The ICC said the hearing will last four days. During Monday’s session, the Prosecution, the Defence, and the Legal Representatives of Victims delivered oral submissions, outlining their arguments on whether the case should proceed to trial.
Duterte faces three counts of crimes against humanity. The purpose of the hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that he committed the crimes charged. If one or more charges are confirmed, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber for the next phase of proceedings. The court is expected to issue its decision within 60 days after the conclusion of the hearing.
The 80-year-old Duterte did not attend the hearing in The Hague. Although the judges found him fit to participate in the proceedings, they separately granted a defence request to excuse his personal attendance at the hearing.
Earlier, his legal team had requested an indefinite adjournment of proceedings, including the confirmation hearing, arguing that he was unfit to participate. In response, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I appointed three independent medical experts to examine his condition and received their reports on Dec. 5, 2025. On Jan. 26, 2026, the Chamber concluded that, based on the medical assessments, Duterte “is able to exercise his procedural rights and is therefore fit to take part in the pre-trial proceedings.”
Duterte served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested and transferred to ICC custody in March 2025 under a warrant linked to his controversial anti-drug campaign, a move he has challenged. His initial appearance before ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I took place on March 14, 2025, and on Nov. 28, 2025, the court rejected an appeal seeking his release on grounds of age and declining health.
Cameramen work outside of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Feb. 23, 2026.
With the midterm elections approaching later this year, Trump is using this high‑profile speech as an opportunity to defend his record and rally support from Americans who remain sceptical about the direction of the country.
Domestically, Trump’s approval ratings have slipped as inflation and cost‑of‑living concerns continue to trouble many households. Recent data shows the U.S. economy has slowed more than expected, and the public is worried about job security and everyday expenses, forcing the president to try to reassure voters that his policies are working.
At the same time, a Supreme Court decision invalidating his global tariff program has undercut one of his signature economic strategies, and the impasse over immigration enforcement has led to parts of the Department of Homeland Security being temporarily shut down.
Internationally, the Trump administration is confronting rising tensions, particularly with Iran, where U.S. military assets have been repositioned amid ongoing nuclear disputes and regional instability. These foreign affairs challenges add to the pressure on Trump to present a confident and persuasive vision of U.S. leadership to both domestic and global audiences.
White House aides and Republican strategists see the State of the Union as a critical moment to shift the narrative, encouraging Trump to focus on economic gains such as stock market performance and tax cuts, even as polls show mixed public confidence in those outcomes. Trump is also expected to highlight his administration’s border policies, including deportation and enforcement efforts, despite controversy around these issues.
The address is expected to be lengthy and somewhat unscripted, a style Trump has used before giving him room to cover a wide range of topics and reinforce his message to voters ahead of the November elections. However, his administration’s troubles from economic discontent to geopolitical uncertainty will likely shape how the speech is received and influence the broader political climate in the months to come.
Trump prepares to address the nation at a critical moment, with economic challenges and political tensions shaping his upcoming State of the Union speech.
Officers arrested the 72-year-old Mandelson at an address in Camden on Monday, and he has been taken to a London police station for interview, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.
“This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas,” the spokesperson said via a statement published online, adding that they were not able to provide further information to “prevent prejudicing the integrity of the investigation.”
In late January, the U.S. Justice Department made public a large cache of files related to the dead American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, prompting renewed scrutiny in Britain. British police confirmed later that they had opened a criminal investigation into Mandelson over alleged misconduct while in public office, including the possible disclosure of market-sensitive information.
Mandelson previously served as a senior cabinet minister under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was appointed ambassador to Washington in early 2025 but was dismissed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after seven months as questions over his past resurfaced.
Earlier this month, Starmer apologized for his decision to appoint Mandelson as British ambassador to the United States.
Speaking at an event in the town of Hastings in southeast England, Starmer said he had underestimated the seriousness of Mandelson’s past association with Epstein. He offered an apology to victims connected to the Epstein case and said he understood the anger voiced across parliament.
