The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is calling on countries to update their methods for measuring inflation and other economic indicators, advocating for the integration of point-of-sale and online data to address growing 'blind spots' in fast-changing economies.

Russian state television company RT will hold a festival in more than 15 countries in Asia and Africa to justify the aggression against Ukraine and the crimes of the Russian invaders.

Tariff Ruling Sends CEOs Back to Company War Rooms  The Wall Street Journal

The German chancellor will travel to Beijing this week, the latest high-level visitor as Western countries pivot back to China.

After SC decision, they face reality they may've been better off waiting

The global range is staggering.

Khalilur Rahman has emphasised Bangladesh’s priority of strengthening regional cooperation for the benefit of all countries in South Asia.

Spain is noted as one of the European countries with the highest proportion of octogenarians, prompting discussions on how to leverage this demographic circumstance.

An economist highlights that food price movements have a disproportionately larger impact on Estonian families and consumer behavior compared to wealthier countries, where food constitutes a smaller share of total spending.

The Indian Express features a daily subject-wise quiz on International Relations, covering topics like OPEC member countries and Area 51.

A report indicates that Romania has higher electric vehicle fast-charging costs than countries like Spain or Croatia, despite not having the highest wholesale energy prices in the EU.

On Friday, the Supreme Court delivered a sharp rebuke of his use of tariffs, which he slapped on countries often arbitrarily via a simple order on social media.

Five European countries have committed millions of euros to leverage Ukrainian expertise in developing and producing affordable drone defense systems.

The declaration argues that “robust digital infrastructure and meaningful and affordable connectivity".

While other countries are exploring alternative software providers, Luxembourg's administration largely continues to rely on US companies like Microsoft.

Germany has donated technical equipment valued at €600,000 to North Macedonia's Ministry of Interior, continuing a long-standing police cooperation between the two countries.

The avalanche risk remains high in the Alps, with over 30 incidents in Tyrol alone and multiple fatalities reported across several countries, including a father and son caught in a slide.

Poland is implementing stricter cybersecurity regulations that will bar 'high-risk' vendors from countries like China from critical state sectors.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister and a fervent Israel supporter, suggested Israel had a biblical right to a vast swath of the Middle East.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on a four-day visit to New Delhi, stated that Donald Trump must treat all countries equally.

Brazilian President Lula da Silva called on Donald Trump to treat all countries equally and avoid a new Cold War, expressing hopes for normalized relations.

Countries in the Middle East are reportedly expressing significant concern over the possibility of a US attack on Iran, highlighting regional anxieties.

In a rare interview, retired sociology professor Todor Kuljić stated that the wealthy have ceased to fear the left, suggesting that protests in small countries are insufficient to overcome this dynamic.

Defence minister rebuffs US president’s claim that Arctic islanders are ‘not being taken care of’ Greenland does not need medical assistance from other countries, Denmark’s defence minister has said,

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned what it called 'ultimatums and blackmail' from Hungary and Slovakia, after the two countries threatened to halt electricity supplies if Kyiv does not resume transit.

Climate experts, policymakers, and researchers have renewed calls for Ghana and other African countries to take decisive action against climate change, as global temperatures edge closer to the 1.5°C threshold.

Photographer Martin Roemer visited 22 countries — from the U.S. to Senegal to India — to show how our identities are connected to our mode of transportation.

Compared with wealthier countries, where food accounts for a smaller share of total spending, price movements have a proportionally greater impact on Estonian families and are reflected more quickly i

Brazilian President Lula has called on former US President Trump to ensure equal treatment for all countries, likely in the context of international relations and trade.

The United States has experienced its fifth consecutive annual trade deficit exceeding $1 trillion, with a Forbes report identifying the countries that contribute most to this ongoing imbalance.

The US President announced that the tariffs he had initially said would be imposed at 10% will ultimately be 15% The post Trump raised the new tariffs to 15% on all imports from all countries appeared

China’s push to sell its J-35 fifth generation fighter jet in the Asia-Pacific was likely to face stiff competition from US rival the F-35 as well as cheaper alternatives, military analysts said after the plane featured at this year’s Singapore Airshow. They said political and economic considerations apart from performance would weigh on potential buyers, and questioned how many countries would want to buy the Chinese plane. In Singapore this month, the booth operated by China National...

Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Friday that the Green Shirts would tour Bangladesh in March for a three-match One Day International (ODI) series. In a press release, the PCB said, “Pakistan men’s cricket team will tour Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series, the Bangladesh Cricket Board confirmed on Friday.” It said that the team would arrive in Bangladesh on March 9 and hold a training session the next day, ahead of the opening ODI against the hosts on March 11. The board added that the second ODI would be played on March 13, while the third and final match was scheduled for March 15. It added that all three matches would be played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. “This will be Pakistan’s second tour of Bangladesh since July 2025. Pakistan last toured Bangladesh for a three-match T20I series in July, which the hosts won 2-1. Meanwhile, Bangladesh toured Pakistan for a three-match T20I series in May/June last year, which the Salman Ali Agha-led side won 3-0,” the PCB said. The development comes after Pakistan announced it would boycott the match against India during the ongoing T20 World Cup. The decision came after Bangladesh’s request to shift its matches out of India was rejected amid tensions between the two countries, which led to the team being replaced by Scotland in the tournament. The situation ultimately led to a delegation from the International Cricket Council visiting Pakistan, after which it was announced that Pakistan would play the match against India. However, the ICC also announced that Bangladesh would not face any penalty for opting out of the tournament and would also host an ICC event prior to the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2031.

​​India was among more than 100 countries and international organisations that condemned Israel's ongoing efforts to consolidate control over the West Bank in a joint statement at the UN, saying such measures violated international law and undermined the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region. India endorsed the statement late on Wednesday, just before the deadline for joint condemnation lapsed.

Drawing on more than 100 interviews with senior intelligence officials and other insiders in multiple countries, this exclusive account details how the US and Britain uncovered Vladimir Putin’s plans to invade, and why most of Europe – including the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy – dismissed them. As the fourth anniversary of the invasion approaches and the world enters a new period of geopolitical uncertainty, Europe’s politicians and spy services continue to draw lessons from the failures of 2022 Continue reading...

An analysis reveals which nations are currently on track to earn additional qualification berths for the 2026-27 Champions League campaign.

French President Emmanuel Macron has told Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to 'stay in her own lane' after she condemned the killing of a French citizen, advising her to stop commenting on other countries.

The Hong Kong government has started the year with initiatives that have far-reaching impacts on the city’s long-term growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that he is spearheading Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which will promote broader integration with China’s five-year plan and ensure a bigger role for the city in the nation’s economic development. He also reaffirmed deeper engagement with countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia to open up new markets...

Ukraine's neighboring countries are threatening to cut off energy supplies, raising concerns about potential energy crises.

A global movement is emerging, with countries from Paris to New Delhi considering or implementing bans on social media for teenagers.

Countries from Paris to New Delhi are increasingly considering and implementing bans or restrictions on social media access for teenagers, reflecting a growing global concern over its impact on youth.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany aims for major trophies and the club plans to play games in Asian countries in August.

