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Cuba’s fuel shortage prompts garbage crisis, Cyclone in Madagascar kills dozens, China set for Lunar New Year travel, Israel issues Hamas disarmament deadline

​A man throws trash on a street in downtown Havana, Cuba, February 16, 2026.

A man throws trash on a street in downtown Havana, Cuba, February 16, 2026.

REUTERS/Norlys Perez
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41.5%: The proportion of Havana’s garbage trucks that were operational this month, according to state-run media, as Cuba’s fuel crisis prompts a garbage crisis. Rotten food, cardboard boxes, and plastic bottles have been piling up on the streets. Just 44 of 106 garbage trucks were functioning.

59: The number of people who have died in Madagascar due to Cyclone Gezani, which hit the island nation last week. Another 15 remain missing, while over 16,000 people have been displaced. The cyclone had sustained winds of 115 miles per hour.

9.5 billion: The record number of passenger trips that are expected across China during the Lunar New Year holiday to usher in the Year of the Horse. The Chinese government is hoping the holiday will boost domestic spending, which it identified as a priority for the year ahead.

60: The number of days that Israel gave Hamas to disarm in an ultimatum issued yesterday. As expected, the militant group rejected those demands, which is a critical facet of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

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