‘Slow this thing down’: Sanders warns US has no clue about speed and scale of coming AI revolution 21. February 2026 (05:26) After meeting with unspecified tech leaders, senator calls for urgent policy action as companies race to build ever more powerful systemsBernie Sanders has warned that Congress and the American public have “not a clue” about the scale and speed of the coming AI revolution, pressing for urgent policy action to “slow this thing down” as tech companies race to build ever-more powerful systems.Speaking at Stanford University on Friday alongside congressman Ro Khanna after a series of meetings with industry leaders in California, Sanders was blunt about what he called the “most dangerous moment in the modern history of this country”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US military strike kills three in second alleged drug boat attack this week 21. February 2026 (03:05) Move brings total number of people killed in US strikes on suspected boats since September to at least 148The US military launched a strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific on Friday, killing three men in its second strike this week.“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” US Southern Command, which oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, said on Twitter/X. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US citizen shot and killed by federal immigration agent last year, new records show 21. February 2026 (02:11) Shooting death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, in Texas was not publicly disclosed by Department of Homeland SecurityNewly released records show a US citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.The death of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, would mark the earliest of at least six deadly shootings by federal officers since the start of a nationwide immigration crackdown in Donald Trump’s second term. On Friday, DHS said the shooting on South Padre Island last March occurred after the driver intentionally struck an agent. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nightly raids and violent beatings: Australia urged to accept citizens trapped in Syria as conditions in Roj camp deteriorate 21. February 2026 (01:48) Aid workers say the camp where 34 women and children are being held are ‘dire’ and present more risk than if they were repatriatedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastConditions in the north-eastern Syrian camp where 34 Australians have been forcibly returned are deteriorating dramatically, with reports of near-nightly raids, and increasingly violent beatings, amid worsening uncertainty over their futures.The 11 women and 23 Australian children forced back to Roj camp on Monday returned to find their tents – formerly huddled collectively in a row known as Australia Street – demolished and their possessions seized. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 10 killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley, health ministry says 21. February 2026 (00:41) Hezbollah leader among dead as Israel says it hit militant command centresAt least 10 people have been killed and 24 wounded – including three children – in Israeli strikes in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley, the Lebanese health ministry has said.Israel said it had hit “command centres” of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the Bekaa valley. Two security sources told Reuters that senior Hezbollah leader Hussein Yaghi was killed in the attacks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Officials investigate deadly California avalanche for possible criminal negligence 21. February 2026 (00:24) Nevada county sheriff said investigation includes learning why the ski trip was not cancelled by the guide companyAuthorities are investigating whether any criminal negligence was involved in the deadly avalanche that swept California’s Lake Tahoe this week, which killed at least eight skiers and their guides while returning from a three-day backcountry skiing trip.The Nevada county sheriff’s office said on Friday said that they notified the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha), which regulates workplace safety, of the active investigation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sentence extended but no jail for NT hit-and-run driver Jake Danby who called victims ‘oxygen thieves’ 21. February 2026 (00:12) Jake Danby’s sentence for hitting two Aboriginal men with his car, killing one, was extended from five months to two years in home detentionGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe family of an Aboriginal man fatally run down before the driver bragged about his death are angry and heartbroken after their brother’s killer has again avoided jail on appeal.In June 2024, Jake Danby hit two Aboriginal men with his car on a Darwin street, killing one and injuring the other. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
FBI and Las Vegas police investigate suspected case of terrorism 20. February 2026 (23:56) A man, 23, drove a car full of weapons through gate of power facility before shooting himself in the head, officials saidA 23-year-old man drove from New York to a Las Vegas suburb and crashed a rented Nissan Sentra through a gate and into a pile of heavy wire reels at a power substation before shooting himself in the head, local police said Friday, describing the incident as a suspected act of terrorism.The suspect, Dawson Noah Maloney, died of the self-inflicted shotgun wound, Las Vegas sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a press conference Friday. He was wearing soft body armor when police discovered him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anna Murdoch-Mann, author and ex-wife of Rupert Murdoch, dies aged 81 20. February 2026 (23:35) Philanthropist and mother of Elisabeth, James and Lachlan Murdoch died at home in Palm Beach, FloridaThe author and philanthropist Anna Murdoch-Mann, the ex-wife of the Australian media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, died at her home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. She was 81.Murdoch-Mann’s death was reported Friday by the New York Post, one of her ex-husband’s media properties. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US envoy Mike Huckabee says it would be ‘fine’ if Israel took all Middle East land 20. February 2026 (23:29) Rightwing Trump ally tells Tucker Carlson Israel has biblical right to land from ‘wadi of Egypt to the great river’The US’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has contended to the podcaster Tucker Carlson that Israel has a biblical right to take over the entire Middle East – or at least the lion’s share of it.“It would be fine if they took it all,” Huckabee said to Carlson during an interview posted on Friday. The Trump administration appointee and former Arkansas governor discussed with Carlson interpretations of Old Testament scripture within the US Christian nationalist movement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
