The armed conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has entered its second week with no clear resolution in sight, as military operations and political rhetoric intensify on multiple fronts. Washington and Tehran have hardened their positions while missile exchanges, airstrikes, and threats to global energy infrastructure continue to heighten international concern. The confrontation began on 28 February 2026,…
Lunar New Year celebrations began Tuesday with dense crowds, incense smoke, and the steady commerce of holiday markets, as communities across Asia and far beyond welcomed the Year of the Horse in the 12-animal Chinese zodiac cycle. The new year follows the Year of the Snake, and the holiday remains the most important annual observance in China and several neighboring…
On Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, Marco Rubio met Viktor Orbán in Budapest, using the visit to publicly promote the Hungarian leader’s bid to remain in power after elections scheduled for April 12. Orbán has led Hungary since 2010 and is seeking what would be a fifth straight term, after 16 years at the helm. Rubio linked the two governments’ current…
Munich Warning on Europe’s Diminished Role Europe has been pushed “totally on the sidelines” in major global negotiations as a new era of confrontational politics reshapes international relations, according to Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference. Ahead of this year’s gathering of political and business leaders in Munich, Ischinger argued that Europe’s declining influence is largely self-inflicted. He…
Russia has attempted to fully block WhatsApp, the messaging service said, in what the company described as an escalation of official pressure on private digital communications. A WhatsApp spokesperson said the move was intended to “drive users to a state-owned surveillance app,” pointing to MAX, a state-supported messenger that has been promoted domestically as an all-in-one platform for chat, payments,…
Brussels Seeks a Simpler, Stronger Union The European Union is facing mounting pressure to overhaul its regulatory framework as leaders grapple with how to restore the bloc’s competitiveness against the United States and China. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made clear that simplifying rules and reducing fragmentation must become central priorities as political and business leaders gather…
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said King Charles III is prepared to cooperate if investigators request help as UK authorities assess fresh claims involving the monarch’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The palace said the King has expressed “profound concern” about allegations that continue to emerge, while emphasizing that the specific claims are for Mountbatten-Windsor to…
