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.

An update was expected Feb. 5 in the high-profile legal case of Frank Stronach after the start of his Toronto sexual-assault trial was adjourned. The 93-year-old founder of auto-parts maker Magna International faces a dozen charges in the Toronto proceeding related to seven complainants, alleged to have occurred between 1977 and 1990. Defence lawyers told Ontario Superior Court they had received voluminous new disclosure since mid-January, including multiple videotaped statements, and requested more time to review the materials. Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy granted an adjournment and ordered parties to return to court later in the week; some hearings are being held in camera. The original prosecution in 2024 charged Stronach with 18 offences involving 13 complainants, a case that was split into two trials; a separate jury trial on remaining allegations is scheduled in Newmarket later in 2026. Stronach has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations. Courtroom scheduling now anticipates the Toronto judge-alone trial could extend into March as parties address disclosure and pre-trial motions.

Sam Raimi’s new survival horror Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, has opened to strong reviews after its rollout to UK cinemas on Feb. 5, 2026. The plot follows corporate strategist Linda Liddle (McAdams) and her insufferable boss Bradley Preston (O’Brien) who are stranded on a desert island after a plane crash; power dynamics flip as Linda’s practical skills make her the dominant survivor. Critics have praised McAdams’s transformation from rom-com icon to a blood‑spattered, morally ambiguous lead and lauded Raimi’s return to original, non‑franchise filmmaking after more than a decade. At the time of reporting the film held roughly a 93% critics’ score and an 87% audience rating, with reviewers noting a tonal mix of horror, dark comedy and ‘eat‑the‑rich’ satire. Technical credits singled out Danny Elfman’s score and Bill Pope’s cinematography. Some critics cautioned that Raimi’s trademark gore and heightened flourishes occasionally undercut the film’s satirical sting, but overall reviews characterize Send Help as a grisly, entertaining genre hybrid with broad audience appeal.

An 18-year-old man pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, 2026 to murdering his mother after her body was found beside a footpath near the Morfa nature reserve in Prestatyn, north Wales. Tristan Thomas Roberts admitted killing Angela Jane Shellis, 45, on 24 October 2025; her body was discovered by walkers. Shellis, a teaching assistant at Rhyl High School, sustained severe blunt force head trauma, an inquest opening heard. Roberts was identified quickly by police, arrested at his home in Coniston Drive and had barricaded himself in a room before his arrest. Crown court hearings heard CCTV and a Ring doorbell captured him leaving the house at night with a rucksack and later returning. A psychiatric report was considered by his defence before he entered the guilty plea. Judge Rhys Rowlands remanded Roberts into custody and said he will receive a life sentence; a minimum term will be set at a sentencing hearing listed for March 25, 2026. Relatives and colleagues paid tribute to Shellis, describing her as kind and committed.

A Portsmouth seafood restaurant has introduced a mandatory prepayment policy after two men reportedly left without paying a £170 tab following a boozy lunchtime order. The incident at Relentless Steak and Lobster House on January 29 prompted staff to call police after the pair — said by the owner to have initially paid about £130, then ordered further rounds, oysters and scallops — ran to a van and drove off. Owner Scott Matthews, 39, who has run the business for 20 years, said repeated walkouts, including a previous group that allegedly left an £800 bill, forced the change. Matthews said the policy has reduced losses from unpaid bills but has also provoked customer pushback and hurt revenue. Hampshire Constabulary confirmed an investigation is under way and that no arrests have been made. The owner has urged the alleged offenders to return and settle the bill to avoid escalation. The restaurant, located in the Port Solent/Paulsgrove area, described the location as a recurring dine‑and‑dash hotspot.

Jon Ruben, 76, has admitted administering a tranquilliser to his wife so she would not wake while he sedated and sexually assaulted children at a summer camp in Leicestershire. The former veterinary surgeon, who ran holiday camps for disadvantaged children for about 27 years, previously pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025 to 17 offences including sexual assault of a child under 13, assault by penetration, eight counts of child cruelty, possession of indecent images (more than 50 category A videos) and multiple drugs offences. Prosecutors say Ruben injected sedative compounds into sweets served to boys at a three-day camp at Stathern Lodge in July 2025; eight children aged about eight to 11 and one adult were taken to hospital after falling ill. Toxicology identified sedatives including temazepam and liquid alprazolam in victims and confectionery. At Leicester Crown Court on Feb. 4–5, 2026 Ruben admitted an additional charge of unlawfully administering temazepam to his wife between July 26 and 29, 2025. Judge Timothy Spencer KC set a forthcoming sentence hearing, and Leicestershire Police have said support for victims continues while a public portal for information remains open.

