HOT POINT

Relatives of the 34 individuals, from 11 families, traveled from Australia to accompany them, said Hakmiyeh Ibrahim, the director of the Roj camp. They will make their way to the Syrian capital, Damascus, and then fly to Australia.

Roj camp houses about 2,200 people from around 50 nationalities, mostly women and children, who have supposed links to the extremist group. Most in the camp are not technically prisoners and have not been accused of a crime, but they have, in effect, been detained in the heavily guarded camp, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

The most well-known resident of the Roj camp,Shamima Begum, was 15 when she and two other girls fled from London in 2015 to marry IS fighters in Syria. Begum married a Dutch man fighting for IS and had three children, who all died. She recently lost an appeal against the British government's decision to revoke her U.K. citizenship.

Monday's operation is the first this year. Ibrahim, the camp director, said 16 families were repatriated last year, including German, British and French nationals. In 2022, three Australian families were repatriated.

The fate of the Roj camp and the similar but larger al-Hol camp has been a matter of debate for years. Human rights groups have citedpoor living conditionsandpervasive violencein the camps, but many countries have been reluctant to take back their citizens who are detained there.

Government forces took control of al-Hol camp last month amid fighting with the SDF that led to state forces seizing most of the territory in northeast Syria previously controlled by the Kurdish forces.

The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday that a large number of residents ofal-Hol camphave left and that theSyriangovernment plans to relocate those who remain.

Separately, thousands ofaccused IS militantswho were held in detention centers in northeastern Syria have been transferred to Iraq by the U.S. military to stand trial there.

While Mardi Gras was initially a religious holiday observed prior to theChristian Lenten season, it has since expanded from a single day of observation to weeks (or months) of partying and festivities.

The season is typically celebrated with jubilant music, street celebrations and parades, often occurring on the days leading up to Fat Tuesday. Carnival begins on Jan. 6 with Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany, a pre-Lent festival honoring the beginning of the new year and the rebirth of nature, according toBritannica.

The festivals and celebrations in the weeks leading up to the Lenten season are celebrated across the world, from France to Brazil and beyond.

In the U.S., Mardi Gras is most famously celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the city decking up, hosting spectacular parades and celebrations, and eating an endless amount ofking cake.It is also celebrated in other cities throughout Louisiana, as well as St. Louis, Missouri, Galveston, Texas, andMobile, Alabama, where the tradition is actually said to have started first in 1703.

Whether you're a local, a traveler planning a trip to New Orleans, or want to watch the festivities from afar, here's what to know about Mardi Gras parades in the Big Easy this year.

People take part in the annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival parade, in Cape Town, South Africa, January 5, 2026. Global celebrations for Carnival, a period of feasting, parades and costumes, began with the Feast of the Epiphany and will culminate on Mardi Gras.

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See 2026 Carnival celebrations around the world

People take part in the annual Cape Town Minstrel Carnival parade, in Cape Town, South Africa, January 5, 2026. Global celebrations for Carnival,a period of feasting, parades and costumes, began with the Feast of the Epiphany and will culminate on Mardi Gras.

When is Mardi Gras 2026?

Mardi Gras day, which translates from French to English as "Fat Tuesday," will be celebrated on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

The Mardi Gras season, also referred to as Carnival, began 12 days after Christmas on Jan. 6 and will last until Fat Tuesday.

More news:February 2026 calendar: Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, more

Origins of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday that traces its roots back to pagan spring and fertility rites, according toHistory.com.

Christy Garrison-Harrison, an assistant professor of history and women, gender, and sexuality studies at Southern University and A&M College,previously told USA TODAYthat Mardi Gras began in medieval Europe, starting in Rome and making its way to France. The tradition then made its way through the colonies, and around 1699, French Canadians arrived in what is now Mobile, Alabama.

Back then, people celebrated "Boeuf Gras," meaning "fatted calf," which was a time for people to enjoy things such as fatty foods, sugar, alcohol and other items considered "decadent," Garrison-Harrison explained. They'd give themselves until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, or what is often called Fat Tuesday, to indulge, after which Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and penance before Easter Sunday, would commence.

The Mardi Gras Carnival season is predominantly celebrated in countries with large Roman Catholic populations, and today, some of the biggest celebrations in the world take place in Brazil; Venice, Italy; and New Orleans.

When are the 2026 Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans?

Louisiana was first colonized by the French before becoming part of the U.S. and has since retained strong French and Cajun culture and traditions, including Mardi Gras.

While New Orleans has been hosting Mardi Gras parades since the start of January, the following parades are scheduled for the final days of fun: Monday, Feb. 16, and Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Here's when and where to catch these parades, according toMardi Gras New Orleans. For specific parade routes, visitNewOrleans.com.(Note: Parade times and routes are subject to change.)

