People walk onto an escalator under a Starbucks coffee sign in Manhattan on Dec. 2, 2025 in New York City.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
Starbucks on Wednesday reported mixed quarterly results as the company’s turnaround propels traffic growth for the first time in two years but weighs on its bottom line.
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“Our Q1 results demonstrate our ‘Back to Starbucks’ strategy is working and we believe we’re ahead of schedule,” CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement. “It’s great to see the sales momentum driven by more customers choosing Starbucks more often, and this is just the beginning.”
The company also shared its first financial outlook since suspending its forecast in October 2024. For fiscal 2026, Starbucks is projecting adjusted earnings per share in a range of $2.15 to $2.40, on the lower end of Wall Street’s estimates of $2.35 per share, according to LSEG. The company is also expecting global and U.S. same-store sales growth of at least 3%.
Shares of Starbucks rose nearly 5% in early trading.
Here’s what the company reported for the quarter ended Dec. 28 compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
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Earnings per share: 56 cents adjusted vs. 59 cents expected
Revenue: $9.92 billion vs. $9.67 billion expected
The coffee giant reported fiscal first-quarter net income attributable to Starbucks of $293.3 million, or 26 cents per share, down from $780.8 million, or 69 cents per share, a year earlier. In addition to costs related to the turnaround, higher coffee prices and tariffs weighed on the company’s margins during the quarter.
Excluding restructuring costs, impairment charges and other items, Starbucks earned 56 cents per share.
Net salesrose 6% to $9.92 billion, driven by the company’s second straight quarter of same-store sales growth.
“We’re seeing exactly what we want to see in our top line at this point in our turnaround,” CFO Cathy Smith said on the company’s earnings conference call.
Global same-store sales increased 4%, topping StreetAccount estimates of 2.3%. Traffic grew 3%, marking the first time that the company’s transactions have grown in two years. Moreover, Starbucks saw transaction growth from both loyalty program members and nonmembers for the first time since the second quarter of fiscal 2022, according to Niccol.
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The company’s same-store sales growth has continued into January, according to Smith.
U.S. same-store sales also rose 4%, fueled by demand for its holiday offerings, like its viral “Bearista” cup and classics menu items like the peppermint mocha. In November, Niccol said the holiday menu launch was the best-ever day for the company’s North American business.
Niccol also credited the company’s “Green Apron Service” program, which focuses on hospitality and efficiency inside its cafes to improve the customer experience.
Outside the U.S., Starbucks’ international same-store sales increased 5%.
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China, the company’s second-largest market, saw same-store sales grow 7%. During the quarter, Starbucks announced its plans to form a joint venture with Boyu Capital to run its business in China.
“This partnership will help us expand into more cities, deliver exceptional coffee experiences, create new career opportunities for partners, and strengthen Starbucks’ position as a global brand for long-term growth,” Niccol said on the company’s earnings conference call.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, pending regulatory approval. Starbucks’ fiscal 2026 forecast assumes that the company will keep operating Starbucks China’s retail stores in the second half of the fiscal year.
The company also opened 128 net new locations during the quarter.
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In fiscal 2026, Starbucks plans to open 600 to 650 net new company-owned and licensed cafes. The development comes on the heels of the company shuttering roughly 400 U.S. locations last year.
Investors are expecting to hear more details about Niccol’s strategy on Thursday at an investor day held in New York City. Executives will also share the company’s new long-term financial targets.
Railpen has said it will be making announcements about new retailers in the coming months
The new developer of the Cambridge Retail Park has issued an update on the development’s progress. Railpen has confirmed it is currently in the “first phase” of developing the area, which is part of “an extensive investment and transformation programme”.
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The former Sainsburys and Sports Direct stores that used to be found at the retail park have scaffolding and boards around them to allow for redevelopment work to continue. Everything from the stores appears to have been completely removed, including some windows and walls to allow for new retailers to take over the space.
Plans for the redevelopment were first approved by Cambridge City Council in 2023. Railpen said it aims to “create a vibrant, sustainable destination” to give “visitors compelling reasons to return time and again”.
Railpen has confirmed it has secured relocations for a few brands including the Currys store. The new Starbucks location opened in October 2025 after it was announced its original store was going to be demolished alongside a play area for children just outside the café.
The retail park is currently home to a range of popular brands including Dunelm, Lidl, and Boots. Railpen has said it will be making announcements about the new retailers coming to the park in the next few months.
