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Citing a visit to Seoul by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin who, with his South Korean counterpart, vowed to expand military exercises to counter North Korea's weapons development - Pyongyang warns the move threatens to turn the region into a "huge war arsenal". The statement by the country's foreign ministry, carried by state news agency KCNA, said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies. "The military and political situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region has reached an extreme red line due to the reckless military confrontational manoeuvres and hostile acts of the US and its vassal forces," it said.

Two MEPs have had their legal immunity lifted by European lawmakers, following a request by Belgian authorities investigating a corruption scandal that has rocked the European Parliament. Italian Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian Marc Tarabella deny wrongdoing. The Qatargate affair unfolded when a Greek lawmaker and three other suspects were arrested on suspicion of corruption and money-laundering. One of the suspects then agreed to "tell all" as part of a plea deal. Pier Antonio Panzeri is alleged to have led a network that took bribes from Qatar and Morocco in return for influencing the European Parliament. Some €1.5m (£1.3m) was recovered in cash in a series of raids in Brussels and elsewhere. Both Qatar and Morocco have strenuously rejected allegations that they sought to gain influence over MEPs. However, prosecutors said Mr Panzeri had admitted "criminal responsibility".

Iran has blamed Israel for a drone attack on a military site in the central city of Isfahan on Saturday. Its ambassador to the UN said findings indicated Israel "was responsible for this attempted act of aggression". Iran, he said, reserves the right "to respond resolutely to any threats or wrongful actions" by Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it was behind the attack, which Iran said caused minor damage, though this has not been independently verified. The two countries are arch-foes and in recent years have been engaged in what has been described as a "shadow war" of unclaimed attacks on each other's assets, infrastructure and nationals.

The Bank of England is expected to push interest rates higher today, in the 10th hike in in a row. But some experts think the Bank is heading towards the end of its cycle of rate hikes, bringing some potential relief to strained borrowers. Markets expect the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) to raise interest rates to 4% on Thursday, from the current rate of 3.5%.

CNN — At its annual Unpacked event on Wednesday, Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy S smartphones – and the company is betting that focusing on improvements to the camera will be enough to get consumers to upgrade. The new lineup, which includes the 6.8-inch Galaxy S23 Ultra, 6.6-inch Galaxy S23+, and 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, look similar to last year’s models, but with new photo features, a longer lasting battery life (with faster charging speeds) and an exclusive chip.

CNN — Andrew Tate, the controversial former kickboxer turned social media influencer, and his brother Tristan have lost their appeal and will remain in detention in Romania on allegations of human trafficking and rape, CNN affiliate Antena 3 reported Wednesday. The brothers will remain in the custody of Bucharest Police until February 27, Antena 3 reported. The court’s decision is final. Romanian police raided five homes and arrested the brothers and two other suspects on December 30.

Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the United Nations and two-term governor of South Carolina, is reportedly poised to announce she is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. With a campaign kick-off planned for 15 February in Charleston, South Carolina, the 51-year-old would become the second major Republican candidate for the presidency, after her former boss Donald Trump launched his bid in November. Ms Haley would be the third Indian-American to seek a presidential nomination. She follows Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, whose bid in 2015 never gained significant traction, and current Vice-President Kamala Harris, who sought the 2020 nomination.

Oil and gas giant Shell has reported record annual profits after energy prices surged last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Profits hit $39.9bn (£32.2bn) in 2022, double last year's total and the highest in its 115-year history. Energy firms have seen record earnings since oil and gas prices jumped following the invasion of Ukraine. It has heaped pressure on firms to pay more tax as households struggle with rising bills. Last year, the UK government introduced a windfall tax - called the Energy Profits Levy - on the profits of firms to help fund its scheme to lower gas and electricity bills. Energy prices had begun to climb after the end of Covid lockdowns but rose sharply in March last year after the events in Ukraine led to worries over supplies.

Allegations of brutal interrogations, where Ukrainian men were shot and threatened with rape, have been made by a former Russian military officer. Konstantin Yefremov, the most senior officer to speak openly, told the BBC in an exclusive interview Russia now sees him as a traitor and defector. At one site in southern Ukraine, he said "the interrogations, the torture, continued for about a week". "Every day, at night, sometimes twice a day." Mr Yefremov tried to resign from the army numerous times - but he ended up being dismissed for refusing to return to Ukraine. He has now fled Russia.

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Newsnight Sri Lanka is, in the words of its own president, "bankrupt". The Indian Ocean nation defaulted on its sovereign debt in May 2022, plunging the country into economic and political chaos. The Colombo government secured a $2.9bn (£2.4bn) International Monetary Fund bailout in principle the following September. But the cash will not be released to Sri Lanka until its sovereign creditors in China and India first agree to a restructuring of the billions of dollars of bilateral debt they are owed. Despite optimism over the past month that such an agreement was imminent, a deal has still not materialised - and Sri Lanka's economic agony, and the suffering of its population, continues. Sri Lanka crisis is a warning to other Asian nations Sri Lanka's children go hungry as food prices soar Yet, even if the bailout cash does start to flow in the coming weeks or months, that will not mark the end of Sri Lanka's economic rebuilding programme, but merely the beginning.

