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Sunday, February 22, 2026

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban says Pakistan strikes kill, injure dozens

February 22, 2026
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban says Pakistan strikes kill, injure dozens

KARACHI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan said it launched strikes on militant targets in Afghanistan after blaming recent suicide bombings - including assaults during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan - on ‌fighters it said were operating from its neighbour's territory.

Reuters

Women and children were among the dozens ‌killed and injured in Saturday's attacks, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said, in remarks Reuters could not verify. Its defence ministry vowed to ​respond.

The strikes mark a sharp escalation in tensions just days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated effort to calm relations following months of clashes along the rugged frontier.

Pakistan's information ministry on Sunday said the strikes involved "intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts" along the Afghan border belonging to ‌the Pakistani Taliban and Islamic State ⁠Khorasan Province.

It added that it had "conclusive evidence" that earlier attacks on Pakistani soil were carried out by Khwarij - its term for the Pakistani Taliban - acting on instructions ⁠from "their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers."

Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing militants to use Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan.

AFGHANISTAN VOWS TO RESPOND

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Afghanistan's defence ministry condemned what it called a blatant violation of sovereignty and a breach of ​international ​law, warning that "an appropriate and measured response will be ​taken at a suitable time."

The foreign ministry ‌said it had summoned Pakistan's ambassador over what it described as violations of Afghan airspace and the bombing of civilians, calling the strikes "a provocative act."

A Taliban spokesperson said the attacks had killed and injured dozens of people, including women and children, but Reuters was unable to independently verify the remarks.

Among the attacks Pakistan cited as being orchestrated from Afghanistan were a mosque bombing in Islamabad and violence in the ‌northwestern border districts of Bajaur and Bannu.

On Saturday, the Pakistani ​military said a suicide bomber in these districts targeted a ​convoy of security forces. Five militants died ​in a gun battle and two soldiers were killed when an explosives-laden vehicle ‌rammed into a military vehicle.

Tension has forced repeated ​closures of border crossings, disrupting ​trade and activity along the 2,600-km (1,600-mile) frontier.

Clashes in October killed dozens before a fragile ceasefire was agreed, but Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan's Taliban rulers of harbouring militants who stage attacks ​inside its territory - a claim ‌Kabul denies.

(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar, Saud Mehsud in Dera ​Ismail Khan and Yunus Yawar and Sayed Hassib in Kabul; Writing by Lucy Craymer; ​Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus, Clarence Fernandez and Ros Russell)

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Oman says the next US-Iran talks will be Thursday in Geneva

February 22, 2026
Oman says the next US-Iran talks will be Thursday in Geneva

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The next round of talks between the United States and Iran will be Thursday in Geneva, Oman's foreign minister said Sunday, shortly after Iran's top diplomat said he expected to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff then.

Associated Press Pedestrians walk past a billboard depicting a U.S. aircraft carrier with damaged fighter jets on its deck and a sign in Farsi and English reading, Vehicles drive by the Azadi (Freedom) monument in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran Daily Life

Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said on social media he was pleased to confirm the development, "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal." Oman previously hosted theindirect talkson the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and facilitated the latest round in Geneva last week.

There was no immediate comment from the White House.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had told CBS in an interview aired Sunday that a "good chance" remained for a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue, adding it was the only matter being discussed.

The Trump administration has been pushing for concessions from its longtime adversary and has built up thelargest U.S. military presence in the Middle Eastin decades.

President Donald Trump warned on Friday thatlimited strikes against Iranare possible, even as Araghchi at the time said Tehran expected to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days.

Araghchi told CBS Iran was still working on the draft proposal. He added that Iran has the right to enrich uranium. On Friday, he said his U.S. counterparts had not asked for zero enrichment as part of the latest round of talks, which is not what U.S. officials have said publicly.

Both Iran and the U.S. havesignaled they are prepared for warif talks on Tehran's nuclear program fail. The latest round of talks was last week in Geneva, with little apparent progress.

Minutes after Oman's confirmation of talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media that "recent negotiations involved the exchange of practical proposals and yielded encouraging signals. However, we continue to closely monitor U.S. actions and have made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."

The U.S. has said Iran cannot have nuclear weapons or the capacity to build them and that it cannot enrich uranium. Tehran has long insisted that any negotiations should onlyfocus on its nuclear programand that it hasn't been enriching uranium sinceU.S. and Israeli strikeson Iranian nuclear sites in June.

