Gunmen kill more than 160 people in attacks on two west Nigeria villages

Local politician says armed men rounded up residents, bound their hands behind their backs and shot them
More than 160 people have been killed in two villages in western Nigeria in the country’s deadliest armed assaults this year, as communities reel from repeated and widespread acts of violence perpetrated by jihadists and other armed groups.
The death toll from Tuesday’s attacks in Woro and Nuku in Kwara state stood at 162 on Wednesday afternoon, according to Mohammed Omar Bio, a member of parliament representing the area.
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Ugandan opposition leader still in hiding as feud with president’s son escalates

Bobi Wine’s whereabouts unknown since he fled what he said was night raid on his home by police and military
Bobi Wine, Uganda’s most prominent opposition figure, remains in hiding nearly three weeks after a disputed election, as a high-stakes social media feud with the east African country’s military chief escalates.
Wine’s whereabouts have been unknown since 16 January, when he fled what he said was a night raid by the police and military on his home, leaving his family behind.
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Death of Nigerian singer after snakebite highlights crisis of ‘preventable’ fatalities

Ifunanya Nwangene died in hospital after being bitten in her Abuja home, raising questions about the availability of effective antivenoms
In a last message to her friends, Ifunanya Nwangene wrote: “Please come.”
The 26-year-old singer and former contestant on The Voice Nigeria had been bitten by a snake while asleep in her flat in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and was in hospital, anxiously awaiting treatment.
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Trump-led abuses amid ‘democratic recession’ put human rights in peril, HRW report says

Rights group says growing authoritarianism and abuses in US, Russia and China threaten global rules-based order
The world is in a “democratic recession” with almost three-quarters of the global population now living under autocratic rulers – levels not seen since the 1980s, according to a new report.
The system underpinning human rights was “in peril”, said Philippe Bolopion, executive director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), with a growing authoritarian wave becoming “the challenge of a generation”, he said.
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Handful of sick and wounded Palestinians allowed through Rafah crossing on first day

Numbers Israel permitted to enter Egypt after reopening border were far lower than expected following delays
A small number of sick and wounded Palestinians have begun crossing into Egypt to seek medical treatment after Israel permitted a limited reopening of the Palestinian territory’s Rafah border post as fragile diplomatic efforts to stabilise the conflict inch forward.
About 150 people were due to leave the territory on Monday, and 50 to enter it, according to Egyptian officials, more than 20 months after Israeli forces closed the crossing. However, by nightfall, Reuters reported that Israel had permitted 12 Palestinians to re-enter the territory, according to Palestinian and Egyptian sources. A further 38 had not cleared security and would wait on the Egyptian side of the crossing overnight, it said.
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Maduro’s alleged frontman Alex Saab reportedly captured in Caracas

FBI and Venezuela’s intelligence agency also reportedly arrest billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín at same address
A close and powerful associate of the deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has reportedly been detained during a joint operation by Venezuela’s intelligence agency and the FBI.
Alex Saab, a wealthy Colombian-Venezuelan businessman long considered Maduro’s frontman, was removed from his position in Venezuela’s government a fortnight after US forces captured his ally on 3 January. In the early hours of Wednesday, the 54-year-old was reportedly detained by members of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) at a luxury home in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
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Venezuela plan to turn notorious prison into cultural centre scrubs past horrors, critics say

The move is among several measures the acting president has touted since Maduro’s capture – yet critics say it erases Venezuela’s long history of repression
It was designed in the 1950s to be the world’s first “drive-through shopping centre”, a futuristic structure with more than than two miles of ramps looping past 300 shops, as well as cinemas, a hotel, a private club, a concert hall and a heliport.
But the building was never completed, and under the regimes of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, spaces envisioned as shops were turned into cells, and El Helicoide became Venezuela’s most notorious torture centre for political prisoners.
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The people betting on catastrophic world events – podcast

