The biggest development of the day came from a prison just 100 km west of Moscow when reports emerged that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most vocal critic Alexei Navalny had died. Reactions poured in from across the world as leaders pointed fingers at Putin for alleged role in Navalny’s death. In West Asia, the war continues to rage between Israel and Hamas while consequent tensions in the Red Sea also continue to persist in the region. 

Jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has died in prison, Russian state media reported while citing the prison authority of Yamalo-Nenets region where Navalny was serving a 19-year sentence. Navalny, aged 47, became the biggest anti-establishment figure in Russia in recent years due to his staunch criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a potential step forward toward the recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty, India and Taiwan on Friday (Feb 16) signed a significant agreement paving the way for the arrival of Indian migrant workers on the self-ruled island nation which China claims as its own.

Five patients on Friday (Feb 16) died of the lack of medical oxygen at a Gaza hospital that was raided by Israeli authorities earlier this week, the Hamas-run health ministry in the blockaded Palestinian enclave said. 

During the celebratory rally for the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory in the US, tragedy struck as one person was killed and 22 others injured in a shooting incident near Kansas City’s Union Station on Thursday (Feb 15). Police swiftly took into custody three individuals in connection with the attack.

Amid fears of a ground invasion by Rafah by Israel as its war with Hamas rages on, Egypt has reportedly started constructing a wall in the Sinai Desert near Gaza in an effort to prevent a significant influx of Palestinian refugees, Wall Street Journal reported on Friday (Feb 16).

The US military recently conducted a cyberattack against an alleged ‘Iranian spy ship’ which had been operating near the Chinese military base in Djibouti. The ship, named the MV Behshad, had allegedly been collecting information on cargo vessels in the Red Sea and communicating the same to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

In another blow to Donald Trump, who is vying to reclaim the top government post in the world’s biggest economy, a judge on Thursday (Feb 15) ruled that the New York ‘hush money’ trial will begin on March 25. Judge Juan Merchan denied the former US president’s motion to dismiss the case related to 2016 hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. 

It was a monumental day for India’s Ravichandran Ashwin after the veteran spinner scalped his 500th Test wicket against England on Day 2 of the Rajkot Test on Friday (Feb 16). Ashwin, playing in his 98th Test match achieved the feat when he got the better of Zak Crawley in the 14th over and became just the second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble to reach the 500-wicket mark. Kumble would later praise the Indian star when he shared his thoughts while on broadcast duties.

A woman has accused French screen legend Gerard Depardieu of allegedly sexually assaulting her during a 2014 film shoot, according to the police complaint and a newspaper report.