Although Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the U.S. and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons.

Talks were deadlocked for years after Trump's decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw the U.S.from Iran's 2015 nuclear dealwith world powers. Since then, Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups.

New protests in Iran

Araghchi's remarks came as new anti-government protests began inIran, according to witnesses, as university students in Tehran and another city demonstrated around memorials for thousands of people killed in acrackdown on previous nationwide demonstrationsabout six weeks ago.

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Iran's state news agency said students protested at five universities in the capital, Tehran, and one in the city of Mashhad on Sunday. The scattered protests erupted Saturday at universities following 40-day memorials for people killed in January during anti-government rallies.

Iran's government has not commented on the latest protests.

Many Iranians have held ceremonies marking the traditional 40-day mourning period in the past week. Most of the protesters are believed to have been killed around Jan. 8 and 9, according to activists tracking the situation.

Iranians across the country are still reeling withshock,griefandfearafter the earlier protests were crushed by the deadliest crackdown ever seen under the rule of 86-year-oldSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands are believed to have beenarrested.

Although the crackdown tamped down the largest protests, smaller ones are still occurring, according to protesters and to videos shared on social media.

Duringthe 1979 Islamic Revolutionthat toppled the shah andbrought the Islamic Republic to power, 40-day memorials for slain protesters often turned into rallies that security forces tried to crush, causing new deaths. Those were then marked 40 days later, with new protests.

Posts on social media Saturday and Sunday have alleged that security forces tried to restrict people from attending some 40-day ceremonies.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 7,015 people were killed in the previous protests and crackdown, including 214 government forces. The group has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists there to verify deaths.

The death toll continues to rise as the group crosschecks information despite disrupted communication with those inside the Islamic Republic.

Iran's government offered its only death toll from the previous protests on Jan. 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran's theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest.

The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran.

Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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Armed man shot, killed after allegedly breaching secure Mar-a-Lago area

February 22, 2026
Armed man shot, killed after allegedly breaching secure Mar-a-Lago area

U.S. Secret Service agents and local police shot and killed an armed man who allegedly breached a secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago and raised a gun at law enforcement officials in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 22.

USA TODAY

A security detail detected the man near the north gate of PresidentDonald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, at about 1:30 a.m. local time. Authorities said he was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can. The president was in Washington during the incident and not at his property.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that the man reached the property's inner perimeter near its entrance, prompting a sheriff's deputy and two Secret Service agents to go to the area and investigate.

"They confronted a White male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun," Bradshaw said. "He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat."

A mobile Police tower can be seen on the grounds of US President-Elect Donald Trump's South Florida home in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach Florida on December 20, 2024. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, Bradshaw said, and no agents were injured.

Nobody who receives protection from the Secret Service was present at the time of the shooting, Secret Service communication chief Anthony Guglielmi said innews release.

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Officials have not released the man's identity, but they said he was in his early 20s. When asked if the man was already known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said "not right now." He said he could not yet confirm how many shots were fired because the incident remains under active investigation, with the FBI taking lead.

Camilo Valencia of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office sets up the media stand ahead of Sheriff Ric Bradshaw's arrival on Southern Boulevard near Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.

Authorities asked people who live in the area to look at any security footage they may have from around their homes and report anything suspicious to the FBI or local authorities.

In aposton social media, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service "acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person." She also slammed Democrats for the ongoingpartial government shutdown,during which the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, has faced a lapse in funding.

In September 2024, Trump was targeted in an assassination attempt while he golfed at his club in suburban West Palm Beach, a short drive from Mar-a-Lago.RyanWesley Routhwas found guilty of attempting to assassinate the then-presidential nominee. It was the second attempt on Trump's life in the run-up to the November 2024 election, preceded by the shooting in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

In January 2020, a woman drove an SUV through barriers at Mar-a-Lago, prompting the Secret Service and Palm Beach County sheriff's officers to fire at her vehicle. The woman, opera singer Hannah Roemhild, was found not guilty byreason of insanity.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Man shot and killed after allegedly breaching Mar-a-Lago

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The 13 best family movies on HBO Max that'll please any crowd

February 22, 2026
The 13 best family movies on HBO Max that'll please any crowd

Everett (3)

Entertainment Weekly Batman (voice: Will Arnett) in 'The LEGO Batman Movie'; Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in 'Wonka'; Kiki (voice: Minami Takayama) in 'Kiki's Delivery Service' Everett (3)

Finding a movie that the whole family wants to watch isn't easy. Luckily, HBO Max has a treasure trove of family-friendly films to choose from, including classics likeThe Wizard of Oz(1939) andTime Bandits(1981), and modern animated favorites likeThe LEGO Batman Movie(2017) and the Oscar-winnerFlow(2024).

