Former British ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson was arrested by London police on Monday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following revelations over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mandelson, 72, was fired from the most prestigious posting in Britain’s diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with Epstein started to become clear.
Police earlier this month began a criminal investigation into Mandelson after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government passed on communications between the former ambassador and Epstein.
“Officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement relating to an investigation into a former government minister. A separate statement later said the man had been released on bail, pending further investigation.
Earlier in the day, Mandelson was filmed leaving his central London home accompanied by plainclothes officers wearing body cameras, before being driven away in a car.
The arrest means police suspect a crime has been committed but does not imply any guilt.
There was no immediate response from Mandelson’s lawyers.
EMAILS SHOWED MANDELSON AND EPSTEIN CLOSER THAN THOUGHT
Emails between Mandelson and Epstein, released by the U.S. Department of Justice in late January, showed the two men had a closer relationship than had been publicly known, and Mandelson had shared information with the financier when he was a minister in former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government in 2009.
Mandelson, who this month resigned from Starmer’s Labour Party and quit his position in parliament’s upper chamber, has previously said he “very deeply” regretted his association with Epstein. But he has not commented publicly or responded to messages seeking comment on the latest revelations.
Mandelson’s homes in London and west England were searched by police earlier this month.
“He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and has been taken to a London police station for interview,” the police statement said.
“This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.”
Former British Ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson enters a vehicle outside a reported residence, after police launched a misconduct in public office investigation following the release of U.S. Justice Department files linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in London, Britain, February 14, 2026. REUTERS/Chris Ratcliffe Purchase Licensing Rights
PRESSURE GROWS ON STARMER OVER VETTING BEFORE APPOINTMENT
A conviction for misconduct in a public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and must be handled in a Crown Court, which only deals with the most serious criminal offences.
Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, is at the centre of a British political scandal that has forced the resignation of two senior government officials.
Starmer, who has faced calls to step down over Mandelson’s appointment, faces further scrutiny after parliament ordered the release of documents relating to his vetting. A minister said on Monday that the first documents should be published in early March.
MANDELSON HAD A DECADES-LONG CAREER IN UK POLITICS
Mandelson has had a turbulent, decades‑long career in British politics.
He came to prominence in the mid-to-late 1990s as one of the architects of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s New Labour project.
But Mandelson was forced to resign twice from the cabinet, first in 1998 for failing to disclose a home loan he had taken from a colleague, and second in 2001 after allegations that he had tried to influence a passport application.
As the accused couple climb down the stairs, they were heard calling the northeastern women “gutter-chaap” and saying that “northeastern people are shit”.
The three women have demanded a formal apology from the accused, saying that their remarks did not just hurt them but also the dignity of the northeastern community. (X/gharkekalesh)
Three women from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racial abuse and humiliation by their neighbours, who called them “dhandhewali” and said they were running “massage parlours”. This reportedly happened following a dispute over some repair work at their rented flat in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.
The video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing slurs and accusations flying across the room, with the three northeastern women defending themselves against a man and a woman.
Police said an FIR under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to outraging a woman’s modesty and promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, etc., has been registered against two people identified as Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain, PTI news agency reported.
An argument erupted over the falling of dust and debris onto the floor of Singh and his wife during some electrical repair work in the women’s fourth-floor flat at around 3:30 pm on February 20.
‘Dhandhewal’, ‘Momo’
The disagreement soon turned into an ugly fight full of derogatory remarks and racial slurs, targeting the women and the northeastern community.
“Are you sitting here to do business? Have you opened a massage parlour at home?” Ruby is heard asking.
A police officer, who was also present at the scene during the argument, is seen intervening and trying to pacify the two sides in the purported video.
As the northeastern women responded back to Singh and his wife, yelling and screaming for their innocence, Ruby tells them, “Custom officer ka beta hai vo. Politician hai uska baap. Tu kya? Aukaat hai teri aane ki vaha pe? (He’s the son of a customs officer. His father is a politician. What are you? Do you even have the status to be here?)
Ruby alleges that one of the women hit out at her husband, saying that he works at a massage parlour. She says, “Men don’t work at massage parlours here. He’s an educated man, mind your tongue.”
‘Why don’t you sleep with him?’
As the confrontation goes on, another one of the Arunachal women says, “Everyone heard what you said about my image. You made false allegations that I drink alcohol. Go check my room if you find anything there.”
The accused woman, Ruby, makes further offensive comments when she tells the northeastern women, “Why don’t you sleep with him? Go to my bedroom. You will find out how old he is. 35 is not old here.”
While yelling at the Arunachal women to “shut up”, Singh urges his wife to step back and not engage with them. As the accused couple climb down the stairs, they are heard calling the northeastern women “gutter-chaap” and saying that “northeastern people are shit”.
The issue has gone viral across social media, with the women demanding a formal apology from the accused, saying that their remarks did not just hurt them but also the dignity of the northeastern community.
Police said the FIR was registered at the Malviya Nagar police station under BNS sections 79 (word intended to insult a woman’s modesty), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 3(5) (common intention) and 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.). However, no arrests in the matter have been made so far.
Notably, Section 196 of the BNS, one of the charges against Singh and his wife, is a non-bailable and cognisable offense.
“No physical injuries were reported. However, the complainants have alleged mental harassment and humiliation,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by PTI.
What their advocates said
The women have expressed concerns over their safety and future accommodation, stating that they felt isolated and insulted in a city where they came to work and live.
Police said that further investigation into the matter is underway.
Advocate Reena Rai, representing the three women, said the incident shows the persistent racial prejudice faced by northeastern people in the national capital.
“As neighbours, they should have provided these women, who live far away from home, a sense of security. Instead, they harassed them and made filthy remarks,” said Rai, who hails from Sikkim.
“We are as much Indian as anyone else. Why are we treated like outsiders just because we are from the Northeast? We, too, have the right to live with equality and dignity,” she added.
Meanwhile, advocate Gaurav, representing the couple, said the two sides sat together to reach a compromise after the incident, adding that the matter is being unnecessarily exaggerated on social media.
The advocate defended his clients, saying that they were having dinner at the time of the incident and that Singh uttered something in the heat of the moment. Gaurav said that his client regrets the words he used. “It was my client who had called the PCR, and the police were present at the spot.
Ghana’s President Mahama has received the African Union’s backing in pushing the United Nations to recognize transatlantic slavery as the ‘gravest crime against humanity.’ But will the motion pass?
It’s thought that as many as 15 million people were forcibly transported – here commemorated on Senegal’s Goree IslandImage: picture alliance / AA
Ghanaian President John Mahama wants to push the proposal, which is supported by 40 African Union (AU) members, at the United Nations in March. He says the initiative is “firmly grounded in international law” and, together with the endorsement of the African Union, Ghana will formally table the resolution before the UN General Assembly.
The resolution is just the first step, Mahama said on the sidelines of the recently concluded AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. With wide support amongst AU nations, Mahama says the “truth about the story of the transatlantic slave trade must be told” and recognized as the “gravest crime against humanity.”
The ‘gravest crime’ in human history
There is broad historical consensus that the transatlantic slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries, which involved the kidnapping, enslavement and transport of millions of Africans to the Americas and the Caribbean, was one of the biggest tragedies in human history.
It’s estimated that over 400 years, 15 million men, women and children were forcibly transported. Other sources say 12 to 12.8 million were enslaved. About 10.7 million arrived in the Americas alive, while between 1.5 and 2 million died during the crossing, also known as the Middle Passage.
In Addis Ababa, Mahama said: “People jumped out of ships, who preferred to die. People who were too ill or sick and were thrown overboard to be eaten by sharks.”
Historical and legal validity
Kojo Asante from the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) told DW the crime “definitely” has “historical and legal validity.”
He says the transatlantic slave trade has significantly shaped affected nations to this day. African states have fought for recognition, or at least an apology, from former slave trading nations. For some governments, this has been a decades-long battle, Asante tells DW.
In Ghana, the subject has long been on the agenda. Mahama is not the first president to champion this initiative, says Asante: Nana Akufo-Addo, his predecessor, also championed reparations.
Next step: Demands for reparations?
The AU declared 2025 “The year of reparations: Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparations.” The resolution sees reparations as future mechanism to assist development efforts.
Mahama made it clear that it’s about recognizing historical truth, rather than discussing monetary compensation. Financial questions would be discussed in future.
Western resistance
Asante says there is evidence of a resistance movement in ultra-conservative circles in the United States. Sources close to Donald Trump are said to argue against being held accountable for the actions of their ancestors regarding slavery.
The transatlantic slave trade is a politically sensitive and debated question – especially in nations that benefitted economically from slavery and colonialism.
Support for initiative among younger people
Asante says that especially history oriented young people support the initiative, even if the topic remains somewhat abstract.
At the same time, Asante warns against a strong fixation with the past.
“I think people don’t want to be too romantic about this because they want their leaders in Africa to still govern well,” he tells DW.
“What you do today with power, what you do today with your opportunities is also important. And there are many challenges, governance deficits in many African countries perpetrated not by colonial masters, by leaders on their own citizens,” Asante says.
A competition?
Mahama’s assertion that the slave trade is the “gravest crime against humanity” has drawn criticism. Some critics have asked if other historical crimes are being relativized.
Asante pushes back.
“This is not a competition. I think it’s just more a question of acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade for what it was,” he told DW.
He adds the ongoing effects and incidences of racismshow how current the issue is.
Donald Trump had said he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there”.
An American flag is displayed on the facade of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Denmark and its territory Greenland, on Sunday (Feb 22) rejected Donald Trump’s offer to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island coveted by the US leader.
A day earlier, Trump said he was sending “a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there”.
But Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who heads the autonomous territory’s government, wrote on his Facebook page: “That will be ‘no thanks’ from us.”
“President Trump’s idea to send a US hospital ship here to Greenland has been duly noted. But we have a public health system where care is free for citizens,” he said.
“This is not the case in the United States, where going to the doctor costs money.”
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen likewise told Danish broadcaster DR: “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark.”
He added: “It’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.”
On the day that Trump made his proposal, Danish forces evacuated a crew member of a US submarine off the coast of Greenland’s capital Nuuk, after the sailor requested urgent medical attention.
Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command said in a post on Facebook that the crew member was flown to a hospital in Nuuk after an unspecified medical emergency on board the vessel.
AI-GENERATED HOSPITAL SHIP
In Greenland, as in Denmark, access to healthcare is free for citizens. There are five regional hospitals across the vast Arctic island, with the one in the capital Nuuk serving patients from all over the territory.
Without explicitly mentioning the US proposal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was “happy to live in a country where access to healthcare is free and equal for all. Where insurance or wealth does not determine whether one receives dignified treatment”.
Trump, in his Truth Social message on Saturday about the hospital ship, posted an AI-generated image of a US Navy medical vessel, USNS Mercy.
“It’s on the way!!!” he added.
It was not immediately clear if that meant he was deploying that ship to Greenland.
The US president indicated the deployment was being carried out in coordination with Jeff Landry, appointed in December as the US Special Envoy to the Arctic island.
Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish Parliament, wrote on Facebook that, while Greenland’s health system had its share of problems, they were best resolved through cooperation with Denmark.
Denmark, she noted, “is one of the wealthiest and most educated countries, for example in the field of healthcare”, contrasting it with “the United States, which has its own healthcare system problems”.
Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Copenhagen to improve the treatment of Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.
Denmark’s central bank had warned in January that the Arctic island’s public finances were under pressure from demographic trends, pointing to its ageing population and shrinking workforce.
“NEW NORMAL”
Trump has repeatedly said he believes the United States must control Greenland to ensure US national security.
Earlier threats he made to seize the territory, by force if necessary, have ebbed since he struck a “framework” deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence.
The defence minister, Lund Poulsen, told DR he was not aware of a possible arrival of the suggested US hospital ship.
Students at several universities in Iran have staged anti-government protests – the first such rallies on this scale since last month’s deadly crackdown by the authorities.
The BBC has verified footage of demonstrators marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology in the capital Tehran on Saturday. Scuffles were later seen breaking out between them and government supporters.
A sit-in was held at another Tehran university, and a rally reported in the north-east. Students were honouring thousands of those killed in mass protests in January.
The US has been building up its military presence near Iran, and President Donald Trump has said he is considering a limited military strike.
The US and its European allies suspect that Iran is moving towards the development of a nuclear weapon, something Iran has always denied.
US and Iranian officials met in Switzerland on Tuesday and said progress had been made in talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear programme.
But despite the reported progress, Trump said afterwards that the world would find out “over the next, probably, 10 days” whether a deal would be reached with Iran or the US would take military action.
The US leader has supported protesters in the past – at one stage appearing to encourage them with a promise that “help is on its way”.
Footage verified by the BBC shows hundreds of protesters – many with national Iranian flags – peacefully marching on the campus of the Sharif University of Technology at the start of a new semester on Saturday.
The crowds chanted “death to the dictator” – a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – and other anti-government slogans.
Supporters of a rival pro-government rally are seen nearby in the video. Scuffles are later seen breaking out between the two camps.
Verified photos have also emerged showing a peaceful sit-in protest at the capital’s Shahid Beheshti University.
The BBC have also verified footage from another Tehran university, Amir Kabir University of Technology, showing chanting against the government.
In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city in the north-east, local students reportedly chanted: “Freedom, freedom” and “Students, shout, shout for your rights”.
Sizeable demonstrations in other locations were also reported later in the day, with calls for further rallies on Sunday.
It is not immediately clear whether any demonstrators have been arrested.
Last month’s protests began over economic grievances and soon spread to become the largest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) said it had confirmed the killing of at least 6,159 people during that wave, including 5,804 protesters, 92 children and 214 people affiliated with the government.
Hrana also said it was investigating 17,000 more reported deaths.
Iranian authorities said late last month that more than 3,100 people had been killed – but that the majority were security personnel or bystanders attacked by “rioters”.
Saturday’s protests come as the Iranian authorities are preparing for a possible war with the US.
Taiwan’s Foxconn and India’s HCL Group formed a joint venture to set up an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly & Test (OSAT) facility in Greater Noida.
PM Modi launching then HCL-Foxconn semiconductor facility in UP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the HCL-Foxconn semiconductor facility in Uttar Pradesh, calling it a key milestone for the nation’s self-reliance in semiconductor chips.
“We are proud that Uttar Pradesh is becoming a part of the semiconductor ecosystem in the country. This semiconductor unit will give new recognition to the state. Moreover, it will boost employment, as the establishment of a semiconductor facility attracts ancillary industries, which will ultimately generate more jobs,” Modi said in a virtual address.
Taiwan’s Foxconn and India’s HCL Group formed a joint venture, called India Chip Private Limited, to set up an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly & Test (OSAT) facility at YEIDA (Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority) in Greater Noida. The advanced facility is expected to be operational by 2028.
In his address, PM Modi said a weak supply chain of tiny chips during the Covid-19 pandemic halted development of several economies and stopped work at various factories. “Developed India will be built only when India is self-reliant. For this, Made in India chip is very important. Whatever India is doing in the field of technology in this decade, it will become foundation of our capability in the 21st century,” Modi said.
The establishment of the HCL-Foxconn semiconductor facility in Uttar Pradesh is a step towards technological self-reliance. It will boost India’s presence in the global chip ecosystem. https://t.co/DNY4D9MDUz
The Prime Minister also said four semiconductor units, out of the ten approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, are set to begin production in the country. “If India’s chips are made in India, we will not have to rely on others for the tech manufacturing needs. Digital India, semiconductor chips, EVs, 5G, and AI are the soul of everyday needs. If we have chips of our own, our progress in every sector will remain unimpeded,” he said.
HCL Group has earmarked an investment of Rs 3,700 crore over the next few years in the facility that will produce display driver chips. The investment is expected to create over 3,500 direct and indirect jobs, build local supply chains, and attract ecosystem partners across the semiconductor value chain.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were also present on the occasion. They were joined by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, chairperson, HCL Group, and Bob Chen, president (semiconductor business group), Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn).
The latest strikes follow a string of deadly attacks in northwestern Pakistan. Days earlier, a suicide bomber, backed by gunmen, drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 11 people
Pakistan carried out similar strikes deep inside Afghanistan in October, also aimed at militant hideouts. (Photo: AP)
Pakistan said early Sunday that it had carried out strikes along its border with Afghanistan, targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it blames for a series of recent attacks inside the country. Officials in Islamabad did not initially specify the precise locations of the strikes. According to reports, the operations also targetted the Ghani Khelo and Garda Samia districts inside Afghanistan. Local reports said at least 17 Afghan civilians were killed in the strikes.
There was no immediate comment from authorities in Kabul.
In comments posted before dawn on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the military had conducted what he described as “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven camps belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and its affiliates. He added that an affiliate of the Islamic State group had also been targeted in the border region.
Pakistan carried out similar strikes deep inside Afghanistan in October, also aimed at militant hideouts.
At least 17 Afghan civilians were killed after Pakistan carried out airstrikes on the Ghani Khelo and Garda Samia districts in Afghanistan.
Tarar said Pakistan “has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region,” but added that protecting the safety and security of Pakistani citizens remained the government’s top priority.
The latest strikes follow a string of deadly attacks in northwestern Pakistan. Days earlier, a suicide bomber, backed by gunmen, drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan. The blast caused part of the compound to collapse, killing 11 soldiers and a child. Authorities later said the attacker was an Afghan national.
Hours before the reported cross-border strikes, another suicide bomber targeted a security convoy in the nearby Bannu district, killing two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel.
After Saturday’s violence, Pakistan’s military warned it would not “exercise any restraint” and that operations against those responsible would continue “irrespective of their location,” language that suggested rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Tarar said Pakistan had “conclusive evidence” that recent attacks — including a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad earlier this month that killed 31 worshippers — were carried out by militants acting on the “behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”
He said Pakistan had repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to take verifiable steps to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks across the border, but alleged that no substantive action had been taken.
Pakistan is urging the international community to press Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to uphold their commitments under the Doha agreement not to allow their soil to be used against other countries.
The operation, conducted by the Indian Coast Guard earlier this month, centred on the Mali-flagged MT Asphalt Star, which was intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles off Mumbai in the early hours of February 5.
Surveillance first detected the MT Asphalt Star on February 4 in a stationary “hot lay-up” position.
India seized three oil tankers suspected of links to Iran’s sanctioned oil trade after a dramatic mid-sea operation, which revealed a deliberate 11-hour blackout of tracking systems and illegal fuel transfers in Indian waters involving one of the tankers.
The operation, conducted by the Indian Coast Guard earlier this month, centred on the Mali-flagged MT Asphalt Star, which was intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles off Mumbai in the early hours of February 5. The vessel had gone completely “dark” on January 28, disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), VHF radio, and other sensors for nearly 11 hours while in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where it had lingered for eight days from 20 to 28 January.
Coast Guard officials say such deliberate shutdowns are a hallmark of illicit maritime activity, allowing ships to conceal their identity and movements.
Surveillance first detected the MT Asphalt Star on February 4 in a stationary “hot lay-up” position in the Arabian Sea. When contacted, the vessel repeatedly altered its reported identity and destination. Coast Guard ships closed in around 2 am on February 5 and boarded at 6 am.
The crew initially claimed they were bound for Mangaluru in Karnataka. Further checks revealed the tanker was transmitting false voyage data via AIS and VHF. It carried only a temporary registration certificate issued in Bamako in Mali, on January 30 and lacked the mandatory Protection & Indemnity (P&I) insurance required for international shipping.
Investigators allege the MT Asphalt Star was part of a coordinated operation with two sister vessels, MT Al Jafzia and MT Stellar Ruby (also referred to as MT Steller Ruby), conducting unauthorised ship-to-ship transfers inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Approximately 30 metric tonnes of heavy fuel oil were transferred to MT Al Jafzia, while 5,473 metric tonnes of VG-40 bitumen were offloaded to MT Stellar Ruby. All transfers were allegedly carried out using forged documents and Automatic Identification System (AIS) spoofing to mask the ships’ true identities.
The probe has also uncovered prior attempts to deceive Indian port authorities. MT Stellar Ruby is accused of entering Karwar Port in Karnataka using a forged P&I insurance certificate, while MT Al Jafzia allegedly used fake documentation to gain access to the Alang ship-breaking yard in Gujarat.
Probe into the master’s mobile phone on MT Asphalt Star revealed WhatsApp conversations with overseas handlers and company officials, providing key evidence of coordination.
An FIR lodged at Mumbai’s Yellow Gate Police Station on the complaint of an Indian Coast Guard commandant names nine individuals as accused: Shyam Bahadur Chouhan, Navjyot Chalotra, Gopal Das, Ravi Kumar, Gyna Chandra Gupta, Munwar Khalphe, Shivkumar Sharma, Nasaruddin Mandal, and Jogender Singh Brar. They include crew members, masters, and engineers from the three vessels, along with representatives of Star Shipping Management, the registered owner.
The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, smuggling, document forgery, and violations of customs, shipping, IT, and petroleum laws.
After having agreed to provide Ukraine a €90 billion EU loan package, officials in Budapest have said on Friday they plan to veto the deal unless Russian oil starts flowing back to Hungary.
Hungary’s Orban said he will go back on his word to let the EU provide billions in aid to Ukraine unless his country starts getting more Russian oilImage: Benoit Doppagne/Belga/IMAGO
After agreeing to provide Ukraine a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan package, officials in Budapest said on Friday they plan to veto the deal unless Russian oil starts flowing in a pipeline to Hungary.
“As long as Ukraine blocks the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary will block the €90 billion Ukrainian war loan. We will not be pushed around!” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on Facebook.
Ukrainian officials say the oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil across Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, have been disrupted since Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure damaged it in January.
Hungarian and Slovakian politicians, however, accuse the Ukrainian leadership of blocking the resumption of supplies. Both countries rely heavily on the pipeline for their oil imports and are the most Russia-friendly governments in the European Union.
On Wednesday, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico declared a state of emergency over supplies and threatened retaliatory measures against Ukraine if the pipeline was not reopened.
Hungary decries pipeline ‘blackmail’ ahead of election
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called the stop to oil flows in the pipeline “blackmail.”
“Ukraine is blackmailing Hungary by halting oil transit in coordination with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create supply disruptions in Hungary and push fuel prices higher before the elections,” he wrote on X.
