World Today: Former Prince Andrew Arrested in Epstein-Linked Investigation
This is the World Today report, Friday edition, 20 February 2026.
We begin with the lead story from Britain.
Former British prince released after brief detention
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was released from police custody after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest was connected to allegations that he handed over sensitive government documents to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The former prince was detained by Thames Valley Police on Thursday morning (19 February) and officers also searched two properties linked to him.
In a statement issued nearly 12 hours after the arrest, police said Andrew had been “released under investigation” and that the officers’ search in Norfolk had concluded.
Police were still searching his former residence in Windsor for information.
Police investigate threats against mosque in Australia
Australian police said yesterday (19 February) that they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country’s largest mosque.
The letter sent to Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney on Wednesday (18 February) contained images of pigs and threats to kill “the Muslim race.”
Police said they had collected the letter for forensic testing and would continue patrolling religious sites including mosques, as well as community events.
The latest letter was received several weeks after a similar message was sent to the mosque, featuring an image of Muslims inside a burning mosque.
Police had also arrested and charged a 70-year-old man in connection with a third threatening letter sent to Lakemba Mosque staff in January.
Gas explosion kills 16 in Pakistan
Women and children were among 16 people killed after a gas explosion destroyed an apartment building in Pakistan on Thursday (19 February).
Emergency services and rescue workers said the incident occurred in Pakistan’s largest port city, Karachi, where several others were also injured.
Local police chief Rizwan Patel said rescue teams were still clearing debris to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The explosion occurred as people were preparing their pre-dawn meal on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.
Life sentence for former South Korean president
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of insurrection related to his attempt to impose military rule in the country.
The Seoul Central District Court found the 65-year-old guilty of leading an insurrection in the failed attempt.
Yoon declared martial law in South Korea in December 2024, but it was overturned within hours by parliament, and 11 days later he was impeached.
Judge Ji Gwi-yeon said Yoon had deployed troops to the parliament building in an attempt to silence his political opponents.
“The court found his objective was to incapacitate parliament for a sufficiently long period,” Ji told the Seoul Central District Court.