The streamer also carries several works from the beloved Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, whose films provide a refreshing alternative to Disney and DreamWorks fare. Ahead, find our guide to the 13 best family movies streaming now on HBO Max.

Blue Beetle(2023)

Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in 'Blue Beetle' Warner Bros.

Warner Bros.

The first superhero movie with a Latino protagonist,Blue Beetlestars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime, a recent college grad who accidentally ends up bonding with an ancient alien relic that turns him into a high-flying vigilante. But Jaime isn't alone in fighting against evil corporate androids: When he needs help, his Mexican American family works together to rescue him.Entertainment Weekly's writer appreciates how"Blue Beetleis one of the rare opportunities to celebrate a specific part of the Latin community, and it revels in that specificity, only adding more heart to Jaime's journey to becoming a hero."—Danny Horn

Where to watchBlue Beetle: HBO Max

EW grade:B+

Director:Ángel Manuel Soto

Cast:Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie(2024)

Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (both voiced by Eric Bauza) in 'The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie' Ketchup Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

Ketchup Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

This hysterical sci-fi comedy had the honor of being the first original all-animatedLooney Tunesfilm released in theaters.The Day the Earth Blew Upfinds Daffy Duck and Porky Pig trying to ward off an alien invasion. After learning of a clever chewing gum-related mind control scheme devised by the mysterious Invader (Peter MacNicol), Daffy and Porky desperately try to warn the skeptical public. Packed with meta humor (our heroes are well aware they're in a movie) and fun references to cult classic B-movies of the '50s, the film skillfully rides that classic Looney Tunes line of appealing to kids and adults alike. —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watchThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie: HBO Max

Director:Pete Browngardt

Cast:Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol

Flow(2024)

Cat in 'Flow' Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

This dialogue-free Latvian animated film speaks to the power of visuals to tell a universal story. The film centers on a cat that tries to survive a devastating flood alongside a diverse group of animals, including a capybara, a lemur, and a Labrador Retriever. With no humans in sight, the animals must rely on their own instincts to find safe ground as the water continues to rise. Even if you're not a cat person, it's nearly impossible not to be by the film's end;Flowalso made history in 2025 as the first independent film towin the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. —K.J.

Where to watchFlow: HBO Max

Director:Gints Zilbalodis

Kiki's Delivery Service(1989)

Jiji (voice: Rei Sakuma) and Kiki (voice: Minami Takayama) in 'Kiki's Delivery Service' Everett

A warm-hearted anime fromStudio Ghibli,Kiki's Delivery Servicefollows the titular 13-year-old witch (Minami Takayama;Kirsten Dunstin the English dub) as she leaves home with her black cat, Jiji (Rei Sakuma; Phil Hartman in the English dub), and embarks on a year-long journey of self-discovery in another village. Using her magic broom, Kiki opens a flying courier service and begins to experience both the satisfaction and the difficulties of independence and self-reliance. Kiki's struggles with self-consciousness and doubt will be familiar to any kid who's had to adjust to a new situation, and the exquisitely rendered character animation makes the film an enchanting trip.—D.H.

Where to watchKiki's Delivery Service: HBO Max

Director:Hayao Miyazaki

Cast:Kirsten Dunst, Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman, Debbie Reynolds

The LEGO Batman Movie(2017)

Batman (voice: Will Arnett) and Superman (voice: Channing Tatum) in 'The LEGO Batman Movie' Everett

A buzzy sugar rush of villains, explosions, and bat-guitar solos,The LEGO Batman Moviesets out to be the ultimate kid-friendly superhero comedy, deftly skewering every pretentious, bloated summer blockbuster. The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) is crushed when Batman (Will Arnett) refuses to admit that he's the hero's "greatest enemy," so the offended clown prince of crime recruits every baddie in the multiverse, including velociraptors and Voldemort.

EW's critic writes, "Seventy-five percent of the film's carpet-­bomb campaign of pop culture meta punchlines will ricochet over the target audience's head, but parents dragged along for the ride will no doubt be grateful for Arnett's rat-a-tat send-ups of Adam West and superhero clichés."—D.H.

