Jesse Jackson was never just a politician. He was a presence.

News of his passing travelled not through headlines, but through memories.

The echo of a rally, the rhythm of sermons, the impassioned plea for racial equality.

Latest – tributes to civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson

He first stepped into the national consciousness in the long shadow of Martin Luther King Jr.

Young, cool, sharp, ambitious, and standing on the edge of history as it happened.

King’s assassination in 1968 did more than fracture a movement; it created a leadership vacuum.

Jackson did not replace him – no one could – but he refused to let the movement fade.

In the years that followed, he transformed protest into organisation.

Operation PUSH was much more than a slogan. It was an attempt to translate street-level outrage into negotiating power.

He understood the leverage required to change what had shaped his childhood.

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Sky’s Trevor Phillips reflects on the death of Jesse Jackson

Journey from stand-out student

Born in Greenville, North Carolina, the son of a single, teenage mother, he grew up in a deeply segregated southern community.

But he was a stand-out student, the class president and a quarterback in the high school football team.

Jesse Jackson’s life in pictures

That won him a scholarship to the University of Illinois, from where he later transferred to North Carolina State University.

It was there, in a historically black college, that he became involved in the civil rights movement.

Jackson rose to prominence as an aide to Martin Luther King Jnr and witnessed his assassination at close quarters.

He inherited the mantle to some extent, becoming a visible advocate for racial equality.

His National Rainbow Coalition became a voice for the voiceless – black Americans, women, the LGB community, Native Americans and Hispanics.

Shifting tectonic plates of US politics

He had much more than political aspirations. He had the courage to stand for president.

Listening to his electrifying campaign speeches in 1984 and 1988, you could sense the tectonic plates of American political identity shifting.

Those campaigns were less about electoral maths and more about psychological geography – redrawing the boundaries of belonging.

It unquestionably paved the way to the eventual election of Barack Obama as president and Kamala Harris as vice president.

His relationship with Mr Obama was complicated, Jackson once accusing him of “talking down” to black audiences during his campaign.

It revealed a philosophical divide: Jackson’s politics were rooted in prophetic confrontation, while Mr Obama was more focused on coalition building.

In later years, illness narrowed his physical world, but his symbolic presence remained.

A living archive

A living archive of the struggle – one of the last towering figures whose political instincts were forged in the marches and jail cells of the 1960s.

The architecture of segregation has largely fallen, but the patterns it produced remain stubbornly intact.

But right to the end, Jesse Jackson refused to be quiet, and that is his legacy.

In a polarised nation often tempted by amnesia, he insisted on memory.

The refusal to forget watching white children take the bus to school while he had to walk.

A Savannah, Georgia elementary school teacher was killed Monday morning in a traffic collision after authorities say a man fleeing federal immigration officers crashed into her vehicle.

The crash happened about 7:45 a.m. on Monday at a busy intersection, according to the Chatham County Police Department. Officers responding to the scene found two vehicles involved. Both drivers were transported to a hospital, where the female driver was pronounced dead. The male driver, identified as 38-year-old Oscar Vasquez Lopez, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools announced that the victim was Dr. Linda Davis, a teacher at Hesse K-8 School. In a statement, the school district said counselors will be available at the school this week to support students and staff.

“Dr. Linda Davis was a beloved member of our school family and her loss has affected us deeply,” Hesse K-8 School said in a statement.

TWO ILLEGAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN VIOLENT SUBURBAN HOME INVASION INVOLVING SEXUAL ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING: POLICE

Guatemalan national faces homicide charges after allegedly killing Savannah, Georgia teacher while fleeing ICE. (Department of Homeland Security)

Police said there were no passengers in either vehicle. A second bystander vehicle was also involved in the incident, but no injuries were reported and no one from that vehicle required medical treatment.

Vasquez Lopez was taken into custody and is expected to be booked into the Chatham County Detention Center. He faces charges of first-degree homicide by vehicle, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and failure to obey a traffic control device.

