The DHS funding pause is halting some FEMA operations and grant reviews, creating gaps for local emergency managers and lengthening recovery timelines after disasters such as Hurricane Helene in fall 2026
Republicans are moving to impose stricter voting requirements, including proof of citizenship, while local Illinois politics mirror national divisions over election legitimacy and federal funding
Republicans have moved to tighten voter requirements as a revamped Department of Homeland Security system, SAVE, has flagged citizens as noncitizens, complicating election oversight and local administration
A Geneva negotiation on 18/02/2026 ended without compromise and a separate French inquiry into the killing of a far‑right student has produced nine arrests, including a parliamentary assistant, raising political pressure across parties
President Donald Trump will assemble officials from dozens of countries in Washington to receive a status update on his Gaza plan while domestic policy battles over tariffs and immigration detention escalate
Mayor Mamdani presented a fiscal 2027 preliminary budget that signals a 9.5% proposed property tax increase as leverage to secure state-authorized revenue while spotlighting ballooning costs in education, shelters, and public assistance
As U.S. forces concentrate unprecedented air power in the Middle East and leaders debate intervention, experts warn that joining Israel’s offensive against Iran could backfire strategically and diplomatically
Independent testing linked Alexey Navalny’s death to epibatidine, a potent frog-derived neurotoxin; a former OPCW laboratory chief explains the science, possible motives, and the limits of international enforcement
The United States has renewed support for the UK-Mauritius arrangement on the Chagos archipelago, prompting a public rebuke from Donald Trump and a determined return by Chagossian residents to Diego Garcia and other islands
An analysis of the Board of Peace’s $5bn pledge, international troop commitments, recent Gaza fatalities and parallel US-led pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon
The UN Security Council shifted its session to review the Gaza ceasefire and Israeli West Bank policies ahead of President Trump’s Board of Peace meeting, as countries and organisations urge a halt to annexation efforts
On Feb. 17, 2026, an avalanche near Castle Peak swept through a group of skiers; six were rescued and brought to safety while authorities continue searching for nine others amid dangerous storm conditions.
U.S.-mediated negotiations in Geneva produced limited progress on military issues while political gaps over occupied territory and security guarantees remain wide
Belgium summoned the U.S. ambassador following a public message that framed a local probe into ritual circumcisions as antisemitic, highlighting diplomatic friction and debates over religious freedom and public health
As Israel moves policies that strengthen its hold on the West Bank, tensions rise between its government, Palestinian communities and the United States over legality, displacement and regional strategy
A phantom stealth fighter project has become a symbol of Europe’s defense challenges, exposing duplicated efforts, industrial fragmentation and diplomatic strains that reduce value from military budgets