Monday, Feb. 16

• Krewe of Proteus: 5:15 p.m., Uptown New Orleans

• Krewe of Orpheus: 6 p.m., Uptown New Orleans

• Krewe of Centurions: 6 p.m., Metairie (Followed by Krewe of Atlas)

Tuesday, Feb. 17

• Krewe of Zulu: 8 a.m., Uptown New Orleans

• Covington Lions Club: 10 a.m., Covington (followed by Krewe of Bogue Fayala)

• Krewe of Rex: 10:30 a.m., Uptown New Orleans (followed by Krewe of Elks Orleans and Krewe of Crescent City)

• Mardi Gras Indians: TBD, Uptown New Orleans

• Krewe of Argus: 11 a.m., Metairie (followed by Krewe of Elks Jeffersonians)

• Krewe of Folsom: 2 p.m., Folsom

Contributing: Saleen Martin / USA TODAY

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X@GabeHauarior email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:See Mardi Gras 2026 New Orleans parade schedule for Feb. 16, Feb. 17

Some historians point to the latter three as the country's real first presidents, despite what most people think.

Confused? Let's rewind back to the Revolutionary era.

The President's House in Philadelphia exhibits the paradox of liberty and slavery

The nation's War for Independence against Great Britain ended in 1781, after the king's army surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. George Washington wasn't elected president until 1789, after the Constitution was officially ratified.

During those eight intervening years, a series of other leaders took the helm of the country.

They were known as the "presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled" and were elected by the Continental Congress under the United States' first governing document, the Articles of Confederation.

More:A yearlong birthday party. Inside America's 250th anniversary plans

Marylander John Hanson was the first person elected to lead the body after all 13 colonies signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781.

So why is Washington, rather than Hanson, regarded as the first president? Here's a deeper look at the history.

The 'forgotten first president'

As theRevolutionary War raged, members of the Continental Congress developed the Articles of Confederation as the foundation for a weak central government. They were fearful that concentrating too much power at the federal level would lead to a tyrannical government akin to Great Britain.

The framework did not include an executive branch or a judicial branch and vested all power in the Continental Congress, which came to be known as the Confederation Congress.

Hanson helped charter the Bank of North America, considered the nation's first central bank, and played a key role in developing diplomatic relationships. He also proclaimed Thursday, Nov. 28, 1782, asa day of Thanksgiving, laying the roots of the American holiday.

But Hanson otherwise had little power as the first president of the United States in Congress Assembled and was essentially a figurehead.

Jody Brumage, an archivist at Heritage Frederick, a historical association in Frederick, Maryland, where Hanson lived, hypothesized that the Articles of Confederation leaders are often overlooked in American history because the government they ruled over was "viewed as a failure."

The founders ultimately created the Constitution after finding that a more robust federal government was necessary to unify the colonies and instill order.

"It's a very clear example of being observant and understanding when a system needed to evolve to serve a changing need," Brumage said.

A full list of the Articles of Confederation presidents

• 1781-1782: John Hanson

• 1782-1783: Elias Boudinot

• 1783-1784: Thomas Mifflin

• 1784-1785: Richard Henry Lee

• 1785-1786: John Hancock

• 1786-1887: Nathaniel Gorham

• 1787-1788: Arthur St. Clair

• 1788-1789: Cyrus Griffin

Why wasn't Washington chosen to lead under the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation were ratified while Washington was still commander of the Continental Army. Washington didn't resign his commission until December 1783, after Hanson's one-year term ended, and was not in leadership conversations at the time.

Washington, however, wasunanimously chosenas the first president under the Constitution in 1789 by presidential electors from each state, who comprised the Electoral College.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:The forgotten presidents: Who led the US before George Washington?

The 21-year-old posted on Instagram on Monday, Feb. 16 with a statement on mental health. The post was accompanied with a video of Malinin celebrating his victories and him sitting with his hands on his head.

"On the world's biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside. Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise,"he wrote. "Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure. It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash. This is that version of the story."

View this post on Instagram

The post teases something "coming February 21, 2026." It likely indicates Malinin has something special planned for the figure exhibition gala, which takes place that day and he will be part of,USA TODAY Sports confirmed.

Malinin was the heavy gold medal favorite in men's figure skating and had a lead going into the free skate. However, he suffered several falls and mistakes, resulting in a stunning eighth place finish for his first non-first place finish in more than two years.

The performance of the "Quad God" has reignited the conversation aroundpressure and mental health in the Olympics, as it can be a nerve-wracking feeling on the world's biggest stage.Malinin told reporters after the performancethat before the skate, he felt like "all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head."

"People only realized the pressure and the nerves that actually happened from the inside. It was really just something that overwhelmed me," he said. "I just felt like I had no control."

