Team USA wins gold over Canada in women's hockey overtime thriller at Winter Games

This was the seventh gold medal match — and fifth in a row — between the two hockey powerhouses.

California avalanche survivors tried to unbury their friends, official says

The avalanche, the deadliest in California history, killed at least eight people and left a ninth person missing.

Team USA women's hockey team defeats Canada in Olympic final

The Team USA women's hockey team defeated Canada in a thriller to take Olympic gold Thursday, while Alysa Liu ended the U.S.'s two decade medal drought in figure skating . Kelly O'Grady is following all the Olympic action from Milan.

Labor Secretary's husband barred from HQ after claims he sexually assaulted women there: MS Now

The Labor Department's inspector general is investigating the situation, and a complaint has been made to police in Washington, D.C., the report said.

A timeline of Nancy Guthrie's disappearance as search stretches on

Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing Feb. 1.

Virginia Giuffre's family responds to news of former Prince Andrew's arrest

The family of Virginia Giuffre​, who accused former Prince Andrew of assaulting her when she was a teenager, thanked police on Thursday after he was arrested.

NASA's new head criticizes Boeing, NASA for botched Starliner flight that left 2 astronauts stuck

NASA's new boss blasted both Boeing and his own space agency for the botched Starliner flight that left two astronauts stuck in space for months.

NASA refuels Artemis II moon rocket in critical pre-launch test

Engineers were able to fully fuel NASA's Artemis II moon rocket without any signs of leaks like the ones that derailed an earlier dress rehearsal.

Roblox sued by Los Angeles over claims platform ‘makes children easy prey for pedophiles’

LA County says the gaming company does not carry out adequate moderation and its age-verification systems are not fit for purpose, which Roblox denies

Officials in Los Angeles have said they are suing Roblox, alleging the popular online platform exposes children to sexual content, exploitation and online predators.

In a lawsuit, Los Angeles County said the company does not carry out adequate moderation and its age-verification systems are not fit for purpose.

Iran's navy holds joint military exercises with Russia amid renewed threats from Trump

The U.S. is said to have more military air power in the Middle East than at any time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to the Wall Street Journal. With a second aircraft carrier on its way on Thursday, the White House appears prepared for the possibility of a weekslong war with Iran, if ongoing nuclear talks fall through. Charlie D'Agata has more.

Alysa Liu wins gold for U.S. in women's figure skating at Winter Olympics

Three figure skaters from Team USA competed in the women's individual free skate event at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Virginia Giuffre's family says U.S. government response to Epstein files is "shameful"

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday for suspected misconduct in public office stemming from revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Retired FBI agent unpacks clues for solving Nancy Guthrie's disappearance

19 days into the search for Nancy Guthrie, the Pima County Sheriff confirmed that investigators are still analyzing the DNA recovered from Guthrie's home. Jonathan Vigliotti has more.

Former Prince Andrew released but not cleared after arrest in connection with Epstein files

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of the reigning King Charles, was arrested Thursday morning in a raid on his cottage on the king's estate. It follows new revelations about former Prince Andrew's business dealings with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Imtiaz Tyab has more.

Iran deal prospects will be clear within 10 days, Trump says as military buildup grows

Second carrier strike group heads for region as US waits for Iran to respond after talks in Geneva

Donald Trump has said it will be clear within “probably 10 days” whether he can reach a nuclear deal with Iran, as the US military buildup in the Middle East intensifies with the impending arrival of a second carrier strike group.

The US president, speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington DC, insisted Iran could not have a nuclear weapon and emphasised that “bad things will happen” if the country continued “to threaten regional stability”.

Domenicali pleads for calm over fears new rules will wreck Formula One

• F1 chief executive ‘is listening to drivers’ complaints’

• He admits the rules could change if racing isn’t exciting

Stefano Domenicali, the chief executive of Formula One, has issued an urgent plea for calm after the damning driver criticism of the sport’s new regulations that has emerged during pre-season testing. But the Italian conceded that F1 is prepared to intervene and enforce changes should the racing prove disappointing.

There has been a clamour of discontent over how the new regulations will play out, particularly the role of energy management rather than driving flat-out. Not least from the four-time champion Max Verstappen, who dismissed the new rules as being “anti-racing” and insinuated that he might leave F1 if he no longer enjoyed driving the new cars.

