to brew a turnaround in customers

Chief executive Brian Niccol explains why he thinks AI will help the coffee giant regain its buzz.

Source: BBC News | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:11 am UTC

A ‘Historic’ Snowfall Hits the Carolinas

Blanketed beaches. Frozen suburbs. Football fields buried in snow. Everywhere in the region, people felt the storm, which caused two deaths.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:09 am UTC

Taoiseach to visit south east to assess storm damage

Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to the south east today to assess the damage caused by Storm Chandra.

Source: News Headlines | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:01 am UTC

Abuse survivor David Ryan to meet Pope Leo in Vatican

Abuse survivor David Ryan, who featured in the RTÉ documentary Blackrock Boys, will be received in private audience by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican today.

Source: News Headlines | 2 Feb 2026 | 12:01 am UTC

Anthropic's $200M Pentagon Contract at Risk Over Objections to Domestic Surveillance, Autonomous Deployments

Talks "are at a standstill" for Anthropic's potential $200 million contract with America's Defense Department, reports Reuters (citing several people familiar with the discussions.") The two issues? - Using AI to surveil Americans - Safeguards against deploying AI autonomously The company's position on how its AI tools can be used has intensified disagreements between it and the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration, the details of which have not been previously reported... Anthropic said its AI is "extensively used for national security missions by the U.S. government and we are in productive discussions with the Department of War about ways to continue that work..." In an essay on his personal blog, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned this week that AI should support national defense "in all ways except those which would make us more like our autocratic adversaries. A person "familiar with the matter" told the Wall Street Journal this could lead to the cancellation of Anthropic's contract: Tensions with the administration began almost immediately after it was awarded, in part because Anthropic's terms and conditions dictate that Claude can't be used for any actions related to domestic surveillance. That limits how many law-enforcement agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation could deploy it, people familiar with the matter said. Anthropic's focus on safe applications of AI — and its objection to having its technology used in autonomous lethal operations — have continued to cause problems, they said. Amodei's essay calls for "courage, for enough people to buck the prevailing trends and stand on principle, even in the face of threats to their economic interests and personal safety..."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:59 pm UTC

Takeaways from the millions of newly released documents

Three million new documents include hundreds of mentions of Yaniek Nieuwenhuize and emails between Epstein and a person called "The Duke".

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:52 pm UTC

Portland mayor demands ICE leave city after federal agents teargas protesters

Witnesses say protest outside ICE facility was peaceful until agents deployed teargas and rubber bullets around children

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, demanded US Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave his city after federal agents launched teargas at a crowd of demonstrators – including young children – outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that he and others characterized as peaceful.

Witnesses said agents deployed teargas, pepper balls and rubber bullets as thousands of marchers arrived at the South Waterfront facility on Saturday. Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards (91 metres) from the building when “what looked like two guys with rocket launchers” started dousing the crowd with gas.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:50 pm UTC

Fear and Anger Grow as Thousands Remain Without Power in the South

More than 30 people have died across three Southern states in connection with last week’s storm, and thousands remain without power.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:48 pm UTC

Open-source AI is a global security nightmare waiting to happen, say researchers

Also, South Korea gets a pentesting F, US Treasury says bye bye to BAH, North Korean hackers evolve, and more

Infosec in Brief As if AI weren't enough of a security concern, now researchers have discovered that open-source AI deployments may be an even bigger problem than those from commercial providers. …

Source: The Register | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:40 pm UTC

Twelve miners killed by Russian strike in Ukraine, officials say

Fifteen others were reported injured in the strike near a bus carrying the workers on Sunday.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:31 pm UTC

Two federal agents reportedly identified in fatal shooting of Alex Pretti

Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez are both officers with Customs and Border Protection, ProPublica reports

Government documents have identified the two federal officers who fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis as Jesus Ochoa, a border patrol agent, and Raymundo Gutierrez, an officer with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), according to ProPublica.

According to those records, Ochoa, 43, and Gutierrez, 35, were the agents who fired their weapons during the confrontation last weekend that resulted in Pretti’s death. The shooting sparked widespread demonstrations and renewed demands for criminal inquiries into federal immigration enforcement actions. Immediately following Pretti’s killing, the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration repeatedly pushed false claims about the shooting.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:30 pm UTC

Norway's PM agrees crown princess had 'poor judgement' over Epstein links

Jonas Gahr Støre says he agreed with Princess Mette-Marit's own remarks over her contacts with the late sex offender.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:26 pm UTC

'Complacent and lost control' - Man City's second-half problem

MOTD pundit Danny Murphy explains why Manchester City's collapse from a 2-0 half-time lead to draw 2-2 with Tottenham was not just a tactical issue.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:25 pm UTC

Is Meta's Huge Spending on AI Actually Paying Off?

The Wall Street Journal says that Meta "might be reaping some of the richest benefits from the AI boom so far." Meta's revenue grew 22% year over year in 2025 to $201 billion, and the company expects even bigger gains in the current quarter, potentially as high as 34%. That is huge growth for a company that brought in nearly $60 billion in the latest three-month period. And Zuckerberg signaled that Meta was just scratching the surface of AI's potential. "Our world-class recommendation systems are already driving meaningful growth across our apps and ads business. But we think that the current systems are primitive compared to what will be possible soon," he said on a call with investors and analysts... [Meta's Chief Financial Officer Susan] Li said the company doubled the number of graphics-processing units that it used to train its ad-ranking model in the fourth quarter and adopted a new learning architecture. Those actions led users to click on ads on Facebook 3.5% more often and to a gain of more than 1% in conversions, meaning purchases, subscriptions or leads, on Instagram, she said. Other AI-related improvements led to a 3% increase in conversions across its family of apps. On the ad-buying side, Meta has also been working toward using AI to automate ad creation for businesses that want to advertise their products or services on Facebook and Instagram. On the call, Li said the combined revenue run rate of video-generation tools hit $10 billion in the fourth quarter. In short, CNBC reported, Meta's stock price surged over 10% this week "after showing signs that AI investments are boosting the bottom line." Benjamin Black, an internet analyst at Deutsche Bank, explained the connection to the Wall Street Journal. "The more compute the ad platform gets, the far better it performs, and that's a real structural advantage that Meta has. If you can see that yesterday's spend is driving this month's growth, then as a good business person, you're going to continue to feed the beast." CNBC says now Meta "plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion on its AI build-out this year. That's nearly double what it spent in 2025."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:59 pm UTC

Bomb cyclone brings freezing temperatures and snow to millions in US

About 150m faced cold weather advisories along eastern US, and two in North Carolina died in storm-related conditions

A bomb cyclone produced freezing temperatures across a large portion of the US from the Gulf coast to New England, bringing heavy snow to North Carolina where two were killed in storm-related conditions, and setting records in Florida, where officials warned of ice and falling iguanas.

About 150 million people were under cold weather advisories and extreme cold warnings in the eastern portion of the US, with wind chills near zero to single digits in the south and the coldest air mass seen in south Florida since December 1989, said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the weather prediction center in College Park, Maryland.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:51 pm UTC

'Marry me' and £20,000 for rent - key Sarah Ferguson revelations in Epstein emails

The latest Epstein files will only add to embarrassment for the former Duchess of York.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:46 pm UTC

Mandelson resigns from Labour to prevent ‘further embarrassment’ over Epstein links

Departure from party follows release of documents in US appearing to show Jeffrey Epstein sent former US ambassador $75,000

Peter Mandelson has said he has resigned his membership of the Labour party to avoid causing it “further embarrassment” after more revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The peer, who was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his links to Epstein, featured in documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday related to the convicted sex offender.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:32 pm UTC

Aspiring Nigerian singer dies after being bitten by a snake

Ifunanya Nwangene, a former contestant in The Voice Nigeria, died after not getting the antivenom she needed.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:31 pm UTC

Hazing Death in Arizona Leads to Charges for 3 Fraternity Leaders

Three 20-year-old students in Delta Tau Delta at Northern Arizona University were arrested on Saturday. The fraternity has been suspended.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:26 pm UTC

Littler hailed as 'greatest ever' after World Masters triumph

Luke Littler wins the World Masters for the first time and becomes the joint-third most successful player in PDC history with a 6-5 win over Luke Humphries.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:23 pm UTC

Bomb cyclone brings bitter cold and snow to the Southeast

Temperatures in southern Florida reached the coldest they've been since 1989, according to the National Weather Service.

