Month: February 2026

. CARACAS: More than 200 Venezuelan political prisoners launched a hunger strike on Sunday to demand their release under a new amnesty law that excludes many of them. The amnesty was approved by Congress on Thursday as part of a wave of reforms encouraged by the United States after it ousted and captured former president … Read more

. KUALA LUMPUR: A strong 7.1-magnitude quake struck early Monday off Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island, US seismologists said. The epicentre of the quake was located less than 100 kilometres (62 miles) northeast of the coastal state capital Kota Kinabalu at a depth of 619.8 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck … Read more

Kamil Khan has stepped away from Sialkot Stallionz, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the Pakistan Super League (PSL) side amid a major ownership transition. In a statement posted on social media, Khan said he joined the Stallionz leadership “out of deep love for Pakistan cricket” and took responsibility for the franchise’s cricketing operations. During his … Read more

. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on after he delivered a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sideline of a second round of US-Iranian talks with Washington in Geneva, on February 17, 2026. PHOTO: AFP  BENGALURU: Iran agreed a secret 500 million euro ($589 million) arms deal … Read more

. NEW YORK: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani ordered a shutdown Sunday of the city’s entire traffic network to all but emergency travel ahead of a massive snowstorm expected to hit the northeast United States. Starting at 9pm Sunday to noon Monday a “state of emergency closes the streets, highways and bridges of New York … Read more

[ With punitive US duties disrupting key industries, Beijing’s tariff waiver signals strategic realignment in trade KARACHI: China has waived all duties on imports from 53 African countries, positioning itself as an anchor of stability amid chaos in the international “rules-based” trading system triggered by US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Many African economies are … Read more

Britain’s biggest film awards expected to recognize home-grown talent, set stage for next month’s Oscars LONDON: An offbeat political thriller, a vampire horror film and a period drama about Shakespeare will go head-to-head Sunday at the BAFTAs, Britain’s biggest film awards, setting the stage for the Oscars. The British Academy Film Awards ceremony, seen as … Read more