FedEx sues US government, seeking ‘full refund’ over Trump tariffs 24. February 2026 (02:54) Firm does not specify amount but seeks reimbursement after supreme court ruled against president last weekFedEx sued the US government on Monday, seeking a refund for the tariffs imposed by Donald Trump that were deemed illegal by the US supreme court last week.The lawsuit marks the first attempt by a major company to receive reimbursement of their share of an estimated $175bn in levies after the highest court found Trump had overstepped his authority in issuing the tariffs. Other companies are expected to follow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New Zealand would back removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from royal line of succession, says PM 24. February 2026 (02:48) Country follows Australia in saying it would support any UK government proposals to remove former prince after arrestNew Zealand has become the second Commonwealth country to back the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.A spokesperson for New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, said on Tuesday: “If the UK government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chris Baghsarian: human remains found in search for kidnapped Sydney man, NSW police say 24. February 2026 (02:18) NSW detectives have located what they believe are human remains near a golf club in Pitt Town, 11 days after 85-year-old abducted from North Ryde homeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDetectives have found what they believe are human remains on Sydney’s outskirts as they search for the missing 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian.New South Wales police said on Tuesday that detectives investigating the mistaken kidnapping of Baghsarian had discovered remains near a golf club in Pitt Town about 8am on Tuesday. They said investigations into the man’s disappearance continued. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Crypto exchange Binance may have funded Iranian entities, reports say 24. February 2026 (02:10) Internal investigators said at least two accounts allegedly saw $1.7bn move to Iranian-backed groupsShortly after Donald Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the Binance founder, last fall, company employees revealed the cryptocurrency exchange may have funded Iranian entities with billions of dollars, according to a report by the New York Times.The discovery was made by a group of internal Binance investigators, who reportedly found that people in Iran had accessed more than 1,500 accounts on the crypto platform. Two of those accounts allegedly saw $1.7bn move to Iranian-backed groups that included Yemen’s Houthi militants throughout 2024 and 2025, according to the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US accuses China of ‘massively’ expanding nuclear arsenal amid fears of new arms race 24. February 2026 (02:06) China has opposed the ‘smearing of its nuclear policy’ while insisting Beijing would not ‘engage in any nuclear arms race’The US has accused China of dramatically expanding its nuclear arsenal, while doubling down on claims that Beijing had conducted secret nuclear tests.Washington said the lapsing of New Start – the last treaty between top nuclear powers the US and Russia – earlier this month presented the possibility of striking a “better agreement” that included Beijing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tributes paid to ‘very loving and caring’ British hiker killed in Nepal bus crash 24. February 2026 (01:04) Dominic Ethan Stewart was among 19 killed when vehicle veered off road and plunged down mountainsideTributes have been paid to a young British hiker who was among 19 people killed when a packed passenger bus veered off a treacherous stretch of road and plunged 200 metres down a steep mountainside in Nepal.Twenty-five others were injured in the pre-dawn crash in the Himalayan foothills on Monday. The bus was carrying 44 people, including a number of tourists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
David Lammy lifts cap on court sitting days in effort to cut backlog of cases 24. February 2026 (01:01) Criminal barristers welcome justice secretary’s move to remove limit on hearing days at crown courts in England and WalesA cap on court sitting days is to be lifted as the government seeks to ease the cases backlog, David Lammy has announced.The justice secretary and deputy prime minister said every crown court in England and Wales would be funded to hear more cases in the next financial year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Maxi Shield, beloved Australian drag queen and Drag Race Down Under star, dies aged 51 24. February 2026 (00:59) Performer appeared in closing ceremony of 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and was a mainstay of city’s drag sceneFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne of Australia’s best-known and loved drag queens, Sydney’s Maxi Shield, has died after being diagnosed with throat cancer, prompting tributes from around the world.Kristopher Elliot, who performed drag under the name Maxi Shield, was 51. Shield was a mainstay of the Sydney drag scene and brought Australian drag to the world as contestant in season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canada seeks answers from OpenAI for failing to alert police after suspending school shooter’s account 23. February 2026 (23:56) Company had suspended account of Tumbler Ridge shooter in June 2025 over ‘furtherance of violent activities’Canada’s artificial intelligence minister says he has summoned representatives from the technology company OpenAI after the company declined to alert police after suspending the account of a user who became the perpetrator of one of the country’s worst-ever school shootings.Evan Solomon says he is “deeply disturbed” by reports that the company, which operates the popular ChatGPT chatbot, suspended the account of Jesse Van Rootselaar over the “furtherance of violent activities” in June 2025 but did not reach out to Canadian law enforcement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burberry is back on brand as a purveyor of the classic British coat 23. February 2026 (23:14) Designer Daniel Lee’s trenchcoats and bomber jackets fizz with urban energy in collection that embraces bad weatherIn a winter of record-breaking rain, Burberry – purveyor of the stalwart British coat – is back in the zeitgeist. A season of downpours has provided an apt backdrop for a return to form, as the brand re-entered the FTSE 100 last autumn after an ignominious year out of the charts.The classic check scarf was ranked the fourth hottest fashion item in the last quarter of 2025 on the search, sales and social media metrics of the Lyst index, with overall demand for the brand up 239% year on year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
