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Environmental group Extinction Rebellion says it is under federal US probe

February 18, 2026 10:57 PM UTC / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Environmental group Extinction Rebellion said on Wednesday it is under federal U.S. investigation and that some of its members have been visited by FBI agents, including from the agency’s task force on extremism, in the last year.

Asked for comment, the FBI said it can neither confirm nor deny conducting specific investigations, citing Justice Department policy.

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“On the evening of February 6, 2026, a former member of (Extinction Rebellion NYC) was visited by two special agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force at their residence, 200 miles outside of New York City,” the environmental group said in a statement.

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The agents asked the former member about their involvement in the environmental group’s New York City chapter, the statement said, adding the former member referred questions to their attorney.

The group also said that in March 2025, agents identifying themselves as part of the FBI attempted to speak with six different activists affiliated with Extinction Rebellion Boston and that there was no follow-up communication.

The statement by the activist group did not have further details and the FBI did not comment on the nature and scope of its actions.

Rights advocates have raised free speech concerns under President Donald Trump’s administration, citing his crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s assault on Gaza, and his threats against liberal nonprofits and groups opposed to his agenda, including his immigration and climate policies.

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The Trump administration has accused groups, often without evidence, of funding and organizing political violence. Climate advocates have criticized Trump’s cuts to domestic climate regulations and the U.S. withdrawal from global environmental accords.

The environmental group’s global website says it is a “decentralised, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly” on the climate emergency. Activist Greta Thunberg has previously attended actions organized by the group.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates

节点运行失败

Trump convenes first ‘Board of Peace’ meeting as Gaza rebuild hinges on Hamas disarmament

Board of Peace meeting focuses on multi-billion-dollar rebuilding framework and international stabilization force deployment

By Efrat Lachter
Fox News

Published February 18, 2026 5:00am EST | Updated February 18, 2026 6:06pm EST

President Donald Trump’s newly created Board of Peace is set to hold its first meeting Thursday, with administration officials and participating countries framing the gathering as a step toward implementing the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction effort rather than a moment likely to deliver an immediate breakthrough.

At least 20 countries are expected to attend the inaugural session in Washington, where Trump is slated to chair discussions on a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction framework, humanitarian coordination and the deployment of an international stabilization force.

Trump unveiled the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. Initial members include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

RUBIO REVEALS SHARED INTELLIGENCE PREVENTED POSSIBLE HAMAS ATTACK, DISCUSSES INTERNATIONAL STABILIZATION FORCE

President Donald Trump, center, holds up a signed Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.(Evan Vucci / AP Photo)

On Sunday, Trump said members of the initiative had already pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding Gaza and would commit personnel to international stabilization and policing efforts. “The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential international body in history, and it is my honor to serve as its Chairman,” Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the commitments.

Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, has announced a plan to train a future Gaza police force, while Indonesia has committed thousands of troops to a prospective international stabilization mission expected to deploy later this year.

The United Arab Emirates, a founding participant in the initiative, said it plans to continue its humanitarian engagement in Gaza.

“The UAE remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza and to advancing a durable peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, noting its role as a founding member of the Board of Peace and part of the Gaza Executive Board.

Even as Gulf and regional partners signal willingness to fund humanitarian needs, long-term reconstruction remains tied to security conditions on the ground.

TRUMP SEEKS DAVOS SIGNING CEREMONY FOR GAZA BOARD OF PEACE

Hamas terrorists stand in formation as Palestinians gather on a street to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025.(Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Disarmament remains the central test

Analysts say the meeting’s significance will hinge less on headline announcements and more on whether participants align on the unresolved core issue shaping Gaza’s future: Hamas’ disarmament.

Ghaith al-Omari, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, argued the meeting’s credibility will depend on whether participants coalesce around a clear position on disarmament. “Unless there is going to be a joint statement coming out of it that clearly says Hamas has to disarm — to me the meeting would be a failure,” he said, because it would show “the U.S. cannot get everyone on the same page.”

Funding is also expected to dominate discussions, though diplomats and analysts caution that pledges may not translate quickly into large-scale reconstruction.

