Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners after hostage handovers
Israel postponed the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, tying the move to the way Hamas has staged handovers of Israeli hostages.
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AP: French authorities detain four after deadly stabbing in Mulhouse
French prosecutors said four people were detained after a fatal stabbing in Mulhouse that officials linked to Islamic extremism.
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Israel says forensic tests show returned body was not Shiri Bibas as ceasefire dispute deepens
Israel says a body handed over by Hamas in the latest hostage exchange did not match Shiri Bibas, adding a fresh flashpoint to an already fragile ceasefire process.
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Israel identifies Shiri Bibas after Hamas returns corrected remains
Forensic officials say the recovered body belongs to the hostage mother and found no evidence of bombing, after Hamas first handed over the wrong remains.
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Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan move toward final border deal after years of talks
The two Central Asian neighbours signed a delimitation agreement in Bishkek, advancing a long-running border process meant to end a decades-old dispute.
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Ivory Coast takes control of last French military base as Paris pares back its West Africa footprint
France says it is not disappearing, but its military role in Ivory Coast is being reshaped around advice and training rather than a permanent base.
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Suspected terror attack after three buses explode in Bat Yam
2025-02-20 event: Three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam near Tel Aviv and police said devices on two other buses failed to detonate.
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Boat Carrying People Fleeing M23 Advance Capsizes in Eastern Congo, Killing 22
2025-02-20 event: Local authorities said most of the victims on Lake Edward were escaping the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
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Simultaneous Attacks Hit Four Government Military Bases in Middle Shabelle
Four military bases belonging to the Mogadishu administration in central Somalia were attacked at the same time in Middle Shabelle, with al-Shabaab claiming responsibility and local sources reporting that bases and surrounding settlements were captured.
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Puntland offensive in Al-Miskaad kills at least 44 ISIS fighters
Puntland says UAE-backed airstrikes and ground assaults hit insurgent hideouts in the mountains and recaptured key positions.
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Putin calls U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh a first step toward restoring ties
The Kremlin framed the Saudi-hosted discussions as an opening round, even as the war in Ukraine and the wider diplomatic rupture remain unresolved.
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Chad says four-month Lake Chad offensive killed nearly 300 Boko Haram militants
Chad’s army said its Operation Haskanite campaign in the Lake Chad area killed nearly 300 Boko Haram militants over four months, with 27 army personnel also reported dead.
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Trump calls Zelensky a "dictator" as US-Ukraine tensions explode
The remarks followed a week of clashes over peace talks with Russia, elections under martial law and a stalled minerals deal.
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DR Congo seeks Chad’s support as pressure builds in fight against M23 rebels
A report says Kinshasa has asked Chad for help against M23, though Chadian officials say any support has not yet been formally discussed.
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UN warns M23 gains in eastern Congo could trigger wider regional war
U.N. officials told the Security Council that the rebel advance in eastern Congo was threatening peace well beyond the country’s borders.
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Russian strikes kill at least one in Ukraine as Odesa attack cuts heating and power to 160,000
The Kyiv Independent said a wave of drones and missiles hit several oblasts, with one civilian killed in Donetsk and four people wounded in Odesa.
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Israel leaves troops in five Lebanese sites as withdrawal deadline expires
Israel began a partial pullback from southern Lebanon on 2025-02-18 but said it would remain in five strategic locations, keeping alive a fragile ceasefire dispute with Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
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Russia rejects NATO peacekeepers in any Ukraine deal
Moscow has ruled out any peacekeeping force from NATO member states in Ukraine, even as Washington and Moscow begin talks on ending the war.
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Rebels advance toward Butembo as eastern Congo front widens
M23 fighters pushed north and south of Goma, capturing Kamanyola while residents feared a further drive toward Uvira.
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U.S. and Russia open talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war and ties
Top U.S. and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia and said they were prepared to start work on ending the war in Ukraine and improving bilateral relations.
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Hamas says Israel violated Gaza ceasefire 269 times as truce comes under pressure
Newsweek reported a Hamas dossier alleging deaths, injuries and supply shortfalls since the January 19 ceasefire, while Israel weighed its response.
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Trump says Ukraine should hold an election as he pushes war talks
Donald Trump suggested Ukraine should consider a new election as part of a peace settlement with Russia, while Kyiv objected to being left out of U.S.-Russia discussions.
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US and Russia open Saudi Arabia talks on Ukraine, with Europe and Kyiv still outside the room
Three Americans and three Russians met in Saudi Arabia and said they were laying groundwork for broader talks, but the war’s key European and Ukrainian stakeholders were not at the table.
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Europe meets in Paris as US-Russia Ukraine talks exclude Kyiv
Emergency consultations in France reflected mounting alarm over a proposed negotiating track that left Europe and Ukraine outside the room.
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