Two soldiers killed during military operation in Pakistan’s northwest: Army
An explosive-laden motorcycle rammed vehicle in security forces convoy, military says. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, have been killed during a military operation when a fighter driving an explosive-laden motorcycle rammed a security convoy vehicle in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province near the border with Afghanistan, according to the country’s army. The deadly clash took place on Saturday in KP’s Bannu district, with the Pakistani military saying at least five armed fighters, including one it described as “a suicide bomber” were also killed during the operation. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The military said that the bomber was stopped by the leading security team, preventing his attempt to attack civilians and law enforcement personnel and averting “a major catastrophe”. The army referred to the fighters as “khawarij” – the term it uses for banned groups, including the Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of providing refuge to the TTP, a banned Pakistani group separate from but linked to the Afghan Taliban, though Kabul has denied the allegations. The two countries had previously clashed in a brief border conflict in October last year. “Pakistan will not exercise any restrain and operations would continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act for justified retribution against khwarij, irrespective of their location,” the statement said. “Such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further reinforce our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our nation at all costs,” it said. Advertisement Repeated attacks Bannu has long been a frequent flashpoint for armed violence, with repeated attacks on security forces and police checkpoints in recent years. Security officials have reported strikes on police installations, suicide bombings and armed assaults in the district, part of a broader surge in armed rebel group activity across KP after the TTP ended a ceasefire with the government in late 2022. Earlier this week, two bomb attacks and a gun battle between police and rebel fighters killed more than a dozen people in the province. One child and 11 security personnel were killed in an attack in Bajaur district, the Pakistani military said, while seven others, including women and children, were injured in the incident. Adblock test (Why?)
Russian attack on Kharkiv kills two, Ukraine hits missile plant
Kharkiv regional administration head, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that 175 ‘combat clashes’ were recorded over the past 24 hours. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A Russian attack on the Kharkiv region killed two police officers Saturday during an evacuation in the village of Seredniy Burlyk, as Moscow and Kyiv continue trading attacks. The head of Kharkiv’s regional administration, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that the city and 10 populated areas had been subjected to Russian attacks over the past 24 hours. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list In Seredniy Burlyk, five people were also wounded by shelling. “Over the past 24 hours, 175 combat clashes were recorded. On the South-Slobozhansky direction, the enemy four times stormed the positions of our units in the areas of the populated settlements of Staritsa, Lyman, Vovchansky Khutory, and Krugle,” Syniehubov wrote. Moreover, three people were injured, including a woman, after a Russian air strike targeted one of the private sectors of Sumy, the National Police of Sumy Oblast reported. According to the police, the Russian attack destroyed two residential buildings and damaged at least 10 neighbouring houses and a gas pipe. It added that three people who were injured included two children aged five and 17, as well as a 70-year-old woman who was hospitalised. Attack on an industrial site Ukrainian drones targeted an industrial site in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, injuring 11 people, three of whom were hospitalised, according to the local health minister, Sergei Bagin, who issued an update on Telegram. The head of the Udmurt Republic, Alexander Brechalov, also wrote in a Telegram post that “one of the republic’s facilities was attacked by drones”, adding that injuries and damage were reported. Advertisement Brechalov did not elaborate on what the targeted facility was responsible for. However, an unofficial Russian Telegram channel, ASTRA, reported after analysing footage from residents that the strike targeted the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a major state defence enterprise. The Votkinsk factory produces Iskander ballistic missiles, which are often used against Ukraine, as well as nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles. Ukraine’s military confirmed the attack on the Votkinsk factory and said in a post on Facebook that a “fire was recorded on the territory of the object. The results are getting real.” The army added that its troops hit a Russian gas processing plant in the Samara region, which caused a fire. Separately, Russia’s TASS state news agency reported that Ukrainian drones were attempting to attack production facilities in Almetyevsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region, citing the head of the city as saying that defence systems were operating. Russia’s RIA news agency also reported, citing the defence ministry, that Moscow’s forces took control of the village of Karpivka in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine. Adblock test (Why?)