“We’re going to see pledges,” al-Omari told Fox News Digital, “with a footnote that a pledge does not always translate to deliverables,” urging attention to which countries commit funds and whether the money is earmarked for humanitarian aid, stabilization or long-term rebuilding.

John Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), also cautioned that early financial pledges are unlikely to translate into immediate large-scale reconstruction. “I can’t imagine that much of that initial pledge or any of it is going to actual long-term or even medium-term reconstruction of Gaza. Just too many parties won’t support it, pending actual progress on the core question of disarmament and demilitarization of Hamas,” he said.

Hannah added that the financing challenge remains enormous. “It’s been a major outstanding question: How are you going to fund this tremendous bill that is going to come due over the course of the next several years?” he said. “I’ve been watching this now for 35 years, and if I had $100 for every time a major Arab country pledged support for the Palestinians but not delivered, I’d be a relatively wealthy man.”

NETANYAHU AGREES TO JOIN TRUMP’S GAZA BOARD OF PEACE AFTER INITIAL PUSHBACK

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) hold a document after their meeting in Washington, United States, on Feb. 11, 2026.(Avi Ohayon/GPO/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Netanyahu signs on despite Turkey, Qatar tensions

The initiative has also highlighted political tensions surrounding Israel’s participation, particularly given the involvement of Turkey and Qatar.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed on to the agreement last week during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, placing Israel formally inside the framework despite earlier Israeli objections to Ankara and Doha playing a central role in Gaza’s future.

Hannah said Netanyahu’s decision reflects strategic calculations tied to Washington. “I think the prime minister doesn’t want to anger the president. He’s prioritizing his really good strategic relationship with Trump over this tactical difference over Turkey and Qatar,” he said. “The prime minister is just making a basic calculation of where Israel’s interests lie here and trying to balance these competing factors.”

US MILITARY TO OVERSEE NEXT PHASE OF PEACE DEAL FROM COORDINATION BASE IN ISRAEL

President Donald Trump and several foreign leaders attend the signing ceremony of the Peace Charter for Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026.(Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)

European allies raise legal concerns

Beyond Gaza, the initiative has sparked concern among European allies, many of whom have declined to join the board.

European officials told Fox News Digital the group’s charter raises legal and institutional questions and may conflict with the original U.N. framework that envisioned a Gaza-focused mechanism.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, European leaders argued the Board of Peace’s mandate appears to diverge from the U.N. Security Council resolution that initially supported a Gaza-specific body.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the resolution envisioned a time-limited structure tied directly to Gaza and to the U.N., but that the board’s current charter no longer reflects those provisions. “The U.N. Security Council resolution provided for a Board of Peace for Gaza… it provided for it to be limited in time until 2027… and referred to Gaza, whereas the statute of the Board of Peace makes no reference to any of these things,” she said. “So I think there is a Security Council resolution but the Board of Peace does not reflect it.”

In response, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz criticized what he described as excessive concern over the initiative and argued the status quo in Gaza was unsustainable, and attacked what he said was “hand-wringing” about the Board of Peace — saying the cycle of war with Hamas in control had to be broken.

UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ REVEALS TRUMP’S MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN IS ‘THE ONLY WAY FORWARD’

U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff take part in a charter announcement for the president’s Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF). The event took place in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026.(Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

Not a replacement for the United Nations

Despite European unease, analysts say the Board of Peace is unlikely to replace the U.N. system.

Al-Omari dismissed the idea that the initiative poses a serious institutional challenge, arguing that major powers remain deeply invested in the existing multilateral structure.

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U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a charter announcement for his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2026.(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Hannah agreed, saying the administration appears to view Thursday’s meeting primarily as incremental progress rather than any kind of major breakthrough. “The way the administration is looking at this is just another sign of continued progress and momentum, rather than any kind of major breakthrough,” he concluded.

Efrat Lachter is a world reporter for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.

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President Donald Trump announced that former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a White House event marking the 100th anniversary of Black History Month as attendees at one point broke into chants of “four more years.”

“Ben’s getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said. “It’s the highest award you can have outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor.”

Trump said Carson would receive the nation’s top civilian honor at a future ceremony, telling him, “Ben, I’ll be seeing you back here pretty soon. I think you’re going to get the award.”

