Queen’s University Belfast has removed the name of former US senator George J. Mitchell from its Institute of Global Peace, Security and Justice and taken down his bust and portrait after newly released US documents linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged this week. The Justice Department files include multiple references to Mitchell and email records showing attempts by Epstein’s team to arrange meetings between 2010 and 2013, including a calendar entry for a November 6, 2013 appointment; it is not clear whether that meeting took place. Mitchell’s office says he “declined or deflected” invitations after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and denies any contact with accuser Virginia Giuffre or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. The US‑Ireland Alliance has also removed Mitchell’s name from its scholarship programme. Local bodies including Cork City Council have so far declined to say whether civic honours will be revoked. Queen’s said there have been no findings of wrongdoing against Mitchell but judged it inappropriate for institutional spaces to continue to bear his name, citing duty of care to survivors and the university’s reputation.

As China prepares to mark the Year of the Horse on Feb. 17, 2026, Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy has unexpectedly become a Lunar New Year emblem across the country. The craze stems from the Mandarin transliteration of his surname, 马尔福 (Mǎ ěr fú), whose characters include 马 (horse) and 福 (fortune), lending auspicious connotations for the Year of the Horse. Images and videos on platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu show households and shopping malls displaying red couplets, fu squares and large banners bearing Malfoy’s face; merchants on Taobao are selling themed posters and stickers, sometimes priced as low as 11 yuan. Clips explaining the trend have attracted hundreds of thousands to millions of views. Actor Tom Felton, who played Draco and recently returned to the role on Broadway, reshared posts noting the phenomenon. The surge underscores Harry Potter’s deep popularity in China—estimated at hundreds of millions of book sales—and comes as Warner Bros and partners plan a large “Making of” Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai expected to open in 2027.

Sony reported stronger-than-expected October–December results on Feb. 5, 2026, lifting full-year guidance even as PlayStation 5 hardware sales weaken. Group operating profit for the quarter rose to 515 billion yen, up about 22% year-on-year, on revenue of roughly 3.71 trillion yen. Sony raised its full-year operating profit forecast to 1.54 trillion yen and its revenue projection to 12.3 trillion yen, and expanded a share buyback to 150 billion yen. The gaming division generated about 1.613 trillion yen in revenue, with operating profit of 140.8 billion yen. Hardware revenue fell sharply (down ~23% to 450.4 billion yen) as PS5 shipments eased to 8 million units in the quarter and lifetime shipments reached 92.2 million. Monthly active users on PlayStation Network hit a record 132 million. Management and analysts warned that a global memory-chip supply crunch — driven by soaring AI demand for HBM/DRAM — is raising component costs and squeezing margins across consoles and consumer electronics, and could delay future console launches.

On February 5, 2016, two gunmen disguised as members of Ireland’s emergency police stormed a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in north Dublin, firing AK-47-style weapons. David Byrne, a Kinahan organised-crime associate, was fatally shot; alleged target Daniel Kinahan escaped. The attack ignited the bloody Kinahan–Hutch feud that followed, with around 18 people killed in linked reprisals and mistaken-identity shootings. Police and court action has led to dozens of prosecutions and lengthy sentences for associates, but no one has been convicted specifically for Byrne’s murder. Gerry “The Monk” Hutch was acquitted in 2023, charges against Patrick Hutch collapsed, and a pictured suspect, Kevin Murray, died before trial. An Garda Síochána’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau says its investigations remain active; Det Chief Supt Séamus Boland has rejected claims the inquiry was a policing failure and appealed for new information. Separate reporting has questioned why intelligence from a Special Detective Unit firearms probe—three Regency weapons were later seized in Slane—was not more widely shared with criminal investigators at the time.

Cristiano Ronaldo has escalated a dispute with Saudi Pro League side Al‑Nassr after making himself unavailable for the club’s 1-0 win at Al Riyadh and signalling he could boycott a second consecutive match. The 40‑year‑old Portugal captain, who trained this week and posted images on social media, is reported to be angry at what he sees as preferential transfer backing for rivals — notably Al‑Hilal’s deadline acquisition of Karim Benzema — and at how the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) allocates resources across its portfolio of clubs. Reports say Ronaldo has tied any return to assurances over Al‑Nassr’s governance and protections against mid‑season intervention in recruitment; if unsatisfied he could seek a move in the summer, with a reported release clause of about €50m in his contract that runs beyond this season. Al‑Nassr imposed a media blackout after the match and cancelled the manager’s press conference. The row has injected uncertainty into a tight title race, left questions over PIF’s multi‑club model, and fuelled widespread speculation about potential destinations including MLS, Sporting Lisbon and a possible European return.