Leaked internal Vietnamese defence documents published in early February 2026 show Hanoi drew up contingency plans for a potential US-led attack. The dossier, titled "The 2nd U.S. Invasion Plan" and compiled by the Ministry of Defence in August 2024, was released by human rights group Project88 and reported by multiple outlets including the Associated Press and South China Morning Post. The assessment describes the United States as a "belligerent" power, warns that Washington and its allies could employ "unconventional forms of warfare" and even large-scale invasions, and urges vigilance against efforts to create a pretext for intervention or to sponsor a "colour revolution". The documents say current risk of war is low but recommend revising combat plans and sustaining readiness. The leak highlights a disconnect between Hanoi's public outreach — including a Sept. 2023 elevation of ties with Washington to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership — and deep security suspicions within military ranks. Vietnamese officials have not publicly disputed the documents; the U.S. State Department reiterated the partnership and emphasised regional stability.

Wales have named Louis Rees-Zammit at full-back for their Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham on Saturday, 7 February, with coach Steve Tandy naming a 23 that includes Dewi Lake as captain. Rees-Zammit, 25, returns to the championship for the first time in three years after an 18-month spell pursuing an NFL career and has made only his fourth Test start at 15 since coming back to rugby in November. Wales head into the fixture as heavy underdogs — having lost 21 of their last 23 Tests — while England arrive on an 11-match winning run. Flanker Josh Macleod, potentially set for a Six Nations debut, warned of a physical “war zone” battle, and England prop Ellis Genge said Wales remain “damaged, but dangerous.” Wales’ preparations have been clouded by domestic turmoil over a proposed reduction in professional regions and player departures to English clubs. Bookmakers rate Wales long shots, but Tandy says the squad’s unity offers hope of an upset at Allianz Stadium.

A cluster of gas-filled party balloons ignited and exploded inside a residential elevator in Goregaon West, Mumbai, on Feb. 2, 2026, sending a brief fireball through the cabin, police and local media said. CCTV footage widely shared on social media shows a delivery worker carrying about a dozen balloons in a polythene bag enter the lift; moments later the inflatables burst into flames, and three people rushed out. Two — identified in local reports as 21-year-old Himani Tapriya and 32-year-old delivery worker Raju Kumar Mahato — were treated for burn injuries and are reported in stable condition. Authorities have opened a negligence case against the balloon shop owner under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, saying safety instructions may not have been provided. Investigators are probing what gas was used to inflate the balloons; helium is non-flammable, while hydrogen is highly combustible and has been linked to similar incidents. Mumbai police warned against transporting flammable gas-filled balloons in enclosed spaces such as lifts and urged stricter precautions.

Charles James Spencer-Churchill, the 12th Duke of Marlborough, has been charged with two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour and three counts of intentional strangulation relating to incidents involving his estranged wife, Edla Marlborough. The indictment covers alleged coercive conduct between December 29, 2015 and September 8, 2024, and three alleged strangulation incidents said to have occurred in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, between November 13, 2022 and January 29, 2024. The 70-year-old aristocrat, a distant relative of Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Feb. 5, 2026; he previously indicated not guilty pleas to the strangulation counts. He was granted conditional bail and was not required to enter formal pleas at the hearing. A provisional plea hearing is listed for June 22, 2026, an application to dismiss will be heard on April 27, 2026, and a trial has been provisionally set for Jan. 10, 2028. The duke has given an address at Blenheim Palace; the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation has stressed it is independently managed and cannot comment on his personal legal proceedings.

A large blaze broke out on Feb. 5, 2026 at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany, prompting a major emergency response. Around 130 firefighters battled the fire, which officials said originated in a high-voltage power supply or electrical substation serving a particle accelerator. The site was evacuated; there were no reported injuries and authorities said no hazardous materials were released. Images showed thick smoke rising from the facility. Firefighters reported damage to cables, electrical equipment and office furnishings, and said extinguishing work could continue into the evening. Radiation protection teams were not deployed, and a construction site for a new facility on the campus was reportedly unaffected. Nearby residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed and turn off ventilation systems as a precaution. The centre, used by international researchers for heavy-ion experiments with applications in physics, technology and medical research, did not immediately estimate repair costs or the timetable for resuming operations.

