Russian air defenses intercept 151 drones as Geneva peace talks open
Russia said its air defense systems shot down 151 Ukrainian drones overnight, hours before Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva for a new round of US mediated peace negotiations. The strikes targeted areas in southern Russia and annexed Crimea, igniting a major oil refinery fire and injuring civilians, including a nine year old boy......
Director challenges jury head, calls Gaza violence genocide at Berlin film festival
The 76th Berlin International Film Festival has been shaken by controversy after jury president Wim Wenders said filmmakers should “stay out of politics,” prompting public withdrawals and sharp responses over the festival’s stance on Gaza. The latest intervention came on February 15, when Turkish director Emin Alper used......
Austria charges suspect over alleged Taylor Swift concert terror plot
Austrian prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against a 21 year old man accused of planning an Islamic State inspired attack targeting Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna in August 2024. The indictment comes more than 18 months after security services thwarted the alleged plot, prompting the cancellation of three sold out shows on......
Azerbaijan sentences Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison
An Azerbaijani military court on Tuesday sentenced Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian born billionaire and former senior official in the separatist administration of Nagorno Karabakh, to 20 years in prison, according to state media and Reuters. The ruling was delivered by the Baku Military Court after prosecutors had sought a life sentence for the......
Meloni distances herself from Merz criticism of MAGA movement
The emerging Rome Berlin axis in European politics is facing its first strain after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly broke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the American MAGA movement, exposing diverging views on transatlantic relations only weeks after the two leaders pledged closer cooperation. Speaking......
Rapper Naps outlines defense in Paris hotel assault trial
French rapper Naps appeared before the Paris criminal court this week, contesting allegations that he raped a 25 year old woman in a hotel room in October 2021. The artist, whose real name is Nabil Boukhobza, denies the charges and maintains that the encounter was consensual. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. The trial, which......
Saudi and Emirati ambitions turn quiet competition into open rivalry
What began as a discreet race for influence between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi has evolved into an overt strategic rivalry that is reshaping regional balances without a shot being fired, yet at a potentially high long term cost for both sides. For general readers, policy analysts and investors following Gulf politics and economics, the emerging......
China clean energy capacity surpasses fossil fuels for first time
China’s installed clean energy capacity has exceeded fossil fuels for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the country’s energy transition. New data from Global Energy Monitor show that as of February 2026, 52 percent of China’s operating power capacity comes from non fossil sources, while 48 percent is generated......
Robert Duvall, versatile American film icon, dies at 95
Robert Duvall, the American actor celebrated for his quiet intensity and extraordinary range, died peacefully at his home in Virginia on February 15, 2026. He was 95. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Duvall became one of the most respected performers in modern cinema, known for immersing himself fully in roles that ranged from......
Former Wagner recruiters linked to sabotage attacks in Europe
Individuals who once recruited and promoted young Russians to fight in Ukraine for the Wagner mercenary group are now helping organize sabotage operations across Europe on behalf of the Kremlin, according to Western intelligence officials cited in recent reports. The shift reflects a transformation in Moscow’s hybrid warfare strategy......
Poland closes two airports after Russian missile strikes
Poland temporarily shut down the airports in Rzeszów and Lublin on February 17, 2026, as military aircraft were deployed in response to a large-scale Russian missile attack on neighboring Ukraine. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency announced that flight operations at both southeastern airports were suspended to allow military......
North Korea opens housing complex for families of soldiers killed in Ukraine
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday presided over the inauguration of a new residential district in Pyongyang designated for families of soldiers who died during overseas military operations, state news agency KCNA reported. The project represents the latest public gesture by the government to honor troops who fought alongside Russian......
European natural gas falls to five week low on milder weather forecasts
European natural gas prices dropped sharply on Monday as forecasts of milder temperatures across the continent eased immediate concerns over heating demand. The benchmark Dutch TTF contract slid more than 5 percent to around 30.75 euros per megawatt hour, according to Trading Economics, marking its lowest level since mid January. The decline......
Global markets rise ahead of US Iran nuclear talks in Geneva
Global equity markets advanced on Monday as investors looked past weekend geopolitical headlines and turned their focus to high stakes nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, along with a busy week of corporate earnings led by major retail and agricultural companies. The pan European Stoxx......
Cuba revives 1990s rationing plan as US oil sanctions tighten
Cuba is confronting its most severe fuel shortage since the collapse of the Soviet Union as oil sanctions imposed by the Trump administration intensify, prompting the government to activate emergency rationing measures while Washington simultaneously delivers humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church. Havana announced it is implementing......