Ohio mayor arrested on voyeurism charges after allegedly sniffing girl’s underwear 20. February 2026 (23:12) Claims against Wesley Dingus came from teen who had been staying at his residence and hid camera in bedroomA Republican mayor in Ohio is facing criminal allegations after authorities say he was recorded on a concealed camera smelling an underage girl’s underwear.An incident report from the Richland county sheriff’s Office details the accusations against Wesley Dingus, 48, who serves as mayor of Butler. The claims came from a juvenile who had been staying at his residence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why the supreme court’s tariffs ruling is a win for world trade – but also tricky 20. February 2026 (22:52) The decision adds to economic uncertainty, as deals Donald Trump struck with other countries are upendedIt is refreshing to witness the US supreme court recover its spine and stand up to Donald Trump’s most extreme caprices. The 6-3 decision on Friday to strike down his barrage of tariffs on imports from virtually everywhere based on the preposterous argument that they addressed national emergencies will reassure the world that the US’s system of government – based on the separation of powers, checks and balances, and the rule of law – has not collapsed entirely.But let’s hold the (imported) champagne. The court’s ruling will not restore the United States to its former place as a reasonable, trustworthy player in the world economy. The rules-based economic architecture that underpinned the integration of the world economy over the decades that followed the second world war remains fractured. Trump is still intent on its disintegration. And he retains power to do so. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California bill would ban ICE agents from being near polling sites 20. February 2026 (22:39) Legislation responds to concerns that immigration officers could interfere with voting during November midterms A bill introduced this week by California lawmakers would ban federal immigration agents from being stationed outside polling places, responding to concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers could interfere with voting during the November midterm elections.The legislation was introduced on Thursday by state senator Tom Umberg and co-authored by state senator Sabrina Cervantes. Umberg said the measure aimed to safeguard voters from “ruthless intimidation” near polling locations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK clinical trial into puberty blockers on hold after medicines regulator steps in 20. February 2026 (22:26) Recruitment of children for study delayed after MHRA warns that participants should be no younger than 14 A clinical trial into puberty blockers for children has been paused after the medicines regulator warned it should have a minimum age limit of 14 because of the “unquantified risk” of “long-term biological harms”.Discussions between the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the trial sponsor, King’s College London, will begin next week to discuss the wellbeing concerns, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said on Friday evening. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Floreana giant tortoise reintroduced to Galápagos island after almost 200 years 20. February 2026 (22:00) Subspecies driven to extinction by hungry whalers returns after ‘back breeding’ programme using partial descendantsGiant tortoises, the life-giving engineers of remote small island ecosystems, are plodding over the Galápagos island of Floreana for the first time in more than 180 years.The Floreana giant tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger), a subspecies of the giant tortoise once found across the Galápagos, was driven to extinction in the 1840s by whalers who removed thousands from the volcanic island to provide a living larder during their hunting voyages. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli settlers kill 19-year-old Palestinian American, officials and witnesses say 20. February 2026 (21:14) Nasrallah Abu Siyam shot dead in occupied West Bank as UN human rights office accuses Israel of war crimesIsraeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian American man during an attack on a village, the Palestinian health ministry and a witness have said.Raed Abu Ali, a resident of Mukhmas, said a group of settlers came to the village on Wednesday afternoon where they attacked a farmer, prompting clashes after residents intervened. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Suspect arrested after Caltech scientist fatally shot at his home outside LA 20. February 2026 (20:29) Authorities suspect renowned astronomer Carl Grillmair was shot by 29-year-old man arrested for nearby carjackingA renowned California Institute of Technology (Caltech) scientist who studied distant planets and other areas of astronomy for decades was recently shot to death at his home in a rural community outside Los Angeles, authorities said.Carl Grillmair, 67, died from a bullet wound to the torso on Monday in Llano, an unincorporated community in the Antelope Valley, according to information from the LA county medical examiner’s office. The county sheriff’s department said it had arrested a suspect in Grillmair’s slaying, identifying him as 29-year-old Freddy Snyder. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump threatens 10% global tariffs and rails against supreme court justices 20. February 2026 (20:23) President called justices who blocked his tariffs a ‘disgrace to the nation’ while praising three justices who dissentedUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump on Friday railed against the supreme court justices who blocked his use of tariffs, calling the decision a “disgrace to the nation” and claiming he planned to impose even more tariffs under other statutory authorities.“It’s my opinion that the court has been swayed by foreign interests and a political movement that is far smaller than people would ever think,” the president said during remarks from the White House. He cast that influence as social and cultural. “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court. Absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
History redressed: Melania makes her mark, in a fashion, with Smithsonian gown 20. February 2026 (20:20) First lady is first in more than 100 years to have two inaugural gowns in museum’s popular collectionHer husband has described it as “OUT OF CONTROL”, a place where “everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been”.But Melania Trump, the wife of US president Donald Trump, declared a temporary ceasefire in hostilities with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington on Friday – with the help of a silk gown, diamond brooch and headless mannequin. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nasa to launch historic Artemis II moon mission on 6 March after delays 20. February 2026 (19:53) Administrator Jared Isaacman cites ‘major progress’ since earlier discovery of liquid hydrogen leaking from rocketNasa said on Friday it was planning to launch its delayed Artemis II moon mission on 6 March after successfully completing a fueling test that had caused it to stand down earlier this month.Jared Isaacman, the space agency’s newly confirmed administrator, cited “major progress” since the original so-called wet dress rehearsal in which engineers discovered liquid hydrogen leaking from the space launch system (SLS) rocket on its Florida launchpad at Cape Canaveral. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
