Your World Tonight - Former Prince Andrew arrested, Canadian hockey women win silver, skimo debut, and more

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

He’s gone from prince to prison… at least temporarily. Police arrested the king’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for misconduct in public office. They are investigating whether he shared confidential material with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Also: Canada’s women’s hockey team wins silver at the Winter Olympics in a close game. The team went into the final game as underdogs, but were first to score, and held on to the lead for most of regulation time. Then the U.S. managed to tie the game, and scored again in the sudden death overtime, earning them the gold.And: It looks unusual… a bit of skiing, a bit of mountain climbing… and it’s a brand new sport for the Olympics. We look at skimo.Plus: The first meeting of the Board of Peace, NDP leadership debate, money to fight extortion, and more.

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N-E-T-H-R-I-S dot com. Nethris, much more than just a payroll software. This is a CBC podcast. Do you have any reaction to the rest of your brother, sir? This is the start of the domino effect. This is where the house of cards starts falling. A former prince now playing a principal role in an intensifying Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Andrew Mountbatten, Windsor, going from a royal estate to police custody over his links to the convicted sex offender.

Well, it offers a great contrast. Look what the British government is. doing in light of the evidence and look what the United States government's doing. Nothing. As British authorities move aggressively on the Epstein files, police in the United States are not. As names, photos and more disturbing details emerge, calls for accountability get louder. Welcome to Your World Tonight. I'm Susan Bonner. It is Thursday, February 19th, just before 6 p.m. Eastern, also on the podcast. Hockey's most heated rivalry ends in Canadian heartbreak.

It is a crisis rocking the royal family and reaching deep into British politics. The former Prince Andrew was detained by police this morning, the first British royal arrested in centuries. He's accused of giving state secrets to Jeffrey Epstein, in a development causing waves around the UK and beyond. We have full coverage on this story tonight, beginning in London, with senior international correspondent Margaret Evans. News of what is an unprecedented arrest broke early this morning

and on quiet country roads, when police were spotted along the perimeter of Andrew Mountbatten, Windsor's latest home in Norfolk, on the private estate of his brother, the king. Thames Valley Police didn't name him, confirming only the arrest of a man in his 60s on suspicion of misconduct in public office. It follows allegations that the former prince, when acting as a trade envoy for the UK,

shared confidential material with the convicted child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Tessa Dunlop, a historian and royal commentator, says she's not surprised. I think there has been a certain inevitability since the release of the latest tranche of Epstein files, where the sheer volume of communication between Andrew and Epstein was eye-watering, even for those of us who suspected something like this.

Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Do you have any reaction to the rest of your brother, sir? Reporters threw questions at King Charles as he carried on with his official duties, here visiting London Fashion Week. Earlier, he released a statement saying he'd learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten, Windsor, and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

The law, he said, must take its course. It is the latest slide in a long, slow fall from grace for Andrew, said to have been the late Queen Elizabeth II's favorite son. The slide began in earnest with allegations by Virginia Joufrey that she had been trafficked as a teen by Epstein and forced to have sex with the former prince. something he has repeatedly denied, despite settling a lawsuit filed by Joufrey in 2022. Mountbatten Windsor's arrest today is unrelated to those allegations, but other police forces in the UK are still assessing the Epstein files. Dal Babu is a former chief superintendent of the Metropolitan Police.

This is huge, it is massive, let's not lose sight of it. There's 43 forces in England and Wales, and out of the 14th, nine are making an assessment. That number may go up. King Charles stripped his brother of his royal title last fall, but many observers, including Babu, say the monarchy itself will still come under scrutiny. I think the question that the public are asking is,

what did the wider royal family know, when did they know it, what actions did they take? By nightfall, police confirmed that the man in his 60s had been released in the search of his home, completed. Margaret Evans, CBC News, London. Across the Atlantic, Andrew's arrest is renewing calls for accountability and has many asking, what's taking so long? As U.S. officials make millions of files public, Epstein's survivors want a reckoning. But it hasn't happened yet. Paul Hunter

has more from Washington. We won't stop. On word, the former Prince Andrew had been arrested, Sky Roberts, brother of the late Virginia Jufre, the woman who'd accused Andrew of sexual assault, says the family feels vindicated and celebratory. I think we're very hopeful that this is the start of the domino effect. This is where the house of cards starts falling. And, you know, kudos to the UK for taking the first step. Juffray, who died by suicide last year, had also accused the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her into a world of sexual assault by the wealthy and powerful, Andrew

among them. Epstein himself and those who surrounded him has been the focus of intense scrutiny in the U.S. with the Donald Trump presidency under continued pressure to more thoroughly investigate allegations in America against any number of Epstein's

former associates. We're making history here, so this is big. Marina Lacerda is an Epstein survivor. Dumfounded the U.S. isn't doing more. It's insane how everyone's taking action and we are doing nothing in the United States. Lawmakers from both U.S. parties say if the British government can do it, why can't the U.S.?