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Maria Averkina, Asset and Development Manager at Railpen, said: “We have just begun the first phase of an extensive investment and transformation programme at Cambridge Retail Park. We are committed to creating a space where people, both in the local community and further afield, enjoy spending time and returning to.
“This includes securing relocations for great brands such as Starbucks and Currys. We will be making further announcements about new retailers and other enhancements in the coming months.”
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The whistleblower alleged that same team was delayed in responding to a mass shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island over Patel’s guidance and placing a jet on hold. The team instead drove from Quantico, Virginia – where the bureau’s headquarters is located – to Providence, Rhode Island, Durbin said.
The former prince has been told to reign in the horse riding amid fears it will come off as a ‘bad look’, royal sources say
23:33, 24 Feb 2026Updated 23:52, 24 Feb 2026
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been told to reign it in, with the former prince now banned from horse riding while under police investigation.
He’s been grounded amids fears from royal aides that his beloved afternoon hacks throughout the countryside will seem a “bad look” while the 66-year-old is under police investigation for allegedly leaking UK secrets to convicted paedophile and multimillionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Since his dramatic arrest last Thursday – on his birthday, which saw him ushered into a car by Thames Valley Police and whisked to a local station for 11 hours of police questioning – he has been forced to buck his favourite hobby.
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Speaking to The Sun, a royal source said: “Since his arrest last week he has been ordered not to go horse riding. It’s considered a bad look.
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“They don’t think he should be seen grinning and smiling on his horse like he was in Windsor. But it was one of the few things he actually enjoyed doing so what on earth is he going to do with his time?”
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The riding ban comes months after the voluntary surrender of his gun licence to the police last year, which saw another hobby of his come to an unceremonious end.
As public scrutiny of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains, the former Duke of York is officially grounded.
However, despite the arrest and increased scrutiny, Andrew will still enjoy two luxuries at Sandringham that most Brits won’t ever come close to. A source told the Sun: “He will be given his own chef and valet at Marsh Farm, which is a climbdown to the luxury he was previously afforded.”
The property is a stark contrast to his former home at Royal Lodge in Windsor, where the 66-year-old had valets, chefs, butlers, housemaids, and cleaners, in addition to an army of servants when staying at his former apartment at Buckingham Palace, the Express reports.
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It’s now understood that Charles is funding Andrew’s exile and retirement as he does not want the former duke to be a burden to others. Andrew was arrested by Thames Valley Police on February 19, on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released under investigation 11 hours later.
Andrew held the role of the UK’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, giving him privileged access to senior government and business contacts around the world.
The latest release of the Epstein files showed new emails and claims that Andrew had forwarded government reports from visits to Vietnam, Singapore, and China to late sex offender Epstein in 2010.
Andrew has vehemently denied all accusations made against him in relation to the deceased financier.
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Within hours of his arrest, King Charles broke his silence as he released a statement, which read: “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.
“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.
“In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.
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“As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
King Charles officially removed all of Andrew’s royal titles and patronages in November 2025 following the release of Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, in October last year.
Giuffre, who sadly took her own life in April 2025, accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her three times when she was under the age of 18.
It might be over for now, but here’s a look back at some of the best moments from February’s most fashionable long weekend, from Romeo Beckham on the Burberry catwalk to the King front row at Tolu Coker, with plenty of celebrity sightings, raucous parties and great design in between.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Romeo Beckham walked for Burberry
PA Wire
For once, London’s dark and rainy tendencies were very welcome when time came for the Burberry show that closed LFW on Monday night. Guests arrived at Old Billingsgate Market to find a show as star-studded as expected; Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Romeo Beckham were on the catwalk, while stars including Simone Ashley, Kate Moss and Olivia Dean watched on.
The collection was deliciously dark — all inky blue trenches, oil-slick leather and vampy fur trims — and perfect for staying chic in the wet weather.
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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley also walked the catwalk on Monday (Lucy North/PA)
PA Wire
Kim Cattrall sat front row at Conner Ives
As front row appearances go, Kim Cattrall wrapped in a statement Conner Ives coat takes some beating. All the better that she was seated next to Lila Moss, whose supermodel mum made headlines in the style earlier this winter. The hedonistic collection took inspiration from the Weimar Republic, the period during the 1920s and ’30s before Nazi rule took hold in Germany.
