The UK government has implemented a ban on asylum seekers using taxpayer-funded taxis to attend medical appointments, after a BBC probe exposed long, costly journeys. The change, announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and coming into force in early February 2026, follows findings that an average of £15.8 million a year was being spent on cab fares and a reported £600 charge for a single 250-mile trip to see a GP. Under the new rules, taxi use for medical visits will be restricted to narrow exemptions — including disability, serious illness and pregnancy — and each journey must be authorised by the Home Office. Taxis may still be permitted for travel between accommodation, but that policy remains under review. Ministers framed the move as a taxpayer protection measure and part of a wider push to tighten asylum arrangements; it arrives amid broader post-2024-election immigration reforms and fresh criminal powers in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act passed in December 2025.

Opposition parties on Feb. 3 called for a public inquiry into former Labour cabinet minister and peer Peter Mandelson after an interview in which he said outrage about his links to Jeffrey Epstein was “disproportionate” and that he would not be “hiding under a rock.” Conservative shadow ministers and the Liberal Democrats want a full probe into Mandelson’s public life, including alleged actions in 2009 — when he is accused of leaking internal memos to Epstein — and the vetting surrounding his later ambassadorial appointment. An opposition day debate scheduled for Feb. 4 could be used to force a Commons vote on disclosure of vetting information; Labour MPs are reported to be divided. Mandelson also told the Times he had worked to secure Republican backing for the UK deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and described a “serious wobble” in London over the deal’s legal basis. Separately, ministers are set to unveil a National Cancer Plan that will fund travel costs for children and young people up to age 24 to attend treatment, alongside measures on diagnosis, genomic testing and psychological support.

A 23-year-old man died after falling five floors from a communal landing at an apartment block in central London after a railing “gave way”, his family and police said. Joshua Robbins, originally from Claudy in County Derry, fell on the evening of Jan. 29 at the Holland and Thurston Dwellings on Newton Street in Holborn. Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene. Robbins was living with his father, who witnessed the immediate aftermath, the family said. His parents have called for answers about maintenance and inspection records for the building, which is managed by Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA). ISHA said it was cooperating with the Metropolitan Police investigation, which is examining the circumstances of the death. Photographs circulated on social media and in local reports appeared to show a missing guard rail on the fifth-floor landing and temporary wooden boarding put in place afterwards. Robbins’s family are being supported by specialist officers and by The Katie Trust, a charity for families affected by sudden deaths. Police have asked anyone with information to contact them as inquiries continue.

The European Union and India moved to cement a broad strategic partnership in late January and early February 2026, announcing a long-awaited free trade agreement and a parallel security and defence partnership. The FTA, finalised after nearly two decades of talks, reduces or eliminates tariffs on roughly 96.6% of EU goods to India and 99.5% of Indian goods to the EU over seven years, opening sectors from automobiles and machinery to wine and spirits. EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa attended India’s Republic Day and led the EU delegation to New Delhi where officials signalled the deal is in final legal ‘scrubbing’ and could enter into force this year. Leaders also agreed a security and defence partnership to deepen cooperation on maritime security, cybersecurity, counter‑terrorism and defence industry cooperation, with next steps including a Security of Information Agreement to enable classified exchanges and potential joint production of military kit. The pact is presented as part of both sides’ efforts to diversify economic and security ties amid tension with the United States and China.

Deontay Wilder abruptly left a talkSPORT studio interview in London on Feb. 4–5, 2026 after clashing with host Simon Jordan over questions about his long-running feud with Tyson Fury. The 40-year-old former WBC champion, in the UK to promote his April 4 heavyweight bout with Derek Chisora at the O2 Arena, repeatedly refused to discuss Fury before exploding at repeated probes, accusing the presenter of badgering him and alleging he had “proof” Fury cheated in two of their three fights. Security intervened as Wilder stood and advanced on the host; Chisora remained in the studio. The outburst follows a series of public accusations from Wilder — including claims of tampered gloves, long counts and racial bias — and social-media taunts from Fury, who has dismissed the allegations. The episode comes amid heightened promotion for the Chisora fight (both fighters’ 50th professional bouts) and Fury’s own scheduled return to the ring on April 11. Supplementary coverage shows Wilder engaging in provocative promotional stunts and Chisora discussing retirement anxieties in other UK media appearances earlier the same week.

