A former Ukrainian energy minister was detained while attempting to leave the country, a man was charged in Australia for stealing "priceless" Egyptian artifacts, and Iranian officials criticized European powers' role in nuclear talks, according to reports on Sunday, February 15, 2026. NASA also faced challenges with its Artemis II mission, while astronomers continued to study the Kuiper Belt.
Herman Halushchenko, the former Ukrainian energy minister, was apprehended by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) while trying to cross the border, according to a statement from the bureau. He had resigned last November amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector.
In Australia, a 52-year-old man was charged after "priceless" Egyptian artifacts were stolen from the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology. The stolen items included a wooden cat sculpture, believed to be around 2,600 years old, a necklace estimated to be 3,300 years old, and a mummy mask, according to Sky News. The suspect allegedly smashed a window to gain access to the museum.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized European powers for their "irrelevance" in efforts to revive nuclear negotiations with the United States. Araghchi derided the Munich Security Conference as a "circus," according to Al Jazeera, adding that Iranian officials were not invited to the annual meeting in Germany.
NASA was also working to resolve issues with its Space Launch System rocket. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated the agency was looking at ways to prevent fueling problems before the Artemis III mission, which is slated to be the first crewed mission to land on the Moon in over 50 years, according to Ars Technica. The Artemis II mission, which remains on the launch pad, is preparing for a second countdown rehearsal to address a hydrogen fuel leak that cut short a practice run earlier in the month.
Finally, astronomers continue to study the Kuiper Belt, a region beyond Neptune's orbit. Over the past 30 years, astronomers have cataloged about 4,000 Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs), and that number is expected to increase tenfold in the coming years as observations from more advanced telescopes pour in, according to Ars Technica.
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