A 41-year-old former employee, Jonathon Hackett, has been charged after police say he broke into a Little Caesars restaurant in the Kinston area of North Carolina on Feb. 1 and began making and selling pizzas and keeping the proceeds. The Kinston Police Department says Hackett unlawfully entered the closed store and later attempted to re-enter while employees were inside, touching off a physical altercation in which he was injured and received medical treatment. He faces multiple counts including felony breaking and entering, felony obtaining property by false pretence, felony larceny after breaking and entering, misdemeanor breaking and entering and violating a city curfew that had been imposed Jan. 31–Feb. 2 ahead of a major snowstorm. Authorities have not disclosed how many pizzas were made or the amount of money taken. Hackett was booked into the Lenoir County Jail; information on bail or his next court date was not immediately available. Police described the incident as a straightforward case of unlawful entry and theft despite its unusual circumstances.

A police scent-tracking dog helped locate a 13-year-old boy with special needs who wandered from his home during a severe snowstorm in Gastonia, North Carolina, authorities said. Multiple agencies — Gastonia Police, the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office and local emergency medical services — established a search perimeter after the child left without proper winter clothing. Handlers gave K-9 Bo a scent article and the dog traced the boy’s path through heavy snow and low visibility; the child eventually entered the secured perimeter and was found cold but unharmed by EMS. Police credited quick coordination, teamwork and the dog’s performance in extreme conditions for the rescue. The incident unfolded amid a rapidly intensifying nor’easter that dumped more than a foot of snow across parts of the Southeast, produced near-hurricane-force gusts along the North Carolina coast and left first responders handling dozens of crashes and stranded vehicles.

The Delhi High Court has ordered Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav to surrender to jail authorities in a long-running cheque-bounce matter after repeatedly rejecting his pleas for further time to make payments. The court, led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, directed Yadav to appear before the jail superintendent after finding he had repeatedly breached undertakings to repay the complainant, M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. The dispute stems from multiple dishonoured cheques and related proceedings in which Yadav was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment by a magisterial court; the sentence was temporarily suspended in June 2024 on condition of pursuing a settlement. The bench noted deposits made earlier — including two demand drafts of Rs 75 lakh in October 2025 — but recorded that roughly Rs 9 crore remained outstanding and that he had missed several deadlines. Yadav’s counsel said partial payments and repayment schedules had been proposed; the actor then indicated he would surrender to Tihar Jail following the court’s refusal to grant further indulgence. The High Court has said it will consider any further relief only after the actor complies with the surrender order.

An Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Ranger helicopter crashed late on Feb. 5, 2026, while providing tactical air support to Flagstaff police during an active shooting, killing both people on board — the pilot and a trooper who was serving as a paramedic. The Bell 407 went down about 10:15 p.m. local time northeast of the shooting scene, near a neighborhood north of Route 66, and ignited a post-crash fire, authorities said. Officers on the ground had exchanged gunfire with the suspect prior to the crash; the suspect suffered non‑fatal gunshot wounds and was taken into custody. No other injuries were reported. AZDPS identified its Major Incident Division as leading the officer‑involved shooting investigation and said it will work jointly with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board on the crash investigation. Local residents reported multiple rounds of gunfire, shelter‑in‑place orders briefly issued for nearby homes, and visible damage at the forested crash site. The names of the deceased have not been released.

A husband-and-wife care home ownership team and a former manager have been jailed after plotting to steal the estate of an 85-year-old resident at Amberley Care Home in Brierley Hill, West Midlands. Graham Walker, 74, and Lyn Walker, 71, were each sentenced to three years at Birmingham/Wolverhampton Crown Court this week after being convicted alongside former manager Jamiel Slaney‑Summers. Prosecutors say the trio fabricated a will dated Jan. 12, 2021, using different coloured pens and handwriting to name Slaney‑Summers and Mrs Walker as executors and to allocate large shares of the estate. The victim, Rita Barnsley, who paid about £700 a week for care, died in summer 2021; her home later sold for about £150,000 and she had roughly £28,000 in savings, putting the estate at about £175,000-£178,000. Slaney‑Summers was previously jailed for five-and-a-half years in December after also being found to have stolen about £6,000 from the woman’s bank account. The Walkers were ordered to pay £30,000 in prosecution costs. Judge John Butterfield KC condemned the conduct as ‘greed’ and highlighted efforts to isolate the pensioner from relatives.