Where to watchThe LEGO Batman Movie: HBO Max

EW grade:B+

Director:Chris McKay

Cast:Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes

My Neighbor Totoro(1988)

Totoro (voice: Hitoshi Takagi), Mei Kusakabe (voice: Chikaa Sakamoto), and Satsuki Kusakabe (voice: Noriko Hidaka) in 'My Neighbor Totoro' Tokuma Enterprises/Kobal Collection

Tokuma Enterprises/Kobal Collection

My Neighbor Totoroisn't the only Studio Ghibli film on this list, but it's arguably the sweetest. Two young girls move with their father to a house in the country while their mother is recovering in the hospital, and they discover a giant, furry wood spirit in the nearby forest. Totoro doesn't speak, but he's a gentle and reassuring presence who creates magical, dream-like experiences for the girls. It's not a fast-moving film, but the whimsical and even sometimes scary elements make for a fun, imagination-inspiring watch.—D.H.

Where to watchMy Neighbor Totoro: HBO Max

Director:Hayao Miyazaki

Cast:Tim Daly, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Lea Salonga

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Ponyo(2008)

Ponyo (voice: Yuuri Nara) and Sosuke (voice: Hiroki Doi) in 'Ponyo' Everett

In another stunning Studio Ghibli anime, a little boy and a magical goldfish princess form an unlikely friendship. Ponyo's desire to become a human girl and join Sosuke on land is so strong that it overpowers her wizard father's enchantments, leading to an explosion of aquatic energy that endangers Sosuke's seaside village. As the waters rise, the two children set out on a quest to save the town and restore the balance of nature. DirectorHayao Miyazaki's lush, colorful backgrounds give the film a hand-crafted feel, blurring the distinction between land and sea.—D.H.

Where to watchPonyo: HBO Max

Director:Hayao Miyazaki

Cast:Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas

Porco Rosso(1992)

Porco Rosso (voice: Shûichirô Moriyama) in 'Porco Rosso' Everett Collection

Porco Rosso has all the markings of a cynical World War I veteran...except for the fact that he's been mysteriously cursed with a pig's head. As such, the Italian fighter pilot now spends most of his time as a bounty hunter hired to attack air pirates. He eventually meets his match when the pirates hire an American pilot, Donald Curtis, to take him down. Animation legend Hayao Miyazaki crafts a clever historical fiction story that appeals to both kids and adults, with eye-popping aerial battles and potent themes of war and political resistance. And let's never forget Porco Rosso's timeless words: "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist." —K.J.

Where to watchPorco Rosso: HBO Max

Director:Hayao Miyazaki

Cast:Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers

Shaun the Sheep Movie(2015)

Shaun (voice: Justin Fletcher) with his fellow sheep in 'Shaun the Sheep Movie' Alamy Stock Photo

Alamy Stock Photo

This delightful stop-motion comedy from the world ofWallace & Gromitbrilliantly tells its story without a word of dialogue. The film centers on the titular farm sheep as he devises a plan to make the farmer fall asleep so he and his flock can finally have a day off from work, though the scheme quickly goes awry. When the farmer is accidentally driven away in a van and bumps his head, he loses his memory, prompting his flock to try to find him and make him remember who he is. Packed with cleverly devised gags that entertain audiences of all ages,EW's critic callsShaun the Sheep Movie"contagiously cute." —K.J.

Where to watchShaun the Sheep Movie: HBO Max

Directors:Mark Burton, Richard Starzak

Cast:Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili

Spirited Away(2001)

Haku (voice: Miyu Irino) and Chihiro (voice: Rumi Hiiragi) in 'Spirited Away' Walt Disney Pictures/Everett Collection

Walt Disney Pictures/Everett Collection

If you've ever wondered why it's a bad idea to visit an abandoned roadside amusement park, Studio Ghibli has the answer: Your parents will turn into giant pigs, and you'll be left on your own to deal with the resident ghosts, witches, and river sprites.Spirited Awaycreates a new, fascinating mythology with its own mysterious rules and customs, pitting 10-year-old Chihiro against dragons and demons with only her strength of will to guide her. The film can get a little scary at times for younger viewers, but both parents and kids will be captivated by its haunting beauty.—D.H.

