World leaders gather in Washington for Donald Trump’s first Board of Peace meeting - US politics live 19. February 2026 (12:00) Representatives from more than 45 countries expected to attend initiative aimed at bringing an end to the war in GazaAuthoritarians, strongmen and dictators: who is on Trump’s Board of Peace?Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have staged navy drills in the Gulf of Oman, as the Kremlin called for restraint amid growing fears of a US military attack against Tehran.The Kremlin said the joint drills were planned exercises and no cause for alarm, but it comes against the backdrop of heightened US military activity in the Middle East in recent weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Accenture ‘links staff promotions to use of AI tools’ 19. February 2026 (11:54) Consulting firm keen to increase uptake of technology and is reportedly monitoring adoption by workforceAccenture has reportedly started tracking staff use of its AI tools and will take this into consideration when deciding on top promotions, as the consulting company tries to increase uptake of the technology by its workforce.The company told senior managers and associate directors that being promoted to leadership roles would require “regular adoption” of artificial intelligence, according to an internal email seen by the Financial Times. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Tusk tells Polish citizens to immediately leave Iran amid ‘very real’ prospect of war - Europe live 19. February 2026 (11:40) Poland’s prime minister says ‘under no circumstances anyone should be travelling to that country’Meanwhile, despite growing animosity between US president Donald Trump’s administration and the French government, Americans flocked to the country in 2025, with US visits rising 17% on the previous year, the French tourism ministry said, as reported by Reuters.More than 5 million Americans came to France in 2025, part of a record 102 million foreign tourists during the year, tourism minister Serge Papin said. One hundred million foreigners visited in 2024, when Paris hosted the Olympics. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
MPs in call to halt Drax’s £2m-a-day subsidy over sustainability doubts 19. February 2026 (11:10) Exclusive: Cross-party group ‘deeply concerned’ power plant may have misled ministers and regulators over source of wood pelletsEd Miliband is under pressure from MPs to suspend subsidies worth £2m a day paid to the owner of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire after court documents cast doubt on the company’s sustainability claims.A cross-party group of 14 MPs and peers have called on the energy minister to halt the subsidies for Britain’s biggest power plant while the financial watchdog investigates the company’s claims about how it sources the millions of tonnes of wood pellets burned to generate electricity. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thai police go undercover as lion dancers to catch thief 19. February 2026 (11:07) Officers devise unusual plan to arrest man suspected of stealing about $64,000 worth of Buddhist artefactsThai police donned a lion costume during this week’s lunar new year festivities to arrest a man accused of stealing about $64,000 worth of Buddhist artefacts.Dressed as a red-and-yellow lion, officers made the arrest on Wednesday evening after responding to a report this month of a home burglary in the suburbs of Bangkok. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show 19. February 2026 (11:00) Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the GuardianThe Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres, according to Board of Peace contracting records reviewed by the Guardian.The site is envisioned as a military operating base for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), planned as a multinational military force composed of pledged troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace which is meant to govern Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ebay buys Depop for $1.2bn in effort to lure younger shoppers 19. February 2026 (10:35) Deal agreed to acquire British secondhand fashion resale app from Etsy as eBay attempts to fend off AmazonThe online retailer eBay has agreed to buy the British secondhand fashion resale app Depop from Etsy for about $1.2bn (£890m) in cash, as eBay targets younger fashion-loving consumers.The deal comes at a time when secondhand marketplaces continue to soar in popularity, especially among gen Z shoppers – born between 1997 and 2012 – amid a squeeze on household incomes and concerns about sustainability in fashion. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alleged Australian IS fighters transferred from Syria to Iraq where they could face death penalty 19. February 2026 (09:51) Dfat says it is aware Australians are among 5,704 detainees transferred out of Syrian prisons and into Iraqi custodyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA group of Australian men suspected of being former Islamic State fighters are among more than 5,000 detainees transferred from Syria to Iraq, where they potentially face charges which could carry the death penalty.Iraq’s national centre for international judicial cooperation confirmed last Friday it had taken custody of the 5,704 alleged former fighters from 61 countries, including citizens of Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Macron defends EU AI rules and vows crackdown on child ‘digital abuse’ 19. February 2026 (09:26) French president rejects US criticism as António Guterres and Narendra Modi warn on child safety and AI monopoliesBusiness live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesEmmanuel Macron has hit back at US criticism of Europe’s efforts to regulate AI, vowing to protect children from “digital abuse” during France’s presidency of the G7.Speaking at the AI Impact summit in Delhi, the French president called for tougher safeguards after global outrage over Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot being used to generate tens of thousands of sexualised images of children, and amid mounting concern about the concentration of AI power in a handful of companies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jail sentence for British couple in Iran ‘totally unjustifiable’, says foreign secretary 19. February 2026 (08:51) Yvette Cooper criticises 10-year sentence for couple arrested on around-the-world trip and held on charges of espionageThe 10-year jail sentence handed to a British couple in Iran is “totally unjustifiable”, Yvette Cooper has said.Lindsay and Craig Foreman were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through the country on an around-the-world motorcycle journey and detained on charges of espionage. The couple from East Sussex, who are being held in Tehran’s Evin prison, deny the allegations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