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Tottenham’s Tudor age begins with a north London derby, Guardiola ponders Haaland’s role and Wirtz has a chance to flummox Forest

Aston Villa, third in the Premier League, chasing Champions League qualification and the Europa League title, will be expected to beat Leeds on home soil. But Unai Emery’s side have struggled of late in games where the pressure is on and the onus is upon them to be the aggressor. After exiting the FA Cup to Newcastle, Marco Bizot’s moment of madness all but ending their hopes of reaching the fifth round, it is back to league duty. They eked out an ugly win over Brighton, just the kind of result they would be happy with this weekend, but recently they also lost at home to 10-man Brentford and to Everton. Before that they drew at lowly Crystal Palace, though Oliver Glasner’s side have been a bogey team for Villa. This week Bizot apologised for his rush of blood. Which Villa will turn up against Leeds? Ben Fisher

Aston Villa v Leeds, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)

Brentford v Brighton, Saturday 3pm

Chelsea v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

West Ham v Bournemouth, Saturday 5.30pm

Cecil: The Lion and the Dentist review – inside the horrific big cat killing that outraged the world

This documentary looks at the 2015 slaying of the majestic head of two lion prides in Zimbabwe, by a trophy-hunting American dentist. Sadly it raises more questions than it answers

There are a lot of unanswered – possibly unanswerable – questions in the air at the moment. Questions such as what prompts a husband to drug his wife and, for a decade, invite strange men over to his house to rape her while she lies unconscious in the marital bed? Or: what kind of a person do you have to be to hang around with a convicted child sexual offender and billionaire who is exercising his perversions in plain sight, even if you are not yourself fully involved with said perversions? Or: if a year into a presidency you already have citizens being killed in the street by uniformed thugs barely a notch above a militia, what happens next?

It’s almost a relief to have to turn away and consider for a moment an older, slightly smaller question; namely, what makes someone want to kill an animal for sport? Not for food, not in defence of a home or family or livestock, just for fun. Just to be able to say they did it and take a picture with the corpse to prove it.

Bard hires top law firm to investigate links between college president and Epstein

WilmerHale to conduct review following new revelations about Leon Botstein’s dealings with convicted sex offender

Bard College’s board of trustees has retained the outside law firm of WilmerHale to conduct an independent investigation into communications between Jeffrey Epstein and the college’s longtime president Leon Botstein.

WilmerHale’s will conduct an “independent review” of the “full scope of these communications”, financial contributions connected to Epstein, and any related matters, the board said in an announcement on Thursday evening.

King says ‘law must take its course’ after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest

Former prince released under investigation as searches continue at the Royal Lodge in Windsor

King Charles has insisted “the law must take its course” after detectives took the unprecedented step of arresting his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Police took him to Aylsham police station in Norfolk on Thursday morning for questioning about allegations he shared confidential material with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Abigail Spanberger to give Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address

Virginia governor is seen as a model for the party to win back power in midterm elections

Virginia’s governor Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next week, elevating a pragmatic voice whose affordability-focused gubernatorial campaign is seen as a model for the party to win back power in the November midterm elections.

The Democratic rebuttal will immediately follow Trump’s address to Congress on 24 February. Spanberger, a former undercover CIA officer who served three terms in Congress, became Virginia’s first female governor earlier this year, resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican. She won the race by a double-digit margin, campaigning on affordability and lowering costs for families.

Shrai Popat contributed reporting

New Mexico reopens investigation linked to Epstein's former Zorro Ranch

New Mexico's attorney general has reopened an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein's former Zorro Ranch.

Army veteran sues federal government after ICE detains him for three days

US citizen George Retes was held without access to family, an attorney, or information about the charges against him

An army veteran detained by federal immigration agents in southern California during his work commute in July has filed a lawsuit against the federal government.

According to the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday with the help of the nonprofit law firm Institute for Justice, George Retes was held in a detention center for three days without access to his family, an attorney, or any information about the charges against him, in what the suit argues was an unconstitutional detention.

Man allegedly assaulted by Shia LaBeouf in New Orleans wants to see hate crime charges

Jeffrey Damnit says actor punched him and second man on Tuesday, calling both ‘faggot’ repeatedly

One of the men whom Shia LaBeouf allegedly battered and insulted with a homophobic slur on Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans on Tuesday, leading to his arrest, would like to see the actor face hate crime charges.

Jeffrey Damnit, who dresses in drag and was in makeup at the time of the encounter with LaBeouf, said on Thursday that the behavior attributed to the Transformers film franchise star was “a complete slap in the face to any alternative-culture person”.

Revealed: Epstein cultivated relationship with CBP officer, causing US investigation

Guardian review of US justice department files reveals Epstein interacted with six CBP officers. The officer investigated denied any knowledge of trafficking underage girls

Federal investigators examined Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer who worked at the St Thomas airport to which Epstein regularly flew on his private planes before traveling by boat or helicopter to his private island, newly released documents reveal.

