World Today: Taliban Says Pakistan Attacked Afghanistan, Dozens Injured
World Today returns with reports from several parts of the globe in this Monday, 23 February 2026 edition. Our lead story comes from Afghanistan.
Pakistan Attacks Afghanistan
Pakistan said it launched strikes against targets in Afghanistan after blaming a recent suicide bombing on militants based there.
The Taliban, which governs Afghanistan, said women and children were among dozens of people killed and wounded in Saturday’s attacks (22 February).
Their defence ministry vowed to retaliate.
The strikes marked a sharp escalation in tensions, coming just days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated effort.
Pakistan’s information ministry said on Saturday (22 February) that the strikes involved “selective, intelligence-based targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts.”
Tempo’s Revelation on the Figure Behind Prabowo’s ‘Gemoy’ Image
The name Lucian Despoiu became widely discussed online after Tempo published its report “Foreign Lobbyists Close to the President.”
The Tempo report detailed how Despoiu was the figure behind the ‘gemoy’ gimmick used by President Prabowo Subianto during the election campaign.
Citing Tempo, Despoiu was known to have been present at meetings chaired by Prabowo.
The report also stated that Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was among those who introduced Despoiu to Prabowo.
Man Shot Dead After Entering One of Trump’s Properties
United States Secret Service agents fatally shot a man who breached the security perimeter of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort whilst carrying a rifle and a fuel canister.
The Secret Service said the man was spotted at the Florida resort’s north gate at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time.
Trump was in Washington and was not at the property at the time.
The man involved in Sunday’s incident (22 February) was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Two US Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County deputy sheriff confronted the man and ordered him to drop both items.
Proposal to Penalise Australians Linked to ISIS
Australia’s federal opposition has proposed new criminal offences to punish those who assist Australian nationals with ISIS connections in returning to the country.
They accused the government of being indifferent to the potential return of 34 wives and children of former fighters.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has imposed a temporary block on one member of the group.
He said, however, that Australia’s security agency (ASIO) did not believe the other 33 individuals met the threshold for the same measure.