Bill Gates's attendance at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi was confirmed, while officials from Russia and Ukraine began a third round of peace negotiations in Geneva, and Bangladesh swore in its first elected prime minister since 2024, all on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. These events unfolded alongside the start of Ramadan and upcoming changes to UK passport rules for dual nationals.
The AI Impact Summit in India convened tech bosses, politicians, scientists, academics, and campaigners to discuss guiding the AI revolution, according to BBC Technology. Initial reports suggested Bill Gates might not appear, but the Gates Foundation confirmed his attendance. The summit faced some logistical challenges, including long queues and confusion for some delegates.
Meanwhile, in Geneva, Russian and Ukrainian officials launched a third round of peace negotiations, brokered by the United States, as reported by Al Jazeera. The talks, which began on Tuesday, were expected to address security and humanitarian issues. Ukraine's lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, indicated the discussions would span two days.
Also on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the start of Ramadan, with the first day of fasting beginning on Wednesday, February 18, according to Al Jazeera. The holy month is observed by nearly two billion Muslims globally, with Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Nigeria having the largest Muslim populations.
In Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman, leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was sworn in as prime minister after his party's landslide victory in the recent parliamentary elections, as reported by Al Jazeera. The BNP's political alliance secured 212 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh's parliament. This marked the country's first elected prime minister since deadly protests in 2024.
Adding to the week's developments, dual nationals in the UK are facing upcoming changes to passport rules, as detailed by BBC Business. Jelena, a British-Latvian dual national, expressed concern about the changes, which are set to take effect on February 25. These changes are part of a broader overhaul of the immigration system aimed at streamlining the UK border.
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