Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed last week, triggering a shutdown, while in Bangladesh, an Islamist party made history by becoming the main opposition for the first time. These events, along with developments in technology and social media, shaped the news landscape on February 16, 2026.
According to NPR, the DHS shutdown occurred after funding ran out. The situation in Bangladesh saw the Jamaat-e-Islami party, leading an 11-party alliance, secure 77 of 300 seats in recent polls, as reported by NPR. This marked a significant shift, challenging the established political order and raising concerns about the party's stance on women. Shafiqur Rahman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, was pictured at a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 8.
Meanwhile, the world of technology continued to evolve. Fortune reported on the use of AI in scientific advancements, highlighting its potential to accelerate research and address global challenges. The article emphasized the underappreciated benefits of AI in science, with a focus on tools developed for Google DeepMind and the impact on over 3 million researchers across more than 190 countries. Five years prior, the AlphaFold AI system solved the protein structure prediction challenge.
In the digital sphere, a social app called Batemates, where men engage in online masturbation, was also making headlines. Wired described the experiences of users like Jaxon Roman, a 33-year-old program analyst, who enjoys the attention and interaction on the platform. "When bros praise me and say they're enjoying me, I get to that edge point so fast," Roman said. He added that he sometimes asks for permission before climaxing, and when granted, his body "shakes for 10 seconds."
Additionally, the open-source DOS distribution SvarDOS was mentioned on Hacker News. The project aims to integrate the best DOS tools, drivers, and games, catering to hobbyists and retro-enthusiasts. SvarDOS offers a minimalistic DOS system with a kernel, command interpreter, and basic system administration tools, designed to run on PCs from the 1980s to the 2000s.
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