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Fortnightly talks agreed with the EU to thrash out Brexit ‘reset’
Britain and Brussels have agreed to intensify negotiations over Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset amid concerns that key elements of the deal are still far from being finalised. Ministers are hoping to unveil a deal on food standards, youth mobility and energy co-operation at talks between Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, due to be held by the end of May. However, discussions at an official level have become bogged down over controversial issues such as genetically modified food, the role of European courts in policing the agreement and ongoing disagreements over a cap on youth mobility. On Monday, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Europe minister, met his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in London and the two agreed to hold fortnightly discussions in a bid to push the talks on at a political level and tackle key areas of difference between the two sides. The Times, February 2

Ukraine hails 'real results' after Musk restricts Russian Starlink use
Elon Musk's efforts to stop Russia from using Starlink satellites for drone attacks have "delivered real results", a Ukrainian official said. Praising the SpaceX founder as "a true champion of freedom and a true friend of the Ukrainian people", defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Musk had swiftly responded when he was told Russian drones with Starlink connectivity were operating in the country. The drones have been linked to a number of recent deadly attacks by Russia on Ukraine, including one on a moving passenger train which left six people dead. "Looks like the steps we took to stop the unauthorised use of Starlink by Russia have worked," Musk wrote on X. "Let us know if more needs to be done." Starlink satellites operated by SpaceX provide high-speed internet around the world. It has worked in Ukraine since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The Russian drones are difficult to shoot down, Fedorov said, as they fly at low altitudes, cannot be countered with electronic warfare, and are controlled by operators in real time from a distance. BBC news, February 2

SpaceX buys xAI in $1.25tn deal to unite crucial parts of Elon Musk’s empire
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has acquired xAI for $250bn, as the world’s richest man combines his two largest private ventures to pursue his ambition to win the AI race by developing data centres in space. SpaceX based the price for xAI on a recent $20bn funding round that valued the two-year-old start-up at $230bn, according to two people familiar with the matter. The deal valued the combined company at $1.25tn after Musk marked up the private valuation of SpaceX to $1tn, citing increases in revenue from its Starlink satellite broadband service, the people added. The rocket company was recently valued at $800bn in a secondary stock sale. SpaceX chief financial officer Bret Johnsen told investors on a call on Monday afternoon that shares in the combined entity would be priced at $527. Shares of xAI will be converted into SpaceX stock at an exchange rate of roughly seven to one. Financial Times, February 2

Ultra-processed foods should be treated more like cigarettes than food - study
Ultra-processed foods have more in common with cigarettes than with fruit or vegetables, and require far tighter regulation, according to a new report. UPFs and cigarettes are engineered to encourage addiction and consumption, researchers from three US universities said, pointing to the parallels in widespread health harms that link both. UPFs, which are widely available worldwide, are food products that have been industrially manufactured, often using emulsifiers or artificial colouring and flavours. The category includes soft drinks and packaged snacks such as crisps and biscuits. There are similarities in the production processes of UPFs and cigarettes, and in manufacturers’ efforts to optimise the “doses” of products and how quickly they act on reward pathways in the body, according to the paper from researchers at Harvard, the University of Michigan and Duke University. They draw on data from the fields of addiction science, nutrition and public health history to make their comparisons, published on 3 February in the healthcare journal the Milbank Quarterly. The Guardian, February 3

Britain unveils first national plan to curb ‘forever chemicals’ risks
Britain unveiled on Tuesday its first-ever plan to tackle "forever chemicals" and reduce the risks they pose to health and the environment. PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of some 10,000 human-manufactured chemicals used in everything from pizza boxes to cookware, to waterproof clothing. They take an extremely long time to break down - earning them their "forever" nickname - and instead build up in the environment. There is growing evidence their widespread use has created risks that "will likely remain for hundreds of years", according to the UK's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. It said in a statement the new government plan aims to "understand where these chemicals are coming from, how they spread and how to reduce public and environmental exposure". France 24, February 3

Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt reopens for limited number of Palestinians
Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a move that would allow a limited number of Palestinians to leave the enclave and let back in those who want to return after fleeing Israel's war in the enclave. The reopening of the Rafah border crossing will be limited, with Israel ​demanding security checks for Palestinians entering and exiting. An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction in the first day of the crossing’s operation. The official, involved in talks related to the implementation of ceasefire deal, spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave devastated Gaza via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. France 24, February 2

International law meant to limit effects of war at breaking point, study finds
An authoritative survey of 23-armed conflicts over the past 18 months has concluded that international law seeking to limit the effects of war is at breaking point, with more than 100,000 civilians killed, while torture and rape are committed with near impunity. The extensive study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights describes the deaths of 18,592 children in Gaza, growing civilian casualties in Ukraine and an “epidemic” of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such is the scale of violations, and the lack of consistent international efforts to prevent them, that the study, entitled War Watch, concludes that international humanitarian law is at “a critical breaking point”. Stuart Casey-Maslen, the lead author, said: “Atrocity crimes are being repeated because past ones were tolerated. Our actions - or inaction - will determine whether international humanitarian law vanishes altogether”. The Guardian, February 2

Right-wing populist set to win Costa Rica presidential vote
Laura Fernández, a right-wing populist who has promised to crack down on drug-related crime, was set for victory in Costa Rica’s presidential election, preliminary official results showed. Fernández, 39, a former minister and handpicked successor of outgoing president Rodrigo Chaves, won 48.5 per cent of the vote, clear of the 40 per cent threshold needed for victory, with results from 88 per cent of voting districts tallied, according to the Electoral Tribunal late on Sunday. Álvaro Ramos, a centrist economist and her nearest rival in a highly fragmented field of 20 rivals, garnered 33.3 per cent. About 30 per cent of voters abstained. Orlando Pérez, professor of political science at the University of North Texas in Dallas, said the presidential polls were “essentially a security election”. He said Ramos appeared to have performed well in urban areas, but Fernández had swept rural areas. Financial Times, February 2

French tech giant Capgemini to sell US subsidiary working for ICE
French technology giant Capgemini has announced it will sell its US subsidiary after its work locating people for immigration enforcement agency ICE sparked outrage. Capgemini has come under pressure from French lawmakers over a contract its subsidiary signed with ICE, amid international scrutiny over the methods used by the agency's agents in Minnesota. The fatal shooting of US citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis have sparked protests across the US and led to increased scrutiny of the agency. Capgemini Government Solutions has been under contract since 18 December to provide "skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations", public records show. Skip tracing services locate individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. Capgemini Government Solutions is set to be paid more than $4.8m (£3.5m) for its work tracing people for ICE, which is due to continue until 15 March, US government listings show. It is one of 13 contracts the subsidiary holds with ICE. BBC news, February 1

GSK looking at future cost savings and manufacturing changes
GSK is considering possible future cost savings and manufacturing changes in Europe as it looks to invest further in launching potential new blockbuster drugs. City analysts predict that GSK’s new chief executive could oversee a £1 billion efficiency programme in the FTSE 100 business. The company is due to post full-year results on Wednesday, the first from Luke Miels as chief executive. GSK is not expected to launch a formal cost-cutting drive in the short term, with the business deemed to be in good health. Instead, it is believed to be awaiting the readouts of forthcoming late-stage drug trials in oncology and on respiratory, immunology and inflammation, GSK’s focus areas, before deciding what changes to its manufacturing footprint and workforce are needed. Further successful trial results could lead to GSK rejigging its manufacturing footprint to invest in new products and shift resources away from older legacy drugs. The Times, February 1