Algerian Olympic champion Imane Khelif said in February 2026 she would submit to sex or genetic testing if required by the International Olympic Committee to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Khelif, 26, who won women’s welterweight gold at Paris 2024 amid a high-profile gender eligibility dispute, has faced repeated scrutiny: she and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified by the International Boxing Association at the 2023 World Championships over sex-chromosome tests, though the IOC cleared both to compete in Paris. Since then World Boxing, granted provisional IOC recognition in February 2025, introduced mandatory chromosome testing and Khelif was prevented from a 2025 tournament for not taking the test. In a L’Equipe interview published in early February 2026 she said she had taken hormone treatments before Paris to lower testosterone, confirmed she carries the SRY gene, and insisted she is not transgender. Khelif has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against World Boxing’s testing rule; a ruling is pending. She has said she would accept testing administered by the IOC and appealed for privacy and fairness as eligibility rules evolve ahead of LA 2028.

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party has moved the Supreme Court of India seeking cancellation of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 results and fresh polls, alleging large-scale electoral malpractice. The petition, filed under Article 32, contends that the Bihar government breached the Model Code of Conduct by transferring Rs 10,000 each to women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after the poll schedule was announced. The party says 25-35 lakh women received the payments and has asked the court to take action under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. The plea also challenges deployment of about 1.8 lakh women from Jeevika self-help groups at polling booths. Jan Suraaj, which failed to win any seats, wants the Election Commission to declare the results null and void and to impose stricter rules — including a suggested minimum six-month buffer before elections for new welfare rollouts. The BJP-led NDA won 202 of 243 seats while the INDIA bloc secured 35. The case is slated for hearing this week before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

The Box, a high‑end Soho cabaret and sexual entertainment venue frequented by celebrities including Prince Harry, Rihanna and Kate Moss, is facing suspension or removal of its licence after police and Westminster Council said it breached licence conditions and posed a “risk to the public.” Metropolitan Police are investigating an allegation of a “serious sexual assault” of a male customer at the club on Walker’s Court on January 22; the venue is accused of not immediately reporting the incident as required by its premises licence. No arrests have been made. On February 3 the council imposed additional licence conditions and the police applied to suspend the licence ahead of a full licensing review hearing set for February 25. Documents reviewed by the council cite multiple breaches relating to records, code of conduct and safeguarding. If councillors strip the venue of its SEV (sexual entertainment venue) licence it would be unable to host explicit performances or serve alcohol, effectively preventing it operating as a burlesque club. The Box, which has a sister venue in New York, has been contacted for comment; the investigation and review are ongoing.

British actor Emily Atack has been unveiled as the face of Agent Provocateur’s SS26 “The Duchess” campaign and, according to multiple reports this week (Feb 3–5, 2026), travelled to Cape Town to film a separate, top‑secret Marks & Spencer advert. The Agent Provocateur shoot — shot at Camfield Place, Hertfordshire — channels late‑1980s, Rivals‑inspired aristocratic glamour with bondage‑tinged pieces, PVC accents and equestrian motifs; Atack said she felt “truly empowered” by the project. Tabloid and lifestyle outlets also report Atack flew to South Africa to appear alongside Vernon Kay and Ian Wright in an M&S Rewards credit card spot, with an alleged fee of about £100,000. Social media reaction to the lingerie imagery has been mixed: praise for the creative direction and Atack’s confidence sits alongside speculation that recent slimming is linked to weight‑loss injections, a topic her followers have debated online. The coverage references Atack’s profile from the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals and notes her recent personal milestones, including becoming a mother in June 2024.

France's navy carried out multiple high-profile drug interceptions in early February 2026, seizing shipments bound for international markets. On Feb. 5 French authorities said a patrol in the Caribbean intercepted a vessel carrying about 678 kilograms of cocaine and handed it to Barbadian authorities. Separately, French naval forces operating in the South Pacific, near French Polynesia, seized 4.25 tonnes of cocaine from a ship believed to be travelling from Central America toward South Africa; the cargo was destroyed at sea and the vessel and crew released under international law. Officials noted prosecutors declined to press charges in the Polynesia case to avoid burdening local courts, and that a separate near-5-tonne seizure near French Polynesia occurred in January. French ministers have highlighted a stepped-up approach to tackling trafficking from Latin America through Caribbean and Pacific maritime routes as cocaine use and gang-related crime rise in France and the wider region.