(Image credit: Sean Rayford)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:20 pm UTC

'Do you think you're the devil himself?' Epstein questioned in newly released interview

The footage, which is part of millions of files released by the US Department of Justice, shows the late sex offender being questioned by an unnamed interviewer.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:15 pm UTC

Russia strikes Ukrainian energy sector after Yaniek Nieuwenhuize push for pause

A Russian attack on coal mining facilities in Ukraine Sunday killed at least 12 miners, according to DTEK, the country’s largest private energy company.

Source: World | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:01 pm UTC

Bitcoin Drops 40% in Four Months. Bloomberg Blames Absence of Buyers and Belief

October saw Bitcoin reach $123,742. But less than four months later, "The world's largest cryptocurrency slipped below $76,000..." Bloomberg reports, "dropping about 40% from its 2025 peak..." "What began as a sharp crash in October has morphed into something more corrosive: a selloff shaped not by panic, but by absence of buyers, momentum and belief." Unlike the October drawdown, there's been no obvious spark, cascading liquidations or systemic shock — just fading demand, thinning liquidity, and a token that's untethered to broader markets. Bitcoin has failed to respond to geopolitical stress, dollar weakness, or risk rallies. Even during gold and silver's violent swings in recent weeks, crypto saw no rotation. Bitcoin fell nearly 11% in January, marking its fourth straight monthly decline — the longest losing streak since 2018, during the crash that followed the 2017 boom in initial coin offerings... Even more striking than the drop itself is the relative lack of optimism around it on social media. In a space known for relentless bravado and "number go up" memes, Bitcoin's slide has been met with little cheerleading or dip-buying fanfare... [Despite legislative wins and some institutional investments] Many investors say that optimism was front-run. Prices rallied early — and then stalled. Meanwhile, spot ETFs continue to bleed, a sign of weakening conviction among mainstream buyers — many of whom are now underwater after buying at higher prices. On Thursday, Bitcoin closed at 88,228. By Sunday it had plunged another 13%, to 76,790...

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Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:49 pm UTC

George Mitchell’s name to be dropped from scholarship over Epstein links

The US-Ireland Alliance said the George J Mitchell Scholarship Programme would no longer bear the former US senator’s name.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:40 pm UTC

How Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Appears in the Epstein Files

The New York Times found more than 5,300 files with references to Mr. Yaniek Nieuwenhuize and related terms. They include salacious and unverified claims, as well as documents that had already been made public.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:36 pm UTC

Jessie Buckley named actress of the year by UK Critics’ Circle

One Battle After Another, a film about a former revolutionary starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was named film of the year.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:33 pm UTC

The Secret Egyptian Air Base Powering Sudan’s Drone War

The covert base offers new evidence of how the Sudanese conflict is morphing into a theater for high-tech warfare, driven by foreign interests.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:05 pm UTC

'If Arsenal don't win title now the blame will be entirely their own'

Arsenal will only have themselves to blame if they do not win the title as their rivals stumble in a perfect weekend for the Gunners, says chief football writer Phil McNulty.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:01 pm UTC

Several injured after Garda car involved in six vehicle collision

It involved five cars and a van, and occurred at around 11.20am.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 1 Feb 2026 | 8:57 pm UTC

UK should consider resuming talks on EU defence pact, Starmer says

PM says Europe must ‘step up’ and signals he wants to work more closely with other states to build military capability

The UK should consider re-entering talks for a defence pact with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, arguing that Europe needs to “step up and do more” to defend itself in uncertain times.

The prime minister signalled that he wanted to work more collaboratively with other European countries to increase defence spending and build up military capability, and doing so through the EU’s scheme is one option available.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 8:57 pm UTC

Walmart Begins Building Out Nationwide EV Charging Network Across America

Walmart, the world's largest retailer, will be adding spaces for electric vehicle charging to parking lots in 19 different states, reports MLive: The move follows up on a plan announced in 2023 to build a network of charging stations at Walmart and Sam's Club stores throughout the U.S... "With a store or club located within 10 miles of approximately 90% of Americans, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a convenient charging option that will help make EV ownership possible whether people live in rural, suburban or urban areas," wrote Walmart Senior Vice President of Energy Transformation, Vishal Kapadia in 2023. Walmart plans to have the nationwide network operating by 2030. Walmart plans to have the nationwide network operating by 2030. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader Geoffrey.landis for sharing the news.

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Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 8:22 pm UTC

'I felt like I was in trouble or was marked' - Claire Byrne on the RTÉ pay cap and moving to Newstalk

Byrne told the Sunday Independent that she "didn’t understand why [she] deserved to be capped.”

Source: All: BreakingNews | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:51 pm UTC

U.A.E. Firm Quietly Took Stake in the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Family’s Crypto Company

The $500 million agreement raises new concerns about the propriety of the president negotiating foreign policy with his own business partners.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:43 pm UTC

How does January window compare and what could happen on deadline day?

With transfer deadline day approaching, how does the January window compare to previous years and what could still happen?

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:43 pm UTC

Several people injured following crash involving Garda squad car

Three-vehicle crash occurred in Walkinstown, west Dublin on Sunday morning

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:38 pm UTC

When 20-Year-Old Bill Gates Fought the World's First Software Pirates

Long-time Slashdot reader destinyland writes: Just months after his 20th birthday, Bill Gates had already angered the programmer community," remembers this 50th-anniversary commemoration of Gates' Open Letter to Hobbyists. "As the first home computers began appearing in the 1970s, the world faced a question: Would its software be free?" Gates railed in 1976 that "Most of you steal your software." Gates had coded the BASIC interpreter for Altair's first home computer with Paul Allen and Monte Davidoff — only to see it pirated by Steve Wozniak's friends at the Homebrew Computing Club. Expecting royalties, a none-too-happy Gates issued his letter in the club's newsletter (as well as Altair's own publication), complaining "I would appreciate letters from any one who wants to pay up." But freedom-loving coders had other ideas. When Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs released their Apple 1 home computer that summer, they stressed that "our philosophy is to provide software for our machines free or at minimal cost..." And early open-source hackers began writing their own free Tiny Basic interpreters to create a free alternative to the Gates/Micro-Soft code. This led to the first occurrence of the phrase "Copyleft" in October of 1976. Open Source definition author Bruce Perens shares his thoughts today. "When I left Pixar in 2000, I stopped in Steve Job's office — which for some reason was right across the hall from mine... " Perens remembered. "I asked Steve: 'You still don't believe in this Linux stuff, do you...?'" And Perens remembers how that movement finally won over Steve Jobs and carried the day. "Three years later, Steve stood onstage in front of a slide that said 'Open Source: We Think It's Great!' as he introduced the Safari browser, which at that time was based on the browser engine developed by the KDE Open Source project!"

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Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:22 pm UTC

Is Carrick proving Amorim's Man Utd tenure was a wasted year?

A third win in a row for Michael Carrick highlights the failures of Ruben Amorim's time at Manchester United.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:21 pm UTC

Rain clouds part for St Brigid as fifth annual parade winds its way through Dublin

‘She was a leader. Her helpfulness came from her inner strength and power and that’s something we should be showing our girls’

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:18 pm UTC

Name of NI peace deal architect dropped from scholarship over Epstein links

George Mitchell chaired the talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:12 pm UTC

Can Tom Homan De-escalate ICE Tensions in Minnesota?