Republican Thomas Massey wrote, we need justice in the United States. There must be accountability, wrote fellow Republican James Comer. Here's Democrat, Stephen Lynch. And the king is actually saying, we need to follow the law here. I wish our government were doing the same. In recent weeks, millions of investigative documents have been made public in the U.S., though with heavy redactions. The documents have led to fresh investigations, into prominent people in a number of countries around the world, including on former government ministers in both France and Norway, but in the U.S., where in New Mexico state authorities are now looking into whether

the bodies of two foreign girls are buried somewhere on the grounds of a former Epstein ranch, pressure on federal authorities to now do more mounts, as Democrats accused the Trump administration of withholding count. more Epstein documents in a cover-up for the powerful. I've been totally exonerated. On Air Force One today, U.S. President Donald Trump called the Andrew News, sad for the king. When I see that, it's a very sad thing.

To see it and to see what's going on with his brother. But I'm the one that can talk about it because I've been totally exonerated. I did nothing. We'll take the win today. Regardless, says the family of Virginia Jafray, Andrew's arrest underlines that on all the Epstein allegations, more action must now follow everywhere. Paul Hunter, CBC News, Washington.

With global attention locked in on the Epstein saga, many Canadians may have had trouble taking their eyes off the hockey game today. Team Canada going for Olympic gold in Milan. The women's team went into the final as underdogs against their American arch rivals. They fought hard all the way to overtime. Breyer Stewart picks it out.

from the heartbreaking final play. A chance in the package! That's the sound of Team USA scoring the winning goal just over four minutes into overtime, crowning the Americans' gold medal champions and leaving the Canadians who had come so close with silver.

Heading in to the first intermission, it was scoreless. Canada took a penalty as forward Laura Stacey went into the locker room. She said Team Canada needed to regroup. And we got to come out strong in the second, kill that penalty off and keep going forward. Stacey to O'Neill to the backhand. She scores! And they did one minute into the second period.

While they were short-handed, Stacey assisted on a goal scored by her teammate, Kristen O'Neill. Honestly, it was a pretty surreal moment for me. I had just about every emotion running through my veins. By second intermission, Canada was still up one-nothing. And U.S. fans like Mike Whaley and Jason Bennett were starting to worry as the American team was considered the favorite to win. Oh, we are stressing out right now is what's happening. Our bloodshunds through the roof, but it's okay, we're doing some meditations. And then a Canadian fan wearing a hockey helmet came up and jokingly gave the pair a headbut.

They say that they're stressed. Are you stressed? We're all very stressed. You know, how can you not be? It's an amazing game and it's close. The U.S. tied it up with just two minutes left in the third. period sending the game into sudden death overtime. A few minutes later as the U.S. was celebrating its win, tears flowed on the Canadian bench. They were considered the underdog going into this. The U.S. team had been described as stronger, younger and more dominant.

But Canada's team said they were up for the challenge. Team Canada captain Marie-Philippe Poulin. The whole year, people are out of doubt, people wonder, people say we're too old, people were just talking. and I said it many times all about the people in that room and we came out hard. We gave them a battle. We knew against the U.S. it's always a battle

and to go in overtime, sadly we came out short, but it's part of it. Silver medalists representing Canada. Canada leaves with the silver medal, but it's still the most victorious in Olympic history. The team has taken gold in five of the eight Olympic games. The Americans have now won the other three. Breyer Stewart, CBC News, Milan.

Coming right up, the new world body that revolves around Donald Trump. The U.S. President holds the first meeting of his Board of Peace. And a final debate for NDP leadership candidates hoping to take over the party and take on its challenges. Later, we'll have this story. They're downhill skiing, but also going uphill? Ski-Mountainering or Schemo has officially made its Olympic debut. So it combines, you know, the engine of a Nordic skier and some of the skills of downhill racing. I think it's a perfect inclusion as like a quintessential winter sport.

I'm Sarah Levitt in the northern Italian town of Borneo. Coming up on your world tonight, how schemo is attracting big crowds and how the sport is making strides in Canada, too. From promises of peace to threats of war. U.S. President Donald Trump held the first meeting of his Board of Peace in World. Washington today, pushing his bold plans to stabilize the Middle East, while at the same time warning Iran, the U.S. military is ready to strike. Cameron McIntosh has details. Where it matters most, in a tent encampment near Gaza City, split views on Donald Trump's vision for Gaza, including foreign troops.