Trump Admin Closes CDL Loophole That Let Illegal Immigrants Drive Big-Rigs The Department of Transportation shut down a major safety vulnerability this past week that had allowed illegal immigrant drivers to operate commercial trucks on American highways despite having no verifiable driving history. “For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems – wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement. “Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first. From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head on.” The reform targets a gaping hole in how states issue commercial driver's licenses to foreign nationals. While licensing agencies can screen U.S. drivers through national databases for past violations like DUIs or crash history, they cannot access records of foreigners and illegal immigrants. That loophole enabled at least 30 states to issue CDLs to drivers deemed ineligible. Under the old system, foreign drivers holding only work permits could obtain commercial trucking licenses because Employment Authorization Documents don't indicate prior traffic violations, accidents, or license suspensions in other countries. States had no way to know whether an applicant had a clean record or a history of reckless driving before allowing them to operate an 80,000-pound vehicle. The new rule formally codifies Duffy's emergency action from last September that ended the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses to truckers with unverified driving histories. EADs will no longer be accepted as proof of eligibility. Applicants must instead present an unexpired foreign passport along with the appropriate Form I-94, which tracks a noncitizen's entry to and exit from the United States. “Under the provisions, only foreign nationals holding temporary work visas, such as H‑2B, H‑1B, or temporary investor visas from treaty countries, known as E‑2 visas, may be eligible,” explains Fox News Digital. “In addition, states must verify the lawful immigration status of every applicant by checking the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.” At least 30 people died in 17 crashes caused by non-domiciled commercial driver’s license holders in 2025, according to reports. Among the most serious incidents, a non-domiciled driver triggered a multi-vehicle crash inside a tunnel on Interstate 80 in Wyoming on February 14, killing three people and injuring 20 others. On August 12, another non-domiciled driver caused a crash on the Florida Turnpike that left three people dead after attempting an illegal U-turn. In California, a driver failed to stop for traffic on October 21, setting off an eight-vehicle collision that killed three. Later in the year, on December 3, a non-domiciled driver collided with a train at a marked crossing in Ontario, California, killing a crew member. “We are done letting foreign drivers wreak havoc on our roads. If you’re behind the wheel of a big rig, you must meet our standards—no exceptions,” Duffy said in a post on X Saturday. The final rule is expected to take effect in one month, around March 15.  “A critical safety gap allowed unqualified drivers with unknown driving histories to get behind the wheel of commercial vehicles,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “We are closing that gap today to ensure that only qualified, vetted drivers are operating on our nation’s roadways. If we cannot verify your safe driving history, you cannot hold a CDL in this country.” Duffy praised the reform as one of several steps the Trump administration is taking to bolster transportation safety, including enforcing English language standards for drivers. In May, Secretary Duffy signed an order establishing new guidelines to strengthen English language enforcement for commercial truck operators, placing drivers who fail English proficiency tests out of service. "Under President Trump's leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first," Duffy said. "From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head on." Tyler Durden Wed, 02/18/2026 - 23:00

80% Plunge In Immigration Is Reshaping Labor Market Math, But AI Wildcard Looms: Goldman The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has resulted in an 80% collapse in net immigration to the USA, and has fundamentally altered the mathematics behind the nation's labor supply to the point where the level of job growth needed to maintain economic stability is now far lower, according to a new Goldman analysis.  After a flood of more than 10.8 million illegal immigrants (official figure) entered the United States under Biden, net immigration - both legal and illegal - has gone from roughly one million people per year in the 2010s to around 500,000 in 2025, with a further drop to just 200,000 projected by Goldman for 2026. This has sharply reduced labor-force growth and lowered the economy's "breakeven" pace of job creation, the bank opines. Here's Goldman vs. Brookings vs. the Congressional Budget Office on net immigration: Now, the US will only need around 50,000 new jobs per month by the end of this year to keep the unemployment rate from rising, down from roughly 70,000 today. At the same time, Goldman says labor demand still looks "shaky" because job growth is narrow and job openings are trending lower - with the main downside risk being a faster, more disruptive AI-driven adjustment that could tamp down hiring or raise job losses beyond current estimates.  Elevated deportations, tighter visa / green-card policies, a pause in immigrant visa processing that affects dozens of countries, and the loss of Temporary Protected Status for some groups, Goldman suggests there is additional downside risk to the workforce. A shakier demand picture Of course, new math on the labor supply doesn't mean the labor market is strong (duh)... In fact, Goldman describes demand as “shaky,” writing that job growth has become increasingly narrow - dominated by healthcare - and that job openings have continued to fall. Openings are now around seven million, below pre-pandemic levels and still declining. Because fewer new workers are entering the economy, hiring no longer needs to run as hot to prevent unemployment from drifting higher. “A small pickup is all that should be needed to sustain job growth at the breakeven pace,” according to the report, arguing that weaker-looking payroll numbers may increasingly mask a labor market that is merely treading water rather than deteriorating. Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a similar trend, with job openings drifting toward the mid-six-million range late last year. A continued slide in openings, Goldman warns, would increase the risk that unemployment rises more meaningfully, even with slower labor-force growth. There is also a risk that tighter immigration enforcement is pushing more workers into informal or off-the-books employment. If so, official payroll data could understate the true level of labor-market activity, complicating the Federal Reserve’s task of gauging economic momentum. AI looms as the wildcard Goldman sees artificial intelligence (AI) as the largest downside risk to the labor outlook - not because it has already triggered mass layoffs, but because it may restrain hiring at the margin. So far, the firm estimates that AI-related substitution has shaved only 5,000 to 10,000 jobs from monthly growth in the most exposed industries. But a faster or more disruptive deployment could weigh more heavily on demand. ...the main reason that we worry about downside risk to our baseline forecast that the labor market will stabilize going forward is the possibility of a faster and more disruptive deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). While plenty of recent anecdotes point to a potentially faster rate of adoption and corresponding job losses, it is hard to know how these will translate to macroeconomic outcomes. -Goldman The bank shows that job growth has slowed and turned slightly negative in several subindustries where AI is most ready to deploy, while company-level anecdotes indicate that AI is already reducing the need for workers. The impact, while visible, remains 'moderate' so far.  For now, the bank expects the unemployment rate to drift only modestly higher, toward 4.5%, while Goldman chief economist Jan Hatzius said in a separate note (available to Pro subs) that the probability of a recession next year is "moderate" at 20%. The labor market, in the firm’s words, is taking “early steps toward stabilization.” The paradox is that stability may increasingly look like weakness. As immigration slows and the workforce grows more slowly, payroll gains that once signaled trouble may soon be enough to keep the labor market steady - at least on paper. h/t Capital.news Tyler Durden Wed, 02/18/2026 - 19:40

Greece working with another 4 European countries to set up migrant deportation hubs outside EU  Associated Press News

