Photos: Bangladeshis turn out for historic election after Hasina’s downfall
Tens of millions of voters participate in crucial vote that could reshape Bangladesh’s political and economic future.
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Houthi supporters gather for a demonstration in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, rallying against Israel and showing solidarity with Palestinians. [Ahmed Mohammed/AFP]
Thousands of mourners gathered in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday to bid farewell to victims of Friday's catastrophic suicide bombing at a Shia mosque. The community assembled for funeral prayers, arranging coffins as they mourned the attack that killed at least 32 worshippers and wounded 170 others. [Anjum Naveed/AP Photo]
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha. Addressing the 17th Al Jazeera Forum on February 7, 2026 — a three-day conference analysing Middle East geopolitical shifts — Araghchi criticised what he described as a "doctrine of domination" enabling Israel to enhance its military capacity while advocating for regional disarmament of other nations. His comments coincided with Iran's latest nuclear discussions with the United States, following the breakdown of earlier talks when Israel initiated an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran last June, leading to a 12-day conflict. [Handout/Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Reuters]
Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid destroyed and heavily damaged buildings in the Muqusi area of Gaza City. According to the Ministry of Health, Israeli forces have killed at least 576 Palestinians and wounded 1,543 in Gaza since the October 10 "ceasefire". The ministry reports that the total death toll during Israel's genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, has reached 72,027, with 171,651 people injured. [Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]
Syrian government forces have entered the northeastern city of Qamishli, a key Kurdish-majority stronghold of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), following a ceasefire agreement. Military vehicles were seen driving along city roads as troops moved in. The deal ends weeks of escalating tensions and armed clashes with advancing government forces, establishing a framework for the SDF's integration into Syria's state institutions. [Bakr Alkasem/AFP]
Thousands gathered in the town of Bani Walid to mourn at the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent surviving son of Libya's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, following his assassination on Tuesday. [Khaled Suleiman/Reuters]
A resident stands amid the charred remnants and destroyed homes in Woro, Kwara State, after an attack that killed nearly 200 people across Nigeria's Kwara and Katsina states. This marks the deadliest outbreak of violence the region has experienced in months. These attacks unfold against the backdrop of Nigeria's escalating security crisis, fuelled by armed rebellion activity and criminal gangs. [Light Oriye Tamunotonye/AFP]
Smoke billows from the aftermath of an Israeli air raid on a building in the southern Lebanese village of Ain Qana. On February 2, Israel's military conducted air raids across multiple locations in southern Lebanon after announcing planned attacks on Hezbollah targets and issuing evacuation warnings for buildings in two villages. Although a November 2024 truce aimed to halt more than a year of hostilities, including two months of full-scale war between Israel and the Iran-backed group, Israel has continued with regular strikes on Lebanon while maintaining troops in five areas it considers strategically important. [Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP]
A displaced Sudanese woman carries plastic water containers at the Abu al-Naga displacement camp in Gadarif state, approximately 420km east of the capital, Khartoum. On February 5, United Nations-backed experts warned that famine is spreading throughout Sudan's western Darfur region, as the ongoing war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left millions hungry, displaced, and without access to humanitarian assistance. Since April 2023, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 11 million, and created what the UN describes as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. [AFP]
Amid plummeting temperatures, workers restore damaged sections of Kyiv's Darnytska combined heat and power plant following Russian air attacks. These recent attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure have left millions without electricity, heat and water amid freezing temperatures, plunging the war-torn nation into a new humanitarian crisis. [Roman Pilipey/AFP]
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Palestinian women, coming from the Rafah crossing with Egypt, hug as they arrive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. [Bashar Taleb / AFP]
Returnees are welcomed by relatives after they arrive at Nasser Hospital after a group of Palestinians was allowed into Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing in Khan Younis. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Amani Abu Talha and her six children arrive in a bus at Nasser Hospital after a group of Palestinians was allowed into Gaza from Egypt. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Palestinians long-separated from their loved ones shed tears of joy after the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt allowed a handful to finally return to the war-shattered territory. [Bashar Taleb/AFP]
Some 50 Palestinians had been expected to enter the enclave on Monday, but by nightfall, only 12 – three women and nine children – had been allowed through the reopened crossing by Israeli authorities, Reuters said, citing Palestinian and Egyptian sources. [Bashar Taleb/AFP]
Amani Omran is welcomed by relatives as she arrives at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Rotana al-Regeb, who was allowed into Gaza from Egypt following the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing, reunites with her children in Khan Younis. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
On Tuesday, just 16 more Palestinian patients were allowed to cross into Egypt via Rafah, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, reporting from Khan Younis. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
The numbers being allowed to cross at Rafah are far below the 50 Palestinians who Israeli officials said would be allowed to travel in each direction via the crossing every day, Khoudary said. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
Jubilant crowds filmed on their phones as they flocked around a bus carrying returnees to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis late in the night. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
“There is no explanation as to why crossings are being delayed at Rafah,” Khoudary said. “The process is taking an extremely long time.”
[Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
“There are about 20,000 people waiting [in Gaza] for urgent medical attention abroad,” Khoudary added. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]
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People watch as smoke billows from a fire that broke out in Tehran’s Jannat Abad market. [Atta Kenare/AFP]
Firefighters battle the fire that broke out in Tehran. [Atta Kenare/AFP]
The fire erupted at a market in the Jannat Abad neighbourhood in the western part of the city. [Atta Kenare/AFP]
Firefighters work at the scene of the fire. [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
State television said firefighters were dispatched to the site immediately to contain the blaze. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]
Firefighters work to extinguish the fire at the market in western Tehran. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]
The fire has 'so far resulted in no injuries', Tehran emergency services operations commander Mohammad Behnia said. [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, blanketing the surrounding area. [Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
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Syrian forces before entering Hasakah to implement an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to stabilise a ceasefire, in Wadi al-Raml, eastern Syria. [Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo]
Syrian army personnel stand at a checkpoint in the town of Sarin, where government forces were already present, as additional units move towards Hasakah. [Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo]
SDF fighters stand along the road as vehicles carrying a contingent of Syria's Interior Ministry forces arrive in Hasakah. [Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo]
Government forces were also expected to enter the cities of Kobane and Qamishli. [Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo]
The SDF reached a comprehensive agreement with the government on Friday to integrate with the army after Kurdish-led forces ceded territory to advancing government troops in recent weeks, following months of tensions and sporadic clashes. [Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo]
SDF fighters, left and right, stand along the road as vehicles carrying a contingent of Interior Ministry forces arrive in Hasakah. [Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo]
A man rides his motorcycle past the wall of a US military base bearing graffiti in Arabic that reads, "Syria is more beautiful, no Assad, no SDF", and in yellow, "Al-Shaddadi without SDF terrorism", near Shaddadi village in Hasakah province. [Ghaith Alsayed/AP Photo]
Government forces are expected to be stationed in state buildings in Hasakah’s so-called “security zone”, a Syrian official and a Kurdish security source told Reuters before the deployment. [Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo]
Female fighters of the SDF look on as a contingent of Interior Ministry security forces arrives in Hasakah. [Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo]
Marwan al-Ali, head of internal security for the Syrian government, centre-left, and members of his team with members of internal security forces affiliated with the SDF in Hasakah. [Baderkhan Ahmad/AP Photo]
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A firefighter battles a forest fire raging through the mountainous terrain of Epuyen, a remote area in Chubut province in Argentina's Patagonia region. [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
The largest fires are ravaging southern Chubut province, where at least 450sq km (175sq miles) of forest have been consumed by flames since mid-January. [Gonzalo Keogan/AFP]
Hundreds of firefighters are battling to contain the blazes before they reach populated areas. [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
The wildfires are among the most severe to strike the drought-stricken Patagonia region in decades, compelling thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate. [Gonzalo Keogan/AFP]
The crisis, unfolding with the bulk of Argentina's fire season yet to come, has rekindled public outrage towards libertarian President Javier Milei. His severe austerity measures over the past two years have drastically reduced funding for programmes and agencies that combat fires, protect parks, and prevent blazes from igniting and spreading. [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
"There has been a political decision to dismantle firefighting institutions," says Luis Schinelli, one of just 16 park rangers responsible for protecting the 2,590sq km (1,000sq miles) of Los Alerces National Park. "Teams are stretched beyond their limits." [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
When lightning ignited a small fire near a lake in the remote northern reaches of Los Alerces in early December, firefighters faced significant challenges in their response. The isolated location severely hampered access while a shortage of aircraft prevented them from transporting crews and effectively extinguishing the hillside flames. [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
A 2023 National Park Administration report recommended deploying at least 700 firefighters to adequately protect lands under its jurisdiction. Currently, the agency employs 391 firefighters, having lost 10 percent of its workforce through layoffs and resignations during Milei's two years in office. [Gonzalo Keogan/AFP]
Budget cuts to the National Fire Management Service have reduced both training capacity and available equipment, according to firefighters, forcing many to depend on secondhand protective suits and donated gear. [Gonzalo Keogan/AFP]
Officials at Los Alerces emphasised that funding constraints have been a persistent challenge regardless of which administration is in power though they firmly maintained that sufficient resources were available to combat the fire. [Tomas Cuesta/AFP]
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Smoke and fire engulf the Gath shelter for displaced Palestinians during an Israeli air strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 31, 2026. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, Israeli air strikes that day killed 11 people across the territory, including Palestinians seeking refuge in a tent in the southern region. [Bashar Taleb/AFP]
Jammu and Kashmir Special Operations Group personnel interrogate local residents during door-to-door searches before India's Republic Day celebrations in Srinagar in India-administered Kashmir. [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
Farmers march through Valladolid, Spain, accompanied by tractors to protest the EU-Mercosur trade deal and mounting economic challenges confronting the agricultural sector. [Cesar Manso/AFP]
Afghan men find an elevated vantage point to watch horsemen vie in Buzkashi, a traditional Central Asian sport, in the Jurm district of Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. [Omer Abrar/AFP]
A landslide in Pasirlangu village in Cisarua district of Indonesia's West Java province killed 16 people, and about 80 people remain missing. [Timur Matahari/AFP]
