Recent headlines highlight Saudi Arabia's deepening ties with Syria through new investments, Irish condemnation of US deportation flights to Israel, US pressure for a Ukraine-Russia peace deal by June amid continued Russian strikes on Ukraine's power grid, Trump's complex diplomacy with Iran involving nuclear talks and tariff threats, the UK threatening to seize Russia-linked tankers, and China overturning a Canadian's death sentence as a sign of diplomatic thaw.

• Saudis Announce New Investments in Syria, a Sign of Deepening Ties — New York Times World -
• Use of Irish airport for US deportation flights to Israel called ‘reprehensible’ — The Guardian -
• Zelenskyy says US has set June deadline for Ukraine-Russia peace deal — The Guardian -

• US wants Russia and Ukraine to end war by June, says Zelensky — BBC World -
• Trump Reverts to Diplomacy With Iran, but the Road Is Narrow — New York Times World -
• Post-Brexit sales of British farm products to EU fall by 37% — The Guardian -
• Russian Strikes Pummel Ukraine’s Power Grid — New York Times World -
• Trump’s Greenland Threats Rattle the Faroe Islands — New York Times World -
• Haiti Reaches ‘Full Crisis’ as Transition Government Expires — New York Times World -
• Trump threatens tariffs for countries trading with Iran — BBC World -
• Trump threatens tariffs for countries trading with Iran — BBC World -
• UK threatens to seize Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker in escalatory move — The Guardian -
• BBC Persian journalists say Iran monitoring them and targeting their families — The Guardian -
• China overturns death sentence of Canadian in sign of diplomatic thaw — The Guardian -
• Olympics Officials Signal Sanctions on Russia in Sports May End — New York Times World -
• China Reverses Death Sentence for Canadian in a Small Win for Carney — New York Times World -
• US and Iran say ‘good’ start made in talks over nuclear programme — The Guardian -
• Philippe Morillon, General Who Made Fateful Protection Promise, Dies at 90 — New York Times World -
• Trump Says Talks With Iran Were Good, but There’s More Work to Do — New York Times World -
• In Talks, Trump Won’t Allow Iran to Have Any Enriched Uranium — New York Times World -
• Can the US help Iran? What Iranians say - inside and outside the country — BBC World -
• Can the US help Iran? What Iranians say - inside and outside the country — BBC World -

Recent news covers a federal judge reversing Trump's freeze on a major NY-NJ tunnel project, Congressional outrage over cuts to lead pipe replacement funding, and various controversies surrounding Trump's housing policy, judicial nominees, and racist social media posts depicting the Obamas, alongside a new Florida law mandating English-only driving tests, and the Pentagon's decision to cut ties with Harvard over 'wokeness'.

• Federal judge reverses Trump’s freeze on $16bn for NY-NJ tunnel project — The Guardian -
• Outrage after US Congress votes to slash $125m in funding to replace toxic lead pipes — The Guardian -
• ‘An unqualified insurrectionist’: outcry over Trump nominee in Wyoming — The Guardian -

• Trump housing policy is a mess and it won’t fix the US housing crisis — The Guardian -
• ‘A harmful barrier’: new Florida law mandates all driving tests to be offered in English only — The Guardian -
• Trump says he approved sharing video with racist images of Obamas but claims he didn’t see part ‘that people don’t like’ - as it happened — The Guardian -
• Pentagon to cut ties with Harvard over ‘wokesters’, ending training, programs and fellowships — The Guardian -
• Trump refuses to apologize for video with racist imagery of Obamas posted on his social media — The Guardian -
• Trump says he 'didn't see' part of video with racist clip depicting Obamas as apes — BBC World -

This topic includes the shooting of a Russian General in Moscow, a deadly mosque bombing in Pakistan underscoring fragile security, the sentencing of a Colorado funeral home owner for horrific body abuse, continued revelations from Jeffrey Epstein's files exposing elite misconduct, and the ongoing police investigation into the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother.

• General shot in Moscow conscious after surgery, Russian media say — BBC World -
• A Mosque Bombing Undercuts Pakistan’s Bid for Security — New York Times World -
• The Epstein files reveal that a vast global conspiracy actually exists – sort of — The Guardian -

• Sex and snacks, but no seat at the table: the role of women in Epstein’s sordid men’s club — The Guardian -
• Russian general Vladimir Alekseyev in critical condition after Moscow shooting — The Guardian -
• Suicide Bombing Kills 31 at Mosque in Pakistan’s Capital — New York Times World -
• Police investigating new message in search for mother of Savannah Guthrie — BBC World -
• Police investigating new message in search for mother of Savannah Guthrie — BBC World -
• At the scene of deadly Pakistan mosque explosion — BBC World -
• Colorado funeral home owner sentenced to 40 years for abusing 189 bodies — The Guardian -
• Colorado funeral home director sentenced to 40 years for corpse abuse — BBC World -
• Russian General Is Shot in Latest Attack on a Top Military Leader in Moscow — New York Times World -
• What we still don't know about the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother — BBC World -
• More than 30 killed in blast at Pakistan mosque, officials say — BBC World -

News from the UK focuses on speculation surrounding Keir Starmer's leadership amidst a developing Mandelson scandal, accusations of hypocrisy over cuts to the World Food Programme, a Reform-run Kent council accused of fabricating net zero savings, the suspension of Lib Dem peer Chris Rennard over harassment claims, and concerns over a struck-off doctor still performing circumcisions and a school pupil charged with GBH.

