Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister, pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP per year by 2027, from 2.3%, with a view to eventually reaching 3%. The initial increase, costing £13.4bn ($17bn) annually, will be funded by cutting overseas aid. On Thursday Sir Keir will visit the White House to press Donald Trump to not abandon Ukraine in any peace deal with Russia.
Russia launched an overnight attack on Ukraine, killing two civilians and injuring 36, according to Ukrainian officials. All of the country was under air-raid alerts as Russia targeted multiple regions with drones and missiles. On Monday Emmanuel Macron and Mr Trump said that European troops could serve as peacekeepers in Ukraine, after France’s president travelled to the White House.
Twenty-one staffers of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency reportedly quit in protest against the group’s ostentatious budget-slashing. The employees, including engineers and data scientists, worked for America’s digital-service unit, which became DOGE. They said their skills were being used to “dismantle critical public services”. Meanwhile the White House confirmed that Mr Musk would participate in Mr Trump’s first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Tesla’s sales in Europe fell by more than 45% year on year in January, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Analysts blamed the drop in part on the backing that Mr Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, gave to Germany’s hard-right party, Alternative for Germany. Overall, electric-vehicle sales in Europe rose by 37%. Cars made by China’s SAIC were among the biggest gainers.
Three hard-right opposition parties in Romania—AUR, SOS Romania, and POT—filed a no-confidence motion against the pro-EU government. Signed by 154 members of parliament, it accuses the government of corruption and economic mismanagement. The vote is expected to fail but could raise the parties’ popularity ahead of a re-run of the presidential election in May. The original ballot was annulled over alleged Russian interference.
The Democratic Republic of Congo said it would halt cobalt exports for at least four months, in an effort to shore up prices. Congo is the world’s largest miner of the metal, which is used in batteries for electric vehicles, among other things. Its price has dropped by about a quarter in the past year because of falling demand and a supply glut.
The trial began of three men accused of stealing an 18-carat-gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The fully functioning loo, worth £2.8m ($3.5m), was created as an artwork called “America” by Maurizio Cattelan. The men deny the charges, but sadly didn’t say that the police who discovered the burgled bowl had nothing to go on.
Figure of the day: £71bn ($90bn), the size of Britain’s trade surplus with America, according to the Office for National Statistics. Read the full story.
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