As part of that investigation, which did not result in any charges, investigators also issued subpoenas related to three additional CBP officers working at the Cyril E King airport (STT) on St Thomas, documents show. The Guardian also identified two other CBP officers on St Thomas and in Florida who were in contact with Epstein, based on emails and text messages between Epstein, his staff and the officers. It does not appear the FBI ever investigated those two officers.

Alysa Liu wins Winter Olympics gold to end US women’s 24-year figure skating drought

• 20-year-old delivers near-flawless free skate

• Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai win silver and bronze

Alysa Liu completed a stunning comeback to competitive figure skating by winning the first Olympic women’s figure skating gold medal for the United States in 24 years on Thursday night.

The 20-year-old from Clovis, California, who vanished from the sport nearly four years ago uncertain if she’d ever return, delivered a career-best long program to overtake Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. Skating in a shimmering gold dress to Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park Suite, Liu cleanly landed all seven of her triple jumps, including three in combination, and drew a standing ovation before finishing with 226.79 points overall.

U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said she didn't care if she medaled. She won gold

Liu is the first American woman to win an individual figure skating gold medal since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Epstein files: Former prince Andrew released by police, Trump calls his arrest 'a shame'

President Donald Trump said the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, was "very sad" and "so bad for the royal family."

Epstein would 'name drop' Trump, Les Wexner says in deposition video

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have expressed skepticism about Wexner's insistence that he had virtually no social life with Epstein.

Patel takes FBI jet to Italy, plans to watch Olympic hockey medal rounds, sources say

Patel took an FBI jet to Italy and plans to watch the Men's USA Olympic hockey team compete in the medal rounds, multiple sources said.

Figma stock jumps 15% as company sees AI monetization accelerating growth

The design software company maintained its gross margin even as more people adopted the Figma Make artificial intelligence tool.

Lawsuit against Amazon over suicides linked to chemical can go to trial

Four families whose loved ones died after consuming sodium nitrite allege that Amazon sold the product despite being aware it could be used for suicide.

Large Trump banner hung at justice department headquarters

‘Make America Safe Again’ banner put up in striking symbol of president’s control over top US law-enforcement agency

A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung on the exterior of justice department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him.

While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied justice department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control.

Casey Wasserman was the consummate LA powerbroker. Now his links to Ghislaine Maxwell threaten his legacy

Hollywood scion and talent agent exchanged sexual emails with Epstein associate

Casey Wasserman was born into Hollywood royalty, and for much of his life – until the release of the Epstein files brought his world crashing down – he appeared as formidable and untouchable as the entertainment industry moguls of old.

He wasn’t just the man charged with organizing the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – a position he still holds, despite widespread calls for his resignation. He was a consummate power broker, someone who controlled the careers of prominent musicians, actors and athletes through the talent agency named after him, cultivated relationships in local and national politics, raised money for key election contests, endowed civic buildings and, through his family wealth, gave lavishly to social causes.

Judge scolds Mark Zuckerberg's team for wearing Meta glasses to trial

A Los Angeles judge ordered Meta officials to remove their AI glasses at a trial over the impact of social media on users.

Manchester United sweep aside Atlético to tee up Bayern Munich clash in WCL

Jess Park provided a timely demonstration of her qualities as her superb, long-range goal capped a confident individual performance that helped Manchester United progress to the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals with a resounding win over Atlético Madrid.

The German champions, Bayern Munich, will be Marc Skinner’s team’s quarter-final opponents, between 23 March and 1 April, with United reaching the last eight for the first time. That significant landmark for the club was fittingly accompanied by a special goal from Park, whose curling strike completed a 5-0 aggregate victory and boosted her chances of starting for England in March.

Britain’s curlers guarantee a medal as Mouat holds his nerve against Swiss

• Team GB men’s team edge tense semi-final battle 8-5

• They go for gold in Saturday’s final against Canada

Call it the Cortina Comeback. At nine o’clock on Thursday morning, Great Britain’s men’s curling team didn’t even know whether they would be in the Olympic semi-finals. By nine o’clock on Thursday night, they had won themselves a place in Saturday’s final against Canada by beating the undefeated Swiss team 8-5.

The British, who scraped through the round robin only because the Italian team lost their last group stage game to the Swiss on Thursday morning, had promised that they would be an entirely different proposition if they got to the knockout rounds, and they were as good as their word.

Life after the 'great resignation': Incentives are dimming for workers to change jobs

The disparity between average annual pay increases for those staying in their jobs and for those leaving has all but collapsed.

Judge delivers spicy response to lawsuit over Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings

A federal judge had more fun than usual with a lawsuit over Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings. Tony Dokoupil has the sizzling response.

New York governor pulls robotaxi expansion proposal for cities outside Big Apple

Kathy Hochul backed away from allowing robotaxi services in smaller cities, though Waymo still plans to move ahead in New York City

New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, has pulled her proposal to allow commercial robotaxi services in smaller cities outside New York City, a spokesperson for the governor said on Thursday.

