Extremists kill 162 in Nigeria village attacks

SOKOTO, Nigeria (AP) – Armed extremists killed 162 people during attacks on two villages in western Nigeria, a lawmaker said Wednesday, in one of the deadliest assaults in recent months. The attacks targeted the villages of Woro and Nuku in the state of Kwara on Tuesday evening, Mohammed Omar Bio, a member of parliament representing the area, told The Associated Press.

Judge to hear arguments about Trump's hush money conviction

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal judge is set to hear arguments Wednesday after an appeals court directed him to take a fresh look at President Donald Trump’s bid to erase his hush money conviction. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November ordered U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to reconsider his decision to keep the case in state court.

US-Russian nuclear pact about to expire, ending half-century of arms control

The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the United States is set to expire Thursday, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

Today in History: February 4, O.J. Simpson found liable in civil trial

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2026. There are 330 days left in the year. Today in history: On Feb. 4, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, ordering Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

Editorials from New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Washington Post cuts a third of its staff in a blow to a legendary news brand

The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but necessary and said “We can’t be everything to everyone”.

Trump's border czar pulling 700 immigration officers out of Minnesota immediately

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday.

Trump says Washington has waited 200 years for the arch he wants to build

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says history is on his side. He wants to build a towering arch near the Lincoln Memorial and argues that the nation’s capital first clamored for such a monument two centuries ago – even going so far as to erect four eagle statues as part of the project before being derailed by the attack on Fort Sumter.

Philippine's find bid to impeach Marcos to be 'insufficient in substance'

MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Philippine legislators dismissed two impeachment complaints Wednesday against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that accused him of an array of crimes, including involvement in largescale corruption, that were all declared “insufficient in substance.”