Paraguay's senate on February 15 expelled one of the few opposition voices in national politics, sparking protests in the capital Asuncion and concerns over the fragile state of the country's democracy.

Senator Kattya Gonzalez from the center-left National Meeting Party was dismissed from her position during an extraordinary session on February 14 for the "misuse of influence" while in office.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on February 15 that he planned to sign into law a National Health Insurance bill that aims to provide universal health coverage to South Africans, although he did not give a time frame.

The bill, which will be implemented in stages at a cost of billions of dollars, is waiting for Ramaphosa's approval after it was passed by lawmakers last year. "It is a matter of time," he told journalists in Cape Town, without providing further details.

As people around the world mark Valentine’s Day with flowers and chocolate, Kenyan women are mourning. Hundreds of them donned black outfits and held lit candles and red roses at a vigil in honour of more than 30 women who have been murdered in the country in 2024.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said on February 12 that he was deeply concerned about reports of bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Khan posted on X after airstrikes in the city that is the last refuge of about a million displaced civilians. The prosecutor said the court was "actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed" in Gaza and that "those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable."

France has announced sanctions against 28 Israeli settlers whom it accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.

The 28 individuals would be banned from entering France, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said on February 13. “These measures come as violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population has increased in recent months. France reaffirms its firm condemnation of this unacceptable violence,” the ministry said in a statement.

Thousands of protesters have blocked highways and started a daylong strike to demonstrate against the results of last week’s general election in Pakistan. The demonstrations on February 12 follow the announcement of the final results from the February 8 vote, with tensions high amid claims of vote rigging and tampering, and intense uncertainty over the formation of the next government.

Police have confiscated former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s passport and accused him of editing a draft decree to overturn election results, pressuring military chiefs to join a coup attempt and plotting to jail a Supreme Court justice.

The February 8 operation included search warrants against four ex-ministers and the arrest of several former aides. Bolsonaro’s inner circle is under investigation for allegedly plotting a military coup after his electoral loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2022.

Ethiopian government troops went door-to-door killing dozens of civilians last month in a town in the country’s Amhara region, according to residents, who said the bloodshed took place after clashes with local militia.

The killings in Merawi appear to be one of the deadliest episodes in Amhara since a rebellion by Fano, an armed Amhara group, erupted last year over a disputed plan to disarm regional forces.

At least 700,000 children in Sudan are likely to suffer from the worst form of malnutrition this year, and tens of thousands could die, the United Nations children’s agency has warned.

“UNICEF won’t be able to treat more than 300,000 of those without improved access and without additional support. In that case, tens of thousands would likely die,” James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, told a press conference in Geneva on February 9.