Nose for trouble: Italian town seeks ‘odour evaluators’ to sniff out bad smells 14. February 2026 (11:00) Mayor of Brendola in Vicenza says he has received complaints from residents who live near industrial zonesAn Italian town is seeking a crew of sniffers to identify bad smells in its quest to improve air quality.Bruno Beltrame, the mayor of Brendola, a small town in the northern province of Vicenza, said he began the recruitment campaign for six “odour evaluators” after complaints about “unpleasant smells” from people living in neighbourhoods close to industrial zones. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Munich security conference live: Marco Rubio to address European leaders rattled by Trump 14. February 2026 (09:03) European leaders have pledged to shoulder more of the burden of shared Nato defences to counter a hostile Russiain MunichBefore today’s proceedings get under way, the Munich Security Conference’s chair Wolfgang Ischinger has asked the audience to rise for a moment of silence to commemorate all civilians who died in conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine, Sudan, Iran, and Gaza. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pension annuity sales hit record as average pot exceeds £80,000 14. February 2026 (08:00) Rachel Reeves’s inheritance tax changes encourage more people to invest in previously unloved product The government’s “inheritance tax raid” on pensions has helped drive sales of retirement annuities to new highs.Industry data this week revealed they enjoyed a “record-breaking” 2025, with sales growing by 4% to £7.4bn and the average amount invested in an annuity surpassing £80,000 for the first time. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andrew aide advised Epstein to omit conviction on China visa form, files suggest 14. February 2026 (08:00) Epstein files release shows David Stern advised against mentioning ‘being denied previously or criminal charges’An aide to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor advised Jeffrey Epstein to illegally hide his child sexual abuse conviction to obtain a visa to China, according to the latest Epstein files release.David Stern, who was a close associate of both Epstein and the then prince, was asked for his help after the disgraced financier’s initial application for a visa was rejected. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Peta calls for pork-free menus as Peppa Pig show rolls into Grimsby 14. February 2026 (08:00) Auditorium to remove bacon and sausages from cafe during stage run after request from campaign groupCampaigners are calling on theatre bosses to stop serving bacon, sausages and ham in their cafes – at least while Peppa Pig and her family are performing in the same building.Grimsby Auditorium in Lincolnshire said this week it would remove pork from the menu when Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show opens next month, after a request from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta UK). The campaign group is sending the venue vegan ham as an alternative. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Police need to investigate’: will Andrew be questioned over his relationship with Epstein? 14. February 2026 (07:00) As calls for the former prince to cooperate with police become deafening, this may be the reckoning Andrew cannot outrunGordon Brown is a man who gets into the detail.In office, and since then, he has applied his forensic mind to the matters that concern him. Lately, he has been focused on the Epstein files. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A whole lost culture’: the Irishman reviving the forgotten sport of stone lifting 14. February 2026 (07:00) For centuries in Ireland lifting huge boulders was a way to test strength and bond communities, says Instagram sensation Indiana StonesDavid Keohan surveyed the County Waterford beach and spotted a familiar mound half-buried in sand: an oval-shaped limestone boulder. It weighed about 115kg.He wedged it loose with a crowbar, wiped it dry with a cloth, dusted his hands with chalk and paused to gaze at the Irish Sea, as if summoning strength from the waves pounding ashore. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Race to find source of carcinogenic Pfas in Cumbria and Lancashire waters 14. February 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: High levels of banned ‘forever chemical’ have been detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sitesA string of toxic pollution hotspots has been uncovered across Cumbria and Lancashire, with high levels of the banned cancer-causing “forever chemical” Pfos detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sites.The contamination, spread across a large area, was uncovered by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian after a freedom of information request revealed high concentrations of Pfos in Environment Agency samples taken in January 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US homeland security department partially shutdown after lawmakers fail to agree funding 14. February 2026 (06:06) Lawmakers left Washington for a long weekend without resolving an impasse over much-criticized agency’s fundingThe Department of Homeland Security has begun a partial shutdown, after funding for the much-criticized agency expired, with a range of services, including domestic flights and the US Coastguard, now vulnerable to disruption.The shutdown was all but confirmed on Thursday, after the Senate failed to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the DHS appropriations bill and lawmakers left Washington for a long weekend without resolving the impasse. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mark Carney joins hands with Canada opposition leader as he pays tribute to school shooting victims 14. February 2026 (05:42) The Canadian prime minister told residents of Tumbler Ridge that the country is ‘with you’Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has told residents of Tumbler Ridge that the country is “with you, and we will always be with you”, during a candlelight vigil for the eight victims of a mass shooting that has shattered the small mining town.The prime minister, holding hands with opposition leader Pierre Poilievre while flanked by First Nations chiefs and local officials, paid tribute to the families enduring the loss of loved ones, after the shooting at a local school that has become one of the most deadly attacks in Canadian history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