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA â" JANUARY 4: Snowfall blankets city as winter weather affects the capital Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on January 4, 2025. Samir Jordamovic/Anadolu/Getty Images Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1984. Not even a decade later, the city was ground zero in the war for Bosnian independence. Four decades after the Games, many of the Olympic venues have remained abandoned. Over 40 years ago, the Yugoslavian city of Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. Many new structures were built, and the Games were seen as something of a reunion since many countries had boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow. But six years later, the country would be thrown into turmoil during the Yugoslav Wars, which led to the fall of Yugoslavia. Sarajevo became the capital of a new country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1992, but the fighting didn't end until 2001. During the fighting, Olympic venues became battlegrounds, with ski slopes heavily mined and hotels turned into prisons. While Sarajevo's story is singular, it's not the only former Olympics host city where venues now resemble ghost towns. Olympics host countries famously pour millions of dollars into building new venues, which sometimes fall into disrepair after the crowds have gone home. Milan Cortina, the host of this year's Olympics, hopes to avoid this costly mistake. "The Games are capitalizing on existing infrastructure and local winter sports expertise, aiming to create lasting socio-economic benefits for the local population," said Marie Sallois, the IOC director for sustainability. Of the 13 venues being used across northern Italy, 11 either already exist or are set to be torn down after the games. The country only needed to construct two new permanent venues, per the IOC. Here's what the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic venues look like in 2026. The 1984 Winter Olympics were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, from February 8 to 19. The medal podium at the ski jump venue. Ioanna Sakellaraki / Barcroft Im / Barcroft Media via Getty Images The 1984 Games were the first Winter Olympics to be held in a socialist state and the second consecutive Games to be held in a socialist country after the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The 1984 Games were seen as a grand reunion, since many Western countries had boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics, including the US. The Olympic rings are seen on the Jahorina mountain near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina February 5, 2019. Picture is taken February 5, 2019. Dado Ruvic/Reuters The US boycotted the Olympics in Moscow in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. More than 60 nations refused to take part, according to the US State Department. In 1984, many of the events took place near Jahorina Mountain, seen here in 2019. But soon after the Olympics ended, Yugoslavia was thrust into turmoil, with the country formally collapsing in 1992. In this picture taken on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, graffiti by London creative collective The Lurkers "The Lurkers do Sarajevo" is written on a destroyed hotel at Mt. Igman. Wartime destruction and negligence have turned most of Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Olympic venues into painful reminders of the city's golden times. The world came together in the former Yugoslavia in 1984 after the West had boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and Russia boycotted the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Just eight years later, the bobsleigh and luge track on Mount Trbevic was turned into an artillery position from which Bosnian Serbs pounded the city for almost four years. Today, the abandoned concrete construction looks like a skeleton littered with graffiti. Amel Emric/AP A destroyed hotel at Mount Igman, where events including ski jumping were held in 1984, is pictured in 2014. Sarajevo was almost immediately put under siege — just eight years after the Olympics ended, the bobsled track was turned into an artillery position by the Bosnian Serbs. The bobsleigh track originally built for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics lies unused on Mount Trebevic Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images This is what the bobsled track looked like in 2014 — it's been almost completely left to nature. Sylvia Hui at the Associated Press wrote that year, "Today, the abandoned concrete construction looks like a skeleton littered with graffiti." Sarajevo was under siege for almost four years, "the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare," NPR reported. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - FEBRUARY 20, 2014: Former Winter Olympic Venue now abandoned Giles Clarke/Getty Images NPR reported the Bosnian war led to 100,000 deaths and the "worst atrocities in Europe since World War II." This hotel, which was built as part of the Olympic Village, was turned into a prison during the war. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - FEBRUARY 20, 2014: The abandoned shell of a hotel constructed for the 1984 Winter Olympics and where competitors stayed. Ten years later, the hotel was turned into a prison and place of execution for Bosnian Muslims - all overseen by Serb Forces Giles Clarke/Getty Images According to Getty, 10 years after the Winter Olympics, "the hotel was turned into a prison and place of execution for Bosnian Muslims — all overseen by Serb Forces." Even the medal podium was turned into an execution site, Bloomberg reported. By the time the war ended in February 1996, thousands of civilians were dead, and the new country of Bosnia and Herzegovina had to decide how to move forward. Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics logo is seen on the tower near the Zetra hall in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 14, 2015. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Many of the Olympic venues had been damaged or destroyed by the constant bombing and warfare. Decades later, many of the tracks and venues are still empty and abandoned, like these ski jumps at Mount Igman. Abandoned Igman Olympic Jumps in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 14, 2015. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images According to Getty, "The area around the 90-meter hill was heavily mined during the Bosnian war." Here's what they look like from another angle. IGMAN, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - FEBRUARY 20, 2014: Children gather at foot of the 1984 Olympic Ski jump hill at Igman just 25km from downtown Sarajevo. The area around the 90m hill was heavily mined during the Bosnian war just 8 years after the 1984 Winter Olympics. Giles Clarke/Getty Images The mountains border the city. The ski jump was left to the elements. In this picture taken Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, the abandoned ski jumping facility is seen covered in moss at Mt. Igman near Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. Wartime destruction and negligence have turned most of Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Olympic venues into painful reminders of the city's golden times. The world came together in the former Yugoslavia in 1984 after the West had boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow and Russia boycotted the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Just eight years later, the bobsleigh and luge track on Mount Trbevic was turned into an artillery position from which Bosnian Serbs pounded the city for almost four years. Today, the abandoned concrete construction looks like a skeleton littered with graffiti. Amel Emric/AP Moss and debris cover the jumps. There are reminders of the Olympics scattered throughout the old venues. Destroyed Olympic rings on the abandoned Igman Olympic Ski Jump in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 14, 2015. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images These Olympic rings have fallen into disrepair. Here's where the judges sat during the ski-jumping competition. Judges tower on the Igman Olympic Jumps in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 14, 2015. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images East Germany's Jens Weißflog and Finland's Matti Nykänen each took home gold medals in ski jumping that year. The bobsled track was located on Mount Trebević, which was reachable by cable car from the city. It closed in 1989 and was destroyed during the war. picture taken on February 5, 2014 shows Sarajevo's abandoned Sarajevo's bob sleigh track near Sarajevo. Built and used as an Olympic venue during Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Olympic Games, the track was heavily damaged during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. It was never rebuilt and it's large concrete fragments remain standing as a memento of past and training ground for young generations of graffiti artists ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images "The remains of destroyed restaurants, hotels, sports facilities and mountain huts were left to rot and the thousands of mines were cleared at a painstakingly slow pace" after the war ended, The Guardian wrote in 2018. After the war ended, the track gained two new uses: a place for graffiti artists to paint and a place for bikers to practice. Downhill bikers Kemal Mulic (C), Tarik Hadzic (L) and Kamer Kolar train on the disused bobsled track from the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics on Trebevic mountain near Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 8, 2015. Abandoned and left to crumble into oblivion, most of the 1984 Winter Olympic venues in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo have been reduced to rubble by neglect as much as the 1990s conflict that tore apart the former Yugoslavia. The bobsled and luge track at Mount Trebevic, the Mount Igman ski jumping course and accompanying infrastructure are now decomposing into obscurity. The bobsled and luge track, which was also used for World Cup competitions after the Olympics, became a Bosnian-Serb artillery stronghold during the war and is nowadays a target of frequent vandalism Dado Ruvic/Reuters A photo from 2015 shows downhill bikers using the bobsled tracks for training. There are hundreds of feet of concrete for artists to express themselves. The bobsleigh track originally built for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics lies unused on Mount Trebevic Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images The walls are covered in tags and street art. This is what it looked like in early 2018. The bobsleigh track is seen on Mount Trebevic in Sarajevo, January 16, 2018 Dado Ruvic/Reuters The track on Mount Trebević was covered in snow when it was photographed in January 2018. However, the cable car, which ferried people to the bobsled events on the mountain, triumphantly reopened in 2018. Sarajevo below the Mount Trebevic cable car in 2018. Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images The cable car follows the same route today as it did during the Olympics. People can now walk the old tracks without fear. People walk along the Sarajevo bobsleigh track on Mount Trebevi, built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and later repurposed by Bosnian Serb forces as an artillery position during The 1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo on July 13, 2025 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The war ended with the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995, which established Bosnia and Herzegovina's current political structure Pierre Crom/Getty Images "The mountain has slowly returned to something like its former self," The Guardian wrote in 2018. "Hotels, restaurants and cafes have been rebuilt, mines swept away and hikers from all over Sarajevo visit en masse." Yet, the reminders of the war will always be part of Sarajevo's history, along with the Olympics. A picture taken on March 19, 2019 shows the Kosevo wartime cemetery in Sarajevo. - The cemetery was established on an auxiliary football pitch of the Sarajevo city stadium, next to the "Zetra" Olympic Hall (seen in the background). ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images A wartime cemetery was built right next to the Zetra Olympic Hall. Following the war, the Zetra Ice Hall was rebuilt in 1997 and reopened in 1999. It's still in use and is now known as the Juan Antonio Samaranch Olympic Hall. In 2024, Sarajevo marked the 40th anniversary of the Olympics. Olympic rings adorn ski slopes at Mount Jahorina, used as one of Alpine skiing Olympic venues during Sarajevo's XIV Winter Olympics in 1984, south of Sarajevo, on February 6, 2024 ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP/Getty Images In 2024, some of the slopes remain abandoned. Olympics branding, like these rings, was still visible. Even though it's been four decades, graffiti with the Olympic mascot Vucko is still seen on the streets of Sarajevo. Pedestrians walk past graffiti depicting the official olympic mascot "Vucko" from the XIV Winter Olympic Games held in Sarajevo in 1984, on a painted wall painted mural in a an alley, in Sarajevo city center, on February 7, 2024. ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP/Getty Images Unfortunately, Sarajevo isn't the only city that has to reckon with abandoned Olympic venues. There are empty stadiums all over the world. Read the original article on Business Insider

UK graduates living in Germany, Belgium, and potentially other European countries are being informed of increased student loan repayments due to a cut in the salary threshold.