“Based on conversations with stakeholders, including in the legislature, it was clear that the support was not there to advance this proposal,” the spokesperson said.

Internal memo details cosmetic changes and facility repairs to Kennedy Center

Trump announced his plans to close the Kennedy Center entirely for two years "for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding." The announcement came after many prominent artists canceled existing scheduled appearances.

Texas woman who made series of violent threats fails to report to prison

Abigail Shry was due to begin serving a 27-month federal prison sentence this week for threatening a federal judge, but she failed to appear.

Etsy stock pops on Depop deal despite disappointing revenue, merchandise sales

The company fell short of analysts estimates for revenue and gross merchandise sales in the fourth quarter.

Arts commission approves Trump's White House ballroom, clearing key hurdle

A commission that advises the federal government on architecture and the arts voted to approve President Trump's overhaul of the White House East Wing.

Athletes to watch from Team USA at the Winter Olympics

American athletes are going for the gold at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. These are some of the top Team USA competitors to watch.

Kennedy defends Trump glyphosate order; MAHA erupts as midterms approach

President Donald Trump on Wednesday invoked the Defense Production Act to spur the domestic production of glyphosate and elemental phosphorus.

Indiana approves plan to lure Bears away from Chicago

• Team have been in Chicago since 1921

• Indiana committed to helping build new stadium

The Chicago Bears’ potential move to Indiana took another step forward on Thursday when a key committee approved a plan to create an agency that would help get a stadium built.

The Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee passed a bill establishing a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a stadium by a 24-0 margin. The Bears are looking at a tract of land near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.

House Democrats call for Treasury probe into Trump family crypto venture

World Liberty Financial drew scrutiny after it was revealed an Emirati royal known as the "Spy Sheikh" purchased a $500 million stake in the company last year.

Bullet casing at yogurt shop links serial killer to the infamous murders

"48 Hours" can exclusively report there has been a huge break in the 1991 murders of four teenage girls in a Texas yogurt shop.

Families, investigators remain haunted by unsolved Texas yogurt shop murders

Could new information lead to answers in the brutal murder of four teenage girls in Austin, Texas, more than 30 years ago?

How a U.S. strike on Iran could affect American drivers and borrowers

Oil prices could surge depending on the level of disruption from U.S. military strikes on Iran, Wall Street analysts say.

The unbearable experience of walking in a heatwave of the future – video

Around the world, global heating is already causing more frequent heatwaves that last longer and bring more heat. Guardian Australia's Graham Readfearn has put his body to the test in an experiment see what effects the heatwaves of the future will have on humans. At the University of Sydney, he steps into a climate chamber that simulates the increased temperatures and humidity predicted in a rapidly warming climate. 'The sweat is stinging my eyes,' he says. 'It's 43C and the air is sticky and humid. It's getting hard to breath.'

New Zealand bug of the year: moth named Avatar after mining threat crowned winner

Arctesthes avatar moth, which won nearly half of the votes, was discovered in 2012 and is critically endangered

A tiny critically endangered moth, named after the Avatar films because of the proposed mining activity threatening its primary habitat, has been crowned New Zealand’s bug of the year.

The Avatar moth won by a wide margin, earning 5,192 of the more than 11,000 total votes cast. It won 2,269 more votes than the runner-up, the mahoenui giant wētā, one of the world’s largest insects. Other contenders included the wonderfully spiky hellraiser mite, the country’s heaviest spider – the black tunnelweb – and a giant earthworm that glows in the dark.

Democrats pick Virginia Gov. Spanberger to give State of the Union rebuttal

President Donald Trump will address the nation on Tuesday amid sagging poll numbers.

Nottingham Forest dominate Fenerbahce to give Vítor Pereira perfect start

For Nottingham Forest, and particularly Vítor Pereira and the 1,200 supporters who signed up to this trip, an evening in Istanbul they will not forget in a hurry.

After just three training sessions, Pereira’s first match in charge could scarcely have been more impressive than the statement victory Forest recorded at Fenerbahce to put themselves in command to reach the Europa League last 16. By the end, the yellow and navy stronghold had emptied and the Forest fans present savoured every moment. “Can we play you every week?” they sang, and then: “Where’s your famous atmosphere?”

Judge: Lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings has "no meat on its bones"

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by an Illinois man who alleged that Buffalo Wild Wings' use of the term "boneless wings" was deceptive.

FBI in touch with Mexico about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, sources say

The FBI has been in touch with the Mexican government and Mexican law enforcement regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, law enforcement sources told CBS News.