Erdem celebrated its 20th anniversary
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Dave Benett
Erdem’s star power gave Burberry a run for its money this season, with Glenn Close, Keira Knightley, Bel Powley and Helen Mirren all front row. Founder and designer Erdem Moralıoğlu celebrated his eponymous label’s 20th anniversary with a collection that showed, once again, that this is a designer of whom the nation should be proud.
Simone Rocha showed at Ally Pally
For those without a sleek branded BMW to roll up in, it was quite the hike to get to Simone Rocha at Alexandra Palace on Sunday. But the cardio was worth it for Rocha’s standout show, which combined the dreamy romanticism that has made this designer a LFW favourite with a surprise sporty collaboration — with Adidas Originals.
If anyone could make a three-stripe tracksuit look like it belongs with ethereal silhouettes, coquetteish bows and pearl zippers, it’s Simone. A rumour that Julia Roberts was sitting front row sadly turned out to be false, but Chloe Fineman and Arlo Parks did make it.
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Jemima Kirke played host for Completedworks
Completedworks
Completedworks has made a name for itself on the London Fashion Week schedule by delivering satirical ‘micro-plays’ that present its jewellery and objets d’art in a hyperstyled light. There was a definite frisson in the air of the packed-out room of Nobu Portman Square in Marylebone on Saturday afternoon, as the fashion crowd waited to see who this season’s special guest would be.
After a (purposefully?) protracted wait, it turned out to be Jemima Kirke, who adopted a southern drawl to become the ‘child star, tycoon’s wife, well-heeled divorcée, wellness guru’ protagonist of the mock lifestyle-cum-televised-dinner-party show.
The stars descended on The Standard
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Dave Benett/Getty Images for ROTATE
There are hundreds of after-parties and gatherings to frequent over LFW, but this year The Standard hotel in King’s Cross seemed to possess the strongest gravitational pull when it came to attracting stars. Rumours quickly spread that the Sugababes were the surprise guest at the ROTATE x Snapchat party at Sweeties on Friday night, and those who believed it were rewarded with an intimate performance from a girl band that sounds better than ever.
Just across the corridor at Decimo, The London Standard hosted a raucous dinner with Damian Hurley, with Patsy Kensit in attendance.
It was one of the most eagerly anticipated shows on the LFW schedule — and, on the whole, Joseph’s runway return didn’t disappoint. The sleek, polished concrete setting within Tate Modern was suggestive of the kind of quiet luxury the brand has always represented, but the clothes on show turned out to be far more exciting.
The weighty swish of porcupine quills (3-D printed, mind you) rustled from a cream cashmere jumper, exaggerated fur cuffs brought texture to monochromatic looks, a flash of chainmail peeped out from corporate grey tailoring. Were some pieces a snake-print too far? Possibly. But most boded very well for this comeback kid.
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The King showed up for Tolu Coker
King Charles III sits between CEO of the British Fashion Council Laura Weir (L) and Stella McCartney (R) on the front row for British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, the opening show of London Fashion Week
Getty Images
LFW started with a bang when a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV state car rolled up at the NewGen Space at 180 Strand and King Charles hopped out, bound for the front row of Tolu Coker’s show. It was a full circle moment for the British-Nigerian designer, who received mentorship through the Prince’s Trust when she set up her eponymous sustainable luxury brand in 2021. The King, seated between Stella McCartney and British Fashion Council CEO Laura Weir, watched on as Little Simz performed with The Compozers.
The collection, entitled ‘Survivor’s Remorse’, struck an autobiographical note, set in a recreation of the Mozart Estate, the West London council estate where Coker grew up. Sharp tailoring and heritage wool met flounced mini skirts, vibrant shocks of colour and Manolo Blahnik heels.
Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland chief inspector Jacqui Durkin has described child criminal exploitation as an issue of “increasing concern”.
There is an “inconsistent” and at times “inadequate” criminal justice system response to child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland, a report has found.
She said criminally exploited children can be targeted by paramilitaries and organised crime gangs, going missing from being in care, and urged that more is done to protect them, and to understand the scale of the exploitation.
Criminal Justice Inspection inspectors found that Northern Ireland’s criminal justice system faced significant challenges in recognising, assessing and responding to child criminal exploitation.
They acknowledged the difficult work undertaken on a daily basis by police officers to help children in complex and challenging circumstances, and concern was raised around their resourcing.
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However inspectors found the PSNI did not have a clear model in place for tackling child criminal exploitation across the organisation, and that frontline officers and staff lacked awareness and training on child criminal exploitation.