Due to the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, communications director Tim Allan, and Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Chris Wormald have all stepped down from their posts.
Former British Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson is seen in London on February 14.
“We are willing to give exclusive access to our minerals to the United States. Also, we are open to offer military bases,” Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, told AFP.
“We believe we will agree on something with the United States.”
He also did not rule out the possibility of allowing Israel a military presence.
The northern territory has run its own affairs since declaring autonomy from Somalia in 1991, with its own passports, currency, army, and police, though Mogadishu still considers it part of Somalia. Israel became the only country to recognize Somaliland’s independence in December.
Earlier this month, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said Somaliland expected to reach a trade agreement with Israel, which could include access to valuable mineral deposits.
Officials say Somaliland is rich in lithium, coltan, and other materials critical for batteries and electric vehicles, though independent studies are limited. Abdullahi also indicated Somaliland would seek access to Israeli technology in return.
The region’s strategic location across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen adds to its geopolitical significance. Recognition by Israel has drawn threats from Houthi rebels and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group, which has fought against Somalia’s central government for two decades. Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the move as a violation of Somali sovereignty, a position supported by most African and Arab states.
Washington has not yet made any formal change in policy toward Somaliland, though President Donald Trump hinted in August that the issue could be addressed. Somaliland officials say their overtures to the US are part of a broader push for international recognition and strategic partnerships.
Khadar Hussein Abdi, minister of the presidency, said that Somaliland is willing to give the United States exclusive access to its minerals and is also open to offering military bases.
In a video statement posted after a meeting of the country’s Energy Security Council, Szijjarto said Hungary would oppose the sanctions package at Monday’s EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels and maintain its position until oil transit to Hungary resumes.
“As long as the Ukrainians do not restart oil transport to Hungary, we will not let go of decisions that are important to them,” he said.
He noted that Ukraine’s decision earlier this week not to restart shipments was “political blackmail” aimed at creating fuel supply disruptions and driving up petrol prices ahead of Hungary’s parliamentary elections.
According to the minister, Hungary has countered the situation by releasing part of its strategic crude reserves and securing replacement supplies via maritime routes.
Szijjarto recalled that Hungary has halted diesel exports to Ukraine, which he said accounted for around 10 percent of Ukraine’s diesel imports, and has also moved to block a planned 90-billion-euro EU loan for Ukraine.
In a separate social media post on Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Hungary would not “stand idly by” while the Druzhba pipeline remains blocked. “We will ensure Hungary’s fuel supply and take appropriate countermeasures until shipments are restarted by Ukraine,” Orban wrote.
The Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Central Europe via Ukraine, has faced repeated disruptions since last year amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Hungary stated that although there are currently “no practical or technical obstacles,” Ukraine has decided not to restart crude deliveries.
A worker operates machinery at the Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, May 24, 2022.
Barrot said in an interview with French media that the U.S. Embassy in France had commented on the tragedy, which he described as concerning “the national community,” prompting France to call in the ambassador.
Earlier on Friday, the U.S. Embassy said on X account that “violent left-wing extremism is on the rise, and its role in Quentin Deranque’s death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety,” adding that it would continue to monitor the situation and hoped those responsible for the violence would be brought to justice.
According to French media, the incident followed the death of Deranque, a far-right activist who was seriously injured during a clash between radical groups during a conference given by a member of French hard-left party La France Insoumise in Lyon on Feb. 12.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot addresses the audience during a plenary session on the second day of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, June 10, 2025.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi said on Sunday that the next round of U.S.-Iran talks will take place on Thursday in Geneva.
“Pleased to confirm U.S.-Iran negotiations are now set for Geneva this Thursday, with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalizing the deal,” the minister said on social media platform X.
In a phone call on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi stressed the importance of “constructive engagement and using the path of dialogue” to achieve a sustainable nuclear agreement, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported.
This followed Araghchi’s remarks on Friday in an interview with the U.S. media outlet MSNBC that Tehran will prepare the draft of a possible nuclear deal with the United States within two to three days and submit it to the U.S. delegation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi addresses a UN disarmament conference in Geneva, Switzerland, February 17, 2026.