‘The Peugeot 103 is iconic in Morocco: a symbol of social mobility. But my rider, a living sculpture, is so overstimulated he can’t choose which way to go – and ends up going nowhere’ This image, Parabomobile, shows a living sculpture I created. A man is riding through the desert on a road near Marrakech that is still partly under construction. He rides a Peugeot 103 motorcycle and carries 21 satellite dishes – each pointing in a different direction. But the person driving the motorbike is so overstimulated, he cannot choose which way to go – and ends up going nowhere. It is part of a wider multidisciplinary project, Paraboles, that is an inquiry into Moroccan people’s identity, our imagination and the way we see the world. It can feel to Moroccans – and those in other postcolonial countries – that their minds have been colonised as well as their land. Continue reading...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have upgraded their countries’ defence ties, a move analysts say signals New Delhi’s drive to curb dependence on foreign arms imports while cementing a closer security relationship with Paris in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific. The two leaders renewed a 10-year defence cooperation agreement and elevated ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” on Tuesday, unveiling more than 20 areas of expanded cooperation...

An opinion piece highlights the ongoing maternal mortality crisis in Kenya, calling for national outrage and immediate action to address the preventable deaths of mothers during childbirth.

Case became focal point for immigration after he was deported to El Salvador where he faces gang threats Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot re-detain Kilmar Ábrego García because a 90-day detention period has expired and the government has no viable plan for deporting him, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. The Salvadorian national’s case has become a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to his home country last year. Since his return, he has been fighting a second deportation to a series of African countries proposed by Department of Homeland Security officials. Continue reading...

Resistance from several EU countries threatens to weaken the effectiveness of the latest sanctions imposed on Russia.

Iran's agriculture minister is visiting Pakistan to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit New York on February 18 to participate in a high-level United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on the situation in Palestine, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday. In a statement, the FO said that the meeting will be chaired by the United Kingdom’s foreign secretary as president of the UNSC. The statement said that during the briefing, Dar will reaffirm Pakistan’s “principled and consistent position on Palestine”. “He will reiterate Pakistan’s strong opposition of Israel’s recent illegal decisions to expand its control over the West Bank, emphasise the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, full implementation of Security Council resolution 2803, scaled-up humanitarian assistance, and the early commencement of Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction,” the statement said. “The deputy prime minister will also underscore Pakistan’s continued engagement with international and regional partners, including the group of eight Arab and Islamic countries and the United States, in support of a just and lasting peace, anchored in international law, leading to the realisation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian State based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” the statement added. Separately, on the margins of the visit, Dar will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest, it concluded. The development comes as the foreign ministers of eight Muslim nations, including Pakistan, condemned the Israeli move to claim land in the occupied West Bank as “state property”. It should be mentioned that the same eight countries had worked with US President Donald Trump’s administration on a plan last year on a plan to end Israel’s genocide and invasion in Gaza. On Monday, Pakistan had released a separate statement condemning the Israeli move, calling on the international community to reject its actions.

A recent Ipsos survey indicates that people in Asian countries are more optimistic about their nation's future compared to most other regions.

“Why did you start driving inDrive?” It’s my go-to icebreaker with drivers in Pakistan. Lately, the answers have been unsettlingly similar. “I used to work in the development sector,” one man told me. “Then I lost my job.” I’ve heard that line — or a version of it — too many times to dismiss as coincidence. Since the United States pulled the plug on its aid apparatus, the fallout has been immediate. On the surface, the shutdown of USAID is being framed as just another abrupt policy reversal — a bureaucratic casualty in an era of disruption. But look closer, and it reveals something far more profound: the cumulative weight of domestic and international tensions that have been simmering, both within and beyond the US for decades. Cycles of aid, cycles of distrust The first source of strain lies beyond US borders. From its inception as a Cold War instrument, American foreign aid has been shaped by an enduring tension between its declared objectives of development and altruism and its underlying strategic and political calculations. This duality has long been apparent to the recipient elites and the broader public alike. During the Cold War, many governments acquiesced, in part because Western donors faced little competition and alternative sources of assistance were scarce. That landscape has since changed. As non-traditional donors, most notably China and the Gulf states, have expanded their presence, and as domestic political incentives within recipient countries have shifted, scepticism toward USAID has become more explicit and politically salient. In countries such as Pakistan, where mistrust of American intentions runs deep, US assistance is often perceived less as generosity than as intrusion. What is now framed as a backlash against American aid is better understood as the culmination of a long-simmering tension and a legacy of mutual misperceptions between donor and recipient. Pakistan’s experience with US foreign aid agency illustrates this dynamic with particular clarity. American assistance to Pakistan has never been linear or predictable; instead, it has unfolded in cycles closely attuned to Washington’s shifting strategic priorities. During the Cold War, aid was channelled primarily through a security-alliance framework aimed at containing the Soviet bloc, with economic assistance tightly coupled to military cooperation. These flows declined sharply after the 1965 war, reinforcing perceptions of US aid as conditional, transactional, and reversible. Another peak in this equation followed in the 1980s, when General Ziaul Haq aligned Pakistan with the US in opposing Soviet expansion in Afghanistan. Yet with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the subsequent imposition of US sanctions on Pakistan’s nuclear programme under the Pressler Amendment, assistance once again contracted. It was only after 9/11 that the aid surged anew, this time framed around counterterrorism and stabilisation. Even at its height, however, much of this assistance remained shaped by security imperatives, short funding horizons, and heavy reliance on contractors, rather than long-term institution-building. For many Pakistanis, therefore, the shutdown of USAID feels less like an abrupt rupture than the latest turn in a familiar cycle of engagement and disengagement. The second factor is bureaucratic pathologisation. Like many large organisations, aid agencies are susceptible to institutional dysfunction, and USAID has been no exception. In practice, particularly in contexts such as Pakistan, as commissioner on the Afghanistan War Commission Andrew Wilder has noted, its programmes increasingly came to be structured through a security lens rather than a development one. Key decisions were made in Washington, filtered through multiple layers of contractors, and ultimately deployed on the ground with limited scope for local input. At the same time, bureaucratic incentives privileged projects with easily quantifiable indicators, favouring what could be measured over what was substantively effective. These patterns were neither accidental nor new, nor are they unique to the US. Over time, however, they eroded both the legitimacy and the perceived effectiveness of USAID, among recipients abroad and critics at home. These institutional dynamics had tangible consequences on the ground. In Pakistan, USAID funding became heavily concentrated in sectors aligned with stabilisation and security objectives — such as service delivery in so-called “fragile” districts or rapid-impact infrastructure — often at the expense of slower, politically unglamorous investments in local institutional capacity. NGOs and development professionals structured entire career paths around USAID project cycles, only to see those opportunities vanish when priorities shifted or funding was abruptly frozen. The result was a hollowing out of local expertise and institutional memory. When aid was withdrawn, it left behind far fewer durable institutions than its scale and visibility might have led one to expect. The mismatch between stated development objectives and the underlying security logic was further compounded by an overreliance on quantifiable metrics to demonstrate impact. This tendency was reinforced by a development ecosystem shaped by the overproduction of economists and political scientists trained as methodological specialists rather than regional experts. Programmes designed in Washington often prioritised what could be easily counted — number of schools built, clinics refurbished, trainings delivered, or kilometres of roads completed — over whether such interventions meaningfully strengthened local institutions. In Pakistan, this logic was especially evident in sectors such as education, health, and local governance, where projects were assessed primarily through output indicators rather than sustainability or local ownership. Multiple layers of contractors further diluted accountability and blurred responsibility once funding cycles ended. Over time, this produced a paradox: USAID became both omnipresent and poorly understood — associated with large budgets and extensive reporting, but yielding limited and uneven institutional impact. That credibility gap left the agency especially exposed when domestic political support in the US began to erode. The third major factor behind the dismantling of the aid lies in the domestic backlash within the US against international cooperation. Opposition to foreign aid, multilateralism, and international institutions long predates Donald Trump, reflecting decades of polarisation over globalisation and America’s role in the world. By the time Trump entered office, hostility toward international engagement was already deeply embedded in US politics. In this context, shuttering a highly visible aid agency became a potent domestic signal; it becomes a way to demonstrate responsiveness to voters who view global commitments as costly, wasteful, or illegitimate. Dismantling USAID was therefore less a recalibration of foreign policy than an act of domestic political theatre. The US government’s official justification for shutting down USAID frames the move as a response to “China’s exploitative aid model” and a means of advancing American “strategic interests in key regions around the world”. It is true that China has dramatically expanded its development footprint and largely operates outside the traditional Western aid framework. But that explanation doesn’t hold up to deeper scrutiny. If Washington were genuinely seeking to compete with Beijing in the development arena, the more coherent response would have been reform and reinvestment, not withdrawal. Moreover, Chinese and US aid are not direct substitutes. They target different sectors, rely on distinct instruments, and frequently operate alongside one another in the same countries — Pakistan among them — without displacing each other. In Pakistan, Chinese assistance has concentrated on large-scale infrastructure and energy projects, while USAID has focused primarily on education and health. Chinese aid typically flows through bilateral, government-to-government channels, whereas US assistance has often bypassed the Pakistani state, working instead through NGOs and contractors. China’s rise may well be sharpening anxieties in Washington, but it does not, on its own, explain why the US would choose to erode its own institutional capacity in response. A looming domino effect The shutdown of USAID, then, should not be understood as a one-off policy blunder or an idiosyncratic choice tied to a single administration. Rather, it reflects the convergence of long-accumulating tensions: between the professed ideals and strategic deployment of aid abroad; between development objectives and bureaucratic practices within aid agencies; between international commitments and domestic political incentives at home. USAID’s collapse is best understood not as the cause of these pressures, but as their most visible manifestation. The consequences of this decision extend well beyond the fate of a single agency. They reveal the fragility of the broader international aid regime, which ultimately depends on the willingness of a small number of leading powers to absorb the political and financial costs of institutionalised cooperation. When that willingness erodes, institutions lose both credibility and purpose and eventually collapse. Signs of this erosion are already evident, as other major donors, including the United Kingdom and Germany, begin to scale back their own aid commitments. What is at stake, then, is not merely the dismantling of USAID, but the gradual unravelling of an international aid regime built on mutual trust and a sustained commitment to lifting the world’s poorest out of poverty.

