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Wellington mystery light streak; Slovakia adviser quits over Epstein texts; China executes Myanmar-scam-linked crime clan; Trump teases Cuba talks as oil squeeze looms; Kendrick leads Grammy nods; UK rail line set for public takeover

Mystery light trail spotted over Wellington

A webcam at the Heretaunga Boating Club in Wellington captured a bright light trail streaking across the New Zealand skyline, because of course the sky also needs to be doing spontaneous content drops now.

Slovakia security adviser resigns after Epstein-linked messages emerge

Miroslav Lajčák, the Slovak prime minister’s national security adviser, resigned after newly released communications showed him discussing girls and diplomatic matters with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing says “national security” like chatting with a walking scandal in human form.

China executes 11 in Zhejiang crime clan tied to Myanmar scam hubs

China executed 11 members of the Ming family, a clan convicted in Zhejiang province of crimes including homicide, illegal detention, fraud, and running gambling operations linked to scam centres in Myanmar’s border town of Laukkaing. Their network collapsed in 2023 after ethnic militias seized the area and handed detainees to Chinese authorities. Beijing is selling the executions as deterrence, even as scam networks reportedly migrate toward Myanmar’s Thailand border and into Cambodia and Laos. The UN estimates hundreds of thousands have been trafficked into these operations across Southeast Asia.

Trump says US is “starting to talk to Cuba” while moving to cut oil supplies

Trump said the United States is “starting to talk to Cuba” as Washington moves to reduce Cuba’s oil supplies, offering no details on who spoke to whom, when, or whether anyone in the room had an actual plan. Classic diplomatic performance art.

Grammys preview, Kendrick Lamar leads nominations

The 68th annual Grammy Awards run Sunday, Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Kendrick Lamar leads with nine nominations, with Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff, and Cirkut at seven each. Trevor Noah hosts for a sixth and final time, and the performer list is stacked, because nothing says “music celebration” like a four-hour corporate pageant with a dress code.

FuelFest makes Middle East debut in Doha

FuelFest Qatar debuted in Doha, drawing more than 6,000 fans for car culture, music, and lifestyle programming as Qatar continues to expand its calendar with internationally recognized events.

On this day, the US Supreme Court opened with a near-empty bench

On Feb. 1, 1790, the US Supreme Court held its first session in New York City, but only three of six justices attended, leaving the court without a quorum. An inspirational origin story for every meeting that could have been an email.

Birthday roll call

Feb. 1 birthdays include actor Michael C. Hall turning 55 and actor Pauly Shore turning 58.

Justin Rose widens lead at Farmers Insurance Open

England’s Justin Rose extended his lead to six shots on Saturday at the Farmers Insurance Open, positioning himself for a potential 13th PGA Tour victory.

West Midlands Trains to move into public ownership

West Midlands Trains is being brought under state control, with services transferring to public ownership on 1 February, changing how the operator is run and what passengers can expect.

Ancient Roman home “La Casa dei Grifi” to open after a century

“La Casa dei Grifi,” among Rome’s oldest homes, discovered in 1912 and closed for more than a century, is set to open to the public in March after a preview visit ahead of the official opening.

Forensics identifies 1996 murder victim from bones found at beauty spot

Investigators identified remains found at a beauty spot as Tyrone France, known as “baby bear,” who was killed in 1996 after being lured under the guise of a drug deal.

Merz and Meloni push “competitiveness” plan for Europe

Friedrich Merz and Giorgia Meloni’s updated Italo-German Plan of Action calls for legislative restraint, simpler rules, and stronger regulation standards. The key test will be whether the Omnibus initiative and Better Regulation reform produce real changes, or just more premium-priced bureaucracy with a fresh label.

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