I'm with anyone who comes to Gaza just to get us out of what we're in, says Sahi Jenei. Others like Mohamed Taha wondering, why do they bring us people from outside our country? We can manage it. In Washington at the newly renamed Trump Institute for Peace, Palestinians were not among the representatives of nearly 50 nations sketching out a vision for Gaza's future. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

Uzbekistan and Kuwait have all contributed more than $7 billion. That money to help fund sweeping plans for a demilitarized and reconstructed Gaza, including mention of a Riviera on its beach front. Five countries say they'll contribute troops to an international security force to keep the peace as a local police force is trained, with Gaza to be run day to day by a group of Palestinian technocrats. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is an executive on the board. It remains the best, indeed the only hope for Gaza, the region and the wider world.

Trump says that includes a non-nuclear Iran, threatening it to make a deal in 10 to 15 days or face military action, while musing about a donor meeting to be held in Norway. They were going to say that they're giving me the Nobel Prize. On the ground, the task is done. daunting. Aid is increasing. Israel says up to 4,200 trucks a week. Markets have food, but prices are high. Unemployment, rampant. The U.N. estimates just cleaning up could take seven years, let alone rebuilding. Middle East analyst David Satterfield.

If he loses that focus, this all breaks down. Foreign troops sent by foreign leaders has many in Gaza fearing one occupier will be replaced by another. There are many plans that didn't work, says Ronnie Abu Warda. Then there's Hamas. Trump's plans count on it disarming. So far it's refused. Israel's Prime Minister threatening to do it the hard way, as Hamas rejects a 60-day deadline from Israel to disarm.

Insisting the Board of Peace hold Israel to the ceasefire both sides accuse each other of violating. Cameron McIntosh, CBC News, Jerusalem. As Cam mentioned, Trump has been suggesting Iran has limited time to make a deal on its nuclear program. As talks continue, the U.S. has been building up its military presence in the Middle East. Trump says negotiations with Iran are going well, but can't go on forever. Good talks are being had. It's proven to be over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with her. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise bad things happen.

says Tehran has been told there can be no peace in the Middle East if Iran has a nuclear weapon. All the hallmarks of genocide. A UN report says Sudan's rapid support forces carried out a campaign of destruction in the Darfur region last fall that targeted ethnically African communities. Mona Rishmawi worked on the report. We are talking about mass killings. We are talking about 18 months of siege. We are talking. We are talking about rampant sexual violence of incredible cruelty. All this basically was targeting two specific ethnic groups, particularly the Zaghawas and the four. The RSF besieged El Fasher for months allowing in little food or medicine.

And when the city fell to the rebel militia, soldiers carried out mass killings, rape and torture. The federal NDP has reached the next stage of its recent stage, build. Five leadership candidates square off tonight in BC's lower mainland. It's the last debate in a tight contest. As David Thurton explains, the real question may not be who wins, but whether the party can convince Canadians, it can compete. Are you Peter? Yes. Well, I remember you. Yes. So are you going to go to law again? Well, we're assuming the election cell. Good. I support you. Peter Julian is out and about his former BC riding. The long time NDP House

leader was among the more than a dozen new Democrats who lost their seat in April's election. It was a heartbreaking loss. Since then, he's been listening to voters. And those conversations have been very helpful because they indicate the number of Canadians folks in this community that really want to see the NDP rebuild. Tonight's final NDP leadership debate is in his community. For Julian, the event isn't so much about candidates landing a knockout, but signaling to Canadians, new Democrats are still relevant.

What is important is that they set out that compelling vision of the steps that the NDP needs to take in the coming months. It's a delicate dance for the five candidates, and a race that's neck and neck, with sitting MP Heather McPherson and activist and former journalist Avi Lewis, the apparent frontrunners. Three other candidates will join them on stage, Rob Ashton, a labor leader,

Tenil Johnston, a social worker, and Tony McQuail, a farmer. contestants must balance locking in remaining votes while mending the party's image. Melanie Rieshay is the party's former director of communications. We have heard rumors about a potential election this year. I don't know if that's true or not. Obviously, as a partisan, I hope we don't have an election. But if that is true, you have to start talking to people right away. The NDP has more support today than they did in last year's election.