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(ANSA) - PARIGI, 20 FEB - 'In an era of uncertainty, what tools can best be used to navigate future challenges?': this was the theme of the meeting at the Consulate General of Italy in Paris between senior OECD officials and around 100 Italian university students living in the French capital. Promoted by Consul General Jacopo Albergoni, in collaboration with the Permanent Representation of Italy to International Organizations and the Italian university student association UIS (United Italian Societies), the meeting, moderated by ANSA, allowed for an exchange on current issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), demographic aging, and the necessary adaptations of labor markets. "The role played by the OECD as a platform for multilateral cooperation and coordination is more important than ever," said OECD Deputy Secretary-General Fabrizia Lapecorella, addressing the hundred or so students welcomed at the Consulate. "Dialogue on economic policies and the definition of shared and internationally recognized standards," she added, "guide the policies of member countries and partners in navigating uncertainty." The initiative is part of the Italian Consulate in Paris's desire to support "young compatriots engaged in their path of growth and integration into the world of work, while promoting Italian know-how and Made in Italy and the role of Italians in Parisian international organizations." In France, "there are many young Italians and Italian speakers who study and embark on prestigious professional careers, thanks to their skills and a particularly appreciated approach to work," said Angelica Salvi Del Pero, Senior Advisor at the OECD and expert in Labor, Social Affairs, and Employment, illustrating the challenges associated with changes in the labor market. Read article...

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Kremlin Mocks European 'Illusions' For Wanting Own Nuclear Umbrella Currently France and Britain are in talks to potentially extend their nuclear arsenals to protect Europe as a defense 'umbrella' - at a moment some officials have questioned the United States commitment to leading NATO. Politico wrote in the aftermath of the Munich Security Conference, "Multiple European countries are publicly backing talks on a homegrown nuclear deterrent to complement American atomic weapons following an erosion of trust in a Donald Trump-led US." Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin has issued the Kremlin's reaction to these latest developments, asserting that the British ‘nuclear umbrella’ will fail to provide extra security to other NATO members. Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin, via Al Jazeera screenshot. The diplomat's words were captured in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia on Tuesday. Kelin described that it is "obvious that the British 'nuclear umbrella' will not be able to provide any additional material security guarantees" to Europe. Moscow meanwhile continues to closely monitor the moves by "states pursuing an overtly anti-Russian policy" - he emphasized. "The possibility of the expansion of nuclear safeguards will be taken into account in our military planning as well as in further discussions of the strategic stability issues," the ambassador added. Kelin then took a swipe at Britain's hawkish stance in the context of the Ukraine war: "The strengthening of such potential apparently instills in London an illusory hope of leadership in ensuring European security," he said. Moscow's growing concerns over British policy is in part related to plans to purchase a dozen F-35 fighter jets from the US, capable of carrying missiles tipped with nuclear warheads. Additionally, when the tiny but outspoken Baltic states - directly on Russia's doorstep - try to tout NATO 'nuclear deterrent' talking points, it seems natural that Moscow would be extremely concerned:  Estonia isn’t ruling out joining early-stage talks on a common nuclear deterrent in Europe, Deputy Defense Minister Tuuli Duneton said in an interview. "We are always open to discuss" with partners, she said, while emphasizing the U.S. was still "committed to providing nuclear deterrence for allied nations." Latvia’s Prime Minister Evika Siliņa echoed that. "Nuclear deterrence can give us new opportunities. Why not?" she said, while cautioning that any steps would have to be in compliance with "our international commitments." NATO top leadership has still signaled no change in direction on the conventional US nuclear umbrella, however. The United States nuclear umbrella, which has protected allies and cut down on the spread of nuclear weapons, is the "ultimate guarantor of freedom" in Europe, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says. "The ultimate guarantor is the nuclear umbrella from the United States," Rutte… pic.twitter.com/8GCU5oc4O6 February 17, 2026 In the backdrop is the fact that that the landmark New START nuclear treaty between Washington and Moscow has ceased to exist as of this month. Russia is offering that it won't expand its arsenal so long as the US does the same. But this is still dangerous, uncharted territory. Tyler Durden Wed, 02/18/2026 - 04:15

