Two men were sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting a massacre of Jewish people in Manchester, while French police raided the Arab World Institute in Paris as part of an investigation into alleged financial links to Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports from multiple news sources. These events, along with other significant developments, dominated headlines on Monday, February 16, 2026.
Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein were sentenced on Friday after attempting to carry out a terrorist attack, according to The Guardian. Saadaoui, who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and Hussein planned to massacre Jewish people. Details of the plot were revealed by Chris Osuh, The Guardian's community affairs correspondent, in a podcast.
In France, the raid on the Arab World Institute, formerly led by ex-Culture Minister Jack Lang, and his daughter Caroline, was part of a probe into alleged Epstein-linked tax fraud and offshore funds, Euronews reported. The investigation, which began on February 6, focuses on "laundering of aggravated tax fraud."
Elsewhere, the family of an Iranian protester was forced to pay for the bullet that killed their son, Sky News reported. Nasrin shared the painful details of her nephew Hooman's death during recent protests in Iran. The 37-year-old had joined demonstrations against the regime in Lahijan. "They had to pay for the bullet that killed their son," Nasrin said, expressing both anger and disbelief.
In Mexico, disappearances have surged by 200% over the past decade, according to The Guardian. More than 130,000 people are considered missing or disappeared as drug cartels expand. Ángel Montenegro, a 31-year-old construction worker, was taken in August 2022.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Cologne's Rose Monday carnival featured floats satirizing world leaders, including Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Euronews reported. The sharpest designs came from sculptor Jacques Tilly, whose work has drawn legal threats. The carnival demonstrated how Germans use humor to process serious politics.
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