The announcement came as Trump mixed tributes and cultural references with policy and political claims, including criminal justice reform, crime reduction and border enforcement while hosting “many exceptional African American leaders and patriots” at the White House.

NICKI MINAJ BROKE FREE FROM IDENTITY POLITICS — AND THE LEFT CAN’T STAND IT

Trump opened the event by noting, “We celebrate the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.”

He then addressed the death of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, saying, “I wanted to begin by expressing a sadness that the passing of a person who was. I knew very well Jesse was a piece of work. He was a piece of work. But he was a good man.

“I just want to pay my highest respects to Reverend Jesse Jackson,” Trump added, calling him “a real hero” and saying “he really was special, with lots of personality, grit and street smarts.”

Trump introduced HUD Secretary Scott Turner and brought Carson to the front of the room, noting Carson had recommended Turner. Carson praised Turner’s role in opportunity zones, saying, “He was really the driving force behind the opportunity zones” and described Trump’s approach as “public private partnerships and had everybody with skin in the game.”

TRUMP ALLY BEN CARSON SWORN IN AS NATIONAL ADVISOR FOR NUTRITION, HEALTH, AND HOUSING WITH USDA

President Donald Trump speaks alongside former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner during a Black History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Moments later, Trump returned to Carson and elaborated on the award.

“It’s better because, you know, a lot of people get the Congressional Medal of Honor, and they’re not around,” Trump said. “But it’s the highest award [for] a civilian.”

After remarks from Leo Terrell whom Trump thanked, saying, “Leo, that was very good,” the crowd assembled broke into a chant of “four more years.”

Later, while listing Black artists and athletes, Trump singled out rapper Nicki Minaj.

NICKI MINAJ DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER BACKLASH, CALLS HERSELF HIS ‘NUMBER ONE FAN’

President Donald Trump speaks during a Black History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“I love Nicki Minaj. She was here a couple of weeks ago.”

“So beautiful,” he added. “And she gets it. And, more importantly, she gets it.”

Trump linked Wednesday’s celebration to a broader national moment, saying, “Black History Month is really all about American history” and referencing upcoming America250 programming.

The President outlined a series of policy accomplishments for the black community, saying he “single-handedly secured record long-term funding for” historically Black colleges and universities.

“We got criminal justice reform done,” he added. “Nobody thought it can be done.”

‘MELANIA’ WORLD PREMIERE: PRESIDENT TRUMP, FIRST LADY, RFK JR., NICKI MINAJ AND MANY MORE LIGHT UP RED CARPET

President Donald Trump greets Alice Marie Johnson, the “White House Pardon Czar,” during a Black History Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump tied those policies to electoral performance, saying, “It’s no wonder that, in 2024, we won more African-American votes than any Republican president in history.”

Trump also cited economic indicators, saying, “Earlier this month the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above 50,000 for the first time ever. The S&P broke 7,000.”

“More Americans are working today than at any time in American history,” he said. “Since I took office, African American employment has increased by 182,000.”

The president also promoted a tax proposal, inviting a small business owner from Arkansas to speak.

She told the audience, “No tax on tips has been an amazing blessing for me.”

Trump later pivoted to crime and border enforcement, arguing “we need order,” and claiming, “Washington, D.C., is amazing. It was a crime capital. It was a horror show a year ago. It was really dangerous. And now it’s one of the safest cities anywhere in the country.”

“We have the lowest murder numbers in 125 years since 1990,” he said. “Just one year ago, we had the absolute worst border that we’ve ever had, and now we have the safest border that we’ve ever had.”

He also said he had “deployed the National Guard to bring back safety to Memphis and to New Orleans and Washington,” calling the Guard “incredible.”

He also gave the floor to Alice Johnson, whom he described as the White House “pardon czar,” recounting her case.

“We got her out. We did a commutation. … I said, full pardon,” Trump said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Johnson credited Trump with the First Step Act, saying, “President Trump did something historic in his first term. He signed the First Step Act into law. Over 40,000 individuals have come home to their families early.”

Trump closed by calling the gathering “a very special group of people.”

“So happy Black History Month, happy black history year and happy black history century,” he said.

Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.

Cambodian national dies in ICE custody in Indiana

February 18, 2026 10:47 PM UTC / Reuters / By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) – A detainee died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Indiana on Monday, with the cause of death under investigation, ICE said on Wednesday, marking at least the seventh death in 2026 in federal immigration custody.

Lorth Sim, a 59-year-old Cambodian national, was being held at the Miami Correctional Facility. Staff found him unresponsive in his cell, ICE said in a statement.

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Under U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, the number of people detained by ICE has risen to record levels, with deaths also climbing to a two-decade high last year. ICE had some 68,000 people in custody as of early February, up from 40,000 when Trump took office.

Sim came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1983 and became a permanent resident in 1986, according to ICE.

He was arrested and detained in December in Boston, ICE said, adding that an immigration judge had ordered his removal to Cambodia in 2006. ICE said Sim had been arrested previously for disorderly conduct, indecent exposure and larceny and received a suspended sentence and probation.

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Democrats and civil rights groups have criticized conditions in ICE detention facilities, calling the conditions inhumane.

Earlier this month, Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman who lost dozens of family members in Gaza, was hospitalized for three days following a seizure in U.S. immigration detention. Kordia, a 33-year-old Muslim Palestinian woman whose mother is a U.S. citizen, said she was chained during her hospitalization.

ICE has said it ensures detainees receive proper medical care and the federal government has denied treating detainees inhumanely.

ICE has come under particular scrutiny following the death of Cuban immigrant Geraldo Lunas Campos in a Texas detention center on January 3.

The El Paso County medical examiner said the death was a homicide due to asphyxia from neck and torso compression and a report by the Washington Post cited a witness who said guards choked Lunas.

Ad Break Coming UpNEXT Stay Next Off English 180p 288p 360p 480p 540p 576p 720p HD 1080p HD Auto (180p)About Connatix V186781688 About Connatix V186781688 1/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the adVisit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided shifting statements about the incident and did not mention choking or homicide.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Rod Nickel

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Team USA men’s hockey defeats Sweden 2-1 in overtime at Olympics quarterfinal; Canada also advances

February 18, 2026 / 6:50 PM EST / AP

The U.S. and Canada are moving on to the semifinals at the Olympics. Each needed extra hockey to get through the quarterfinals.

Quinn Hughes scored in overtime to put the U.S. past Sweden 2-1 after giving up the tying goal to Mika Zibanejad with 91 seconds left in the third period. Dylan Larkin deflected Jack Hughes’ shot in for the only U.S. goal in regulation.

United States’ Tage Thompson, right, celebrates with Dylan Larkin (21) after Larkin scored against Sweden during the second period. Hassan Ammar / AP

Earlier Wednesday, Nick Suzuki tied it for Canada late in regulation against Czechia, and Mitch Marner won it 4-3 in overtime to avoid what would have been a stunning early exit.

“It was just all relief,” Canada’s Macklin Celebrini said after scoring three minutes in and then assisting on Marner’s goal. “A weight lifted off our shoulders, for sure. Just seeing that puck go in, knowing that we won the game. … It was a good feeling for all of us.”

Finland also escaped an upset bid by rallying to beat Switzerland 3-2 in OT. Sweden is going home early from a tournament that did not go as planned for a team with a full roster of 25 NHL players, while upstart Slovakia is making another improbable run at the Games.

After Canada did its part, albeit with a roller coaster of drama and emotion, the U.S. kept alive the possibility of the North American rivals meeting in the gold medal game Sunday by riding goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s solid play past Sweden.

The U.S. will face Slovakia in one semifinal on Friday night. Just before that, also unbeaten Canada plays Finland in the other.

After losing captain Sidney Crosby to injury, Canada was staring down what would have been a stunning quarterfinal exit until Nick Suzuki tied it on a deflection goal with 3:27 left. Then Mitch Marner scored a little more than a minute into overtime to beat Czechia 4-3 and send the tournament favorite into the semifinals.

“Everybody had complete faith in whoever was going over the boards,” coach Jon Cooper said. “It just felt it was like a matter of time. It was going to happen.”

