Puerto Rico's governor on Thursday signed a bill that amends a law to recognize a fetus as a human being, a move doctors and legal experts warn will have deep ramifications for the U.S. Caribbean territory.
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EU leaders ready countermeasures to pressure from Russia, China and Trump
European Union leaders broadly agreed Thursday on a plan to restructure the 27-nation bloc's economy to make it more competitive as they face antagonism from U.S. President Donald Trump, strong-arm tactics from China and hybrid threats blamed on Russia.
February 12, 2026
Barbados' prime minister clinches a third term in office after a clean sweep at the polls
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has clinched a third consecutive term in office after her party secured all 30 seats of Parliament in this week's general election, according to an announcement Thursday by state-owned media.
February 12, 2026
Judge orders jailed Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora returned to house arrest
A judge ordered Thursday that Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora be returned to house arrest again while awaiting trial after spending nearly a year in jail in his latest stint of incarceration.
February 12, 2026
Winter Olympics recap: Brignone completes dramatic comeback and Ukrainian athlete excluded
An all-time great comeback and a controversial exclusion are dominating the Milan Cortina Olympics on Day 6.
February 12, 2026
Ex-prime minister's son leads Bangladesh's first election since 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by the son of a former prime minister was projected to form the next government as the South Asian nation on Thursday held its first election since mass protests toppled Sheikh Hasina's government in 2024.
February 12, 2026
Photos of sheep and goats for sale at a West Bank livestock market
Before dawn on the outskirts of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, Palestinians gather at a livestock market to buy sheep and goats.
February 12, 2026
US stocks drop sharply as investors hunt for losers that will be hurt by AI
U.S. stocks fell sharply Thursday as the market punished companies seen as potential losers from artificial-intelligence technology.
February 12, 2026
Remote community grieves the 8 killed in Canada's deadliest attack in years
The father of a 12-year-old victim of the mass shooting in a remote Canadian town tearfully recounted the desperate hours spent trying to learn what happened to her, only to find out from an older girl, not the authorities.
February 12, 2026
Venezuela's lawmakers postpone final debate on amnesty bill to address sticking points
Venezuela's parliament, which is controlled by the ruling party, on Thursday debated a measure that could free hundreds of opposition members, activists and human rights defenders who have been detained for months or years for political reasons.
February 12, 2026
Deaths in Iran's crackdown on protests reach more than 7,000, activists say
The death toll from a crackdown over Iran's nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,003 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday.
February 12, 2026
Netanyahu seeks to strip Palestinian citizens convicted of violent crimes of Israeli nationality
Israel asked a court Thursday to revoke the citizenship of two men convicted of terrorism offenses, in what appears to be the first test of a law allowing the deportation of Palestinian citizens convicted of certain violent crimes.
February 12, 2026
Rio Carnival parade will spotlight sex workers in effort to dismantle stigma
When Lourdes Barreto fled her home in Brazil's northeastern state of Paraiba as a teenager — a move that launched her into sex work and a lifetime of activism — she never imagined that a samba school in Rio de Janeiro would pay tribute to her life's journey six decades later.
February 12, 2026