URL: NPR

World News

Monday, February 16, 2026

• The U.S. ready to make up, Europe ready to break up in Munich
  Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to reassure Europe at the Munich Security Conference, but European leaders are skeptical.
  
• DHS shuts down after a funding lapse. And, why athletes get the 'yips' at the Olympics
  Congress is out on recess as a partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security is underway. And, why some superstar athletes have been getting the "yips" at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
  
• Israel will begin contentious West Bank land registration
  Israel will begin a contentious land regulation process in a large part of the occupied West Bank, which could result in Israel gaining control over wide swaths of the area for future development.
  
• An Islamist party becomes Bangladesh's main opposition for the first time
  An Islamist party has become Bangladesh's main opposition for the first time in the country's history, challenging the old dynastic political system despite persistent concerns among critics about the party's policies on women.
  
• Russia, Ukraine and US officials to meet this week for more talks to end the war
  As the war in Ukraine nears its fourth anniversary, officials from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. will meet in Geneva Tuesday for another round of talks aimed at ending the war.
  
• World leaders met in Munich to discuss the future of Europe. Here's what happened
  NPR's Leila Fadel asks Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, for his takeaways following this year's Munich Security Conference.
  
• With no Gaza disarmament deal, UN group hasn't begun major work to clear explosives
  The United Nations group that clears explosives from conflict zones tells NPR it has not started major clearing operations in Gaza, because Israel and Hamas have not yet agreed on the terms for disarmament of the territory.
  
• US and Iran head to Geneva to continue talks on Iran's nuclear program. What to know
  NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Vali Nasr, a professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University, about nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
  
• As US presence wanes, China works to increase its influence through foreign aid
  When the U.S. pulled back on giving out foreign aid last year, fears emerged that China would swoop to take America's place. But China's approach may signify a different role for it in global health.
  
• North Korea opens a housing district for families of its soldiers killed in Russia-Ukraine war
  North Korea said Monday it completed a new housing district in Pyongyang for families of North Korean soldiers killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.