The inquest into the death of 14-year-old Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe has continued this week (Feb 3-5, 2026) at Belfast Coroner’s Court with witnesses describing screams and a “white flash” on the night he disappeared on June 21, 2020. Evidence presented included testimony from Premier Drive and Northwood residents who recalled hearing one or more high-pitched screams and a flashing light at around midnight to 3am. Police witnesses were questioned about their actions in the first 24–48 hours of the missing-person inquiry: two officers who liaised with Noah’s mother, Fiona Donohoe, defended the contents of their pocket notebooks and occurrence enquiry logs. A park-goer, Adelaide Armstrong, told the court she found Noah’s cracked mobile phone in Castleton Park on June 22, 2020 and attempted to call his mother before contacting police. The inquest has also heard about eyewitness accounts of Noah’s final movements, disputed notes about his demeanour, and references in police statements to lines of inquiry raised after a preliminary hearing. Noah’s body was found in a storm drain six days after he went missing; a post-mortem concluded drowning as the cause of death. Proceedings, which are being heard with a jury, remain ongoing.

Cristiano Ronaldo has staged a high-profile protest at Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr after sitting out the side’s 1-0 win over Al-Riyadh on Feb. 2-3, 2026, and training pictures since have not ended uncertainty over his participation. The 40-year-old Portugal captain, who signed a two-year extension last summer running to June 2027 and is reported to earn about £480,000 per day, is said to be angry at perceived preferential treatment by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) towards rival clubs after Al-Hilal completed a surprise deadline-day signing of Karim Benzema. Al-Nassr are among four PIF-linked teams and sit one point behind Al-Hilal in the title race. Media reports and club sources say Ronaldo has demanded assurances about Al-Nassr’s sporting autonomy and investment; if unresolved he could seek a move in June, with a reported release clause near £43m. The dispute has prompted internal restrictions on club media access, the suspension of senior football executives in recent weeks and has left Ronaldo’s availability for a key league match against Al-Ittihad uncertain as the season approaches its decisive phase.

A 62-year-old lorry driver, Francis Hodibert of Slough, has launched a High Court claim against optician chain Specsavers seeking more than £200,000, alleging negligence after two visual field tests at a local branch in April and May 2022 wrongly showed defects. Hodibert says the inaccurate results led the DVLA to revoke his HGV licence in September 2022, costing him his livelihood and causing severe depression and anxiety. He regained his licence after passing a visual field assessment by a consultant ophthalmologist on 25 January 2023 and providing a new eyesight certificate on 31 March 2023, but says the initial revocation already caused lasting personal and professional harm. Court documents filed in London claim staff at the Specsavers branch produced false results and submitted an inaccurate report to the DVLA. Hodibert’s barrister, Michael O’Neill, says a medical report supports the claim for damages. Specsavers has said it will defend the action. The case raises questions about the accuracy of commercially provided visual field testing used to assess fitness to drive heavy goods vehicles.

President Donald Trump on Feb. 4 declined to endorse a successor for the 2028 Republican presidential race, saying he would “be inclined” to back someone eventually but not yet taking sides between JD Vance and Marco Rubio. In an interview with NBC News, Trump described both men as “fantastic” and “very capable,” and floated the idea that the two could run together on the same ticket. Trump said the combination of the pair “would be very hard to be beaten,” while also noting stylistic differences between them. Trump again raised, rhetorically, the prospect of remaining president past January 2029, saying “I don’t know. It would be interesting,” comments critics have called constitutionally dubious. Vance, a Republican political figure from Ohio, has said he will discuss a possible 2028 bid with Trump after this year’s midterms; Rubio, a senator from Florida and 2016 presidential contender, has not ruled out a run. The remarks underscore Trump’s continued role in shaping Republican succession and set early contours for a wide-open 2028 GOP field.

Danylo Yavhusishyn, the 21-year-old Ukraine-born sumo wrestler known by his ring name Aonishiki, is training in Tokyo for a March spring tournament in Osaka that could make him eligible for promotion to yokozuna, sumo’s highest rank. Aonishiki, whose name means “blue brocade” in homage to the Ukrainian flag, has won two consecutive grand tournaments and already holds the sport’s second-highest rank of ozeki after a meteoric rise since his professional debut in July 2023. Born in central Ukraine, he fled following Russia’s February 2022 invasion, lived in Germany and then moved to Japan where a friend in Kobe offered shelter and introduced him to a stable. If promoted, he would be the first European-born wrestler to reach yokozuna — a rank achieved by only 75 men historically, previously born in Japan, the United States or Mongolia. His success has coincided with a renewed surge in global interest in sumo, sold-out tournaments in Japan and recent international exhibitions including London, with another event planned in Paris in June.

