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22-02-2026 CAIRO/ JERUSALEM: Hamas is cementing its hold over Gaza by placing loyalists in key government roles, collecting taxes and paying salaries, according to an Israeli military assessment seen by media and sources in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas’ continuing influence over key Gaza power structures has fueled widespread scepticism about …

21-02-2026 SEOUL: South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been found guilty of masterminding an insurrection and sentenced to life in prison over his imposition of short-lived martial law in 2024. “The declaration of martial law resulted in enormous social costs, and it is difficult to find any indication that …

21-02-2026 GAZA STRIP: The true human cost of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has far exceeded previous official estimates, with independent research published in the world’s leading medical journals verifying more than 75,000 “violent deaths” by early 2025. The findings, emerging from a landmark series of scientific papers, …

21-02-2026 YAMOUSSOUKRO: Ivory Coast is considering cutting the price it pays farmers for cocoa beans to align with Ghana, two government sources told media, as the world’s biggest producers of the chocolate ingredient face a major crisis. The senior Ivory Coast officials said all options were on the table as …

21-02-2026 Bureau Report NEW DELHI: An Indian university has been asked to vacate its stall at the country’s flagship AI summit after a staff member was caught presenting a commercially available robotic dog made in China as its own creation, two government sources said. “You need to meet Orion. This …

21-02-2026 TEHRAN: Families across Iran have commemorated loved ones killed during nationwide protests last month, while teachers said school strikes were taking place to protest the killings. Many attended ceremonies at Behesht-e Zahra, Tehran’s grand cemetery, on Tuesday and Wednesday, which marked 40 days, a traditional period of mourning since …

21-02-2026 GAZA STRIP: At the Bureij refugee area in central Gaza, Maisoon al-Barbarawi welcomes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in her tent. Simple decorations hang from its worn ceiling, alongside colorful drawings on the fabric walls, prepared by camp residents to mark the arrival of the blessed month. “We …

21-02-2026 By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report LAHORE/ KARACHI: When armed officers from Pakistan’s Crime Control Department raided Zubaida Bibi’s home in Bahawalpur City in southern Punjab province last November, they took everything: mobile phones, cash, gold jewelry and her daughter’s wedding dowry. They also took her sons. Within 24 …

20-02-2026 PARIS: France says it has released an oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet!” after its owner paid a fine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the vessel, named Grinch, was “leaving French waters” on Tuesday having paid a penalty of “several million euros”. The …

20-02-2026 BERLIN: Hillary Clinton has accused US President Donald Trump’s administration of a “cover-up” over its handling of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Get the files out. They are slow-walking it,” the former US secretary of state told the BBC in Berlin, where she attended the …