For the first time in 16 years, Orban faces the possibility of losing a parliamentary election.
Kyiv has long called on its EU allies to stop buying Russian energy supplies as they help finance Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which is about to enter its fifth year.
EU leaders, including Orban, agreed in December to provide Ukraine with up to €90 billion over two years, a decision endorsed by the European Parliament last week. The EU also exempted Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic ― which have all opposed further aid for Kyiv ― from repaying the loan’s borrowing costs.
Final approval by the Council of the European Union, made up of national ministers, is still required before the first funds can be disbursed, a step previously regarded as a formality.
US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace ones struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling “terrible” and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as “fools”.
The president unveiled the plan shortly after the justices outlawed most of the global tariffs the White House announced last year.
In a 6-3 decision, the court held that the president had overstepped his powers.
The decision was a major victory for businesses and US states that had challenged the duties, opening the door to potentially billions of dollars in tariff refunds, while also injecting new uncertainty into the global trade landscape.
Speaking from the White House on Friday, Trump indicated that refunds would not come without a legal battle, saying he expected the matter to be tied up in court for years.
He also said he would turn to other laws to press ahead with his tariffs, which he has argued encourage investment and manufacturing in the US.
“We have alternatives – great alternatives and we’ll be a lot stronger for it,” he said.
The court battle was focused on import taxes that Trump unveiled last year on goods from nearly every country in the world.
The tariffs initially targeted Mexico, Canada and China, before expanding dramatically to dozens of trade partners on what the president billed as “Liberation Day” last April.
The White House had cited a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president power to “regulate” trade in response to an emergency.
But the measures sparked outcry at home and abroad from firms facing an abrupt rise in taxes on shipments entering the US, and fuelled worries that the levies would lead to higher prices.
Arguing before the court last year, lawyers for the challenging states and small businesses said that the law used by the president to impose the levies made no mention of the word “tariffs”.
They said that Congress did not intend to hand off its power to tax or give the president an “open-ended power to junk” other existing trade deals and tariff rules.
In his opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, sided with that view.
“When Congress has delegated its tariff powers, it has done so in explicit terms and subject to strict limits,” he wrote.
“Had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs, it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes.”
The decision to strike down the tariffs was joined by the court’s three liberal justices, as well as two justices nominated by Trump: Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch.
Three conservative justices, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito, dissented.
At the White House, Trump said he was “absolutely ashamed” of the Republican appointees on the court who voted against his trade policy.
He said they were “just being fools and lap dogs” and were “very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution”.
Shares on Wall Street rose after the announcement, with the S&P 500 closing up about 0.7%, as businesses across the US cautiously welcomed the ruling.
“I feel… like a thousand-pound weight has been lifted off my chest,” said Beth Benike, the owner of Busy Baby products in Minnesota, which manufactures products in China.
Nik Holm, chief executive of Terry Precision Cycling, one of the small businesses involved in the case, called the ruling a “relief”.
“Though it will be many months before our supply chain is back up and running as normal, we look forward to the government’s refund of these improperly-collected duties,” he said.
The anticipated refunds and relief from tariff costs may prove elusive, however.
On Friday, Trump signed a proclamation imposing the new 10% tariff under a never-used law known as Section 122, which gives the power to put in place tariffs up to 15% for 150 days, at which point Congress must step in.
It will go into effect on 24 February.
The order states a variety of exemptions, including certain minerals, natural resources and fertilizers; some agricultural products like oranges and beef; pharmaceuticals; some electronics and certain vehicles.
For many of the categories of exempt goods, the order is broad and does not specifically say what items might be exempt.
Canada and Mexico will retain an exemption under a North American free trade pact, the USMCA, on tariffs covering a vast majority of goods.
A White House official said countries that struck trade deals with the US, including the UK, India and the EU, will now face the global 10% tariff under Section 122 rather than the tariff rate they had previously negotiated.
The Trump administration expects those countries to keep abiding by the concessions they had agreed to under the trade deals, the official added.
Analysts expect the White House to also consider other tools, such as Section 232 and Section 301, which allow import taxes to address national security risks and unfair trade practices.
Trump has previously used those tools for tariffs, including some announced last year on sectors such as steel, aluminium and cars. Those were untouched by the court ruling.
“Things have only gotten more complicated and more messy today,” said Geoffrey Gertz, senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington.
Reaction by major trade partners was relatively muted.
“We take note of the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and are analysing it carefully,” European Commission spokesman Olof Gill wrote on social media.
The US has already collected at least $130bn in tariffs using the IEEPA law, according to the most recent government data.
In recent weeks, hundreds of firms, including retailer Costco, aluminium giant Alcoa and food importers like tuna fish brand Bumble Bee, have filed lawsuits contesting the tariffs, in a bid to get in line for a refund.
But the decision by the majority does not directly mention refunds, likely handing back the question of how that process might work to the Court of International Trade.
In his dissent, Justice Brett Kavanaugh warned the situation would be a “mess”.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak emphasised that India has moved into a medal position as an AI superpower. He lauded the country’s energy to develop the technology and use it.
Rishi Sunak made a light hearted remarks on Delhi’s traffic congestion at AI event on Thursday.
Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a light hearted remarks on Delhi’s traffic congestion as he apologised for the delay in the joint session with UK Deputy PM David Lammy at the British High Commission here.
“Sorry, we’re a few minutes late, that’s entirely my fault. AI can do many things, as we’ve heard this week, but it can’t yet fix Delhi’s traffic. So, work to do,” he said.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rishi Sunak emphasised that India has moved into a medal position as an AI superpower. He lauded the country’s energy to develop the technology and use it.
“What this week has been is just a showcase of the extraordinary, not just the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, but the energy that all of you have here to develop this technology and use it, is unlike anywhere else in the world. It’s a very special ingredient. It’s the reason that India, now, according to Stanford, who do the world rankings, moved into one of the medal positions as an AI superpower in the world, which is something that many of you here should be proud of.”
Continuing his light-hearted banter, Sunak said that India “leapfrogged” the UK to get ahead in the AI race and reminded that England still leads in ICC test rankings, which he jokingly said is “more important.”
“Although a little bit disappointing, because they leapfrogged the UK to get to that position. Although I did just point out to Prime Minister Modi just now, if you look at the ICC test rankings, England is still ahead, which arguably is more important,” he said.
UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy introduced Sunak as “a great son of the United Kingdom and also a great son of India.”
Sunak promptly interjected, saying, “Son-in-law”, drawing laughter from the audience, as Lammy responded with “Son-in-Law!”
Lammy went on to underline his own India connection, “I just want to establish my heritage too, because my great-grandmother on my mother’s side was from Calcutta.”
Turning to artificial intelligence, Lammy referenced Sunak’s decision to convene the first global AI Summit at Bletchley Park.” You kicked off the first global summit, um, in Bletchley Park. Um, it’s an issue that you cared about then. Why did you decide that it was something that you were going to use your platform to signal to the world that this is important? And how do you think that story’s going?” he asked.
This comes amid the AI Summit being held in Delhi, which Sunak, during his address at the summit, called an ideal venue for shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI)
Addressing the AI Impact Summit as a keynote Speaker earlier, he said India was uniquely positioned to drive the next phase of AI’s global journey, not just for developed nations, but for the developing world as well.
“I don’t know if they’re real or not,” US President Trump said of aliens. But he said interest in the topic led him to order the declassification of information related to extraterrestrial life.
Do you believe aliens are real? Trump isn’t sure, but Obama says they’re out there…. somewhereImage: Knut Niehus/Zoonar/picture alliance
US President Donald Trump, citing “tremendous interest,” said he was directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to release files related to extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
He said the agencies should include “any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters.”
He made the announcement on social media on Thursday, hours after accusing former President Barack Obama of disclosing “classified information” when he suggested in a podcast interview that aliens were real.
“I don’t know if they’re real or not,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. When asked of Obama, he said: “I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.”
What did Obama say about aliens in the podcast?
In a podcast released last week, Obama said he believed aliens were real, but he had not seen any evidence of them during his presidency.
“They’re real, but I haven’t seen them and they’re not being kept in… Area 51,” he told host Brian Tyler Cohen, referring to the top-secret facility at the heart of many UFO conspiracies.
Once his comments quickly went viral, the ex-president took to clarify on Instagram.
“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” he said. “But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
Aliens and Area 51
Public interest in extraterrestrials, unidentified flying objects and unidentified aerial phenomena has prompted several conspiracy theories over the years.
Several internet chat rooms and social media accounts dedicate themselves to solving this mystery, and many insist the US government knows more than it lets on.
‘Oh my word!’ – USA’s Liu wins women’s figure skating gold with stunning performance
American superstar Alysa Liu added Olympic figure skating gold to her world title as she beat a standout field in the women’s final.
Liu came into the free skate in third place following a couple of errors in the short program, but produced a performance for the ages.
Appropriately wearing a sparkly gold dress and performing to Donna Summer, she scored a staggering 150.20 in her free skate.
It pushed her to the top of the leaderboard with an overall score of 226.79, narrowly beating Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto – who Liu beat to the world title last year.
Sakamoto, in her final performance before retirement, won silver with 17-year-old compatriot Ami Nakai claiming bronze.
Japan’s Mone Chiba finished fourth, ahead of Amber Glenn – who rose from 13th to fifth after an excellent free skate – while Russian champion Adeliia Petrosian came sixth following a fall.
Liu, 20, becomes the first American Olympic champion in women’s figure skating since Sarah Hughes in 2002, and the first USA medallist since Sasha Cohen in 2006.
She was playing catch up on Nakai – leader after the short program – and Sakamoto after Tuesday night following a mistake on her triple lutz where she failed to fully rotate in the element.
But there were no mistakes here with a truly showstopping routine that drew deafening cheers from the crowd.
It was a much needed boost for the USA, as their only gold in singles figure skating following Ilia Malinin’s collapse in the men’s event.
Malinin was among those in the crowd who gave Liu – the alt girl with her iconic halo hair and lip piercing – a standing ovation as she wrote herself into Olympic folklore.
It completes a remarkable comeback for Liu, who previously quit the sport aged 16 after missing out on a medal at Beijing 2022.
Sakamoto meanwhile has to settle for silver as her stellar career ends without an Olympic crown.
She is retiring aged 25 having won three world titles and bronze at Beijing 2022.
Her final performance here was to Non, je ne regrette rien by Edith Piaf, and Sakamoto must have no regrets about a performance in which all 12 elements were given positive grades of execution.
But it scored five points lower than Liu in the technical elements, with the American’s routine judged to have been more challenging.
Sakamoto wept as she left the ice, but by the medal ceremony rightly looked delighted with another major honour.
That initial disappointment was in stark contrast to the joy of compatriot Nakai, who ends a phenomenal debut campaign with an Olympic medal.
The youngest skater in the competition, Nakai stormed to the top of the leaderboard following the short program and opened her free skate with a triple axel – a brutally tough element she is now making her trademark.
But Nakai stumbled on her triple lutz, which played a major role in knocking her down below Liu and Sakamoto.
For a while, it looked like American champion Glenn might have produced an all-time great Olympic comeback.
She was down in 13th following a disastrous short program which left her in tears after she missed her triple loop, meaning it was scored zero as an invalid element.
Glenn – who is open about her bisexuality and criticism of USA president Donald Trump – has been a magnet for online backlash, and came out on Thursday in Milan with a point to prove.
Despite suffering a heavy fall in the warm-up she attacked her free skate, including a triple axel to start then a complex triple loop and double axel sequence.
She punched the air at the conclusion, and even as she missed out on a medal she had the body language of someone pleased to have brought her best to the Olympic stage.
The U.S. State Department is developing an online portal that will enable people in Europe and elsewhere to see content banned by their governments including alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda, a move Washington views as a way to counter censorship, three sources familiar with the plan said.
The site will be hosted at “freedom.gov,” the sources said. One source said officials had discussed including a virtual private network function to make a user’s traffic appear to originate in the U.S. and added that user activity on the site will not be tracked.
A woman views her phone as she walks past street art on a wall in London, Britain, December 18, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville Purchase Licensing Rights
Headed by Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers, the project was expected to be unveiled at last week’s Munich Security Conference but was delayed, the sources said.
Reuters could not determine why the launch did not happen, but some State Department officials, including lawyers, have raised concerns about the plan, two of the sources said, without detailing the concerns.
The project could further strain ties between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies in Europe, already heightened by disputes over trade, Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s push to assert control over Greenland.
The portal could also put Washington in the unfamiliar position of appearing to encourage citizens to flout local laws.
In a statement to Reuters, a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. government does not have a censorship-circumvention program specific to Europe but added: “Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, however, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs.”
The spokesperson denied any announcement had been delayed and said it was inaccurate that State Department lawyers had raised concerns.
The Trump administration has made free speech, particularly what it sees as the stifling of conservative voices online, a focus of its foreign policy including in Europe and in Brazil.
Europe’s approach to free speech differs from the U.S., where the Constitution protects virtually all expression. The European Union’s limits grew from efforts to fight any resurgence of extremist propaganda that fueled Nazism including its vilification of Jews, foreigners and minorities.
U.S. officials have denounced EU policies that they say are suppressing right-wing politicians, including in Romania, Germany and France, and have claimed rules like the EU’s Digital Services Act and Britain’s Online Safety Act limit free speech.
The EU delegation in Washington, which acts like an embassy for the 27-country bloc, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the U.S. plan.
In rules that fall most heavily on social media sites and large platforms like Meta’s (META.O), opens new tab Facebook and X, the EU restricts the availability — and in some cases requires rapid removal — of content classified as illegal hate speech, terrorist propaganda or harmful disinformation under a group of rules, laws and decisions since 2008. FRICTION WITH EUROPEAN REGULATORS
Rogers of the State Department has emerged as an outspoken advocate of the Trump administration position on EU content policies. She has visited more than half a dozen European countries since taking office in October and met with representatives of right-wing groups that the administration says are being oppressed. The department did not make Rogers available for an interview.
In a National Security Strategy published in December, the Trump administration warned that Europe faced “civilisational erasure” because of its migration policies. It said the U.S. would prioritize “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”
EU regulators regularly require U.S.-based sites to remove content and can impose bans as a measure of last resort. X, which is owned by Trump ally Elon Musk, was hit with a 120 million-euro fine in December for noncompliance.
Germany, for example, in 2024 issued 482 removal orders for material it deemed supported or incited terrorism and forced providers to take down 16,771 pieces of content.
Similarly, Meta’s oversight board in 2024 ordered the removal of a Polish political party’s posts that used a racial slur and depicted immigrants as rapists, a content category EU law treats as illegal hate speech.
Macron landed in Mumbai on Tuesday midnight for a three-day official visit during which he will also attend the AI Impact Summit in Delhi on Thursday.
French President Emmanuel Macron shared an AI-generated photo with PM Modi. (X/@EmmanuelMacron)
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday shared an AI-generated photo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid French leader’s 3-day visit to India as he is set to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi on Thursday.
“When friends connect, innovation follows. Ready for The AI Impact Summit! (sic),” Macron said in the caption of the photo.
Macron, accompanied by First Lady Brigitte Macron, landed in Mumbai on Tuesday midnight and spent a day in India’s financial capital before heading to Delhi for the AI Impact Summit.
Macron and his wife left Mumbai for New Delhi on Wednesday after concluding his official engagements here, including bilateral talks with PM Modi. The Macrons were seen off at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by Maharashtra governor Acharya Devvrat, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
Macron began his official visit to India on February 17 at the invitation of PM Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. PM will also inaugurate the summit on February 19 where as many as 20 heads of state will be present at the inaugural session, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said.
On Tuesday, PM Modi called France ‘special partner’ as he inaugurated the assembly line of H-125 helicopters with Macron.
Modi and Macron virtually inaugurated the H-125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly of Tata Airbus at Vemagal, Karnataka.
Google and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta have been accused of deliberately making platforms addictive to children and harming their mental health.
Mark Zuckerberg has denied allegations that his company’s products are inherently addictiveImage: Ryan Sun/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday, where he testified in a trial that has put his company in the spotlight over social media’s harmful effects on children.
A California woman who used Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube as a child has said the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts.
The plaintiff started using YouTube at age 6, Instagram at 11, then TikTok and Snapchat. The latter two already reached a damages settlement with the woman.
The suit accuses the companies of seeking to get children hooked on their services, despite being aware of the mental health harms they can cause.
At issue is the notion of whether or not social media apps are addictive to children.
Zuckerberg regrets slow progress on spotting under-13s on Instagram
Meta and Google have denied the allegations, with Meta pointing to research from the National Academies of Sciences, which did not find that social media affected kids’ mental health.
If Meta loses the case, it will have to pay compensation to the plaintiff, and such a verdict would have an impact on social media companies’ credibility, at a time when more and more governments around the world are banning the apps for children under 16.
While on the stand, Zuckerberg said he regretted how slowly his firm spotted under-13-year-olds on Instagram. He added that improvements had been made.
“I always wish that we could have gotten there sooner,” he added.
Last week, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified at the trial, flatly rejecting the concept of social media addiction.
“I’m sure I’ve said that I was addicted to a Netflix show when I binged it really late one night, but I don’t think that’s the same thing as clinical addiction,” Mosseri said.
Internal emails displayed in court
The Los Angeles case is one of several trials against social media companies in the United States.
Its resolution could help establish a standard for resolving thousands of other lawsuits that blame social media for fueling an epidemic of depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide among young people.
The focus is on the apps’ design, algorithms and personalization features.
The plaintiff’s lawyer presented an internal Instagram memo from 2018 saying, “If we want to win big with teens, we must bring them in as tweens.”
Zuckerberg said the document’s presentation in court was “mischaracterising what I am saying,” adding that he “had different conversations over time to try to build different versions of services that kids can safely use.”
Meta had discussed creating a version of Instagram for children under 13, but never made such a service.
Prosecutors also presented internal email exchanges in which Mosseri defended Zuckerberg’s 2020 decision to allow cosmetic beauty filters on Instagram.
Other executives strongly objected, warning of the filters’ harmful effects, particularly on young girls. Supporters of the filters sought to avoid losing market share amid growing competition from TikTok.
Jurors were also shown emails from 2014 and 2015 in which Zuckerberg explicitly aimed to increase the amount of time users spent on the app by double-digit percentages.
Zuckerberg also pointed out the difficulty for app makers in verifying a user’s age and said the responsibility should lie with the makers of mobile devices.
More countries ban apps for minors
The lawsuit is part of a global backlash against social media platforms, as several governments have passed laws to ban them, with the goal of protecting children’s mental health.
Australia’s ban on social media platforms for children under 16 has already gone into effect.
In France, a bill calling for a social media ban on users under 15 years old is making its way through parliament. Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers in Spain is expected to approve a similar ban on users under 16 years old and send it to parliament.
At the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru the two ministers discussed bilateral security and defence issues including priority areas for co-development and co-production of equipment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with French President Emmanuel Macron during a joint press meet Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: India and France on Tuesday gave a major push to bilateral defence relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurating a key helicopter manufacturing facility in Karnataka even as the two nations renewed a ten-year defence cooperation agreement.
In addition, New Delhi and Paris inked an agreement on setting up a production unit in India to manufacture Hammer missiles used by Rafale combat jets and formalised an arrangement on reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
“France is one of India’s oldest strategic partners. And together with President Macron, we have given this strategic partnership unprecedented depth and energy…The inauguration of the helicopter assembly line in India is another shining example of this deep trust,” Prime Minister Modi said in a statement after the summit meeting.
“We are proud that India and France will jointly manufacture the world’s only helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest. And we will also export it to the entire world,” he noted, referring to the H125 Tata-Airbus helicopter assembly line at Vemagal in Kolar district of Karnataka.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh the investment in the H-125 programme would exceed Rs 1,000 crore. The H125 is the only helicopter in history to have landed on the summit of Mount Everest, giving it a performance ceiling that exceeds existing light utility fleets.
President Macron said, “From Rafale jets to submarines, we are expanding defence cooperation.” The two sides also agreed to make Exercise Shakti – wargaming between Indian and French land forces – an annual affair instead of holding it once in two years.
Last week, the Defence Ministry accorded an initial clearance to buy 114 Rafale fighter aircraft from France for the Indian Air Force in a Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal. The IAF currently flies 36 Rafale jets and last year India signed another major contract to purchase 24 Rafale-M for the Navy.
While Prime Minister Modi met President Macron in Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrine in Bengaluru. President Macron will travel to Delhi to attend the ongoing AI impact summit.
At the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru the two ministers discussed bilateral security and defence issues including priority areas for co-development and co-production of equipment, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
They emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology besides reaffirming their commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
While Rajnath flagged the importance of the recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership as a significant step in deepening the collective engagement, the two ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes to strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment.
Millions of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein suggest the existence of a “global criminal enterprise” that carried out acts meeting the legal threshold of crimes against humanity, according to a panel of independent experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The experts said crimes outlined in documents released by the U.S. Justice Department were committed against a backdrop of supremacist beliefs, racism, corruption and extreme misogyny.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein are seen in this image released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 19, 2025 as part of a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
The crimes, they said, showed a commodification and dehumanization of women and girls.
“So grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls, that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity,” the experts said in a statement.
The experts said the allegations contained in the files require an independent, thorough and impartial investigation, and said inquiries should also be launched into how it was possible for such crimes to be committed for so long.
The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A law, approved by Congress with broad bipartisan support in November, requires all Epstein-related files to be made public.
The U.N. experts raised concerns about “serious compliance failures and botched redactions” that exposed sensitive victim information. More than 1,200 victims were identified in the documents that have been released so far.
“The reluctance to fully disclose information or broaden investigations, has left many survivors feeling retraumatized and subjected to what they describe as ‘institutional gaslighting,'” the experts said.
The Justice Department’s release of documents has revealed Epstein’s ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business – both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl.
He was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019 after being arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking of minors. His death was ruled a suicide.
Peru’s Congress on Tuesday ousted President Jose Jeri just four months into his term over a scandal involving undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman, extending a cycle of political upheaval that has gripped the Andean nation for much of the past decade.
There were 75 lawmakers who voted in favor of removing Jeri, while 24 voted against and three abstained.