Work is due to begin on the roof of All Saints, an unused city-centre church in Bristol believed to be the burial place of 17th‑century slave trader Edward Colston. The Diocese of Bristol says the legally required repair — likely to cost about £500,000 and take roughly six months — will protect public safety and enable a second phase of consultation about the building’s future. The first phase engaged African‑Caribbean heritage communities and other stakeholders through interviews, focus groups and surveys. Options under consideration include deconsecration, conversion to a community resource or museum, and possible exhumation and removal of Colston’s remains and related artefacts. Demolition was deemed impractical because the church shares walls with neighbouring properties and a previous sale attempt failed. The move follows citywide debates since Colston’s statue was toppled into Bristol harbour in 2020; the statue was relocated to a museum in 2024. Some local clergy have criticised spending on the closed church while active congregations, including St Agnes in St Paul’s, say they lack funds for urgent repairs.

Venezuelan official Alex Saab, a close ally of deposed president Nicolás Maduro, was reported detained in Caracas on Feb. 4–5, 2026 in what U.S. and regional media described as a joint operation involving Venezuela’s intelligence service (SEBIN) and the FBI. U.S. law-enforcement sources said Saab, 54, was held at a luxury residence and could be extradited to the United States in the coming days; Raúl Gorrín, owner of Globovisión and also wanted by U.S. authorities, was reportedly detained at the same address. Saab has long been accused by U.S. prosecutors of participating in a scheme that siphoned roughly $350 million from Venezuelan state programs; he was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020, later held in the U.S., and released in a December 2023 prisoner-swap that saw him return to Caracas and take a ministerial post. Venezuelan officials had not officially confirmed the detentions and Saab’s lawyer dismissed reports as “fake news,” while pro-government journalists likewise denied the arrests. The case comes a month after U.S. forces captured Maduro, and would signal an unusual level of cooperation between Washington and interim president Delcy Rodríguez’s security apparatus if confirmed.

Indian teacher and activist Rouble Nagi won the 2026 Global Teacher Prize, receiving a $1 million award at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Feb. 5. Nagi’s Rouble Nagi Art Foundation has set up more than 800 learning centres across slums in India, using painted educational murals and community spaces to teach literacy, science, maths and history to out-of-school children and those in formal schooling. The prize, awarded by the Varkey Foundation — founded by Sunny Varkey, whose GEMS Education operates international private schools — recognises teachers who bring transformative change to marginalised communities. Nagi said she will use the prize money to establish an institute offering free vocational training. UNESCO and Global Teacher Prize officials praised her work for widening access to learning and strengthening families and communities. Nagi is the 10th recipient since the prize’s launch in 2015; previous winners have included educators from Kenya, Palestine, Canada and Saudi Arabia. The award highlights alternative, community-driven approaches to education and the role of arts-based methods in tackling exclusion.

Israeli prosecutors have filed indictments this week in a high‑profile smuggling case that authorities say funnelled millions of shekels into the Gaza Strip and strengthened Hamas’s wartime economy. Southern District prosecutors charged 12 people — part of a wider probe involving about 16 suspects — with offences including aiding the enemy during wartime, prohibited dealings in property for terror purposes, aggravated fraud, bribery, money‑laundering and tax violations. Charges and reporting between Feb. 3–5, 2026 name reservist soldiers, businessmen and a company alleged to have run an organised chain that sourced goods from PA suppliers, concealed them in Israeli warehouses and moved them across crossings while falsely claiming military purposes. Smuggled items included cartons of cigarettes, hundreds of iPhones, batteries, vehicle parts, medical equipment and communications cables. Prosecutors say cigarette sales in particular generated very large sums—hundreds of millions of shekels since the war began. Bezalel Zini, the brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, was indicted after being accused of using convoy permissions and taking bribes; he was questioned by police because of the family link. Authorities have sought asset seizure and detention as legal proceedings continue.

A public inquiry led by Sir Ross Cranston has concluded that the worst mass drowning in the Channel on November 23-24, 2021 — in which at least 27 people died, four remain missing and two survived — involved avoidable failures by both UK and French authorities. The 454-page report, published 5 February 2026, found the overcrowded, unseaworthy inflatable supplied by people smugglers, ineffective buoyancy aids and multiple distress calls that were not followed up. It singled out a French naval vessel, the Flamant, which was about 15 minutes away when a Mayday relay was issued but did not respond, an omission now under criminal investigation in France. HM Coastguard was criticised for prematurely ending the search after mistakenly believing the boat had been rescued, citing chronic staff shortages, poor record-keeping, missed geolocation information and a “widely held belief” that small-boat callers exaggerated danger. The inquiry makes 18 recommendations — including better technology, training, external oversight and a call to end small-boat crossings — and highlights ongoing investigations into people smugglers and the French response.

