Independent News & People Network Desk of News

Ministers press Andrew to testify after second woman comes forward

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:36:33+00:00

Keir Starmer among those suggesting Mountbatten-Windsor should appear before Congress following allegations of sexual encounter at Royal LodgeA second woman has alleged that Jeffrey Epstein sent her to the UK to have a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, according to her lawyer, as UK government pressure on the former prince to testify before the US Congress mounted.The woman has claimed she spent the night at the former prince’s residence Royal Lodge in 2010, her US lawyer, Brad Edwards, told the BBC. The woman, who is not British, was in her 20s at the time, it was reported. Co

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Union Budget 2026: Fiscally conservative, with policy push for key sectors

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T16:30:34+00:00

In this post–Union Budget 2026–27 discussion, Poornima Joshi, Resident Editor, businessline, speaks with Editor Raghuvir Srinivasan on what makes the Union Budget 2026–27 distinctive.

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Health sector continues to remain neglected

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T16:27:54+00:00

Despite some interesting proposals, the allocations haven’t been hiked significantly. Schemes that serve public health have seen severe funding cuts

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A capex focus and a change in fiscal anchor

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T16:27:33+00:00

Budget’s capex focus and fiscal anchor changes to sustain economic growth and stability.

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Mandelson should testify before US Congress about his links to Epstein, UK minister says

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:21:21+00:00

Documents released by US justice department appear to show Epstein sent former US ambassador $75,000Lord Mandelson should testify before the US Congress about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, a government minister has said, as documents appeared to show the late child sex offender sent the former US ambassador $75,000.Emails and other documents released by the US justice department on Friday shed new light on the closeness of the relationship between Epstein and the former UK business secretary. Continue reading...

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Mandelson should testify in US Congress about Epstein links, UK minister says

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:21:21+00:00

Documents released in US appear to show the convicted child sex offender sent former US ambassador $75,000Peter Mandelson should testify before the US Congress about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, a government minister has said, as documents appeared to show the late child sex offender sent the former US ambassador $75,000.Emails and other documents released by the US justice department on Friday shed new light on the closeness of the relationship between Epstein and Lord Mandelson. Continue reading...

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Two TDS tweaks, less hassle

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T16:08:22+00:00

Depository route for declarations, online route for relief

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Likeness of restored angel to Giorgia Meloni triggers investigations in Rome

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:04:08+00:00

Cherub at landmark church causes ecclesiastical and political uproar with alleged resemblance to Italian PMItaly’s culture minister and the diocese of Rome have launched investigations after claims were made that an angel in a landmark church in Rome was restored in the likeness of the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.The resemblance was first flagged by the newspaper La Repubblica, who noted that one of the two angels flanking a marble bust of Italy’s last king in the Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina now had “a familiar, astonishingly contemporary face”. Continue reading...

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Ministers on lobbying blitz to avoid Labour rebellion over Send changes

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:00:32+00:00

Government has ‘learned lesson’ of botched welfare overhauls but MPs say they will not back cost-saving measuresMinisters have “learned the lesson” of botched welfare changes and are on a sustained lobbying blitz of Labour MPs over an overhaul of special educational needs, Labour MPs told the Guardian, as they said they would not back measures aimed at saving money.The changes will raise the bar at which children in England qualify for an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which legally entitles children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) to get support. Plans will be

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Florida Republicans advance bill to weaken vaccine protections for children

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T16:00:31+00:00

But effort fell short of state surgeon general’s promise to end Florida’s immunization mandates altogetherRepublicans advanced a bill in the Florida legislature this week to weaken vaccine protections for children, but it fell well short of state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo’s promise made last year to end immunization mandates.The proposed new law, introduced by Jacksonville state senator Clay Yarborough, and which narrowly passed the chamber’s health policy committee on Monday in a 6-4 vote, seeks only to expand exemptions for parents who do not want their school-age children vaccinated. Co

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En Australie, des parents d’élèves ont créé des filières francophones à l’école publique

Source: Le Monde - International · Published: 2026-02-01T16:00:15+00:00

« Darons d’ailleurs ». Deux fois par mois, un de nos journalistes à l’étranger explore la parentalité hors de nos frontières. Dix-sept établissements australiens proposent des enseignements bilingues franco-anglais, aux frais de scolarité maîtrisés. Une expérience lancée en 1995 à l’initiative de mères francophones.

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« Le Banquet », de Platon, censuré dans une université américaine : « Interdire d’étudier Platon, c’est contraindre une société à se méfier de ses propres questions »

Source: Le Monde - International · Published: 2026-02-01T16:00:12+00:00

Un professeur de philosophie d’une université texane a été contraint de supprimer de son cours l’œuvre du penseur grec. L’enseignant Pierre Reynaud revient, dans une tribune au « Monde », sur cette controverse et appelle la France à refuser l’importation des pratiques américaines dans ses universités.

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$2 trillion export goal within reach by 2032: Piyush Goyal

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T16:00:02+00:00

In an interview with businessline, the Minister highlighted the focus on labour-intensive sectors, boost to data centres and the services sector as well as a calibrated push for SEZ sales in the domestic market

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Betfred brothers top the UK’s biggest taxpayers list with £400m bill

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T15:55:46+00:00

Tim Martin makes Sunday Times Tax List top 10, paying £200m while Harry Styles is the highest-contributing celebritySir Tim Martin, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Erling Haaland and Mo Salah are among the UK’s 100 biggest taxpayers, according to new rankings.The billionaire brothers behind gambling giant Betfred, topped the Sunday Times 2026 Tax List. Fred and Peter Done paid £400.1m in tax, about half of which relates to gambling duty from their betting shop empire. Continue reading...

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Betfred brothers top list of UK’s biggest taxpayers with £400m bill

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T15:55:46+00:00

Harry Styles is highest-contributing celebrity and Erling Haaland the youngest entry in Sunday Times tax listTim Martin, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Erling Haaland and Mo Salah are among the UK’s 100 biggest taxpayers, according to new rankings.The billionaire brothers behind the gambling firm Betfred topped the Sunday Times 2026 tax List. Fred and Peter Done paid £400.1m in tax, about half of which relates to gambling duty from their betting shop empire. Continue reading...

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Melania film earns $8m in US, strongest documentary debut in over a decade

Source: The Guardian - World · Published: 2026-02-01T15:50:10+00:00

However Melania fell substantially short of turning a profit because it cost $40m to make and $35m to promoteAmazon’s Melania Trump documentary has reportedly beaten box office expectations and recorded the strongest start of any documentary in over a decade, taking more than $8m at the US box office during its lavishly-promoted opening weekend. Simultaneously, though, Melania fell substantially short of turning a profit because it cost $40m to make and $35m to promote.And Amazon – which recently cut 16,000 corporate jobs – has been hit with criticism that making the documentary about the firs

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Cricket: Pakistan to boycott T20 World Cup match against India

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T15:46:20+00:00

While Islamabad has cleared the Pakistan cricket team to participate in the tournament, it has specifically barred the February 15 match against India

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Govt to borrow record ₹17.2 lakh crore in FY27

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T15:27:16+00:00

Fiscal deficit is pegged at 4.3%; the net market borrowings from dated securities are estimated at ₹11.7 lakh crore

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A path to strategic growth

Source: The Hindu Business Line – Markets · Published: 2026-02-01T15:26:22+00:00

Public capex remains the growth anchor, providing a predictable multi-year pipeline which the private sector is well positioned to respond

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