In a CBS News interview broadcast on Sunday, Araghchi reiterated Tehran’s willingness to resolve its differences with Washington through negotiations.
Araghchi said he may meet with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday in Geneva, noting that it is still possible to find a diplomatic solution between Tehran and Washington.
He said the two sides are working on elements of a potential deal, and may discuss a preliminary draft for the deal on Thursday.
Araghchi said the deal should include Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program” as well as lifting U.S. sanctions against Iran, reaffirming Tehran’s resolve to secure its right to uranium enrichment under the national nuclear program.
He added that Iran and the United States can reach a nuclear deal better than the one signed between Tehran and world powers in 2015, noting unlike the previous negotiations, where the involved parties went into so many details, “this time, there is no need for that many details, and we can agree on basic things and make sure that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever and, at the same time, more sanctions would be lifted.”
He also stressed that Tehran has right to self-defense if the United States attacks Iran. “We have to hit, you know, the American base in the region.”
Also on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said recent negotiations with the United States have “yielded encouraging signals,” while cautioning that Iran is prepared for “any potential scenario.”
“Iran is committed to peace and stability in the region. 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,” Pezeshkian said in a post on social media.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at the celebrations for the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2026.
A senior Iranian official has told Reuters that significant differences remain between the two sides, even over the “scope and mechanism of sanctions relief.”
“Both sides need to reach a logical timetable for lifting sanctions,” said the unnamed official, adding that any roadmap must be “reasonable and based on mutual interests.”
Washington has said that any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium enrichment, the removal of its enriched material, limits on long-range missiles, and a rollback of support for regional proxies. But analysts have said such conditions would be “very difficult” for Iran to accept.
The diplomatic maneuvers occurred against a backdrop of escalating U.S. military pressure. Media reports said the United States had recently deployed a large number of fighter jets and transport aircraft to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, marking a noticeable increase compared with the base’s usual level of deployment.
Located about 100 km northeast of Amman, the capital of Jordan, Muwaffaq Salti is considered one of the main U.S. military bases in the Middle East. At other U.S. military bases in the region, there have also been reports of significant military build-ups.
The development came amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, and followed two rounds of indirect nuclear talks between the two sides this month, with the first held in Muscat on Feb. 6 and the second in Geneva on February 17.
“I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday.
He added that during the next short number of months, his administration will “determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinarily successful process of Making America Great Again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!!!”
U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday morning in a 6-3 vote that Trump’s tariff policy under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was illegal.
Infuriated by the ruling, Trump signed an order imposing a 10 percent tariff on imports from all countries hours later.
US President Donald Trump has used tariffs against both friends and adversaries since returning to office.
“I can tell you and reiterate yet again that we are very concerned about the heightened rhetoric we’re seeing around the region, by the heightened military activities, war games, or just increased military naval presence in the region,” Dujarric said at a daily briefing in response to a question posed by Xinhua about a letter the Iranian permanent mission sent to the UN chief and the president of the Security Council on Thursday.
“And we encourage both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue to engage in diplomacy in order to settle the differences,” he said.
In the letter, Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the country will respond “decisively and proportionately” to any military aggression, exercising its right to self-defense under the UN Charter, and urged the Security Council and the UN secretary-general to “act without delay, before it is too late.”
According to Dujarric, the letter has gone to the Security Council and to the General Assembly, as requested by Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
The move will come upon the police concluding investigation around him, according to media report.
Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on Thursday, but was released after hours in custody.
The move came amid renewed scrutiny over his past association with the dead American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Following the further release of millions of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, we are aware of the suggestion that London airports may have been used to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement issued on Friday, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
King Charles III said on Thursday that “the law must take its course,” and the police had his “full and wholehearted support and co-operation.”
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal and military titles last October and moved out of Royal Lodge. He has since been referred to as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and relocated to “alternative private accommodation.”
Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, at Magdalene Church in Sandringham on December 25, 2023. Photo AFP
