The Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza is far worse than Netanyahu claims.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health keeps a list of the confirmed dead. Israel dismisses it as “Hamas propaganda”. But the Israeli military uses the same data.
Published On 8 Feb 2026
Little fairy did a spectacular dance in lehenga on the song ‘Sweety Tera Drama’, adults were surprised to see!
Little fairy did a spectacular dance in lehenga on the song ‘Sweety Tera Drama’, adults were surprised to see!
A cute little girl wearing a lehenga performed such an energetic and explosive dance on the song ‘Sweety Tera Drama’ that everyone present there was astonished. Her cute smile, innocent expressions and full-throated steps made the atmosphere completely full of fun. Seeing his confidence on every beat, even elders started clapping. This wonderful dance video of the little angel is now becoming increasingly viral on social media and people like to watch it again and again.
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A sensational attack took place on Saturday in the hostel of a State Medical University located in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. A 15-year-old teenager suddenly attacked with a knife in this hostel built for foreign students, injuring at least six people including four Indian students. Two policemen were also injured in this attack.
According to local media reports, the teenage attacker raised nationalist and hateful slogans related to the Holocaust while carrying out the attack. According to Russian media channel ‘Bazaa’, the accused was associated with a violent neo-Nazi organization that promotes extremist ideology. This organization was declared a terrorist organization by the Supreme Court of Russia in the year 2021.
The accused was associated with neo-Nazi organization
The report claims that the accused was associated with an organization called ‘National Socialism/White Power Crew’, also known as ‘Sparrows Crew’. This organization has been associated with attacks on journalists and social workers in the past also. The name of this group was also linked to the attack on famous Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
Swastika symbol made of blood on the hostel wall
In the video released by Baja Channel, a Swastika symbol made on the wall of the hostel is also shown, which is being claimed to have been made with the blood of a victim. This scene spread panic in the entire area and created panic in the university administration.
Attacked even during police arrest
According to the Russian Home Ministry, the accused attacked several students with a knife in the hostel. When the police tried to arrest him, he resisted and during this he also stabbed two police officers. According to Home Ministry spokesperson Major General Irina Volk, the accused also caused serious injuries to himself.
Condition of the injured and information from the Health Ministry
The Russian Federal Health Ministry said one of the injured was in critical condition, while the three others were in stable but moderate severity. The teenage attacker has also been admitted to the local children’s hospital in critical condition, where he is undergoing treatment.
High level investigation started in Ufa
The incident took place in the city of Ufa, which is located about 1,200 kilometers east of Moscow and is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Local administration and security agencies have started a high-level investigation into the matter. Officials say that the radical thinking behind the attack and all aspects related to the safety of foreign students will be investigated in depth.
Last week, the BSE benchmark surged by 2,857.46 points or 3.53 per cent. | Photo Credit: iStockphoto
The combined market valuation of eight of the top 10 valued firms jumped by a whopping ₹4.55 lakh crore last week, with Reliance Industries emerging as the biggest winner, in line with a remarkable rally in equities.
Last week, the BSE The benchmark surged by 2,857.46 points or 3.53 per cent.
From the top-10 pack, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bankk, Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Bajaj Finance, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), and Hindustan Unilever were the gainers, while Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys saw their valuations erode.
The combined market valuation of the eight firms was ₹4,55,336.36 crore.
Reliance Industries added ₹1,41,887.97 crore, taking its market valuation to ₹19,63,358.79 crore.
LIC’s valuation zoomed ₹64,926.1 crore to ₹5,70,198.54 crore. The market valuation of Bharti Airtel surged ₹52,516.39 crore to ₹11,62,288.64 crore and that of ICICI Bank jumped ₹52,476.97 crore to ₹10,06,258.82 crore.
The market capitalization (mcap) of Bajaj Finance climbed Rs 48,659.83 crore to ₹6,10,830.20 crore and that of State Bank of India by ₹45,460.79 crore to ₹9,84,353.06 crore.
HDFC Bank’s valuation advanced by Rs 32,350.28 crore to Rs 14,48,249.63 crore and that of Hindustan Unilever appreciated by Rs 17,058.03 crore to Rs 5,69,482.18 crore.
However, the market valuation of TCS eroded by ₹88,172.8 crore to ₹10,64,242.35 crore.
The mcap of Infosys declined by ₹63,462.66 crore to ₹6,26,067.95 crore.
IT stocks faced selling last week in-line with weak trends in tech firms globally amid valuation-related worries and concerns around the rapid pace of artificial intelligence advancements.
Reliance Industries remained the most valued firm followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, TCS, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, LIC and Hindustan Unilever.