According to Suche Curl, the president of the Angus Reed Institute, a research foundation. But what does that look like in a real-world election situation, where the issues, the ballot issues, compared to last year, are largely unchanged? It's still how best to deal with Donald Trump and do progressive voters want Pierre Poliev as Prime Minister? The solution to that in Julian's view, better ideas that inspire Canadians. We know what are the steps to take to ensure that we're ready for that campaign,

to make sure that we have that bold, compelling vision that Canadians can actually see themselves in and a contrast to what Mark Carney and Pierre Pollyev are offering. Candidates will have a chance to share their vision when the debate gets underway tonight. David Thornton, CBC News, Vancouver. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the federal government is trying to hit extortionists

where it hurts their pockets. Champagne was in the Peel, region of Ontario to announce measures aimed at extortion gangs. South Asian business owners in southern Ontario and BC have been facing threats and demands for money. Champagne says intelligence experts will help financial institutions detect criminal activity. Our message to criminals is both powerful and simple. Enough is enough.

The minister said the federal government will also publish more intelligence on money laundering. We're going to double down to the detect. and disrupt and distract what you're doing. That's why one of the most powerful tools we have is financial intelligence. Because when we follow the money, we expose the networks behind these crimes. We identify those which are responsible and we disrupt their ability to operate, whether it's here in the Peel region, in Canada and even internationally. This is Your World Tonight from CBC News.

If you want to make sure you stay up to date and never miss one of our episodes, follow us on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcasts. Just find the follow button and lock us in. Up is the new down in the Winter Olympics latest sport. Ski-mo does include some downhill skiing, but the main focus is the slog of going up a slippery slope. Sarah Levitt has the details. It's a sport with deep roots in the Italian Alps,

first for winter survival and then taken on by the military. Ski mountaineering, or Schemo, made its Olympic debut today in the northern Italian town of Borneo. It involves ascending a mountain both on skis and while holding them before descending to the bottom. Most of these athletes are used to longer courses through rougher terrain. Imagine a triathlon in a snowy mountain complete with forest. But for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, the competition was condensed to about three minutes or so on a mountain slope mostly visible from the bottom. So the next transition. Skins off. This is when they reach back.

They lock their boots. As an athlete makes it to the top, they rip off skins that help their skis grip the snow before sailing down to the finish line. Cross the line and the gold medal will be his. Cardona Cole with Spain's first Olympic winter gold medal in 54 years. The main feeling, it's amazing. Switzerland's Caroline Ulrich may not have made the women's final, but she was thrilled to compete. To see this crowd and this noise,

it's something really amazing for sport and I really enjoyed. And with a white-out storm in Bormio, watching the event in person isn't for the faint of heart either, ascending and descending the hill in slick, icy snow for the best views, many wipeouts were included. We walked all the way up to the top and you got a really good view of the transitions and then them coming down. It's fantastic. I wouldn't even begin to hike up that at the rate they're going to go. To the bank turns. Only 18 men and 18 women qualified for the Olympics. No Canadians, but the sport is gaining ground back home.

The future of Schema in Canada is quite bright. Kylie Toff is a schemo athlete herself. She's also the acting high-performance director of ski mountaineering Canada. The organization was founded just last year. This allows us to have development pathways, some junior programs, and if anyone has a good engine and can ski downhill, this could be the sport for them. Back in Borneo, the athletes here today have another chance to meddle with mixed relay skimo happening Saturday.

Sarah Levitt, CBC News, Bormio, Italy. We end tonight with a bit more hockey. Well, a lot more, actually. Not at the Olympics, where the motto is faster, higher, stronger. This was a minor hockey game that just went longer, longer and longer. Like, this is wild and crazy. Just a regular game you could end in a tie. But because it's district playoffs, the rules are different.

A Minnesota U-12 girls hockey game between the Cottage Grove, Wolf Pack and the St. Paul Saints, starting on Monday night at 7.30 p.m. local time. By 10.45, after three regular periods and three overtimes, it was still tied, one-one. The game was halted, with players and parents agreeing to come back on Tuesday. Oh my gosh, I don't wish this on anybody. It's been such a journey that you don't want your season to end yet. It was a sudden death situation, but this game stayed alive. Three more overtime periods didn't lead to a game-winning goal.

By Wednesday, with the game looking like it may never end, the teams reached out to state hockey officials who tweaked the rules to allow for a shootout to finally decide a winner. Last night, after three days, 15 periods and more than 150 shots on net, the game-winning goal from Cottage Grove, scored by 11-year-old Ashlyn Anderson. We all had a huge part in this. Caitlin's scoring the first goal and then we all added on on the shootout.

We all tended to work hard and before this game, my brother actually taught me a couple shots would help me score that goal. During a week when a lot of big hockey games are happening, there's some young players proving you don't have to go to the Olympics to compete in a marathon. Thank you for joining us on your world tonight for Thursday, February 19th. I'm Susan Bonner. Talk to you again. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.