Brady Tkachuk decries White House’s AI video of him insulting Canadians after US gold 26. February 2026 (20:39) Player is captain of NHL’s Ottawa SenatorsTkachuk expresses regret over Trump jokeUS ice hockey star Brady Tkachuk has said he does not appreciate an AI video released by the White House that shows him insulting Canadians.Tkachuk played in the Americans’ victory over Canada at the Winter Olympics on Sunday, which secured the US men their first gold medal since 1980. In the wake of that win, the White House’s TikTok account published video of Tkachuk saying: “They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating fuckers a lesson.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Latest US-Iran nuclear talks conclude with claims of ‘significant progress’ 26. February 2026 (20:33) Mediators say more talks to be held next week but no clear evidence two sides any closer on uranium enrichmentHigh-stakes talks between the US and Iran over the future of Tehran’s nuclear programme ended on Thursday with the Omani mediators claiming that “significant progress” had been made and predicting the talks would reconvene at a technical level next week in Vienna.But there was no immediate evidence to support suggestions that the two sides had drawn closer together on the fundamental issues of Iran’s right to enrich uranium and the future of its highly enriched uranium stocks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
TikTok and Snapchat posts urge London pupils to join ‘school wars’ fights 26. February 2026 (20:32) Met urges pupils not to get involved and asks platforms to ban accounts promoting ‘fights’ with images of weapons Pupils aged 11 to 16 are being encouraged to join in school fights in posts circulating on TikTok and Snapchat, prompting police to urge children not to get involved.The Metropolitan police have asked social media platforms to ban accounts promoting “school wars”, while headteachers have warned parents about the posts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mamdani makes unannounced trip to meet Trump in Washington 26. February 2026 (20:25) New York mayor to meet president – who called Mamdani a ‘nice guy’ during State of the Union – for second timeNew York mayor Zohran Mamdani is meeting Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday, during an unannounced trip to the nation’s capital, an official in the mayor’s office confirmed to the Guardian.Neither the mayor nor the president’s public schedules listed the meeting. However, Trump does have a “private meeting” listed for 3pm ET. The White House has yet to reply to the Guardian’s request for comment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cuba vows to fight ‘terrorist aggression’ after attack from US-registered boat 26. February 2026 (20:15) Cuban president says country will ‘defend itself with determination’ after deadly coastal assault from exilesWhat we know so far about the deadly boat shooting off Cuba’s coastCuba has vowed to defend itself against any “terrorist and mercenary aggression”, a day after border guards said they had killed four exiles on a Florida-registered speedboat that opened fire on a patrol.Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wrote on X that the Caribbean country will “defend itself with determination and firmness” after the incident in which six other people on the boat were injured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ocado failing to deliver on its potential as one of UK’s great technology hopes 26. February 2026 (19:44) Firm’s automated warehouses are struggling to compete against swift deliveries from stores by bike ridersOcado to cut 1,000 jobs in £150m cost-saving driveOnly six years ago, the boss of Ocado Group was writing the obituary for supermarkets as he predicted that a surge in online grocery shopping during the pandemic had brought forward the hi-tech future.“Not every store will disappear, but there will be a dramatic shift,” Tim Steiner said at the height of the Covid pandemic, when shopping from the sofa became the only option for many. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shia LaBeouf ordered to seek treatment as conditions of release from custody 26. February 2026 (18:05) The actor, long open about his struggle with sobriety, was also ordered to undergo drug testing and pay $100,000 bondShia LaBeouf on Thursday was ordered to enroll in substance abuse treatment, undergo a drug testing program and pay a $100,000 bond as conditions of his release from custody after the actor allegedly battered and hurled homophobic slurs at two men at a New Orleans bar.The requirements imposed on LaBeouf, 39, by New Orleans judge Simone Levine came after the Transformer film franchise star was initially allowed to leave jail without being required to pay a bond in the hours after his 17 February arrest on two counts of misdemeanor battery. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Columbia says DHS detained student after agents entered university building 26. February 2026 (18:03) Acting university president says agents misrepresented themselves to gain entry to the residential building Columbia University said on Thursday morning that one of its students was arrested by federal immigration officers who apparently misrepresented themselves to gain entry to a residential building to make the apprehension.The acting president of the elite institution in New York City, Claire Shipman, wrote in a statement sent to the wider Columbia community on Thursday that the university was working to gather more information on the incident earlier that morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Danish PM calls an early election seeking ‘Greenland bounce’ 26. February 2026 (18:02) Mette Frederiksen hopes to profit from her stand against Donald Trump’s attempt to claim the Arctic territoryDenmark’s prime minister has called an early election to take advantage of a “Greenland bounce” after Donald Trump’s threats to invade the Arctic territory.Mette Frederiksen, who has been in office since 2019, is required by Danish law to call an election by 31 October. Setting a date with eight months to go appears to be an attempt to ride improved poll ratings after disastrous local elections in November that saw her Social Democrats lose control of Copenhagen for the first time in a century. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Assisted dying bill not at ‘end of the road’, peer says as time runs short 26. February 2026 (18:01) Charlie Falconer criticises small number of peers blocking bill and says he is sure it will return in next sessionA former Labour minister has insisted the assisted dying bill has not reached “the end of the road”, as the legislation appears set to run out of time after organised filibustering.Charlie Falconer, who has been trying to steer the bill through the House of Lords, spoke after it was confirmed that the government would not giving the bill further debate time in the Lords, where there are less than six days of debate left. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