The Guardian view on the royals and the law: no more managed disgrace | Editorial

The police investigation into the king’s brother forces Britain to confront whether privilege can coexist with democratic scrutiny and the rule of law

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor the king’s brother, should be the moment deference ends and accountability begins – a correction long overdue. For more than 15 years, allegations surrounding Mr Mountbatten-Windsor were managed away by silence, an out-of-court settlement and his withdrawal from royal duties. In short, his behaviour was viewed as an image problem to be handled privately. That era now looks to be over.

That the eighth in line to the throne was sitting in a police cell on his 66th birthday shows how far he has fallen. The formal investigation means that the question is no longer about protecting the monarchy but one of what happened, and who might be responsible for unlawful acts. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s descent into ignominy has unfolded slowly but inexorably. His stupidity and arrogance led him to believe that he could talk his way out of his relationship with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, he faces a legal and constitutional reckoning.

The Guardian view on Merz and Meloni: an emerging Berlin-Rome axis is threatening the EU’s green deal

The deregulation agenda being pushed by Germany’s chancellor and Italy’s prime minister is economically and ethically flawed

When the European Union launched its green deal in 2019, putting into law the goal of climate neutrality by the middle of the century, it showed strategic foresight as well as global leadership. Russia’s war in Ukraine has starkly underlined the extent to which the continent’s energy security – and its future prosperity – is dependent on the transition away from fossil fuels. Lately, however, EU leaders’ environmental approach appears to be echoing the youthful St Augustine’s plea on chastity: make us greener, but not yet.

The recent European Industry Summit in Antwerp made unusually big headlines thanks to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s xenophobic outburst over immigration. But it was also notable for fierce attacks on one of the most important pillars of EU environmental policy. The bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS) – which makes polluters pay for the C02 they emit – has achieved dramatic results in driving down overall emissions since 2005 and encouraging green innovation. Worryingly, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, appeared to sympathise with demands from Sir Jim and other CEOs for a radical relaxation of the rules.

‘Be the lion, feel the lion’: the gruelling life of lunar new year lion dancers

Sydney’s Qing Fong dance troupe undergoes intensive training for their busiest period of the year, when they will perform more than 100 times and earn ‘lots of pats’ from the crowd

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Drums and cymbals echo across Mingyue Lay temple’s sun-baked concrete car park. Lion heads made out of papier-mache are dotted around the lot and pairs of kids are jumping on to poles, tables or each other’s shoulders – all while connected at the hip.

It’s a sticky night in Sydney’s west, but the 33C heat doesn’t faze these lion dancers, who are gearing up for their busiest period: lunar new year. The festivities continue well past the day itself, with more than 100 performances across three weeks. On the eve of lunar new year, the studio will start their performance at the temple in Bonnyrigg at 9pm and finish well past midnight.

Above: Team instructor Jenny Cao and Long Huynh outside the hall
Below: Costumes wait to be put on for dance rehearsals

Extreme heat lab: enduring the climate of the future

Graham Readfearn enters a simulation to investigate how heatwaves affect the human body

Baby chicks link certain sounds with shapes, just like humans do

A surprising new study shows that baby chickens react the same way that humans do when tested for something called the "bouba-kiki effect," which has been linked to the emergence of language.

The price of public life: Judges doxed, swatted, threatened with death

A CBS News analysis found 126 cases that were brought by federal prosecutors last year arising out of threats to public officials.

U.S. trade deficit totaled $901 billion in 2025, barely budging despite Trump's tariffs

The U.S. trade deficit swelled in December, closing out a year in which the imbalance was essentially unchanged.

New York Gov. Hochul drops robotaxi service proposal for outside NYC in blow to Waymo

New York Gov. Hochul's proposal saw pushback from labor unions, transit workers and rideshare drivers.

French prosecutor seeks murder charges over killing of far-right activist

Political tensions rise after fatal attack at protest in Lyon as Emmanuel Macron hits out over remarks by Italian PM

A French prosecutor is seeking murder charges against seven suspects in the fatal beating of a far-right activist that has fuelled political anger beyond France’s borders, prompting Emmanuel Macron to tell Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to keep out of French affairs.

Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a far-right protest in Lyon on 12 February. Most of the 11 suspects who have been detained are from far-left movements.

Ben Jennings on the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – cartoon

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‘An Olympic miracle’: twist in Conan Doyle’s skimo tale as Russian snares silver

• Nikita Filippov wins silver as neutral in sport’s debut

• Switzerland’s Marianne Fatton wins women’s sprint

We can partly thank Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for popularising the Winter Olympics’ newest sport, which made its debut amid an unrelenting snowstorm, a touch of mayhem and no little controversy in Bormio.

In 1894, the year after he had killed off Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, Conan Doyle wrote about his own perilous 15-mile journey across the 8,000-feet high Maienfelder Furka Pass one that involved skiing and mountaineering.

