Israel frees two hostages, Gaza officials say 67 killed in assault
Israel freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah on Feb 12 in a ferocious rescue operation which killed 67 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments.
The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit, freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct 7 raid by Hamas militants that triggered Israel’s war on Gaza.
More than four months on, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble.
Russia gaining upper hand in Ukraine: Norway intel
Russia is gaining the advantage in the war in Ukraine owing to a greater number of troops and materiel supplied by China, North Korea and other countries, Norway’s intelligence service warned on Feb 12.
Presenting its annual risk report along with other Norwegian security services, the head of the military intelligence unit Nils Andreas Stensones said Kyiv would need “extensive” Western military aide to turn the situation around.
“In this war, Russia is currently in a stronger position than it was a year ago and is in the process of gaining the advantage,” Stensones told reporters.
Decades-old mass grave unearthed in Afghanistan: Taliban officials
A mass grave containing around 100 bodies believed to date from Afghanistan’s Soviet-backed government era has been discovered in the country’s eastern Khost province, local officials said on Feb 12.
The grave was found Feb 11 during construction of a small dam in the Sarbani area of central Khost, mayor Bismillah Bilal said.
“According to the initial information, these people were buried here after being killed in 1358“ in the Afghan calendar, corresponding to April 1979 to March 1980, he told AFP.
Swiss police probe anti-Semitic ‘discrimination’ at Davos ski station
Swiss police on Feb 12 said they had launched an investigation after reports that a ski station in the Alpine resort of Davos was refusing to rent sports equipment to Jewish people.
The 20minuten newspaper published a picture of a sign put up at the plush Pischa station above Davos, the resort known for hosting the annual World Economic Forum gathering of the globe’s business and political elites.
The sign, in Hebrew, said that due to various troubling incidents, “including the theft of a sled, we no longer rent sports equipment to our Jewish brothers”.
Disappointed Peaty settles for bronze in 100m breaststroke
Briton Adam Peaty’s hopes of a confidence-boosting win in the 100 metres breaststroke were dashed on Feb 12 as the Olympic champion was forced to settle for bronze behind American winner Nic Fink at the World Championships.
On the comeback trail after taking a mental health break last year, world record holder Peaty qualified fastest for the final at the Aspire Dome with a time of 58.60 seconds but was half a second slower with the title on the line.
Veteran Fink, meanwhile, bravely fended off Peaty and Italian runner-up Nicolo Martinenghi to win in 58.57.