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ISLAMABAD: Around 31.9 million births registered with union councils (UC) in 2025 are yet to be added to the record in the National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) central database, according to an annual performance report. The report was recently submitted by Nadra to the interior ministry, according to which a total of 227m individuals are registered with the authority. Overall, nearly 97 per cent of Pakistan’s population is now included in the registration system, according to the report, which also shows that 52pc of the registered individuals are males and 48pc are females. As for biometric data, Nadra’s system contains facial records of 170m people, iris data of seven million individuals and 1.68 billion fingerprints, the reports says. During 2025 alone, the report states, some 445m biometric verifications were carried out, contributing to “improved transparency” and “strengthening of digital governance systems”. According to the report, national registration increased by 4pc in 2025, registration of children under the age of 18 rose by 11pc, renewal of expired identity cards increased by 24pc and cancellation of identity cards following death registration surged by 900pc. Female registration also saw an 8pc rise during the year. The reports says that by end of the year, 938 registration centres were operational nationwide. The authority established 75 new centres 138 new counters, while another 126 counters were installed at existing offices. The reports say that 231 mobile registration vans remained active during the year, including 33 satellite-equipped units for remote areas. At the UC level, 62 registration counters were operational while six new counters were set up in five countries abroad to facilitate overseas Pakistanis. According to the report, the Pak Identity mobile application was used to handle 15pc of Nadra’s total workload. The app was downloaded more than 12m times, enabling citizens to access services without visiting registration centres. In 2025, the federal government approved the National Registration and Biometric Policy Framework to further strengthen the unified registration system. Amendments to national identity card regulations were also introduced, biometric child registration certificates were launched for children as young as three, and family registration certificates were granted formal legal status. According to the report, Pakistan’s identity registration system now has near-complete coverage, though efforts are still required to further improve the registration of women and young children in certain areas. Clear policy recommendations have been proposed to close the remaining gaps entirely, the report says.

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REPORTS on the attendance of parliamentarians during sessions almost invariably evoke much interest among citizens. Although the average attendance in the National Assembly has been hovering around 60 per cent for the last many years and the citizenry seems to have made its peace with that, there are statistics which sometimes shock the people. For example, a Fafen report on parliamentarians’ attendance during the 23rd National Assembly session held from Jan 12 to Jan 22 this year indicates that 47 or 14pc members remained absent throughout the session and didn’t attend even a single sitting; 276 or 83pc of the total 332 members skipped at least one session. Similar statistics about the 22nd session indicate that about 70pc of the absent members didn’t seek prior leave from the House. The system of taking attendance is such that a person marked present might not have been there throughout the sitting and his/her presence for even a fraction of the sitting may be marked as present. Given the fact that the average duration of a sitting ranges from two to three hours (it was two hours during the first year of the present National Assembly), a member attending the sitting may have been present only for a few minutes. The absence of members from a sitting significantly impacts parliamentary proceedings. Our parliamentary system requires the presence of at least 25pc of the total members which constitutes the quorum. The Assembly proceedings are stopped after a member points out a lack of quorum and the subsequent head count confirms that the minimum required members are not present. A Pildat report indicates that during the past (15th) National Assembly, lack of quorum was pointed out in 105 (23pc) of sittings, and subsequently, 72 or 16pc of the sittings had to be adjourned on this basis. The abrupt termination of a day’s proceedings impacts the productivity of the Assembly as the day’s agenda (order of the day) is left incomplete. During the five years of the 15th National Assembly, on average, less than 50pc (49.47pc to be exact) of the agenda items could be taken up by the Assembly. Ministers’ absence also impacts the quality of proceedings and some of the agenda items have to be deferred because the relevant minister is not present. During the 23rd session of the current Assembly, for example, 29 federal ministers were supposed to answer members’ questions but a majority (19) of them did not show up on the day allocated for answering questions relating to their ministries. In most cases, the absence of the minister concerned deprives members of the opportunity to ask supplementary questions. Simi­larly, adjournment motions, privilege moti­ons and call-attention notices also require the presence of the minister concerned. The Speaker has repeatedly expressed displeasure at the frequent absence of ministers. Sometimes, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries do not show up either to fill in for the minister concerned. Pakistan’s parliament is not the only one which faces issues of low attendance. Ministers generally take their cue from the prime minister and they are more likely to show up in the House if the PM is particular about his presence. During the life of the 15th Assembly, the attendance of the PM was a mere 13pc (11pc for Imran Khan and 17pc for Shehbaz Sharif). The attendance becomes more known through the media in the case of plenary sittings but the status of attendance is no different in the case of parliamentary committees. Many meetings are adjourned by the chair because the minister concerned and senior officials of the ministry do not show up at the meeting, leading to a wastage of financial resources spent on convening the meetings. However, one may add that Pakistan’s parliament is not the only one which faces issues of low attendance. Many parliaments face a similar situation and a number of parliaments have waived the condition of the presence of a minimum percentage of members for the validity of the proceedings. For example, the UK parliament and US Congress do not have a quorum requirement. The proceedings of the legislatures continue in these countries even if a single member is present in the House. In the case of the UK parliament, many parliamentary committees hold their meetings concurrently with the plenary. The proceedings of the plenary are watched by the members on CCTV while sitting in their offices or in meeting rooms. Members’ presence is required when a motion or a bill has to be voted on. Bells are rung at that time and members available within parliamentary precincts rush to the chamber to vote. The absence of a member from the precincts during the time of the plenary is, however, rare and frowned upon. A major reason for our legislators to be casual about their presence during the Assembly sittings has a lot to do with the preferences of a majority of their voters. Most voters are not so keen about their legislators’ performance in the Assembly. A member who works very hard on his parliamentary speeches and, for example, scrutiny of the annual budget, is seldom appreciated by the constituents. People want their elected representatives to attend to their personal issues, which need an influential legislator’s support for resolution due to poor governance. Finding jobs for constituents and their family members is one of the top expectations from legislators. Interceding with the local administration and police on behalf of the constituents to sort out their day-to-day problems is also among the informal responsibilities of legislators. Attending the weddings and funerals of voters’ extended families, too, is a strong preference of constituents. These informal chores are likely to be of greater help to a legislator in his re-election than making a speech in the House. The weak attendance of legislators is, therefore, not because of their lethargy. Instead, it is a reflection of the ground realities of our own governance and culture. The writer is president of the Pakistan-based think tank Pildat. X: @ABMPildat Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026

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There’s other countries in Asia for FC Bayern to visit, you know

Two female filmmakers from Iran and Afghanistan are debuting bold films at the Berlinale, expressing the injustice they've experienced in their home countries through contrasting genres.

Russia and Cuba on Wednesday slammed the US energy blockade of the Caribbean island in a show of solidarity in Moscow, where Havana's foreign minister was due to meet with President Vladimir Putin. US President Donald Trump cut off key supplies of Venezuelan oil to Cuba after ousting Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro. He has also threatened sanctions on countries that sell oil to Cuba. But what is the US president’s ultimate goal in Cuba? And if it is regime change, does he have the tools to do it? Robert Huish, associate professor in international development studies at Dalhouse University, speaks to France 24.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature several US-born athletes competing under the flags of other nations, bringing unique stories beyond traditional medal counts.

Two female filmmakers from Iran and Afghanistan are using contrasting genres—a romantic comedy and a nightmare—to express the injustices they have experienced in their home countries.

The Maccabees have expanded the line-up for their Live at Kirkstall Abbey show, adding indie heavyweights such as Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, and Mystery Jets.

