* To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from Feb. 17, 2026, extend its visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Sunday. The policy will be effective until Dec. 31, 2026.
* The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) attended an inauguration ceremony for a new housing area here on Sunday for the families of troops who died in overseas military operations, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday.
* A group of 105 Afghan nationals has been freed from detention centers in Pakistan and has arrived back in Afghanistan, according to reports from TOLO news on Monday.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said he would support Israeli strikes on Iran's ballistic missile program if negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail, U.S. media reported on Sunday.
* Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia's delegation to talks on Ukraine in Geneva will be expanded, and a wide range of key issues including territorial matters are expected to be discussed.
* Russian forces have seized control of 12 settlements since the start of February despite severe winter conditions, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said on Sunday.
* High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas on Sunday said she felt that the European Union (EU) member states are not ready to give a concrete date regarding Ukraine's EU membership.
* Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday discussed bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy, as well as possible energy cooperation between the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and the United States.
* The Pentagon said on Sunday that U.S. forces intercepted and boarded another Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight.
* Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Monday on social media that he had "just completed in-depth technical discussions" with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in preparation for nuclear negotiations scheduled to take place in Geneva on Tuesday.
* The 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) successfully mapped out a path for Africa's future, with continental determination to ensure water security, stability and global representation, AU officials have said.
* Myanmar has instructed the Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Timor-Leste in Myanmar, Elisio do Rosario de Sousa, to leave the country by Feb. 20, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar on Sunday. The ministry summoned the diplomat on Feb. 13, ordering his departure from Myanmar territory no later than Feb. 20 under Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that any potential agreement with Iran must include the removal of nuclear material, a halt to uranium enrichment and restrictions on ballistic missiles, voicing skepticism over Tehran's intentions.
* The Palestinian Presidency on Sunday said Israel's decision to reopen land registration in the West Bank violates international law and poses a "threat to security and stability."
* Gaza health authorities said Sunday that the Rafah Crossing with Egypt is operating under strict limits that endanger thousands of patients needing medical treatment abroad.
* Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani met with Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing security cooperation.
* The navy forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have launched a drill in the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday.
* Syria's interim authority said Sunday that its army has taken control of the Shaddadi military base in the northeastern province of Hasakah following coordination with the United States, marking another step in the drawdown of U.S.-led coalition forces from parts of the country.
* Four people were killed on Sunday night in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle along the Lebanese-Syrian border in eastern Lebanon, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported.
* Over 285 million inter-regional passenger trips are predicted across China on Sunday, the first day of this year's nine-day Spring Festival holiday. The figure represents a 10.5 percent increase from the same period last year, the Ministry of Transport said on Sunday.
* Japan's economy grew by an annualized real 0.2 percent for the quarter ending December 2025, the first expansion in two quarters but far smaller than market expectations amid the lingering inflation, government data showed Monday.
* Personal remittances from overseas Filipinos surged to a record 3.89 billion USD in December 2025, lifting full-year inflows to 39.62 billion dollars, up 3.3 percent from 38.34 billion dollars in 2024, the Philippine central bank said Monday.
* The number of outbound trips by Russian tourists increased 16 percent in 2025, with trips to China climbing 33.6 percent, Russian Gazette reported Sunday, citing the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. Experts attribute this surge in trips to China to the removal of visa requirements, expanded flight options, and new charter services.
* Afghan traders and commercial representatives from Russia's Republic of Dagestan have signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) valued at 1.5 million USD, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported on Sunday.
* Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced Sunday a social protection package worth 40 billion Egyptian pounds (about 858 million USD) to support vulnerable groups ahead of Ramadan, as improving economic indicators allow for expanded state assistance.
* Israel's 12-month inflation rate fell to 1.8 percent in January, down 0.8 percentage points from December and the lowest level in more than four and a half years, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported Sunday.
* Iran's trade deficit narrowed by 6 billion USD in the first 10 months of the current Iranian year, the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday.
* Heavy rainfall and strong winds struck multiple parts of Greece in recent days, triggering landslides, flooding and extensive damage to infrastructure, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported on Sunday.