Peruvian President Jose Jeri holds a press conference after facing a congressional oversight committee, amid a scandal over undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman, a case that has intensified scrutiny over his government’s transparency and accountability, at the Government Palace, in Lima, Peru, January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Gerardo Marin/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Legislators will now elect a new head of Congress who will also assume Peru’s presidency, becoming the country’s eighth president in as many years. Jeri is Peru’s third consecutive president to be removed from office.
The rapid-fire ousters underscore how Peru’s political class has failed to address voter concerns like crime and corruption, leaving the country stuck in a cycle of short-lived administrations with little time or authority to tackle problems and a deeply unpopular Congress that seeks to gain support by removing unpopular leaders.
Ruth Luque, one of the lawmakers who backed the censure measures, said she wanted to replace Jeri with a leader who would put public interest and security first, ahead of a new president coming into office.
“We ask to end this agony so we can truly create the transition citizens are hoping for,” she said. “Not a transition with hidden interests, influence-peddling, secret meetings and hooded figures. We don’t want that sort of transition.”
With yet another interim leader set to take over ahead of scheduled elections on April 12, the volatility risks deepening public distrust as legislators and politicians seek to posture themselves as presidential contenders.
“It strikes me that there is no trace of high mindedness here, only electoral calculations,” said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. “Enough lawmakers concluded their support for Jeri would hurt them in elections, so they had to act.”
The scandal that was dubbed “Chifagate” – after a local name for Chinese restaurants – began last month when Jeri was filmed arriving at a restaurant late at night wearing a hood to meet with Chinese businessman Zhihua Yang, who owns stores and a concession for an energy project. The meeting was not publicly disclosed.
Jeri became president in October after Peru’s unpopular Congress voted unanimously to remove his predecessor Dina Boluarte, as the right-wing parties that had backed her dropped their support amid corruption scandals and growing anger over rising crime.
Boluarte had no vice president and Jeri, who was the head of Congress at the time, was next in the line of succession.
This interim status was used to remove him from the presidency on Tuesday. Unlike impeachment, which requires a supermajority of 87 in the 130-member legislature, Congress voted to censure Jeri, which strips him of his title as head of Congress with a simple majority.
Jeri has said he would respect the outcome of the vote. VOTING ON NEW PRESIDENT ON WEDNESDAY
While the current head of Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, would be constitutionally next in the line of succession, he has declined to assume the presidency. As such, legislators will have to elect a new head of Congress who will then automatically assume the presidency.
Rospigliosi said parties have until 6 p.m. local time to present their candidates and the legislature would vote on a new president on Wednesday.
This would be similar to Francisco Sagasti’s ascent to the presidency in 2020 after he was chosen by Congress amid a sharp political crisis and protests following former President Manuel Merino’s five-day presidency.
Trump and Epstein moved in the same social circles in New York and Palm Beach in the 1990s and early 2000s.
US President Donald Trump. (IMAGE: AP PHOTO)
US President Donald Trump issued a strong denial of any connection to Jeffrey Epstein, saying he had been “totally exonerated” and insisting he had no involvement with the convicted sex offender.
“I have nothing to hide. I have been exonerated. I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said.
His remarks come after the recent release of Epstein-related files by the US Department of Justice, which has renewed scrutiny of the late financier’s links with prominent political and business figures. The department published more than 3 million additional pages, including 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. In total, nearly 3.5 million pages have been officially released.
Trump’s Ties With Epstein
Trump and Epstein moved in the same social circles in New York and Palm Beach in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were photographed together at several events and Epstein was known to have visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort during that period. In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” and said he liked beautiful women “on the younger side”.
Trump Says He Cut Ties With Epstein
Trump has repeatedly said he later distanced himself from Epstein. He has stated that Epstein was barred from Mar-a-Lago in the mid-2000s, reportedly following a dispute and concerns about his behaviour. Their relationship is also believed to have soured around 2004, when the two competed to purchase the same oceanfront property in Palm Beach, which Trump ultimately acquired. Trump has never been criminally charged in connection with Epstein’s trafficking case.
India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, according to sources.
The seizures follow an improvement in US-India relations (File)
India has seized three U.S.-sanctioned tanker ships linked to Iran this month and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.
India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, the source added.
The seizures and heightened surveillance follow an improvement in U.S.-India relations. Washington earlier this month announced it will cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, as New Delhi has agreed to stop Russian oil imports.
Sanctioned vessels Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star, and Al Jafzia frequently changed their identities to evade law enforcement by coastal states, the source said, adding that their owners were based overseas.
Indian authorities said in a post on X on February 6 that they had intercepted three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after detecting suspicious activity involving a tanker in India’s exclusive economic zone. The post was later deleted, but the source now confirmed that the vessels had been escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.
The Indian Coast Guard has since deployed about 55 ships and 10 to 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance in its maritime zones, according to the source.
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control last year sanctioned the vessels Global Peace, Chil 1, and Glory Star 1 with IMO numbers identical to the ships captured by India.
Two of the three tankers are linked to Iran, with Al Jafzia having carried fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025 and Stellar Ruby flagged in Iran, according to LSEG data.
Obama initially commented on the subject as part of a quickfire round of questions on a podcast
Former US President Barack Obama has clarified that the chances Earth has been visited by aliens is “low” after comments he made about extra-terrestrial species caught attention online.
“They’re real but I haven’t seen them,” he told American podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen during an interview published on Saturday.
“They’re not being kept in Area 51. There’s no underground facility unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” he added.
Obama has since said his comments were made in line with “the spirit of the speed round” of questions, adding that statistically the chances are that life is out there but he saw “no evidence” while president.
Obama’s initial comments were made during a quickfire “lightning” round of questions.
“Are aliens real?” Cohen had asked as his first question of the round for the former president.
Obama’s answer was subsequently run in different media outlets and attracted attention online – prompting him to publish a clarifying statement on his official Instagram account on Sunday.
“I was trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round, but since it’s gotten attention let me clarify,” he wrote in a caption that accompanied the video clip from the podcast.
“Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
In his letter on Sunday, MK Stalin described the issue as one of “profound humanitarian, constitutional and national importance,” noting that around 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils continue to reside in Tamil Nadu
Letter comes at a time when DMK is foregrounding Tamil language, identity and heritage
With just two months to go for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a “humane and pragmatic” resolution to the long-pending citizenship issue and legal status of Sri Lankan Tamils living in the state for over four decades.
In his letter on Sunday, Stalin described the issue as one of “profound humanitarian, constitutional and national importance,” noting that around 89,000 Sri Lankan Tamils continue to reside in Tamil Nadu, both inside refugee camps and outside. Nearly 40 per cent of them were born in India, and many have lived here for over 30 years.
The Chief Minister pointed out that since 1983, successive Tamil Nadu governments, with the concurrence of the Union Government, have provided shelter, education and healthcare to those who fled ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. However, many continue to lack access to citizenship or long-term visa status.
Hon’ble @PMOIndia Thiru. @NarendraModi, please provide a humane legal solution for Sri Lankan Tamils living in Tamil Nadu for decades by enabling citizenship pathways, granting long term visa relief, and removing administrative barriers that keep them in legal uncertainty.… pic.twitter.com/9L83qONtlG
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) February 15, 2026
Referring to recommendations of a State Advisory Committee, Stalin urged the Centre to rescind earlier administrative instructions that bar consideration of citizenship applications, waive passport and visa requirements where appropriate, delegate powers to district-level authorities for faster processing, and formally clarify that registered Sri Lankan Tamil nationals sheltered up to January 9, 2015, should not be treated as “illegal migrants.”
The issue had also figured in Parliament last year during discussions on the Immigration and Foreigners Bill, 2025, when Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that the DMK had never taken up the refugees’ issue with him. The claim was denied by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who cited details of letters sent by the Tamil Nadu government on the matter.
Politically, the letter comes at a time when the ruling DMK is foregrounding Tamil language, identity and heritage as key campaign themes against the BJP-led Centre. By pressing for citizenship and legal clarity for Sri Lankan Tamils, the DMK is seeking to consolidate pro-Tamil voters and sympathisers of Lankan refugees.
Despite their prolonged stay, only 11 Sri Lankan refugees have so far been granted Indian citizenship. Of them, just one has secured voting rights, while the remaining ten have applied for inclusion in the electoral rolls, highlighting the limited progress in regularising their status.
Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly at a long-range missile test in November 2022. Since then, she has joined her father at more events
Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong, 38, is seen as the second most powerful figure in North Korea
North Korea could be headed for a tense family showdown. South Korea’s spy agency says Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, is close to being named the country’s next leader, a move that could set her against her powerful aunt, Kim Yo Jong, in a future fight for control.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers last week that Kim Ju Ae, believed to be around 13, is nearing formal designation as heir. The timing is crucial, with North Korea preparing its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim Jong Un is expected to set major goals and tighten his grip.
In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are watching whether Kim Ju Ae appears with her father before thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress.
Kim Ju Ae first appeared publicly at a long-range missile test in November 2022. Since then, she has joined her father at more events, from weapons tests and military parades to factory visits. She even travelled with him to Beijing last September for a meeting with China’s leader on the sidelines of a World War II event.
Officials in Seoul had earlier doubted that a girl could be chosen to lead North Korea, pointing to the country’s conservative, male-dominated leadership. But Kim Ju Ae’s frequent appearances have forced a rethink. In a previous assessment, the NIS told lawmakers that bringing her to China likely helped build a narrative for her succession.
The Aunt Who Could Challenge The Crown
A potential challenge could come from Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister. At 38, she is seen as the second most powerful figure in North Korea and enjoys strong political and military backing.
Kim Yo Jong currently holds a senior position in the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and is reported to have influence over her brother.
A former senior South Korean intelligence official, Rah Jong Yil, warned that a power struggle is “probable” and said Kim Yo Jong would move to take the top job if she believed she had a chance, New York Post reported. He argued there would be “no reasons” for her to hold back from pursuing her own political project.
Rah told The Telegraph, “It depends on the timing, but I believe if Kim Yo Jong believed that she had a chance of becoming the top leader then she would take it. For her, there are no reasons to refrain from putting into effect her own political project.”
Kim Yo Jong has built a fearsome reputation inside and outside North Korea. Known for her cutting remarks, she regularly issues statements in her own name.
In 2022, she targeted South Korea’s defence minister with one of her harshest comments yet, calling him “a senseless and scum-like guy” and warning that Seoul could face “a miserable fate little short of total destruction and ruin,” The Guardian had reported.
“The senseless and scum-like guy dare mention a preemptive strike at a nuclear weapons state,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. “South Korea may face a serious threat owing to the reckless remarks made by its defense minister.”
She added another warning, “South Korea should discipline itself if it wants to stave off disaster.”
A December report published on 38 North, the website of the US-based think tank Stimson Centre, had also raised concerns about potential “turbulence” should Kim Jong Un suddenly die. The analysis also underscored the “high likelihood of a power struggle emerging between Kim Jong Un and his potential successor candidates.”
According to the report, “in the immediate term, more politically established candidates, like Kim Yo Jong, are more likely to succeed in the event of Kim Jong-un’s sudden death or serious illness.”
In contrast, other potential successors, including Kim Ju‑ae and her siblings, believed to be two boys, “are still too young and unestablished to realistically be considered for succession in the coming five to 15 years.” the report noted.
The report further emphasised that Kim Yo Jong holds an advantage. “Kim Yo-jong, for example, will be able to immediately outmanoeuvre the others due to the political and military support she has garnered within the [Workers’ Party of Korea],” the report stated.
A Brutal Family History
North Korea has seen brutal internal purges before. After taking power in 2011, Kim Jong Un moved against his uncle and mentor, Jang Song Thaek, who was executed by firing squad in 2013 following accusations of “anti-party, counter-revolutionary, factional acts.”
Kim’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, the one-time heir to North Korea, was also killed when a pair of women smeared the deadly VX nerve agent on his face at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017.
US President Donald Trump said the Board of Peace’s member states have committed billions of dollars to Gaza’s reconstruction, as well as thousands of personnel to a UN-authorized stabilization force.
Donald Trump chaired the first meeting of the so called “Board of Peace” in Davos last month [January 22, 2026]Image: Denis Balibouse/REUTERSUS President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the member states of his so-called “Board of Peace” have pledged more than $5 billion (€4.2 billion) for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president announced that he will formally unveil the pledges when the board meets in Washington on Thursday.
The event is expected to draw delegations from more than 20 countries, including heads of state.
Reconstruction of Gaza is expected to cost $70 billion, according to United Nations, World Bank and European Union estimates, after more than two years of war.
The US-brokered October 10 ceasefire calls for an armed international force to provide security and disarm Hamas, but few nations have expressed interest.
Trump wrote that the member states of the board have committed thousands of personnel to the UN-authorized international stabilization and police force in the Palestinian enclave, calling the board “the most consequential international body in history.” He didn’t name which countries were planning to contribute.
Indonesia’s military, however, confirmed on Sunday it expects up to 8,000 troops to be ready by late June for a possible peace and humanitarian mission, the first concrete commitment to the proposed force.
Trump calls on Hamas to disarm
Trump is also urging Hamas to move ahead with full disarmament under his postwar plan for Gaza.
“Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to full and immediate demilitarization,” he wrote in his Truth Social post.
Disarmament is an important part of the second phase of the US-mediated ceasefire plan that was agreed in October between Israel and Hamas. This plan aims to end the conflict that began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023.
The second phase stipulates that Israeli forces will gradually withdraw from Gaza, and that Hamas will disarm. An international stabilization force will be deployed to ensure security.
Sources told NDTV that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been formally invited but is unlikely to attend due to prior commitments in Mumbai
India’s invitation carries particular weight, given Dhaka-New Delhi ties
Dhaka is set to witness a major political moment on February 17 as Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman is sworn in as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh, marking the formal return of the BNP to power.
The oath ceremony, expected to take place at the Southern Plaza of the Bangladesh Parliament House, is being closely watched across South Asia, with India featuring prominently among the invited countries.
According to BNP sources, the day will begin with the oath-taking of newly elected Members of Parliament, followed by the swearing-in of the new prime minister and cabinet later in the day. The oath to Tarique Rahman will be administered by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, underscoring the constitutional transition after the general election.
Speaking to NDTV, a BNP spokesperson described February 17 as a “historic day for Bangladesh,” noting that the formation of the new government would signal a fresh political chapter after a prolonged and closely scrutinised electoral process. The spokesperson added that attention would also focus on the international presence in Dhaka, particularly the arrival of South Asian leaders.
In a significant diplomatic outreach, the Chief Adviser of the interim government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, has invited heads of government from 13 countries to attend the oath ceremony. The invitee list includes India, China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, and Bhutan.
India’s invitation carries particular weight, given Dhaka-New Delhi ties and the shared history between the two neighbours. Sources told NDTV that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been formally invited but is unlikely to attend due to prior commitments in Mumbai on the same day with French President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar or Vice President CP Radhakrishnan is expected to represent India at the ceremony.
Diplomatic observers say India’s participation at any level will be closely analysed for signals about the future trajectory of India-Bangladesh relations under the new BNP-led government. While past BNP administrations have had complex ties with New Delhi, recent statements from party leaders have emphasised regional cooperation, trade, connectivity and stability.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin, the UK and European allies have said.
Two years on from the death of Navalny at a Siberian penal colony, Britain and its allies have blamed the Kremlin following analysis of material samples found on his body.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said “only the Russian government had the means, motive and opportunity” to use the poison while Navalny was imprisoned in Russia.
According to Tass news agency Moscow has dismissed the finding as “an information campaign”, but Cooper said there is no explanation for the toxin, called epibatidine, being found.
While Cooper announced the findings, a joint statement was issued by the UK, Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Cooper met with Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya at the conference this weekend.
“Russia saw Navalny as a threat,” Cooper said at the event.
“By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition,” she added.
In the statement the allies said: “Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it responsible for his death.
“Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia.
“There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny’s body.”
The Foreign Office said the UK has informed the Organisation on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of Russia’s alleged breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Praising Navalny’s “huge courage”, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “his determination to expose the truth has left an enduring legacy”.
“I am doing whatever it takes to defend our people, our values and our way of life from the threat of Russia and Putin’s murderous intent,” he added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said his country “pays tribute” to Navalny, who he suggested was “killed for his fight in favour of a free and democratic Russia”.
Navalny – an anti-corruption campaigner and Russia’s most vociferous opposition leader – died suddenly in jail on 16 February 2024 at the age of 47.
In 2020 he was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. He underwent treatment in Germany, and was arrested at the airport upon his return to Russia.
‘Extremely rare’ toxin
Epibatidine, the toxin the UK and its European allies have said was used to kill Alexei Navalny, was first derived from a group of poison dart frogs native to northern South America.
Though epibatidine has previously been investigated as a pain killer and for relief from painful inflammatory conditions of the lungs, it has been deemed too toxic to use clinically.
Speaking to BBC Russian, toxicology expert Jill Johnson said it was “200 times more potent than morphine”.
By acting on receptors in the central nervous system, it can cause “muscle twitching and paralysis, seizures, slow heart rate, respiratory failure and finally death,” Johnson said.
The extremely rare neurotoxin is only found in one wild frog species in tiny quantities, and only when the frog eats a specific diet, she told the BBC.
Researchers believe the frogs acquire it through their diet because animals from different habitats have displayed different levels of the toxin, and those raised in captivity have none.
Johnson described it as an “incredibly rare way to poison a person”.
She added: “Finding the wild frog in the correct location that is eating the specific diet to create the correct alkaloids is almost impossible…almost.”
The Indian Consulate said it will provide all assistance to the family, including for the repatriation of mortal remains to India.
Saketh Sreenivasaiah was pursuing his Master of Science in the Product Development Programme at the University of California, Berkeley. (LinkedIn)
The 22-year-old Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, who went missing in the United States since February 9, was found dead in Lake Anza near the Berkeley Hills by the local police, India’s mission in San Francisco said on Sunday.
Sreenivasaiah, a post-graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, hailed from Tumakuru in Karnataka. He was last seen near a lake in the Tilden Regional Park in California.
In a post on X, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco said, “The Consulate deeply regrets to inform that local police have confirmed the recovery of the body of the missing Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time.”
It further added that the Indian mission is ready to provide all the necessary assistance to the family in coordinating with local authorities and arranging for the repatriation of Sreenivasaiah’s mortal remains.
“Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services,” the Consulate added.
The update from the Consulate came merely 24 hours after it expressed deep concern over the 22-year-old’s disappearance. The mission had said that it was in touch with Sreenivasaiah’s family and with the local authorities.
Saketh’s father, Sreenivasaiah, said he last spoke to his son on February 9. “We still haven’t been able to locate him. We are in touch with his roommates and others. We have written to the government seeking support and assistance to find our son,” he told news agency PTI.
Sreenivasaiah’s parents wrote to Karnataka chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh on February 13, seeking the state government’s cooperation and assistance. They stated in the letter that their son’s roommates had searched all known locations and, after confirming he was untraceable, lodged a formal complaint with the Berkeley Police Department.
The Karnataka government on Saturday requested the ministry of external affairs to extend all necessary assistance. Rajneesh said in a letter to foreign secretary Vikram Misri, “It is requested that the ministry of external affairs, through the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, extend all necessary assistance, including coordination with local law enforcement and facilitation of support to the family.”
An upside-down U.S flag flutters at the former United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, February 5, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries.
The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran.
U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program, after Trump amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.
U.S. officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.
Trump, speaking to U.S. troops on Friday at a base in North Carolina, said it had “been difficult to make a deal” with Iran.
“Sometimes you have to have fear. That’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of,” Trump said.
Asked for comment on the preparations for a potentially sustained U.S. military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: “President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran.”
“He listens to a variety of perspectives on any given issue, but makes the final decision based on what is best for our country and national security,” Kelly said.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The United States sent two aircraft carriers to the region last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
However, June’s “Midnight Hammer” operation was essentially a one-off U.S. attack, with stealth bombers flying from the United States to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran staged a very limited retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar.
RISKS INCREASING
The planning underway this time is more complex, the officials said.
In a sustained campaign, the U.S. military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said. The official declined to provide specific detail.
Abuse in a juvenile facility, hazardous dust from a battery factory and an alleged sex video involving the opposition leader — the run-up to Hungary’s election has so far been dominated by one scandal after another.
‘Let’s protect the children’ — a protest organized by the Hungarian opposition party Tisza. In the center of the photo, dressed in black, is Tisza leader Peter MagyarImage: Robert Hegedus/dpa/picture alliance
Hungary is no stranger to extremely polarized election campaigns.
For decades now, Victor Orban has — whether in government or in the opposition — followed the same playbook: Starting months ahead of the polls, he has run campaigns that suggest the very survival of the Hungarian nation is at stake.
In these campaigns, he styles himself as the only one who can save Hungary and its people from evil and the threat of destruction at the hands of the country’s enemies.
Hungary is due to elect a new parliament on April 12, and this time, the campaign is more negative than ever.
Nonsense and fabrications
Orban, his government and his party, Fidesz, have no qualms about papering the country with thousands upon thousands of anti-Ukrainian posters, using taxpayers’ money to organize a “national petition” against the EU and Ukraine, and flooding social media with AI-generated fake videos about the opposition.
These videos all have one thing in common: They spread nonsense and fabrications. The prime minister and his team are essentially claiming that if Orban loses the election, the country will face war, mobilization on the Ukrainian front, and enslavement and mass impoverishment as a result of tax increases from Brussels.
In view of this particularly extreme campaign, Gabor Torok — an otherwise sober political scientist — has already spoken of the “decline and fall” of political culture.
Could Orban lose the election?
The reason for this downward spiral is quite simply the real possibility that Orban could lose power for the first time since 2010.
People have in general grown weary of what they see as the corrupt, arrogant and autocratic Orban system.
For months now, Peter Magyar and his opposition Tisza party have been clearly and consistently ahead in opinion polls.
At the same time, the prime minister and his government are struggling with the fallout from a number of self-inflicted public scandals that could all safely be filed under “Lies and double standards.”
Child abuse scandal
The first of these scandals relates to serious violence and the sexual abuse of minors at a juvenile facility in Budapest. New aspects of the story have gradually been coming to light over the past few months.
The facility, which was more or less a brutal prison for young offenders, has since been closed. Leaked videos have shown shocking scenes of staff violence at the facility.