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esse K-8 School teacher Linda Davis was killed in a car crash near the school Monday morning.  (Hesse K-8 School/Facebook)

In a statement, DHS said ICE officers had attempted to apprehend Vasquez Lopez, whom the agency described as a Guatemalan national with a final order of removal issued by a federal judge in 2024.

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The agency said he initially complied with a traffic stop but then fled, making a U-turn and running a red light before colliding with another vehicle.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the crash “an absolute tragedy” and said fleeing from federal law enforcement is both a crime and dangerous.

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“This vehicular homicide is an absolute tragedy and deadly consequence of politicians and the media constantly demonizing ICE officers and encouraging those here illegally to resist arrest—a felony,” McLaughlin said. “These dangerous tactics are putting people’s lives at risk. Fleeing from and resisting federal law enforcement is not only a crime but extraordinarily dangerous and puts oneself, our officers, and innocent civilians at risk. Now, an innocent bystander has lost their life.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin  (Fox News)

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Local police said they were not involved in the federal operation, attempted stop or pursuit and were unaware of the enforcement action until after the crash.

Officers on routine patrol were near the scene and responded almost immediately, authorities said.

There is news of big preparation from Bhadohi district regarding UP Board exam. The district administration has made elaborate arrangements to make the examination cheating-free and transparent. Strict monitoring is being done at every level, from the number of candidates to the security arrangements.

DM Shailesh Kumar said that in the year 2026, a total of 55,688 candidates including high school and intermediate will appear in the examination and all necessary preparations have been completed for the cheating-free examination. He warned that strict action would be taken against those who disrupt the examination and appealed to parents and students for peaceful cooperation.

55,688 candidates will appear in the board exam

A total of 55,688 candidates will appear in the board examination this year in Bhadohi district (UP Board District Code: 88). Of these, 27,545 (13,840 boys, 13,705 girls) candidates from high school and 28,143 (14,293 boys, 13,850 girls) from intermediate are likely to appear.

94 examination centers built in the district

District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar said that for the successful conduct of the examination, a total of 94 examination centers have been set up in the district, which includes 3 government, 22 aided and 69 unfunded schools. The examinations will be held from 18 February 2026 to 12 March 2026. The first shift will run from 08:30 to 11:45 in the morning and the second shift will run from 02:00 to 05:15 in the afternoon.

Examination centers will be monitored through CCTV

DM Shailesh Kumar said that under the monitoring system of cheating-free examination, all the centers have been connected to the district control room of National Informatics Center (NIC) through CCTV. Besides, activation of CCTV, voice recorder, room inspector, drinking water, toilets, cleanliness and electricity arrangements have been ensured at all the examination centres. 6 mobile teams, 3 zonal magistrates, 12 sector magistrates, 94 static magistrates and 94 outstation administrators have been deployed for security and surveillance.

The District Magistrate said that UP Board As per the instructions of the Secretary, special arrangements have been made for the candidates having error in gender or subject code. Self-centre facility is being provided to the girl students and arrangements are being made to ensure that students who have errors in their data are given the examination within a radius of seven kilometers by making amendments in their examination centres. He said that this problem has come to light in the entire state, whereas in Bhadohi district so far only 4 candidates have received information regarding error in gender or code.

Section 144 imposed around examination centers

District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar said that Section 144 has been imposed around the examination centers and special surveillance is being kept on photocopying, cyber cafes and coaching institutes. He has appealed to the parents and students to cooperate in conducting the examination in a peaceful environment and take the examination with confidence.

An Irishman who has been held in a US immigration facility for five months has received a 10-day reprieve on his potential deportation.

Seamus Culleton, from Kilkenny, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 9 September last year while driving home from work in Massachusetts.

He told agents he had a work permit, but was arrested and taken to an ICE facility at El Paso in Texas.

The company representing him, BOS Legal, said Mr Culleton’s deportation had been delayed by a petition for review of the administrative final removal order and an ex parte motion filed in the First Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday.

BOS added that the temporary order would be “staying Culleton’s removal for the next 10 business days”.

The court has ordered the government to file its response, which is “due in the coming days”, the company said.

