U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly pressed aides for "decisive" military options against Iran as the U.S. deployed additional military assets to the Middle East,with Iran warning that it would treat any attack as "an all-out war," eight nations agreed to join Trump's "Board of Peace," though the U.K. declined,and Israel demolished the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees' headquarters in East Jerusalem.This comes as the Syrian Democratic Forces withdrew from the al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, which houses approximately 24,000 people with suspected Islamic State group ties, government forces retook the Democratic Republic of Congo's Uvira following the withdrawal of M23 rebels,and Kaduna State officials in Nigeria denied reports of mass kidnappings at Christian churches, calling them attempts to sow chaos.Meanwhile, delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. met in Abu Dhabi for the first trilateral meeting aimed at discussing a potential path toward peace negotiations,and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about resolving the Russia-Ukraine war, saying that only one issue remained unsolved.In other news, the U.S. reportedly moved to cut 200 NATO positions, representing an approximate halving of America's presence in NATO bodies,and the U.S. House rejected a resolution to block military action against Venezuela without congressional approval.

Addressing the World Economic Forum, Trump outlined his goal to pursue "immediate negotiations" to acquire Greenland,later announcing a "framework" agreement for a future deal,and the U.K. Labour government delayed a debate on implementing its Chagos Islands agreement after the U.S. president criticized the deal, citing it as one reason Greenland must be acquired.Meanwhile, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee called for elections in Venezuela, endorsing opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado, a report found that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has been tracking Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez since 2018,and a leaked recording captured Rodríguez claiming top officials faced a "cooperate or die" ultimatum during the seizure of Nicolás Maduro.This comes as Trump proposed a 200% tariff on French wine and champagne following reports that Paris wouldn't join his "Board of Peace," the European Parliament referred the Mercosur trade deal to the Court of Justice following a 334-324 vote,and the U.K. postponed local elections for 29 councils going through reorganization in England.Elsewhere, Bangladesh began campaigning for its first national election since the 2024 uprising that ousted Sheikh Hasina, Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council moved to oust Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé ahead of an election tentatively scheduled for August,and New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced general elections for Nov. 7, with voting to begin on Oct. 26.In similar developments, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved parliament for a snap election on Feb. 8, Tetsuya Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison for assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,and Togo extradited former Burkina Faso leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba to face coup charges.In other news, the U.K. approved plans for a Chinese "mega embassy" in London,and North Korea's Kim Jong Un publicly fired his vice premier for allegedly causing "unnecessary man-made confusion" at a factory.

A leaked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo reportedly allowed agents to forcibly enter homes with administrative warrants, ICE launched "Operation Catch of the Day" in Maine, targeting 1,400 illegal immigrants with criminal records,and the House passed a Department of Homeland Security funding bill approving approximately $10 billion for ICE.This comes as Vice President J.D. Vance visited Minneapolis amid escalating clashes over ICE operations in Minnesota, which saw mass protests and a statewide walkout,and the Justice Department subpoenaed several Minnesota officials as part of a probe into whether authorities have conspired to obstruct immigration agents.In other news, the Supreme Court heard arguments over Trump's bid to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook,and Lindsey Halligan stepped down as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after completing a 120-day appointment.Meanwhile, a judge blocked an attempt to appoint a special master to ensure the release of all Jeffrey Epstein files,and a House panel advanced contempt charges against Bill and Hillary Clinton for failing to appear for scheduled depositions regarding Epstein.In unrelated developments, Trump commuted the sentence of GOP Rep. Steve Womack's son, who was imprisoned on drug charges.In separate developments, Vance and his wife announced that they are expecting their fourth child.

Three leaders of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance went on trial on charges of incitement under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law,and a Filipina journalist was sentenced to 18 years in prison on terrorism charges.Meanwhile, the U.K. launched a consultation on restricting children's social media access, including a potential ban for users under 16, the U.S. announced a prohibition on using fetal tissue from elective abortions in NIH-supported research,and the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments challenging Hawaii's gun law that prohibits carrying firearms on private property without the owner's explicit permission.

Homicides in 35 major U.S. cities dropped 21% in 2025, reaching pre-pandemic lows,and Ghislaine Maxwell was scheduled to be deposed on Feb. 9 as part of the House Oversight Committee's probe into Epstein.Meanwhile, Mexico transferred 37 cartel members to U.S. custody to face federal charges ranging from narcoterrorism and drug trafficking to firearms offenses,and Australia passed new gun control laws following the Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people.

TikTok reached a deal for a new U.S.-based joint venture to avoid a nationwide ban,and Trump sued JPMorgan Chase for $5 billion, claiming the bank illegally closed his accounts for political reasons.This comes as Elon Musk polled his X followers on whether he should buy Ryanair, drawing nearly 900,000 responses,and Netflix revised its $72 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to an all-cash offer, seeking an advantage over a rival bid from Paramount Skydance.Meanwhile, Intel shares plunged 17% in a single day after the company issued weak revenue and profit guidance, AI startup Humans& raised $480 million in funding, valuing the company at $4.48 billion,and the Federal Trade Commission filed an appeal over the dismissal of its antitrust case against Meta.

Trump signed an order to ban large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries signed an open letter calling for higher taxes on the super-rich,and Oxfam reported that billionaire wealth reached a record $18.3 trillion in 2025, surging 16% in one year.Meanwhile, China's population fell by 3.4 million in 2025, with births dropping to the lowest level since 1949.Despite this demographic challenge, the country's economy grew 5% in 2025, meeting the government's official target.

The U.S. officially withdrew from the World Health Organization, completing a year-long exit process, a new study linked exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder in children,and U.S. measles cases surpassed 2,200 in 2025, marking the worst outbreak year since 2000.

Deadly landslides hit New Zealand following record-breaking rainfall.

Google announced new AI-powered educational tools for classrooms,and Anthropic released an updated Constitution for Claude AI, incorporating new principles on safety and transparency.Meanwhile, the U.K.'s home secretary proposed an AI-powered "panopticon" surveillance system to monitor high-risk offenders in real time,and the Gates Foundation and OpenAI launched a $50 million AI health initiative in Africa, with Rwanda serving as the pilot location.

An Austrian cow became the first documented bovine to use tools, using a stick to scratch hard-to-reach areas,and a study found that brain reward training before vaccination may boost antibody responses.

Over 18 million Yemenis were projected to face worsening food insecurity in 2026, marking the worst outlook since 2022.

A train derailment in Barcelona killed the driver and left at least 37 people injured, coming just days after a deadly head-on collision near Adamuz that claimed multiple lives.

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani died at the age of 93.