International from Wednesday, February 18th, 2026

Peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva ended abruptly on Wednesday after only two hours, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Kremlin of deliberately seeking to delay progress toward a deal to end the four-year-old war.

Australia said on Wednesday it would temporarily ban one of its citizens held in a Syrian camp from returning to the country, under rarely-used powers aimed at preventing terror activity.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said on Wednesday that she will run for president in the 2028 elections while blaming incumbent leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr for the country's problems, including corruption.

Nine skiers were missing after an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains on Tuesday, but six others, who had been stranded, have since been rescued, authorities said.