Pound slips as Labour defeat fuels UK political risk and BoE focusBy Amanda CooperMarket reaction and political risk weigh on sterlingSterling slides amid geopolitical tensionsLONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The pound struggled to gain traction on Friday, as mounting geopolitical tensions prompted investors to back away from more typically volatile currencies, and after an election in northern England brought a resounding defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour party. Gilts firm as yields dipGilts edged up modestly, pushing yields lower. Sterling’s sensitivity to UK politicsThe pound is highly sensitive to national politics. Bank of England in focus ahead of remarksBank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill will address an economics panel later in the day. The BoE is widely expected to cut rates in March and deliver a second cut before the end of the year, based on money markets.

A nearly blind Burmese refugee who was abandoned by border patrol agents has been found dead in Buffalo, New York, city officials confirmed. He was released on bail, and then transferred to border patrol custody. Border patrol agents then dropped him off at a Tim Hortons about five miles from his home. Michael Niezgoda, a spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of border patrol, did not immediately respond on Wednesday to a request for comment from the Guardian. Shah Alam arrived in Buffalo 15 months ago, in December 2024.

The seven-year-old has career earnings of close to £250,000 and is chasing some of the £120,000 on offer this weekend once more. “He’s in very good nick and he’s done some nice work under his regular jockey Craig Nichol,” said Whillans. “We gave him a gallop after racing at the last Kelso meeting and he seems to be really coming to himself. He just seems to love the track, he’s won on four of his six visits and been second once as well. It’s a tough ask, but I wouldn’t be running him if I didn’t think he could get in the first three.”

It was early January, only a week after Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were kidnapped from Caracas, Venezuela and flown to the prison where they are still held in the Empire State. By bombing Venezuela, kidnapping its president, and locking him up in the Metropolitan Detention Center of their Empire State, the government of the USA has put Maduro on a parallel historical position to Montezuma, when captured by Cortes. Maduro didn’t ask for this: it is an empire which has put him in this position. For anyone who cares to investigate it, what Maduro meant to the Americas was very clear to Chavez himself. [11]Maduro has now taken on this role comprehensively as a prisoner of war in the Empire State.

Actor Robert De Niro has called for people to take to the streets peacefully against Donald Trump, who this week called him 'extremely low IQ' on social media. The Guardian reporter Joseph Gedeon sat down with the Hollywood star to discuss hope, his longstanding feud with Trump – and how America can unseat him

Claim: Members of the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team were given McDonald's fast food during their visit to the White House in February 2026. Rating: About this rating TrueOn Feb. 24, 2026, the U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team visited the White House, where they met President Donald Trump to celebrate winning a gold medal against Canada. Footage (archived) shared online purported to show members of the team eating McDonald's fast food in the White House. The Trump White House also served fast food to guests during Trump's first administration. Snopes has previously covered authentic footage of Trump telling the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team he would also "have to" invite the women's team to the White House for a victory celebration or he "probably would be impeached."

Tony Barry and Barrie Cassidy examine the divisive political debate over the future of the 34 Australian women and children languishing in a Syrian detention camp. They also discuss why capital gains tax is becoming a real pressure point for Labor, Anthony Albanese’s careful words for One Nation voters and why there’s a proliferation of pollsEmail the Barries: backtobackbarries@theguardian.com

A call has been made to convert a disused youth club into a health hub providing vital medical care and support services in Diss. Picture: Mark BullimoreMs Reekie is setting up a community group, pushing for Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) to consider opening a health centre in the town. Picture: Mark Bullimore“Not only are the hospitals far away, but it means people can be stuck in queues for hours. Ms Reekie said the site was perfect for a health centre, due to its proximity to the Parish Fields Practice. Picture: Mark BullimoreDiss is roughly equidistant from Norwich and Norfolk Hospital, Ipswich Hospital and West Suffolk Hospital.

From many vantage points, it’s easy to forget the city is home to a massive 900-acre oil refinery, its imposing sprawl of stacks, holding tanks and billowing steam hidden from view. View image in fullscreen The massive 900-acre Valero refinery has loomed over every aspect of life in Benicia, exerting outsized influence on its economy and politics. View image in fullscreen The Texas oil giant Valero purchased the refinery from Exxon in 2000. “It’s an existential moment for our community,” Young said. View image in fullscreen The Valero refinery is set to close in April.

The Earth generates heat which can be harnessed by drilling down below the surface to provide a renewable, and continuous source of energy to heat and power our homes – known as geothermal energy. At shallow depths the heat is enough to warm our homes and businesses. Granite is particularly ideal for this technology as it is very effective at holding and conducting the Earth's heat. He said geothermal power was "really important" for the UK because there are no price fluctuations like with gas. For the first time, we're tapping into "always-on" green power in the UK, providing a steady stream of clean, home-grown energy," said an Octopus spokesperson.

The Funday Times returns for a special edition, featuring a front cover designed by Jamie Smart, creator of Bunny vs MonkeyThe FUNDAY Times is back for a special edition on March 1. This one-off edition of The Funday Times is part of The Sunday Times Get Britain Reading campaign. So back in 2003, when I started drawing my ongoing comic Space Raoul for its centre spread, I always felt such a huge buzz to be a part of Funday Times history. “Children's comics have only had a few stalwarts over the past few decades, including The Phoenix comic and The Beano, and The Funday Times belongs in that list too. It's vital that we offer children only the best, most brilliantest, most amazingest original comics and stories, and The Funday Times is such an important part of that!”The Funday Times has an illustrious heritage.

BOOZE CLAIM Lovesick woman blamed ‘emotional’ chat with ex-boyfriend when she crashed car while FOUR times drink-drive limitA LOVESICK woman blamed an emotional chat with an ex-boyfriend when she crashed her car while four times over the drink-drive limit. At the roadside Newsham blew 135 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35mg. She then failed to provide an evidential breath sample when she got to the police station. She claimed she was unable to complete the breath test because she had ”panicked” at the police station due her distressed state. “She made a number of attempts to give a breath sample.

Act now to keep your subscriptionWe've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, February 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Bass Equipment Store, a UK-focused online platform dedicated to bass gear, offers players a curated selection of bass guitars, bass pedals, and bass amplifiers organised into practical categories. The bass equipment store features products from established brands, with a focus on clarity and ease of comparison across playing styles, experience levels, and budgets. The bass equipment market presents a wide range of instruments, effects units, and amplification options across multiple price points and specifications. Bass Equipment Store operates as an independent affiliate website, earning a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. For further information on bass guitars, pedals, and amplifiers, visit https://bassequipmentstore.co.uk/.

A BILL to establish a West Bank Heritage Authority and transfer direct responsibility to Israel for the care of antiquities, heritage, and archaeological sites in the West Bank was approved by the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Knesset this month. The new body’s mandate includes “sweeping powers of expropriation for both artefacts and the land they occupy, specifically for ‘protection, conservation, research, and development’,” Israel Today reports. It will be governed by a nine-member council appointed directly by the Minister of Heritage, removing archaeological oversight from the Defense Ministry. The Mayor of Sebastia, Mahmud Azem, told The Guardian this month that Sebastia had “gone into a dark tunnel. Currently, Israel controls the site under Area C, while the town itself is in Area B, under joint Israeli and Palestinian Authority control.