Case file reviews carried out as part of inspection fieldwork found children were “often treated as suspects rather than victims and safeguarding referrals were not always made in a timely manner”.
Inspectors also found evidence of victim-blaming language in some records they examined during fieldwork, and a lack of specific markers on PSNI or Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland case record computer systems.
They made four recommendations.
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These include the Department of Justice working in collaboration with criminal justice organisations to develop a strategic framework, and that the PSNI immediately develop an adequately resourced delivery model for the identification, response and disruption of child criminal exploitation across the organisation.
Ms Durkin said the report “makes for concerning reading”.
She said: “While pockets of good practice including the use of multi-agency support hubs and targeted interventions were identified, based on the evidence gathered and considered during this inspection, inspectors concluded outcomes for children who had experienced or were at risk of child criminal exploitation were not good.
“The challenge for the criminal justice system and others is to implement the two strategic and two operational recommendations for improvement included in this report.
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“We need to see children as children, protect them from harm and vigorously pursue those who are exploiting them and robbing them of their childhood.
“This is not a drama storyline – this is the work of all of us and there is no time to waste.”
Justice Minister Naomi Long responded saying the report “provides important and timely insights into how the justice system can better recognise, prevent and respond”.
She added: “My department accepts the recommendations and is in the process of working with partner organisations to establish a child-centred child exploitation strategic framework for justice outcomes.”
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Detective Chief Superintendent Zoe McKee said the PSNI acknowledges the findings and recommendations made by Criminal Justice Inspection.
She said: “Alongside the Department of Justice and other key partners, we are laser-focused in tackling child criminal exploitation, an issue that requires a whole system approach.
“Significant work to tackle CCE is already under way.
“We have established enhanced governance arrangements to drive delivery of shared objectives through a cross-departmental action plan, reporting through our established CCE Delivery Group led by senior leadership within Public Protection Branch.”
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She added other work is under way, while training and awareness are also being strengthened, and an organisation-wide e-learning package is under development.
Ms McKee said: “I also acknowledge the report’s observations regarding resourcing.
“Despite ongoing financial and workforce constraints, our specialist officers and staff in Public Protection Branch and across local policing continue to work hard to better protect some of the most vulnerable children in our society.”
Democrat Al Green held up the sign as Donald Trump walked into the House of Representatives to deliver the annual speech – and his was not the only protest
02:21, 25 Feb 2026Updated 02:24, 25 Feb 2026
Donald Trump was confronted by a sign reading “black people aren’t apes” as he gave his State of the Union speech tonight.
Democrat House member Al Green held up the sign as Donald Trump walked into the House of Representatives chamber for the annual address to a joint session of congress tonight. Rep. Green was removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress last year, after he yelled at the President in protest over cuts to Medicaid.
This year’s protest refers to a video Trump posted to his Truth Social website earlier this month, which depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. Trump claimed he had not watched the video all the way through before instructing an aide to post it on his behalf.
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Some Democratic congresswomen arrived at the speech wearing ‘suffragist’ white in support of women’s rights.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, who leads Democratic Women’s Caucus, told CBS News: “This year, there are specific attacks on women’s ability to vote. The Democratic Women’s Caucus is wearing white both to honor that fight that women have always had and to signal we are still in the fight.” Some members of Congress are swerving tonight’s speech, after Democrat leaders urged them to stay away rather than disrupt the speech with a headline-grabbing stunt.
Trump is going into the State of the Union with worse poll ratings than any president in modern history. This week a Washington Post/ABC News poll found 60% of Americans said they disapproved of the job Trump is doing – with 47% indicating strong approval. Just 39% said they approved of his performance, the lowest of any President ahead of a second-year State of the Union in modern history.
The last time Trump’s disapproval reached 60% was shortly after the January 6th Insurrection in the final days of his first term.
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Few Americans, 29%, think the country is heading in the right direction, according to the most recent AP-NORC poll. Most, 69%, believe things are heading in the wrong direction. That pessimism is higher than it was when Trump took office last year. Last March, about 6 in 10 Americans said the country was heading in the wrong direction.
That’s partially because Republicans’ mood grew much darker last fall, after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Republicans are now more optimistic than they were a few months ago, but only about 6 in 10 say the country is heading in the right direction, down from about 7 in 10 last March.