Where to watchSpirited Away: HBO Max

Director:Hayao Miyazaki

Cast:Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleshette, Michael Chiklis

Time Bandits(1981)

Sean Connery as King Agamemnon and Craig Warnock as Kevin in 'Time Bandits' Twentieth Century Fox/Everett Collection

Twentieth Century Fox/Everett Collection

A young boy is swept into a wild adventure when six squabbling dwarves appear, looking for a magical portal on the other side of his bedroom wall. The intruders have swiped a map from the Supreme Being, which they're using to travel through space and time, stealing the treasures of history. Together, Kevin and the Bandits meet Napoleon Bonaparte and Robin Hood, and visit ancient Greece and the sinking of the Titanic. Directed byMonty PythonalumTerry Gilliam,Time Banditsincludes cameos from fellow Pythons John Cleese and Michael Palin, as well asSean Conneryas King Agamemnon.—D.H.

Where to watchTime Bandits: HBO Max

Director:Terry Gilliam

Cast:Craig Warnock, John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond

The Wizard of Oz(1939)

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in 'The Wizard of Oz' Everett

One of the most beloved films of all time,The Wizard of Ozdelivers visual spectacle, winning characters, and an emotional sincerity that still retains its charm decades later.Judy Garlandsparkles as a girl from Kansas who drops out of the sky into the magical land of Oz, where she teams up with a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion to fight a witch and find her way home. With unforgettable songs like "Over the Rainbow" and "If I Only Had a Brain," the film has delighted generations with its imagination and wit.—D.H.

Where to watchThe Wizard of Oz: HBO Max

EW grade:B+

Director:Victor Fleming

Cast:Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton, Jack Haley

Wonka(2023)

Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in 'Wonka' Warner Bros./Everett

Warner Bros./Everett

A sparklingTimothée Chalametheadlines this prequel toWilly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, embodying the whimsical candy maker at the start of his ambitious (and delicious) career. He's opposed by the establishment Chocolate Cartel and tricked by his devious landlady into indentured servitude, but you can't keep a born dreamer down. "In many ways,Wonkais far more delightful than it has any right to be,"EW's critic writeswhile also praising Chalamet: "He's a warm and winning Wonka, infusing the character with a fanciful sense of humor and a guileless enthusiasm."—D.H.

Where to watchWonka: HBO Max

Director:Paul King

Cast:Timothée Chalamet, Calah Lane, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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Comedy in Russia is booming. But stand-ups live in fear of being jailed for jokes.

February 22, 2026
Comedy in Russia is booming. But stand-ups live in fear of being jailed for jokes.

Watched more than 1.3 million times since it was posted by Russian comedy group "Plyushki" to YouTube last month, the video comes with a disclaimer.

NBC Universal Daniel Zender for NBC News

"Some of the jokes are based on wordplay and do not carry any religious, philosophical, or ideological assertion," it says, acknowledging that comedy can be arisky business in Russia, where some have been jailed for jokes, particularly if they are thought to be critical of thewar in Ukraine.

"Maybe there's problems in the country," one of the comedians said, a nod to the fact that addressing the country's issues head-on could be dangerous. "There's a lot of cameras here," another replied, to laughter from the crowd, because the words for camera and jail cell are the same in Russian.

While there have been no repercussions for the group, others including Artemy Ostanin are not so lucky. The 29-year-old was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison by a Moscow court earlier this month after he was found guilty of inciting hatred for a joke about being tripped up by a disabled person. A second joke about Jesus Christ led to a conviction for offending religious believers.

They were brought to the attention of authorities in March by pro-government activists from a group called Zov Naroda, or Call of the People, which accused him of mocking a fighter who lost his legs in the war in Ukraine — a claim he denied, insisting the joke had been misinterpreted.

Aware that he could be in trouble, Ostanin fled toBelarus, only to be arrested and deported back to Russia. He told the Moscow courtroom that he was severely beaten in a forest and his hair was cut off by Belarusian security services, an independent Russian media outlet, Sota Vision, reported in its trial coverage.

Eva Merkacheva, a member of Russia's Human Rights Council, also posted a picture on Telegram of Ostanin with heavy bruising and blood on his back.

Belarus' interior ministry issued a statement on Telegram denying he'd been beaten.

Fellow stand-up Nikolai said his friend was "a convenient target" and the severe sentence was meant to scare other comedians into toeing the line. "It's easier to harshly punish one person so the others live with the knowledge that it's best not to take risks," he told NBC News in an interview earlier this month.