Government representatives apparently knew about conditions in the facility for quite some time, but did nothing, even though child protection — coupled with homophobia — is a major theme for Orban’s government. Indeed, the government likes to claim that it is protecting Hungarian children against “Brussels’ LGBTQ+ propaganda” and the supposed abuse that this will lead to.
Orban and some members of his government and party also seemed to suggest a few weeks ago that the victims themselves were responsible by pointing out that they were criminals.
In doing so, they seemed to imply that civic and human rights could be revoked at will. This was greeted with even greater opposition from some parts of Hungarian society.
Ignoring health hazards at a battery plant
Earlier this week, Hungary was rocked by revelations about environmental and health hazards at a Samsung battery plant in God, a town north of Budapest.
According to research conducted by the Hungarian news site Telex.hu, staff at the factory have for years been exposed to poisonous heavy metal particles, and this dust was emitted into the air, the soil and the groundwater. Documents show that levels were in some cases over 500 times higher than permissible limits.
The Hungarian government was apparently aware of this. It is claimed that even the Hungarian domestic intelligence agency AH warned the government of the catastrophic situation. Nevertheless, it is reported that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stopped the closure of the plant.
There are also reports that when the anti-corruption website Atlatszo.hu first wrote about the matter in early 2024, the government considered how best to silence the site.
The story is so explosive because Orban’s government has for years been pushing the massive development of battery production in Hungary and sees it as a pillar of the country’s forward-looking economic and technology policy.
To this end, Chinese and South Korean investors were brought in. Despite numerous local protests, court cases and concerns voiced by experts, the government repeatedly moved ahead with its plans.
Scandal about a possible sex video
And then there is the story of a supposed sex video involving opposition leader Peter Magyar, which has the Hungarian public on tenterhooks.
A few days ago, a black-and-white photo of an unmade bed in a bedroom appeared on a mysterious website named after — but not belonging to — Tisza’s deputy leader Mark Radnai. The image was taken from the perspective of what would appear to be a security camera.
After days of speculation, Magyar himself posted a Facebook video about the photo on February 12. In it, he said that he had had “consensual sex” with a former girlfriend in that room on August 3, 2024. He also said that there had been drugs on a table in the apartment, but that he had not taken any.
During his speech at the Munich Security Conference, France’s president said Europeans should be more proud of the continent’s achievements. Meanwhile, Germany’s Merz rejected the MAGA “culture war.” DW has more.
Macron defended Europe as model for the world during a speech at the Munich Security ConferenceImage: Kay Nietfeld/REUTERS
The Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday with a speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who did not hold back in calling out a growing “rift” between Europe and the United States under President Donald Trump.
Merz said the post-World War II order, which had been shaped by US supremacy and Europe enjoying a “vacation from world history” under Washington’s security umbrella, has come to an end.
He said Europe can come together and shape a new order.
“We are not at the mercy of this world, we can shape it,” Merz said, arguing that Europeans can do so if they “step up together with determination and confidence in our own strengths.”
At the same time Merz said the US and Europe need to “repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together,” while pointing out that the US “claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost,” warning of the rise of Russia and China.
“Merz’s pointed analysis of how isolated Trump’s aggressive take on trade and security has left the US was so blunt that it sounded like an insult,” DW’s Chief Political Editor Michaela Kuefner said at the conference.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is representing the US at the conference, with a much-anticipated speech due for Saturday morning.
Before leaving for Munich, Rubio said ties between the US and Europe are facing a “defining moment.”
“The old world is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” he said.
Rubio added that the US is “deeply tied to Europe, and our futures have always been linked and will continue to be. We’ve just got to talk about what that future looks like.”
Overall security spending is expected to rise in the coming years as global tensions increase, says Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
An RSAF Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle on display at the 10th edition of the Singapore Airshow, on Jan 31, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
Singapore will maintain its current defence budget at 3 per cent of gross domestic product, but this could change if circumstances call for it, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Feb 12).
Delivering this year’s national budget, Mr Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said sustaining investments in security is critical amid a more fragmented and dangerous world.
“For now, we expect to keep defence spending at around 3 per cent of GDP. But we are prepared to spend more if the need arises,” he said.
He added that national security extends beyond the Ministry of Defence and includes investments in the protection of critical infrastructure and the work of the Home Team.
“Taken together, we expect overall security-related expenditures to rise in the coming years – to keep Singapore safe and secure in a far more complex threat environment.”
RISING SECURITY RISKS
Mr Wong said the world has become more dangerous in recent years. In 2024, there were 61 state-based armed conflicts worldwide – the highest number recorded since World War II, he said.
“These conflicts are not confined to distant regions. Closer to home, we witnessed one of the most serious armed clashes involving ASEAN member states in years,” said Mr Wong, citing the Thailand-Cambodia military confrontation.
Calling these developments “deeply troubling”, Mr Wong said they reflect a “shrinking space for negotiation, a greater willingness to use force, and a higher risk of miscalculation, with consequences that can easily spill across borders”.
He reiterated that no one will come to Singapore’s rescue in a crisis and that the country is responsible for its own defence and survival.
Recent conflicts have underscored how the nature of warfare is changing, particularly with the widespread use of unmanned systems, he said. Drones are now used not only for surveillance, but also for precision strikes, electronic warfare and coordinated operations.
“We will study these developments carefully and invest decisively in capabilities that are essential to Singapore’s defence. This includes strengthening our ability to deploy, counter, and operate alongside unmanned systems across all domains,” said Mr Wong.
The digital domain has also become increasingly contested, with a sharp rise in cyberattacks by state-sponsored and non-state actors. These range from scams targeting individuals to highly sophisticated attacks on critical information systems.
“Singapore is an attractive target. We have faced attacks from malicious cyber actors, including hostile information campaigns and deliberate attempts to undermine our national security,” said the prime minister.
Singapore has strengthened its defences over the years by establishing agencies such as the Cyber Security Agency, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency and the SAF’s Digital and Intelligence Service, he said.
“But the threat landscape continues to evolve, with attacks becoming more frequent, more coordinated and more sophisticated,” he said.
“We will therefore continue to strengthen our cybersecurity posture by deepening capabilities, improving coordination across agencies and better safeguarding our most critical systems.”
“A TIME OF PROFOUND GLOBAL CHANGE”
In what was his first Budget speech for the current term of government, Mr Wong said Singapore is entering its post-SG60 phase “at a time of profound global change”.
He said the international order that had underpinned global stability and economic cooperation for nearly eight decades is weakening.
“It underwrote global security, championed open markets, and helped form the institutions and rules that enabled shared prosperity across the world – including here in Asia. That era has now come to an end.”
The US is reassessing and undoing part of that system, setting aside trade rules and bypassing global institutions, making long-standing norms less reliable, said Mr Wong. This has weakened the multilateral system and driven more states towards unilateral action.
The guardrails that once helped manage disputes and tensions are also eroding, leading to a more contested, fragmented and dangerous world, said Mr Wong.
While last year’s US Liberation Day tariffs were expected to trigger a sharp global slowdown, Mr Wong said “our worst fears did not materialise” as firms adjusted quickly by front-loading production and imports.
The impact of the tariffs was also reduced by subsequent trade deals and shifts in global supply chains, he said. Growth in the major economies held up, supported in part by strong investment in Al-related activities.
“In short, despite mounting stresses, the global economy proved more resilient than anticipated, and the international system continued to function,” said Mr Wong.
“This year, however, we may not be so fortunate. Events in just the first month of 2026 have already been of exceptional scale and consequence. They have increased geopolitical tensions worldwide.
“As pressures build and the margin for error narrows, the resilience of the global system will be tested far more severely.”
WEAKENING OF GLOBAL ECONOMY
Mr Wong also pointed to “clear and growing signs of fragility in the global economy”.
“Rising public debt in many major economies will strain financial stability, and weigh on longer-term growth prospects. At the same time, heightened risk-taking in financial markets has pushed up asset valuations, leaving them vulnerable to abrupt corrections,” he said.
Such corrections could dampen confidence and spill over into real economic activity, he added.
These developments have direct implications for Singapore. Although the economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 5 per cent in 2025, a more moderate outlook is expected this year.
“Growth is therefore projected at 2 per cent to 4 per cent; with inflation at 1 per cent to 2 per cent,” he said.
Still, Mr Wong said Singapore can move forward with confidence.
“Over the decades, we have systematically strengthened our economic foundations – deepening capabilities, investing in our people, and reshaping our industries as technologies evolve,” he said.
Anthropic raised 30 billion dollars at a 380 billion valuation, sparking criticism from Elon Musk, who called the company “misanthropic and evil”.
A file photo of Elon Musk (AP)
Artificial intelligence company Anthropic on X announced that it has raised $30 billion in fresh funding at a $380 billion post-money valuation, underscoring its rapid ascent in the global AI race, thus triggering a response from Elon Musk.
“We’ve raised $30B in funding at a $380B post-money valuation. This investment will help us deepen our research, continue to innovate in products, and ensure we have the resources to power our infrastructure expansion as we make Claude available everywhere our customers are,” the company posted.
Soon after, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk responded to Anthropic’s announcement on X.
“Your AI hates Whites & Asians, especially Chinese, heterosexuals and men. This is misanthropic and evil. Fix it,” Musk wrote.
He further added, “Frankly, I don’t think there is anything you can do to escape the inevitable irony of Anthropic ending up being Misanthropic. You were doomed to this fate when you chose your name.”
Musk also wrote: “The Name of the Wind.”
Your AI hates Whites & Asians, especially Chinese, heterosexuals and men.
This is misanthropic and evil. Fix it.
Frankly, I don’t think there is anything you can do to escape the inevitable irony of Anthropic ending up being Misanthropic. You were doomed to this fate when you…
His remarks come at a time when his own artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is undergoing significant changes.
According to a Reuters report, Musk has overhauled xAI’s management structure ahead of a planned initial public offering, following its merger with SpaceX.
The reorganisation came after the departure of several co-founders from the three-year-old firm.
At an all-hands meeting, Musk said, “We’re organising because we’ve reached a certain scale. We’re organising the company to be more effective at this scale. Now, naturally, when this happens, some people are better suited for the early stages of a company and less suited for the later stages.”
He also highlighted the company’s ambitions in the competitive AI space, saying, “We are hiring, and we’re looking for intelligent and smart people. This is not an easy place to work. It’s a grind, but we have, I guess, like interstellar ambitions.”
Anthropic is the maker of chatbot Claude and is widely seen as one of the leading challengers to OpenAI and other generative AI firms developing large language models for enterprise and consumer use.
AMONG TOP PRIVATE AI FIRMS
According to an Associated Press report, Anthropic’s $380 billion valuation places it among the world’s most valuable startups, alongside OpenAI and SpaceX.
Renaissance Capital has ranked Anthropic as the third most valuable private firm, behind OpenAI, valued at $500 billion, and SpaceX, which recently merged with Elon Musk’s AI venture.
The latest funding round was led by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and US-based investment firm Coatue, along with dozens of other major investors.
AP reported that the funding includes a portion of the $15 billion investment previously announced by Nvidia and Microsoft.
As part of that arrangement, Anthropic is expected to buy up to $30 billion in computing capacity from Microsoft to build and run AI systems like Claude.
Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, is not yet profitable but has said it is on track for $14 billion in sales over the next year.
Russia has fully blocked WhatsApp over Meta’s alleged failure to comply with local laws, urging users to shift to the state-backed messaging app MAX. The move is part of Moscow’s push for a “sovereign” communications system amid wartime controls and tighter regulation of foreign tech firms.
Russia has fully blocked WhatsApp over Meta’s alleged failure to comply with local laws.
Russia has fully blocked US-based messaging platform WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, over what the Kremlin described as the company’s failure to comply with local laws. The move comes amid a broader push by Russian authorities to promote a state-backed “national messenger” called MAX.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the decision on Thursday, saying the government had implemented the block because of Meta’s non-compliance.
“Due to Meta’s unwillingness to comply with Russian law, such a decision was indeed made and implemented,” Peskov told reporters, urging citizens to switch to MAX.
“MAX is an accessible alternative, a developing messenger, a national messenger, and it is available on the market for citizens as an alternative,” he said.
Critics have described MAX as a surveillance tool, an allegation Russian authorities deny. Officials say the platform integrates various government-related services and aims to simplify citizens’ daily lives.
The move follows six months of mounting pressure on WhatsApp and reflects Moscow’s broader effort, particularly during wartime, to establish what it calls a “sovereign” communications infrastructure. Under this framework, foreign technology companies must comply with Russian laws or face removal from the market.
Meta Russia has already been designated as an extremist organisation. WhatsApp earlier complained that authorities were attempting to fully block its service.
“Today the Russian government attempted to fully block WhatsApp in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app,” the company said in a statement.
“Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia”.
Following the latest measures, some domain names associated with WhatsApp disappeared from Russia’s national register of domain names. As a result, devices inside Russia stopped receiving the app’s IP addresses, making access possible only through a virtual private network (VPN).
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state communications regulator, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities had already restricted WhatsApp and other messenger services in August, blocking users from completing phone calls on the platforms. Officials accused foreign-owned platforms of failing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases.
In December, Roskomnadzor said it was taking additional steps to gradually restrict WhatsApp. The regulator accused the app of continuing to violate Russian law and of being used “to organise and carry out terrorist acts on the territory of the country, to recruit their perpetrators and to commit fraud and other crimes.”
Authorities said at least 31 people have been killed with several still missing. Its estimated some 250,000 people have been impacted by Tropical Cyclone Gezani.
The vast majority of deaths were reported in the port city ToamasinaImage: Zo Andrianjafy/REUTERS
Local authorities in Madagascar on Wednesday said that at least 31 people have been killed by a tropical cyclone.
The National Office for Risk Management and Civil Protection (BNGRC) said a number of people were still missing and that at least 36 people were injured.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani swept across the island packing speeds of up to 270 kilometers an hour (167 miles an hour) the BNGRC said.
Majority of deaths reported in Toamasina
The agency said that 29 of the deaths were recorded in Toamasina on the island’s second-largest city.
In the aftermath of the weather system, 6,870 people were displaced, while a total 250,406 were classified as disaster victims, the BNGRC said.
In the Atsinanana region where Toamasina is located, around 75% of the infrastructure was damaged or destroyed.
President Michael Randrianirina — who took power in a military coup in October — visited Toamasina to survey damage and meet residents.
Videos posted on social media showed flooded neighborhoods and widespread damage.
“It’s devastation. Roofs have been blown away, walls have collapsed, power poles are down, trees have been uprooted. It looks like a catastrophic landscape,” resident Michel told the AP news agency.
Where tropical Cyclone Gezani is expected next
Weather forecasts showed Gezani was expected to move into the channel between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast on Thursday.
There were warnings that the weather system may strengthen again into a tropical cyclone and make its way back toward Madagascar’s southwest coast next week.
Gezani is the second cyclone to hit Madagascar this year and comes 10 days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia killed 14 and displaced over 31,000 people, according to the UN’s humanitarian office.
Mumbai Coastal Road will feature India’s first musical road, playing Jai Ho for motorists from Nariman Point to Worli.
India to get its first ‘musical road’ in Mumbai (Image credit: X/@richapintoi)
A section of the Mumbai Coastal Road (MCRP) is set to become India’s first ‘musical road’, offering motorists a rare yet enriching experience as they drive through the path.
Vehicles travelling from Nariman Point to Worli will be treated to the tune of ‘Jai Ho’, the Academy Award-winning song from the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire.
“The tune ‘Jai ho’ has been chosen as a dedication to the nation and also as it infuses a feeling of patriotism in people”, said a civic official, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
According to a report by the outlet, musical strips have been installed on the north-bound carriageway from Nariman Point towards Worli. As motorists emerge from the underground tunnel, heading towards Worli, they will be able to listen to the music even from within their vehicles.
The musical road, part of the city’s traffic-free Coastal Road corridor, focuses on blending technology with entertainment, making driving along the stretch enjoyable. This marks only fifth such musical road in the world and the first in India.
The initiative is set to be inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today at 12:30 P.M.
The outcome of the elections will affect not just Bangladesh’s future but also the regional balance in India’s neighbourhood.
India will also be keeping a close eye on the elections given the spurt in attacks on minorities.
The polls will be held in the absence of its two most towering political figures, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since she was deposed in 2024, and Khaleda Zia, who died in December 2025.
Here are 10 points on this big story:
Voters will cast their ballots for 299 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad, or parliament, for which the majority mark will be 150. Voting has been cancelled in the Sherpur-3 constituency following the death of a candidate. A total of 12.77 crore registered voters will cast their votes in the first-past-the-post system. Voting will begin at 7.30 am local time (7 am IST) and results should start trickling in by evening.
Another 50 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad are reserved for women and these members are elected by MPs through proportional representation via single transferable vote.
The 13th parliamentary elections will be the first since prime minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina was ousted following massive student protests in August 2024. Her arch-rival Khaleda Zia, who led the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) died in December the following year.
Zia and Hasina held the prime minister’s post alternately from 1991 until the Awami League chief came to power in 2009. She remained in the post for over 15 years and 200 days and had won elections again in 2024, until she was deposed months later.
These elections will, thus, also be the first without two of the most consequential political figures in the country in decades. People in Bangladesh will cast their votes in a completely changed political landscape and hope to start a new chapter in the country’s history.
Filling the political vacuum, in a blast from the past, is Zia’s son Tarique Rahman. The 60-year-old returned to the country from exile after nearly 17 years in December and has quickly capitalised on popular support enjoyed by his mother, the BNP and himself to emerge as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post.
With the Awami League excluded from participation in the elections because of its crackdown during the student protests, the main challenger will be the Jamaat-e-Islami. The Jamaat, which was allied with the BNP for many years, is now leading a coalition of its own and has the support of the National Citizen Party, a student and Gen-Z outfit born out of the anti-Hasina protests.
Apart from picking the next government, electors will also vote in a referendum on the July National Charter that has been agreed to by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and several political parties. Among the points in the charter are limiting prime ministers to two terms (10 years), establishing an upper House of parliament, and restoring the caretaker system – having a caretaker government take charge for 90 days before an election to ensure polls are free and fair.
India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, including lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans. To preserve the interest of Indian farmers, New Delhi has imposed substantial tariffs on American exports in these categories.
The Donald Trump administration in the United States has revised its factsheet on the “key terms” of the “historic” India-US trade deal, dropping the claim that New Delhi would reduce tariffs on “certain pulses” and altering wording relating to the $500 billion purchase “commitment”, among other things. The revisions in the factsheet are significant, given that agricultural imports, particularly pulses, are sensitive for India’s farm sector.
Revision On Pulses
The factsheet released by the White House on Tuesday explicitly mentioned “certain pulses” among the products for which India would reduce or eliminate tariffs. “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, certain pulses, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products,” the statement read.
The updated version of the document no longer carries any mention of pulses. It says, “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of US food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.”
India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses, including lentils, chickpeas, and dry beans. To preserve the interest of Indian farmers, New Delhi has imposed substantial tariffs on American exports in these categories. The change in the US factsheet suggests New Delhi successfully pushed back on the characterisation.
“Agri Goods” Removed
The Trump administration has also removed the mention of agricultural goods from the text. It also altered its wording around President Trump’s claim about India’s “commitment” to buying over $500 billion of US goods.
The earlier version of the factsheet said, “India committed to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products.”
However, the revised paragraph does not refer to agricultural products. It also replaced the word “committed” with “intends.”
The revised version said, “India intends to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, coal, and other products.”
The politically sensitive agriculture sector accounts for about a fifth of India’s GDP. The country’s agri space was estimated to be worth $580 billion to $650 billion, according to a June report by McKinsey & Co., which said that the sector could grow to $1.4 trillion by 2035.
New Delhi has resisted opening its agriculture sector because of the move that may intensify pressure on some domestic farmers in the highly competitive market.
No Removal Of Digital Services Taxes
Team Trump also walked back assertions that India would eliminate digital services taxes. The earlier version of the text read, “India will remove its digital services taxes and committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade, including rules that prohibit the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.”
The updated version says, “India committed to negotiate a robust set of bilateral digital trade rules that address discriminatory or burdensome practices and other barriers to digital trade.”
What Led To The Changes
The changes came a day after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Centre over the framework of the Interim Trade Agreement with Washington. Kharge claimed the trade pact undermined India’s strategic autonomy, farmers, cattle, and the textile sector.
He called the deal a “PR-wrapped betrayal” and questioned whether it protects India’s strategic and economic interests. The Congress leader raised concerns over agriculture, alleging that pulses and genetically modified (GM) feed, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs) and red sorghum for animal feed, have been silently added to the deal.
He noted that the White House factsheet on the deal mentioned conditions not included in the earlier Indo-US Joint Statement.
“We were told that the Indo-US Joint Statement said nothing on Russian oil, even though Mr. Trump publicly tweeted otherwise. Now the White House fact sheet clearly lists “India’s commitment to stop purchasing Russian Federation oil” as a condition for removal of an additional 25 per cent tariff. The Modi government agreed to this erosion of India’s sovereignty. Why? The Congress party had already exposed the Executive Order placing India under US monitoring for direct or indirect oil imports,” he said in a post on X.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is facing growing pressure from US officials and the family of his prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre to testify in the US about his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to the BBC, Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna said the Royal Family had “not been transparent”, while Democrat Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez said King Charles III “should direct his brother” to go to the US to answer questions.
On Monday, the King said the Royal Family were “ready to support” police in their inquiries.
Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 containing no admission of liability.
In the King’s first intervention in the latest round of revelations in the Epstein scandal, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said if they were approached by the police, they stood “ready to support them” in their investigation.
It added the King had “made clear…his profound concern” over allegations against his brother, and the King and Queen’s “thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse”.
Thames Valley Police announced on Monday it was assessing a complaint by anti-monarchy group Republic over the alleged sharing of confidential material by Andrew with Epstein.
The former prince appears to have knowingly shared confidential information with Epstein from his official work as trade envoy in 2010 and 2011, according to material in the latest release of files seen by the BBC.
Andrew has been contacted for comment but is yet to respond.
The King is now facing pressure to tell his brother to go to the US to testify to lawmakers
When asked by the BBC if the former prince should go to the US, Khanna said that would be “appropriate”.
The Congressman, who co-sponsored the law that compelled the justice department to release the Epstein files last year, also said the Royal Family should “come clean” and lay out what they knew and what “action they’re going to take”.
