Cabinet Office looking into Labour Together report claims, says minister 16. February 2026 (10:45) Liz Kendall says officials will be ‘establishing the facts’ about report that made false claims about journalistsUK politics live – latest updatesThe Cabinet Office is examining the commissioning of a report that made false claims about journalists who were investigating Labour Together, the thinktank closely linked to Keir Starmer, a cabinet minister has said.Liz Kendall, the science and technology secretary, indicated it would not be a formal inquiry, as demanded by the Conservatives and some Labour MPs, noting that the trade association for the PR industry was carrying out such an investigation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Liberal infighting erupts in Nepean as executive sidelines branch to back mayor dubbed ‘Sam Groth 2.0’ 16. February 2026 (09:04) Exclusive: Victorian executive fast-tracks Mornington Peninsula mayor as former deputy opposition leader’s successor in byelection Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA battle has erupted over who will represent the Liberal party in a byelection sparked by the resignation of the former deputy Victorian leader Sam Groth, with local branch members to be denied a vote.Guardian Australia can reveal that a majority of the party’s state executive (formerly known as the administrative committee) is set to back Mornington Peninsula’s mayor, Anthony Marsh, as Groth’s successor in a vote planned for 24 February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bring it back’: Sicilians say Antonello da Messina’s Ecce Homo belongs with them 16. February 2026 (09:00) Much of Messina’s cultural memory was destroyed in a 1908 earthquake, but the Italian government has secured a masterpiece by the port city’s greatest sonOn 28 December 1908, the city of Messina was struck by what is still considered the deadliest natural catastrophe in modern European history. In just 37 seconds, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake killed half its population and levelled much of the city.Along with homes, churches and monuments, invaluable historical sources and documents were lost, including works by Messina’s greatest son, Antonello da Messina, the artist widely credited with transforming the course of Renaissance art. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Japan avoids recession with weak return to growth – business live 16. February 2026 (08:53) Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Japan misses growth forecasts for the final three months of 2025Japan has slotted in at the bottom of the G7 growth table, along with the UK:With Canada and the US yet to report their GDP data for October-December, here’s what we know so far:Germany: +0.3% in Q4 2025Italy: +0.3%France: +0.2%UK: +0.1%Japan: 0.1%US: Due on 20th FebruaryCanada: Due on 27th February“Virtually flat prices in February really needs to be viewed alongside what happened in January.After the prolonged uncertainty in the run up to the late November Budget, plus the usual Christmas slowdown, we saw activity pick up again from Boxing Day. Many sellers, some of whom had been holding back because of the Budget, came to market in early 2026 with renewed confidence, which helped to drive that bumper January price rise. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rural drivers to face steepest bills under UK’s mileage-based electric vehicle tax 16. February 2026 (08:13) Analysis reveals big regional disparities as critics say Labour’s proposed levy could slow uptake of EVsDrivers in the south-west of England would pay nearly four times as much as those in London as a result of Labour’s mileage-based tax on electric cars, according to analysis of official data.The 3p-a-mile road charge, announced in the autumn budget and due to take effect in 2028, is expected to raise £1.1bn a year, partly offsetting the loss of fuel duty revenues as drivers switch from petrol to electric vehicles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arrested retirees ‘vindicated’ by ruling against Palestine Action proscription 16. February 2026 (08:00) Protesters welcome high court decision but many remain in legal limbo as government prepares to lodge appealRetirees making up some of the nearly 3,000 people arrested for supporting Palestine Action since the organisation was proscribed have said they feel “vindicated” by the high court’s decision to overturn the ban this week.However, uncertainty remains over whether their trials under terror laws may still go ahead after the government revealed it plans to appeal against the judgment made on Friday by three of the UK’s most senior judges. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Life requires cash’: Gaza’s jobs crisis leaves people struggling to afford basics 16. February 2026 (08:00) Fresh fruit and other items now available but at high prices in territory where unemployment is estimated at 80%Every morning, Mansour Mohammad Bakr sets out from the small rented room in Gaza City he shares with his pregnant wife and two very young daughters. The 23-year-old walks past the port and the breaking waves of the Mediterranean where he once earned his living.Before the two-year war that devastated Gaza, Bakr was a fisher, sharing tackle and a boat with his father and brothers. Now his brothers are dead, his father is too old, and his equipment was destroyed during the conflict. Like hundreds of thousands of others across Gaza, Bakr needs a job. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Blue Labour, ‘Manchesterism’ and Lords reform: your questions answered – podcast 16. February 2026 (08:00) What is Blue Labour? Can Andy Burnham’s ‘Manchesterism’ be replicated elsewhere? And is the two-party system over in British politics?In a special episode, Pippa and Kiran take your questions. Please keep sending them to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.comYou can listen back to Pippa and Kiran’s interviews with Andy Burnham at the Labour party conference here, and with the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, here.Watch John Harris’s Anywhere But Westminster in Gorton & Denton here. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gus Lamont: police return to South Australia home of missing four-year-old in search for new evidence 16. February 2026 (07:20) Gus went missing on 27 September from Oak Park Station, where South Australia police have begun a two-day search for evidenceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSouth Australian police have arrested a 75-year-old on unrelated firearm offences as they launch a new search for evidence during the investigation into missing four-year-old Gus Lamont.Gus, short for “August”, went missing on 27 September 2025 from his family’s remote sheep station, sparking one of the biggest and most intense searches in South Australia’s history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Angus Taylor moves to promote conservatives and sideline Sussan Ley allies as Liberal party veers right 16. February 2026 (07:04) Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price among those expected to return to frontbench as new leader pursues rightwing agendaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSussan Ley’s closest supporters are poised to be demoted as the new Liberal leader, Angus Taylor, prepares to install conservatives to deliver his rightwing agenda.Liberal MPs expect Alex Hawke, Anne Ruston, Andrew Wallace and Paul Scarr will be dropped to make room for the return of Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price among others on the frontbench. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