NBC News agreed not to use the last names of the people interviewed inside Russia, over fears for their security.

A relatively new thing in Russia, stand-up comedy took off in the last decade after it was aired on TV, turning relative unknowns into huge stars.

Even today, "it's hard to find a bar in Moscow that doesn't host a stand-up gig at least once a week," Nikolai said.

But "the state isn't well-versed in humor," according to Yevgeny Smirnov, a lawyer with the rights group First Division, which specializes in defending people accused of political crimes and espionage. He added that authorities take "everything seriously and literally," and Russia has introduced more laws that punish people for speech.

Among the more draconian was legislation introduced shortly afterPresident Vladimir Putinlaunched what the Kremlin refers to as its "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Those found guilty of "discrediting" the Russian army could face up to 15 years in prison.

Previously, few topics were off-limits, including issues like the #MeToo movement, according to Anastasia, a 35-year-old artist from Moscow who regularly attended comedy gigs before the crackdown. She added that people took pride in how free and vicious Russian humor could be.

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That changed dramatically after the war started almost four years ago, she said, adding that in the current climate, comedians "play it safe." Before delivering their jokes, she said, some comedians will tell their audiences that they don't want to offend them, while others will tell the crowd that they have a joke "but I won't say it."

As a result, she said, she was going to fewer gigs because a lot of the material became repetitive.

"Every time, we stoop to a whole new low. And there's no end to it. We live in some kind of frightening mirror world," said Anastasia, adding that although she wasn't a fan of jokes about disabled people, she was frustrated by Ostanin's prison sentence.

After 2022, Nikolai said, he removed material about the army because he had been heckled and told to stop joking aboutthe war, and he'd heard others had been beaten up for doing so.

Some comedians who wanted to joke about those things have left Russia, among them Denis Chuzhoy, who performs in English using the name "Dan the Stranger," a literal translation of his name in Russian.

Once popular in his homeland, he said his fortunes changed after he spoke out against the war. During a show in the northwestern city of Vologda, he recalled, two men stood up and handed him a funeral wreath with a ribbon that read "to Russia's traitor," one of the reasons he decided to relocate to Spain.

Today, comedians in Russia are "retelling wife jokes," Chuzhoy, who now performs in both Europe and the U.S., said in an interview earlier this month. While he mostly jokes about death and depression, some of his posts on social media reference Putin and the Russian state.

The bravest comedian he'd seen recently on a video filmed in Russia did a routine "about the right way to eat pizza," he said. As the comic held a pizza with two slices missing from the bottom, it eventually became clear that it "looks like a peace sign," he said.

On the first day of the Ukraine invasion, he added, it was made clear to comedians performing on TV that joking about this was off-limits. "We're making a comedy show, not a revolution," they were told by show producers in group chats.

Those who defied the ban were threatened with "dismissal or criminal charges," he said.

Even those who don't appear to have criticized the war are not immune, like Nurlan Saburov, a popular comedian from Kazakhstan who earlier this month was banned from Russia for 50 years for "criticism of the special military operation, as well as violations of immigration and tax legislation," according to the state-run TASS news agency.

In a statement on Instagram, Saburov said he did not want to comment on the situation and his lawyers were handling the matter.

Nonetheless, Nikolai said some political stand-up did still exist in Russia at a grassroots level. Comedians perform in front of loyal audiences of around 20 people "whom they basically know personally," he said. "No one will even consider doing it on TV. No one's suicidal," he added.

Comparing stand-up in Russia to an electric fence, he said it was "easy to get through, but God forbid you brush the side — you're dead."

Back in Moscow, a soldier who lost his leg in the war in Ukraine stood on the stage of a show broadcast on Russian social media channel VK.

"I'm the only comedian who's actually fought for every audience member," he said, to cheers from the crowd.

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Train's Pat Monahan Says Late Mom 'Delivered' Him 'All the Lyrics and Melodies' for 'Drops of Jupiter' While He Was Asleep

February 22, 2026
Train's Pat Monahan Says Late Mom 'Delivered' Him 'All the Lyrics and Melodies' for 'Drops of Jupiter' While He Was Asleep

Larry Marano/Shutterstock

People Pat Monahan of Train. Larry Marano/Shutterstock 

NEED TO KNOW

  • Train's song "Drops of Jupiter" came out in January 2001, and is still beloved 25 years later

  • Monahan's mother died in 1998, but he says she "delivered" him all the "lyrics and melodies" while he was asleep

  • "I felt like my mom wrote that song with me," he told PEOPLE in 2025

Pat Monahan, the lead singer of Train, got inspiration for "Drops of Jupiter" from someone very special: his late mother.

