Seven killed in Pakistan police ambush amid tensions with Afghanistan
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in ...
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa was declared the official winner of the presidential election on Monday, with his opponent, leftist Luisa Gonzalez, demanding a recount despite a gap of over one million votes.
Noboa received 55.65% of the vote, while Gonzalez trailed with 44.35%. The election result was seen as a decisive victory for Noboa, who had led the race by more than 1 million votes. Despite Gonzalez's call for a recount, early signs indicated that support within her own party for a recount was fracturing, with key figures acknowledging Noboa's victory.
Gonzalez labeled the results as "grotesque" and accused the election of being fraudulent, but she did not immediately call for protests or provide specifics on the recount request. By Monday morning, only 1.25% of ballots remained to be counted, with minimal irregularities reported.
Noboa, who narrowly won the first round of voting in February, received recognition from prominent opposition figures, including Aquiles Alvarez, the mayor of Guayaquil, who said, “If the people elected him, we must respect it. Whether we like it or not, the people voted democratically.”
The outcome was also welcomed by key members of the opposition, such as Leonardo Orlando, the prefect of Manabi province, who congratulated Noboa on social media. This response was seen as a shift from earlier accusations of election fraud.
Noboa's victory saw an immediate positive reaction in financial markets, with Ecuador's international bonds rising by 12 to 15 cents on Monday. The president's platform, which focused on security measures, economic handouts, and support for flood victims, resonated with voters in coastal provinces, which had suffered significantly from violence.
Noboa, who has been in office for over 16 months, has pledged to continue his focus on military security, job creation, drug and gun seizures, and attracting private investment to the oil sector. He has also cited improvements in security, such as a 15% reduction in violent deaths in the previous year, and forecasted 4% economic growth for 2025.
The president’s victory is seen as an opportunity for national reconciliation, with Noboa's government pledging to bridge divides within the National Assembly, where his National Democratic Action Party holds one fewer seat than the opposition Citizens' Revolution party.
Noboa's term officially begins in May, and he will need to deliver on promises of security and economic reform to maintain public support. The government has also imposed a 60-day state of emergency in Quito and other regions to curb unrest following the election.
The Organization of American States (OAS) affirmed that the election process was consistent with international standards, with Secretary General Luis Almagro praising the conduct of the vote.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
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