‘Eight-figure agreement’ made to supply new line between Ankara and İzmir – but questions over plant’s future remain British Steel has secured an order worth tens of millions of pounds to supply rail for a high-speed electric railway in Turkey, amid continuing uncertainty over the long-term future of the government-controlled steelworks in Scunthorpe. The site will supply 36,000 tonnes of rail to ERG International Group, the company announced, in what it called an “eight-figure agreement”. Continue reading...

Three boats targeted in eastern Pacific and Caribbean as Trump continues pursuit of alleged ‘narco-terrorists’ US military officials have said American forces launched assaults on three alleged drug-smuggling boats, killing 11 in one of the deadliest days of the Trump administration’s months-long campaign against alleged traffickers. The military action on Monday brought the number of fatalities caused by US strikes to 145 since September, when Donald Trump called on American armed forces to attack people deemed “narco-terrorists” on small vessels. There have been 42 known strikes in notorious drug-trafficking routes such as the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...

Move comes after Gordon Brown’s claim that files show sex offender used airport in Essex to ‘fly in girls’ Police are assessing information about private flights to and from Stansted airport after the publication of millions of files relating to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after former prime minister Gordon Brown claimed that the newly published files showed in “graphic detail” how Epstein was able to use the Essex-based airport to “fly in girls from Latvia, Lithuania and Russia”. Continue reading...

Interim president José Jerí voted out by country’s congress amid scandal concerning secretive meetings Peru’s interim president has been forced out of office in an “express impeachment” after a political scandal over his secretive meetings with Chinese businessmen. Lawmakers voted by 75 votes to 24 to proceed with the impeachment of José Jerí, who had been at the helm for just four months. Continue reading...

Juventus lead twice but go down 5-2 in playoff 1st leg Juan Cabal sent off at 3-2; Noa Lang and Gabriel Sara star Galatasaray delivered a dominant performance to dismantle 10-man Juventus 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff, with Noa Lang and Gabriel Sara starring in a scintillating display. The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when the Brazilian Sara struck a thunderous long-range shot that left Michele Di Gregorio with no chance. However, Juventus equalised almost instantly when Teun Koopmeiners reacted quickly after Pierre Kalulu’s header was saved by Ugurcan Cakir, converting the rebound in the 16th minute. Continue reading...

The average person does not need to be adding electrolytes to their water Read more in the Antiviral series Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Attitudes towards hydration have become another fault line in the generational divide: while the giant “emotional support” water bottle is ubiquitous among gen Z, those of writer Ian McEwan’s vintage find the modern obsession with hydration “deranged”. McEwan and his ilk will be even more perplexed then that even those guzzling from their Stanley Cups throughout the day are being told they are still not sufficiently hydrating themselves. Influencers are telling their followers they “don’t understand what hydration is” if they’re not adding electrolytes such as sodium and chloride (salt) as well as magnesium and potassium to their water to help their cells “hold on to and use” it. Often spruiking the sachets wellness companies are selling, they claim these fancy salt formulations are essential to avoid migraines and muscle cramps, anxiety and mood swings. Some TikTokers are adding these sachets alongside other ingredients such as coloured ice cubes, edible glitter and fruit into the aforementioned massive cup in a trend known as “loaded water”. Continue reading...

Karime Macías, ex-wife of a state governor, is wanted for allegedly pilfering nearly £5m of public money and now lives in London The Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has said her government will send a formal letter of complaint to officials in the United Kingdom after the wife of a former governor wanted for allegedly pilfering £4.8 million of public money was granted asylum in Britain. Karime Macías, ex-wife of jailed former Veracruz governor Javier Duarte, is wanted for extradition to Mexico for allegedly siphoning millions from the state welfare office, but has reportedly spent the last few years in London. Continue reading...

‘I’m trying to figure out if I can actually do this’ Woods says he could play in this year’s Masters Tiger Woods has confirmed he has been asked to captain the US team at Ryder Cup next year. Woods, who has not played competitively since the 2024 Open Championship, has also semi-remarkably left the door open to teeing up in the Masters this year. With the US still reeling from defeat by Europe at Bethpage in September, thoughts have turned towards attempts to reclaim the Ryder Cup in Ireland. Woods is the PGA of America’s first choice as captain. The 50-year-old will determine whether he believes he can commit sufficiently to the role. Continue reading...

Secretary of state spoke of ‘golden age’ of US-Hungary relations at time of tense transatlantic relations with traditional allies Even before he in effect endorsed Hungary’s Viktor Orbán before of a crucial parliamentary election, Marco Rubio’s itinerary for Europe promised to be provocative. After meeting with US allies at the Munich Security Conference during a particularly tense moment in transatlantic relations, the US secretary of state departed for Slovakia and Hungary – the two EU states most dependent on Russian energy and sceptical of the bloc’s support for Ukraine. In what bordered on an explicit political endorsement, Rubio told Orbán that relations between Hungary and the US had entered a “golden age” – and would stay like that for as long as Orban remains in power. Continue reading...

