Good evening. Police have said that they are exploring whether the stabbing of transgender girl Brianna Ghey was a hate crime. In this newsletter, we also have the latest on the Chinese spy balloon saga, as sensors were recovered from debris in the Atlantic Ocean.
Debris recovered from shot down spy balloon
Important sensors and electronics parts are among the debris recovered from a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down over the Atlantic earlier this month, according to the US military.
"Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure," the US Northern Command said in a statement. A US F-22 Raptor fighter jet shot it down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, and teams have since been working to recover the debris for analysis.
China insists the balloon, which spent several days flying over North America, was an errant weather observation aircraft with no military purpose, but Washington says it was a sophisticated high-altitude spying vehicle that is part of a programme with global reach.
It came as Beijing expanded on its earlier claim that the US has been flying its own spy balloons over Chinese airspace, accusing Washington on Tuesday of letting the devices drift over other countries.
Meanwhile, US F-16 pilots have described seeing a mysterious “black shiny object with strings” during an assignment to shoot down an unidentified flying object, according to unverified audio.
Nuclear power to get ‘green’ status
Nuclear power projects such as Sizewell C in Suffolk will be granted so-called “green” status under plans by Jeremy Hunt to unlock billions of pounds in funding for the industry.
Matt Oliver reports that the Chancellor is expected to announce the change within weeks as part of a broader shake-up of the UK’s financial rules on green energy.
It would see nuclear power projects classed as “green” or “sustainable” investments, clearing the way for more institutional investors and environment-focused funds to back them. Generating nuclear power does not produce carbon dioxide, so the sector is seen as a key plank of Britain’s plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
A recent review by former energy minister and Tory MP Chris Skidmore said that supporting the construction of more nuclear reactors was a “no regrets” option.
However, the sector has faced difficulties portraying itself as environmentally friendly in the past because of concerns about nuclear waste, water usage, and the remote but catastrophic risk of nuclear accidents.
Nuclear industry insiders believe classing projects as “sustainable” would clear up much of this uncertainty, because it would allow investments to count towards the environmental targets of investors and major companies.
‘Rolex Ripper’ gang caught after posing with watches
Six “Rolex Rippers” have been found guilty of carrying out knifepoint robberies of watches worth up to £35,000 each, in London.
The gang’s “brazen” and “violent” attacks took place in broad daylight on busy streets in Chelsea and Balham, where victims were threatened with large machetes and crow bars.
Will Bolton reports that the Met Police’s Flying Squad captured two of the robbers, Kaijuan Henry, 19, and Roshan Clark, 18, after finding pictures of the pair posing with the stolen watches.
Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines
Brianna Ghey | The killing of a 16-year-old transgender girl in Cheshire may have been a hate crime, police have said. Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death in Culcheth Linear Park near Warrington on Saturday. Cheshire Police had initially described the stabbing as a "targeted attack" and said they did not believe she was killed because she was transgender. However, in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, police said they are exploring all lines of enquiry "including whether this was a hate crime".
- Pandemic | Covid inquiry delayed by secrecy row
- Royals | Camilla to wear Queen Mary’s Crown at Coronation
- Nicola Bulley | Wyre Council removes contact details after ‘abuse’
- Turkey | Erdogan boasted of developers dodging building codes
- Art | Banksy shines light on domestic violence in new work - pictures
Comment and analysis
- Ambrose Evans-Pritchard | Climate realists should applaud BP
- Ed Cumming | The one redeeming quality of Valentine’s Day
- Ben Lawrence | Why do we still insist on glorifying gangsters?
- Ben Marlow | Blue water navy risks becoming a thing of the past
- Michael Deacon | Why Labour will regret attack on Tory expenses
World news: US issues warning to Kyiv over missiles
The United States has warned it doesn’t have sufficient stocks of Atacms long-range missiles to send them to Ukraine, it has been reported. In a recent meeting at the Pentagon, US officials told their Ukrainian counterparts that sending army tactical missile systems, which have a range of nearly 200 miles, would harm the US military’s readiness to fight its own war. The White House has repeatedly denied Kyiv’s requests for the surface-to-surface missiles, as Ukraine seeks to ramp up its ability to strike Russian positions deep behind enemy lines.
Interview of the day
‘I thought it would be foolish to take this on’: meet the new star of Unforgotten
Sinéad Keenan talks about why she agreed to replace Nicola Walker in the beloved series – and the reason she can’t stand TV ‘snobbery’
Sport news: Guardiola issues apology to Gerrard
Pep Guardiola has made a grovelling public apology to former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for referencing his notorious slip that cost his team the 2014 Premier League title. The Manchester City manager sarcastically asked whether City were to blame for that error, in the wake of his club being charged with 115 alleged financial fair play irregularities by the Premier League last week. However, Guardiola launched into an extraordinary apology on Tuesday - you can watch a video of it here.
Editor's choice
War | ‘Russia isn’t ‘adopting’ Ukraine’s children – they are being kidnapped’
Fashion | This season’s must-have accessory? A beautiful daughter
Relationships | A Big Mac dinner and an electric car: Can men ever get Valentine’s Day right?
Business news: Ford to cut 1,300 jobs in Britain
Ford will cut 1,300 jobs in the UK over the next three years as it shifts production towards electric vehicles. In total, the car maker will reduce its headcount by 3,800 across Europe, including 2,300 jobs in Germany, and intends to achieve the reductions through voluntary redundancies. The company said the job losses will create a "leaner, more competitive cost structure" for the business and help with the transition toward a smaller, more focused and increasingly electric product portfolio.
Tonight starts now
If you're buying Valentine's Day wine at the supermarket, you may be making a mistake | Dumping a £15 or £20 bottle in your trolley at speed is unlikely to reap rewards – and certainly won't make anyone feel special, writes our wine correspondent Victoria Moore.
Three things for you
- TV | Inside Our Autistic Minds, BBC Two, 9pm
- Review | Better: BBC bent coppers drama is no Line of Duty
- Health | Cutting out sugar and booze has transformed my life
And finally... for this evening's downtime
Why direct, officious Germany is Europe's most romantic country | It's the land of Goethe, Beethoven and fairy-tale princesses, so maybe it's time we stopped discounting Germany's talent for whimsy.
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