World number one Luke Littler used the launch of the 2026 Premier League Darts in Newcastle to defend social-media figures entering the sport and to brush off claims he is already the greatest player ever. The 19-year-old, fresh from winning the Masters and the World Masters and claiming the world title in January, said influencer and streamer Morgan “Angry Ginge” Burtwistle could try to earn a PDC tour card by attending Qualifying School if he committed to practising. Littler’s remarks came after two-time world champion Gary Anderson described some influencers as “a load of rubbish.” The Premier League season begins on 5 February, runs across 16 weeks with weekly matches and nightly prizes through to Finals Night at the O2 Arena on 28 May, and will be shown on Sky Sports and PDC TV. Rival Luke Humphries earlier described Littler as the “most talented” and suggested he might be the greatest; Littler countered that Phil Taylor will remain the benchmark unless his records are surpassed. Littler enters the campaign as favourite as he seeks to reclaim the Premier League title he won in 2024.

On Feb. 5, 2026 BBC Breakfast presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty discussed a new “travel with confidence” initiative that sent six wheelchair users to Central London with 48 hours’ notice to test public transport accessibility. Clips shown on the programme, and an interview with participant Harriet Little of Peterborough, revealed barriers including very steep ramps, lack of assistance staff and wheelchair spaces occupied by other passengers’ luggage. Little apologised for not attending the Manchester studio, saying the logistics of travelling from Peterborough — a three‑hour journey with two changes and uncertainty over help for transfers — made the trip effectively impossible. Spinal Injury Association representative Gary Dawson told viewers freedom of movement is a right and recounted both positive and negative recent experiences on London transport. The charity said the challenge exposed an “accessibility lottery” across networks and urged improvements to infrastructure and passenger assistance to ensure equal access to public spaces and services.

Two men died after a Cirrus SR20 light aircraft crashed onto moorland near Blackstone Edge and Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough, Rochdale, on February 3, 2026. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) recovered the bodies at the scene and said formal identification is pending. Flight-tracking data indicate the aircraft left Birmingham Airport’s XLR Executive Jet Centre shortly before 10:00 GMT and last reported a signal about 40 minutes later near Marsden, West Yorkshire. Images from the site showed a yellow parachute canopy caught in a nearby electricity pylon; investigators are examining whether the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) deployed. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) launched a multidisciplinary probe and sent inspectors to the scene; specialist teams remained on site into February 5–6 and the aircraft (registered G‑GXVV), owned by Daedalus Aviation (Services) Ltd, is to be recovered and taken to AAIB headquarters in Farnborough for further examination. National Grid and emergency services supported the response; there were no reported ground injuries. GMP has urged witnesses to contact police, quoting log 1056 of February 3, 2026.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris said on Feb. 5 that Mercedes driver George Russell is “a little bit giddy” and hungry to take the Formula One title from him as teams prepare for a season shaped by sweeping technical changes. Norris made the comments at a McLaren media event in Woking after Mercedes posted strong reliability in a Barcelona shakedown and bookmakers made Russell pre-season favourite. Norris, 26, who secured his maiden title in Abu Dhabi last year and helped McLaren retain the constructors’ championship, said the success has increased rivals’ hunger and that he expects a fierce fight. Russell has downplayed his favourite tag at Mercedes’ season launch. Drivers return to track with new hybrid power units and a push-to-pass boost system that, Norris warned, will make battery management and boost timing a crucial factor. Pre-season testing continues in Bahrain ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on March 8, 2026, with teams still gauging the true pace of the reworked cars.

House Speaker Mike Johnson this week reignited a public dispute with Pope Leo XIV by invoking Scripture to defend strict border enforcement and immigration policy. Speaking to reporters after a House vote and later posting a lengthy essay on X, Johnson argued that ‘borders and walls are biblical,’ citing passages such as Romans 13 and other Old and New Testament texts to distinguish the duties of individual Christians from the responsibilities of civil authorities. He said governments have a religious duty to maintain order and that migrants are expected to assimilate. The intervention came after Pope Leo used Matthew 25:35 and other teachings to urge compassion, pastoral care and humane treatment for migrants, and followed a rare statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops criticizing mass deportations. Johnson’s remarks drew sharp criticism on social media and from some religious commentators, who accused him of cherry-picking scripture to justify a hardline immigration stance. The exchange underscores an intensifying debate among U.S. political leaders, faith institutions and voters over how religious teachings should shape immigration policy.