Inmates are confined to their cells during a visit by Chilean President-elect Jose Antonio Kast to the Terrorism Confinement Centre mega-prison in Tecoluca, El Salvador. The facility is Latin America's largest prison and has become a symbol of President Nayib Bukele's anti-gangs operations. [Oscar Rivera/AFP]
A groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction for a regional development policy project in Unnyul County of South Hwanghae province in North Korea. [Handout: KCNA/KNS via AFP]
Cuban soldiers in Havana participate in a torchlight march commemorating the 173rd anniversary of the birth of Cuban independence leader Jose Marti and opposing US threats against the Caribbean island. [Adalberto Roque/AFP]
Rescue workers clear the rubble of a residential building hit in a Russian strike in the southern Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukraine. [Michael Shtekel/AP Photo]
Family members grieve at a hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, over the loss of a relative killed during an assault by Baloch separatists. Officials reported that on January 31, 2026, ethnic Baloch separatists conducted coordinated attacks throughout Balochistan province, killing nearly 200 people. [Adnan Ahmed/AFP]
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People who fled Tirah, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amid fears of an imminent military operation against the Pakistan Taliban, wait their turn outside a registration centre in Bara, in northwestern Pakistan's Khyber district [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
Vehicles laden with possessions of families who evacuated from Tirah, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
Government workers get information from people who fled from Tirah. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
People wait for their turn outside a registration centre in Bara, a town of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber district. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
People who fled from Tirah travel towards a registration centre in Bara. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
A government worker gets a thumb impression of a person in Bara, a town of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber district. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
People from a Sikh community wait for their turn outside a registration centre in Bara. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
People who fled from Tirah amid uncertainty over a military operation against the Pakistan Taliban stand beside vehicles loaded with belongings, as they travel to a registration centre in Bara. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
Government workers get information from people at a registration centre in Bara. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
Vehicles loaded with belongings of families who fled from Tirah, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amid uncertainty over a military operation against the Pakistan Taliban, travel to a registration centre in Bara, a town of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber district. [Muhammad Sajjad/AP Photo]
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People clear snow in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. [Olga Fedorova/EPA]
People walk across Sixth Avenue in New York as the city is under a winter storm warning. [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
A worker clears snow from the street in Times Square in New York. [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people were found dead outdoors over the weekend in subzero temperatures. [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
Snow plows work to clear the runways at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. [Joseph Prezioso/AFP]
An airport crew ploughs snow during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [Matt Rourke/AP Photo]
Priyanka Gogia shovels snow from her driveway in Cincinnati, Ohio. [Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo]
A snow removal vehicle clears snow in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Washington, DC. Federal offices are closed on January 26, 2026. [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]
The US National Weather Service says Americans should expect similar conditions to continue into the morning of January 26, 2026. [Nick Oxford/Reuters]
Pedestrians cross the street along Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee. [George Walker IV/AP Photo]
Many Americans have been told to stay home and warnings have been issued for those who are travelling, including motorists on Interstate-20 in Dallas, Texas. [Julio Cortez/AP Photo]
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Riot police officers extinguish a fire outside the prime minister's office during antigovernment protest in Tirana. [Florion Goga/Reuters]
Protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at police as they responded with the use of tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]
A protester throws a tear gas canister back towards police lines. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]
Clashes erupted when groups of protesters marched towards the parliament, where they tried to break through police cordons. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]
At least 10 officers sustained minor injuries, a police statement said. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sali Berisha said 25 protesters were arrested. [Adnan Beci/AFP]
Albanian police take positions during the protest against the government in Tirana. [Malton Dibra/EPA]
Protesters raise their mobile phones during the rally. [Hameraldi Agolli/AP Photo]
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A police officer throws a can of tear gas at protesters gathered after a fatal shooting by federal agents on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. [Stephen Maturen/Getty Images via AFP]
Protesters take cover behind overturned rubbish containers as federal agents block a downtown street during clashes in Minneapolis. [Kerem Yucel/AFP]
Tensions rose again in Minneapolis after federal agents fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti. [Craig Lassig/EPA]
Federal officers fire tear gas canisters at protesters in Minneapolis. [Craig Lassig/EPA]
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the shooting "horrific" and demanded state authorities lead the investigation. [Brandon Bell/Getty Images via AFP]
Public outrage was also rekindled earlier this week by the detention of a five-year-old boy as federal agents sought to arrest his father. [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]
Police have appealed for calm from the public and from federal law enforcement. [Craig Lassig/EPA]
Alex Pretti was shot about a mile from the spot where an ICE officer killed 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7, an incident that led to widespread protests. [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]
Pretti's family released a statement on Saturday evening saying they are “heartbroken but also very angry” and calling him a kind-hearted soul who wanted to make a difference in the world through his work as a nurse. [Roberto Schmidt/AFP]
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