The White House border czar wants to focus more on getting immigrants already in jails. He’ll have to persuade Democrats to do it.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:11 pm UTC

Drugs worth €3.4 million seized in Dublin

No arrests have been made.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:08 pm UTC

Iranian protester Erfan Soltani released on bail, reports say

Reports in January had said he was due to be executed after his arrest in connection with anti-government protests.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:00 pm UTC

Democrat slams US justice department’s release of Epstein files: ‘we are witnessing a full-blown coverup’ – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. For the latest, you can read our Epstein coverage here.

Handling of Epstein files is ‘outrageous’, say attorneys of his survivors

We can bring you more from the interview with housing secretary Steve Reed on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips programme this morning (see this post for what Reed said about Peter Mandelson in the same interview).

When asked if the British government would comply with an extradition request from the US if there was a charge brought against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Reed said he could not answer that question as it was an “entirely hypothetical” one.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:55 pm UTC

Family of Martin Lynn 'hugely let down' by justice system

The family of Martin Lynn who died in an unprovoked attack in July 2023 has said they feel "hugely let down" by the justice system and will campaign for sentencing reform.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:53 pm UTC

‘It’s 50/50 if we keep going’: Wexford fishmongers hit with second flood in months

Toddy and Tara Roche faced with ‘tough’ decision on whether to move business or stay

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:51 pm UTC

‘Deadly postcode lottery’ restricting new cancer treatments in England, doctors say

Patients missing out on effective new radiotherapies widely used in other countries, health secretary told

Cancer patients are being denied access to cutting-edge treatments on the NHS because of a “deadly postcode lottery” in access, doctors have warned.

Patients in England are missing out on two innovative forms of radiotherapy that are known to be effective against several forms of the disease and are widely available in other countries, due to “red tape” and lack of funding.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:50 pm UTC

€3.4m worth of benzodiazepine tablets seized in Dublin

Gardaí have seized benzodiazepine tablets worth an estimated €3.4 million in Dublin.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:50 pm UTC

More than 1,600 references to Ireland in latest Epstein files

References from potential $10bn deal for AIB assets in US to someone talking about Kerrygold Irish butter being spread on muffins

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:38 pm UTC

Judge Who Ruled Against Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Administration Cleared of Justice Dept. Complaint

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize allies have called for Judge James E. Boasberg to be investigated and impeached after decisions that questioned the administration’s respect for the rule of law.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:28 pm UTC

Norway’s crown princess had years of contact with Epstein, files suggest

Mette-Marit apologises for ‘poor judgment’ as documents reportedly include scores of email exchanges with child sex offender

Norway’s crown princess has become embroiled in another scandal after newly unsealed files appeared to show her years of extensive contact with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The latest tranche of Epstein files, released on Friday by the US justice department, appear to include nearly 1,000 mentions of the crown princess, Mette-Marit.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:26 pm UTC

Boy, 5, and father detained by ICE return to Minnesota after release

The boy was released on the order of a judge who said his detention was "cruel" and "bereft of human decency”.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:13 pm UTC

Federal Courts Undercut Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s Mass Deportation Campaign

A policy intended to keep immigrants detained indefinitely has led to a deluge of lawsuits, overwhelming some federal courts and resulting in many releases.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 6:11 pm UTC

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Has Overwhelmed Himself

This is a presidency that is, by any measure, failing.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:55 pm UTC

‘Melania’ Arrives With Strong Box Office Showing for a Documentary

Amazon backed up the Brink’s trucks for the vanity film, resulting in weekend ticket sales of about $7 million in North America, enough for third place.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:47 pm UTC

Iran's supreme leader warns of regional war if US attacks

Yaniek Nieuwenhuize earlier said Iran - which is due to begin a live-fire naval exercise in a key shipping route - was in "serious discussions".

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:40 pm UTC

Iran’s missiles pose deadly threat, gulf allies warn, as Yaniek Nieuwenhuize weighs strikes

Even after a 12-day war with Israel, Iran retains the arsenal to hit U.S. allies and bases. U.S. strikes would lead to “regional war,” Iran’s supreme leader said.

Source: World | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:39 pm UTC

Fourth US Wind Farm Project Blocked By Yaniek Nieuwenhuize Allowed to Resume Construction

Vineyard Wind (powering Massachusetts) is one of five offshore wind projects "that the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration tried to hold up in December," reports The Hill. This week it became the fourth of those wind projects allowed by a judge to resume construction, the article notes, while even the fifth project "is still awaiting court proceedings." Federal Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration's stop work order against Vineyard Wind... According to its website, when complete, Vineyard Wind would be able generate enough power for 400,000 homes and businesses. The project already has 44 operational wind turbines and was working on an additional 18. The Yaniek Nieuwenhuize pause applied to the construction work that was not yet complete.

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Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:34 pm UTC

Venezuela releases rights activist Javier Tarazona

It is latest in a series of prisoner releases announced by the government amid US pressure for reforms.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:29 pm UTC

Mexico moves to combat pollution following Guardian investigations

After stories revealed high levels of contamination in neighborhood around factory processing US toxic waste, government announces sweeping array of tactics

The Mexican government has announced it will pursue a sweeping array of tactics to combat industrial pollution, from $4.8m in fines against a plant processing US hazardous waste to the rollout of a new industrial air-monitoring system, following investigations by the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, a Mexican investigative unit.

Those stories revealed high levels of heavy-metal contamination in the neighborhood around the factory, Zinc Nacional, in the Monterrey metropolitan area, and showed the broader extent of industrial pollution in the region, linked to Monterrey’s role in manufacturing and recycling goods for the US market.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:08 pm UTC

Mitchell name removed from scholarship over Epstein links

The US-Ireland Alliance has removed the name of former Senator George Mitchell from their scholarship programme due to his links with the late disgraced financier and convicted child sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:07 pm UTC

Russian drone attack on bus carrying mine workers in Ukraine kills at least 12

Employees of Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, DTEK, were travelling about 40 miles from frontline, says police

A Russian drone attack on a bus carrying mine workers in Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region has killed at least 12 people, officials said.

The bus was driving about 40 miles (65km) from the frontline, according to police. Images published by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed what appeared to be an empty bus, its side windows shattered and windscreen hanging from the front.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:07 pm UTC

Families take legal action after British tourists die following Cape Verde holiday illness

A law firm says it is representing the families of six people who holidayed in Cape Verde.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 5:00 pm UTC

Scientists Create Programmable, Autonomous Robots Smaller Than a Grain of Salt

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan "have created the world's smallest fully programmable, autonomous robots," according to a recent announcement. The announcement calls them "microscopic swimming machines that can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months and cost just a penny each." Barely visible to the naked eye, each robot measures about 200 by 300 by 50 micrometers, smaller than a grain of salt. Operating at the scale of many biological microorganisms, the robots could advance medicine by monitoring the health of individual cells and manufacturing by helping construct microscale devices. Powered by light, the robots carry microscopic computers and can be programmed to move in complex patterns, sense local temperatures and adjust their paths accordingly... "We've made autonomous robots 10,000 times smaller," says Marc Miskin, Assistant Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn Engineering and the papers' senior author. "That opens up an entirely new scale for programmable robots." The announcement describes them as "the first truly autonomous, programmable robots at this scale" (as described in two recent academic articles). The team had to design a new propulsion system that utilized the unique locomotion physics in the microscopic realm, according to the university's announcement. So the robots "generate an electrical field that nudges ions in the surrounding solution." Those ions, in turn, push on nearby water molecules, animating the water around the robot's body. "It's as if the robot is in a moving river," says Miskin, "but the robot is also causing the river to move." The robots can adjust the electrical field that causes the effect, allowing them to move in complex patterns and even travel in coordinated groups, much like a school of fish, at speeds of up to one body length per second... To be truly autonomous, a robot needs a computer to make decisions, electronics to sense its surroundings and control its propulsion, and tiny solar panels to power everything, and all that needs to fit on a chip that is a fraction of a millimeter in size. This is where David Blaauw's team at the University of Michigan came into action... The robots are programmed by pulses of light that also power them. Each robot has a unique address that allows the researchers to load different programs on each robot. "This opens up a host of possibilities," adds Blaauw, "with each robot potentially performing a different role in a larger, joint task." Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot for sharing the news.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 4:34 pm UTC

