Top world news stories as of February 15, 2026, include allegations of Russia poisoning Alexei Navalny, ongoing U.S. government shutdown tensions over immigration, severe weather across the U.S., developments in the search for Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother, and updates from the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.[1][2]

International Conflicts and Russia-Ukraine War

Five American allies claim scientific proof that Russia killed opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a rare lethal toxin from a South American frog, causing slowed heart rate, shortness of breath, convulsions, seizures, and death; Navalny’s widow called it direct evidence of assassination by the Russian government.[1] This comes as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its fifth year, with stepped-up attacks on Kyiv and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting President Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference, where officials doubt peace talks will succeed.[1] Europeans are pushing back against U.S. claims that they face “civilizational erasure,” as stated by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas at the Munich conference.[3]

U.S. Domestic Crises

A partial U.S. government shutdown took effect after Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without new limits on immigration enforcement, following failed negotiations.[1] DHS officials faced heated Capitol Hill testimony over fatal shootings during immigration raids in Minneapolis, including mother-of-three Renee Good and VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti (also reported as Alex Prey).[2]

Missing Person Case

Investigators detained and released another person while analyzing clues in the search for Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy; the FBI released images and video of an armed, masked figure at her home captured on a nest cam.[1][2]

Epstein Files and Hollywood Fallout

Outrage over newly released Jeffrey Epstein files has hit Hollywood, with top agent Casey Wasserman deciding to sell his agency; documents also raise questions about what Donald Trump knew of Epstein’s behavior, including a Palm Beach police chief’s report to the FBI.[1][2]

Weather and Emergencies

Severe storms swept the U.S. South, with snow expected overnight in the Northeast, including New York City.[1] Other incidents include an SUV plowing into a Santa Rosa, California grocery store injuring seven, a Boeing 737 emergency landing after an engine explosion at 27,000 feet, and a passenger jet crash-landing on a Somalia beach with no serious injuries.[1][2]

Sports and Other News

Team USA chased gold on day 4 of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, earning five medals amid reports of breaking medals under investigation; Americans cheered on competitors in Italy.[1][2] Four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station, replacing a crew evacuated last month for medical reasons.[1] A New York City teen saved a child who fell through ice on a pond.[1] A Georgia manhunt continues for two escaped murder suspects, with delays in public notification.[2]