Gaza doctor describes ordeal of detention (www.reuters.com)
Police fire tear gas on Dakar protest following Senegal's postponed presidential vote (www.france24.com)
Opposition party supporters and police clashed in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Sunday after President Macky Sall announced the indefinite postponement of a presidential election set for February 25, sparking a wave of international concern....
Hamas shows signs of return in Gaza City after Israel withdraws of its most troops from area (www.pbs.org)
[New Zealand] Nearly 1000 fur seals found dead in Kaikōura in five months (www.rnz.co.nz)
Nearly 1000 fur seals have died along the Kaikōura coastline in the past five months, and scientists say it is a result of warmer sea temperatures and depleted fish stocks....
[Ukraine] Latest defense corruption case goes after officials allegedly tied to deadly ammunition shortage (kyivindependent.com)
It would have been an ordinary Ukrainian story: Officials and their associates accused of embezzling money on procurements and using procedural trickery to avoid criminal charges....
Hamas set to reject Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, demand more prisoners - report (m.jpost.com)
Hamas is set to reject on Sunday evening the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal proposed in Paris last week, Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya reported....
Canada to sanction West Bank settlers and Hamas leaders (www.reuters.com)
OTTAWA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Canada will impose sanctions on Israeli settlers who incite violence in the West Bank and introduce new sanctions on Hamas leaders, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Sunday, after the United States took similar action last week....
With ECOWAS exit, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger leave democratic transition in limbo (www.france24.com)
The announcement that Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) “without delay” has put an abrupt end to fractious talks on organising elections and reinstating civilian rule. With their emphasis on restoring “national sovereignty” and driving out terrorist...
Hamas rushes to try and rebuild influence in northern Gaza (www.ynetnews.com)
Ukraine war: No more easy deals for Russian convicts freed to fight (www.bbc.com)
Chinese turn U.S. embassy post into 'Wailing Wall' for stock plunge - Reuters (news.yahoo.com)
BEIJING (Reuters) - Many Chinese are venting their frustration at the slowing economy and the weak stock market in an unconventional place: the social media account of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing....
Humans are living longer than ever no matter where they come from (arstechnica.com)
Kosovo's block on the Serbian currency raises alarm in the EU and US (apnews.com)
The European Union and the United States expressed their deep concern Sunday after Kosovo banned the use of the Serbian currency and police raided the premises of organizations working with the Serb minority in the north of the country....
India's moment has arrived — but many hurdles remain (www.businessinsider.com)
India’s economy is expected to expand by 6.5% this year, according to IMF forecasts....
Senegal election: Concerns grow as President Macky Sall fails to set new election date (www.bbc.com)
There is international concern about the political situation in Senegal after President Macky Sall called off this month’s election citing a row over the eligibility of candidates....
Putin goes after scientists behind "unique" hypersonic missiles (www.newsweek.com)
The French farmers’ protests are more complex than they seem (www.vox.com)
Farmers’ frustration over French and EU regulations are a new dimension in a longstanding problem....
Russia says 28 people killed by Ukrainian shelling of bakery (www.reuters.com)
Hamas hounds Israeli forces in main Gaza cities (www.reuters.com)
Palestinian gunmen kept up attacks against Israeli forces on Sunday in the Gaza Strip’s two main cities, weeks after they were overrun by troops and tanks, in a sign Hamas still maintains some control ahead of any potential truce....
Ukraine appears to be attacking Russia's oil-and-gas industry with small, cheap drones that can bypass its air defenses (www.businessinsider.com)
Oil and gas facilities in Russia have caught fire in recent weeks following suspected drone attacks....
Uproar as Poonam Pandey’s ‘death’ from cancer revealed as publicity stunt (www.independent.co.uk)
Actor and model is being condemned for the stunt, which has been branded ‘insensitive’ and ‘morally reprehensible’ by her followers and medical professionals...
The Paris Olympics Promise to Be Stunning. The Prices Already Are. (www.nytimes.com)
Want a prime spot to watch 10,000 athletes float by on the Seine or to catch beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower? Get ready for sticker shock....
Australia's closest neighbour in 'early talks' with China on security deal (www.sbs.com.au)
"We deal with China at this stage only at economic and trade level. They are one of our biggest trading partners, but they have offered to assist our policing and security on the internal security side," Tkachenko said on Monday.
‘Incredibly rare’ discovery reveals bedbugs came to Britain with the Romans (www.theguardian.com)
Archaeologists find remains of insects that ‘hitchhiked’ here nearly 2,000 years ago...
China Introduces Strict Rules In Xinjiang On Islam, Other Religions (www.rferl.org)
In a move set to tighten government control over practicing religion in China’s western Xinjiang Province, the Muslim-majority region will introduce a set of regulations that – among other things – will require all new places of worship to reflect “Chinese characteristics and style.”...