The Grammy-winning musician recently joined Lynn Hoffman on theMusic Saved Mepodcast to talk about his decades-long career and how the hit 2001 song came to be. He explained that, after the band first gained traction with their 1998 hit "Meet Virginia" from their self-titled debut album, they were looking to piggyback off its success.

"We recorded an album calledSomething Moreand delivered it to Columbia Records. And they didn't think we had a first single," the 56-year-old explained. "I was emotionally not in the mood because I lost my mother just recently. And now I don't have a single for this record company."

Monahan's mother, Patricia Ann Monahan, died in December 1998 from lung cancer while the band was on tour.

Pat Monahan Jeremy Chan/Getty 

Jeremy Chan/Getty

"One night, I went to sleep and probably was asleep for 10 minutes and woke up with all the lyrics and melodies in my head, as though my mother had delivered me the message, 'This is what it's like when you go to the other side. You can swim through the planets and come back with drops of Jupiter in your hair, and don't worry about me,'" he recalled.

"Drops of Jupiter" was officially released as the lead single off the album of the same name on Jan. 29, 2001.

However, he noted that there was one particular part of the song that he didn't get from his mom.

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"So then with the [lyric] 'looking for yourself out there,' that was the emotional part of it for me, that was like... it somehow had to translate into a love story, and so that was, that was the little bit of something I gave to the song that maybe my mother didn't deliver," Monahan added.

Pat Monahan Scott Legato/Getty

Scott Legato/Getty

Monahan admitted he was surprised the track did so well, saying that "there was no reason for that song to become a hit."

"It's the same thing as any other song that was big for us. Like, even 'Meet Virginia' was a quirky little song, and then a song with a ukulele," he said of his popular songs, referring to "Hey, Soul Sister."

"'Drops of Jupiter' was like four minutes and 20 seconds or something at a time when there were, you know, two-and-a-half-minute songs on the radio," Monahan added. "So it was pretty interesting that it happened."

When talking toPEOPLEin 2025, Monahan said he "felt like my mom wrote that song with me."

"We were kind of talking back and forth about [it]," he said.

Read the original article onPeople

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Law enforcement kills armed man seeking to enter Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, officials say

February 22, 2026
Law enforcement kills armed man seeking to enter Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, officials say

By Jasper Ward

Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - U.S. Secret Service and local police shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun early on Sunday after he breached a secure perimeter at ‌President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, law enforcement officials said.

Trump, who is ‌currently in Washington, was not at the social club at the time. The incident occurred at a time when the United States is ​facing a spike in political violence. In 2024, a gunman's bullet grazed Trump's ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, and a man later convicted of attempted assassination was spotted hiding in the bushes of a Florida golf course with a semi-automatic rifle while Trump was on the course.

The man in Sunday's incident, who appeared to be ‌in his early 20s, was carrying ⁠a shotgun and a fuel can, the U.S. Secret Service said, adding that he was observed at the resort's north gate around 1:30 a.m. EST (0630 GMT).

Two U.S. Secret Service ⁠agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy confronted the man and ordered him to drop the two items, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference on Sunday morning.

The man put down the gas canister ​and ​raised the shotgun "to a shooting position," prompting law enforcement to ​open fire, Bradshaw said.

The man was declared ‌dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.

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White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service "acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump's home."

Law enforcement officials did not reveal any information about the motive for the incident. The FBI has taken over the investigation and is collecting evidence from the scene, officials said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a ‌social media post that the agency is "dedicating all necessary resources" to ​the investigation.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he spoke with Trump after ​the incident. Bessent thanked the Secret Service for ​protecting the president and his family.

"We don't know whether this person was a mastermind, ‌unhinged or what," Bessent said on the Fox ​News program "Sunday Morning Futures with ​Maria Bartiromo."

In 2024, Trump faced two assassination attempts, including one at his golf course in West Palm Beach. The perpetrator of that incident was sentenced to life in prison this month.

Melissa Hortman, a ​Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, was ‌shot and killed in June 2025 along with her husband. Months later, conservative activist Charlie Kirk ​was also assassinated.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; writing by ​Andrew Goudsward; editing by Michelle Nichols and Chizu Nomiyama)

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