The nerves were palpable when Canada fell behind with 7:42 remaining on Ondrej Palat’s goal on an odd-man rush off a pass from Martin Necas. Replays showed Czechia had six skaters on the ice, which Nathan MacKinnon said he and his teammates were aware of, even if on-ice officials didn’t notice.

Suzuki just about did it all on the tying goal, sending the puck out to the point to Devon Toews and then redirecting the defenseman’s shot that was going well wide past Lukas Dostal and into the net.

“Toewser gave me a perfect opportunity to tip it,” Suzuki said. “Just trying to put something on net there.”

Jordan Binnington denied David Pastrnak on a breakaway with 70 seconds left to send the game past regulation. It was the biggest of Binnington’s 21 saves in an excellent performance from Canada’s starter.

Then Marner summoned some more heroics playing for Canada, scoring his second OT goal in an international tournament in as many chances. Marner also scored in a similar fashion a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“It’s the ‘it’ factor, man: Mitch Marner’s got it,” Cooper said. “He doesn’t disappoint. Sometimes your hair falls out at times, but in the end, he never disappoints.”

Much like Canada, Finland was trailing late in its game against Switzerland. The Finns also got a late goal to avoid an upset defeat.

Miro Heiskanen tied it with 72 seconds left, Artturi Lehkonen scored in overtime, and Finland escaped with a 3-2 victory. Heiskanen’s shot banked in off Switzerland defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler’s stick and past goaltender Leonardo Genoni.

“We are a relentless team,” Heiskanen said. “We never give up. We know we had a tough start. It was a slow start, but we kept playing, kept working and it paid off.”

Finland was actually down two goals after Switzerland’s Damien Riat and Nino Niederreiter scored 1 minute, 12 seconds apart in the first period. It took until there was 6:06 left before Sebastian Aho got Finland on the board.

Dalibor Dvorsky turned in another brilliant performance with a goal and an assist, fellow NHL forward Pavol Regenda scored twice as part of his three-point game, and Slovakia dominated Germany 6-2 on to reach the semifinals and guarantee playing for a medal in Milan.

“Amazing,” said alternate captain Erik Cernak, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning. “Before the tournament, if we would say we’re going to make semifinals, probably people would laugh at you. But we did it, and it’s not done yet.”

Slovakia got an injury scare in the second period when 21-year-old emerging Montreal Canadiens star Juraj Slafkovsky, the reigning Olympic MVP, went head-first into the boards and was slow to get up. A trainer applied an ice pack to the back of Slafkovsky’s neck, and he held it on himself when he got up to celebrate a goal scored while he was getting medical attention.

“I’m OK,” Slafkovsky said. “I was a little shaken up, but after a couple minutes I felt OK again. I went out there, and head wasn’t spinning. I was seeing normal.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/us-mens-hockey-defeats-sweden-olympic-quarterfinals/

中国驻日使馆：一名香港游客在北海道遇袭受伤

2026年2月19日 07:09 / 联合早报

中国驻日本大使馆消息称，一名香港游客在日本北海道被一名日本男子殴打致伤。

据新华社引述中使馆消息，星期三（2月18日）凌晨，一名香港游客在北海道札幌市内餐厅用餐时，被一名日本男子殴打致伤。

中国驻日本大使馆和驻札幌总领馆已分别向日本外务省和当地警方提出交涉。目前施暴者已被逮捕，当地警方正展开调查。

中国驻日本大使馆再次提醒中国公民近期避免前往日本，提醒在日中国公民务必提高安全防范意识，加强自我保护。如遇紧急情况，请及时报警并联系驻日使领馆寻求协助。

去年11月日本首相高市早苗发表“台湾有事”言论后，中日关系恶化。中国政府部门多次提醒中国公民避免前往日本。

Trump signs order on domestic herbicide supply for defense purposes, White House says

February 18, 2026 11:07 PM UTC / Reuters

节点运行失败

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One, on travel from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., February 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to ensure an adequate U.S. supply of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, the White House said.