American Jordan Stolz speedskates to a third Olympic medal -- silver this time

U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz had a lot of hype accompanying him in these Winter Olympic Games. He's now got two gold medals, one silver, with one event to go.

Reporter's notebook: My Olympic Lunar New Year

An NPR reporter covering the Olympics in Milan takes us on cultural side quests, to a hospitality house and a candy store.

RSF siege of El Fasher in Sudan has ‘hallmarks of genocide’, UN mission finds

Report details harrowing 18-month occupation of North Darfur capital, showing destruction aimed at ethnic communities

The siege and capture of the Sudanese city of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces group last October bore “the hallmarks of genocide”, a UN-mandated fact-finding mission has said.

In a report detailing the harrowing 18-month occupation of the capital of North Darfur, investigators concluded that the RSF and allied militias deliberately inflicted conditions calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Zaghawa and Fur ethnic communities.

U.S. says Tehran would be ‘very wise’ to make a deal as Russia, Iran hold naval drills

It comes shortly after Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of failing to address core U.S. demands during nuclear talks in Geneva.

Chelsea’s Rosenior calls for life bans from football for those found guilty of racism

• ‘When you see a player upset, normally it’s for a reason’

• Head coach reacts to Vinícius Júnior’s racism claims

Liam Rosenior has called for players and coaches found guilty of racism to be banned from football for life and said experiencing abuse on a football pitch “is the worst feeling you can ever possibly imagine”.

The Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior left the pitch after alleging that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during their Champions League match on Tuesday. Prestianni has denied racist abuse and Benfica have said he was a “victim” of a “smear campaign”. The Argentinian faces a 10-game ban if found guilty by Uefa.

Trump says U.S. will contribute $10 billion to Board of Peace

President Trump made the announcement during the first meeting of his Board of Peace, although the funding source is unclear.

Drinks, darts, DJs and drag queens: the artwork that’s a fully-functioning pub – with the artist pulling pints

Young Glasgow artist Trackie McLeod talks us through Utopia, the boozer he built from scratch where punters can sink a beer, throw darts at Thatcher or Trump – and win chocolate coins from one-armed bandits

‘The art world has a real issue with making things overly conceptual, too complicated and using wanky jargon,” says Trackie McLeod. “It alienates people.” So, for his latest show, Utopia, the 32-year-old Glaswegian has decided to create something more welcoming and familiar: a pub.

Custom-built from scratch, the exhibition is a fully functioning boozer. McLeod will pull pints for punters, there’s a dartboard where you can take aim at images of Thatcher or Trump, and visitors can explore his mixed-media artworks, spanning print, sculpture and sound, and swing by to catch drag acts, DJs and panel discussions.

Michael Pollan says AI may 'think' — but it will never be conscious

"Consciousness is under siege," says author Michael Pollan. His new book, A World Appears, explores consciousness on both a personal and technological level.

Should you get a cat? Five expert tips for making life-changing decisions

Making choices can be difficult when options are not clearly better or worse than each other – how does one even begin to decide?

I love cats. I’d been idly keeping an eye out for a less allergenic breed, when bam – a kitten became available. Suddenly I had to decide whether to take the leap.

Even though I’d been considering cat ownership for a while, I felt anxious. I mulled over all the responsibilities: vet bills, stubborn allergies, years of commitment. One big sticking point was travel. Having a cat would be rewarding, but did I want it right now if it meant I couldn’t decide on a whim to book a cheap last minute flight to another city? Did I want to buy Fancy Feast, or stay fancy-free?

In a thrilling comeback win, U.S. women take home Olympic hockey gold over Canada

For much of Thursday's final, it seemed Canada would refuse to relinquish the throne of Olympic women's ice hockey to this younger American squad. But the U.S. found the grit to topple them, 2-1.

Andrew arrested: is this the end for the royal family? | The Latest

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office by police investigating his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein. Six unmarked police cars and plainclothes officers arrived at the Sandringham estate while the former prince was celebrating his 66th birthday. Officers searched the Norfolk property as well as Mountbatten-Windsor's former home in the Royal Lodge in Great Windsor Park. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian journalist David Pegg

Salman Rushdie among 170 figures to sign open letter over Barbican arts lead departure

Exit of Devyani Saltzman, described as Barbican’s ‘driving force’, announced a few weeks after arrival of new CEO

Salman Rushdie, John Akomfrah and Pankaj Mishra are among more than 170 cultural figures who have signed an open letter to the Barbican expressing concern over the departure of its arts director, Devyani Saltzman.

Saltzman, who became director of arts and participation at the Barbican in February 2024, is leaving the institution amid a significant leadership change a few weeks after its new CEO joined.