Published on February 8, 2026
Struggling with loneliness, people in Japan use an online chat service for mental health support and social connection.
Loneliness is a growing epidemic worldwide, but in Japan, it has become particularly severe as the pressures of modern life increasingly isolate individuals from their communities.
A Place for You is a mental health hotline where dedicated volunteers provide critical support to thousands in need every day. Two people who are struggling to find meaning in their lives turn to the online chat service as they seek connection. As they become aware of their need for human bonds, they embark on a journey of healing and renewal.
Dear Tomorrow is a documentary film by Kaspar Astrup Schroder.
Published On 8 Feb 2026
Last Updated:
New Delhi. Indian team’s experienced fast bowler Mohammad Siraj has got a place in the ICC T20 World Cup team at the last moment. The selectors decided to give a chance to this bowler, who has been out of the T20 team since 2024, 48 hours before the start of the tournament. Harshit Rana was out due to injury in the warm-up match of the T20 World Cup and the door of the team opened for Siraj. At first he couldn’t believe it when he got the news of being selected in the team. Siraj himself has revealed this.
Mohammed Siraj revealed that when he got the call to include Harshit Rana in the team after his exit from the ICC T20 World Cup, he could not believe it at first. He felt that Captain Suryakumar Yadav was joking with him. Siraj was included in the updated team after Rana was out due to injury a day before the start of the tournament. BCCI included experienced Siraj in the team along with Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah to strengthen the fast bowling attack.
India’s plans got a further blow when Bumrah fell ill just before the first match of the tournament and had to sit out. For this reason, Siraj got a chance, who joined the team on Friday evening and was directly fielded. Playing his first T20 International after July 2024, Siraj bowled a brilliant opening spell and bowled full length like red ball cricket. He took two wickets in the beginning and took three wickets for 29 runs in four overs.
Siraj told Star Sports after the match, “Two days before the match, I got a call from Surya Bhai. He said, ‘Mian, get ready, pack your bag and come.’ I said, ‘Surya Bhai, don’t joke now. You joke a lot, but not on things like this. He said, ‘I am serious, pack your bags and come.’ Later Ojha Bhai also called, he also said to be ready. Only then did I believe.”
Active in sports journalism for more than 15 years. Worked in cricket website of Etv Bharat, ZEE News. Was the sports head of Dainik Jagran website. Covered the Olympics, Commonwealth, Cricket and Football World Cups. October…read more
Bangladesh is heading to the polls for the first time since student-led protests dramatically ousted its longtime leader, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, amid a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, and forced her to flee the country in 2024.
More than 127 million people are eligible to vote in the February 12 elections, which are being referred to as the biggest democratic exercise of the year. However, there are concerns about the possibility of unrest. About 15 million Bangladeshi expatriates, whose remittances are highly significant for the economy, will also be able to vote by post for the first time.
Elections in the South Asian country, which is currently led by the caretaker government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, have historically been marked by bitter political campaigns, boycotts and allegations of rigging.
Traditionally, the country’s politics has been dominated by Hasina’s former ruling Awami League, and the former main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The Awami League, however, has been banned as its leader, Hasina, and other party officials face criminal trials over their brutal crackdown on protests in 2024.
Hasina was tried and issued a death sentence in absentia for ordering the killing of protesters. But India, where she has taken refuge, has not agreed to her extradition.
Bangladesh operates a single-house parliamentary system, and a prime minister typically appoints a ceremonial president. A total of 1,981 candidates are vying for 350 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad national assembly. The BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami are the two main contenders, each leading multi-party coalitions.
Elections are usually held every five years. There have been 11 democratically elected governments since Bangladesh’s formation in 1971, punctuated at intervals by periods of military rule.
Here’s a timeline of the country’s past elections:
When Bangladesh was still part of Pakistan, general elections were held in the former East and West Pakistan in December 1970. The two regions were geographically separated by India, and the majority Bengali population in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had been pushing for independence.
Pro-independence politician Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League won close to all 162 seats allocated to East Pakistan in the common Pakistani parliament. The Awami League also effectively won a majority in the then-313-seat National Assembly of Pakistan — which should have allowed it to form the national government of a united Pakistan, with Rahman as prime minister.
However, the Pakistani military government refused to allow him to become PM. Rahman delivered a fiery speech in which he declared that Bangladesh would be independent of Pakistan by March 1971.
The Pakistan army violently attacked activists, triggering the Bangladeshi Liberation War from March to December 1971, during which Bengalis in East Pakistan were ethnically cleansed. An estimated three million people were killed and 200,000 women sexually assaulted, according to the United Nations.