“They have a large wealth, they should probably be compensating these survivors for the horrors that have taken place,” he added.
Khanna said the Royal Family were “finally” asking for an investigation, and that “these women have been denied justice”.
It comes a day after Khanna told journalists this was the “most vulnerable” the British monarchy had been, and said stripping Andrew of a title was not enough.
“The King has to answer what he knew,” he said.
The former prince has also moved out of his Windsor home and is currently living at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk while his new permanent home undergoes renovations.
Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez, who is on the House Oversight Committee, called for more transparency from Andrew.
Speaking to the BBC’s Newsnight, she urged the King to tell his brother to “answer questions here at the Oversight Committee”.
“You cannot say ‘I am protected because I’m no longer in the jurisdiction of the United States, so I cannot be held liable’,” Fernandez argued.
She also called for an inquiry in England. She said Andrew “was there, he knows who else was in the room with him. Who else was at those locations where these attacks took place?”
Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Giuffre, piled on the pressure earlier on Tuesday, telling journalists: “I think he [Andrew] should show up in front of our Congress and answer questions.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer agreed.
The latest emails released by the US Department of Justice reveal there have been multiple unsuccessful approaches from US authorities for Andrew to help with Epstein inquiries.
The former prince cannot be forced by a subpoena to go to the US, which has caused a lot of frustration.
Last autumn, Democrats in Congress set a November deadline for the former prince to testify about what he knew about Epstein, but he gave no response.
The scandal surrounding US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is rocking European countries. In Germany, journalists are combing through the files, and politicians are pushing for investigations.
The US Department of Justice has released around three million documents relating to the Epstein scandalImage: Jon Elswick/AP Photo/picture alliance
The German government says it is closely monitoring the evaluation of the so-called Epstein files. “We are watching what is coming to light in other countries and how it is affecting politics there,” said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius at a press conference.
Kornelius stressed that if the documents reveal any criminal offense committed by German nationals, the country’s law enforcement agencies would take action.
“The federal government is not an investigative authority,” the spokesman explained, adding that he is “not currently aware of any criminal proceedings.”
Are Germans mentioned in the Epstein files?
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is mentioned in the published documents dozens of times; for example, in email correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist to US President Donald Trump. Both men make disparaging remarks about Merkel and express their desire to see her fail politically.
Another German name in the Epstein files is that of former German Defense Secretary Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s ex-wife, now known as Stephanie von Bismarck. She appears twice, but only on a list of customers of a bank where Epstein also had an account. The accounts are not related to each other.
Reporters for German news magazine Der Spiegel found a copy of a press card seemingly issued by the German Union of Journalists Ver.di for Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Ver.di has since described it as a forgery, and reserves the right to take legal action.
German politicians demand investigation
Several German lawmakers have argued that there should be a systematic evaluation of the files. They want to know whether political or economic influence was exerted in Germany through Epstein’s network.
Konstantin von Notz of the opposition Green Party says the German government must provide information on the extent to which German intelligence services and other security agencies were aware of Epstein’s actions.
Notz, the Green Party’s deputy leader in Bundestag, toldthe Handelsblatt newspaper he wants to know whether the German authorities knew of the “exploitative, criminal, or pedo-criminal networks,” as well as Epstein’s international connections.
Sebastian Fiedler, domestic policy spokesman for the parliamentary group of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the Bundestag, referred to speculation over a possible European intelligence dimension to the case. He pointed to a suspicion expressed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who spoke of an Russian influence operation.
“Given the numerous interconnections within European power circles, it cannot be ruled out that interconnections could also arise in Germany,” Fiedler told the Handelsblatt.
Fiedler said the Epstein files showed a form of “serious organized crime” that had infiltrated institutions, business and culture across national borders.
King Charles carried out engagements in Lancashire on Monday
King Charles has made his first intervention in the latest round of revelations in the Epstein scandal, saying Buckingham Palace is ready to support the police as they consider allegations against his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct,” a Palace spokesman said.
“While the specific claims in question are for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to address, if we are approached by Thames Valley Police we stand ready to support them as you would expect,” he said.
Thames Valley Police confirmed it is assessing whether there are grounds to investigate a complaint by the anti-monarchy group Republic, which reported Mountbatten-Windsor for suspected misconduct in public office and breach of official secrets.
Emails from the recently-released batch of Epstein files appear to show the former prince passing on reports of visits to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam and confidential details of investment opportunities.
After the trips, on 30 November 2010, he appears to have forwarded official reports of those visits sent by his then-special adviser, Amit Patel, to Epstein, five minutes after receiving them.
There were also details of investment opportunities in Afghanistan, described as “confidential”, which appear to have been passed on to Epstein on 24 December 2010.
Under official guidance, trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality over sensitive, commercial, or political information about their official visits.
The Buckingham Palace statement says that the King and Queen’s “thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse”.
Earlier on Monday the King had travelled to Clitheroe where a heckler shouted: “How long have you known about Andrew?” The rest of the crowd booed the man putting the question.
The Buckingham Palace intervention follows an earlier statement from the spokesperson for the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying they were “deeply concerned” by the latest revelations about Epstein.
“Their thoughts remain focused on the victims,” said a Kensington Palace spokesperson, ahead of Prince William’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week.
Since the release of three million more documents related to Epstein, there has been growing pressure on Mountbatten-Windsor, with claims a second woman was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with him.
Photographs appearing to show him kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground were also included in the latest batch of files.
There has also been embarrassment for his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Emails signed “Sarah” show appeals for support and money from sex offender Epstein.
Certain textiles and garments made in Bangladesh from US-produced materials will attract zero tariffs.
The US-Bangadesh trade deal sees tariff exemptions for some Bangadesh exports made with materials produced in the United StatesImage: Joy Saha/ZUMA Press Wire/picture alliance
The United States and Bangladesh unveiled a new trade agreement on Monday.
Under the deal, certain volumes of imports from Bangladesh into the US can receive preferential treatment, attracting zero tariffs.
But the volume will be related to how much textiles the US exports to Bangladesh.
The US had “committed to establishing a mechanism for textile and apparel goods from Bangladesh using US-produced cotton and man-made fiber to receive zero reciprocal tariff in US market,” Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said in a statement.
The US is Bangladesh’s biggest single destination for apparel exports, totaling $7.34 billion (€6.17 billion) in 2024.
But Bangladesh faces stiff competition from other Asian nations, such as India, which announced its own trade deal framework with the US last week, and Vietnam.
Worth $38.48 billion in 2024, Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry is its biggest export earner, accounting for more than 80% of total export earnings and employing about 4 million workers.
Bangladesh opens its markets to a range of US goods
The White House said Bangladesh had agreed to provide significant preferential market access for a range of US industrial and agricultural goods, including chemicals, medical devices, machinery and motor vehicles and parts, and US farm and food products.
Bangladesh will cut tariffs to zero on products such as poultry, pork, seafood, rice, corn and cereal grains when the agreement enters into force.
The tariffs on some other US products, such as almonds, will reduce to zero over five or 10 years.
Slight cut to tariff rate of Bangladeshi goods entering US
Most Bangladeshi products entering the US market will pay a flat rate of 19%, down 1% from the 20% rate set in August 2025. This is higher than the 18% announced in the US-India trade deal.
But Bangladeshi-made ingredients for pharmaceuticals and aircraft parts are allowed in duty-free.
Bangladesh will also ease some non-tariff barriers to trade with the US. These include accepting US vehicle safety and emissions standards and recognizing US Food and Drug Administration certifications.
Bangladesh was the first country in South Asia to complete a reciprocal trade deal with US, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said.
It “marks a meaningful step forward in opening markets, addressing trade barriers, and creating new opportunities for American exporters,” he said.
The South Asian nation exported around $8.4 billion worth of goods to the US in 2024, while its US imports amounted to $2.2 billion.
Pakhi, 12, Prachi, 14, and Nishika, 16, had jumped to their deaths from the ninth floor of their flat in Bharat City, a residential township in Ghaziabad, last Wednesday, allegedly after their parents objected to their gaming addiction and took away their phones.
Pakhi, 12, Prachi, 14, and Nishika, 16, died by suicide by jumping off 9th floor of their Ghaziabad flat
Multiple marriages, five children crammed in a single room, a mysterious 2018 death, and financial ruin – the triple suicide of three sisters in Ghaziabad reeks of buried horrors.
Pakhi, 12, Prachi, 14, and Nishika, 16, had jumped to their deaths from the ninth floor of their flat in Bharat City, a residential township in Ghaziabad, last Wednesday, allegedly after their parents objected to their gaming addiction and took away their phones.
While the initial narrative centered on a “gaming addiction,” the investigation into their father, Chetan Kumar, has exposed a crumbling timeline of serial weddings and suspicious inconsistencies.
Police sources reveal that Kumar’s testimony regarding his marriages fails the test of basic logic. He claimed his second marriage was a necessity born of his first wife’s inability to conceive, yet the ages of his children suggest otherwise.
“Kumar (the girls’ father) has been changing statements. He tried to hide his marriage to Tina initially,” a senior police officer said.
Post-mortem reports confirm the minors died from head injuries. Atul Kumar Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Shalimar Garden, told NDTV that there were no signs of sexual assault on the girls.
The phones of the minors, one of which was sold off just 15 days before the incident, have been traced and sent, along with others, for forensic analysis to determine what transpired in the final hours.
Consent, Cover-Up And Serial Marriages
Chetan Kumar, his three wives – Sujata, Hina, and Tina – and their five children slept in one room of a three-bedroom flat in Ghaziabad’s Bharat City Society. Probe shows he fathered a daughter and a mentally challenged son with first wife Sujata.
“He said that he married Hina because Sujata couldn’t conceive”, ACP Singh said. As per Kumar’s testimony to police, he married Sujata in 2010, her sister Hina in 2013 and Tina, who had converted to Hinduism from Islam, in 2023. However, Kumar’s timeline and reasons for marrying Hina don’t add up as Sujata’s daughter at the time of her death is believed to be 16.
Asked how he managed to marry three women without divorcing any of the previous wives, the ACP said, “The women had apparently consented to the marriages. No one complained.”
With Hina, he had two daughters (14 and 12), both died by ‘suicide’ along with Sujata’s elder daughter, allegedly jumping off from the ninth floor of the building. Tina, the youngest of the wives, 22, has a three-year-old daughter with him. “She had worked with Kumar in the past. So far it has emerged that the other wives consented to this marriage too,” the ACP said.
As per the police, so far, Kumar, during interrogation, has maintained that his daughters were addicted to task-based Korean games and that he had taken away their phones.
Police have also recovered a 30-page diary where the girls had reportedly mentioned that they were frustrated after their access to Korean drama and K-Pop music was cut off.
Another detail that has emerged is the death of Sujata and Hina’s sister in 2018, who had fallen off the balcony of the house while visiting them. The case was treated as an accidental death, and the family never filed any police complaint.
The Civil Aviation Ministry is reviewing 400 uncontrolled airstrips for uniform standards after the Baramati crash that killed Ajit Pawar.
The Baramati crash has renewed focus on safety at non-ATC airfields. (PTI/File)
The Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a nationwide review of about 400 uncontrolled airstrips, aiming to create a uniform set of operating standards and a shared oversight system involving both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and state governments, according to officials.
The exercise will assess shortcomings in basic infrastructure, availability of communication systems, firefighting preparedness, and the level of coordination with district and local agencies. Most of these airstrips are owned by state governments and fall outside the DGCA’s regular surveillance framework, resulting in limited regulatory supervision, Hindustan Times reported.
The move to inspect these facilities and draft uniform guidelines comes in the wake of the January 28 aircraft crash in Baramati, which claimed the lives of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others, bringing renewed attention to safety risks at non-ATC airfields.
DGCA teams have begun reviewing safety practices at Category A airports—uncontrolled facilities with no air traffic control services—managed by states, private operators or flight training organisations. India has at least 400 such airstrips, many of which are used by charter operators, political flights and flying schools but lack standardised procedures for runway upkeep, rescue services and aircraft movement coordination.
HT cited a senior official as saying that existing guidelines for these airstrips do not come under DGCA jurisdiction, and a new system is being developed with states to ensure visibility of their operational status and safety standards. Another official confirmed that inspection teams include officers from the flight safety, airworthiness and operations directorates.
Categories Of Airports In India
According to DGCA officials, Indian airports are grouped into four categories. Category A airports operate without air traffic control (ATC) services. Category B airports have limited control, offering partial ATC or AFIS facilities, such as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Jalgaon. Category C airports function under procedural ATC, where aircraft separation is maintained without radar, as seen at Pune. Category D airports are fully controlled, radar-equipped hubs, including Mumbai and Delhi.
Among the prominent uncontrolled but operational airstrips are Baramati, Karad and Chandrapur in Maharashtra; Ujjain and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh; Bhagalpur and Begusarai in Bihar; Alwar in Rajasthan; Sultanpur and Saifai in Uttar Pradesh; and Hassan in Karnataka.
Protesters in Dhaka demand the extradition of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, now in exile in India
The walls of Dhaka University are screaming again.
Graffiti – angry, witty, sometimes poetic – sprawls across walls and corridors, echoing the Gen Z-led July 2024 uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina after 15 years in power. Once Bangladesh’s pro-democracy icon, critics say she had grown increasingly autocratic. After her resignation, she fled to India.
Students gather in knots, debating politics. On an unkempt lawn, red lanterns sway above a modest Chinese New Year celebration – a small but telling detail in a country where Beijing and Delhi are both vying hard for influence. For many here, the election scheduled for 12 February will be their first genuine encounter with the ballot box.
Nobel peace-prize laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge days after Sheikh Hasina’s fall. Hasina now lives in exile in Delhi, which has refused to return her to face a death sentence imposed in absentia over the brutal security crackdown in 2024 – violence in which the UN says around 1,400 people were killed, mostly by security forces.
Her Awami League – the country’s oldest party, which commanded some 30% of the popular vote – has been barred from contesting. Analysts say the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is now moving to occupy the liberal-centrist space it has vacated. The main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has joined forces with a party born out of the student uprising.
But the slogans on the campus – and beyond – are not only about democracy at home. It increasingly points across the border.
“Dhaka, not Delhi” is splashed on walls – and stitched onto saris, a traditional dress for women in South Asia. Among the young, “hegemony” has slipped into everyday speech, shorthand for India’s long shadow over Bangladesh.
“The young generation feels India has been intervening in our country for many years,” says Mosharraf Hossain, a 24-year-old sociology student. “Especially after the 2014 election, which was basically a one-party election.”
That grievance – Delhi’s perceived role in enabling Bangladesh’s democratic erosion – sits at the heart of a sharp rise in anti-Indian sentiment. The result: India-Bangladesh relations, once touted as a model of neighbourhood diplomacy, are now at their lowest ebb in decades.
“Delhi is struggling in Dhaka because of deep anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh and a hardening, often a hostile turn, in India’s own domestic political discourse towards its neighbour,” says Avinash Paliwal, who teaches politics and international studies at SOAS University of London.
Many blame Delhi for supporting an increasingly authoritarian Hasina in her final years and see India as an overbearing neighbour. They remember disputed general elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 and Delhi’s “endorsement” of them.
“India supported Hasina’s regime without any pressure, without any questions,” Hossain says. “People think the destruction of democracy was supported by India.”
That sense of betrayal has merged with longer-standing grievances – border killings, water-sharing disputes, trade restrictions and inflammatory rhetoric from Indian politicians and television studios – into a more corrosive belief: that India views Bangladesh less as a sovereign equal than as a pliant backyard.
Local media is rife with reports that an Indian conglomerate supplying electricity to Bangladesh has been cheating the country – a charge the group denies. On Facebook, a key platform for political mobilisation, campaigns rage to ban a leading daily branded an “Indian agent”. Both countries have suspended most visa services.
Delhi’s decision to bar a Bangladeshi cricketer from the Indian Premier League (IPL) and refusal to move Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup matches from India to Sri Lanka has fed resentment across the border.
“To be sure, India has channels with all stakeholders in Bangladesh. But translating such engagement into positive political outcomes remains challenging in the current political climate,” says Paliwal.
Delhi has indeed begun to broaden its outreach.
Last month Foreign Minister S Jaishankar travelled to Dhaka for former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia’s funeral, and used the occasion to meet the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman. The 60-year-old heir to the Zia dynasty, Rahman recently returned after 17 years in exile in London and now looms as the frontrunner in the landmark election.
India has also opened channels to Islamist forces. A senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader told me that Indian officials have engaged the party’s leadership four times in the past year, including a recent invitation to the Indian High Commission’s Republic Day reception in a Dhaka hotel.
Yet these tactical shifts have done little to arrest the broader slide. Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor of The Daily Star newspaper, says the current chill marks a low unseen even during earlier crises. “There’s no doubt this is the lowest point of the bilateral relationship,” he told the BBC.
The contrast with the Sheikh Hasina years is stark.
Over 17 years, Dhaka “opened up almost all fronts for India” – security co-operation, transit, trade, cultural exchange and people-to-people ties. Today, Ahmed says, “nothing is moving – neither people nor goodwill”.
What appears to have turned scepticism into anger was Delhi’s response after Hasina was ousted last August. Many Bangladeshis said they expected India to recalibrate a Bangladesh policy that had rested almost entirely on backing one party. Instead, India appeared to double down – offering Hasina refuge and tightening visa and trade restrictions. The message received in Dhaka, Ahmed says, was: Bangladeshis were “not being valued as neighbours”.
Rhetoric has worsened matters.
When Indian politicians label Bangladeshi migrants “termites” or talk of teaching Bangladesh a lesson “like Israel did in Gaza,” Ahmed asks: “How do you expect people in Bangladesh to react?”
Cultural retaliation followed – calls to boycott Indian goods, the suspension of IPL broadcasts – driven by resentment. “Culture, trade, respect – nothing is one-way traffic,” Ahmed says. “Unfortunately, that’s how the current Indian leadership is practising it.”
Yet officials in Dhaka caution against reading the relationship solely through its crises.
Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Yunus, describes ties with India as “multi-dimensional”, anchored in geography as much as politics. “We share 54 rivers… We share language, we share the same history,” he says, citing trade flows and daily movement across a 4,096km (2,545-mile) frontier.
Even so, Alam admits public sentiment has hardened sharply.
Ask Bangladeshis why they could not vote freely for over 15 years, he says, and many give the same answer: Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarianism – and India’s “backing” of it. “They also say that Hasina has always been supported by India.”
Hasina’s flight to India after the 2024 violence remains an especially sore point.
“Hundreds of young people were killed… and then she fled to India,” Alam says. The perception that she was treated as a “head of a government”, rather than a disgraced leader, deepened anger.
Alam also criticises Indian media coverage as alarmist, dismissing claims of systematic persecution of minority Hindus as “a massive disinformation campaign”. Isolated incidents do occur, he says, but are routinely portrayed as religious violence. “Come and visit,” he urges Indian journalists. “Meet the people and see what actually happened.”
India, meanwhile, says independent sources have documented more than 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities – including killings, arson and land grabs -during the interim government’s tenure, adding that these cannot be all “media exaggeration or dismissed as political violence”.
Ali Riaz, an academic who is currently serving as the special assistant to Yunus, believes the rupture runs deeper than miscommunication.
“It has reached the bottom,” he says. He believes that over time, the relationship narrowed down to “a relationship between a party or an individual and the Indian establishment, rather than between Bangladesh and India”.
Long-standing disputes amplified the damage. Water sharing, Riaz argues, creates hierarchy. “If you control the water, the relationship immediately becomes unequal.”
Border killings cut deeper still. “It is viewed as how the Indian establishment see the lives of Bangladeshis.” India has denied unlawful killings by its forces in specific deaths along the border.
These issues, analysts say, are not episodic irritants but symbols of imbalance.
That imbalance, critics argue, was reinforced after Hasina’s fall. Mohammad Touhid Hossain, foreign affairs adviser to Yunus, says India failed to recalibrate, missing a chance to reset ties with the interim government. “We tried to go forward on a number of occasions, but then the response from India was on again, off again,” he told me.
India, for its part, has voiced concern over Bangladesh’s “deteriorating security environment” and called for “free, fair, inclusive and credible elections” conducted peacefully.
Political strain is now spilling into economic ties. Bilateral trade of $13.5bn could be far higher if tariff and non-tariff barriers were eased and diplomatic relations improved, says Fahmida Khatun of the think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). “Political tension has led to economic tension.”
Yet this hardening at the state level does not always translate neatly on the street.
“Whenever I hear India, I think it is my enemy,” says Fatima Tasnim Juma of Inquilab Mancha, a cultural platform known for its nationalist anti-India messaging.
“But when it comes to people, it does not work like that.” Juma says she grew up in a Hindu-majority area; relatives move easily across the border. “Our conflict is with the Indian government or the structure. Not with people.”
Anti-Indianism has been notably subdued on the campaign trail – not because it has faded, but because every political contender knows that a reset with India is unavoidable.
Even so, repairing India–Bangladesh ties will not be quick – or cosmetic.
“A reset won’t be easy simply because there’s an election or a new government. The background [issues] will remain,” says Alam.
Still, the rupture is not irreversible. “No state relationship is,” says Riaz – but the burden of repair, he argues, lies largely with Delhi and will require moving beyond the habit of managing Dhaka through favoured intermediaries. Ahmed says Bangladesh is open to normalising ties, but India needs a reset that works with whoever holds power in Dhaka.
Political figures frame the reset in moral as much as strategic terms.
Mahdi Amin, a key adviser to BNP leader Rahman, puts it bluntly: “The bigger the nation, the more the responsibility.”
People-to-people ties, he argues, can only grow if India aligns its policy with the aspirations of Bangladeshis, not just the preferences of governments.
Keir Starmer’s top aide Morgan McSweeney has quit amid fallout over the appointment of Britain’s former US ambassador. Criticism has mounted as new details emerged of the appointee’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Morgan McSweeney played a similar role to Peter Mandelson in engineering an election victory for LabourImage: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA/picture alliance
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday as pressure intensified over Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.
The departure deepened a political crisis for Starmer after newly published US documents raised questions about Mandelson’s past relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
What did McSweeney say about his resignation?
McSweeney, Starmer’s closest adviser, said he took responsibility for recommending Mandelson’s appointment.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” McSweeney said in a statement.
“He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said.
“When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
Why has the Mandelson controversy flared again?