Prediction markets allow you to put money on everything from the US attacking Iran to Jesus returning. Saahil Desai explains their dizzying rise
In the early hours of 3 January, Donald Trump ordered a surprise attack on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to kidnap the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. Millions of Venezuelans’ lives were thrown into uncertainty. Politicians at home and abroad scrambled to respond. It seemed this was something no one had seen coming. Except one person did actually predict it.
In the hours before the attack, someone – and we have no way of knowing who – placed a series of bets that Donald Trump would oust Maduro on a prediction market platform, netting them nearly $500,000 when it happened. These platforms allow their users not just to bet on whoever’s going to win the Super Bowl, but also on world events. Heavily regulated under the Biden administration, these apps have enjoyed a huge boom in popularity since Trump came to power.
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Colombian president and Trump put aside insults for amicable White House meeting

Leaders had been trading hostile remarks for months but Gustavo Petro’s visit ended with warm words from US counterpart
After months of trading insults – from “sick man” and “drug trafficking leader” on one side, to “accomplice to genocide” with a “senile brain” on the other – the first meeting between Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro ended with pleasantries, autographs and a Maga cap.
The Colombian president was received by his US counterpart for a closed-door meeting at the White House, with no press access.
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Judge blocks Trump administration’s stripping of Haitians’ protected status

Up to 350,000 Haitians legally live and work in the US due to being granted temporary protected status
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from stripping temporary protected status from up to 350,000 Haitians, a status that allows them to legally live and work in the United States amid the turmoil in their homeland.
Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary stay that prevents Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, from implementing her decision to remove the status known as TPS, which was scheduled to expire on Tuesday.
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Be ‘prudent’ about supplying arms to Taiwan, Xi tells Trump in call

Taiwanese president says ties with Washington ‘rock solid’, hours after leaders of US and China share first call since November
In their first call since November, Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US president Donald Trump to be “prudent” about supplying arms to Taiwan, according to a readout of their call provided by China’s foreign ministry.
“President Xi emphasised that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” the readout said. “China must safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated. The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with prudence.”
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Green energy sector drove more than 90% of China’s investment growth last year, analysis finds

Industry bigger than all but seven world economies, and accounts for more than third of China’s economic growth
China’s clean energy industries drove more than 90% of the country’s investment growth last year, making the sectors bigger than all but seven of the world’s economies, a new analysis has shown.
For the second time in three years, the report showed the manufacture, installation and export of batteries, electric cars, solar, wind and related technologies accounted for more than a third of China’s economic growth.
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Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy becomes mascot for year of the horse in China

Mandarin transliteration of character’s name regarded as auspicious, prompting wave of memes and fan art
Draco Malfoy, one of Harry Potter’s most recognisable villains, has become an unlikely lunar new year icon across China, as fans embrace the character for the year of the horse.
In Mandarin, Malfoy’s name is transliterated as “mǎ ěr fú”. The first character means “horse” while the final character, “fú”, means “fortune” or “blessing” – a powerful symbol found across lunar new year celebrations.
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China to ban hidden car door handles on all EVs over crash safety concerns

Sleek car doors reduce vehicle drag but are prone to losing operability in the event of a crash, officials say
China will soon ban concealed door handles on electric vehicles (EVs), becoming the first country to do so after several deadly incidents triggered global scrutiny of the controversial design first popularised by Tesla.
According to regulations announced on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, cars sold in China will now be required to have a mechanical release on both the inside and outside of every door except the boot.
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Trump unveils $12bn critical minerals stockpile scheme in apparent move to counter China’s dominance

Other countries are expected to join Project Vault, which US president said would ensure that US businesses are ‘never harmed by any shortage’
Donald Trump has announced the creation of a critical mineral reserve worth nearly $12bn, a stockpile that could counter China’s ability to use its dominance of the hard-to-process metals as leverage in trade talks.
“Today we’re launching what will be known as Project Vault to ensure that American businesses and workers are never harmed by any shortage,” Trump said at the White House on Monday.
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WA work safety watchdog makes ‘initial enquiries’ after family who hired kayak and paddleboards washed out to sea

Resort where family was staying conducting a safety review after mother and two children found drifting in ocean

