Marco Rubio’s warm words to Viktor Orbán reinforce EU fears that US seeks disunity in Europe

17/02/2026 19:49 The Guardian

Secretary of state spoke of ‘golden age’ of US-Hungary relations at time of tense transatlantic relations with traditional alliesEven before he in effect endorsed Hungary’s Viktor Orbán before a crucial parliamentary election, Marco Rubio’s itinerary for Europe promised to be provocative. After meeting US allies at the Munich Security Conference during a particularly tense moment in transatlantic relations, the US secretary of state departed for Slovakia and Hungary – the two EU states most dependent on Russian energy and sceptical of the bloc’s support for Ukraine.In what bordered on an explicit political endorsement, Rubio told Orbán that relations between Hungary and the US had entered a “golden age” – and would stay like that for as long as Orban remains in power. Continue reading...

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Australia news live: Randa Abdel-Fattah to appear at Sydney writers’ festival; record renewable capacity added to grid

A total of 2.1GW of wind and solar power came on to the grid in the three months to December. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson says people ‘warming to our policies’ amid frustrations with two major partiesOne Nation’s Pauline H...

17/02/2026 21:20 The Guardian

France releases suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker after huge fine, as Ukraine peace talks begin – as it happened

Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier called for ‘justice and strength’ in diplomacy after Russia hit Ukraine with 400 drones and 29 missiles hours before talksThe European Commission is just giving its daily midday press briefing, and it has confirmed plans to adopt the new, 20th, round of sanctions agai...

17/02/2026 16:09 The Guardian

Nigel Farage unveils Reform UK frontbench team and warns over dissent

Leader says move should end claims of one-man band and shows party is ‘creating a machine for government’Nigel Farage has unveiled the first part of Reform UK’s frontbench team, saying it shows that the party is no longer reliant entirely on him – while also warning that he will not tolerate...

17/02/2026 14:31 The Guardian

Algorithm-based tool for home support funding is ‘cruel’ and ‘inhumane’, Australian aged care workers warn

Mark Aitken, who worked in the sector for 16 years, said eight times out of 10 he disagreed with the integrated assessment toolFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAged care clinicians and carers say an algorithm-based asses...

17/02/2026 14:00 The Guardian

Early voting begins for high-stakes Texas primary elections

Democrats, who haven’t won statewide race since 1994, aim to gain ground with rising stars as Republicans clash between incumbent and embattled Maga allyA Texas-sized showdown is brewing deep in the heart of the largest red state in the US. As early voting begins on Tuesday for the Lone Star state...

17/02/2026 13:11 The Guardian

12-hour days, no weekends: the anxiety driving AI’s brutal work culture is a warning for all of us

San Francisco’s AI startups are pushing workers to grind endlessly, hinting at pressures soon hitting other sectorsNot long after the terms “996” and “grindcore” entered the popular lexicon, people started telling me stories about what was happening at startups in San Francisco, ground zer...

17/02/2026 13:00 The Guardian

‘Unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights’: family of Jesse Jackson pay tribute to civil rights champion – live

Ordained minister and activist who twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination had been living with progressive supranuclear palsyThe civil rights campaigner, Al Sharpton, has paid tribute to his “mentor” Jesse Jackson, whom he worked closely with over the civil rights era. In a tribute...

17/02/2026 12:14 The Guardian

Boohoo and Debenhams owner raises £35m, risking Mike Ashley clash

Company, which also owns Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen, to use cash to cut debts and fund turnaroundBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of Boohoo and Debenhams is raising £35m from shareholders in a move that could open a fresh conflict with Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley.The company,...

17/02/2026 11:29 The Guardian

Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’

Official says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vesselsEurope live – latest updatesA senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the pros...

17/02/2026 09:46 The Guardian

Ukraine and Russia to meet for third round of talks as fourth anniversary of war looms

Hopes of success remain low after Trump points finger at Zelenskyy and Moscow keeps up hardline demandsEurope live – latest updatesSenior Ukrainian and Russian officials are to meet this week in Switzerland for a third round of talks brokered by the Trump administration, days before the fourth ann...

17/02/2026 08:49 The Guardian

Chinese tourists shun Japan over lunar new year holiday as rift deepens

Japanese prime minister’s refusal to back down over Taiwan comments brings more criticism and travel warnings from ChinaChinese tourists are continuing to shun Japan in large numbers, with the country falling out of the top 10 destinations for those celebrating the lunar new year with a trip abroa...

17/02/2026 05:30 The Guardian

‘Economic fighters’: the volunteers helping direct sanctions against Russia

Civil society groups and individuals from around world are working to aid Ukraine by damaging Moscow’s war machineIn August 2022, Olena Yurchenko stumbled across a heated discussion on a Russian-language online forum – and made a discovery that would ultimately affect US and European sanctions p...

17/02/2026 05:00 The Guardian

Taylor Swift concert attack plot: 21-year-old man charged with terrorism in Austria

Unnamed suspect accused of planning to bomb one of singer’s Eras tour shows in ViennaAustrian prosecutors have filed terrorism-related charges against a 21-year-old who they say planned to attack one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna in August 2024.Three dates in Swift’s record-breaking Era...

17/02/2026 01:40 The Guardian

The patience and the poker face: Iran’s wily diplomat set to face the US in nuclear talks

Abbas Araghchi is steeped in more than a decade of nuclear dealmaking with a book on the art of negotiationsIf the US and Iran are to avoid a regional war, both sides need to start to make concessions at talks in Geneva on Tuesday, and also to accommodate one another’s very different bargaining st...