Mandelson was sacked last September over his relationship with Epstein.
However, the controversy escalated after documents released in the United States suggested Mandelson shared market-sensitive information with Epstein. The documents formed part of a larger trove of files made public in the US.
The material raised questions about Mandelson’s conduct at the time, when he was serving as Britain’s business secretary during the 2008 financial crisis.
Starmer faced mounting criticism — and suggestions that he should also step down — over his judgment in sending Mandelson to Washington in 2024.
Who is Morgan McSweeney?
The 48-year-old Irish strategist has been keeping a low profile but is being described by some as “the most powerful man in politics” after playing a key role in Starmer’s decisive election victory in July 2024.
He was credited with helping steer Labour toward a more centrist agenda after the left-wing tenure of former leader Jeremy Corbyn. McSweeney was said to have been close to Mandelson.
Who is Peter Mandelson?
Mandelson was an influential figure in British politics and the Labour Party for decades.
He was central to Labour’s shift toward the political center in the 1990s, in a similar way to McSweeney, helping former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair modernize the party and win the 1997 landslide election.
The now-72-year-old was long dubbed the “Prince of Darkness,” a term widely used to describe his reputation as a highly skilled, behind-the-scenes political operator. However, he proved to be a divisive and controversial figure, and was forced out of government twice under Blair over allegations of misconduct.
Police used tear gas and water cannons on dozens of protesters near the Olympic Village in Milan. Protesters were demonstrating over the environmental impact of the games and also the presence of US ICE agents.
A larger peaceful protest earlier in the day had dispersed by the time a smaller crowd clashed with security personnelImage: Claudio Furlan/LaPresse/dpa/picture alliance
A peaceful demonstration in Milan on Saturday, near the Olympic Village in northern Italy, has ended in clashes with police.
Earlier on Saturday, upwards of 10,000 people marched towards the Olympic Village, but later on, once the larger peaceful group of protesters had left, a smaller group had violent confrontations with police.
Flares and stones were thrown at police, who dispersed protesters with batons, water cannons and tear gas following the otherwise peaceful march.
Why are people protesting at the Olympics?
Protesters took to the streets over the environmental impact of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, which got underway on Friday.
“Let’s take back the cities and free the mountains,” one banner by a group calling itself the Unsustainable Olympic Committee read.
At the larger, peaceful demonstration — which police said had 10,000 demonstrators — people carried cardboard cutouts representing the trees cut down to build the new bobsled run in Cortina.
The protests took place amid US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Milan as head of the US delegation. Vance attended the opening ceremony to many boos and some applause on Friday.
Protesters unhappy with presence of US ICE officers
The protest was also directed partly at the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency officers at the games.
ICE officers have been tasked with protecting officials, including Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 30, 2026. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Iran will strike U.S. bases in the Middle East if it is attacked by U.S. forces that have massed in the region, its foreign minister said on Saturday, insisting that this should not be seen as an attack on the countries hosting them.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke to Qatari Al Jazeera TV a day after Tehran and Washington pledged to continue indirect nuclear talks following what both sides described as positive discussions on Friday in Oman.
While Araqchi said no date had yet been set for the next round of negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump said they could take place early next week. “We and Washington believe it should be held soon,” Araqchi said.
Trump has threatened to strike Iran after a U.S. naval buildup in the region, demanding that it renounce uranium enrichment, a possible pathway to nuclear bombs, as well as stopping ballistic missile development and support for armed groups around the region. Tehran has long denied any intent to weaponise nuclear fuel production.
While both sides have indicated readiness to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Araqchi balked at widening the talks out.
“Any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure. (Tehran) only discusses its nuclear issue … We do not discuss any other issue with the U.S.,” he said.
Last June, the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment activity.
Its response at the time included a missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar, which maintains good relations with both Tehran and Washington.
In the event of a new U.S. attack, Araqchi said the consequences could be similar.
“It would not be possible to attack American soil, but we will target their bases in the region,” he said.
Signage is seen outside of the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Brad Karp, the chairman of high-powered U.S. law firm Paul Weiss, joined other prominent Democratic fundraisers at election night gatherings in Washington in November 2024 hoping for a Kamala Harris victory over Republican rival Donald Trump.
Karp had reached out to hundreds of corporate lawyers in a fundraising push for Harris soon after she replaced incumbent Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate in July 2024, and one of his Paul Weiss partners helped prepare the former U.S. vice president for her debate with Trump.
But Trump won the election. And his return to the presidency last year set in motion a series of events that first shook Paul Weiss and later, with the U.S. Justice Department’s release of records involving the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, led Karp to resign this week as its chairman.
Though he has not been accused of wrongdoing, the disclosures of his contacts with Epstein undid in a matter of days Karp’s longstanding grip over the firm that had cemented him as a Wall Street and Washington power broker.
“If you were going to write a Greek tragedy about a law firm leader, this is it,” a former senior Paul Weiss attorney told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
TRANSFORMING PAUL WEISS
After becoming chairman of Paul Weiss in 2008, Karp transformed it from a respected New York litigation firm to a big-money global powerhouse. And Paul Weiss lawyers and staff outpaced other major law firms in donations to Democrats during the 2024 election cycle.
Paul Weiss devoted pro bono work to progressive causes and recruited star Wall Street dealmakers alongside litigators who had served in Democratic former President Barack Obama’s administration.
Trump’s return to the White House quickly created tumult for Karp and his firm. Karp’s subsequent decision to cut a deal with Trump to rescind an executive order the president had issued punishing the firm made him the face of capitulation for some lawyers aligned with the Democratic Party.
At least a dozen partners, including the one who had advised Harris for her presidential debate, departed the firm afterward.
A bipartisan push in Congress last year, despite Trump’s objections, required the Justice Department to release files related to Epstein. A trove of emails made public at the end of January revealed extensive communications between Karp and Epstein, prompting him to resign as chairman.
Karp did not respond to requests for comment. The firm did not respond to a request for comment beyond the statement it released on Wednesday announcing his resignation.
In that statement, Karp said that “recent reporting has created a distraction and has placed a focus on me that is not in the best interests of the firm.” The firm previously had said he regretted his Epstein interactions and “never witnessed or participated in misconduct.”
Karp, whose rolodex of representations has included large Wall Street banks and the National Football League, remains at Paul Weiss serving clients, the firm said in its statement. Karp was replaced as chairman by Scott Barshay, who he had recruited in 2016 to turbocharge the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice and other corporate work.
Mette-Marit’s relationship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein comes as her son faces trial for rape and assault. The Epstein scandal is also affecting high-profile politicians in other European countries.
Mette-Marit says she ‘deeply regrets’ her Epstein ties [FILE: October 2024]Image: Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture allianceNorway’s crown princess Mette-Marit has apologized to everyone she has “disappointed” over her ties to the late billionaire and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement published by the Royal Family on Friday, the crown princess said she was sorry “for the situation I have put the Royal Family in, especially the King and Queen.”
“It is important for me to apologize to all of you whom I have disappointed,” she said. “Some of the content of the messages between Epstein and me does not represent the person I want to be.”
What do the Epstein files say about the Norwegian crown princess?
The latest tranche of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — known as the “Epstein files” — was released last week by the US Justice Department.
Mette-Marit was mentioned hundreds of times in the documents, which include e-mail exchanges with Epstein that reveal an unexpectedly close friendship between them that continued for years, even after Epstein had been convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
A person’s name being mentioned in the Epstein files does not necessarily imply any wrongdoing.
Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. Authorities ruled his death to be a suicide.
Mette-Marit admitted that year to having had contacts with Epstein, telling Norwegian media that she had shown “poor judgment” and regretted having “any contact” with the late financier. “It is simply embarrassing,” she said.
Scandal-hit Mette-Marit in the spotlight
While Norway’s royals are generally popular in the Nordic country, Mette-Marit’s previous relationships with convicted drug offenders caused a stir when she married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001.
The fresh revelations stemming from last week’s release of documents have raised more questions in Norway about whether Mette-Marit, who was born into a working-class family, is fit to be queen.
The revelations in the Epstein files come with Mette-Marit and the royal family already under intense media scrutiny.
Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, her son from a relationship before she married the Crown Prince, is currently on trial for 38 charges, including domestic violence and rape.
Hoiby is accused of raping four women and assaulting ex-partners, as well as drug possession.
What has Norway’s Crown Prince said?
Speaking on the sidelines of an official royal visit on Friday, Haakon said the royals “support Marius.”
He also acknowledged that many people want to hear from Mette-Marit, who suffers from a chronic lung condition that will require a lung transplant.
“She thinks that is completely natural. She would like to speak, but right now she can’t. And I also tell her that she is not allowed to,” Haakon said.
“She needs time to gather herself, and then she would like to say more about the matter, and we hope people understand that she needs a bit of time,” the crown prince added.
Epstein scandal spreads across Europe
The Epstein scandal has also ensnared other high-profile Norwegians, including former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland and former foreign minister Borge Brende, the current CEO of the World Economic Forum.
Brende and Jagland have both said they are cooperating with investigators.
The latest revelations from the Epstein files have also sent shockwaves through other European nations, including the United Kingdom, where police on Friday raided properties linked to Peter Mandelson as part of a probe into misconduct in public office.
The Epstein files released last week show that Mandelson had extensive ties to Epstein. They also suggested that Mandelson had leaked UK government documents to the disgraced financier, and that Epstein had made payments to Mandelson and his husband.
Mandelson, a former Labour Party politician, was appointed US ambassador by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2024.
With his future looking increasingly uncertain, Starmer apologized on Thursday for that appointment and for “believing Mandelson’s lies” to him about the scope of his relationship with Epstein.
Some experts have questioned how such a ban will be implemented and whether it will work. Meanwhile, the EU’s flagship digital law is seen to be flailing in driving systematic changes on large online platforms.
The EU has backed a minimum digital age for use of social media platforms like Instagram and TikTokImage: Yui Mok/dpa/picture alliance
Days after France’s lawmakers voted on a social media ban for children under the age of 15, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to protect Spain’s children “from the digital Wild West.”
Hours of scrolling over harmful content is rewiring young brains and causing anxiety and other health hazards, experts say, compelling European governments to act.
“The specific focus on minors is due to the increased risk of long-term harm, since they are still developing cognitively,” Paul O. Richter, affiliate fellow with Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, told DW. “There is a lot of research showing strong correlations between social media usage and mental health issues.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also expressed support for an EU-wide age limit along the lines of a new Australian law that set an age limit of 16 for social media usage.
But how can such a ban be implemented ― and would it even work?
Which European countries are mulling a social media ban for children?
In France, the bill that calls for a ban on under-15s will now be sent to the upper house of the French parliament for a vote.
In Spain, the Council of Ministers is expected to approve the ban on under 16s and add the clause to a draft bill under discussion in the Spanish parliament.
“Today, our children are exposed to a space they were never meant to navigate alone, a space of addiction, abuse, pornography, manipulation [and] violence,” Sanchez said as he announced the proposed ban.
Other European countries are also considering a social media ban on children under 16 or 15 years of age.
In late 2025, Denmark decided to protect children and young people from online abuse and “create a better framework for their digital lives.”
In a multiparty agreement, political groups in Denmark said access to some social media platforms should be banned. A law is yet to go into effect.
Italy has also introduced a bill in the Italian parliament to impose social media restrictions, including on child influencers, under the age of 15.
According to a senior official who spoke to news agency Reuters, Greece is “very close” to imposing a similar ban.
This week, Portugal submitted legislation that calls for parental consent for children under 16 to access social media content.
Austria is also contemplating a social media ban, while the United Kingdom has started a consultation process on the subject.
Meanwhile, European parliamentarians in November recommended a Europe-wide social media ban on children under 16, while also suggesting that 13- to 16-year-olds could be granted access with parental consent.
An EU-wide digital ID to check age?
One idea being discussed for age-verification is an EU-wide digital ID. Richter, the affiliate fellow with Bruegel, said an EU Digital ID is envisaged as a tool that would verify the user’s age without compromising personal details.
“It would allow people to digitally verify that they are above a certain age without the need to share any extra personal data such as exact birth date, name, address or ID number. This would facilitate the implementation of a digital age restriction,” Richter said.
But Marc Damie, spokesperson of France’s ctrl+alt+reclaim ― a youth-led tech justice and digital rights movement ― claimed that details about how age verification apps or IDs would work, and whether private information would be safe, are unclear.
“Such bans will backfire,” he said. “We agree there is a problem, social media is causing mental health issues, but such a ban,” he claimed, was just a symbolic measure on the part of politicians rather than an actual solution.
Expert: Social media ban wouldn’t alleviate ‘structural problems’
“It doesn’t solve structural problems” on social media platforms, said Damie.
He pointed to platform practices such as autoplay ― which forces unwanted and unexpected audio and video content upon users ― and anxiety-inducing infinite scrolling, intended to keep the users hooked online, as major issues.
Damie also objected to the age limit because “addiction doesn’t stop at 15 or 16.”
Richter agreed that lack of sufficient research makes it difficult to definitively argue for a specific age as the optimal cutoff.
“Some of the potential risks relate specifically to the effect social comparison from social media has on adolescent and teenage girls,” he said. “Therefore, a higher age cutoff could be justified.”
Only EU can push online platforms to make systematic changes
The European Union has backed a digital age of majority, but cautioned member states against stepping on the EU’s flagship Digital Services Act (DSA) that requires tech companies to mitigate risk related to algorithms and impact on minors.
“The DSA and the EU Commission are the only entities that can impose additional obligations on very large platforms,” Thomas Regnier, the Commission’s spokesperson for tech, told journalists.
Richter said member states are simply frustrated and don’t think the EU is able to effectively impose its laws on foreign tech companies, mostly those in the US.
“The DSA requires very large online platforms like popular social media [sites] to… change algorithms and platform design to mitigate systemic risks, including those to minors,” Richter said. “It also requires them to share data with researchers to allow for independent research on risks.
“In practice, this has not meaningfully occurred. [That’s why] more restrictive proposals, including social media bans, have gained more support,” he added.
US President Donald Trump has said he could impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran, in an executive order signed on Friday.
The order does not specify the rate that could be imposed, but uses 25% as an example, and says it will apply to goods imported into the US from any nation that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran”.
Trump has not directly commented on the order, but reiterated “no nuclear weapons” for Iran when speaking from Air Force One on Friday night.
It comes amid ongoing talks between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman, following several weeks of threats from both sides.
Trump threatened a 25% tariff of countries doing business with Iran earlier this year, in a post to Truth Social.
On 12 January, he wrote: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America.”
At the time, no further detail was provided on how the tariffs would work in practice.
The White House said that this latest executive order reaffirmed the “ongoing national emergency with respect to Iran”, and noted that the president may modify it of circumstances change.
It read: “The President is holding Iran accountable for its pursuit of nuclear capabilities, support for terrorism, ballistic missile development, and regional destabilization that endanger American security, allies, and interests.”
There has been no immediate comment from Iran.
Starting in Oman on Friday, the ongoing talks are the first involving US and Iranian officials since last June, when the US bombed Iran’s three main nuclear facilities.
The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One, Trump said Friday’s talks were “very good”, and that Iran “looks like it wants to make a deal very badly”.
“If they don’t make a deal, the consequences are very steep,” the president said, adding that there will be another meeting early next week.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who mediated the discussions, said they had been “useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress”.
In a statement to X, Araghchi described the talks to date as “a good start” and said that a “positive atmosphere prevailed”. He said negotiators had now returned to their respective capitals for consultation.
Rising tensions between the US and Iran have raised fears of a conflict between the countries, with Trump declaring that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be “very worried” as recently as Wednesday.
The president has said he would be prepared to strike the Middle Eastern nation if it refused to reach a deal on its nuclear programme.
Actor Celina Jaitley has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for the release of her brother, former Special Forces officer Major Vikrant Jaitley, detained in the UAE since September 2024.
Actor Celina Jaitley has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to secure the release of her brother, Major Vikrant Jaitley, a former Indian Army Special Forces officer who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates since September 2024.
In an interview with India Today TV’s Gaurav Sawant, Celina Jaitley broke down while recounting her brother’s detention and the lack of information surrounding his arrest. The matter reached the Delhi High Court, which has now directed the Ministry of External Affairs to appoint a legal firm to represent Major Jaitley in the UAE. Following the court’s order, UAE-based law firm Khalid Almarie Partners and Advocates has stepped in to provide legal assistance.
Major Vikrant Jaitley, a retired Special Forces commando, has been in custody in the UAE for over 16 months. Celina Jaitley told the court that her brother was “illegally taken and detained” without any formal information about his legal status, welfare, or charges for months. She said that only in June 2025 did she learn that he had been moved to Al-Wathba Detention Centre in Abu Dhabi.
According to Celina Jaitley, her brother was picked up from the Mall of the Emirates parking area by unidentified individuals who asked for his Emirates ID and took him away in a black car. She said there was no official arrest record for nearly nine months.
“He was taken without any explanation. There was no record of arrest, no access to legal counsel, no communication. I didn’t even know where my brother was,” she said.
Major Jaitley was working with Matiti Group International, a company founded by his wife in 2016, with operations in human resources, risk management, and information technology. Celina Jaitley said the only information she has received so far is a prosecution number and a vague reference to “national security,” without any clarity on the allegations.
“I only know one term — national security. That’s it. Nothing else. No charges, no prosecution details,” she said.
Celina Jaitley said she repeatedly contacted the Indian mission in the UAE and the MEA in New Delhi but received no response until she filed a grievance on the MADAD portal in November 2024. Even then, she said the responses were “templatised” and did not provide concrete details.
“I was only hearing from a portal, not from people. For a sister looking for her brother, that is devastating,” she said.
After approaching the Delhi High Court in October 2025, Celina Jaitley said the court’s intervention brought some movement. The High Court also directed that efforts be made to facilitate a phone call between the siblings, which she said has not yet happened.
The court’s latest order directing the MEA to appoint a legal firm has led to Khalid Almarie Partners and Advocates agreeing to represent Major Jaitley pro bono. Celina Jaitley said multiple law firms had earlier demanded “millions of dirhams,” which she could not afford due to ongoing personal and financial difficulties.
“They said they want to do this for our soldier. They believe in justice beyond borders and dignity,” she said.
Addressing concerns raised in court about differing views within the family on legal representation, Celina Jaitley said no firm had been appointed for over 16 months despite multiple options being shared.
“A soldier of our country is in a foreign jail without prosecution. Why should we delay legal aid any further?” she said.
Celina Jaitley appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the interview, citing his support for the armed forces.
“My request to Modiji is to please bring this soldier back. He has given his entire youth to the nation. If he had done something wrong, there would have been a prosecution by now,” she said.
The total $7 billion project in the remote, insurgency-hit western province is expected to start production by the end of 2028.
Reko Diq is important for Islamabad as it is counting on the mine to anchor its mineral strategy
Pakistan has secured nearly $1.3 billion worth of commitments from the United States for a copper and gold mining project in the South Asian nation’s sensitive Balochistan province, marking a major foreign investment in one of the world’s largest undeveloped mineral deposits. The Reko Diq project, located near the Pakistan-Iran border, is a total $7 billion project in the remote, insurgency-hit western province and is expected to start production by the end of 2028.
The project is being developed by Canadian miner Barrick Mining Corp in partnership with Pakistani authorities. The US investment in the project will be channelled through the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) as part of Washington’s broader push to secure critical mineral supply chains and strengthen economic ties with Pakistan.
According to Barrick, it owns 50 per cent of the project, while the other 25 per cent is owned by three federal state-owned enterprises, and 25 per cent by the Government of Balochistan, of which 15 per cent is on a fully funded basis and 10 per cent is on a free carried basis.
Security Concerns
Balochistan suffers frequent attacks by separatists and jihadists, making security a major concern for the mine. The project also requires a railway line upgrade to transport copper concentrate to Karachi for processing abroad.
Investments
Lenders, including the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank, among others, are assembling a financing package exceeding $2.6 billion, according to a report by Reuters.
The Reko Diq project added 13 million ounces to Barrick’s gold reserves in 2024 and is expected to produce 200,000 metric tons of copper a year in its first phase, doubling after expansion, with projected free cash flow of more than $70 billion over 37 years.
Pakistan’s Mineral Pay
The Reko Diq is important for Pakistan, with Islamabad counting on the mine to anchor its mineral strategy while the Canadian miner advances one of its largest long-term projects.
The US Embassy in Iran urged Americans to leave the country immediately, warning of internet shutdowns, travel disruptions and heightened detention risks.
A file photo of Donald Trump (AP)
The US Embassy in Iran has issued an urgent security alert advising American citizens to “leave Iran now,” citing expanding communications blackouts, transport disruptions and mounting risks of questioning or detention as regional tensions spike ahead of renewed diplomatic talks.
In the advisory, the embassy warned that “increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing,” adding that Iranian authorities continue to restrict access to mobile, landline and national internet networks.
Airlines, it said, are also limiting or cancelling flights.
“US citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Türkiye,” the alert stated.
Americans were urged to prepare departure plans that do not rely on US government assistance, noting, “Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning.”
Those unable to leave were advised to shelter in secure locations, maintain supplies of food, water and medications, avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile and remain alert to changing conditions.
The embassy also encouraged enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates.
The warning highlighted particular dangers for US-Iranian dual nationals, stressing that Tehran does not recognise dual citizenship and treats such travellers solely as Iranian citizens.
“US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran,” it said, adding that even showing a US passport or ties to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone.”
As of Thursday, February 5, the Armenian land crossing at Agarak/Norduz and several Turkish crossings, Gürbulak/Bazargan, Kapıköy/Razi and Esendere/Serow, remained open, according to the alert.
US citizens entering Armenia may stay up to 180 days visa-free, while those crossing into Türkiye may remain for 90 days.
Borders with Turkmenistan are open but require special authorisation coordinated by the US Embassy in Ashgabat, while land crossings into Azerbaijan are largely closed and subject to case-by-case approval.
Americans were cautioned not to attempt travel through Afghanistan, Iraq or the Pakistan-Iran border area.
The advisory noted that Washington has no diplomatic or consular relations with Tehran and that the Swiss government, through its embassy in Tehran, acts as the protecting power for US interests.
The alert comes as the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States are expected Friday in Oman.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the negotiations, while US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning aimed at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying in an NBC News interview, “I would say he should be very worried.”