Rahman — better known as Mujib in Bangladesh — was imprisoned at the beginning of the conflict, but a provisional government was formed in his absence in exile. It operated from nearby Kolkata in India under acting President Syed Nazrul Islam until Rahman’s release in January 1972 following independence. Rahman then served as prime minister.
After Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in December 1971, a provisional government held the country’s first general election in March 1973. It was controversial, however, and has since been seen as an indicator of Mujib’s subsequent autocratic policies. While 14 political parties contested the election, the Awami League won an overwhelming 73 percent of the vote and snatched 293 of the contested 300 seats.
While the party was the favourite to dominate the elections in any case, Mujib nevertheless was alleged to have taken extra measures to consolidate power, including rigging polls through ballot-stuffing and intimidating and arresting opposition leaders.
Opposition parties Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Jatiya League won only one seat each.
In 1974, Mujib banned all opposition parties, ushering in a one-party state. He also restricted journalists’ access to parliament.
Mujib and most of his family were assassinated in August 1975 during a bloody coup organised by mid-level officials, led by Colonel Sayed Farooq-ur-Rahman. Finance Minister Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad immediately declared himself president with the army’s backing.
Ahmad undid the one-party policy, allowing opposition parties to form, but was toppled shortly after in a counter-coup in November 1975 led by General Khaled Mosharraf, an ally of Rahman. Chief Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem then ruled as president with the military’s support until he resigned on health grounds in April 1977.
Then-army chief Ziaur Rahman took over as president. Zia, as he was popularly known, had also been a major figure during the liberation struggle – he broadcast the Bangladesh Declaration of Independence at the time.
As leader, he is credited with instituting economic recovery in the struggling country by liberalising the economy. He also pushed for a national Bangladeshi identity, rather than a Bengali one, which, until then, had excluded minority ethnic groups. Most notably, he ushered in multi-party elections again.
In February 1979, Ziaur’s government organised the first polls since 1973, in which his newly formed Bangladesh National Party (BNP) participated and won 207 out of 300 parliamentary seats. The Awami League, now the major opposition, won 39 seats but claimed the elections were rigged.
After Ziaur’s assassination in an abortive military coup on May 30,1981, Vice President Abdus Sattar became acting president and conducted presidential elections in November of the same year. BNP again won 65 percent of the vote. But within months, army chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad had seized power in a bloodless coup in March 1982, imposing martial law.
Ershad ruled for the next four years. When he held elections in May 1986, his Jatiya Party won 183 seats, securing a parliamentary majority. Opposition parties like the BNP had boycotted the vote, calling it a sham. Opposition parties again criticised the elections held in March 1988, when the Jatiya Party won 259 seats, as unfair and manipulated. Widespread protests calling for Ershad’s resignation broke out.
The BNP, led by the late Khaleda Zia – Ziaur’s widow – and the Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina – the eldest of Rahman’s two surviving daughters – joined forces to lead mass protests in December 1990, which forced Ershad’s government to resign.
A caretaker government, led by Supreme Court justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, then held new elections on February 27, 1991, which were widely regarded as legitimate.
Khaleda Zia’s BNP won 140 seats while Hasina’s Awami League took 88. The Jatiya Party won 35 seats.
Khaleda Zia became Bangladesh’s first female prime minister.
Tensions between the ruling BNP and Awami League were boiling over following a parliamentary by-election for the Magura-2 constituency. Although the BNP’s candidate had won, the Awami League claimed the vote had been rigged, and began pressing Khaleda Zia to hand power over to a caretaker government to conduct forthcoming elections.
The Awami League and other opposition parties then boycotted the February 15, 1996 election, clearing the way for the BNP to win nearly all seats in parliament. Voter turnout was one of the lowest in the country ever, at only 21 percent.
However, general strikes across Bangladesh forced the BNP to hand power to a caretaker government just 12 days after the vote. In March, a requirement that a neutral caretaker government must oversee all future general elections was written into the constitution.
More elections were held on June 12. There was a much better turnout of 75 percent, and voting was widely seen as free. Hasina won her first term as prime minister, with the Awami League securing 146 parliamentary seats, just ahead of the BNP, which won 116 seats.
Another caretaker government oversaw the next general election in October 2001. This time, the opposition BNP surged in popularity and won 193 parliament seats, ahead of the ruling Awami League, which secured 62 seats.
The elections were mostly peaceful, although there were some reports of violence towards the country’s minority Hindu population. Khaleda Zia of the BNP was able to form a government for a second time.