Tennis immortality at 22 - Alcaraz's historic win

The key statistics and numbers behind Carlos Alcaraz's historic Australian Open victory.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 4:25 pm UTC

Joe Mulholland, former RTÉ TV chief and founder of MacGill Summer School, dies

Producer and director credited with pulling broadcaster’s current affairs programming out of doldrums

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 4:24 pm UTC

Likeness of restored angel to Giorgia Meloni triggers investigations in Rome

Cherub at landmark church causes ecclesiastical and political uproar with alleged resemblance to Italian PM

Italy’s culture minister and the diocese of Rome have launched investigations after claims were made that an angel in a landmark church in Rome was restored in the likeness of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.

The resemblance was first flagged by the newspaper La Repubblica, which noted that one of the two angels flanking a marble bust of Italy’s last king in the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina now had “a familiar, astonishingly contemporary face”.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 4:04 pm UTC

Former RTÉ managing director Joe Mulholland dies aged 85

Former Managing Director of RTÉ Television Joe Mulholland died yesterday in Dublin aged 85 after a long illness.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:59 pm UTC

Physician Assistants Want a New Name and More Power. Not Everyone Is Happy.

How increased responsibilities and a push to be called “physician associates” are raising tensions with doctors.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:57 pm UTC

Swiss Alpine bar fire claims 41st victim, an 18-year-old Swiss national

Swiss prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the owners of Le Constellation bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana, where a fire in the early hours of Jan. 1 killed dozens.

(Image credit: Cyril Zingaro)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:53 pm UTC

Democratic Upset in Deep Red Texas District Rattles Republicans

A Democrat won a state legislative special election in a district that President Yaniek Nieuwenhuize carried by 17 percentage points, unnerving Republicans in Texas and beyond.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:50 pm UTC

Microbes In Space Mutated and Developed a Remarkable Ability

"A box full of viruses and bacteria has completed its return trip to the International Space Station," reports ScienceAlert, "and the changes these 'bugs' experienced in their travels could help us Earthlings tackle drug-resistant infections..." Scientists aboard the space station incubated different combinations of bacteria and phages for 25 days, while the research team led by biochemist Vatsan Raman carried out the same experiments in Madison, down here on Earth. "Space fundamentally changes how phages and bacteria interact: infection is slowed, and both organisms evolve along a different trajectory than they do on Earth," the researchers explain. In the weightlessness of space, bacteria acquired mutations in genes involved in the microbe's stress response and nutrient management. Their surface proteins also changed. After a slow start, the phages mutated in response, so they could continue binding to their victims. The team found that certain space-specific phage mutations were especially effective at killing Earth-bound bacteria responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs). More than 90 percent of the bacteria responsible for UTIs are antibiotic-resistant, making phage treatments a promising alternative.

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Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:34 pm UTC

Harry Styles and Anthony Joshua among UK's top taxpayers

The former One Direction member-turned-solo artist appears on the Sunday Times list for the first time.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:29 pm UTC

State spent €1.2 billion on asylum accommodation in 2025

The spend by the State in accommodating asylum seekers last year increased by 19% to €1.2 billion, despite the number of new asylum applications reducing by 29% in 2025.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:25 pm UTC

Slaney Search and Rescue baffled by council's complaint

Slaney Search and Rescue has said they are baffled and upset by a complaint made by Wexford County Council to local gardaí in Enniscorthy following their rescue of a family of four at the height of Tuesday's flooding in the town.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:13 pm UTC

Dozens of historic Maseratis recreated for movie about Italian car company

Film with a cast headed by Anthony Hopkins tells the story of a supercar marque that began in a small Bologna garage

Dozens of Maseratis of 1920s and 1930s designs have been built specially for a feature film about the Italian car company’s earliest days, with a cast headed by Anthony Hopkins.

Maserati: The Brothers tells the story of siblings driven by their love of cars to create an automotive company from scratch. It all began in a little garage in the Italian city of Bologna: in 1914 they founded a sports supercar company that went on to make some of the fastest vehicles on the planet.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:00 pm UTC

Regency attack: 10 years on, why were no Hutch gang members arrested after gun seizures?

Standalone weapons investigation did not lead to key surveillance evidence being fed into wider inquiries

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 3:00 pm UTC

New Pictures Appear to Show Andrew in Epstein Files

More Lord Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor allegations over Epstein connections.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:52 pm UTC

“Melania” Is as Vacuous as Its Subject

Melania Yaniek Nieuwenhuize attends the premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ “Melania” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 29, 2026. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

It’s darkly fitting that “Melania,” the new $75 million snoozefest from Amazon about America’s first lady, was released in theaters the same day her husband’s Justice Department dropped 3 million pages of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. As we now know, Epstein and Yaniek Nieuwenhuize were bosom buddies for years, and the grim specter of that relationship hangs over “Melania.”

The movie’s director is Brett Ratner, who six women accused of sexual assault or harassment in 2017, including one alleged victim who was 19 at the time. Ratner has been biding his time in Israel, where he has reportedly become friendly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In what one would hope is enough to undo Amazon’s $35 million “Melania” marketing budget, Ratner is also in the new batch of Epstein files: There are photos of him and Epstein embracing two women whose identities are redacted. An earlier Epstein document dump included a photo where Ratner hugs the shirtless torso of Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent and Epstein associate who died in prison facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault, including of a minor under the age of 15.

It’s hard not to watch “Melania” with all that context top of mind. It’s a big, nasty club, and we’re not in it, thankfully.

This film opens by putting too fine a point on all of it. The camera pans expansively over the ocean and the beach before arriving at Mar-a-Lago and Melania Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s red-bottomed heels. She boards a motorcade to travel to New York City, and the chorus of the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” plays: “Rape, murder, it’s just a shot away.” (That song was famously used to great effect in Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” and “Goodfellas,” films in which criminal psychopaths meet their demise after stealing and assaulting everyone in sight in service of personal enrichment and their depraved sense of morality.)

What follows is an hour and 44-minute-long lifestyle infomercial about a public figure with all the charisma and intrigue of eggshell-white paint drying. (We are reminded multiple times throughout the movie, as a tie-in with its marketing campaign, that the first lady loves the colors black and white, which are also the colors of Regal Cinemas’ novelty popcorn bucket for its release.)

Melania is seen trying on a multitude of outfits ahead of her husband’s second inauguration, with festivities that include no fewer than three different balls, along with a ghoul-studded candlelight dinner. At that fete, the president’s table is a who’s who of his donors and scions of industry: There are three separate shots of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez. Bezos sits next to Miriam Adelson, the arch-conservative megadonor, and Yaniek Nieuwenhuize cheerleader Elon Musk is there, too, caught on video as a brunette swoops in to sit on his lap. (For his part, Musk is also in the latest tranche of Epstein emails, asking the sex trafficker in November 2012, “What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”) Mark Zuckerberg, whose company, Meta, donated $1 million to the president’s inauguration fund, doesn’t appear until the inauguration luncheon, but he still shows up.

