UK and China sign agreements in landmark visit
Keir Starmer has concluded a landmark bilateral meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking the first visit by a British prime minister to China in eight years. The talks, held at the Great Hall of the People, signal a renewed phase of engagement between the UK and China at a time of global economic fragility and geopolitical tension. Starmer described China as a vital global player and spoke of the need for a more mature and sophisticated relationship, while President Xi emphasised long-term partnership and the importance of rising above differences. Discussions covered trade, services, education, healthcare, artificial intelligence, climate change and irregular migration. A series of cooperation agreements were signed, including progress towards visa-free travel for short-term UK visitors and a feasibility study on trade in services. While human rights concerns remain sensitive, the Government argues that constructive engagement, rather than isolation, offers the best route to economic growth, international stability and influence on the global stage.
Royal Navy monitors suspected Russian spy ship just two miles from coast
The Royal Navy has closely monitored a Russian cargo vessel after it spent around fourteen hours stationary above sensitive undersea data cables in the Bristol Channel, just two miles from Minehead. The ship, Sinegorsk, arrived late at night and anchored near multiple telecommunications cables linking the UK with the USA, Canada, Spain,. and Portugal. The vessel’s last recorded port was Arkhangelsk, a key base for the Russian Navy’s northern fleet. Surveillance aircraft and a helicopter were deployed, after which the ship departed westwards. While MoD sources suggested the stop may have been due to poor weather, politicians and security experts described the behaviour as suspicious, given previous incidents involving Russian interference with undersea infrastructure. The episode has renewed concerns over the vulnerability of critical national communications and the ongoing security challenges facing the UK amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
Union threatens Labour after Andy Burnham blocked from by-election
Fresh divisions have emerged within the Labour party after the decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in a parliamentary by-election in Greater Manchester. The move, approved by Labour’s National Executive Committee, has triggered a strong backlash from MPs, party activists and trade unions. Unison general secretary Andrea Egan warned Keir Starmer that the party risked damaging itself through excessive central control and intolerance of internal dissent. Writing publicly, she accused the leadership of factionalism and called for a radical change in direction to prevent further electoral losses. More than fifty Labour MPs from across the party have expressed concern, with local activists also demanding the decision be reversed. Critics argue the move undermines democratic accountability and weakens Labour’s position in a once-safe seat now vulnerable to Reform UK and the Greens. Breaking news: Andy Burnham has said he will accept the Labour decision even though it was hard to take. See
London: three grim days see stabbings, murder investigation, shooting, collisions
A series of violent incidents across London in late January has left communities shaken, with multiple stabbings, a confirmed murder, a shooting and several serious road collisions reported within three days. Among the most distressing cases are a 10-year-old boy fighting for his life after being struck by a car in Stanmore, and a 17-year-old stabbed in a south London park. Police have also charged a man with the murder of a 58-year-old woman in Ilford, while other knife and gun attacks remain under investigation, with some suspects still at large. The incidents highlight the persistent human cost of violence in the capital, even though recent data suggest that overall homicide and knife crime levels have declined in recent years. Faith leaders and community campaigners stress that reductions in violence are the result of sustained grassroots engagement, mentoring, policing measures and legislative change. However, these events underline the need for continued vigilance, compassion and prevention.
Gang jailed over guns and £288m drug operation
Four members of an organised crime gang have been jailed following the discovery of a vast firearms and drugs operation based in Wigan. Police uncovered an industrial-scale tablet manufacturing set-up capable of producing tens of thousands of counterfeit drugs per hour, alongside viable firearms and ammunition. The investigation was triggered by intelligence from encrypted messaging platforms used by criminals. Millions of tablets were seized from properties, a shipping container, and a hired van, with estimated street values ranging from £57.6 million to £288 million. Officers also uncovered efforts to disguise the criminal enterprise behind a fake business selling tablet machinery. Detectives said the combination of mass drug production and access to deadly weapons posed a serious threat to communities locally and nationally. The sentences, totalling nearly fifty years, underline the determination of law enforcement to disrupt organised crime networks and protect the public from exploitation, addiction and violence.