India vs South Africa: T20 World Cup Super Eights – teams, start, lineups
Who: India vs South AfricaWhat: T20 World Cup Super EightsWhere: Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, IndiaWhen: Sunday, February 22, at 7pm (13:30 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Defending champions and tournament co-hosts India begin their Super Eights phase on Sunday against the team they defeated in the 2024 final, South Africa. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Both sides stormed through the group stage of the 2026 edition and look heavy favourites to at least reach the semifinals, with the Indians clear favourites to lift the trophy once again. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the most mouth-watering match-up of two of the heavy contenders for the crown so far at the tournament. India gunning for South Africa’s top order India’s bowlers will target early wickets against South Africa, said bowling coach Morne Morkel on Friday. “We know that their top order gives them that momentum, with Quinton (de Kock) and Aiden (Markram) up front in good form and hitting the ball very well,” said the former South Africa quick bowler Morkel. “We will definitely put our best foot forward to try and get those early wickets.” How did India reach the T20 World Cup Super Eights? India stormed their group to claim top spot with four wins from four. A slightly nervous start against USA was followed by a thumping 93-run win against Namibia. The game everyone had their eyes on was the latest pairing with rivals Pakistan, which resulted in a 61-run win, while the final game saw the Netherlands fall only 17 runs short of their 194 target. Advertisement How did South Africa reach the T20 World Cup Super Eights? South Africa opened their tournament with a 57-run win against Canada, but needed a Super Over to confirm their win against Afghanistan in their second match. New Zealand were given a thumping by the Proteas, who claimed a seven-wicket win to confirm their passage to the Super Eights with a game to spare, before completing the group with a six-wicket win against the UAE. India expect Abhishek to return to form soon While Markram’s South Africa have looked strong in all departments, tournament favourites India have not enjoyed batting consistency, with opener Abhishek Sharma out of form. Morkel, though, predicts he will be back among the runs soon. Morkel said the left-hander, who has recorded three consecutive ducks, was just one innings away from getting back in the zone. “Absolutely no discussion in our team group about that,” said Morkel about Abhishek’s failure to score in any of the matches yet. “He is a world-class player. We are going to a very important phase of the World Cup now and I am sure he is going to deliver. “I am pretty sure he is hitting the ball in the nets. “It is just a matter of getting the start and getting the innings going.” Can South Africa be the team to stop India at the T20 World Cup? Morkel acknowledged South Africa have been one of the form teams of the T20 World Cup so far. “They are a team that’s full of confidence,” said Morkel. “They have got guys at the top who are in form. In terms of weaknesses, there aren’t many.” South Africa have also shown guts when needed, coming out victorious after two nerve-shredding super overs against Afghanistan. “For us it comes down, on the day, to how well we execute with the bat and the ball,” said Morkel of defending champions India. “It’s going to be world-class players against each other. It is going to be a mouth-watering thing.” South Africa’s De Kock says handling pressure key in India clash Who “deals with the pressure better” will decide the India-South Africa Super Eights match, said Quinton de Kock on Saturday. The two unbeaten teams are familiar foes, and Markram’s South Africa toured India late last year, losing 3-1 in a T20 series. “I think that’s what’s going to make for quite a good game, because we’ve played against each other quite a bit over the last two months,” said South Africa opener De Kock. “And to be honest, the teams haven’t really changed much. “So, I think it’s more when you’re out there on the pressure side, who deals with the pressure better and wins the small moments in the game.” Advertisement While South Africa looked strong in all departments in the group phase, the batting of the defending champions, India, has been inconsistent. Opener Abhishek Sharma has recorded three consecutive ducks, but De Kock did not read too much into it. “He’s the number one T20 batsman in the world at the moment, according to the rankings, so he must keep doing what he’s doing,” said de Kock of the 25-year-old Abhishek. “He’s obviously quite young; he’s bound to fail. So I’m sure at some point he’s going to play an important knock.” (Al Jazeera) What is India’s record in T20 World Cup cricket? Not only are India the defending champions after their victory against South Africa at the 2024 edition, but they are also the joint-record winners of the T20 World Cup. The Indian side won their inaugural event in 2007, beating Pakistan in the final, but that made for a long wait for their second win at the last edition. England and the West Indies have both also recorded two tournament wins. What is South Africa’s record in T20 World Cup cricket? South Africa still await their first T20 World Cup title. In fact, the wait goes on for the Proteas to lift any trophy at a major ICC tournament. Their seven-run defeat at the hands of India in the 2024 edition was their first appearance in a final of either a T20 World Cup or a 50-over Cricket World Cup. South Africa make surprise wholesale T20 changes for future tour South Africa have named a much-changed squad that
Trump tariffs live: US Supreme Court rules against sweeping global tariffs
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Supreme Court says Trump did not have authority to impose tariffs under law meant for national emergencies. Published On 20 Feb 202620 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Residents in northern Lebanon terrified their buildings will collapse
NewsFeed Residents say they’re scared for their own homes after a building collapse killed at least 15 people in northern Lebanon earlier this month. Al Jazeera’s Justin Salhani visited a Tripoli neighbourhood that’s been condemned because its buildings may also fall down. Published On 20 Feb 202620 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
A fragile freedom for Venezuela’s released political prisoners