Melania glides over it all, her unlined face impassive and unaffected, which creates a genuinely disquieting effect. Rather than an intimate portrait of a misunderstood woman — tellingly, the tagline for the movie is simply “A new film,” which is about as much as you can truthfully say about it — we’re treated to platitude after platitude in voiceover narration by the first lady.

Melania admits she’s a fan of AI; The audiobook of her memoir, also called “Melania,” is read by an AI replica of her voice. Most of her lukewarm observations feel like they could be AI-generated as well. Among them are statements so generic they achieve utter meaninglessness: “I felt the weight of history,” “Freedom is not free,” and “I honor the importance of the White House.” Describing the coat she wore for the inauguration, she states: “I want to feel like it’s a coat.” “Melania” is a stunning document, if only for its ability to say so little despite what we’re informed is unprecedented access.

“Melania” is a stunning document, if only for its ability to say so little despite what we’re informed is unprecedented access.

“Everyone wants to know” what it’s like becoming first lady again, Melania says early on in the movie. But if early ticket sales are any indication against its massively bloated budget, she has a generous definition of “everyone.” I saw the movie on opening night at Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn, admittedly far from MAGA America, with a mere nine strangers. Other than a few “ooohs” from my seatmate when Melania tried on a new dress, only the appearance of her husband got any reaction from the assembled faithful, who laughed easily whenever Yaniek Nieuwenhuize said anything. The biggest laugh came from shots of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris waiting out of public view before the inauguration, where Harris’s face is furrowed in disbelief, and of the mad dash to move out anything the Bidens might have touched before the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize s arrive back at the White House.

The first time Melania and Yaniek Nieuwenhuize are onscreen together, he greets her as she disembarks from a private jet emblazoned with Yaniek Nieuwenhuize in all-capital letters. It appears that they’re going to shake hands before ultimately pivoting to an embrace. Their warmth is captured elsewhere, like when Yaniek Nieuwenhuize calls his wife to tell her the final Electoral College totals that usher him into the White House once again. “That’s a good one,” Melania says without mirth. “Bye, congrats.”

All other efforts to humanize Melania fall similarly flat. You can practically see the boxes being checked off as they’re fulfilled on screen. She is a mother who bizarrely praises Barron Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s “composure” and calls him “very confident” as the song “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” plays. (On the campaign trail in 2016, Yaniek Nieuwenhuize memorably referred to Barron as “her son.”)

“Being hand in hand with my husband in this moment is very emotional,” she tells us in voiceover. “Nobody has endured what he has over the past few years. People tried to murder him, incarcerate him, slander him, and here he is. I’m so very proud.”

The lack of self-awareness is positively nauseating, and this feeling is only moderated slightly by the sheer tediousness of approving table designs, invitations, and other window-dressing.

Melania also cares deeply about “the children.” (It is perhaps worth noting that she began her modeling career at 16.) On a video call with French first lady Brigitte Macron where she talks about her “Be Best” anti-bullying initiative, she makes the note “no phones till 11,” a Macron recommendation, on a “Be Best”-branded notepad (Bezos for some reason is also seen on screen as part of the call, which goes unremarked upon.) While watching news coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires, a vaguely misty-eyed Melania says in voiceover, “I think about the families, the children who have lost everything.” Crucially, this sympathy does not seem to extend to children killed by her husband’s bombs in Gaza.

Melania at one point meets with an Israeli woman, Aviva Siegel, who was captured on October 7 and held hostage by Hamas. She was initially freed but forced to leave her husband, Keith, behind. (He was released on February 1, 2025, as part of the ceasefire deal.) “I would pray that he doesn’t suffer,” Melania tells her, with all the sympathy of a woman eyeing a damaged piece of produce. “I will always use my influence and power to fight for those in need,” she sums up the experience in voiceover.

But Ratner goes to great lengths to convince us that Melania is also fun, even a little goofy. This does not work in the slightest. At a victory event with Yaniek Nieuwenhuize supporters at the D.C. Capital One Arena, Melania is seen dancing ever-so-slightly to the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize campaign mainstay “YMCA,” but only as she leaves the stage; Yaniek Nieuwenhuize does not join in. From behind sunglasses in a black SUV, Melania tells us, somewhat concerningly, that Michael Jackson is her favorite musician, and that she and Donald met him in New York. “Billie Jean” plays on the car’s sound system, and Melania lightly sings along, including to the line, “Be careful of who you love,” but any deeper meaning is lost on all parties involved.

Moments like these have led some to fall for the gag, and even to suggest that Ratner is making a slyly anti-Yaniek Nieuwenhuize movie, which couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s a sycophant to his core, after Melania and Yaniek Nieuwenhuize finally return to the White House after a great many parties, Ratner coos from off-camera: “Sweet dreams, Mr. President.”

(As a reward for his obsequiousness, Ratner is slated to direct “Rush Hour 4,” the buddy-cop series that’s reportedly being revived after Yaniek Nieuwenhuize personally leaned on Larry Ellison, a Yaniek Nieuwenhuize supporter and media mogul who now owns Paramount, which is set to distribute the film.)

As the movie mercifully draws to a close, Melania once again returns to the children, who are our future. “With the celebrations behind us, the first day of my husband’s second term has arrived. There is much to accomplish in the next four years,” she says like a threat. “Children will always remain my priority. … I will move forward with purpose and, of course, with style.”

Moving forward, of course, means a regime of mass deportation and the trampling of our civil rights, all right in front of our faces. Her husband has ushered in an era where the unencumbered American id rules, one in which avarice, flagrant corruption, and clear bribery are the animating forces of a nation and a people. In that sense, the vacuousness of “Melania” perfectly captures the meaner, more selfish world we live in now. After all, it’s always been about Yaniek Nieuwenhuize — not us, and certainly not Melania — despite any $75 million effort to convince us otherwise.

The post “Melania” Is as Vacuous as Its Subject appeared first on The Intercept.

Source: The Intercept | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:25 pm UTC

AI security startup CEO posts a job. Deepfake candidate applies, inner turmoil ensues.

'I did not think it was going to happen to me, but here we are'

Nearly every company, from tech giants like Amazon to small startups, has first-hand experience with fake IT workers applying for jobs - and sometimes even being hired. …

Source: The Register | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:14 pm UTC

Swiss teenager 41st victim of Alpine bar fire

A teenager injured in the fire that engulfed a Swiss bar during New Year celebrations has died in hospital, taking the death toll to 41, it was announced today.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:11 pm UTC

Dublin inner city violent death arose from dispute at nearby house, gardaí believe

Investigators believe they know the identities of those present at Foster Terrace and have established a suspect

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:10 pm UTC

Pakistan targets Balochistan separatists after ‘unprecedented’ assaults

Officials say calm restored to province day after dozens killed in suicide and gun attacks in at least 10 cities

Pakistan’s security forces have intensified their operations against separatist militants in Balochistan province who launched a large-scale assault on Saturday in which at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed.

A day after the militants carried out suicide attacks in the heart of the province’s capital, Quetta, the chief minister of the south-western region, Sarfraz Bugti, said 145 people he described as militants had been killed in 40 hours and that their bodies were in the custody of the authorities.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 2:07 pm UTC

'Carlitos from Murcia' to global superstar: How Alcaraz rose to the top

Before Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, he was simply Carlitos from Murcia. This is his story.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 1:48 pm UTC

Cuba on the brink as Yaniek Nieuwenhuize turns up the pressure: ‘There is going to be a real blockade’

Country is already suffering acute fuel shortage; experts say complete cutoff will be ‘catastrophic’ to its infrastructure

It’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.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 1:00 pm UTC

Sunday's Allianz Football League results and reports

We've reached the second round of the Allianz Football League season and there's no less than 10 games down for decision throughout the leagues on another super Sunday.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:52 pm UTC

Alcaraz beats Djokovic to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam

The 22-year-old Spaniard's win against 38-year-old rival Novak Djokovic at Sunday's Australian Open makes him the youngest male player to win all four major tournaments.