Sen. Warren tells Fed and Treasury: No bailout for crypto billionaires

Sen. Warren said that a bailout for cryptocurrency investors could "directly enrich" President Donald Trump and his family's company, World Liberty Financial.

Tell us: have you ever used AI to navigate everyday life and social relationships?

We’d like to hear your stories about the ways you’re using chatbots to assist with your social life or important life decisions

Lots of people now use chatbots as personal assistants, not just for work but in everyday life and social interactions. We want to hear your stories about the ways you’re using chatbots to navigate your social life or significant life decisions.

Have you ever drafted a breakup text using AI? Or crafted a message to delicately cancel plans? Have you consulted AI on whether to take, or quit, a job? Or sought advice from a chatbot on a tricky friendship or relationship?

Hosts Italy voice ‘absolute opposition’ to Russia flag flying at Winter Paralympics

• Italian government urges IPC to reconsider its stance

• Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under flags

Italy, the Winter Olympic hosts, has called for a reversal of the decision to let 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes compete with national flags and anthems at next month’s Paralympic Games.

The foreign minister Antonio Tajani and sports minister Andrea Abodi urged the International Paralympic Committee to reconsider its stance due to Russia’s four-year-old invasion of Ukraine, saying it contradicted the Olympic spirit.

Amazon dethrones Walmart as the world's biggest company by sales

In a slow-motion race of two retail behemoths, Amazon's trump card was its lucrative cloud-computing business.

A Republican plan to overhaul voting is back. Here's what's new in the bill

A Republican voting overhaul is back on Capitol Hill — with an added photo identification provision and an altered name. Opponents say the legislation would disenfranchise millions of voters.

‘A safe space to come and just be’: the radical, utopian return of Britain’s youth clubs

After a decade of austerity closed more than 1,000 centres, the government has promised £500m to renew youth services. We tour a glossy new venue in Preston – and a girls-only one in London

Preston, Lancashire is no stranger to trailblazing architecture. The city’s bus station, the largest in Europe when it opened in 1969, is a brutalist masterpiece. Next month, a new public building opens opposite the bus station built with similar aspirations to transform local lives: a youth centre.

To a generation raised when cuts had gutted services – between 2010-11 and 2023-24, local government spending on youth services fell by 73% and more than 1,000 youth centres closed – the idea of a place designed just for young people may seem as anachronistic as coach travel, but 2026 brings big changes to youth services in the UK.

Global Counsel calls in administrators, blaming Peter Mandelson ‘maelstrom’

Advisory firm has lost string of clients despite efforts to cut ties with co-founder after Epstein revelations

Global Counsel, the advisory firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, is to collapse into administration, blaming the “maelstrom” caused by revelations about the former peer’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Companies including Barclays, Tesco and the Premier League have all deserted Global Counsel, despite the company’s efforts to sever ties with Mandelson and the company’s co-founder Benjamin Wegg-Prosser.

'Dude, good luck': the Olympic wit and wisdom of a pioneering African skeleton racer

Who says serious athletes are always serious? Akwasi Frimpong, who's competed for Ghana, is a world-class wisecracker as he reflects on being a Black African athlete in the white world of winter sports.

Trump family says U.S. dollar needs an upgrade and they are the ones to do it

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. told CNBC on the sidelines of the World Liberty Forum why they think the U.S. needs an alternative to the dollar.

Digital blackface flourishes under Trump and AI: ‘The state is bending reality’

From TikTok deepfakes to smears put out by the White House, fake videos modeled on Black archetypes are running rampant - putting Black users at risk

Late last year, as a US government shutdown cut off the Snap benefits that low-income families rely on for groceries, videos on social media cast the fallout in frantic scenes. “Imma keep it real with you,” a Black woman said in a viral TikTok post, “I get over $2,500 a month in stamps. I sell ’em, $2,000 worth, for about $1,200-$1,500 cash.” Another Black woman ranted about taxpayers’ responsibility to her seven children with seven men, and yet another melted down after her food stamps were rejected at a corn-dog counter.

Visible watermarks stamped some videos as AI-generated – apparently, too faintly for the racist commentators and hustlers more than happy to believe the frenzy was real. “You got people treating it like a side hustle, selling the stamps, abusing the system,” the conservative commentator Amir Odom whinged. Fox News reported on the Snap deepfakes as if they were authentic, before issuing a correction. Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt claimed people were using Snap “to get their nails done, to get their weaves and hair”. (Lost in the outrage was a basic fact: white Americans make up 37% of Snap’s 42 million beneficiaries.)

Apple sued by West Virginia for alleged failure to stop child sexual abuse material on iCloud, iOS devices

The lawsuit accuses Apple of prioritizing privacy branding and its own business interests over child safety.