Norfolk county council leader calls local government secretary, Steve Reed, a ‘two-faced bully’ over allegations A Norfolk council leader has accused the government of “bullying” her local authority into postponing elections in return for extra funding and powers, as she pulled out of long-awaited devolution deal for the county. Kay Mason Billig, the Conservative leader of Norfolk county council, said she would no longer participate in both local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution plans in the area, saying the council could not continue with them and hold elections at the same time. Continue reading...

National Crime Agency says rise in child sexual abuse being driven by technology and online forums Child sexual abuse in the UK is soaring, police have said, with 1,000 paedophile suspects being arrested each month and the number of children being rescued from harm rising by 50% in the last five years. The National Crime Agency said the growth in offending across the UK was driven by technology and linked to the radicalisation of offenders in online forums, encouraging people to view images of child sexual abuse by reassuring them it was normal. Continue reading...

Group says they intend to establish permanent settlement but Mauritius attorney general calls their move a ‘publicity stunt’ Four Chagos Islanders have landed on one of the archipelago’s atolls to establish what they say will be a permanent settlement, in an attempt to complicate a British plan to transfer the territory to Mauritius. The Mauritius attorney general said the move was a publicity stunt designed to create conflict over a 2025 agreement with Britain on handing over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which is opposed by some Chagossians who accuse Mauritius of decades of neglect. Mauritius has denied the accusations. Continue reading...

Chair of UK government review says dramatic changes in labour market risks creating ‘a generation on the scrap heap’ On any given day, Poppy Blackman is engaged in the “soul-crushing” process of applying for a new job, and rarely ever hearing anything back. The 22-year-old has been unemployed since January 2025 and says she applies to an average of 50 roles a month, using one of four different CVs she has written for different types of jobs and sectors. Continue reading...

Hamdan Ballal says violence on West Bank as bad as ever, nearly a year after his Oscar-winning film shocked the world The co-director of the Oscar-winning No Other Land has said his home and family have come under renewed attack, almost a year after the documentary on Israeli settler and army violence in the West Bank received an Academy Award. Hamdan Ballal said a group of settlers who had conducted a long-running campaign of harassment against Palestinian villagers came on Sunday to his home in Susya, in the Masafer Yatta area on the southern edge of the West Bank. Continue reading...

Kia Forum, Los Angeles Grammy-winning Bronx rapper electrifies LA with pugnacious lyrics and vivid set pieces on her first arena tour As anticipation mounts in Los Angeles’s Kia Forum for the first of Cardi B’s first of two sold out shows at the arena, the rapper plays an extended visual depicting a murder of crows. The image nods to the cover of her latest studio release, 2025’s score-settling Am I the Drama?, in which the birds surround the rapper behind a storm-laced sky ready to burst. The reference is intentional: crows are whip-smart, cunning and capable of clinging to deeply held grudges for decades. Cardi’s arrival on stage tonight further underscores the ominous feeling; she appears with a long shadow behind her as a slice of album opener Dead plays: “I’m collecting body bags like they purses / I don’t even rap no more, I drive hearses.” She emerges in a haute couture trench coat resembling battle armor and with a shock of white in her dark hair, like Cruella de Vil if she’d grown up in the Bronx. Cardi then launches into braggadocious Hello with pyrotechnics and smoke effects, the message clear: when someone crosses her, she doesn’t just want to embarrass them. She wants them in the ground. Continue reading...

More women in toxic relationships take their own lives than are killed by an abusive partner. Perpetrators of abuse must be properly held accountable Hours before she hanged herself in 2023, Katie Madden spoke on the telephone with her abusive former partner, Jonathon Russell, who had been banned from contacting her after an alleged assault. After hearing testimony at the inquest into her death, the coroner cited Ms Madden’s long, toxic relationship with Mr Russell as a contributory factor in her suicide. But there has been no criminal investigation into her death. As our reporting this week has highlighted, this is a tragic but far too familiar story. The Domestic Homicide Project, a programme led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, recorded 98 such suspected suicides following domestic abuse in 2024, compared with 80 cases where victims were killed by their partners. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Labour can justify local government reform. It cannot justify delaying elections. Tweaking maps won’t enrage voters; stagnant pay and broken services will Being forced to abandon plans to delay local elections in England with fewer than three months’ notice is not just another policy U-turn by the government. It brings to a head issues of aptitude and judgment. The rationale seemed sound: avoid electing councillors to bodies that would be abolished under Labour’s reorganisation of local government. The political problem was that 21 of the 30 councils were Labour-led. That created a perception – fair or not – of democratic manipulation. The elections should have gone ahead. The Electoral Commission last December warned of “unprecedented” uncertainty around them. The commission was clear: “Scheduled elections should as a rule go ahead as planned, and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances.” Changing course late in the day puts their smooth running at risk and piles pressure on staff. In defending their decision last month before retreating on Monday, ministers look unprepared and out of their depth. Even worse, Labour reverse-ferreted after a legal challenge from Nigel Farage. He has taken to the airwaves to crow. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

The annual mass event in Ashbourne, Derbyshire is centuries old and has minimal rules except that competitors must come from one side or the other of a brook that runs through the town Continue reading...