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Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; editing by Costas Pitas

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中国两部门派督导组赴湖北宜城调查处置烟花爆燃事故 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月19日 07:43

中国湖北省襄阳宜城市发生烟花爆燃事故导致12人死亡，两部门派督导组赴当地调查处置。

据中新社报道，记者星期三（2月18日）从中国应急管理部获悉，国务院安委会办公室、应急管理部派出督导组督导湖北宜城市烟花爆燃事故调查处置。

湖北襄阳宜城市郑集镇一烟花爆竹零售店2月18日14时许发生一起爆燃事故，已造成12人死亡。

国务院安委会办公室、应急管理部已派出由应急管理部副部长宋元明带队的督导组，赶赴现场指导救援处置和事故调查，要求湖北省政府成立事故调查组深入调查，依法依规严肃追责问责。

中国春节假期烟花爆竹事故多发。2月15日下午2点左右，江苏连云港东海县石榴街道东安村一烟花爆竹零售店发生爆炸，造成八人死亡、两人受伤。

[湖北][烟花]

[上一篇 中国驻日使馆：一名香港游客在北海道遇袭受伤]

A pair of House Republicans could soon mount an effort to force a chamber-wide vote on sanctioning Russia for its war in Ukraine after months of back-and-forth between the House, Senate and White House yielded little movement on the issue.

“This coming week, Brian Fitzpatrick’s sanctions bill … ripens, so we can actually submit it as a discharge petition on Monday or Tuesday, and I’ll sign that,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital.

“But it’s got to start from scratch,” he added. “We’ve got to get 218 signatures on it, and so that has a lot more work to do there, but it’s a really good bill that Brian has worked on both sides of the aisle to get it right. And I think it’s one that could have support in the Senate.”

A discharge petition is a mechanism for forcing a vote on legislation over the objections of House majority leadership. Historically, they’re a rarely used measure given the petition needs signatures from a majority of House lawmakers, and most members of the party in power are traditionally wary of crossing their leaders in that way.

But for Bacon, it’s a matter of right versus wrong that he believes will be remembered for years to come.

“Someday in the history books, it’s going to read which leaders stood up, which ones were Winston Churchills and which ones were Neville Chamberlains. Chamberlain gave away land in Czechoslovakia to appease Hitler. And Hitler said all he wanted was the Sudetenland. And then, a year later, he invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Then, a year later, he invaded Poland,” Bacon said.

“We’ve got to know a bad guy when we see one, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bad guy. He’s made clear, it’s not just about Ukraine. He wants to regain the rest of what the Soviet Union had. And so history is being written, and I want to be on the right side. I hope every Republican does.”

Fitzpatrick introduced a bill in December aimed at sanctioning the Russian Federation if it refuses to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine or violates any existing peace agreement that may have been instituted.

The latest congressional record, dated Tuesday, appears to show Fitzpatrick introduced a resolution geared toward fast-tracking that bill onto the floor. His office did not respond to requests for an interview.

A source familiar with the lawmakers’ planning told Fox News Digital, however, that he and Bacon would give House GOP leaders “one last chance” to hold a vote on Russia sanctions. The source said Fitzpatrick was also directly communicating with the White House regarding a House vote on the measure.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said on multiple occasions he supports sanctioning Russia for its war on Ukraine but that any sanctions bill must originate in the Senate. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said earlier this year that the process must start in the House.

The Trump administration has already imposed some sanctions on Russian entities, primarily targeting its vast oil and gas sector, but Ukraine advocates have said it’s not enough to significantly hamstring Moscow’s war machine.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who is leading the sanctions effort in the Senate, told Semafor that Congress was still waiting on the green light from President Donald Trump.

Bacon also acknowledged that a discharge petition is inherently an uphill battle, telling Fox News Digital, “There’s two things working against us.

“One, you know, it’s not normal for members of the majority to do a discharge petition because we have the majority, but I also know the political realities that Mike Johnson is under,” Bacon said, noting the slim House GOP majority and Trump’s influence. “Second, I know a lot of folks don’t want to get in front of President Trump, but I think he’s failing in this area.

“I mean, former President Joe Biden was weak on Ukraine-Russia. I mean he sent a lot of aid. It was always late, tardy … and they had rules of engagement. He was trying to make Ukraine fight with one arm tied behind its back, but I find Trump has done even less. When you look at the amount of aid that we’ve provided, it’s like 1% of what we were doing under Biden. Now, granted, I know he’s selling weapons to NATO countries, and they’re giving it to Ukraine, but we should be doing so much more.”