16/02/2026 20:10 The Guardian

NHS ’clearly failing’ to ensure children get measles vaccine, experts warn

Calls grow for reform of England’s vaccination system including delivery of jabs in pharmacies as take-up fallsChildren are at risk of measles because the NHS is “clearly failing” to ensure they get the MMR vaccine and its system needs an urgent overhaul, MPs and health experts have warned.Cal...

16/02/2026 19:54 The Guardian

Australia news live: racism ‘systemic’ at universities; Angus Taylor disowns leaked migration policy

Seven in 10 experienced indirect racism, rising to nine in 10 Palestinian and Jewish students and staff, report finds. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the best of the breakin...

16/02/2026 19:30 The Guardian

What is happening to Syria’s IS camps and their former residents?

Experts say the detention centres were a breeding ground for extremism and a new generation of IS membersHumanitarians warned for years that the camps in north-east Syria holding tens of thousands of family members of suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters would have to be dealt with. Calling them a...

16/02/2026 18:49 The Guardian

Civil rights groups sue to protect voter data FBI seized from Georgia office

Fulton county office was raided in January amid Donald Trump’s claims that 2020 election was fraudulentRights groups have sued to protect voter information that was seized by the FBI in a controversial raid in Georgia at the behest of Donald Trump in his renewed push to invalidate the 2020 electio...

16/02/2026 18:27 The Guardian

UK politics: Government abandons plans to delay 30 local council elections in May – as it happened

The government was warned by its lawyers that such a move could be illegal as it pledges an additional £63m to help councils with reorganisationIn his Q&A with journalists, Keir Starmer was also asked to respond to a report by the BBC’s James Landale saying he is looking at plans to raise def...

16/02/2026 18:15 The Guardian

Students in England and Wales launch legal action over Covid-hit studies

More than 170,000 seek compensation after UCL Covid settlement opens door to claims across university sectorDozens of universities are facing legal action from more than 170,000 students seeking compensation after their studies were moved online during Covid-19.Pre-action claim letters have been sen...

16/02/2026 18:12 The Guardian

Was Navalny poisoning by frog toxin meant to send a message?

Yvette Cooper may think so, and use of epibatidine may seem exotic, but experts say situation is more ambiguousIt was a very particular choice of weapon, but experts say it remains unclear whether the dart frog toxin used to kill the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was intended to convey a...

16/02/2026 17:06 The Guardian

Trump is ‘deeply committed to your success’, Rubio tells Orbán during Hungary visit – as it happened

Rubio says relationship with Orbán is ‘vital for US national interests’ ahead of Hungarian elections in AprilBack to Budapest now. Marco Rubio and the Hungarian foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, appear to be signing an agreement to facilitate cooperation on a civilian nuclear programme.We’ll...

16/02/2026 16:19 The Guardian

Cyprus appeals to residents to cut water use by two minutes a day amid drought

Island’s reservoirs hit record lows even before tourist season starts as Cypriots are warned ‘every drop counts’Europe live – latest updatesAuthorities in Cyprus have urged residents to reduce their water intake by 10% – the equivalent of two minutes’ use of running water each day – as...

16/02/2026 14:49 The Guardian

Moderate Liberals warn Angus Taylor against adopting Trump-style immigration policies

Paul Scarr, the shadow immigration minister under Sussan Ley, and South Australian senator Andrew McLachlan expressed concernGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal MPs have warned their new leader, Angus Taylor, against lurching further to the right and imposing “blanke...

16/02/2026 14:00 The Guardian

Germany calls on France to increase defence spending

Foreign minister puts pressure on Emmanuel Macron amid doubts over US’s commitment to European defenceEurope live – latest updatesFrance needs to boost its defence spending to make European self-sufficiency a reality, Germany’s foreign minister has said.As European powers increasingly acknowle...

16/02/2026 11:57 The Guardian

Ukrainian civilian casualties rose by 26% in 2025, researchers say | First Thing

Figures said to reflect increased Russian military targeting of cities and infrastructure. Plus, the week the Cuban crisis got realDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Civilian casualties in Ukraine caused by Russian strikes surged by 26% in 2025, reflecting increa...

16/02/2026 11:49 The Guardian

Warner Bros Discovery weighs new sale talks after fresh Paramount offer

Board considering whether to re-engage in move that could prompt a second bidding war with NetflixBusiness live – latest updatesWarner Bros Discovery (WBD) is reportedly weighing reopening sales talks with Paramount Skydance, in a move that could spark a fresh bidding war with Netflix for the Holl...

16/02/2026 09:57 The Guardian

Japan and Switzerland both avoid falling into recession – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Japan misses growth forecasts for the final three months of 2025Newsflash: Switzerland has also escaped recession, despite the economic damage caused by US tariffs.Swiss GDP expanded by 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a new estimate...

16/02/2026 08:17 The Guardian

‘Life requires cash’: Gaza’s jobs crisis leaves people struggling to afford basics

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...

16/02/2026 07:00 The Guardian

BoM warns of ‘classic fire spike day’ for Victoria – as it happened

This blog is now closedAngus Taylor moves to promote conservatives and sideline Sussan Ley allies as Liberal party veers rightGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn case you missed it, NSW is getting an extra holiday this yearPeople in Australia’s most populous state have be...

16/02/2026 06:29 The Guardian

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