Palestine Action defendants acquitted of aggravated burglary over arms factory raidAs the verdicts were being read, the defendants held hands and embraced in the dock, as families and supporters cheered and wept. The jury did not convict defendants Head, Corner and Kamio of violent disorder and acquitted Devlin, Rogers and Rajwani of the same charge. The jury was also hung on charges of criminal damage - despite five of the defendants admitting to destroying weapons and equipment belonging to Elbit Systems during the break-in. Additionally, jurors did not return a verdict on the charge faced by Corner of grievous bodily harm with intent for striking a police officer with a sledgehammer. The six defendants have been held for around 18 months on remand- exceeding standard UK custodial time limits.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/breaking-palestine-action-defendants-acquitted-aggravated-burglaryLabour MPs voice ‘cover-up’ fears as Sir Keir admits he knew of Mandelson's Epstein links before making him ambassadorBack-bench MPs voiced opposition today to Sir Keir’s bid to withhold some papers related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment. The Tories used a Commons motion to demand the release of all papers related to the decision. The PM’s amendment proposed to withhold some “papers prejudicial to UK national security or international relations.” John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, argued that the amendment could lead to a cover-up.
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-mps-voice-cover-fears-sir-keir-admits-he-knew-mandelsons-epstein-links-making-himStrikes and protests on the rise as Germany’s hospital sector faces growing crisisAt university hospitals, nurses, laboratory workers, administrative staff and other employees are demanding higher wages and an improvement in their catastrophic working conditions. Despite the enormous burdens to which staff are exposed and the fact that recent contracts were synonymous with cuts in real wages, Verdi has decided to enter negotiations with a demand that is far too low.
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/02/04/rfkh-f04.htmlPakistan prepares for national strike in defense of democratic rights, and for release of Imran KhanOn Sunday, February 8, Pakistan will observe a rare national strike in opposition to the policies of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and to demand the immediate release of former prime minister Imran Khan. The strike is called by Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (Movement for the Protection of the Constitution of Pakistan or TTAP), an alliance of various parties led by the country’s main opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). The strike will coincide with the second anniversary of the 2024 National Assembly elections which PTI and others claim were rigged against PTI.
https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/02/04/pakistan-prepares-for-national-strike-in-defense-of-democratic-rights-and-for-release-of-imran-khan/Australian universities to be graded on how well they deal with protests under antisemitism report cardUniversities will be graded on how well they “deal with” protests, encampments and the display of flags as part of a controversial antisemitism report card system adopted by the Albanese government after the Bondi terror attack, according to documents seen by Guardian Australia. The antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, devised the report card system as part of a wide-ranging plan handed down to the federal government last July to combat antisemitism, which also proposed withholding government funding from universities that “facilitate, enable or fail to act against antisemitism”.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/05/australian-universities-protests-antisemitism-grade-systemBunnings wins appeal over use of facial recognition technology to fight crimeOn Wednesday, the Administrative Review Tribunal found that Bunnings could bypass asking customers for consent to be filmed for the specific purpose of combatting retail crime and protecting staff and customers from violence and intimidation. “A permitted general situation existed in relation to the collection of information by Bunnings,” the tribunal’s guidance and appeals panel found.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/bunnings-wins-appeal-over-use-of-facial-recognition-technology-to-fight-crime-20260205-p5nzr2.htmlhttps://archive.ph/JiUTcMoscow confirms Russian forces helped repel ISIL attack on Niger airportNiger’s governing military earlier said that “Russian partners” had helped to fend off the rare assault on the capital, which saw 20 attackers, including a French national, killed and four army soldiers wounded. At least 11 fighters were also captured, Niger’s state television reported.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/3/moscow-confirms-russian-forces-helped-repel-isil-attack-on-niger-airporthttps://archive.ph/7ozLrSudan paramilitary advances near Ethiopia borderControl over Sudan's southeastern Blue Nile State, bordering both Ethiopia and South Sudan, is split between the army and a faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, allies of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. In a statement released Tuesday, the SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, said they had "liberated the strategic city of Deim Mansour and areas of Bashir Nuqu and Khor al-Budi".
https://www.newarab.com/news/sudan-paramilitary-advances-near-ethiopia-borderColombian and Ecuadorian merchants and truckers protest escalating trade war between both nationsProtesters called for their governments to eliminate 30% tariffs on dozens of goods, warning the levies will hurt the economy of border provinces and affect energy companies on both sides of the border. Tariffs “generate crises, they don’t help the economy,” said Carlos Bastidas, president of an Ecuadorian transportation workers association. “With this protest we are hoping that both presidents eliminate those measures” and establish mechanisms for dialogue, he added.
https://apnews.com/article/ecuador-colombia-trade-war-protests-border-0b0b1c61a5bc60148d88a28005079babColombia’s paramilitary successors suspend peace talksThe EGC is the main successor of the now-defunct paramilitary organization AUC and is estimated to have almost 10,000 members and believed to be heavily involved in organized crime activity like drug trafficking and illegal mining. Particularly in the Caribbean region and the northwestern Antioquia and Choco provinces, the organization is believed to have coopted local law enforcement and municipal administrations.
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-paramilitary-successors-suspend-peace-talks/