UK considering significant increase to defence spending
The prime minister is considering meeting a 3% defence-spending target five years earlier than planned, the BBC learns.
Top Stories
The Papers: ‘Truth is antidote to Putin’s poison’ and ‘Europe sabotage campaign’
The aftermath following the UK saying Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny with a frog toxin continues to lead a number of today’s papers.
Ministers want to reform SEND – but they are treading very carefully
The government is expected to outline its plan to overhaul the complex system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England soon.
Cabinet secretary frontrunner previously spoken to about management style
Dame Antonia Romeo was found to have no case to answer over one complaint nine years ago.
America’s Next Top Model shaped reality TV, but should it ever have been made?
A new Netflix documentary will finally see Tyra Banks and her fellow judges address some of the most controversial scandals from the reality show.
Ex-church minister who admitted child sexual abuse to BBC still free years later
Robert Corfield, who admitted abusing a child to the BBC, was a minister in a shadowy church known as The Truth.
No free pass for internet platforms on child safety, Starmer says
The government announces a consultation on online safety, including on a possible social media ban for under-16s.
STONE AGE: Lab diamonds vs mined – how much does love cost?
The diamond sector enters 2026 battered by falling prices, shrinking retail demand and a surge in cheaper lab-grown stones. The industry’s response is to sell nation building, social impact and scarcity itself.
BUZZ KILLED OP-ED: Without the spectacle, Sona draws a smaller online crowd
It was a State of the Nation Address defined less by spectacle and more by technocratic continuity. The muted response to the speech may reflect a country settling into routine governance.
AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY: In the name of our father — Lukhanyo Calata’s devastating testimony to Khampepe Inquiry
South Africa is wedged between the past, the present and the future, which is why it is significant that in the week of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s well-received Sona, Lukhanyo Calata brought devastating unfinished business back into the spotlight.
The curious case of Chermiti in Rohl’s Rangers revolution
BBC Scotland looks at Youssef Chermiti’s impact for Rangers against Hearts and beyond.
RISING STARS: New generation of leaders reshapes the future of South African politics
Younger political leaders are reshaping South Africa’s landscape, ushering in fresh perspectives and dynamic reforms across government and local politics. Discover 15 trailblazers making a difference.
Ice and flood warnings for parts of UK as cool weather continues
More than 70 flood warnings have also been issued by the Environment Agency after heavy rain.
DNA found on glove appearing to match those in Nancy Guthrie suspect video
The FBI says it recovered the evidence sample from the glove, which was found in a field near the side of the road a few miles from Guthrie’s home
What is the dart frog toxin allegedly used to kill Alexei Navalny?
The toxin, epibatidine, can be found in frogs in the wild in South America or manufactured in a lab.
ACTIVIST SHOT: Zwelinzima Vavi demands justice following the assassination of Abahlali baseMjondolo leader
Zweli Mkhize’s assassination sparks fresh fears for Abahlali baseMjondolo leaders.
Condom crisis hits Milano Games on Valentine’s Day
MILAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Athletes at the Milano Cortina Games seem to have embraced Valentine’s week with their trademark Olympic intensity, racing through their free condom supply to leave dispensers empty before the big day itself.
Tunisian police detain opposition figure Olfa Hamdi at airport
TUNIS, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Tunisian police detained opposition figure Olfa Hamdi as she arrived at the country’s main airport on Sunday, local media reported, in the latest move against a critic of President Kais Saied.
US boards second tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean
The US accuses the Veronica III of violating a “quarantine” on oil shipments from Venezuela.
Very hot to extremely hot weather triggers severe fire danger warning in SA
Curious about what the skies hold? Discover the latest outlook for all nine provinces across South Africa this Monday, 16 February 2026.
VIDEO: Watch – Epstein records detail South Africa links
US Justice Department records detail Jeffrey Epstein’s links to South Africa, including references to business contacts and efforts to recruit South Africans staff and models. There is no indication that the business figures named were involved in wrongdoing. The files place South Africa within Epstein’s broader international network. Daily Maverick senior journalist Rebecca Davis explains.