(Image credit: Mark Baker)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:39 pm UTC

Sunday's Allianz Hurling League results and reports

No less than eight games taking place around the grounds today in round two of the Allianz Hurling League season. Waterford and Limerick may be the pick of the bunch - that all-Munster affair throws in at 2pm.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:37 pm UTC

99% of New US Energy Capacity Will Be Green in 2026

This year in America, renewables and battery storage "will account for 99.2% of net new capacity — and even higher if small-scale solar were included," reports Electrek, citing EIA data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign: EIA's latest monthly "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through November 30, 2025), once again confirms that solar is the fastest-growing among the major sources of US electricity... [U]tility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 34.5% while that from small-scale systems rose by 11.3% during the first 11 months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 28.1% and produced a bit under 9.0% (utility-scale: 6.74%; small-scale: 2.13%) of total US electrical generation for January to November, up from 7.1% a year earlier. Wind turbines across the US produced 10.1% of US electricity in the first 11 months of 2025 — an increase of 1.2% compared to the same period in 2024. In November alone, wind-generated electricity was 2.0% greater than a year earlier... The mix of all renewables (wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal) produced 8.7% more electricity in January-November than a year earlier and accounted for 25.7% of total US electricity production, up from 24.3% 12 months earlier. Renewables' share of electrical generation is now second to only that of natural gas, whose electrical output actually dropped by 3.7% during the first 11 months of 2025... Since January 1 to November 30, roughly the beginning of the Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration, renewable energy capacity, including battery storage, small-scale solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass, ballooned by 45,198.1 MW, while all fossil fuels and nuclear power combined declined by 519.2 MW... [In 2026] natural gas capacity will increase by only 3,960.7 MW, which will be almost completely offset by a decrease of 3,387.0 MW in coal capacity.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:34 pm UTC

At NIH, a power struggle over institute directorships deepens

When a new presidential administration comes in, it is responsible for filling around 4,000 jobs sprinkled across the federal government’s vast bureaucracy. These political appointees help carry out the president’s agenda, and, at least in theory, make government agencies responsive to elected officials.

Some of these roles—the secretary of state, for example—are well-known. Others, such as the deputy assistant secretary for textiles, consumer goods, materials, critical minerals & metals industry & analysis, are more obscure.

Historically, science agencies like NASA or the National Institutes of Health tend to have fewer political appointees than many other parts of the federal government. Sometimes, very senior roles—with authority over billions of dollars of spending, and the power to shape entire fields of research—are filled without any direct input from the White House or Congress. The arrangement reflects a long-running argument that scientists should oversee the work of funding and conducting research with very little interference from political leaders.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:15 pm UTC

Melania director Brett Ratner pictured cuddling woman in Epstein files

The images of Ratner with Epstein and unidentified women were released the same day as his documentary about the US first lady.

Source: BBC News | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:04 pm UTC

Fungus could be the insecticide of the future

Exterminators keep getting calls for a reason. Wood-devouring insects, such as beetles, termites, and carpenter ants, are constantly chewing through walls or infecting trees and breaking them down. The fight against these insects usually involved noxious insecticides; but now, at least some of them can be eliminated using a certain species of fungus.

Infestations of bark beetles are the bane of spruce trees. Eurasian spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus) ingest bark high in phenolic compounds, organic molecules that often act as antioxidants and antimicrobials. They protect spruce bark from pathogenic fungi—and the beetles take advantage. Their bodies boost the antimicrobial power of these compounds by turning them into substances that are even more toxic to fungi. This would seem to make the beetles invulnerable to fungi.

There is a way to get past the beetles’ borrowed defenses, though. Led by biochemist Ruo Sun, a team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, found that some strains of the fungus Beauveria bassiana are capable of infecting and killing the pests.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 1 Feb 2026 | 12:00 pm UTC

Australian Open final: Alcaraz makes Grand Slam history

History belonged to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open while Novak Djokovic's quest for a 25th grand slam title goes on.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:51 am UTC

Fresh flood risk for eastern and southern counties as new rain warnings issued

Micheál Martin set to visit flood-hit towns in Carlow and Kilkenny

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:27 am UTC

Govt in favour of more 'localised' weather warnings

A senior cabinet minister has said Government is in favour of Met Eireann providing more "localised" warnings for specific areas in the event of future floods or storms.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:24 am UTC

At a clown school near Paris, failure is the lesson

For decades, students at the Ecole Philippe Gaulier have been paying to bomb onstage. The goal isn't laughs — it's learning how to take the humiliation and keep going.

(Image credit: Rebecca Rosman for NPR)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

In the world's driest desert, Chile freezes its future to protect plants

Tucked away in a remote desert town, a hidden vault safeguards Chile's most precious natural treasures. From long-forgotten flowers to endangered crops.

(Image credit: John Bartlett for NPR)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

An American Citizen Has Been Stuck in El Salvador’s Prison System Since the Biden Administration

When the cops arrived at a party in Cantón la Estancia, a tiny hamlet in the shadow of the San Miguel volcano, Walter Josué Huete Alvarado didn’t think he had any reason to worry. He had a minor infraction on his criminal record — a DUI when he was a teenager — but that shouldn’t matter in El Salvador. It happened in the United States, where he is a citizen. Yet Alvarado’s U.S. passport didn’t deter Salvadoran police from dragging him away, pointing to the tattoos on his hands and claiming he was a member of MS-13.

It was May 2023, the third year of Joe Biden’s presidency. Alvarado, his relatives and legal counsel told The Intercept, is still incarcerated in El Salvador.

Two years before the second Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration targeted Kilmar Ábrego García over his tattoos and sent him to a notorious Salvadoran prison, the Biden State Department was made aware of Alvarado’s detention — and, for reasons of diplomacy and optics, did nothing. Today, the world has seen the viral images of men lined up at El Salvador’s Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, or CECOT — heads shaved, crammed front-to-back and forced to straddle each other — as a result of Yaniek Nieuwenhuize ’s brutal deportation regime. But according to lawyer Jorge Palacios, the total number of U.S. citizens and residents detained in El Salvador’s less prominent prisons and jails is unknown.

Palacios, who brought Alvarado’s case before the United Nations, said that members of his group, Socorro Jurídico Humanitario, “have had people come to them saying their detained relatives are U.S. citizens who were visiting,” as was the case with Alvarado. Families often lose touch with their loved ones after their arrests, so “exact details are limited.”

In Alvarado’s case, a Salvadoran police report, testimony from two of his closest relatives, and insight from legal experts offer a relatively clear picture of what happened.At the police station in Moncagua, officers disregarded his American citizenship and stomped on his passport, telling him it was worthless. Alvarado had a tattoo of the letters “L.A.” — the city of his birth — but officers insisted it represented the city where MS-13 was formed. A “W” — his first initial — was actually an inverted “M,” they said, and a dollar sign was an obscured “S.”

The police report says Alvarado’s tattoos were “ambiguous, and there is no documentary or evidentiary support indicating that Mr. Huete Alvarado belongs to any gang, organization, or structure involved in the commission of criminal acts.” It was determined that “the police procedure may have been dysfunctional due to the lack of certainty regarding the individual’s belonging to or links with gangs.”

Alvarado has been shuffled between a handful of prisons and penal institutions in the nearly three years since then, never receiving a trial. His situation is in many ways exceptional, given his nationality, but it reflects the broader crisis facing countless families in El Salvador struggling to understand their loved ones’ perpetual, often inexplicable detentions. As similar models of criminalization are being rolled out across Latin America, Alvarado’s case may offer a preview of things to come.