The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier “with unclear intent” and was intercepted after displaying what the military described as aggressive behaviour, US officials said. It was destroyed by an F-35 fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier.
The drone was destroyed by an F-35 fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier.(Photo: Reuters)
The US military shot down an Iranian drone near its aircraft carrier, Abraham Lincoln, in the Middle East on Tuesday, raising fresh alarm over rising tensions in the Arabian Sea amid fragile diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
The incident came at a tense moment, as diplomats tried to bring Iran and the United States back to the negotiating table. US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened that “bad things” could happen if a deal was not reached.
According to news agency Reuters, CENTCOM said the drone “aggressively approached with unclear intent and continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters”. The drone was destroyed by an F-35 fighter jet operating from the aircraft carrier.
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for United States Central Command, as per Reuters.
He added that no American personnel were injured and that no military equipment was damaged during the operation. US Central Command said the decision to engage the drone was taken to ensure the safety of the vessel and its crew amid heightened regional security risks.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said contact with the drone was lost while it was flying in international waters and that the reason for the loss of connection remains unclear. Iranian media also reported that the drone had completed a surveillance mission in international waters.
US WARSHIPS MOVE CLOSER AS DIPLOMACY STALLS
The incident came just days ahead of scheduled talks between US and Iranian officials on Friday to restart long-running nuclear discussions and ease tensions.
US President Donald Trump has recently warned that tensions could worsen if negotiations fail, particularly as American naval forces increase their presence near Iran.
The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group remains the most visible symbol of Washington’s military buildup in the region. The deployment followed a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran last month, which marked the country’s deadliest domestic unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
While Trump initially stopped short of military intervention during the unrest, he has since demanded that Tehran agree to new nuclear concessions.
Last week, the US President said Iran was “seriously talking”, suggesting some progress in behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
On the Iranian side, senior official Ali Larijani confirmed that arrangements for negotiations were under way, offering cautious optimism that talks could resume.
SEPARATE CONFRONTATION IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Hours after the drone incident, US officials reported another tense encounter in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
US Central Command said boats linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps moved close to a US-flagged commercial tanker.
Pakistan Faces Production Crunch as Global Demand for China-Backed JF-17 Jets Surges
Pakistan says it has fielded requests for its JF-17 fighter from five countries in recent months, a surge of interest that could overwhelm its capacity to jointly produce the jet with China.
In the past month, Iraq, Bangladesh and Indonesia have expressed interest in acquiring the JF-17 Thunder, according to Pakistan’s Armed Forces. Saudi Arabia and Libya are also exploring the aircraft, Reuters reported separately, after Pakistan hailed the performance of its Chinese-made jets during its conflict with India in May 2025.
Pakistan makes fewer than 20 JF-17s per year, and almost all go to its own air force. It’s not clear whether Islamabad can expand capacity to meet the sudden demand, key to boosting its ambitions of being an arms maker for the developing world and extending Beijing’s influence in the weapons market.
The JF-17 is seen “as a market disruptor due to its affordable price tag and, more importantly, its recent success in combat,” said Manoj Harjani, research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “Not hard to imagine the JF-17 becoming more widely adopted, especially by militaries that cannot afford fighters produced by Western companies.”
If Indonesia and Saudi Arabia end up purchasing JF-17s, it would represent a major shift, as both nations have long relied on more Western platforms. Indonesia recently took delivery of three Dassault Aviation SA Rafales as part of a defense deal with France, and it agreed with Boeing Co. in 2023 to buy 24 F-15 jets. Saudi Arabia similarly relies on US and European aircraft, and has sought to purchase F-35s.
Competing on Price
Conceived in a 1999 deal, the JF-17 Thunder is a lightweight, all-weather fighter jointly produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, located in Kamra, northwest of Islamabad, and China’s AVIC Chengdu, in the country’s southwest. Pakistan manufactures 16-18 JF-17s per year, former Air Commodore Khalid Chishti said in a video on production of the fighter.
One advantage the JF-17 has over its Western peers is the price. Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj told BBC Urdu last month that each unit costs $40 million to $50 million, depending on the variant and customization. This compares with $100 million or more for some versions of the Rafale and Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-16.
Despite the relative affordability, the JF-17 has only so far been sold to Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Myanmar. Myanmar was the first buyer, ordering at least 16 Block IIs in 2015, with six delivered so far so far. Nigeria added three to its air force in 2021. Azerbaijan ordered 40 of the jets in 2024, in a deal worth about $1.6 billion. In November 2025, it unveiled five JF-17s at its Victory Day parade.
The recent interest, if translated into orders, requires a significant ramp-up of Pakistan’s and China’s production capacity. Libya and Bangladesh are both looking to buy 16 JF-17s each, reports say, while Saudi Arabia is possibly exploring a $2 billion deal with Pakistan for as many as 50. Indonesia is said to be in early discussions to acquire about 40 JF-17s.
With over 150 JF-17s in service, the PAF still needs to replace more than 250 aging Dassault Mirages and Chinese F-7s, a project expected to feature Chinese JF-17, J-10C, and FC-31 jets. And there are still 45 existing JF-17s export orders outstanding.
“So far it was like whatever Pakistan can make, the capacity was just enough for Pakistan,” said former Air Vice Marshal Faaiz Amir. “We had a long view for exports, but you don’t build capacity for exports before there are orders.”
Scaling Up
Increasing production would require investment, and Pakistan might not have the funds for that, said Sameer Lalwani, a senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund Indo-Pacific Program.
“I don’t see any actor willing or able to put down the capital to expand production lines,” Lalwani said. “Absent that, Pakistan would have to be exporting from its own stock or countries would have to wait several years for delivery to a point to where the platform is approaching obsolescence.”
Harraj told the BBC that China is “definitely involved” in the negotiations when asked whether Beijing will also be a financial partner. China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation’s display at the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday included the JF-17 among other aircraft on offer to foreign customers.
Under the current arrangement, 58% of the production, as well as the final assembly, is carried out in Pakistan, which makes the airframe, and 42% in China, which supplies the avionics. There is no public information on how profits are split.
“Sales of the JF-17 are contingent on both China and Pakistan agreeing, as the fighter is jointly produced by the two countries,” Harjani said.
Because it is a joint venture, production becomes trickier.
“China has to see its schedule whether it can build planes in collaboration with Pakistan,” Amir said. “All of these schedules have to be agreed between the joint venture partners, and only after that there could be deals.”
China’s Defense Ministry, AVIC Chengdu, Pakistan’s Ministry for Defence Production and the Pakistan Air Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The publicly listed number for Pakistan Aeronautical Complex did not connect.
Supply Chain Challenges
The JF-17 supply chain also draws on components from outside China and Pakistan, Harjani added.
“A major limitation would be procuring sufficient engines, which are made by the Russian company Klimov,” he said. UEC Klimov is under sanctions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia is a major arms supplier to India, which could complicate Pakistan’s ability to secure parts.
The JF-17 was officially transferred to Pakistan in 2007, making its debut at the National Day Parade. In 2015, when President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan, his plane was escorted by eight JF-17s.
The latest version, the Block III variant, is classified as a 4.5-generation fighter. It features air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities, advanced avionics, and an active electronically scanned array radar, which allows pilots to track multiple targets simultaneously and detect threats at longer distances.
Bill Gates has refuted allegations stemming from newly released documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, emphasizing their falsehood and expressing regret over their association. In an interview, Gates clarified that a draft email found in Epstein’s records, which contained unverified claims about him, was never sent and lacked credibility.
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that,” Bill Gates said.
Bill Gates has denied allegations linked to his name after it appeared in millions of newly released documents related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, saying claims made in the files are false and that he regrets ever spending time with Epstein.
In an exclusive interview with Australia’s 9News, the Microsoft co-founder said the documents include a draft email found in Epstein’s account that was never sent and contains false allegations.
“Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent. The email is false,” Gates said, adding, “I don’t know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way?”
Gates said he met Epstein in 2011 and had several dinners with him over a period of about three years but denied any criminal behaviour. He said he never visited Epstein’s private island and had no sexual relationships connected to Epstein.
“Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologise that I did that,” he said.
The newly released documents reportedly include claims suggesting Epstein arranged meetings between Gates and women and that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection. His office immediately issued a statement denouncing the “absolutely absurd and completely false” assertion, but until now Gates, 70, has remained silent.
“The focus was always, he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health. In retrospect, that was a dead end,” Gates said. “I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him,” he said.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Gates said further disclosures would show he had no involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
“The more that comes out, the more clear it will be that, although the time was a mistake, it has nothing to do with that kind of behaviour,” he said.
Melinda French Gates, Gates’ former wife, said in a separate interview with NPR that the allegations brought back “very, very painful” memories from their marriage and said Gates was among those who had questions to answer about Epstein. The interview with Melinda French will be released in full by NPR on Thursday, after the network published excerpts and a three-minute video clip earlier this week addressing the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
In the interview, French Gates described the renewed attention surrounding the documents as a “reckoning as a society.” Speaking about Epstein’s victims, she said, “No girl should ever be put in the situation they were put in by Epstein and whatever was going on with all of the various people around him. It’s beyond heartbreaking.”
“I remember being those ages the girls were, I remember my daughters being those ages,” she added.
French Gates said she has moved on from her marriage, which she described as one she needed to leave, and said she is now in “a really unexpected, beautiful place in my life.”
“I’m so happy to be away from all the muck that was there,” she said.
Asked about her reaction to allegations involving her former husband, including claims that he attempted to secretly obtain antibiotics for her, French Gates said she felt “just unbelievable sadness.”
“I’m able to take my own sadness and look at those young girls and say, ‘My God, how did that happen to those girls?’ I hope there’s some justice for those now women. What they went through is unimaginable,” she said.
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is shown at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, U.S. August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake Purchase Licensing Rights
The U.S. military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters.
The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, and U.S. President Donald Trump warned that with U.S. warships heading toward Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.
Oil futures prices rose more than $1 per barrel after news the drone was shot down.
The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying toward the carrier “with unclear intent” and was shot down by an F-35 U.S. fighter jet, the U.S. military said.
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson at the U.S. military’s Central Command.
Iran’s U.N. mission declined to comment.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said connection had been lost with a drone in international waters, but the reason was unknown.
No American service members were harmed during the incident and no U.S. equipment was damaged, he added.
The Lincoln carrier strike group is the most visible part of a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East following a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.
Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Tehran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was “seriously talking,” while Tehran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said arrangements for negotiations were under way.
IRANIAN BOATS HARASS U.S.-FLAGGED TANKER
In a separate incident on Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after the drone shootdown, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel, according to the U.S. military.
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins said.
Federal Reserve Board Governor Stephen Miran speaks on “Regulations, the Supply Side, and Monetary Policy” during the Delphi Economic Forum Lecture event, at the National Gallery in Athens, Greece, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki Purchase Licensing Rights
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran resigned on Tuesday from his position as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, fulfilling a pledge he made to the Senate as his assignment at the central bank becomes longer-lasting.
Miran had been on unpaid leave from his CEA post since President Donald Trump appointed him last year to fill an unexpected vacancy on the Fed’s Board of Governors to a term that expired January 31. The arrangement drew the ire of Democratic Senators who said it would make a presidential puppet of the Fed’s newest policymaker.
Miran said he had been legally advised there was no need to quit his CEA post as the Fed job was only for a few months.
“I promised the Senate that if I should stay on the Board past January, I would formally depart the Council,” Miran said in his resignation letter dated Tuesday and reviewed by Reuters. “I believe it is important to stay true to my word while I continue to perform the job at the Federal Reserve to which you and the Senate appointed me.”
Trump on Friday announced plans to nominate former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the central bank to succeed Jerome Powell. While this would fill the Fed Board seat currently occupied by Miran, the law allows him to serve until a successor is confirmed by the Senate.
The White House had no immediate comment on whether Pierre Yared, now the CEA’s acting chair, would be named to the top post permanently.
Miran’s resignation was first reported by Barron’s.
Miran has argued for sharply lower interest rates at every Fed meeting since he joined the central bank last September. Trump has made no secret of his desire for the Fed to reduce interest rates, and indeed made support for easier monetary policy one of his criteria for a new Fed chief.
Powell, whose leadership term ends in May, disclosed in January that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had launched a criminal probe into statements he made to the Senate about Fed building renovations. Powell has described the investigation as part of a broader effort by the administration to exert control over the Fed.
The DOJ last year also opened an investigation into Fed Governor Lisa Cook for alleged misstatements on her mortgage application. She denies wrongdoing and is suing to stop Trump’s attempt to fire her in a case that is before the Supreme Court.
According to media reports, the Greek patrol boat issued a warning signal after spotting the migrant boat, which then tried to escape. For reasons that are still unclear, the two boats collided.
Those injured in the accident were brought to the port of Chios, where emergency services would transport them to the island’s hospitalImage: Konstantinos Anagnostou/REUTERS
A Greek coast guard boat collided with a migrant speedboat off the island of Chios on Tuesday, leaving many people dead or injured.
The Coast Guard said that the bodies of 14 people — 11 men and three women — were recovered from the sea. One of the injured women later died in hospital, bringing the death toll to at least 15.
ERTNews, a Greek broadcaster, reported that 25 injured individuals, including 11 children and two coast guard officers, were taken to the island’s hospital.
A search-and-rescue operation involving patrol boats, a helicopter, and divers was underway to find potentially missing individuals, as the total number of people who had been on board the speedboat was not immediately clear.
What do we know about the collision?
According to the media reports, a boat carrying dozens of migrants was traveling from Turkey toward the coast of Chios. A Greek coast guard patrol reportedly spotted the boat and ordered it to change course.
ERT, the public broadcaster, said the patrol issued a warning signal after spotting the migrant boat, which then tried to escape.
For reasons that are still unclear, the two boats collided, causing some people to fall into the sea, according to the Athens news channel Skai. No official statement has been released yet.
The finance minister asserted that the momentum of structural changes remains constant, often moving at a high velocity outside the traditional budgetary cycle
The Finance Minister further highlighted that the ‘Reform Express’ is currently pulling into ‘frontier areas’. File pic
In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi following the presentation of the Union Budget 2026-27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised that the government’s economic agenda is not a once-a-year event. Coining the phrase “Reform Express”, the minister asserted that the momentum of structural changes remains constant, often moving at a high velocity outside the traditional budgetary cycle.
Beyond the Budget
Sitharaman challenged the notion that major policy shifts are restricted to the annual financial statement. She noted that the government has consistently implemented critical reforms throughout the year, independent of the budget document.
“Budget and aside from the budget, reforms continue,” the Finance Minister told News18. “We have done several reforms not through the budget, but yet outside of it through the year. That is why the expression ‘Reform Express’. It is continuing to move and move at a good pace.”
She urged observers to look beyond the immediate announcements of February 1 and evaluate the government’s sustained performance and year-round legislative activity.
Signature Reform: The Customs Overhaul
A primary example of this “on-track” momentum is the comprehensive overhaul of the customs framework. While the 2026 Budget touched upon several customs rationalisations, Sitharaman revealed that the scope of this reform is far broader than what was mentioned on the floor of the House.
Time Constraints: The minister noted that many specific changes were omitted from the speech for “want of time” but remain active priorities.
Continuous Revamp: The overhaul is described as a “major signature reform” that will carry on well into the next fiscal year, aiming to simplify compliance and mirror the transparency achieved in the income tax regime.
Focus on Frontier Areas and R&D
The Finance Minister further highlighted that the “Reform Express” is currently pulling into “frontier areas”. This includes significant investment and the promotion of research and development (R&D) in sectors like biopharma, rare earth minerals, and green energy. By creating an ecosystem that encourages innovation outside of mere fiscal allocations, the government intends to secure India’s position in the global supply chain.
Pakistani security forces have killed about two dozen militants in overnight raids in the insurgency-hit southwest bordering Afghanistan
People gather as others collect recyclable items beside a burnt vehicle along a road on the outskirts of Quetta on February 1, 2026, a day after an attack by Baloch separatists. | Photo Credit: AFP
Pakistani security forces killed about two dozen militants overnight in multiple raids in the insurgency-hit southwest bordering Afghanistan, raising the militant death toll to 177 in the past 48 hours, officials said on Monday (February 2, 2026), following a wave of coordinated insurgent attacks that killed at least 33 people, mostly civilian.
Police, backed by the military, have been conducting these raids in several areas against members of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army since early on Saturday (January 31), after nearly 200 militants in small groups carried out simultaneous suicide bombings and gun attacks on police stations, civilian homes, and security facilities across the province.
Analysts say the scale of militant deaths in the past 48 hours is the highest in decades.
The weekend attacks claimed by BLA killed at least 18 civilians and 15 members of the security forces, drawing widespread condemnation from political leaders across Pakistan, including members of the party led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
On Monday (February 2), Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in a statement praised the security forces for killing an additional 22 insurgents. He described those killed as “Indian-backed terrorists.” However, he offered no evidence, and there was no immediate response from New Delhi.
Though Pakistan’s largest province, Baluchistan is its least populated, made up largely of high mountains. It’s also a hub for the country’s ethnic Baluch minority, whose members say they face discrimination and exploitation by the central government. That has fueled a separatist insurgency demanding independence. Islamic militants also operate in the province.
Though authorities said normalcy largely returned to the province on Monday (February 2), the train service between Balochistan and rest of the country remained suspended for a third consecutive day. Provincial authorities suspended train services following the attacks, citing security concerns, and the suspension remains in effect.
In March, at least 31 people were killed when BLA militants attacked the Jaffar express train carrying hundreds of people in Balochistan, taking passengers hostage before security forces launched a rescue operation. All 33 assailants were killed, and the passengers were freed.
Trump hinted at possible US-Iran nuclear talks while warning of US naval deployment near Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei rejected war threats, warning of regional conflict if attacked. Global powers fear escalation as Iran-US tensions and Axis of Resistance rhetoric intensify.
(Photograph: AI)
Trump vs Khamenei
US President Donald Trump has once again signalled that he is in talks with Tehran and US-Iran can seal a deal soon. However, Trump’s statement came with a threat that Washington has deployed major naval assets close to the Islamic Republic. The statement by POTUS shows that he is openly using threat tactics to pressurise Iran on signing a nuclear deal with America with a promise that Tehran will have no nuclear weapons.
What Trump said
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, “We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, and in a couple of days, hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.” He also added, “We do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. But I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable.” Earlier in White House, Trump said, “They do want to make a deal,” but Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.”
What Khamenei said?
Calling the recent Iran protest as “coup attempt”, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the United States wants to “devour Iran” and that its oil, gas, rich minerals, and geographic location are the main attraction for America. Khamenei warned that the Iranian regime is not the “initiators of war” and they do not want to attack any country but they will give a blow to those who attack them. Khamenei also said that there will be regional war if Trump attacks Tehran.
Will there be a regional war?
Trump responded to Khamenei’s “regional war” statement and said that if Tehran does not strike a deal, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Nation will see if there could be a regional war. Meanwhile, China and Russia also expressed similar fears, with Beijing saying that “any military adventurism will only push the region into an abyss of unpredictability” and the Kremlin warning that US strike on Iran would “destabilize Middle East”. Turkey and Egypt echoed same concerns and warned of a “wider regional conflict.”
‘Axis of Resistance’ united against Trump
America’s anti-Iran rhetoric has reunited Iran-backed ‘Axis of Resistance’ with Hezbollah vowing to defend Iran’s Supreme Leader in case of any attack. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi paramilitary group, warning of a “total war” and Houthi rebels threatening new attacks on ships travelling through the Red Sea corridor.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “under no circumstances” get involved with protests in Democratic-led cities unless they ask for federal help or federal property is threatened.
The announcement follows weeks of unrest and protests sparked by a large deployment of Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Minnesota, and the killings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal agents who said they were reacting to threats.
Many observers have said bystander videos contradict those claims of self-defense. Video footage of Pretti’s death, verified by Reuters, undercuts Trump administration claims that he brandished a weapon before officers fatally shot him.
Activists and demonstrators opposed to Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown have tried to closely follow immigration officers in Minneapolis and other communities.
Although the president’s new order would seem to have DHS avoid confrontations with protesters in the street and during raids, ICE and Border Patrol will act aggressively to protect federal buildings, Trump wrote on social media.
“We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form,” he posted.
The Department of Homeland Security, as well as the offices of Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, did not immediately return requests for comment.
Demonstrators attend a protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by U.S. federal immigration agents, in Minneapolis Minnesota, U.S., January 31, 2026. REUTERS/Seth Herald Purchase Licensing Rights
Cities must protect their own state and local properties, Trump wrote. He also put the onus on state and municipal officials to help protect federal property.
The federal government will provide help if requested, Trump wrote, adding that it would “take care of the situation very easily and methodically.”
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis and other U.S. cities on Friday to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agencies from Minnesota, following the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti.
The Trump administration had sent 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration, and many of those officials found themselves facing off with protesters and activists.
It was the most recent example of Trump’s willingness to use federal personnel in cities. He has sent federal law enforcement officers or National Guard members to a number of cities largely governed by Democrats, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.
PM Modi said Budget 2026-27 was “human-centric,” strengthened India’s foundation with “path-breaking reforms,” and boosted women, youth and sunrise sectors.
A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the Union Budget 2026 is “human-centric and strengthens India’s foundation with path-breaking reforms.”
The Prime Minister also described it as historic and a catalyst for accelerating the country’s reform trajectory and long-term growth.
In remarks following the presentation of the Budget in Parliament, PM Modi said the proposals would energise the economy, empower citizens and give India’s youth fresh opportunities to scale new heights.
“This budget brings the dreams of the present to life and strengthens the foundation of India’s bright future. This budget is a strong foundation for our high-flying aspirations of a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Calling the government’s reform agenda a “Reform Express,” the Prime Minister added, “The reform express that India is riding today will gain new energy and new momentum from this budget.”
“The path-breaking reforms that have been undertaken give the bold, talented youth of an aspirational India the open skies to soar.”
Highlighting the country’s ambitions on the global stage, PM Modi said Indians were determined to climb further up the economic ladder.
“The 140 crore citizens of India are not satisfied with being the fastest-growing economy; we want to become the world’s third-largest economy as soon as possible,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister underlined what he described as the inclusive and people-focused nature of the Budget, noting that sunrise sectors, infrastructure and capital expenditure had received major encouragement.