BBC News Ukraine has launched a fresh wave of anti-corruption raids on high-profile figures, including one of the country's richest men, Ihor Kolomoisky. The home of former interior minister Arsen Avakov was also searched, as part of the apparent purge. Ukraine has launched an anti-corruption drive and officials said the leaders of the customs service had been fired. President Volodymr Zelensky said raids were necessary to ensure "people do not abuse power". Speaking on Wednesday President Zelensky said: "Unfortunately, in some spheres, the only way to guarantee legitimacy is to change leaders along with institutional changes implementation." Ukraine has come under increasing pressure from its Western partners, notably the EU, to tackle corruption.

Five members of Canada's federal police force are facing charges in connection with the fatal arrest of an indigenous man nearly six years ago. Dale Culver died in police custody on 18 July 2017 at the age of 35. The five officers are members of the Prince George Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The charges were filed by prosecutors in British Columbia. Two of the Mounties are charged with manslaughter, while the other three are charged with obstructing justice. The indictment comes almost three years after it was recommended by the province's Independent Investigations Office (IIO). Culver, a member of the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nations, allegedly fled officers on a bicycle in the city of Prince George.

The US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines - a key bit of real estate which would offer a front seat to monitor the Chinese in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. With this deal, Washington has stitched the gap in the arc of US alliances stretching from South Korea and Japan in the north to Australia in the south. The missing link had been the Philippines, which borders two of the biggest potential flashpoints, Taiwan and the South China Sea, or the West Philippine Sea as Manila insists on calling it. The US already had limited access to five sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) - the new additions and expanded access, according to a statement from Washington, will "allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines, and respond to other shared challenges", likely a veiled reference to countering China in the region.

King Charles III will not feature on Australia's new five dollar note, the country's central bank has announced. The new design will pay tribute to "the culture and history of the First Australians", the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says. A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II appears on the current design of five dollar note. The Queen's death last year reignited debates about Australia's future as a constitutional monarchy. "This decision by the Reserve Bank Board follows consultation with the Australian Government, which supports this change," the bank said in a statement.

Ukraine's defence minister has said Russia is preparing a major new offensive, and warned that it could begin as soon as 24 February. Oleksii Reznikov said Moscow had amassed thousands of troops and could "try something" to mark the anniversary of the initial invasion last year. The attack would also mark Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February, which celebrates the army. Mr Reznikov said Moscow had mobilised some 500,000 troops for the offensive.

Nominees for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have been revealed, with Cyndi Lauper, the late George Michael, Kate Bush, Willie Nelson and the late Warren Zevon in the running this year. Other nominees include The Spinners, Sheryl Crow, Joy Division/New Order, Missy Elliott, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes and Iron Maiden.

On May 11, the U.S. will no longer officially be in a COVID-19 emergency for the first time since the pandemic began three years ago. While hundreds of COVID-19 deaths are still reported each day in the U.S. -- adding to a toll of more than 1 million -- public health experts say the Biden administration is likely looking to end the national and public health emergencies related to COVID-19 because the U.S. has high levels of immunity from previous vaccinations or infections, and the omicron subvariants that are circulating are producing milder disease. The threat of the virus has also receded for many Americans, thanks to testing, treatments and vaccines.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it was raising its short-term borrowing rate another 0.25%, the central bank's second consecutive decision to slow rate increases while extending an effort to cool the economy and dial back inflation. The Fed has put forward a string of borrowing cost increases as it tries to slash price hikes by slowing the economy and choking off demand. The approach, however, risks tipping the U.S. economy into a recession and putting millions out of work.

A four-year-old girl who died in a dog attack was killed by the family pet, police have confirmed. Investigating officers confirmed the news in a press conference, adding that the dog was destroyed by armed officers at the scene. Work is continuing to establish the breed of the animal, said police.

Sir Tom Jones' hit, Delilah, has been banned from the Principality Stadium the Welsh Rugby Union has announced. The 1968 song about a jealous lover stabbing his unfaithful partner has been removed from choir playlists. The announcement comes after the WRU has come under fire for allegations of sexism and misogyny.

Four-year-old girl killed in Milton Keynes dog attack named as Alice Stones A four-year-old girl killed in a dog attack in Milton Keynes has been named as Alice Stones. The little girl has been described by neighbours as "lovely." Floral tributes to the youngster have begun to pile up outside the house, with one of them reading: "Alice!! Fly high with the angels little one. The whole community will miss your smile. Our thoughts are with the whole family, especially her mum." The attack happened at around 5pm last night, and neighbours reported hearing two gunshots and screams after police arrived on the scene.