Reform UK promises to scrap flagship Labour worker and renters’ protections 24. February 2026 (20:35) Richard Tice echoes Donald Trump with pledge of ‘great repeal act’ and ‘tight quotas and significant tariffs’Unions and renters’ groups have criticised Reform UK after the party’s business spokesperson, Richard Tice, pledged to introduce a “great repeal act” that would abolish Labour legislation on workers’ rights and protection for tenants.In his first speech since being appointed by Nigel Farage to a portfolio covering business, trade and energy, Tice promised a bonfire of regulations, including an end to net zero targets and a new push for home-produced shale gas using fracking. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Young bearing the brunt of UK tax and wage changes, says BoE economist 24. February 2026 (20:07) Huw Pill warns combined effect of national insurance and minimum wage rises have ‘acute’ effect on youth employment The negative effect of a combined increase in employers’ taxes and minimum wages has been “particularly acute” for young people, the Bank of England’s chief economist has warned.Huw Pill said on Tuesday that the increase in national insurance contributions (NICs) from April last year and the government’s efforts to equalise the “national living wage” had caused a particular problem for young people trying to find jobs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Marco Rubio to deliver rare briefing to top US lawmakers on Iran amid tensions 24. February 2026 (19:46) Secretary of state’s address comes as US deploys largest force of aircraft and warships to Middle East since 2003US politics live – latest updatesMarco Rubio will deliver a rare briefing to top US lawmakers on Iran at the White House on Tuesday as Washington deploys its largest force of aircraft and warships to the Middle East since the 2003 buildup to the Iraq war.The audience for the secretary of state’s briefing is reported to include the so-called “gang of eight”, which includes the senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brazilian politicians accused of ordering murder of Rio councillor go on trial 24. February 2026 (19:35) Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão accused of ordering shooting of Marielle Franco and her driver in 2018Brazil’s supreme court has opened the trial of politicians accused of ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco, a case that exposed deep ties between politics and organised crime in the city.Franco, an activist who grew up in a favela and became an outspoken critic of Rio’s powerful militia groups, was 38 when she was shot dead in the city centre alongside her driver, Anderson Gomes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Farmers in England face losses under new cap on sustainable farming payments 24. February 2026 (19:27) Environment secretary says payments will be limited to £100,000 per farm so ‘more farmers can benefit’Some farmers will lose money by opting into environment schemes under new plans to cap payments available for sustainable farming.Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, said the new system is “fairer”, adding: “Too much of our most productive land was removed from conventional farming.” Farmers will be disincentivised from taking large amounts of their land out of food production and rewilding it for nature, under her plans. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Louvre president resigns as jewellery heist inquiry reveals ‘systemic failures’ 24. February 2026 (19:26) Laurence des Cars steps down days after parliamentary inquiry called Paris museum a ‘state within a state’The president of the Louvre in Paris has resigned, four months after a gang of thieves broke into the museum’s Apollo gallery and made off with €88m (£76m) of Napoleonic jewellery in France’s most dramatic heist in decades.Laurence des Cars, who had offered to step down in the immediate aftermath of the burglary, tendered her resignation to Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday in what the French president called “an act of responsibility”, the Elysée Palace said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Visitors flock to Yosemite for firefall light show despite heavy snow 24. February 2026 (19:00) Sunset phenomenon at national park’s Horsetail waterfall still drew large crowds even with freezing temperaturesHeavy snow did not deter visitors from flocking to Yosemite in recent days, in hopes of seeing the park’s spectacular natural light show.Firefall occurs each year in February during sunset when the light hits Horsetail Fall in such a way that, for a brief period, the waterfall appears illuminated by lava. In recent years, the phenomenon has drawn large crowds – and lots of photographers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police sorry for failing to arrest Calocane before killings, Nottingham inquiry told 24. February 2026 (17:58) Leicester and Nottingham officers accept they missed opportunities to act on earlier warrant Two police forces have apologised to bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham attacks for failing to act on an arrest warrant for Valdo Calocane that was issued 10 months before he killed three people, a public inquiry has heard.NHS England and the NHS trust that cared for Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, also apologised to the families over missed opportunities. “The NHS and the system as a whole failed you with devastating consequences,” the lawyer representing NHS England said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mexico pledges safety for World Cup after violence erupts from cartel boss’s killing 24. February 2026 (17:52) Mexico’s president says there is ‘no risk’ for those visiting for Fifa games after military killed drug lord ‘El Mencho’Violence in Mexico after military kills notorious drug cartel boss – a visual guideMexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has said that there is “no risk” for visitors coming to Fifa World Cup games scheduled to be held in the country, after the death of a top cartel boss triggered a wave of retaliatory violence from gunmen who blocked roads and attacked security forces across the country.The Mexican military attempted to detain “El Mencho”, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in a dawn raid on Sunday, leading to a firefight in which he was fatally wounded, before dying while being airlifted to hospital. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
North-east US digs out after massive blizzard blankets the region 24. February 2026 (17:51) Hundreds of thousands are still without power as businesses and schools slowly come back onlineCities across the north-east US are digging out from the snow after Monday’s blizzard, which halted travel across the region and caused hundreds of thousands of power outages.Meteorologists said that the storm was the strongest in a decade, dumping more than 2ft (61cm) of snow in parts of the region. More than 3ft (91cm) fell in Rhode Island – surpassing snow totals from the north-east’s historic blizzard of 1978. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