A Polish national convicted of abusing 21 babies at two London nurseries is due to be deported to Poland on Feb. 5, 2026, less than a year after her conviction. Roksana Lecka was jailed for eight years in September after a Kingston Crown Court trial found she had repeatedly pinched, slapped, punched and kicked infants aged about 10 months to two years while working at Twickenham Green/Riverside nurseries between January and June 2024. Families of victims and local MPs were given under a week’s notice of the removal and have expressed alarm that, under the UK’s early removal scheme for foreign offenders, she may not serve the remainder of her sentence in the UK and could be released once in Poland. The Home Office has defended reforms intended to speed deportations of foreign national offenders; ministers say policing and prisons capacity were factors. Police are understood to be contacting Polish authorities to share details of Lecka’s offending. Victims’ ministers have said officials are meeting to discuss the case and will provide updates to MPs and families.

A Ugandan magistrate discontinued the prosecution of the first person charged under the country’s 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, lawyers said in reports on Feb. 3, 2026. The then-20-year-old man from Soroti was detained in August 2023 and accused of "aggravated homosexuality," an offence under the law that can carry the death penalty in cases deemed "aggravated." Prosecutors later amended the indictment to charge "carnal knowledge against the order of nature," an offence under the penal code punishable by life imprisonment. The magistrate reportedly halted proceedings after finding the accused to be of unsound mind following a prolonged period on remand; a written judgment was pending. The 2023 law, widely condemned by international rights groups and Western governments, prescribes life terms for same-sex intercourse and capital punishment for specified aggravating circumstances. Its passage prompted punitive international responses, including suspension of some World Bank funding and U.S. visa restrictions on certain officials. Uganda’s judiciary had not immediately commented on the case.

An attack on Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital Niamey on the night of Jan. 29-30, 2026 wounded several soldiers, damaged aircraft and caused fires at an air base, Niger’s authorities said. State television reported four security personnel injured; the defence ministry said security forces killed 20 attackers and detained 11. The Islamic State group’s Amaq news agency claimed responsibility in a statement published on Jan. 30, according to monitoring group SITE. Niger’s junta accused the presidents of France, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire of sponsoring the assailants, allegations denied by those states. Authorities said attackers arrived on motorcycles and may have targeted military drones and a shipment of uranium oxide concentrate stored at the airport; officials said the uranium was not affected. Niger praised Russian help in repelling the assault and has been deepening security ties with Moscow since its 2023 coup, while expelling many Western forces. The assault underlines persistent jihadist capability in the Sahel and comes amid heightened tensions between Niger’s junta and former partners.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby met in Paris at the end of January 2026 and agreed to open a new chapter in bilateral ties after more than a year of tension following N'Djamena's abrupt termination of a long‑standing defence agreement in November 2024. The talks, preceded by a verbal invitation delivered in N'Djamena by France's ambassador, produced a joint commitment to a “revitalised partnership” focused on economic cooperation — notably in energy, digital technology and agriculture — and framed by “mutual respect” rather than a security‑first agenda. No new security pact was announced; France completed the withdrawal of its last troops from Chad on 31 January 2025. The rapprochement comes amid Chad's moves to diversify partners, including a recent memorandum with Belarus, and as Paris seeks to recalibrate its Sahel policy after force reductions across the region. Both leaders signalled continued dialogue to implement agreed orientations, while also addressing regional crises such as the conflict in Sudan.

U.S. television anchor Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have publicly appealed for the safe return of their 84‑year‑old mother, Nancy Guthrie, who is believed to have been abducted from her home near Tucson, Arizona. Authorities say Nancy Guthrie was last seen late on Jan. 31 after being dropped at her Catalina Foothills house and was reported missing on Feb. 1. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has described the residence as a crime scene, citing signs of forced entry, a small amount of blood and other evidence now under forensic and DNA examination. Investigators — including the Pima County homicide team and federal partners — say there are no suspects or confirmed leads and have urged the public to come forward. Multiple media outlets reported receiving purported ransom notes, including an alleged bitcoin demand, but the sheriff has said a ransom motive is not established. Savannah Guthrie posted a video asking kidnappers to prove her mother is alive and said the family is ready to talk; the anchor has stepped back from scheduled work, including planned Olympic coverage. Law enforcement continues to canvass the area and process tips.

A Malaysian High Court in Alor Setar on Feb. 3 acquitted 34-year-old French national Tom Félix of eight drug-related charges, ending nearly two and a half years of detention. Judge Evawani Farisyta Mohammad found prosecutors had not proven Félix had control, custody or possession of cannabis seized from a shared area of a home where he lived with a Malaysian business partner. Authorities had alleged 1.86 kilograms of cannabis were found in the property and 11.7 grams on Félix. If convicted, he faced the death penalty or a cumulative sentence of up to 104 years, 54 strokes of the cane and a €27,000 fine. Félix, a former Veolia executive, appeared thin in court; his parents embraced after the verdict. French officials, including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, welcomed the decision and Félix was at the local immigration office expected to be handed his passport for return to France. The ruling highlights the heavy penalties in Malaysia’s drug laws, though death sentences are no longer mandatory and no executions have been carried out since 2018.

