Northern Ireland will overhaul the teaching of religious education (RE) after a Supreme Court ruling found current provision breached human rights law by failing to be “objective, critical and pluralistic”. Education Minister Paul Givan announced on Feb. 3, 2026, an independent review to develop a revised syllabus and formal inspection regime. The review will be led by Prof. Noel Purdy and Joyce Logue, supported by an expert drafting group of teachers and will include extensive engagement with churches, school leaders, parents and pupils. New guidance on withdrawal from RE and collective worship takes effect immediately, aiming to make the process “straightforward, stigma-free and supported”. Givan said Christianity will remain “central” to the revised syllabus but that additional objective and pluralistic material must be included; he expects new regulations to be brought forward after public consultation in the autumn and a new syllabus implemented from September 2027. The changes follow a legal challenge (known as JR87) by a pupil and her father and have drawn mixed responses: Humanists UK welcomed the move to a pluralistic review while church bodies urged protection of the Christian ethos in schools.

On Jan. 28-29, 2026 France's National Assembly unanimously approved a cross-party bill that would erase any legal ambiguity that marriage creates an obligation to have sex. Backed by more than 120 MPs and co-authored by Green MP Marie-Charlotte Garin and Horizons MP Paul Christophe, the text amends the Civil Code to specify that cohabitation “creates no obligation for the spouses to have sexual relations.” The measure would also prevent lack of sexual relations being used as grounds for fault-based divorce and would require registrars to read a clarifying statement at weddings. The bill now moves to the Senate under an accelerated procedure; if passed without amendment it could become law by summer 2026. Supporters say the change aligns civil law with recent criminal-law reforms — including the 2025 adoption of consent into the legal definition of rape — and follows a 2025 European Court of Human Rights ruling that refusal of sex cannot be treated as fault in divorce. Campaigners argue the reform is aimed at deterring marital rape and removing archaic interpretations that have affected court rulings in recent years.

U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated a pressure campaign against Cuba by declaring a national emergency and ordering tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island, while saying Washington is in contact with “the highest people” in Havana and expecting to “make a deal.” The moves follow a January 3 U.S. operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which cut off Cuba’s principal subsidised crude source and left the island scrambling for fuel. Mexico, which temporarily became Cuba’s main supplier, faces pressure over shipments; President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged humanitarian aid but warned tariffs could trigger a humanitarian crisis. Havana says there have been communications with Washington but denies formal negotiations. The squeeze comes amid Cuba’s worst economic slump in decades — prolonged blackouts, medicine and food shortages, and a tourism slump that saw arrivals fall by nearly 18% in 2025. Cuban officials have denounced U.S. measures as coercive and warned of major service collapses; U.S. officials say diplomacy and engagement with Cubans will continue even as they press for political change.

French prosecutors told a Paris appeals court this week they want Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen to be barred from holding public office for five years and face a multi-year prison term over a long-running European Parliament “fake jobs” fraud. The requests, made during closing arguments in the retrial that began in mid-January, ask judges to largely uphold the March 2025 convictions that fined Le Pen €100,000 and sentenced her to four years in prison (partly suspended) and immediate ineligibility. The appeal has paused enforcement while the Cour d’appel considers whether any ban should take effect immediately; a ruling is expected before the summer of 2026. Prosecutors say Le Pen organised a system that saw European Parliament funds used to pay party staff in France between 2004 and 2016, causing estimated damage of several million euros. Le Pen and several co-defendants deny intent to embezzle and argue the payments reflected legitimate parliamentary work. If the appeals court upholds the verdict she could then seek review at the Cour de cassation ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, where the RN currently polls strongly.

The Royal Navy has introduced stricter limits on alcohol consumption for personnel at sea, the UK defence ministry announced on Jan. 29, 2026. Under the new policy sailors may drink no more than three units of alcohol per day or 14 units per week while aboard ships, regardless of rank. Each vessel must institute at least two days per week free from alcohol, and zero- and low-alcohol products will be made available for purchase. The measures replace previous guidance that effectively allowed two cans of beer per day — an amount that could exceed the new daily cap depending on strength. Officials said the policy aligns with advice from the UK chief medical officer and mirrors civilian drinking guidelines, aiming to prioritise crew health and boost warfighting readiness. The restrictions apply only when personnel are at sea and do not affect shore bases. The move marks a cultural shift away from long-standing naval drinking traditions — including the historical rum “tot” that ended in 1970 — as the service seeks to modernise standards and operational resilience.