Judge Orders ICE Not To Re-Detain Abrego Garcia Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, A federal judge has blocked U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) from re-arresting Kilmar Abrego Garcia, one of the men at the center of the Trump administration’s deportation battles. The Salvadoran national’s case attracted attention across the country, including widespread protests, after the federal government detained him in March 2025 and shipped him to El Salvador’s maximum security prison, the Terrorism Confinement Center, along with an airplane full of other deportees. He was later returned to the United States, where he has had long-running legal battles with the administration. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered the administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return last year, ruled on Feb. 17 that he cannot be deported again because the federal government has not presented a feasible plan for removing him from the country. The judge said that despite releasing Abrego Garcia, the government appeared to be making plans to re-detain him, so Abrego Garcia filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent being re-detained. The court previously granted the requested order. In the new order, the court granted Abrego Garcia’s request to upgrade the temporary restraining order to an injunction to prevent him from being re-detained. Abrego Garcia, who entered the United States illegally more than a decade ago, had been living in Maryland when federal agents arrested him. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes the position that Abrego Garcia is a “violent criminal illegal alien, and MS-13 gang member,” who “belongs behind bars and off American soil.” Abrego Garcia, who is facing separate criminal charges, denies being a member of MS-13, which has been designated a terrorist organization. Xinis previously ordered his release on Dec. 11, 2025, finding that because the federal government had never issued a final order of removal against him, it could not detain him in order to force him from the country. The government said in a brief last month that Abrego Garcia may be detained because an immigration judge issued an order of removal on Dec. 11, 2025, that became final on Jan. 13 of this year. Detention after that order “does not require that the country of removal be certain in order for detention to be lawful,” the brief said. The judge suggested the federal government is not serious about removing Abrego Garcia from the United States. Since he secured release from criminal custody in August 2025, the government has “made one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success,” she said. The judge said that, given the federal government’s maneuvering in the case, it was doubtful that Abrego Garcia would be deported in the “reasonably foreseeable future,” so he may not be re-arrested or put into immigration detention. “Respondents have done nothing to show that Abrego Garcia’s continued detention in ICE custody is consistent with due process,” Xinis said. In April 2025, Xinis had ordered that Abrego Garcia be returned to the United States from the prison in El Salvador. The same month, the Supreme Court ordered that the federal government take steps to bring him back to the United States. The government of El Salvador cooperated, and Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States in June 2025. At the same time, Abrego Garcia is currently facing federal criminal charges in Tennessee related to the alleged unlawful transportation of undocumented aliens. He has entered not guilty pleas to the charges. The May 2025 indictment brought against Abrego Garcia alleges that he “conspired to bring undocumented aliens to the United States from countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador, and elsewhere, ultimately passing through Mexico before crossing into Texas.” It alleges that Abrego Garcia and his co-conspirators obtained financial payments from the undocumented individuals for unlawfully transporting them into and around the United States. The indictment also alleges Abrego Garcia was “a member and associate of the transnational criminal organization ... [known as] MS-13,” which it describes as “a criminal enterprise engaged in ... acts and threats involving murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking, alien smuggling, and money laundering.” Abrego Garcia “used his status in MS-13 to further his criminal activity” over the life of the criminal conspiracy during which he and co-conspirators “knowingly and unlawfully transported thousands of undocumented aliens ... many of whom were MS-13 members and associates,” according to the indictment. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have called the case “baseless.” “There’s no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. The Epoch Times reached out for comment to the U.S. Department of Justice, which represents federal agencies in court. No reply had been received as of publication time. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 20:55

Several countries are challenging the control that a few major tech corporations exert over the world's data, advocating for changes in digital governance.

2 More High-Profile Transgender Surgery Cases Head To Trial Authored by Darlene McCormick Sanchez via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Two high-profile “detransitioner” cases involving young women whose bodies were irrevocably altered as teens by transgender surgery are expected to go to trial in early 2027. Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old woman who regrets surgically removing her breasts, holds testosterone medication used for transgender patients, in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times Chloe Cole, who drew national attention after speaking out against subjecting children to gender-reassignment procedures such as hormones and surgeries, has an April 5, 2027, trial date, according to Mark Trammell, CEO of the Center for American Liberty, which represents several detransitioners. ​Cole and others, known as detransitioners, stopped or reversed a medical gender transition that they started earlier. ​She sued Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and other health care providers in California after receiving life-altering hormones and a double mastectomy when she was 15. ​“Kaiser has done everything in its power to keep Chloe out of a courtroom and to ensure that members of the press are not in the gallery,” Trammell told The Epoch Times. ​For Cole, getting a trial date signifies a victory after years of legal wrangling and delays, she told The Epoch Times via text. “After years of fighting for the voices of my generation to be heard, I’ve been given a date for trial. Every victim, every family who spoke up, every step in the culture, all led to this moment,” she said. ​“I’ve waited for my day in court, not just for my sake, but for that of every child who should’ve been protected from irreversible harm.” Kaiser Foundation Hospitals did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the lawsuit moving forward. However, the medical group told local news outlets in 2023 that it followed medical standards of “gender-affirming care.” ​Trammell also represents Luka Hein, whose case is expected to head to trial in early 2027. ​Hein’s Nebraska case names the University of Nebraska Medical Center Physicians, the Nebraska Medical Center, doctors, therapists, and others as defendants. Like others, Hein had both breasts removed in 2018, when she was 16, as the first step in her “gender-affirming care,” according to the lawsuit. Building Momentum Both medical malpractice cases could solidify gains made in the landmark Fox Varian v. Kenneth Einhorn case, which went to trial in New York last month. It marked the first time that a detransitioner case received a jury verdict. ​The Jan. 30 verdict held a surgeon and psychologist liable for malpractice surrounding the double mastectomy that Fox Varian received when she was 16. The jury found her psychologist, Kenneth Einhorn, and plastic surgeon, Dr. Simon Chin, liable for failing to communicate as required about Varian’s condition. One example was laid out in an October 2019 letter that Einhorn wrote to Chin in support of Varian’s surgery, which contained errors and omitted coexisting mental issues, including autism and depression. Chloe Cole stands near her home in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times The New York jury awarded Varian $2 million—$1.6 million for pain and suffering, and $400,000 for future medical expenses. ​The Fox verdict sent shockwaves through the gender medicine industry, while offering hope for other detransitioners. ​Trammell said that while medical negligence lawsuits aren’t new, those involving transgender medicine are. ​“How do you put a price tag on a young woman having her breasts amputated and potentially never being able to have a child?” he asked. ​The hope is that detransitioners will now see that they can win a legal victory. ​“I look at that as a tremendous, tremendous victory, not just for Fox Varian, but for other detransitioners who are maybe thinking about filing lawsuits,” he said. Chloe Cole holds a childhood photo in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times Trammell said that the success of medical negligence cases depends on establishing that doctors and hospitals failed to meet the standard of care. That’s why reviews of gender medicine, such as the recent one by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are important, he said. ​That federal report rejected medical interventions for children with gender dysphoria, recommending therapy instead. ​The HHS report noted that evidence underpinning the alleged benefits of medical interventions in pediatric gender dysphoria was “very uncertain.” ​Trammell said the pediatric gender industry appears to be based more on politics than science. ​He pointed to European countries’ changing of their policies after studies showed problems with medical interventions for childhood gender dysphoria. The United States has lagged behind Europe in adjusting its approach to pediatric gender medicine, Trammell said. ​“It’s taken the U.S., unfortunately, years to even begin to catch up. And even still, there’s a ton of money and political power behind it,” he said. Tools for Justice ​Civil lawsuits can be tools for changing behavior on the market level, and the landmark Big Tobacco lawsuit settlement in 1998 is a case in point, Trammell said. ​“I think these cases uniquely present the opportunity to put an end to this barbaric industry because ... it’s driven by money and power,” he said. When doctors, hospitals, and insurers become financially liable for pediatric gender procedures, it will have a chilling effect, Trammell said. Chloe Cole speaks in support of the Protect Children's Innocence Act as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) looks on outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 20, 2022. Terri Wu/The Epoch Times ​Trammell said states have already helped protect vulnerable children by passing laws banning transgender-related hormone treatments and surgery for minors. However, state lawmakers could have a bigger impact by creating a carve-out on the statute of limitations for medical malpractice. In many states, lawsuits must be filed within two years of the alleged malpractice, but it can take children much longer to realize the harm they suffered. In Texas, 60 lawmakers signed a letter supporting a detransitioner’s case, heard on Feb. 11 by the Texas Supreme Court, that was originally dismissed based on the expiration of the statute of limitations. The state lawmakers vowed to support legislation next year to extend the statute of limitations for detransitioners. Soren Aldaco filed a lawsuit in 2023 asking for more than $1 million in damages, claiming that doctors pressured her into gender-reassignment procedures, gave her “life-altering” hormones at 17, and later “botched” a double mastectomy. Trammell said that at the very least, the statute of limitations on cases involving minors shouldn’t start until they turn 18. “They should have five to 10 years at least to be able to make those decisions for things that happen to them as 13-, 14-, 15-year-olds,” he said. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 18:25