• Starmer leadership speculation ‘serious’ but task ahead ‘very clear’, says Brown – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Reform-run Kent council accused of fabricating £40m net zero savings — The Guardian -
• Starmer accused of hypocrisy over sharp cuts to World Food Programme — The Guardian -

• Lib Dems suspend Chris Rennard amid new inquiry into sexual harassment claims — The Guardian -
• NHS doctor struck off over botched circumcision still performing operation — The Guardian -
• Milford Haven school pupil charged with GBH after teacher assaulted — The Guardian -
• Lib Dems urge FCA to investigate Peter Mandelson over potential insider trading — The Guardian -

News features thousands of Malawi businesses closing in protest over new tax changes, Portugal heading to the polls in an election where rivals unite against the far-right, and NSW police invoking special powers to restrict protests during the Israeli president's visit.

• Thousands of Malawi businesses close in protest over tax changes — The Guardian -
• Storm-battered Portugal heads to polls as rivals unite to keep out far right — The Guardian -
• Minns invokes special powers for NSW police to restrict protests during Israeli president’s visit — The Guardian -

Key developments include a "battle of the chatbots" as Anthropic and OpenAI clash over advertising, mathematicians' efforts to educate AI to solve complex problems, calls for tougher action on deepfake abuse as new laws come into force, and AI analysis casting doubt on the attribution of Van Eyck paintings.

• Battle of the chatbots: Anthropic and OpenAI go head-to-head over ads in their AI products — The Guardian -
• These Mathematicians Are Trying to Educate A.I. — New York Times World -
• Victims urge tougher action on deepfake abuse as new law comes into force — The Guardian -

• AI analysis casts doubt on Van Eyck paintings in Italian and US museums — The Guardian -

Headlines reveal a **South Korean crypto firm accidentally paying out $40bn in Bitcoin** (and recovering it), Monzo wrongly denying refunds to thousands of fraud victims, a surprising fall in UK pet insurance costs despite rising vet fees, concerns over the wealthy using loopholes to conceal Scottish land sales values, and **London flat dwellers fighting a shock £200,000 heating bill**.

• S Korean crypto firm accidentally pays out $40bn in bitcoin — BBC World -
• Monzo wrongly denied refunds to thousands of fraud and scam victims — The Guardian -
• Cost of UK pet insurance falls despite higher vet fees and inflation — The Guardian -

• Wealthy use loophole to conceal value of £300m in Scottish land sales — The Guardian -
• ‘Plainly wrong’: London flat dwellers fight shock £200,000 heating bill — The Guardian -

This section covers Winter Olympics news including the Canada-US hockey rivalry and JD Vance being booed (with NBC allegedly cutting the audio), a UK Supreme Court hearing interrupted by a podcast, the death of polar historian Roland Huntford, a **Rembrandt drawing raising $18m for big cat conservation, the surge of ebikes in Australia and related fines, and speculation about Bad Bunny's Super Bowl half-time show**.

• UK supreme court hearing interrupted by history podcast played from judge’s phone — The Guardian -
• Roland Huntford, Lore-Debunking Historian of Polar Exploration, Dies at 98 — New York Times World -
• Vanity Fair — New York Times World -

• At the Olympics, the Canada-U.S. Hockey Rivalry Heats Up — New York Times World -
• JD Vance Is Booed at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan — New York Times World -
• Zambian leader backs traditional Ghanaian outfit after online trolling — BBC World -
• Rembrandt lion drawing raises $18m for big cat conservation at US auction — The Guardian -
• US social media personality Sur Ronster fined after swarm of ebike riders converges on Sydney Harbour Bridge — The Guardian -
• NBC appears to cut crowd’s booing of JD Vance from Winter Olympics broadcast — The Guardian -
• How Is Security Different at These Olympic Games? — New York Times World -
• The retired Indian factory worker who built a library of two million books — BBC World -
• ‘Take them away, crush them’: Australia faces an ebike surge that some say poses a health emergency — The Guardian -
• From Hollywood to the homeland: Why African countries are courting black American stars — BBC World -
• Could Bad Bunny set off political fireworks at the Super Bowl half-time show? — BBC World -
• He has the world's biggest stage. What will Bad Bunny do with it? — BBC World -

News includes a death from the Nipah virus in Bangladesh, Cyclone Mitchell intensifying in Western Australia prompting warnings for coastal towns, and the successful re-establishment of the Bermuda snail population thought to be extinct.

• Bermuda snail thought to be extinct now thrives after a decade’s effort — The Guardian -
• Cyclone Mitchell intensifies as towns in north-west WA brace for winds, flooding — The Guardian -
• One person dead from Nipah virus in Bangladesh, WHO says — The Guardian -