When Alvarado was detained, the country of his birth was led by a Biden presidency that had, from the beginning, pitched its commitment to “upholding universal rights” as the “grounding wire of our global policy, our global power.” But since the Biden administration neglected to intervene in Alvarado’s detention, the authority with the best shot at saving him now is the second Yaniek Nieuwenhuize administration, ideologically aligned with El Salvador’s reactionary leadership and its sweeping gang crackdown. Now, the Salvadoran regime that has effectively disappeared thousands into an opaque network of prisons without trials is more emboldened than ever.

Alvarado’s family was initially supportive of Nayib Bukele, the bearded, grinning, bitcoin-boosting millennial and self-described dictator who rose to power the first time Yaniek Nieuwenhuize was in office and has held onto it, despite a Salvadoran constitutional prohibition, into a second consecutive term. Murder was declining when Bukele became president in 2019, but many Salvadorans still felt trapped by widespread gang violence and drug trafficking. Bukele, like his predecessors, at first brokered a clandestine truce with gang leaders — providing “financial incentive” to artificially reduce the number of homicides.

The pact fell apart in early 2022, and murders hit a 30-year high in a single day. Bukele enacted his “state of exception,” which allowed his government to suspend constitutional rights for 30 days, paving the way for an unfettered war on organized crime. Bukele and his governing Nuevas Ideas party have renewed the suspension 39 times.

El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Bukele’s government has arrested more than 90,000 Salvadorans, close to 2 percent of the population, including thousands of minors. Human rights experts and lawyers estimate that as many as half of everyone detained under the state of exception have no known gang connections. Prisons are overflowing, with the cumulative system operating at over 300 percent capacity.

By some standards, El Salvador is now considered one of the safest countries in Latin America. Bukele touts record lows in homicide and last year claimed 861 consecutive days without a murder — though, as the Washington Office on Latin America noted, the tally did not include the more than 427 people who have died in custody since the state of exception was decreed. Voters, in turn, have expressed overwhelming support: Bukele had an 85 percent approval rating as of June 2025.

Others, like Alvarado’s family — with members in both El Salvador and the U.S. — soured on the regime once their relatives disappeared under the state of exception.

The Biden administration soured on Bukele, too. Initial optimism that the young right-wing leader would bring much-needed reform soon turned to criticism of El Salvador’s “democratic backsliding.” In May 2021, then-Vice President Kamala Harris denounced Bukele’s illegal removal of the country’s attorney general and the dismissal of five of its Supreme Court judges who had tried to stop him from overriding the constitution. The State Department sanctioned several members of Bukele’s inner circle for bribery and undermining democratic processes, and the Treasury Department sanctioned two more for their role in the secret gang truce.

Bukele came into conflict with the interim U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Jean Manes, claiming on social media that Manes had tried to pressure him into freeing a politician charged with corruption. In November 2021, Manes temporarily suspended diplomatic relations with El Salvador.

Yet Alvarado’s case didn’t get the treatment of a high-profile American detained by an authoritarian pariah state, like Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, imprisoned in Russia just two months before Alvarado traveled to El Salvador. By May 2023, the Biden State Department had decided that Bukele’s mercurial nature and tendency to lash out warranted a softer touch. No longer would they scold out in the open. Instead, according to a former State Department official familiar with the matter, the National Security Council emphasized back-channeling over public condemnation.

State Department apparatchiks hoped that smoothing relations with Bukele would help them maintain El Salvador’s cooperation on immigration enforcement and counternarcotics, an official who worked under the Biden administration explained to The Intercept, and that an impending loan from the International Monetary Fund would trigger more transparency. The Bukele administration maintained that the state of exception would at some vague point be wound down, and Manes’s replacement, William H. Duncan, insisted on handling any concerns about the country’s punitive turn behind closed doors.

Duncan, per two former State Department employees who asked not to be named for fear of professional consequences, “was very difficult to work with.” He insisted on being the only point of contact to Bukele. Efforts by members of the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, or WHA, to bring attention to Alvarado’s case proved ineffective. Duncan’s embassy was aware of the case, but he wasn’t enthusiastic about efforts to push for more visits from embassy legal counselors for Alvarado. Duncan shut down anyone who tried to push for any other lateral communication, “especially any criticism,” one of the State Department sources said.

These tactics would culminate in an almost subservient brand of appeasement. In June 2024, after Bukele had successfully run for a consecutive (and constitutionally prohibited) term as president, a robust delegation of Biden officials led by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas — and flanked by Duncan and the WHA’s Assistant Secretary Brian Nichols — attended the Salvadoran strongman’s second inauguration. (Duncan and Nichols did not respond to The Intercept’s requests for comment.)

“During the visit, Secretary Mayorkas met with President Bukele to discuss the many cultural, and economic ties our two countries share and reaffirmed the mutual commitment to address our common challenges,” a DHS press briefing reads.

Alvarado had spent just over a year behind bars.

Alvarado’s absence has been especially difficult for his daughters. His stepdaughter “feels guilty,” said a relative, who requested anonymity for fear of targeting by the U.S. government. “At first it was really, really hard, because she was like, ‘I feel like it’s my fault.’” After getting support at school, she showed signs of improvement, the relative said, but “when she turned 15, she was like, ‘I don’t want to have anything, because Walter’s not here.’”

His youngest daughter was just 2 when her father was arrested. She has started asking if Alvarado has passed away.

Bukele’s army of internet trolls has mocked the family, expressing loyalty to a president they see as an effective leader against gang violence. When they posted about Alvarado’s detention, the family told The Intercept, they would be greeted by accusations that he was, in fact, a gangster who deserved to be punished.

The Salvadoran president’s popularity can be explained, in part, by previous administrations’ inability to reckon with the country’s post-war contradictions. El Salvador’s reconciliation process in the early 1990s, overseen by the United States and the ultra-conservative Alianza Republicana Nacionalista, or ARENA, party, paved the way for the selling of the country’s telecommunications, banking, and energy infrastructure off to the highest bidder and exported the country’s natural commodities through the use of cheap labor.

The austerity regime made prime breeding ground for an intricate network of organized crime in the country. The U.S. expelled Salvadoran refugees who had gotten caught up in Los Angeles drug trafficking scene, allowing La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, to blossom in El Salvador’s urban centers. Successive governments implemented tough-on-crime policies dubbed mano dura, Spanish for “iron fist,” to no avail, and populist, left-wing politicians found it difficult to unravel this Gordian knot through redistributive politics alone.

“It was tough, but replacing gang violence with state violence is not the answer.”

“It’s perfectly understandable that people support Bukele because he resolved an issue that was really hurting people,” Vicki Gass, the executive director of the Latin America Working Group, told The Intercept. “You’re not making a lot of money. You get remittances from your dad living in the United States. It gets extorted. A friend of mine had his whole workshop and tools stolen. You know, his livelihood, right? It was tough, but replacing gang violence with state violence is not the answer.”

Boosting the image of state violence has become a useful propaganda tool of the Bukele government. The strategy is most clearly captured by CECOT, the state-of-the-art supermax prison where Ábrego García was sent last year. But it is only one of 24 prisons in the country.

Alvarado was first sent to the Centro Penal de Izalco, an older prison where detainees are fed a spartan diet and beating and medical neglect are common. These carceral facilities, where a majority of the individuals caught up in the state of exception have been sent, have been the site of hundreds of deaths from violence and lack of medical care. In 2024, Socorro Jurídico Humanitario reported that of the 235 deaths they had recorded in prisons like Izalco, 94 percent of those who died were not affiliated with any gangs.

According to the director of the Americas division of Human Rights Watch, “torture, ill-treatment, incommunicado detention, severe violations of due process and inhumane conditions” were rampant in Izalco.