A Russian ship captain has been jailed for six years after a container ship he was commanding collided with an anchored oil tanker off the East Yorkshire coast, killing a crew member. Vladimir Motin, 59, was convicted at the Old Bailey of manslaughter by gross negligence over the March 10, 2025 collision between the Solong and the Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary. Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, a Filipino crewman working on the Solong’s bow, died in the ensuing fire; his body was never recovered. Prosecutors told jurors the tanker had been visible on the Solong’s radar for 36 minutes but Motin failed to keep a proper lookout, did not sound alarms, summon help or take evasive action, and disabled the bridge navigation watch alert system (BNWAS). Motin said he pressed the wrong button trying to disengage autopilot. The blaze, fuelled by more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 on the tanker and goods aboard the Solong, burned for days and posed a major environmental and safety risk. The judge described Motin’s conduct as a “wholesale failure” of duty.

Ukrainian authorities say SpaceX has effectively blocked unauthorised Starlink terminals used by Russian forces across the eastern front, in a move Kyiv and the company characterise as a ‘whitelist’ verification operation. Ukraine’s defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and advisers reported mass disconnections of Starlink terminals from the front on Feb. 5, 2026, and said the disruption has degraded Russian command-and-control and slowed attacks in multiple sectors. Elon Musk and SpaceX said the measures to curb unauthorised use appear to have worked, while Reuters and other outlets reported they could not independently verify the full scope of outages. Analysts and fact-checkers note technical limits: geofencing and whitelisting are complex in active, fluid battle zones and risk collateral disruption to Ukrainian users. Kyiv says Russia had been using Starlink-equipped drones and captured or illicitly acquired terminals to extend strike ranges; the verification process aims to allow only registered terminals to operate inside Ukraine. Ukrainian officials continue to process registrations and urge reports of remaining unauthorised devices.

A January 2026 audit by the Policy Genome project found major chatbot models answer questions about the Russia-Ukraine war very differently depending on language, raising fresh concerns about AI-driven disinformation. Researchers tested six large models (Claude, DeepSeek, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok and Yandex’s Alice) on seven well-documented war-related questions. Yandex’s Alice endorsed Kremlin narratives in 86% of Russian-language answers and refused to reply in 86% of English queries; auditors recorded an instance where Alice initially gave a factual response about Bucha then automatically overwrote it with a refusal. China’s DeepSeek delivered accurate answers in English and Ukrainian but used Kremlin terminology in 29% of Russian responses. Western models scored 86–95% accuracy overall and did not endorse propaganda, but some exhibited “false balance,” framing established facts as contested. Researchers presented findings at a NATO-supported panel and warned the language-dependent divergence creates parallel information environments for millions of Russian speakers living in Europe, Israel, the United States and elsewhere.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has registered as a part-time reservist in the Royal Netherlands Army, the Dutch royal household announced on Feb. 5, 2026. The 54-year-old, who underwent initial “mental skills” training at the Royal Military Academy in Breda, will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel upon completion of her course and, like other reservists, can be deployed “where needed.” Photographs and video released by the palace show the queen taking part in shooting practice, climbing exercises and other physical training. The palace said Máxima’s decision was driven by concerns that “our safety can no longer be taken for granted.” Her enlistment follows that of her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, who recently completed general military training and was promoted to corporal. The move comes amid wider Dutch and European efforts to bolster defence capacity, including campaigns to increase reservist numbers and recent government discussions about measures to encourage or require youth participation in military service. The palace said Máxima was eligible under the reservist age limit (55), a factor in the timing of her registration.

France’s navy on Feb. 4-5 seized large consignments of cocaine in two separate maritime operations, officials said. In the South Pacific, a vessel believed to have come from Central America and bound for South Africa was intercepted near French Polynesia and found to be carrying about 4.24 tonnes of cocaine; the cargo was destroyed at sea outside the Polynesian economic zone and marine protected areas. In the Caribbean, the navy intercepted a boat carrying roughly 678 kilograms of cocaine that was handed over to Barbadian authorities. Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and the French high commission in Polynesia released images of the operations. Prosecutors declined to bring local charges in the Pacific case to avoid overburdening courts, and the ship and crew were released under international law. French officials noted the seizures come amid heightened activity by organised crime groups in the Pacific and follow a nearly five-ton seizure near French Polynesia last month. Paris is pursuing tougher regional measures and international cooperation to counter expanding trafficking routes feeding markets in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.