Russia: new report estimates over one million casualties in Ukraine war
A new report from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimates that around 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded or gone missing since the invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. Despite this enormous human cost, Russia has expanded its control of Ukrainian territory by only about 12%: in the past two years, only by 1.5%. The statistics challenge assertions that a Russian victory is inevitable, noting that Ukraine’s defensive strategy of trenches, mines, obstacles, drones and artillery has limited Russian advances to minimal gains. Mark Rutte has said that in December alone Russia lost 30,000 soldiers (in Afghanistan, they lost 20,000 in ten years). The toll far exceeds Russia’s losses in all its post–World War II conflicts combined. Economically, the war has weakened Russia’s long-term prospects, slowing growth, deepening labour shortages. The war is burdening the not only the current Russian economy but its future prospects, the report says: the country ‘is becoming a second- or third-rate economic power’. Yet Putin is unlikely to settle for a peace deal without further Western pressure on his regime.
Russia: the Arctic is both opportunity and threat for Putin
The Arctic occupies a central place in Vladimir Putin’s strategic thinking, combining vast natural resources with critical military importance. Russia controls more than half of the Arctic coastline and sees the Northern Sea route as a future rival to the Suez Canal, especially as melting ice opens new shipping lanes. Western sanctions since the invasion of Ukraine have increased Moscow’s reliance on Arctic energy exports and on China as an investor and customer. At the same time, climate change threatens Arctic infrastructure built on thawing permafrost, raising risks of environmental disasters and disease. Militarily, the region underpins Russia’s nuclear deterrent, with key submarine bases on the Kola Peninsula protected by layered defences. Yet NATO’s growing presence and China’s expanding role complicate Putin’s ambitions. The Arctic promises power and prestige, but it is also increasingly unstable and contested.
Iran / USA: possible scenarios if Trump decides to attack
As Donald Trump warns Iran that ‘time is running out’ for a nuclear deal (see ), and with US forces reportedly preparing for strikes on Iran within days, the consequences are far from clear. Limited ‘surgical’ attacks could hit Revolutionary Guard facilities, missile sites and nuclear infrastructure, but hopes for a rapid transition to democracy look highly optimistic, given past interventions elsewhere. Another scenario is the regime surviving but moderating its behaviour, though Iran’s leaders have historically resisted change. Many observers fear a collapse followed by hard-line military rule, or worse, nationwide chaos and conflict involving ethnic minorities. Iran has vowed retaliation, which could take the form of missile and drone attacks on US bases or warships, or mining the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital shipping ‘chokepoint’, especially for global oil and LNG. Iran’s Arab neighbours, all US allies, are understandably jittery that Iran could attack them. The most dangerous scenario is escalation into a wider war with no clear end-state and severe regional and economic fallout.
Minneapolis: continuing protests and criticism over federal crackdown
Two agents have been placed on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, in Minneapolis on 24 January. The killing has sparked protests, national outrage, and calls for accountability within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Initial official claims that Pretti was brandishing a gun have been questioned after video analysis found no weapon visible. A preliminary report states the shooting occurred during a physical struggle, contradicting earlier statements. The incident comes as protests continue over the federal immigration crackdown. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey has clashed publicly with Donald Trump over immigration enforcement and rhetoric, while another critic, Representative Ilhan Omar, who was attacked in a public meeting on 26 January, has blamed Trump for increases in threats against her. With tensions running high and investigations continue, lawmakers are considering impeachment proceedings and removing funding for DHS in spending legislation which Congress must pass to keep the government from shutting down on 1 February. For an example of the heavy-handedness of the federal approach, see
Africa: climate change causing drought in the east, floods in the south
For reporter Haru Mutasa, covering climate change stories was not part of the plan, yet one assignment led relentlessly to another. A routine trip to Kenya’s Mandera County revealed a devastating drought along the Kenya–Somalia border. Dry riverbeds, starving camels and burned livestock graves told a grim story. Communities depended on infrequent water deliveries, sharing muddy water with animals. Pastoralists like Mohamed Hussein had lost most of their livestock, struggling to keep families alive. After leaving Kenya, Haru thought the story was over. Instead, heavy rains and floods swept across southern Africa. Soon she was deployed again, this time to Mozambique. In Maputo, neighbourhoods lay submerged in filthy floodwaters. Further south, highways had disappeared underwater and farmland had vanished beneath rising rivers. With dams upstream full, more flooding threatens. While the world looks elsewhere, these communities remain, facing a climate crisis that refuses to pause.