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WorkSafe WA is making ‘initial enquiries’ into the hotel that hired out a kayak and inflatable paddleboards to a family who was washed out to sea and later rescued.
The Appelbee family was on holiday in Quindalup, 200km (125 miles) south of Perth, when strong winds pushed their vessels offshore from Geographe Bay on Friday afternoon.
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Greens senator claims One Nation the party of ‘billionaires, not battlers’ – as it happened

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Terrorism charge laid over alleged attempted bombing at Invasion Day rally in Perth

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Wong says she understands there are many different views held over Herzog’s visit with some, including the Palestine Action Group, still planning to protest Herzog’s arrival in Sydney next week.
Asked whether those groups should be allowed to protest, Wong says:
We are a country, a democracy where we know people have differences of views, and I do understand very keenly that people have different views about this visit. There is a depth of feeling in different communities across Australia. We see that, we feel that. What I would ask people to recall is the context and circumstances of this visit and the purpose of it, which is to honour the victims of the antisemitic terror attack.
I really do understand the depth of feeling about this visit, the depth of feeling in the community about what we’ve seen in Gaza, which is why we’ve been so clear about working, we’re pressing for peace with others in the international community for civilians to be protected and for aid to flow.
We always consider legal advice in relation to our obligations. I’ve made the point. We have invited him.
I have said previously that Israel will be judged by the International Court of Justice on its compliance with the Genocide Convention. And I’ve also said previously that it must accept its responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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Capital gains tax discount to cost Australia $250bn over next decade with retirees and high-income earners to benefit most

Parliamentary Budget Office figures show top 1% of taxpayers will receive nearly 60% of the benefit this financial year

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Australia’s capital gains tax discount will cost nearly $250bn over the next decade, more than twice as much as the concession has cost in its entire 25-year history.
As the federal government considers scaling back the 50% discount to help first home buyers, new figures from the Parliamentary Budget Office show the discount has cost the budget $205bn in lost revenue since its introduction in 1999.
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‘Major failing’ in psychiatric care before Joel Cauchi stabbed six people at Bondi Junction, coroner finds

Cauchi, who lived with schizophrenia, killed six people in 2024 Westfield shopping centre stabbing before being shot dead by police inspector Amy Scott

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It was a “major failing” for Joel Cauchi’s former psychiatrist not to recognise he had relapsed in the lead-up to the Bondi Junction stabbings in 2024, a coroner has found.
The state coroner, Teresa O’Sullivan, handed down her findings in a 837-page report on Thursday, having delayed its release after the Bondi beach terror attack in December.
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South Australian anti-abortion activist posts image of aborted foetus she claims was taken at Townsville hospital

Joanna Howe says a ‘whistleblower’ sent her the image, which she says was taken inside the hospital’s room for grieving parents

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Townsville hospital is investigating an alleged privacy breach after anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe said a “whistleblower” had sent her an image containing distressing and sensitive abortion content.
Howe posted a video on social media that included a picture of a 16-week-old foetus that she said was taken inside the hospital’s Butterfly Room, a place for grieving parents, saying “Samuel” was “born alive” after an abortion.
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Ukraine, Russia agree to exchange prisoners after ‘productive’ talks with US – Europe live

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that the countries agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, with talks to continue in coming weeks
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff said that the US, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners in “the first such exchange in five months.”
He said:
“This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.”
“We may be, in the course of 2026, coming to a point where the whole thing becomes unsustainable, because so much of the Russian economy has been distorted so much by the building up of the war economy at the expense of the civil economy. I think defying the laws of economic gravity can only go on for so long.”
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Loss of life was avoidable in worst small boat disaster in Channel, inquiry finds

Cranston report highly critical of systemic failings and missed opportunities around deaths of more than 30 people
Loss of life was avoidable in the worst mass drowning from a small boat crossing in the Channel, a public inquiry has found.
The 454-page report by the former high court judge Sir Ross Cranston is highly critical of failings around the deaths of at least 24 men, seven women and two children in November 2021.
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Sanctions having ‘significant impact’ on Russian economy, says EU special envoy