What is Gaza like four months on from the ceasefire? Is Hamas still operating? Why won’t Israeli troops withdraw completely? And what about the Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes?
Richard has been taken into Gaza by the IDF, which is still the only way that international journalists are allowed into the Strip. He is shown a Hamas tunnel which the IDF says was used until recently.
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He also paints Yalda a picture of the complete destruction that he saw.
The two also reflect on the war in Ukraine, four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Yalda’s interview with the iconic American filmmaker, Ken Burns, will be available on Thursday, 26 February.
You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.
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Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk
Which Epstein survivors are attending the State of the Union?
Approximately 14 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, or the family of survivors, are expected to attend the State of the Union tonight.
Sky and Amanda Roberts, the family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre
Ariana Baio25 February 2026 01:45
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Watch Live: Trump delivers State of the Union address in the midst of poor polling
Independent Video25 February 2026 01:42
President and First Lady head to U.S. Capitol
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are headed to the U.S. Capitol, where he will deliver his State of the Union address.
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(REUTERS)
Ariana Baio25 February 2026 01:37
Senator Mark Kelly says he will attend speech to show resilience
“I’m going to be in that room tonight. I want him to look out and see me and to know this: that he and Pete Hegseth failed. He’s not going to intimidate me or keep me from standing up for Arizona or the Constitution,” Kelly said in a video posted on X.
Ariana Baio25 February 2026 01:24
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House Minority Whip not attending address
Rep. Katherine Clark, the House Minority Whip, is not attending the State of the Union address – joining a group of Democrats in boycotting the president’s address.
“What we have seen from this president is a series of lies, of disrespect for the American people. He campaigned that he would lower costs on day one, he would keep people safe and secure, and he has done just the opposite,” Clark told ABC News.
Clark said she would spend Tuesday evening talking with constituents while Trump is “spewing his misinformation.”
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“While he is spewing his misinformation tonight,
Ariana Baio25 February 2026 01:00
‘God help us:’ Chuck Schumer gripes about planned length of Trump’s address
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer griped about the planned length of Trump’s State of the Union address this evening after the president said it will be “long.”
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“Donald Trump said he is going to talk for a very long time tonight,” the New York Democrat wrote on X. “God help us.”
“Not sure what he thinks there is to celebrate, because America is a mess thanks to him,” Schumer added.
Brendan Rascius25 February 2026 00:52
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‘I’m not giving it back’: Trump jokes that he’s keeping US Men’s hockey gold medal
After being presented with an Olympic gold medal, President Donald Trump joked that he was “not giving it back.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Republican president hosted members of the U.S. men’s hockey team at the White House after their historic gold-winning game at the Winter Olympics in Italy over the weekend.
Brendan Rascius25 February 2026 00:30
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Republican Senator invites man sentenced to prison for violating Clean Air Act to SOTU
Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said she invited Troy Lake, a man who served federal prison time for violating the Clean Air Act, as her guest to the State of the Union.
Lake pleaded guilty to violating the federal law, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, in June 2024 for instructing his employees to disable monitoring systems that ensure heavy-duty commercial trucks are complying with emission requirements under the act.
Lake served approximately seven months in prison before being pardoned by Trump in November 2025.
“Troy is a hardworking American who was unfairly targeted by the Biden Justice Department. President Trump made the right call in pardoning him, and we look forward to attending tonight’s address,” Lummis wrote on X.
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Ariana Baio25 February 2026 00:00
What to expect from Spanberger’s rebuttal
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is delivering the Democrats’ affordability-focused rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union address.
Spanberger, who became the first woman elected governor of Virginia in November, is expected to focus on affordability, domestic instability and how “ordinary citizens” are pushing back on the administration, according to a preview of her speech seen by the New York Times.
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“Virginians and Americans across the country are contending with rising costs, chaos in their communities, and a real fear of what each day might bring,” Spanberger said in a statement.
“I look forward to laying out what these Americans expect and deserve — leaders who are working hard to deliver for them.”
Spanberger will speak on behalf of Democrats as a rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union (Getty Images)
Ariana Baio24 February 2026 23:30
Lincoln Project airs video mocking Trump for being ‘stupid’ ahead of SOTU
Ahead of the State of the Union address, the Lincoln Project, a political action committee opposed to Trump, aired a video mocking the president for losing his tariffs case at the Supreme Court.
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The video is a compilation of clips from Trump’s press conference Friday in which he lashed out at justices for ruling against him and declared the final opinion wrong.
