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Madagascar cyclone death toll rises to 59

Flooding and fierce winds have pushed Madagascar's death toll from Cyclone Gezani to 59, with more than a dozen people still unaccounted for, the country's disaster agency said on Monday. It is the latest in a string of tropical storms to batter the southern African island in recent months, underscoring its vulnerability to increasingly extreme weather fuelled by climate change. At least 59 people had been killed countrywide by the cyclone, which slammed into Madagascar on February 10, the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC) said, while more than 16,000 people have been displaced by storm waters. A previous report had put the death toll at 43. Most of the fatalities were reported in the port city of Toamasina on the east coast, formerly known as Tamatave, Madagascar's second-largest urban centre with around 400,000 inhabitants. Another 15 people remain missing nearly a week after the cyclone struck, according to BNRGC. The damage to housing was extensiv...
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Pakistan denounces Israel’s settlement expansion in West Bank

Pakistan has strongly condemned Israel's latest move to convert areas of the Occupied West Bank into state property and expand illegal settlement activities, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Such steps are in clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and must be rejected by the international community," it stated. 🔊PR No.4️⃣3️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ Pakistan Rejects Israel’s Illegal Measures in the Occupied West Bank đź”—⬇️https://t.co/I698jm0MIH pic.twitter.com/tweFgLMWMb — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 16, 2026 The Foreign Office reiterated that Israel's actions undermine efforts for a just and lasting peace in the region. "Pakistan calls on the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law," it added. The statement reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, emphasising the need for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as its capital. Board of Peace Pakistan's decision to commit troops to Gaza as part of the "Board of Peace" remains unknown, as officials have neither confirmed nor denied potential participation. The Board is set to have its first meeting on February 19 in Washington DC, and Trump is expected to present a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction blueprint for Gaza and outline the structure and mandate of the stabilisation force. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is slated to attend the summit, though Pakistani officials have remained tight-lipped on whether troop deployment is on the table.  Read more: Netanyahu says any US-Iran deal must dismantle Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure With Israel joining the "Board of Peace," many rights experts say that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's affairs resembled a colonial structure. Israel's presence on the board is expected to bring further criticism as the board does not include a Palestinian. A group of Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar, issued a joint warning on February 10 to Israel over what they described as accelerating efforts to illegally annex the occupied West Bank. The "Board of Peace" is a transitional governing administration established to oversee Gaza and implement the "Comprehensive Plan" intended to end the conflict in the region. Chaired by Donald Trump for life, the organisation holds centralised transitional legislative, executive, and judicial authority, with the mandate of ensuring Gaza becomes a "deradicalised and demilitarised zone" that "poses no threat to its neighbours".

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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