A ‘revolving door’ for prisoners? For Armas, the joy of his homecoming has been dulled by the fear of continued persecution. The trouble largely began after he served as an organiser for Venezuela’s opposition during the contested 2024 presidential election. Protesters had denounced the vote as rigged after Maduro’s government failed to provide the official results of the election. The opposition, meanwhile, published evidence suggesting its candidate had won by a considerable margin. That prompted a sweeping government crackdown on dissenters. In December 2024, Armas was arrested. He said he was taken to a house where he was blindfolded, tied to a chair for days and suffocated with a plastic bag. Later, he shared a dingy cell with dozens of other prisoners – and rats. Once he was transferred to El Helicoide, his friends and family had no contact with him for 10 months. His release, however, has not meant freedom. The day he stepped out of prison, he celebrated by joining a motorcycle parade with Juan Pablo Guanipa, a prominent politician who had also been freed. Opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa, right, and political activist Jesus Armas ride on the backs of motorbikes after their release [Cristian Hernandez/AP Photo] There was a feeling of energy and optimism, Armas recalled, as they visited the families of other political prisoners. But within hours, Guanipa was abducted by masked individuals. No one knew where he had been taken. “I couldn’t sleep because I was scared,” he said. His first night home was spent lying in bed, checking for news about Guanipa. “I had all this adrenaline, all these mixed emotions. I was happy because I was with my parents, but there was also fear.” Officials accused Guanipa of breaching the rules of his release, although it is not clear what those limits were. He was held incommunicado for hours before being fitted with an electronic ankle monitor and placed under house arrest. Only after the passage of the amnesty bill on Thursday was Guanipa released from house arrest, according to a statement from his brother Tomas Guanipa. Still, Guanipa himself warned that the amnesty law would not end the government’s oppressive tactics. He highlighted its exclusions and loopholes. “What was approved today in the legislative palace is no amnesty,” Guanipa wrote on social media after his second release in less than two weeks. “It is a flawed document intended to blackmail many innocent Venezuelans and excludes several brothers and sisters who remain unjustly behind bars.” For Tineo, cases of re-arrest like Guanipa’s show that Venezuela is not sincere about ending government repression. “As long as judicial restrictions remain in place for those released and the ‘revolving door’ practice continues – new detentions following releases – it can’t be said that there is an end to the policy of persecution,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump praises ‘magnificent’ B-2 bombers that struck Iran in 2025
NewsFeed Speaking at the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting, Donald Trump praised the “magnificent” B-2 bombers that “totally decimated the nuclear potential” of Iran last summer, saying they helped bring peace to the Middle East for the first time in 3,000 years. Published On 19 Feb 202619 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Can Europe reduce its dependence on the US and at what cost?
Trump’s tariffs, Greenland and defence spending are testing US-Europe alliance. United States President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on European goods, made a bid to take over Greenland and demanded Europe foot the bill for its own defence. European leaders now fear the era of US-led security protections may be over. They’re accelerating efforts to reduce their military and economic dependence on the US. At the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted his nation is not walking away from its allies. But few in the room were convinced. Instead, leader after leader took to the podium with the same message: Europe must stand on its own. Published On 19 Feb 202619 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Trump suggests Iran has 10 days to reach agreement with US
US president says at inaugural Board of Peace summit that Washington and Tehran should make a ‘meaningful deal’. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Donald Trump has renewed his threats against Iran, suggesting that Tehran has about 10 days to reach a deal with Washington or face further military strikes. Speaking at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, DC, on Thursday, the United States president reiterated his argument that the joint Israeli-US strikes against Iran in June of last year paved the way to the “ceasefire” in Gaza. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Trump argued that without the US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the “threat” of Iran would have prevented countries in the region from agreeing to “peace in the Middle East”. “So now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said. “Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.” Trump’s comments come days after the US and Iran held a second round of indirect talks. On Wednesday, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi said the two sides made “good progress in the negotiations” in Geneva and “were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles” for an agreement. But the US has continued to amass military assets in the Gulf region, including two aircraft carriers and dozens of fighter jets. Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has said it would agree to curbing its uranium enrichment and placing it under rigorous international inspection. But the Trump administration has said that it would oppose any Iranian enrichment. Washington has also sought to place limits on Tehran’s missile arsenal, but Iranian officials have ruled out any concessions over the issue, which they say is a non-negotiable defence principle. Advertisement On Thursday, Trump said his diplomatic aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have had “very good meetings” with Iran’s representatives. “We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” he said. Last week, Trump said the US and Iran should come to an agreement “over the next month”, warning Tehran with “very traumatic” consequences. But Iranian officials have expressed defiance against the US president’s threats. “The Americans constantly say that they’ve sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware,” Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote on X on Thursday. “However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.” Tensions between the Washington and Tehran have been escalating since late 2025, when Trump – while hosting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December – vowed to strike Iran again if attempts to rebuild its nuclear or missile programmes. Days later, antigovernment protests broke out in Iran. Trump encouraged the demonstrators to take over state institutions, promising them that “help is on the way”. Trump appeared to step back from the brink of attacking Iran last month, saying that the country agreed to halt the execution of dissidents under US pressure. The two countries later renewed negotiations with the first round of talks since the June war taking place in Oman on February 6. But threats and hostile rhetoric between Washington and Tehran have persisted despite the ongoing diplomacy. In 2018, during his first term Trump nixed the multilateral nuclear deal that saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for lifting international sanctions against its economy. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine talks: All the mediation efforts, and where they stand