BOS Legal noted that Mr Culleton has been in the US for almost two decades, and is married to a US citizen.

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Irishman detained by ICE in Texas

It said he has “no criminal entries” since arriving in the US, presents “no public safety concerns”, and has “strong familial and community ties” there.

Mr Culleton has described the detention centre in El Paso as “horrible” and “filthy”, with little sanitation and limited food.

He has claimed that he is in fear of his life from the security firm in charge, and that there is competition for food. He likened the facilities to a “modern-day concentration camp”.

Mr Culleton said there were 72 people in a tent the size of a 16ft by 35ft room with no ceiling, two rows of bunk beds on either side, and a long table down the middle.

Illnesses are rife among detainees, he said, with barely any outside time, fresh air or sunlight.

Mr Culleton’s wife, Tiffany Smyth, told Sky News her husband’s situation is “hard to believe”, and said that she had “a million questions” when he phoned to say he was being held.

“If it can happen to me… it can kind of happen to anyone,” Mr Culleton told Sky News.

BOS Legal said it remains focused on security his release from custody, and “obtaining the immigration relief necessary for him to be reunited with his wife and to remain in the United States with his family”.

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The firm added: “We are committed to advocating for Culleton’s right to remain in the United States based on legal merits of his case.

“Our focus is on reuniting him with his spouse, and ensuring that justice is served within the bounds of our laws.”

Iran fired live missiles into the Strait of Hormuz during naval drills Tuesday and signaled it is prepared to close the strategic waterway if ordered by senior leadership, according to Iranian state-affiliated media.

The drills come as President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are meeting senior Iranian officials in Geneva for a second round of nuclear talks.

Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, said Tehran stands ready to shut down the strait, a critical global oil transit route, according to Tasnim News Agency, an outlet affiliated with the IRGC.

Tasnim said traffic through the shipping corridor was suspended for several hours during the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise, which included missile launches from vessels, coastal positions and inland sites, as well as drone operations conducted in signal-jamming conditions.

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Iranian military personnel take part in the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 16, 2026. (Press Office Of The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) previously urged the IRGC in late January to carry out its announced two-day live-fire naval exercise “in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic.”

“U.S. forces acknowledge Iran’s right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters. Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization,” it said.

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Iranian military personnel take part in the “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz” exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 16, 2026. (Press Office Of The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The Trump administration has built up a large military presence in the Middle East as talks over Iran’s nuclear program continue, with U.S. officials signaling that any potential agreement would need to go beyond enrichment and address broader security concerns.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in February that for negotiations to be “meaningful,” they would need to address Iran’s ballistic missiles, its sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, its nuclear program and its treatment of its own people.

UK, FRANCE, GERMANY TRIGGER UN SANCTIONS ON IRAN OVER ‘SIGNIFICANT’ NUCLEAR PROGRAM DEFIANCE

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Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that he would be involved in the talks “indirectly.”

“They’ll be very important and we’ll see what can happen. It’s been – typically Iran’s a very tough negotiator. They’re good negotiators or bad. I would say they’re bad negotiators because we could have had a deal instead of sending the B-2’s in to knock out their nuclear potential,” he said. “And we had to send the B-2’s. I hope they’re going to be more reasonable. They want to make a deal.”

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 20:37 IST

This bowler, who played cricket inspired by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said that the plan of Indian batsmen against him was successful. Tariq, who took one wicket for 24 runs in four overs in this match, said, “The whole country watches the Pakistan-India match and the eyes of the whole world are also on it. This was a big opportunity for me to make my mark.

Pak spinner Usman Tariq considers Mahendra Singh Dhoni as his role model.

Last Updated:February 17, 2026, 20:36 IST

Sompal kami catch video: Nepal’s fast bowler Sompal Kami did wonders in fielding along with strong bowling in the match against Scotland. Sompal took an amazing catch on his own ball in the 16th over of the innings. This catch of Sompal was so spectacular that even the batsman could not believe it.

Sompal Kami took an excellent catch