A dispute erupted between the ruling BNP, opposition Awami League, and other major players over who would lead the next caretaker government ahead of the January 2007 elections.
Riots broke out after the BNP named a retired chief justice with ties to then-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
The BNP-appointed president, Iajuddin Ahmed, ultimately declared himself leader of the caretaker government after no consensus was reached.
In December, revelations that fake names had been included on the list of candidates sparked riots. Thousands of protesters blockaded the transport system and shut down schools and offices. The country descended into a political crisis that would last for several months.
Ahmed declared a national emergency, allowing the military to intervene. In protest, the Awami League withdrew from the planned elections. The elections failed to be held.
The delayed election eventually took place on December 29, 2008, with an 80 percent turnout – the highest the country had ever seen. It was also largely seen as fair.
The Awami League, led by Hasina, allied with several other opposition groups to form the Grand Alliance. The coalition ended up winning a majority of 230 seats. The BNP took just 30 seats. A new government was formed in January 2009. Hasina returned to power for the second time.
Hasina’s Awami League government was highly critical of the military intervention that had delayed the 2009 election.
Upon her return to power, she moved to amend the constitution to get rid of the caretaker government requirement. However, the BNP boycotted a June 2011 parliamentary session where lawmakers voted on the amendment. The amendment to the constitution was passed by parliament by a vote of 291 to 1.
Hasina’s government also began to crack down on opposition leaders. Ahead of elections slated for January 5, 2014, opposition BNP leader Khaleda Zia was placed under house arrest, and there were widespread reports of violence against other opposition members. On election day, the BNP and its supporters refused to participate.
Hasina’s Awami League, therefore, won the elections again, securing 234 seats in parliament, in a vote widely panned — in Bangladesh and internationally — as illegitimate.
The next general election was held on December 30, 2018, amid major technological upgrades. For the first time, voters could participate in electronic voting.
However, the BNP and other opposition parties accused the ruling Awami League-Jatiya Party coalition of rigging, despite the upgrades. There were again reports of violence against opposition BNP members and the party’s supporters, as well as allegations of vote rigging.
The Awami League government had also banned the Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamic party and a BNP ally at the time. Several Jamaat leaders were executed after convictions by a Hasina-appointed tribunal for alleged war crimes in 1971.
The government also shut down mobile internet ahead of the vote to stop the spread of fake news, it claimed. Khaleda Zia of BNP was outright barred from running after she was convicted and handed a 17-year jail term in a corruption case. The BNP maintained that the trial was politically motivated. Zia was acquitted after Hasina’s ousting.
The Awami League-Jatiya Party alliance won a supermajority – more than 90 percent of parliamentary seats. The elections were broadly seen as a sham.
The last election to be held under Hasina’s administration was on January 7, 2024.
Hasina continued to crack down on opposition politicians and was largely seen to have near-total influence over the electoral commission that had been established in 1972.
The opposition BNP boycotted the elections, and the Jamaat was still under a ban, paving the way for Hasina to win her fifth term in office and cement her government’s position as the longest-serving administration in Bangladesh’s history. Bangladesh had effectively become a one-party state again.
In July, mass protests led by students broke out after the Supreme Court restored a job quota system that had prioritised the descendants of the country’s liberation activists. The 46-year-old law had initially been struck down in 2018, following student-led protests. Its reinstatement pushed thousands of students back onto the streets in what is now called the July Revolution.
However, the protests turned deadly when Hasina’s government responded violently. Security officials massacred demonstrators in the streets, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 people.
On August 5, Hasina resigned and fled the country to India.
On August 8, Muhammad Yunus, a globally recognised economist and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, took over as the interim leader.
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SAN FRANCISCO – The assumption before the season was that the Seattle Seahawks would be on the outside looking in at the Super Bowl, but just about everyone was wrong.
The team’s offseason included a major overhaul, trading away Geno Smith, signing Sam Darnold and even letting DK Metcalf go to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Those moves turned out to be for the better because they clinched the NFC’s top seed with a 14-3 record and are now one win away from their first title in 12 years.
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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is tackled by Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter in an NFC divisional playoff game at Lumen Field Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (Harry How/Getty Images)
The Seahawks dismantled their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in Week 18 to clinch the top seed and then did so again two weeks later in the divisional round.
“They’re a hell of a team. You know, they beat us in both those games. They definitely had our number in both those games. We had to play better, we needed to limit our mistakes,” Christian McCaffrey told Fox News Digital on Radio Row.
“They’re a really well-coached team. Obviously, they got talent across the board, their defense is good, Sam leading the offense with Klint Kubiak,” added Brock Purdy.