One week ahead of the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, United States-led peace talks in Geneva ended for the day earlier than scheduled on Wednesday. The talks, which are being mediated by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, are just the latest of a number of attempts to end the deadliest fighting in Europe since World War II – and none have reached a breakthrough. During his presidential campaign in 2024, Trump claimed repeatedly that he would broker a ceasefire in Ukraine within “24 hours”. However, he has been unable to fulfil this promise. Here is a timeline of the mediation efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has killed more than a million people, as it heads towards its fifth year. Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a private residential building in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, on February 12, 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion [Tommaso Fumagalli/EPA] February 28, 2022 – direct talks The first ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine took place just four days after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The meeting lasted about five hours, and featured high-level officials, but with diametrically opposing goals. Nothing came of their talks. Then, the two sides held three rounds of direct talks in Belarus, ending on March 7, but, again, nothing was agreed. March-April 2022 – regional talks in Antalya On March 10, the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia, Dmytro Kuleba and Sergey Lavrov, met for the first time since the war started, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye. Advertisement A second meeting between senior leaders in Istanbul towards the end of the month failed to secure a ceasefire. Then, the withdrawal of Russian forces in early April from parts of Ukraine revealed evidence of massacres committed against the Ukrainian civilian population in Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv, in northern Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this would make negotiations much more difficult, but that it was necessary to persist with the dialogue. Russian President Vladimir Putin later declared the negotiations were at a “dead end” as a result of Ukraine’s allegations of war crimes. A serviceman of Ukraine’s coast guard mans a gun on a patrol boat as a cargo ship passes by in the Black Sea, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, February 7, 2024 [Thomas Peter/Reuters] July 2022 – Black Sea Grain Initiative, Istanbul In July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed by Ukraine and Russia with Turkiye and the United Nations in Istanbul. It was the most significant diplomatic breakthrough for the first year of the war. The agreement aimed to prevent a global food crisis by designating a safe maritime humanitarian corridor through the Black Sea for cargoes of millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian ports. November 2022 – Ukraine’s peace plan Ukraine’s Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace proposal at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Indonesia, within which he called for Russia’s withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory as well as measures to ensure radiation and nuclear safety, food security, and protection for Ukraine’s grain exports. He also demanded energy security and the release of all Ukrainian prisoners and deportees, including war prisoners and children deported to Russia. Russia rejected Zelenskyy’s peace proposal, reiterating that it would not give up any territory it had taken by force, which stood at about one-fifth of Ukraine by then. February 2023 – China’s peace plan China proposed a 12-point peace plan calling for a ceasefire and the end of “unilateral sanctions” that had been imposed by Western nations on Russia. Beijing urged both sides to resume talks on the basis that “the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld”. The proposal was criticised by Western allies of Kyiv for not acknowledging “Russia’s violation of Ukrainian sovereignty”. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the audience during a session at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, February 14, 2026 [File: Michael Probst/AP] June 2023 – Africa’s peace plan In June 2023, a high-level delegation of African leaders, led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and including the presidents of Senegal and Zambia, visited both Kyiv and St Petersburg to present a 10-point plan focusing on de-escalation and grain exports. Advertisement Analysts said it was driven largely by the war’s impact on African food security and fertiliser prices. But Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected the call for “de-escalation”, arguing that a ceasefire without a Russian withdrawal would simply “freeze” the war. The following month, President Putin pulled Russia out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. August 2023 – Jeddah summit Saudi Arabia hosted representatives from 40 countries to discuss Zelenskyy’s “Peace Formula”, but no final agreement or joint statement was reached. In a major surprise, Beijing sent its special envoy, Li Hui, to the talks. But Russia was not invited, and the Kremlin said the efforts would fail. People walk among debris of a local market close to damaged residential buildings at the site of a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine on February 12, 2026 [File: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP] June 2024 – Switzerland peace summit The June 2024 Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held at Switzerland’s Burgenstock resort, brought together more than 90 nations to discuss a framework for ending the conflict in Ukraine. The summit focused on nuclear safety, food security and prisoner exchanges, though Russia was not invited, and several nations, including India and Saudi Arabia, did not sign the final joint communique. February 2025 – Trump-Putin call A month after beginning his second term as US president, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he held a long phone call with his Russian counterpart, Putin, in a bid to restart direct negotiations aimed at ending the war. On February 18, delegations from Washington and the Kremlin, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, met in Saudi Arabia. They laid the