“Donald, you must feel so dumb,” a voiceover says. “Even dumber than usual.”
James Sefton, 65, and his wife Ellen, 66, were killed when a booby trap device exploded under their car
A fresh appeal for information has been made over the killing of a former police officer and his wife by a car bomb in 1990.
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James Sefton, 65, and his wife Ellen, 66, were killed when a booby trap device exploded under their car in Belfast. It happened on Wednesday June 6 after the couple had left their home on Lyndhurst Gardens and driven towards Belfast city centre.
Mr Sefton, who was driving, was fatally injured and died in the Mater Hospital. Mrs Sefton was critically injured and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital. She died the following day.
The new appeal for information has been made by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) which is probing the murders at the request of the Sefton family.
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Assistant commissioner Amanda Logan, who is leading the commission’s investigations team, said the family is seeking the truth around what happened.
She said even the smallest detail could help.
“It’s over 35 years since James and Ellen were killed,” she said.
“Their family is seeking the truth about what happened and we believe there is someone out there who may hold the vital piece of information that could make a difference to the investigation. Even the smallest detail could help us understand what happened and why.”
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Ms Logan added that the suffering of the Sefton family was “representative of the pain of so many victims, survivors and families”.
“People are still suffering, deprived of information and with no accountability,” she said.
“Our job at the commission is to try to deliver answers for people who have been searching for them for decades.”
The witness appeal will involve distributing posters and an organised leaflet drop in the areas relating to the investigation.
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Tanya Petrie was a former pharmacy technician at the prison
Husna Anjum Senior Live News Reporter and Abigail Neep
00:46, 25 Feb 2026
A woman has been jailed for smuggling drugs into prison in what was called a ‘criminal conspiracy’. Tanya Petrie, 61, is a former pharmacy technician at HMP Bristol.
Hailing from Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, she was caught after police caught her retrieving a package from a residential wheelie bin in Somerdale Avenue in Bristol. She then attended the prison, where police say she was detained, searched and subsequently arrested on suspicion of being part of a conspiracy to take prohibited items into prison.
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Bristol Live reports Petrie was found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday, February 12, of conspiring to bring or convey a list A prohibited article into prison and sentenced to six years behind bars. She previously pleaded guilty to conveying a list B prohibited article into a prison.
She was sentenced on Monday, February 16, to six years and three months in prison. After being arrested at work, Petrie was searched while in custody and Petrie informed officers at Avon and Somerset Police that she had a package on her person and handed the officer a cling-film wrapped package.
Officers say this was later discovered to contain four packages of class B drugs, two packages of class A drugs (cocaine) and tobacco. Following further investigative enquiries, police believed that Petrie had made an earlier trip to Somerdale Avenue on the morning of October 9, 2023.
In an interview, Petrie revealed that she had taken money from the wheelie bin which she used to purchase SIM cards from a local garage. She then snuck this into the prison and gave it to a prisoner.
Officers conducted in-depth data analysis and identified two phone numbers which were being used within the prison. The phone was linked to prisoner Kyle Joyner, 32.
Officers discovered that Joyner had been using the phone to contact one of the occupants of the property in Somerdale Avenue, Casey Collins, 23, from Knowle West. Collins was responsible for placing the item in the wheelie bin that Petrie collected in October 2023.
Joyner, Collins and Petrie were all charged in the summer of 2024. Joyner and Collins pleaded guilty to conveying listed A prohibited items into the prison in January 2025 and were jailed for three years and two years and four months respectively.
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For Joyner, this sentence will be served in addition to his existing prison sentence of eight years and eight months.
Senior Investigating Officer, DI Tim Seaman from the Serious and Organised Crime Team, said: “This case shows the proactive and determined work carried out by our team and our partners to uncover and dismantle a criminal conspiracy operating both inside and outside the prison walls.
“By working closely with colleagues at HMP Bristol, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption and the Regional Prison Corruption team within the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, we were able to swiftly identify the actions of a member of staff who was abusing her position of trust to smuggle dangerous drugs and illicit items into the prison.
“Such actions enable organised crime, fuel violence, and undermine the hard work of honest staff who dedicate themselves to running secure and rehabilitative environments.
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“This investigation sends a clear message: our investigations into organised crime will identify those who facilitate organised criminality and we will work tirelessly with our partners, and use every tactic available to bring those involved in corruption to justice – regardless of their role or position.”
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