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Trump-Iran latest: Iranian president backs nuclear talks – but only if they are ‘free from threats’

Close'If we can't talk to Iran, bad things could happen' says Trump in latest threatIran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian says he has directed his foreign minister to pursue negotiations only if they are “free from threats” ahead of the first meeting with Donald Trump’s envoy in Turkey.
The comments called for “fair and equitable negotiations” on Iran's nuclear programme, and represent the first clear and direct sign from Tehran's leadership that it is open to talks.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is due to meet Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday for talks over a new nuclear deal. It would be the first meeting between senior US and Iranian officials since Tehran’s 12-day war with Israel and the US last June, which saw Washington bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump said late on Monday that the process of diplomatic negotiations with Iran was ongoing, even as he warned that “bad things” would happen if it failed.
The US president said the “biggest ..

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Don Lemon says a dozen agents were sent to arrest him even though he offered to turn himself in

Don Lemon said about a dozen federal agents came to his Los Angeles hotel to arrest him last week, even though his attorney had told authorities he would turn himself in to face federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.
Lemon told ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that sending the agents was a waste of resources because law enforcement wouldn't have had to dispatch agents to follow him if he had been allowed to surrender to authorities.
“I was walking up to the room and I pressed the elevator button, and then all of a sudden, I feel myself being jostled and and people trying to grab me and put me in handcuffs,” the independent journalist said Monday on the show on the show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
He asked the agents who they were and said they identified themselves. Lemon asked to see a warrant and was told they didn't have it. The agents then summoned an FBI agent to come in from ou..

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Rape trial begins for son of Norway’s crown princess in tense moment for royal family

Rape trial begins for son of Norway's crown princess in tense moment for royal family2 hours agoShareSavePaul KirbyEurope digital editor, Oslo district courtShareSaveNTB/AlamyMarius Borg Høiby was last pictured in January on the way to see his lawyer (file pic)A year and a half after Marius Borg Høiby was arrested by police over a violent episode at a woman's flat's in Oslo, the son of Norway's crown princess is going on trial in the biggest case to come to court here for years.
Høiby is accused of 38 charges including four counts of rape in one of the biggest cases in Norway for years.
The seven-week trial opens at Oslo district court on Tuesday against a backdrop of almost daily revelations surrounding him and his mother, Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
On the eve of the trial it emerged the 29-year-old had been detained again, in circumstances not unlike his initial arrest, on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.
As pol..

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Clintons agree to testify on Epstein as vote looms to hold them in contempt of Congress

Clintons agree to testify on Epstein as vote looms to hold them in contempt of Congress6 hours agoShareSaveSakshi VenkatramanShareSaveWatch: Why is no one being prosecuted over the Epstein files?Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, have agreed to testify in the congressional investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes days before a vote on whether to hold the couple in criminal contempt for refusing to appear before the House Oversight Committee after a months-long standoff.
Bill Clinton was acquainted with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has denied knowledge of his sex offending and says he cut off contact two decades ago.
It's unclear when the depositions will take place, but it will be the first time a former US president has testified to a congressional panel since Gerald Ford did so in 1983.
The House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, approved the measure to hold the Clintons in con..

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‘I have been further linked’ to Epstein: Ex-UK minister Peter Mandelson resigns from Labour Party

British envoy to US Peter Mandelson (AP file photo) Former British ambassador to the United States and former minister Peter Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday, saying he did not want to cause it “further embarrassment” after newly released US documents renewed scrutiny of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Mandelson, 72, had been removed as Britain’s ambassador to Washington last year over his association with Epstein. The latest documents, released on Friday by the US department of justice and reported by British media, allege that Epstein made several payments to Mandelson in the early 2000s.In a letter to Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley, Mandelson wrote: “Allegations which I believe to be false that he made financial payments to me 20 years ago, and of which I have no record or recollection, need investigating by me.”Budget 2026'Nothing for common man, Bengal': Mamata slams Centre's 'Humpty Dumpty' budgetUnion Budget ..