“They’ve done a really good job, man. They’ve earned it. They’re a team that we have to obviously be ready for every single week or every time we play them. Across the board, a really good team.”
Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers is pressured by DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter in an NFC divisional playoff game at Lumen Field Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY REFLECTS ON 2025 SUCCESS AFTER INJURY-PLAGUED 2024 SEASON: ‘JUST THANK GOD’
McCaffrey, though, said the Niners weren’t exactly given the benefit of the doubt against the juggernaut with some schedule craziness.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but the NFL did put us on three short weeks at the end of a season when we had a Week 14 bye. So, they didn’t do us any favors in that,” McCaffrey said. “When you have so many injuries, and you’re kind of decimated already, and then you put a team like that on short weeks, it makes it more challenging.
“But, at the same time, those guys beat us. They beat us in every facet of the game. And if we want to win, we got to play better. Simple as that.”
Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards while catching 119 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Darnold also became the only quarterback to win 14 or more games for two different teams in back-to-back seasons.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks in action during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium Jan. 3, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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They’ll face the New England Patriots at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, which McCaffrey and Purdy call home, Sunday.
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Indirect talks between Iran and the US on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme ended on Friday with a broad agreement to maintain a diplomatic path, possibly with further talks in the coming days, according to statements from Iran and the Omani hosts.
The relieved Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the eight hours of meetings as a “good start” conducted in a good atmosphere. He added that the continuance of talks depended on consultations in Washington and Tehran, but said Iran had underlined that any dialogue required refraining from threats.
Donald Trump described the talks as “very good” and said that another meeting would be held early next week. But the US president, speaking aboard Air Force One, also warned: “If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep.”
The talks were the first to be held between Iran and the US since Washington and Israel launched devastating military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and political leadership last June.
Trump has in recent weeks assembled a large fleet in the region built around the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group, after telling Iranian protesters in January that “help is on the way” during large-scale anti-government demonstrations.
Iran, which has experienced intense internal unrest in which thousands of protesters have been killed in a bloody crackdown, had insisted that the talks be confined to guarantees about the civilian purpose of its nuclear programme, and not extend to human rights, its missiles, or support for proxy groups in the region including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. “Our talks are solely nuclear and we do not discuss any other issues with the Americans,” Araghchi said.
The indirect talks in Muscat were mediated by Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, in separate talks between the two sides. The US team was led by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The US Centcom commander, Adm Brad Cooper, was also present, underlining how Trump has made US military leverage a central part of his diplomatic armoury.
Al-Busaidi said in a statement: “These consultations focused on creating suitable conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations emphasising the importance of these talks and parties’ determination to succeed in achieving lasting security and stability.”
Trust between Iran and the US has been minimal since the US backed the launch of Israeli military strikes on Iran only days before the two sides were due to meet for a sixth round of talks last June.
“After eight turbulent months during which we went through a war, resuming a process of dialogue is not simple,” Araghchi said. “The deep mistrust that has developed on top of previous mistrust is a serious challenge. First we must overcome the prevailing atmosphere of distrust … If this trend continues, I think we can reach a good framework for an agreement”.
Washington wanted to expand the talks to cover Iran’s ballistic missiles, support for armed groups in the region and “treatment of their own people” – as the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said on Wednesday. But, after days of speculation, Iranian negotiators were satisfied that only the nuclear dispute would be discussed, at least initially.
Iran is seeking assurances that the US is not using the talks as a smokescreen to impose regime change.
Before the talks, Tehran said the US had to drop its request for the negotiations to be held in Turkey in the presence of foreign ministers from Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Iran says its right to enrich uranium on Iranian soil – a right it was granted in the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by Barack Obama – is not negotiable. The best source of compromise is that Iran agrees to suspend plans to enrich uranium for a fixed number of years, and a regional consortium is formed that enriches uranium, taking the region closer to an integrated civil nuclear programme.
Iran is also seeking sanctions relief in return for a new inspections regime at its nuclear sites. The value of the rial against the dollar has halved since the Israeli attacks in June, and Iran’s plummeting standard of living, made worse by runaway food inflation close to more than 100%, was the spark for the demonstrations that broke out in late December.
The talks were meanwhile being held against the backdrop of repeated warnings by Trump that he will strike Iran militarily from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group if no progress is made. The US has been building up its naval presence in the region after the Iranian government crackdown on protests, heightening tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Tehran has said it will not hesitate to attack Israel or US military bases in the region if it is attacked. Washington last month held back from attacking Iran partly because Israel and the US military did not feel they were fully prepared to withstand the likely Iranian reprisals.