Does the Premier League table get you down? Try one of our five alternatives

What if games ended at 90 minutes, set-pieces goals were scrapped, or shots that hit the woodwork counted?

By Opta Analyst

A league table is a pretty helpful barometer of each team’s fortunes. That’s why we use it to decide where teams finish at the end of the season. However, league tables do not tell us the whole story. Arsenal are top in reality (just about), but they might not be in all of our alternative Premier League tables.

UK manufacturing still beset by low orders and price pressure, says CBI

Industrial trends survey shows firms are expecting to raise prices, with order books well below average

British manufacturing orders remain well below average and price pressure continues to persist, according to a closely watched survey.

The CBI industrial trends survey found that manufacturers’ orders for the month were below average in February, while most firms expected to raise their prices and for output to decline over the next three months.

Musician and film-maker Flying Lotus: ‘The whole lo-fi beats thing has become like Starbucks music’

Ahead of a new EP, the creative polymath answers your questions on Thom Yorke, Kendrick Lamar and how a sci-fi epic ate up his whole life

You have to produce an album for one rapper, no guest spots, just you and them in the studio. Who are you picking? ShermanMLight
Kendrick Lamar. He’s one of the few people I’ve worked with in the hip-hop world who is an actual genius. He doesn’t get enough credit for being a producer as well – because he has such a clear perspective on what he wants in his music, he knows where every sound is supposed to be. Not every artist has that approach – most are more hands off. Working closely with Kendrick would make me a better producer. That would be a great meeting of the minds, as it was when we did our couple of tracks together.

How was the experience of working with the great, late David Lynch [on the track Fire is Coming]? Stephenw1979
A dream come true – someone who inspired my whole artistic path. He was exactly who I hoped he would be. I got to go over to his studio and hang a couple times, and it was really special. And he never seemed to get old. Twin Peaks: The Return was one of his best works, and it was the last thing he did.

‘One in, one out’: what has happened to asylum seekers forced to return to France?

In rare interviews, some of those sent back across the Channel after arriving in the UK on small boats describe what happened next – and the risks of a system organised to get rid of them

When Keir Starmer stood alongside the French president, Emmanuel Macron, at Northwood military base last July and announced a “groundbreaking” treaty to stop small boats overfilled with migrants from crossing the Channel, he said there was no “silver bullet”. But, he added, the plan would “finally turn the tables” on the numbers making the crossing.

The initiative, known as “one in, one out”, means each small boat arrival can be forcibly returned to France in exchange for another person – who has not attempted the crossing – being brought to the UK legally.

Leftist who defended child marriage elected as Peru’s interim president

José María Balcázar, who argued for marriage at 14 and above, replaces José Jerí who was voted out after a scandal

Peru’s congress has elected José María Balcázar, an octogenarian leftist lawmaker who has defended child marriage, as the country’s interim president ahead of general elections in April.

Balcázar is Peru’s ninth president since 2016. The surprise election, in which Balcázar beat the favourite, María del Carmen Alva, a conservative, came after lawmakers voted to remove José Jerí as president on Tuesday after just four months in office, due to a scandal over secretive meetings with Chinese businessmen.

Coast Guard recovers cocaine after boat crew tosses drugs into sea while fleeing

A Coast Guard crew recovered over two dozen bales of cocaine from waters off Puerto Rico.

Clubs frustrated over wait for Fifa to share £185m of Club World Cup money

• Clubs who did not play are to get solidarity payments

• No formula determined for dividing the money

Frustration is growing among clubs globally at the extended wait for £185m of solidarity payments promised by Fifa on the back of last summer’s Club World Cup.

Clubs that did not participate in the tournament were promised a share of the sum, designed to ensure a proportion of the event’s funding was distributed throughout the football pyramid. If shared equally it would amount to about £50,000 for every top-flight club in the world but, more than seven months after the Club World Cup’s conclusion, there is no sign of the money and no timescale for its distribution. The Guardian understands Fifa is yet to determine how the money will be allocated.

Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 day 13 – in pictures

Our pick of the best images from day 13 of the Games, from ski mountaineering to nordic combined

More than 1,000 Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine war, report says

Intelligence findings read to parliament say ‘rogue’ agencies and individuals recruiting Kenyan nationals to frontline

More than 1,000 Kenyans have been lured to fight for Russia in its war with Ukraine, according to an intelligence report to the Kenyan parliament that highlights the scale of a Russian operation taking African men to the frontline.

The majority leader of Kenya’s national assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah, said “rogue recruitment agencies and individuals in Kenya” were continuing to send Kenyan nationals to fight in the conflict, as he read MPs the summary of an investigation by Kenya’s National Intelligence Service.