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Saudi Arabia suspends 1,800 Umrah travel agencies for poor service

Saudi Arabia Suspends 1,800 Umrah Travel Agencies Over Service Quality (Representative Image) In a significant regulatory crackdown, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced the suspension of contracts with 1,800 foreign travel agencies engaged in the Umrah pilgrimage sector after a performance review revealed serious shortcomings in service quality and compliance with approved standards. The move, announced on February 01, 2026, affects nearly one-third of the estimated 5,800 agencies operating across the globe but officials say that it will not disrupt services for pilgrims with existing visas or confirmed bookings.Why were the Hajj and Umrah travel contracts suspended by Saudi Arabia?
According to the Saudi Press Agency and ministry officials, the suspension came after a routine evaluation uncovered widespread deficiencies in service delivery and performance among many foreign Umrah operators. Budget 2026'Nothing for common man, Bengal': Mamata slams Centre&..

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Pete Davidson tackles Minnesota as new Trump-world character in SNL cold open

Former cast member Pete Davidson returned to Saturday Night Live to channel border czar Tom Homan for a cold open sketch rallying a group of federal immigration agents during a pep talk set in Minneapolis.
Davidson’s Homan quipped that it was “crazy” that he appeared to be the only “reasonable adult” present, while the bumbling agents around him — played by cast members — failed to grasp their mission.
The sketch for the 1,000th episode of the long-running series comes just days after President Donald Trump deployed Homan to Minnesota to help defuse tensions sparked by a surge of federal immigration officers who have carried out hundreds of arrests and several fatal shootings, sparking international outrage as the state emered as the epicenter of the president’s mass deportation campaign.
On Thursday, Homan — who previously served under former President Barack Obama — announced “massive changes” would be coming to Minneapolis after reaching an agreement with local and state officials t..

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky says more peace talks confirmed as Moscow’s temporary ceasefire ends today

Close'Evil must stop’: Zelenskyy mourns latest Russian attack on miners as he confirms next diplomatic talks in UAEUkraine, Russia, and America are set to hold the second round of trilateral talks this week to discuss a US-drafted plan to end the war on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The talks were earlier scheduled to take place on Sunday but no reason has been provided from either side for the delay. Zelensky said Ukraine is “interested in ensuring that the outcome brings us closer to a real and dignified end to the war”.
“The dates for the next trilateral meetings have been set – February 4 and 5 in Abu Dhabi,” Zelensky said. Officials from Russia and the US are yet to confirm the new dates.
Just hours later, a Russian drone strike killed at least 12 people after it hit a bus carrying mineworkers in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Sunday.
At least another seven mineworkers who were returning from their shift were injured in the attack, which also sparked a fire that was late..

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Hong Kong to formulate first 5-year plan to align with national blueprint

AdvertisementHong Kong politicsHong KongPoliticsHong Kong to formulate first 5-year plan to align with national blueprintTask force led by Chief Executive John Lee will formulate plan, which one expert says signals greater government role in city’s development
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMatthew ChengPublished: 3:20pm, 2 Feb 2026Updated: 3:46pm, 2 Feb 2026A new task force led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will formulate Hong Kong’s first five-year blueprint to align with China’s 15th five-year plan, with a political analyst saying the move signals greater government involvement in shaping the city’s development.
Lee also said on Monday that he would prioritise visits to Eastern Europe and Central Asia to explore new markets for local businesses, stressing the need to “avoid putting all eggs in one basket” and mitigate risk amid geopolitical tensions.
In an interview with the media, the city leader said that he would lead an interdepartmental task force to align Ho..

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Costa Rica elects tough-talking right-winger for president

AdvertisementAmericas and the CaribbeanWorldAmericasCosta Rica elects tough-talking right-winger for presidentLaura Fernandez, a protege and former chief of staff of the outgoing president, has pledged to continue his tough security policies
Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPAgence France-PressePublished: 3:06pm, 2 Feb 2026Right-wing political scientist Laura Fernandez won Costa Rica’s presidential election on Sunday by a landslide, after promising to crack down hard on rising violence linked to the cocaine trade.
Fernandez’s nearest rival, centre-right economist Alvaro Ramos, conceded defeat as results showed the ruling party far exceeding the threshold of 40 per cent needed to avoid a run-off.
With 81.24 per cent of polling stations counted, the political heir of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves had 48.94 per cent of the vote compared to 33.02 per cent for Ramos.
AdvertisementAs soon as the first results were announced, members of Fernandez’s Sovereign People’s party erupt..

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