Better right ideas than wrong results | Brief letters
It is hard to escape the conclusion that this government is not very competent (Starmer abandons plans to delay local elections in England in latest U-turn, 16 February).However, I prefer a government that tries to do the right thing but is not very good at it, rather than one which competently does the wrong thing.Laurence GibsonStowe, Buckinghamshire We in Scotland support our national rugby team.We also read the Guardian print edition.What we can’t read, however, is a dedicated item on Scotland rugby, while we can read two full pages on England.
Should I change team or paper?Margaret WardCrossford, South Lanarkshire We still have a Belling bed warmer (Letters, 20 February), and we use it to air beds regularly.Works a treat – although when the bulb goes, I don’t think that a modern low-energy one will do the job!Clive HawkinsStratton, Cornwall Our “hot-water bottle”, in a 1950s house without central heating, was the metal shelf from the coal-heated oven.Wrapped in a blanket and placed in the bed prior to bedtime, it certainly did the job for this youngster.Les ForesterGreetland, West Yorkshire Max Bell notes that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will get his pension now that he is 66 (Letters, 19 February).Will he also get a Freedom Pass?Melanie HewittLondon A year on and still swooning – thanks for setting us up (Blind date, 22 February 2025).
Alexander and GráinneBelfast Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section,
Lamborghini pulls plug on plans to launch all-electric supercar
The Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has abandoned plans to make all-electric vehicles, and will instead focus on making plug-in hybrid cars, after a drop-off in demand for EVs among its wealthy clientele.Lamborghini unveiled its first all-electric concept car, the Lanzador, in 2023, but it is no longer planning to put it into production.The carmaker’s chief executive, Stephan Winkelmann, told the Sunday Times that developing EVs risked becoming an “an expensive hobby” for the brand, given that the “acceptance curve” for battery-powered cars among its customer base was getting “close to zero”.Winkelmann said the Lanzador would be replaced by a plug-in hybrid, meaning its range would consist only of plug-in hybrids by 2030. In the meantime, the company would continue to build combustion engine vehicles for “as long as possible”, he added
Trump’s trade war risks undermining his hopes of hefty US interest rate cuts | Graeme Wearden
Donald Trump and Denis Healey don’t have much in common. One of the greatest prime ministers Britain never had shares little of his famous hinterland with what some historians see as one of the worst occupants of the White House.But Trump would be well advised to remember Healey’s first law of holes – when you’re in one, stop diggingInstead, having seen the supreme court reject his sweeping global tariffs on Friday, Trump dug his shovel out, announcing a new global tariff of first 10%, then upping it to 15%. That may have lifted the president’s mood, after a stinging rebuke from the top judges in the US, but it risks backfiring on his hopes for hefty interest rate cuts this year.The trade war, with its exhortation to businesses to make their products in the US if they know what’s good for them, is one of Trump’s signature policies
‘It’s survival of the fittest’: the UK kebab chain seeking an edge with robot slicers
They are already packing our groceries and delivering shopping. Now robots are coming to the kebab shop, alongside self-service screens and loyalty apps, as takeaways look for ways to tackle rising costs.German Doner Kebab (GDK), a perhaps surprisingly British-owned chain that has been springing up across the country, has turned to technology to keep its fast food business buzzing in the face of rising costs and tough times on the high street.With households cooking at home more often to save money, and restaurants facing increases in energy bills, business rates, national insurance and hourly pay, profits are under pressure despite rising prices at the till.“It is survival of the fittest,” says Simon Wallis, the CEO of the brand, which operates via dozens of franchise partners running 155 outlets in the UK and nearly 40 more overseas including in the US, Dubai, Ireland and Sweden
Nascent tech, real fear: how AI anxiety is upending career ambitions
Matthew Ramirez started at Western Governors University as a computer science major in 2025, drawn by the promise of a high-paying, flexible career as a programmer. But as headlines mounted about tech layoffs and AI’s potential to replace entry-level coders, he began to question whether that path would actually lead to a job.When the 20-year-old interviewed for a datacenter technician role that June and never heard back, his doubts deepened. In December, Ramirez decided on what he thought was a safer bet: turning away from computer science entirely. He dropped his planned major to instead apply to nursing school
Winter Olympics briefing: the tooth fairy brings gold as USA end 46-year wait
If the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony was a love letter to Italian heritage, the final day was a thunderous operatic finale, a crescendo of clashing sticks, soaring amplitude and the bittersweet tears of legends taking their final bows. As the sun dipped behind the peaks of the Dolomites for the last time this fortnight, the Olympic flame did not just flicker out – it was passed from the high-fashion streets of Milan to the ancient stones of Verona.The final day’s headline act was the men’s ice hockey final which the weight of a 46-year ghost. Pitting the United States against Canada, the contest fell exactly on the anniversary of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. There was no need for a miracle this time, just the surgical precision of Jack Hughes
England’s zombies have rapidly descended into collective brain fog in Six Nations | Robert Kitson
The band on the stadium concourse were playing a familiar tune in the immediate aftermath of England’s latest debacle on Saturday. “Zombie! Zombie!” the vocalist sang, ostensibly in tribute to Ireland’s record 42-21 victory at Twickenham. Alternatively he might just have been riffing on the horribly listless, blank-eyed performance that ended England’s Six Nations title hopes for another year.“In your he-ad, in your he-ad…” The old Cranberries anthem, synonymous with Ireland’s 2023 World Cup campaign in France, will be heard a few more times over the next month if Andy Farrell’s team maintain their revitalised excellence and no-nonsense physical intent. For England’s players, though, the past two weekends have been truly grim, a return to the bad old days they had dared to hope were over
Winter Olympics were again unrelatable and ‘useless’ and yet utterly astounding to watch
North Korea: world’s most secretive nation lands in spotlight at Women’s Asian Cup | Samantha Lewis
Even greater heights await Australia’s Winter Olympians after success of Milano Cortina Games | Kieran Pender
‘Hockey’s not hockey any more’: did three-on-three overtime ruin Canada’s Olympics?
‘The Brits are coming again’: Team GB hail their greatest ever Winter Olympics
Winter Olympics 2026 come to a close at Verona Arena after Norway top medal table – as it happened