The US has the most expensive military in the world. Tajh Payne/US Navy via Getty Images The International Institute for Strategic Studies compiled data about the world's military budgets. The top militaries spend hundreds of billions of dollars on defense, with the US leading worldwide. President Donald Trump has proposed increasing annual defense spending to $1.5 trillion. The US has the world's most expensive military, spending nearly $1 trillion on defense each year. That's roughly four times China's reported defense budget, the next largest. From spending on nuclear technology to advanced aircraft and warships, the world's top militaries allocate hundreds of billions of dollars each year to stay ahead. In some countries, big-ticket items such as naval assets or technologically advanced aircraft or missiles account for the bulk of military spending, while others devote large sums to maintaining large conscription troop systems. Ultimately, military spending varies by country depending on location and interests, Gian Gentile, a retired US Army colonel and senior historian at RAND, told Business Insider. Some countries prioritize homeland defense while others value overmatch and far-reaching power projection. "The US spends a lot on more sophisticated, extremely precise weapon systems," he said. A military's budget can be measured either as a total amount or as a share of its country's GDP, reflecting the burden on its economy. Worldwide, countries spent an average of 2.4% of their GDP on defense in 2024. Wartime spending as a share of GDP typically rises, putting strain on the civilian economy, said Mark Cancian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ukraine in 2024, for example, devoted over 15% of its GDP to its military, the highest share globally. Spending statistics help paint a picture of defense priorities, but they don't always translate into readiness for conflict. "Readiness is very expensive, and perishable," Cancian said. A country's on-paper investment in its defense systems doesn't always translate directly into military capability, he added. Training and maintenance are often overlooked in analyses of spending on equipment and technologies. A particularly significant cost when it comes to technologically advanced aircraft, for instance, is maintenance and sustainment. Still, looking at military budgets can reveal how much capital each country relies on to defend itself. Last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, released its Military Balance report, which included data on nearly every country's defense budget based on each's reported 2024 figures. The report includes each country's total budget (in US dollars), per-capita figures, and defense budget as a share of GDP. Some countries, such as North Korea, Libya, Syria, Cuba, and Afghanistan, did not publicly report their defense budgets. These are the 30 countries that spend the most on their military, ranked by the size of their defense budgets. 30. Qatar KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $9.66 billion Defense budget per capita: $3,785 Percentage of GDP: 4.36% 29. Norway Yauhen Yerchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Defense budget: $9.79 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,776 Percentage of GDP: 1.94% 28. Mexico Victoria Razo / AFP Defense budget: $10.19 billion Defense budget per capita: $78 Percentage of GDP: 0.55% 27. Indonesia BAY ISMOYO / AFP Defense budget: $10.93 billion Defense budget per capita: $39 Percentage of GDP: 0.78% 26. Sweden Leon Neal/Getty Images Defense budget: $12.25 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,157 Percentage of GDP: 2.01% 25. Iraq Zaid AL-OBEIDI / AFP Defense budget: $12.68 billion Defense budget per capita: $301 Percentage of GDP: 4.8% 24. Turkey Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images Defense budget: $14.27 billion Defense budget per capita: $170 Percentage of GDP: 1.06% 23. Singapore ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $15.17 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,517 Percentage of GDP: 2.86% 22. Taiwan I-Hwa Cheng / AFP Defense budget: $18.86 billion Defense budget per capita: $799 Percentage of GDP: 2.43% 21. Spain picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images Defense budget: $19.44 billion Defense budget per capita: $411 Percentage of GDP: 1.12% 20. Algeria NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Defense budget: $21.4 billion Defense budget per capita: $455 Percentage of GDP: 8.23% 19. United Arab Emirates VCG/VCG via Getty Images Defense budget: $22.27 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,220 Percentage of GDP: 4.09% 18. The Netherlands Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP Defense budget: $23.61 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,328 Percentage of GDP: 1.94% 17. Brazil Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images Defense budget: $24.4 billion Defense budget per capita: $111 Percentage of GDP: 1.11% 16. Canada Artur Widak/NurPhoto Defense budget: $27 billion Defense budget per capita: $696 Percentage of GDP: 1.22% 15. Poland Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto Defense budget: $28 billion Defense budget per capita: $723 Percentage of GDP: 3.25% 14. Ukraine Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP Defense budget: $28.41 billion Defense budget per capita: $797 Percentage of GDP: 15.43% 13. Israel Elke Scholiers/Getty Images Defense budget: $33.75 billion Defense budget per capita: $3,589 Percentage of GDP: 6.39% 12. Italy Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Defense budget: $35.23 billion Defense budget per capita: $578 Percentage of GDP: 1.48% 11. Australia Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images Defense budget: $36.40 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,360 Percentage of GDP: 2.02% 10. South Korea Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Defense budget: $43.88 billion Defense budget per capita: $842 Percentage of GDP: 2.35% 9. Japan JIJI Press / AFP Defense budget: $53.01 billion Defense budget per capita: $430 Percentage of GDP: 1.3% 8. France Philippe Magoni / POOL / AFP Defense budget: $64.03 billion Defense budget per capita: $937 Percentage of GDP: 2.02% 7. Saudi Arabia BANDAR ALDANDANI/AFP via Getty Images Defense budget: $71.73 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,963 Percentage of GDP: 6.52% 6. India Roslan RAHMAN / AFP Defense budget: $74.36 billion Defense budget per capita: $53 Percentage of GDP: 1.91% 5. United Kingdom Owen Humphreys - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images Defense budget: $81.06 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,184 Percentage of GDP: 2.26% 4. Germany Michaela Stache / AFP Defense budget: $85.98 billion Defense budget per capita: $1,022 Percentage of GDP: 1.83% 3. Russia VCG/VCG via Getty Images Defense budget: $120.32 billion Defense budget per capita: $854 Percentage of GDP: 5.51% 2. China Greg Baker / AFP Defense budget: $234.98 billion Defense budget per capita: $166 Percentage of GDP: 1.29% 1. United States Mario Tama/Getty Images Defense budget: $967.96 billion Defense budget per capita: $2,831 Percentage of GDP: 3.32% Read the original article on Business Insider

Armenia has introduced a temporary visa-free regime for Indian passport holders with specific residence permits from Gulf, US, and European countries, allowing stays of up to 180 days annually.

US Secretary of State Rubio visited Hungary and met with Prime Minister Orbán, emphasizing a 'golden age' in relations between the two countries.