Exclusive: David O’Sullivan says war-based economy may be nearing point of becoming ‘unsustainable’
Western sanctions are having a “significant impact” on the Russian economy, the EU’s sanctions envoy has said, ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
David O’Sullivan, a veteran Irish official, said sanctions were “not a silver bullet” and would always face circumvention, but insisted that after four years he was confident they were having an effect.
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Ukraine and Russia hold ‘productive’ first day of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi

Major obstacles to viable deal remain after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of violating energy truce
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have held a “productive” first round of US-led peace talks in Abu Dhabi, as Washington seeks a pathway to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
The two-day trilateral talks that are due to continue on Thursday come after Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of exploiting a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile weapons before launching a record number of ballistic missile attacks at Ukraine on Tuesday.
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EU deal on Ukraine loan could boost UK if it agrees to help pay costs

British firms could get more opportunities to supply defence equipment to Kyiv if agreement can be reached
The UK could reap greater benefits from a €90bn (£78bn) EU loan for Ukraine, if it agrees to help pay the cost of borrowing, after European countries signed off long-awaited financial aid for Kyiv.
British firms could have greater opportunities to supply defence equipment to Ukraine funded by the loan if the government agrees a “fair” contribution towards EU borrowing costs.
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US and Iran talks brought back from the brink after White House relents on move to Oman

Talks that had been scheduled in Turkey salvaged after Arab states convince White House not to walk away from negotiations
Talks between the US and Iran scheduled for Friday have been brought back from the brink of collapse after the US initially rejected Iran’s request to move them from Turkey to Oman without the presence of a group of Arab states.
Iran’s foreign minister said late on Wednesday that the talks would proceed in Oman after reports of a last-minute effort by Arab states to convince the White House not to walk away from negotiations.
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Mandelson’s links with US tech firm Palantir must be fully exposed, campaigners warn

Government faces call for transparency on former peer’s involvement amid fears he may have leaked more sensitive information
Peter Mandelson’s involvement with the US tech company Palantir must be exposed to full public transparency, campaigners have said, amid fears he may have leaked more sensitive information than is alleged in his emails to Jeffrey Epstein.
Palantir, a $300bn startup that provides military technology to the Israel Defense Forces and AI-powered deportation targeting for Donald Trump’s ICE units, has UK government contracts worth more than £500m. Global Counsel, a lobbying company Mandelson co-founded and part-owns, also works for Palantir.
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Florida bill seeks to ban use of ‘West Bank’ in schools and state agencies

The bill would mandate use of the biblical term ‘Judea and Samaria’ after a similar effort passed in Arkansas
Florida legislators are pushing to pass legislation that would ban the use of the term “West Bank” in K-12 public schools and state agencies, including public colleges and universities, and mandate use of the term “Judea and Samaria”.
The West Bank is the internationally recognized term for the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory west of the Jordan River that was seized from Jordan by Israel in 1967. The rightwing Israeli government refers to the area as “Judea and Samaria” in reference to the biblical kingdoms of ancient Israel as part of broader efforts to bolster historical and religious claims to the land. The international community, on the other hand, broadly recognizes the West Bank as occupied land that must be part of a future Palestinian state.
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Murdered son of Muammar Gaddafi was perceived as a threat to Libya’s elite

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, shot dead on Tuesday, appealed to ‘a nostalgia for a past that is remembered as more secure’
The assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, is a reminder of both how violent Libya remains more than 15 years after his father’s demise – and how much Saif had come to be perceived as a threat to Libya’s governing elite.
The loyalist Gaddafi green movement remained a potent gathering point for some Libyans nostalgic for a return to imagined past security that Saif’s father symbolised.
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Israeli strikes kill at least 21 in Gaza as Rafah patient crossings halted

Six children among dead as Israeli agency restricts evacuations two days after crossing to Egypt reopened
Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes have killed at least 21 people, including six children and seven women, in Gaza, and Israel has halted the evacuation of patients through the Rafah border crossing just two days after it reopened.
Among the casualties was a medic who rushed to the scene to assist the wounded and was killed by a second strike on the same location in the southern city of Khan Younis. Tents in al-Mawasi, an encampment of displaced people in Khan Younis, were shredded by the blasts.
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