But he sounded optimistic that the discharge petition — and another similar measure on sending more aid to Ukraine that both he and Fitzpatrick have joined Democrats on — will get enough GOP support to prevail. The Democrats’ bill, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., needs just one more GOP signature to force a vote.

“We’ve got one [Republican] on the fence, thinking about it, and we have one that wants to wait until the primary is done. So, we’re talking a month or two months. But I wish we had it tomorrow. Ukrainians are dying every day. And so, to me, the necessity of getting this done soon is very clear to me,” Bacon said.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

Accomplice not ruled out in Nancy Guthrie disappearance, Arizona sheriff says

2026-02-18 / CBS News

By Amanda Arden,

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Updated on: February 18, 2026 / 5:51 PM EST / CBS News

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Investigators have not ruled out that an accomplice aided the suspected kidnapper seen in doorbell camera video outside the Tucson, Arizona, home of Nancy Guthrie the night of her disappearance, according to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos.

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie, 84, was forcibly taken from her home in the middle of the night before she was reported missing Feb. 1. Nanos told CBS News partner network BBC News in an interview Tuesday that he believes Guthrie was targeted in the apparent abduction.

The video recovered from Guthrie’s Google Nest doorbell camera, which was shared by the FBI last week, is the only video that Google has been able to recover from the cameras at Guthrie’s home, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. There are additional cameras from the property that engineers are still working through as they try to recover usable video. Investigators are hopeful that tech companies working on the videos will uncover more, according to the sheriff’s department.

A combination of images captured by a security camera show what the FBI describes as an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door the morning of her disappearance at her home in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 1, 2026. Pima County Sheriff’s Department via Reuters

A reward from the 88-CRIME tipline was increased on Thursday to $102,500 — thanks to a $100,000 anonymous donation, the organization said — for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in Guthrie’s disappearance. That reward is in addition to a $100,000 reward the FBI is offering.

Authorities haven’t named a suspect or person of interest in the case, and did not provide further information about a possible accomplice. The FBI described the suspect seen in the doorbell camera video as a male who is between about 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with an average build.

“Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, her two siblings and their spouses were all cleared as suspects in the case, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday as the high-profile investigation entered its third week.

Nanos said the Guthrie family has cooperated with investigators.

“We really put them through the wringer,” Nanos said. “We not just interview them, we take their cars, we take their houses, we take their phones, all this stuff — and we’re not taking it. They’re giving it to us voluntarily. They have been 100% cooperative with us through everything we’ve asked. They are victims. They are not suspects.”

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos at a briefing in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 5, 2026. Reuters/Rebecca Noble

Nancy Guthrie was last seen on the night of Jan. 31 when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her house after she spent the evening with him and her daughter, Annie Guthrie, at their home, authorities said.

Since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, Savannah Guthrie, Annie Guthrie and their brother, Camron Guthrie, have appeared in videos pleading for their mother’s return.

Investigators were looking into genetic genealogy options to check for matches with DNA evidence collected in the case after a DNA profile from a set of gloves didn’t produce a match in a national database maintained by the FBI, the sheriff’s department said Tuesday. The gloves were found about 2 miles away from Nancy Guthrie’s home.

The DNA profile also didn’t match with different DNA evidence collected at the home, the sheriff’s department said.

The sheriff’s office said Thursday that “biological evidence” found at Nancy Guthrie’s home was being analyzed and DNA profiles were “under lab analysis.”

Law enforcement sources told CBS News that investigators have been using a tracking device known as a “signal sniffer” in an effort to detect possible signals from Nancy Guthrie’s heart pacemaker, which showed a disconnect from her phone in the early morning hours the night she went missing.

CBS News has also learned the FBI is probing gun purchases in the Tucson area. According to the owner of an area gun store, an agent came in about a week or so ago and showed him several images with faces and names on them, and agents inquired about purchases in the last year.

Jared Eggleston contributed to this report.

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• Nancy Guthrie
• Savannah Guthrie