NATO has begun military planning for a new Arctic operation named “Arctic Sentry” while Canada and France moved to open full diplomatic missions in Nuuk, Greenland, in response to recent U.S. pressure over the island. On Feb. 3, a spokesman for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe said planning was under way for an enhanced vigilance activity after U.S. President Donald Trump’s public remarks about acquiring or increasing U.S. control of Greenland raised alarm among European allies and Greenlandic leaders. The move follows Denmark-led exercises in the region and reports that U.S. General Alexus G. Grynkewich ordered concrete plans. On Feb. 4 Canada’s Governor-General Mary Simon attended the opening of a Canadian consulate in Nuuk and French officials signalled a consulate opening, signalling political support for Greenland and Denmark’s sovereignty. Greenland and Danish officials have insisted sovereignty is not for negotiation even as diplomatic talks with Washington continue and NATO considers how to bolster Arctic security.

Former CNN anchor and independent journalist Don Lemon says federal agents arrested him in Los Angeles after he offered to turn himself in on federal civil‑rights charges tied to his coverage of a Jan. 18 anti‑ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon told Jimmy Kimmel and other interviewers that roughly a dozen agents “jostled” and handcuffed him in a hotel, produced a warrant later on a phone and held him overnight; he was released on his own recognizance after a Los Angeles hearing and has pleaded not guilty. A grand jury in Minnesota indicted Lemon and several others, including independent reporter Georgia Fort, on counts that include conspiracy to deprive religious worshippers of their rights and violations of the FACE Act. The case has drawn broad media attention and political reaction: supporters and press‑freedom groups warned of a chilling effect on journalism, while Trump administration allies defended the prosecutions and commentators such as Senator JD Vance called the DOJ’s case “rock solid.” Lemon has continued public appearances, saying he was acting as a journalist and warning the arrests threaten the First Amendment; his next court date is set for Feb. 9 in Minnesota.

The US Central Intelligence Agency announced on Feb. 4–5, 2026 that it will cease publishing the CIA World Factbook, the agency said in a brief website statement that gave no reason for the decision. The Factbook, first issued in the 1960s as a classified reference and made publicly available in unclassified form from the 1970s and online in the 1990s, compiled basic statistics on countries’ populations, economies, militaries, resources and societies. Widely used by journalists, academics, students and other federal agencies, the resource drew millions of annual visits and included thousands of public-domain photographs. The move follows Director John Ratcliffe’s pledge to end programs that do not advance the agency’s core missions and comes amid broader US intelligence staffing reductions and buyout offers tied to the current administration’s priorities. The CIA’s statement said the Factbook had “sunset” and encouraged readers to remain curious about the world, but did not indicate whether the data will be archived, transferred to other agencies, or maintained elsewhere.

Cyprus authorities and the British Sovereign Base Areas police confirmed that a body discovered on Avdimou beach in southern Cyprus in mid‑January has been identified as Vladislav Baumgertner, the 53‑year‑old former chief executive of Russian potash producer Uralkali. Baumgertner was reported missing from his Limassol home on Jan. 7; his remains were recovered on Jan. 15 and DNA testing confirmed his identity this week. The location where the body was found lies within one of the two British military base areas on the island, which have their own police and courts. The Criminal Investigation Department of the bases is leading an inquiry into the circumstances and cause of death and has notified the family. Baumgertner had lived in Cyprus for several years; he was briefly detained in Belarus in 2013 after a dispute between Uralkali and Belarusian Potash Co. that followed Uralkali’s withdrawal from a major export joint venture and led to a probe in Russia at the time.

France this week moved to phase out US videoconferencing services in its public administration, ordering 2.5 million civil servants to replace Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex and GoTo Meeting with a homegrown platform called Visio by 2027. The decision is the most concrete instance of a broader European push — prompted in part by increasingly confrontational rhetoric from US President Donald Trump and earlier US sanctions affecting international bodies — to reduce dependence on non‑European cloud, software and platform providers. EU officials say the bloc relies on foreign suppliers for more than 80% of digital products and services and plan a package on “tech sovereignty” covering cloud, AI and semiconductors in March. Other signposts include Germany’s Schleswig‑Holstein migrating away from Microsoft to open‑source tools, Austrian military moves to free software, and Franco‑German initiatives on sovereign cloud and AI. Policymakers and industry warn that replacing entrenched US services will be costly and technically challenging, and that Europe currently lacks cloud and chip capacity at the scale of US providers, even as sovereign cloud offerings and European vendors seek to expand.