Ilia Malinin was the gold medal favorite entering the 2026 Winter Olympics but the self-proclaimed "Quad God" had a disastrous free skate performance, falling twice and suffering an epic meltdown on the sport's biggest stage.
See the critical moments in his troubled routine.

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Ilia Malinin falls apart, fails to medal in men's figure skating

Ilia Malininwas the gold medal favorite entering the2026 Winter Olympicsbut the self-proclaimed "Quad God" had a disastrous free skate performance, falling twice and suffering an epic meltdown on the sport's biggest stage.See the critical moments in his troubled routine.

Malinin has stayed in Milano since the competition, and was even spotted at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Sunday, Feb. 15to watch the pairs' short program.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Ilia Malinin mentions 'fighting invisible battles' at Olympics

NEED TO KNOW

• Colby Donaldson is returning to Survivor's 50th season, his fourth time playing and likely last go at the competition

• The Texas native pursued acting after gaining popularity on the show's second season, but he says of his previous all-star seasons, "I was trying to be relevant and needed exposure and all those things that can cloud your ability to play this game full tilt"

• Jeff Probst tells PEOPLE he has "empathy" for Donaldson

AfterSurvivor's debut season became a pop culture phenomenon, over 45 million Americans tuned in after the 2001 Super Bowl for the second season's premiere. There, they were introduced to Colby Donaldson.

The 20-something Texan became a fan favorite for his dominant competition wins and for finishing as runner-up — after choosing to bring his closet ally, Tina Wesson, to the final two with him over a practically guaranteed win over Keith Famie. Capitalizing on his popularity, Donaldson moved to Los Angeles and pursued acting, appearing onCurb Your Enthusiasm,8 Simple Rules,Joey,the movieRed Eyeand more in the 2000s.

Colby also returned to compete two more times onSurvivor, in season 8 ("All-Stars") and season 20 (as part of the good guys' squad on the "Heroes vs. Villains"-themed edition). Although he made the jury both times, he didn't live up to his first performance.

Now, Colby is back forSurvivor's milestone 50th season, hoping for some redemption — not necessarily for his placement, but for how he played the game.

Robert Voets/CBS Photo Archive via Getty

Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively in Fiji just days ahead of filmingSurvivor 50, Colby says, "It's hard for me to reconcile the way I played the last two times. Not necessarily proud of the outcome, but I'm also not proud of just how I handled adversity in the game. A lot of why I wanted to come back was I wanted to right those wrongs for me."

Colby, now 51 and aware that half of his life has happened since first appearing on the show, explains thatSurvivoropened doors to many opportunities, which he is incredibly thankful for. However, when he played on his second and third seasons, "I was trying to be relevant and needed exposure and all those things that can cloud your ability to play this game full tilt."

Robert Voets/CBS via Getty

After moving back to Texas about a decade ago, Colby says that his current resume would read very similarly to when he originally applied toSurvivor(via VHS tape): he's herding cattle and goats on the same land as his great-grandfather and welding.

"I don't think I would've ever been a consideration by [Jeff] Probst and by the team if I weren't back in Texas doing what I'm doing because my intentions for playing the game today are just as authentic as they were 25 years ago," Colby says. "I'm not sure I could say that about the second and third time I played."

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Jeff Probsttells PEOPLE that he's thrilled to have Colby back on this returnee cast.

"I have a lot of empathy for him because he had to come out of Texas and suddenly be thrust into this giant, global spotlight calledSurvivor, where people were naming their kids after him, and everybody wanted to know him," the host and showrunner says. "But he's just Colby."

And Probst didn't have to beg theSurvivor: Australian Outbackstandout to return. In fact, Colby says he was the first one to call casting after the host announced that season 50 would feature an all-star cast. After originally being cast by Lynne Spillman, Colby did some work to find a phone number forSurvivor's current casting director, Jesse Tannenbaum.

Colby remembers: "I called him up, and I said, 'You don't know me, I'm Colby Donaldson, but Probst had just announced that 50 would be a returning player season.' So I said, 'Man, I just want to throw my hat in the ring. I know it's a long shot, but I'm sure you're getting inundated and bombarded with calls.' He was quiet for a second. He said, 'Colby, actually no, you're the first one that's called. We haven't even started casting 49 yet.' "

Bill Inoshita/CBS Photo Archive via Getty

While he's done his homework, studying both his own past mistakes and keeping up with the new seasons ofSurvivor, Colby says he's also back to show his gratitude for the show — and say goodbye.

"I'm completely flattered and honored that they've allowed me one more time. You can bet this will be the last time," he says. "At my age, there won't be another shot."

He adds, "I'm okay with being the old guard and passing the torch to the new guard. It's going to be fun to see some legends born out here."

Survivor's 50th season premieres Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Read the original article onPeople