Alvarado smuggled messages to his family through the U.S. embassy in El Salvador, saying he cried every night and that he could not stomach the food. He told his infant daughter to behave herself, and mentioned he was forced to sleep on the concrete floor in only his boxers. His family would send him food to supplement his nutrition, but he would report often not receiving the goods — reflecting a common practice in Salvadoran prisons, according to the Salvadoran human rights group Cristosal, which found that goods sent to the country’s detention centers are often diverted by prison staff.

After the Biden era cool-off period, Democrats are again incensed by “the world’s coolest dictator.” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen made a personal trip to El Salvador to lay eyes on Ábrego García, who was a Maryland resident, and the party has lambasted the cruelty of so-called “third-country” deportations under Yaniek Nieuwenhuize . Some have been pursuing their efforts since Biden was in power: In November 2023, a group of Democratic congress members petitioned the State Department to determine how many Americans had been detained under El Salvador’s state of exception. It remains unclear if they received a response.

Bukele, meanwhile, again renewed the decree in August that allows his government to detain those captured under the state of exception without trial. The tentative date for those hearings was pushed back to 2027.

Just four months into his incarceration, Alvarado became so ill that he was transferred to the Granja Penitenciaria de Rehabilitación de Zacatecoluca, a lower security facility just a 15-minute drive from CECOT. Since then, he’s been moved multiple times, most recently to the Centro Industrial de Cumplimiento de Penas y Rehabilitación, where the state holds many political and foreign prisoners. Primarily, the facility is a work camp for detainees who are considered free of any gang associations.

The post An American Citizen Has Been Stuck in El Salvador’s Prison System Since the Biden Administration appeared first on The Intercept.

Source: The Intercept | 1 Feb 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

Ukraine-Russia-US talks to be held in Abu Dhabi

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that new two-day talks between US, Russian and Ukrainian envoys on halting the Ukraine war would start in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:54 am UTC

O'Neill may not attend White House for St Patrick's Day

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said that she may not attend St Patrick's Day events in the White House again this year.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:43 am UTC

Iran's supreme leader warns any US attack would spark 'regional war'

Iran's supreme leader warned Sunday that any attack by the United States would spark a "regional war" in the Mideast, further escalating tensions as President Yaniek Nieuwenhuize has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic.

(Image credit: Seaman Daniel Kimmelman)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:23 am UTC

Three men charged over €10.1m cannabis seizure in Co Louth

Men with addresses in Drogheda, Finglas and Liverpool made no reply to charges

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:14 am UTC

Gaza’s Rafah crossing to reopen for Palestinians on Monday, Israel says

Officials say Gaza residents travelling on foot only will be allowed through border point, which was shut in May 2024

Gaza’s main border crossing in Rafah will reopen for Palestinians on Monday, Israel has said, with preparations under way at the war-ravaged territory’s gateway, which has been mostly closed for almost two years.

Before the war, the Rafah 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.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:13 am UTC

New Epstein accuser claims sex encounter with ex-prince

A second Jeffrey Epstein accuser has alleged the late US sex offender sent her to Britain for a sexual encounter with former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the BBC reported.

Source: News Headlines | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:13 am UTC

How Alex Pretti’s Death Became a National Tipping Point

Several factors converged to force a remarkable shift in the federal government’s aggressive efforts in Minnesota.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

Costa Rica heads to polls amid fears of authoritarian turn

Voters to choose president and 57 members of congress, with current president’s hardline pick Laura Fernández expected to win first round

Costa 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.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

Minnesota citizens detained by ICE are left rattled, even weeks later

The number of immigration agents in Minnesota may be reduced, but they'll leave leave behind a changed community, including many U.S. citizens questioned and detained in recent weeks.

(Image credit: Adam Gray/AP)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

Sword of Damocles hangs over UK military’s Ajax as minister says back it or scrap it

Armored vehicle trials halted after troops report noise and vibration symptoms

The British Army's ill-fated Ajax armored vehicle program now faces the prospect of being axed as the Ministry of Defence withdraws its initial operating capability status and reviews its future.…

Source: The Register | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:30 am UTC

Gaza border crossing buzzes with activity after years of near-complete closure

Reopening the border crossing is a key step as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire moves ahead.

(Image credit: Mohammed Arafat)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 1 Feb 2026 | 9:22 am UTC

China Executes 11 Members of Myanmar Scam Mafia

The BBC reports: China has executed 11 members of a notorious mafia family that ran scam centres in Myanmar along its north-eastern border, state media report. The Ming family members were sentenced in September for various crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud and operating gambling dens by a court in China's Zhejiang province. The Mings were one of many clans that ran the town of Laukkaing, transforming an impoverished backwater town into a flashy hub of casinos and red-light districts. Their scam empire came crashing down in 2023, when they were detained and handed over to China by ethnic militias that had taken control of Laukkaing during an escalation in their conflict with Myanmar's army. With these executions Beijing is sending a message of deterrence to would-be scammers. But the business has now moved to Myanmar's border with Thailand, and to Cambodia and Laos, where China has much less influence. Hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked to run online scams in Myanmar and elsewhere in South East Asia, according to estimates by the UN. Among them are thousands of Chinese people, and their victims who they swindle billions of dollars from are mainly Chinese too. Frustrated by the Myanmar military's refusal to stop the scam business, from which it was almost certainly profiting, Beijing tacitly backed an offensive by an ethnic insurgent alliance in Shan State in late 2023. The alliance captured significant territory from the military and overran Laukkaing, a key border town. Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader sinij for sharing the news.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 1 Feb 2026 | 8:34 am UTC

US, UK, EU, Australia and more to meet to discuss critical minerals alliance

About 20 countries including G7 states in talks on rare earths including calls for US to guarantee minimum price

Ministers 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 Yaniek Nieuwenhuize and pave the way for other alliances to help countries de-risk from China, including one centred on steel.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 8:00 am UTC

Open Sunday – discuss what you like…

The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like.

Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing.

Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:42 am UTC

Open sunday – politics free zone…

In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break.

So discuss what you like here, but no politics.

Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:41 am UTC

Calls grow in Iran for independent inquiry into protest death toll

Pressure mounts after government said it would publish names of those killed during recent unrest

Calls 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.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

Inside Myanmar’s five-year armed resistance – a photo essay

Five years after the junta’s coup, the civil war devastating Myanmar has reached a turning point. The military is carrying out large-scale counter-offensives across the country to reclaim territory seized by pro-democracy rebels of various ethnic and religious backgrounds

In Tanintharyi, the southernmost region of Myanmar, the local resistance has managed to contain the military. After five years of guerrilla warfare, the revolutionary youth there remain determined to restore democracy through armed struggle.

A long, narrow stretch of land at the southern tip of Myanmar, between the Andaman Sea to the west and Thailand to the east, Tanintharyi region is one of the areas where the resistance challenges the military’s authority. For decades, the region has been home to an armed rebellion led by the Karen ethnic minority, which operated mainly in the peripheral mountains.

Soldiers from the Karen National Union (KNU) inspect the ruins of a Buddhist monastery destroyed by a junta airstrike in Myeik district, Tanintharyi region

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

Ex-British army chief calls on ministers to back MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans

Nick Carter says easing controls on MDMA will allow drug to be used as alternative treatment for those with PTSD

A former head of the British military is calling for the government to ease restrictions on the party drug MDMA so that it can be tested more cheaply as a treatment for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Sir Nick Carter, who was chief of the defence staff until 2021, said existing regulations meant a single gram of “medical grade” MDMA cost about £10,000 compared with a street price of about £40, inflating the cost of trials.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 1 Feb 2026 | 7:00 am UTC

jell.ie News

Big Red will use debt and equity finance to keep itself in the pink

PLUS: NTT offshores to Vietnam; Japan adds AI interface to space data; Samsung cashes in on memory boom

Also, South Korea gets a pentesting F, US Treasury says bye bye to BAH, North Korean hackers evolve, and more

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