Feb 18, 2026, 1:54 p.mFeb 18, 2026, 1:54 p.m The two-day Geneva negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to end the war that has lasted almost four years have ended without any tangible result. After almost two hours of talks, the Russian delegation left the meeting site on Wednesday, the Russian state news agency Tass reported. […]
Continue ReadingFeb 18, 2026, 1:53 p.mFeb 18, 2026, 1:53 p.m The government in Gabon, Central Africa, has announced the blocking of all social media in the country. The ban should apply immediately and until further notice, according to a statement from the communications authority that was read out on television. On Wednesday, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok […]
Continue Reading“China’s Green Wall”: Euphrates poplars grow on both banks of the Tarim River on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert.Image: Future Publishing China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that this vast sandy desert now absorbs more CO₂ than it emits. Feb 18, 2026, 1:43 p.mFeb 18, 2026, 1:43 p.m The Taklamakan […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Eleven individuals, including an aide to a French far-left lawmaker, have been arrested in France on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a far-right activist. The arrests were […]
Continue ReadingRussia has been importing electronic components from Ireland to go towards the building of “kamikaze drones” used against civilian targets in Ukraine, an Irish Times investigation has found. In a 15-month period, beginning in January 2024, just under 10 tonnes of components from Irish companies reached Russia, according to The Irish Times. This has taken […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch A celebrated marble elephant sculpture by Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome has been damaged, with its left tusk found snapped off at the monument’s base. Authorities reported […]
Continue Reading“We are back to where we were 10 years ago in terms of France’s attractiveness,” Kamel said while presenting the findings Wednesday. Only 17 percent of respondents said France had a positive economic outlook in the next two to three years, with the top concerns being the high cost of labor and complex French labor […]
Continue ReadingOn The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch A man has been swept away by the swollen River Loire as much of western France was placed under high alert for floods, with further heavy rain expected. Four […]
Continue ReadingPublished on 18/02/2026 – 12:32 GMT+1 The European Commission has released a strategy to support eastern border regions struggling with economic decline, demographic pressure, and hybrid threats stemming from the war in Ukraine. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING Nine EU member states – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria – are set to benefit […]
Continue ReadingThe second day of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia ended after just two hours.
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