Arts & Entertainment

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy echoes the franchise's long-running "redshirt" tradition in episode 6, where Lt. Commander Tomov dies and the Vulcan student B'Avi is later killed.

Canada marks 30 years since the House of Commons designated February as Black History Month, while the United States' recognition dates back about a century. Artists Lateef Martin and Aly Ndiaye (Webster) spoke about storytelling, access for young creators, and the evident agency of Black artists in Quebec.

Prime Video's Spider-Noir, starring Nicolas Cage and centered on a Ben Reilly character, will arrive May 27, 2026, and is reported as the first English-language live-action Spider-Man project not focused on Peter Parker; Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains scheduled for 2026.

Maren Kirkeeide of Norway won the women's 7.5-kilometre biathlon sprint in her Olympic debut, shooting clean and finishing in 20 minutes, 40.8 seconds; France's Oceane Michelon was second and Lou Jeanmonnot third.

Finnish defender Jenni Hiirikoski was injured in Finland's final preliminary game against Canada and has been ruled out of the Olympic tournament; team officials said the upper-body injury will require surgery.

Sony Pictures Animation released Goat in February 2026, and the film features artists and visual styles associated with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and KPop Demon Hunters.

Rod McQueen recalls Joyce McKeough, who was presented at Buckingham Palace in 1957 and later married Darcy McKeough, a longtime Ontario politician; the couple were frequently seen together and often left events arm-in-arm.

Sarah Lampert recalls her 12-year-old daughter Ticaria "Tiki" Lampert, one of eight people who died in the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge shooting; the family is grieving.

Prime Video's Fourth Wing is in early production and is adapted from Rebecca Yarros's Empyrean novels; Michael B. Jordan is an executive producer and says the show will mix known actors with new faces in casting.

Donald Trump has a long record of threatening and filing lawsuits spanning decades. This week he named Harvard and comedian Trevor Noah as potential targets, and he is pursuing a $10 billion suit against the IRS.

A Screen Rant article says Sony is shifting away from villain-focused live-action films after poor reception for Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter, and is promoting a Spider-Noir series plus animated Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk projects.

Gisèle Pelicot, who waived anonymity during a high-profile sexual-assault trial in France, has published a memoir recounting the year after the verdict and her efforts to rebuild.

Niagara Parks, Niagara Falls Tourism and the City of Niagara Falls are holding a photo and video contest from Feb. 20–25 with cash prizes up to $5,000; winners will be announced in March.

Lindsey Vonn will have another surgery on her broken left leg at a hospital in Treviso and may be able to return home afterward; she suffered a complex tibia fracture after crashing in the Olympic downhill and was airlifted from the course.

Allison Holker announced her engagement to Adam Edmunds and shared photos of a surprise proposal; the couple went public in 2024. Holker has three children with her late husband Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who died by suicide in December 2022.

Authorities and the FBI have received tens of thousands of tips and calls after a porch-camera video of a masked person was released, and experts say vetting that information is an extensive but necessary task.

Filmmaker Jafar Panahi says he plans to return to Iran after the Oscar season, despite being sentenced in absentia in December 2025 to one year in prison and a two-year travel ban; his lawyer says they will appeal.

At Milan-Cortina, a Norwegian biathlete publicly confessed to an affair during a post-race interview after winning bronze, and athletes' social posts about a chocolate lava cake and other treats have become widely shared.

The article reports that Akinola Davies Jr.'s debut feature My Father's Shadow, set in Lagos during Nigeria's 1993 presidential election and co-written with his brother Wale, explores personal and collective memory and opens in Toronto on Feb. 13 with wider release from Feb. 20.

Designer Michael Kors marked his 45th year in fashion with a show on the Metropolitan Opera House staircase that honoured notable New York figures, and he noted that city officials restored the Pride flag at the Stonewall monument.

An account listed as 'Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw' reportedly gave $25,000 to a GoFundMe set up for the family of the late actor James Van Der Beek, and the campaign has raised more than $2.1 million.

Justice Department documents show Jeffrey Epstein cultivated relationships with many academics and provided private funding to some researchers; several professors are now under institutional review or have resigned.

Netflix released Queen of Chess on February 6, 2026; the 93-minute documentary directed by Rory Kennedy chronicles Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgár’s life and is frequently compared to the fictional The Queen's Gambit.

Federal and local investigators in Tucson are seeking neighbourhood surveillance footage after Nancy Guthrie went missing on Feb. 1; the FBI released a description of a person of interest and raised the reward to $100,000 US.

Actress Heather McComb posted an Instagram tribute after James Van Der Beek's death, expressing sympathy for his widow and six children; a GoFundMe for the family raised over $1 million in under a day.

James Van Der Beek was reported to have died after Stage 3 colorectal cancer, and a GoFundMe for his six children and his widow has surpassed $1 million; separately, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively appeared at their first court hearing, where their outfits drew attention.

Prosecutors have begun presenting historical sexual‑assault allegations against Frank Stronach, and a woman testified she was assaulted after a night at a Toronto restaurant; the trial is being held before a judge and will hear several complainants over the coming weeks.

Deadpool was released by Fox on February 12, 2016; its R rating and strong box office return prompted studios to reconsider adult‑oriented superhero films and influenced later R‑rated releases and studio choices.

James Van Der Beek, 48, died Wednesday and his family said he faced colorectal cancer; co‑stars and entertainment accounts posted tributes and highlighted a GoFundMe set up by his widow to help with expenses.

Steve's Music announced in-store liquidation sales and said "certain locations" will close; the Queen Street West store is holding a 30-to-45-day liquidation sale while its longer-term status remains unclear.