Norway (population: 5.7m) beats US (342m) to top Winter Olympics medal table 22. February 2026 (17:24) Country wins most golds (18) in Winter Games historyUSA, GB and Australia also set team recordsNorwegians put emphasis on participation Norway has once again topped the Winter Olympics medal table, surpassing countries with far larger populations.The Scandinavian country won more gold medals (18) and more total medals (41) than the US, who came second in both categories (12 golds and 33 total medals). Norway’s 18 golds were the most by a country in Winter Olympics history, while their cross-country skiing hero Johannes Høsflot Klæbo accounted for six golds on his own, more than the all but seven other countries at this year’s Games. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia fires scores of missiles at Ukraine as Hungary threatens to block EU sanctions 22. February 2026 (17:12) ‘Moscow continues to invest in strikes more than diplomacy,’ says Zelenskyy, as logistics and energy facilities targetedRussia has fired scores of missiles and drones at targets across Ukraine, flattening a residential house in the capital, two days before the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin had launched 297 drones and nearly 50 missiles on Sunday, in the latest in a wave of overnight strikes. He said “a significant proportion” had been shot down as he called on allies to strengthen the country’s air defences against enemy attacks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inquiry into Andrew’s Epstein links not ruled out as police searches continue 22. February 2026 (17:07) Calls mount for Mountbatten-Windsor to be dropped from royal line of successionPolice searches of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home on the Windsor estate continued on Sunday as a government minister did not rule out having a judge-led inquiry into the former prince’s links with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, representing the government, did not rule out such an inquiry but said it was premature because of the police investigation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tributes paid to two young men who died on Eryri mountains hike 22. February 2026 (17:04) Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, found dead on Yr Wyddfa in north Wales after a huge search operationTributes have been paid to two young men who died on a hiking expedition on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in north Wales.Eddie Hill, 20, and Jayden Long, 19, both from Norfolk, were found dead in Eryri national park on Thursday after a huge search operation in severe winter conditions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lib Dems call on home secretary to delay new dual national border rules 22. February 2026 (17:00) Letter to Shabana Mahmood describes controls that could block British dual citizens’ entry to UK as ‘unacceptable’The Liberal Democrats have called on the home secretary to “move at speed” to delay the rollout of new border controls that could result in British dual nationals being blocked from entering the country.A letter sent by the party to Shabana Mahmood echoes one sent by the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis on Friday asking for a grace period to be implemented urgently after one of his constituents living in the Netherlands told how she could no longer visit her dying mother in a care home in Yorkshire. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Huckabee’s Israel land remarks condemned as ‘dangerous and inflammatory’ 22. February 2026 (16:39) Arab and Islamic governments issue statement denouncing comments made on Tucker Carlson podcastGovernments from across the Islamic world have condemned remarks by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, suggesting it would “be fine” for Israel to claim a broad swath of the Middle East.Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor and former Arkansas governor, has long been an outspoken supporter of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK in talks with US over ‘best possible deal’ for British firms amid higher tariffs threat 22. February 2026 (15:15) Business leaders expect UK to ‘double down’ on deal announced by Donald Trump and Keir Starmer in 2025Graeme Wearden: Trump’s trade war risks undermining his hopes of hefty US interest rate cutsHigh-level talks with the US administration over the threat of increased tariffs are under way as the UK government says it wants “the best possible deal” for UK companies.Business leaders said they expected the UK to “double down” on the existing Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) – announced by Donald Trump and Keir Starmer in May last year – rather than walk away. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump warns Netflix of ‘consequences’ unless it pulls top Democrat from board 22. February 2026 (14:30) US president calls for removal of Susan Rice as streaming platform pursues takeover of Warner Bros DiscoveryDonald Trump has told Netflix to remove the Democratic foreign policy expert Susan Rice from its board or “face the consequences”, while the streaming platform is locked in an extraordinary corporate battle to take control of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).In comments posted on his Truth Social platform, the US president described Rice – who served as national security adviser to Barack Obama and UN ambassador and White House adviser under Joe Biden – as a “political hack” and accused her of having “no talent or skills”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tories would scrap ‘debt trap’ of high interest student loans, says Kemi Badenoch 22. February 2026 (14:19) Education secretary Bridget Phillipson suggests priority is grants for poorer students rather than cutting interestKemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives would scrap the “unfair debt trap” of high interest rates on student loans, piling pressure on Labour ministers to tackle the growing outrage over the high costs.The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, admitted the system of plan 2 loans had “problems” but suggested the government’s priority would be maintenance grants for poorer students, rather than tackling the high interest rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Only 10% of boys aged 14-16 read daily for pleasure, National Literacy Trust finds 22. February 2026 (14:00) Exclusive: Report says British teenagers’ time for books is being crowded out by schoolwork, screens and sportsFewer than one in 10 boys aged 14 to 16 in the UK read daily, according to research, which found reading for pleasure was being crowded out of teenage lives by schoolwork, screens and sports.While reading declines for both boys and girls in early adolescence, there are “signs of recovery” among girls in later teenage years, but boys’ engagement remains persistently low, according to the National Literacy Trust (NLT). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
