February 2026

People smuggler who transported hundreds of illegal migrants to UK jailed

A prolific people smuggler who transported hundreds of illegal migrants to the UK has been jailed, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Ali Omar Karim, 47, who smuggled people via small boats and HGVs, was jailed for eight years and seven months on Wednesday at Maidstone Crown Court. Officers identified him after a yacht ran

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Kim Jong Un warns North Korea could ‘completely destroy’ South if threatened

North Korea’s leader has warned his country could “initiate arbitrary action” and “completely destroy” South Korea if its security was threatened. Kim Jong-un added that South Korea’s “complete collapse cannot be ruled out”. The remarks appear to be Mr Kim’s most direct warnings against Seoul and were reported by state media KCNA on Thursday. North

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Most misspelt words revealed in new study of nearly a million school kids

Some of the trickiest words to spell are “February”, “definitely” and “mischievous”, according to tests carried out by nearly a million children. New research revealed that spelling mistakes in classrooms are not random blunders; they follow clear and predictable patterns. From writing “Febuary” to mixing up vowel-heavy words like “convenience” and “indefinite”, many schoolchildren are

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Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction quashed but he remains in jail in China

British pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai has been cleared of fraud charges. He will remain in prison after being sentenced to 20 years under China’s national security law earlier this month. Lai, 78, a prominent critic of China’s ruling Communist Party, was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in 2022 after being found

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UK weather: Temperatures to drop after hottest day of year – but ‘explosion of colour’ to come

The UK could be set for an “explosion of colour” as warmer conditions bring flowers rapidly into bloom over the next two weeks – but not before temperatures drop following the hottest day of the year so far. Temperatures at Kew Gardens in London reached 18.6C on Wednesday – the hottest February day since 2019

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Met Police apologises to Commons Speaker over Lord Mandelson tip-off

The Metropolitan Police has apologised to the Commons Speaker for revealing he was the source of a tip-off relating to the arrest of Lord Mandelson. The force said it had “inadvertently” revealed information about why the ex-business secretary had been taken into custody on Monday. Lawyers for Lord Mandelson had claimed the arrest was due

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EU not doing enough to stop Russian shadow fleet, European Parliament president says

European countries are continuing to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying oil and gas, the president of the European Parliament has admitted. Speaking to The World With Yalda Hakim on Sky News, Roberta Metsola described the situation as “unacceptable”. Ukraine war – follow latest updates She also acknowledged the EU is not doing enough

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‘It’s tense here’: Jerusalem braces for prospect of war in the Middle East

In the Old City of Jerusalem, Mohammed Liftawi is sitting on his chair and waiting for something to happen. He runs two shops, packed with clothes, bedding, jewellery, souvenirs and ornaments, and he hasn’t sold anything for days. The tourists who should be thronging these streets aren’t here. Mohammed Liftawi (R), who runs two shops,

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