⚽ Champions League updates from the first-leg matches ⚽ Live scores | Follow us over on Bluesky | And email Scott The early kick-off at the Ali Sami Yen in Istanbul has reached the halfway mark. Gabriel Sara gave the hosts the lead on 15 minutes, slotting into the bottom left from the edge of the box. But Juve hit back immediately, Teun Koopmeiners slotting from close range after Uğurcan Çakır parried Pierre Kalulu’s header. Koopmeiners then completed the turnaround on 32 minutes with an absolute pearler, one-twoing into space down the middle with Weston McKennie, before roofing from distance into the top-left corner. Roland Sallai missed a good chance to equalise for Gala just before the break. So that’s been eventful. The big game of the evening is undoubtedly Benfica v Real Madrid. The absurd Keith Houchen-channeling antics of Anatoliy Trubin have seen to that … Continue reading...

Official rules say government should keep gifts worth more than £140 unless ministers pay the value over that limit Keir Starmer has bought a pair of personalised silver cufflinks which were given to him by Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, according to the latest transparency records. The cufflinks, which were worth more than £140, were an official gift from the Trumps during the US president’s second state visit last September. They were the second gift from Trump that Starmer has chosen to buy, having paid for a personalised necklace last year. Continue reading...

Top dozen horses for Aintree all rated 160 or above I Am Maximus is top weight above Nick Rockett The unveiling of the weights for the 2026 Grand National started with a montage of clips from 50 years ago, when the world’s most famous steeplechase was at its lowest ebb, the crowd had dipped below 10,000 and the track was odds-on to be sold off for housing. It was, as Ruby Walsh pointed out on the voiceover, a reminder of how the National has been revived and transformed. A glance back no further than the 2011 Grand National, however, also offers clear evidence of how much the great race has changed, even in the space of 15 years. The field, of course, is now down to a maximum of 34, rather than the 40 runners that we all grew up with, but it is the depth of quality in the names, ratings and weights that were published on Tuesday that stands out. Continue reading...

Stephen Wright branded allegations he ordered blagging ‘absolute cobblers’ and says it had devastated him A former Daily Mail reporter said allegations that he ordered a private investigator to deceive Stephen Lawrence’s mother were “absolute cobblers” and had “completely devastated” him. Stephen Wright helped lead the newspaper’s long-running campaign over the murder of 18-year-old Lawrence, who was killed in 1993. He is one of the journalists now accused of tasking private investigators to use unlawful methods to secure stories. Continue reading...

Driver reportedly checked with base and was told to continue when GPS directed van on to Essex mudflats People thought they were looking at an AI image: an Amazon van half-submerged at the mouth of the Thames estuary where it meets the North Sea. “I thought someone had just knocked up a photograph,” says local guide Kevin Brown about first seeing it online. It turned out the image was genuine, and it proliferated. There was something delightfully primordial about it – such a dominant sight of modern street life, just out there on the mud, vulnerable and surrounded by nothingness. Banter followed, images of an Amazon package floating in sea water: Amazon has made your delivery. Yet you couldn’t help but feel for the driver, who seemed to have descended on to the Essex mudflats in the darkness of Valentine’s Day in some kind of panic. They were attempting to access the Ministry of Defence-owned Foulness island, and the usual entrance via a road bridge was closed for the evening. Their valiant mission to ensure the delivery was still made was thwarted after the concrete access road on to an ancient tidal byway known as the Broomway – claimed as the country’s most dangerous path, no less – broke up until it was nothing but gloop. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ICE more than tripled the amount of data stored in Microsoft’s cloud at the same time that its arsenal of surveillance technology ballooned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deepened its reliance on Microsoft’s cloud technology last year as the agency ramped up arrest and deportation operations, leaked documents reveal. ICE more than tripled the amount of data it stored in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform in the six months leading up to January 2026, a period in which the agency’s budget swelled and its workforce rapidly expanded, according to the files. Continue reading...

Prof Michael Wooldridge says scenario such as deadly self-driving car update or AI hack could destroy global interest The race to get artificial intelligence to market has raised the risk of a Hindenburg-style disaster that shatters global confidence in the technology, a leading researcher has warned. Michael Wooldridge, a professor of AI at Oxford University, said the danger arose from the immense commercial pressures that technology firms were under to release new AI tools, with companies desperate to win customers before the products’ capabilities and potential flaws are fully understood. Continue reading...