Guelph, Ontario police say Medhani Yohans, 36, a non‑citizen described as a high‑risk sex offender, was re‑arrested on Feb. 2, 2026, just hours after being released from custody following a guilty plea for breaching probation. Officers detained Yohans downtown at about 2:35 p.m. after observing him breach a condition that ordered him to stay away from a specific address. The Guelph Police Service has repeatedly warned the public about Yohans, citing a criminal history that includes two stranger sexual assaults, multiple probation breaches and other offences dating back to at least 2018. He has been remanded in custody and is due for a bail hearing. Local officials and commentators have questioned why the Canada Border Services Agency has not taken immigration action despite Yohans’ non‑citizen status and the police having issued multiple public warnings over recent years. Conservative politicians and community members have publicly criticised the justice system’s handling of repeat offenders, calling for reforms to better protect women and vulnerable populations in the city.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry this week publicly urged a reassessment of Russia’s exclusion from major international sport, setting off fresh diplomatic controversy. Infantino told Sky News the four‑year ban imposed by FIFA and UEFA after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine “has not achieved anything” and should be lifted, including for youth competitions; the Kremlin welcomed his comments. Coventry used an address to the IOC congress in Milan to argue sport should remain a “neutral ground” where athletes are not barred for their governments’ actions, remarks taken as an early signal that Russia could be allowed back at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The moves follow IOC guidance in December loosening restrictions on some youth participation and come as only a small number of Russians compete as neutrals—13 at the Milano‑Cortina Winter Games. Ukrainian officials, including Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, denounced the proposals as “irresponsible”, while UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the war must end before reinstatement; UEFA’s executive committee meets Feb. 11.

U.S. senators on Feb. 3-4 pressed UBS and investigator Neil Barofsky over newly identified wartime holdings at Credit Suisse, after an internal review found 890 accounts with potential links to Nazi-era institutions. Senator Chuck Grassley said the accounts include previously undisclosed wartime holdings tied to the German Foreign Office, a German arms manufacturer and the German Red Cross, and that Credit Suisse’s relationships with the SS were more extensive than known — including an account for the SS’s economic arm. Barofsky told the Senate Judiciary Committee that roughly 150 documents central to the probe are being withheld by UBS, which says some materials are protected by attorney‑client privilege and faces threats of litigation from groups including the Simon Wiesenthal Center. UBS, which acquired Credit Suisse in 2023 and reappointed Barofsky, says it has cooperated extensively and that a 1998/1999 global settlement provided finality to earlier claims. Senate aides said the forensic review is due to wrap by early summer with a final report expected by year‑end, while advocacy groups and victims’ representatives press for full archive access and possible additional restitution.

Ten years after the Regency Hotel shooting in Dublin on February 5, 2016 — when gunmen in mock Garda uniforms killed David Byrne and wounded others — Irish authorities say significant progress has been made but key questions remain. The attack ignited the violent Hutch‑Kinahan feud that ultimately left about 18 people dead. Gardaí say 98 people linked to both networks have been convicted and jailed, 51 lives were saved through interventions, and major seizures include roughly €32 million in drugs, more than €11 million in cash, about 70 firearms and some 4,300 rounds of ammunition. Five people have been convicted in connection with the Regency incident, but none of the six gunmen who carried out the killing have been convicted of Byrne’s murder; Gerry Hutch was acquitted. The head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, Detective Chief Supt Séamus Boland, has rejected characterisations of the investigation as a policing failure, stressing investigations remain active and files on senior figures are with the Director of Public Prosecutions. Media and police reviews have also highlighted fragmented intelligence handling after the attack, including a Special Detective Unit probe that kept gun‑seizure intelligence separate from other inquiries.

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.

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.