He said young people would benefit the most from the new policy thrusts and trade initiatives outlined in the fiscal blueprint.
The Prime Minister also drew attention to the role of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who presented her ninth consecutive Budget in Parliament.
“Today’s budget is historic. It reflects the strong empowerment of the nation’s women. As a woman Finance Minister, Nirmala ji has created a new record by presenting the country’s budget for the ninth consecutive time,” he said.
“This budget is a highway of immense opportunities. It turns today’s aspirations into reality and strengthens the foundation of India’s bright future,” PM Modi said.
He added that the Budget struck a balance between fiscal discipline and growth ambitions.
“This is a unique budget that focuses on reducing the fiscal deficit and controlling inflation, while also emphasising high CAPEX and high growth. We aim to become the world’s third-largest economy soon,” the Prime Minister noted.
The remarks came as Sitharaman outlined three key “Kartavyas” in her speech, accelerating and sustaining economic growth, fulfilling people’s aspirations by building their capacities, and ensuring inclusive access to resources in line with the government’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas’ vision.
She also said the Reform Express would maintain its momentum and proposed interventions in six areas, including manufacturing, MSMEs, infrastructure and city economic regions.
India will begin purchasing oil from Venezuela to replace some of the petrol it purchases from Russia a month after President Trump threatened to increase the 50% tariffs the US has already imposed.
The president signaled on Saturday that Delhi — the world’s third-biggest oil importer — would be open to renew business in Latin America after India stopped buying oil from Caracas last year due to US sanctions.
“We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters.
President Trump said he was working on a deal for India to restart oil purchases from Venezuela. AP
The president did not elaborate further on what an oil deal between the US, Venezuela and India would entail.
While the president initially claimed that the deal would stop India from buying crude from Iran, Delhi had already stopped buying from Tehran in 2019 due to US sanctions.
Instead, India served as the top buyer of Russian oil, reaping in crude at a discount as Moscow faced heavy sanctions from the West over its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump had repeatedly warned India to stop purchasing Russian oil, slapping 50% tariffs on the country. He threatened to raise the rate again last month if India did not curb its purchases.
The president’s openness to strike a deal with Delhi stands in stark contrast with the months of tension between the US and the world’s largest democracy — with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaling a more amicable relationship last month and suggesting the tariffs on India maybe removed.
Along with India, Trump suggested that he was open to a deal with Beijing on purchasing Venezuelan oil.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts during the funeral of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili, whose remains were brought back to Israel, in the southern town of Meitar on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026.(Chaim Goldberg/Pool Photo via AP)
The Trump administration has approved a massive new series of arms sales to Israel totaling $6.67 billion and to Saudi Arabia worth $9 billion.
The State Department announced the sales to America’s allies in the Middle East late Friday as tensions rise in the region over the possibility of U.S. military strikes on Iran. They were made public after the department notified Congress of its approval of the sales earlier Friday.
The sales also come as President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his ceasefire plan for Gaza that is intended to end the Israel-Hamas conflict and reconstruct the Palestinian territory after two years of war left it devastated, with tens of thousands dead.
While the ceasefire has largely held, big challenges await in its next phases, including the deployment of an international security force to supervise the deal and the difficult process of disarming Hamas.
The sale to Saudi Arabia
The Saudi sale is for 730 Patriot missiles and related equipment that “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a Major non-NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf Region,” the department said.
“This enhanced capability will protect land forces of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and local allies and will significantly improve Saudi Arabia’s contribution” to the integrated air and missile defense system in the region, it said.
It was announced after Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met with top Trump administration officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A series of arms packages to Israel
The sales to Israel are split into four separate packages, including one for 30 Apache attack helicopters and related equipment and weapons, with another for 3,250 light tactical vehicles.
The Apache helicopters, which will be equipped with rocket launchers and advanced targeting gear, are the biggest part of the total package, coming to $3.8 billion, according to the State Department.
The next largest portion is the light tactical vehicles, which will be used to move personnel and logistics “to extend lines of communication” for the Israel Defense Forces and will cost $1.98 billion, it said.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the Trump administration of rushing to announce the deals for Israel in a way that would “disregard Congressional oversight and years of standing practice.”
He said in a statement that “the Trump Administration has blatantly ignored long-standing Congressional prerogatives while also refusing to engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza and broader U.S.-Israel policy.”
Under the deals, Israel will spend an additional $740 million on power packs for armored personnel carriers it has had in service since 2008, the State Department said. The remaining $150 million will be spent on a small but unreported number of light utility helicopters to complement similar equipment it already has, it said.
In a viral video, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed efforts to secure financial support from friendly nations to address the external funding gap for the IMF loan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif admits how they go around and beg nations for loans to meet IMF deadlines. | AI Representational image
Pakistan Prime Minister in a viral clip on social media is heard admitting that he and Field Marshal Asim Munir (now Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Staff) have reached out to several friendly countries for money to fill the external gap in the IMF loan, adding that the one who goes out to borrow the money has his head bowed down and needs to make compromises.
According to the viral clip showing him addressing a gathering at some event, Shehbaz Sharif said, “How should I tell you that we reached out to our friendly countries and requested them to financially support Pakistan, and they did not disappoint us, but as you know, the one who goes out and borrows money does so with his head bowed.”
Adding further, Shehbaz Sharif told the gathering that they all know the obligations that it brings too.
“We feel ashamed when Asim Munir and I go around the world for loan” – SHEHBAZ SHARIFpic.twitter.com/J5ysqJayLF
“And I want to tell you that I and Field Marshal silently went to several nations telling them that this is the IMF program we have and this is our external gap… Can you give up this much million dollars, and I am thankful to those nations, but you know that the one who borrows has to compromise a lot,” Shehbaz Sharif added.
However, Times Now cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Pakistan’s Economy Under Dark Times
Pakistan has been struggling to revive its economy for several years now. Known as the biggest sponsor of terrorism in the world, the country, which could have flourished in many unique ways, engulfed itself in harbouring and nurturing terror groups.
For years now, the country is dealing with an unstable government, civic tensions, and the ever-continuing skirmishes at its various borders, be it a fight with Afghanistan, the Taliban, or India.
A new set of file release has made some explosive claims attributed to Jeffrey Epstein about Bill Gates, which the billionaire has categorically denied.
File photos of Bill Gates/Jeffrey Epstein (AP)
Fresh allegations involving Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates have surfaced after some British media reports published extracts from newly released US Justice Department files.
The files claimed that late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein wrote emails, revealing that Bill Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from sex with “Russian girls” and asked for antibiotics to give to his then-wife, Melinda, secretly.
The reports emerged as journalists began combing through a massive new release of Epstein-related material disclosed by the United States Department of Justice.
According to reports by The Sun and Daily Mail, the allegations appear in screenshots of emails Epstein allegedly sent to himself on July 18, 2013.
The messages include passages in which Epstein berated Gates for cutting ties with him and accused the billionaire of asking him to delete correspondence about a sexually transmitted disease and a request for antibiotics to secretly give to Melinda.
The Daily Mail reported that Epstein wrote he had been “dismayed beyond comprehension” by Gates’s decision to end their relationship, and quoted a line in which Epstein complained, “To add insult to the injury you them (sic) implore me to please delete the emails regarding your STD, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis.”
The Sun echoed those quotations and added that the documents appear to be drafts of letters Epstein was composing rather than messages he actually sent, including one written as though from the perspective of Gates’s former adviser Boris Nikolic around the time of his resignation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Both outlets quoted another alleged Epstein-authored passage claiming Nikolic had been drawn into a marital dispute between the couple and pressured into conduct described as ethically questionable or potentially illegal, including helping Gates obtain drugs and facilitating meetings with other women.
The tabloids underlined that there is no independent verification of Epstein’s assertions.
GATES ISSUES STRONG DENIAL
In statements quoted by both newspapers, Gates rejected the accusations outright.
A spokesperson told the Daily Mail that the claims were “absolutely absurd and completely false,” adding, “The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”
The reports also noted that Gates has previously acknowledged meeting Epstein but has long denied wrongdoing, saying he regretted the association after learning more about the disgraced financier.
The Sun further reported that the DOJ release includes undated photographs of Epstein and Gates together, including one image in which Gates is seen beside a woman whose face has been redacted.
CONTEXT FROM THE DOJ FILE RELEASE
The Justice Department has begun disclosing more than three million pages of records, along with thousands of videos and photographs, tied to Epstein and his contacts with wealthy and influential figures.
By Friday evening, more than 600,000 documents had been published online, though millions more identified for possible release remain sealed, drawing political criticism.
Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine among key attendees, calls for Indian contribution to Gaza reconstruction; India expected to discuss Board of Peace invite with both Israel and Arab nations
A file image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | Photo Credit: PTI
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Israel later this month, India is striking a balancing act, reaching out to the Arab world and hosting the second India-Arab Foreign Ministers meeting on Friday (January 30, 2026). Palestine’s Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin will attend the meeting, a day after she called on India to contribute to the massive reconstruction work required in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
The Hindu had first reported that the Prime Minister was planning a trip to Israel, along with a much-delayed visit by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to India. Sources said that Mr. Modi is expected to travel to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem at the end of next month.
“The invitation was extended,” Israeli Ambassador Reuven Azar told news agency ANI in Delhi, in response to reports about the impending visit. “We are in preparations, and in due time, there will be declarations regarding specific dates,” he added.
Peace board and war clouds
New Delhi has not so far responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace for Gaza, but is expected to discuss it with the leadership of Arab countries and Israel. So far, the leaders of more than 20 countries, including Israel and Pakistan, have accepted the invitation.
In addition, amidst war clouds gathering over a possible U.S.-Israel strike on Iran, Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor travelled to Tehran on Wednesday (January 28, 2026), where he met his counterparts on the Iranian National Security Council and called on Iran’s NSA Ali Larijani.
The possible outreach to Israel against the backdrop of developments involving the Gaza Strip and the restive conditions in Iran acquired particular significance as Arab leaders began to arrive in Delhi. On Thursday (January 29, 2026), key arrivals included Mohamed Samir, Egypt’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Amjad Adaileh, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the League of Arab States; Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; and Ms. Shahin of Palestine.
Reconstruction effort
At a press conference at the Embassy of Palestine on Thursday (January 29, 2026), Ms. Shahin presented a picture of utter devastation in the Gaza Strip after more than 26 months of conflict between Israel and Palestine. “Everyone is a refugee in Gaza. People are living in tents and partially destroyed buildings that may collapse any moment. Gaza right now has enormous requirements and we look forward to India’s participation in the reconstruction efforts,” Ms. Shahin said, adding that the Board of Peace should stay true to the UN Security Council Resolution 2803 of November 17, 2025.
The site of a drone attack in Kyiv earlier in January
US President Donald Trump says Russia’s Vladimir Putin has agreed not to attack Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and other cities and towns for a week due to “extraordinary cold” weather.
Russia has not confirmed any such agreement, but Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Trump’s announcement and said he expected Russia to keep its promise.
Trump did not specify when the pause would begin, but temperatures in the Ukrainian capital are due to plummet from Thursday night and reach -24C (-11F) in the next few days.
Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the bitter winter, as it has during cold periods since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Speaking at a televised cabinet meeting in Washington DC, the US president said: “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that.”
“It was very nice. A lot of people said, ‘Don’t waste the call, you’re not going to get that.’ And he [Putin] did it,” Trump added.
The Ukrainians, he said, “almost they didn’t believe it, but they were very happy about it because they are struggling badly”.
Later on Thursday, in a post on social media, Zelensky said Trump had made an “important statement” about “the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period”.
“Our teams discussed this in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We expect the agreements to be implemented,” he said.
The BBC understands that Ukraine has agreed to mirror Moscow’s actions – pausing its own attacks on Russian oil refineries in response.
Last week, Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators met in the UAE for the first trilateral talks since the war began.
All sides described the talks as constructive, but there has been no announcement that Russia had agreed to pause its attacks for the duration of the extreme cold currently gripping the region.
Instead, attacks have continued, crippling the power supply to major Ukrainian cities, leaving millions without heating or electricity.
The Jakarta Composite Index saw a two-day selloff after concerns were raised about ownership and trading transparency, with index provider MSCI warning of a downgrade.
Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) signage is seen on its building in Jakarta on Apr 8, 2025. (File photo: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
The head of Indonesia’s stock exchange Iman Rachman has resigned, the exchange said on Friday (Jan 30), as the consequences of a warning from index provider MSCI of a possible downgrade that triggered a more than US$80 billion market rout continue to reverberate.
The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index pared gains to trade flat on Friday, a day after Indonesian authorities announced a slate of measures to ease investor worries and address concerns from MSCI. The index dropped more than 8 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday, its steepest two-day decline since April.
The CEO of the Indonesia Stock Exchange resigned to take responsibility for the market conditions, the exchange’s corporate secretary said.
The stock market selloff followed MSCI on Wednesday raising concerns about ownership and trading transparency in Indonesian stocks and warning the market risked a downgrade to frontier status if it failed to resolve the issues.
Foreign capital has flowed out of Indonesia because of concerns about how President Prabowo Subianto is widening the fiscal deficit and ramping up the state’s involvement in financial markets.
The appointment of his nephew, Thomas Djiwandono, to the central bank this month, after last year’s abrupt firing of respected Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has shaken confidence in Prabowo’s fiscal stewardship.
The rupiah fell to a record low of 16,985 to the US dollar last week and was last at 16,800.
Some of the measures announced by Indonesian authorities on Thursday included doubling the free float requirement on listed companies to 15 per cent and checking the affiliations of shareholders with less than 5 per cent ownership.
Indonesian regulators said communications with MSCI had been positive so far and they were awaiting a response to its proposed measures, which they hoped could be implemented soon and the issues resolved by March.
The response appears to have allayed some investor concerns but sentiment remains fragile.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition has been facing issues since at least the 2024 Assembly elections and Ajit Pawar’s death will further complicate the situation.
The ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra, battling disagreements and recovering from an acrimonious campaign for the local body polls, has been dealt its most devastating blow yet.
Revived in 2022 after Eknath Shinde split the Shiv Sena, toppling the Uddhav Thackeray government, and took oath as chief minister, the coalition took its current form when Ajit Pawar followed in Shinde’s footsteps, divided uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and joined the Maharashtra government a year later.
The arrangement worked smoothly with Shinde as chief minister and the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Pawar as his deputies until 2024, when a mega victory in the Assembly polls posed the first major challenge for the Mahayuti. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by a massive margin, winning 132 of the state’s 288 seats, just 13 shy of a majority on its own.
The Shinde Sena notched up 57 seats and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 41, while the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Sena could win only 20 seats, the highest among the opposition grouping. Shinde, arguing that the victory was a result of his governance and the schemes introduced under him, made a pitch to retain the chief minister’s post.
The BJP, however, was in no mood to relent, and a sulking Shinde settled for the deputy chief minister’s post. This was at least in part because he was aware that the BJP and Pawar’s NCP had the numbers to form a government on their own and did not really need him. For the BJP, then, Shinde and Pawar served as a valuable counterbalance to each other, preventing both from pushing too hard and demanding a larger share of the governance pie.
Knives Out
Then came the local body polls and various permutations began to emerge, with the Mahayuti parties fighting each other in certain places. The most notable among them was the Shinde Sena and the BJP tying up to contest the elections for the Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, leaving Pawar out in the cold.
This led to a twist in Maharashtra politics, and talks of a reunion in the Pawar family. The two Pawar factions decided to contest elections together for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, which were once NCP strongholds.
And then the knives came out, especially from Ajit Pawar’s side.
Referencing the BJP’s oft-repeated allegations of his involvement in a Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam before he joined hands with it, Pawar alleged that the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, where the saffron party was in power between 2017 and 2022, had been riddled with corruption for nine years, leading to mounting debts.
“Everybody knows that allegations of a Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam were made against me. Today, I am in power alongside those who made those allegations. Can a person be labelled guilty even before it is proved?” Pawar asked.
He then said the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was infested by “gangs of looters” and hinted that the ruling dispensation in Maharashtra had an “arrogance of power”, which was not present when the Congress and NCP ruled the state.
While the BJP asked Pawar to introspect and warned of “difficulties” if he continued to make such allegations, Fadnavis was more direct. “Some people only find their voice once the election bell rings,” the chief minister remarked, going on to say that the allies had agreed on friendly contests, but Ajit Pawar’s restraint was “somewhat shaken”.
The BJP won big in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and emerged as the single largest party in the BMC, but needs Shinde’s Shiv Sena backing to elect its own mayor, which emerged as another point of friction and is yet to be settled.
It was in this backdrop that the plane carrying Ajit Pawar crashed in Baramati on Wednesday morning, depriving not just Maharashtra of a stalwart, but also the Mahayuti of a key figure and the BJP of a leader that could be used to neutralise Shinde’s ambitions.
A big challenge for the BJP and Fadnavis will also be to ensure that the MLAs from the Ajit Pawar camp don’t drift away to the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), strengthening the opposition ranks as well as Shinde’s standing in the ruling coalition. One way of ensuring this could be by giving Ajit Pawar’s deputy chief minister seat to someone else from the party, which is difficult in the absence of a clear number two.
The NCP Factor
The other big question for Maharashtra’s knotty politics will be what becomes of the two NCPs now that one of them has lost its uncontested head and unarguably most popular mass leader. The Ajit Pawar faction upstaged his 85-year-old uncle’s grouping both in the Assembly polls and the municipal corporation elections, establishing his party as the real NCP.
Amid talk of an NCP reunion, it was expected that Ajit Pawar would lead from the front in Maharashtra, leaving Sharad Pawar’s daughter and MP Supriya Sule, who is not seen as a mass leader, to handle things in Delhi.
The tier two leadership in Ajit Pawar’s NCP is seen to be Lok Sabha MP Sunil Tatkare and Rajya Sabha MPs Praful Patel and Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar, who may now jostle for control.
There is also Parth Pawar, Ajit’s son, whose big political launch failed after he lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 by a big margin and also got embroiled in allegations of a land scam in Pune last year.
X-rays showed birdshot embedded in the legs of a wounded protester
“People helped us and we got into a car… I said, ‘Don’t take us to a hospital.'”
Tara and her friend were attending a protest in the central Iranian city of Isfahan when security forces arrived on motorcycles and began shouting at the crowd.
“My friend told an armed member of the security forces, ‘Just don’t shoot us,’ and he immediately fired several shots at us. We fell to the ground. All our clothes were covered in blood,” she said.
They were bundled into a stranger’s car, but Tara said they were too frightened to be taken to the hospital because of the risk of being arrested. “All the alleyways were full of security forces, so I asked a couple standing at their front door to let us in.”
They stayed at the couple’s home until it was almost dawn and then managed to find a doctor they knew, who cleaned the birdshot wounds on their legs, according to Tara.
She said a surgeon was later able to remove some of the birdshot at home but warned them: “They cannot all be removed and will remain in your bodies.”
All names in this article have been changed for their safety.
The full scale of the bloodshed resulting from the crackdown by security forces on the anti-government protests that swept across Iran this month is still not known because of an internet shutdown and a ban on reporting by most international news organisations.
But the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has said it has confirmed the killing of 6,301 people, including 5,925 protesters, 112 children, 50 bystanders and 214 affiliated with the government. It is also investigating reports of 17,091 more deaths.
At least another 11,000 protesters were seriously wounded, according to HRANA.
Some of them have told the BBC that they have avoided seeking treatment for their injuries at hospitals because they fear being arrested.
That has left them reliant on doctors, nurses and other volunteers willing to risk their own safety by treating them secretly at their homes.
Healthcare workers have also told the BBC that security forces are present in hospitals and that they are constantly monitoring patients’ medical records to identify injured protesters.
Nima, a surgeon in Tehran, said he witnessed many young people being injured in the streets on his way to work on 8 January, when authorities responded to the escalating protests with lethal force.
“I put one of the wounded in the boot of my car to take him to hospital, as I was worried that we would get in trouble if we were stopped by the police,” he told the BBC.
Nima said armed officers stopped him but allowed him to go after seeing his hospital identification card.
“For almost 96 hours straight – without interruption, without sleep, without even closing our eyes for a moment – we were operating. We were crying and operating. Nobody complained.”
“All our clothes and hospital gowns were covered in blood – our outer clothes, our underwear, everything was soaked in the blood of these young people.”
Nima described operating on one man who had been shot in the leg and face at a protest.
“A bullet had entered through his chin, ripped through his mouth and exited through his upper jaw,” he recalled.
Nima also said many of the young people treated at his hospital suffered gunshot wounds to their vital organs and limbs that required amputation and left them with permanent disabilities.
Iranian authorities have said more than 3,100 people have been killed during the unrest, but that majority were security personnel or bystanders attacked by “rioters”.
Health ministry spokesman Hossein Shokri was also quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying that around 13,000 operations had been carried out during the unrest.
“Fortunately, people trust the ministry of health and hospitals, and confidence that all injured individuals are treated impartially in medical centres has led around 3,000 people who had been treating themselves at home over the past six days to seek care at hospitals,” he added.
The head of the Farabi Eye Hospital in Tehran, Dr Qasem Fakhrai, told Isna, another semi-official news agency, that it had treated a total of 700 patients with severe eye injuries requiring emergency surgery as of 10 January, and referred almost 200 to other hospitals. He said almost all of the patients were admitted after 8 January.
Saeed told the BBC that his friend’s eyes were hit by birdshot fired by security forces during a protest in the central city of Arak.
Local doctors told him to go to a specialist eye hospital in Tehran, he said.
Upon arrival, nurses took protesters with eye injuries to operating theatres through the back by using staff lifts.
According to Saeed’s friend, around 200 people with eye injuries from different cities were being treated at that hospital.
“He had two operations, but the surgeon did not charge him,” Saeed said.
A healthcare worker in Tehran also said that doctors were trying to avoid mentioning gunshot wounds in medical records because they were being constantly monitored by security forces.
Sina took his brother to a hospital after he was shot in the legs during protests in Tehran.
“It was like a battlefield hospital – there were so many wounded that there were no blankets or medical kits,” Sina told the BBC.
“When I asked a nurse for a blanket for my brother, she told me to bring one from home because there were too many injured and not enough supplies.”
Sina said they had no choice but to give their actual ID number in order to use their health insurance. “At any moment, the security forces could raid our home,” he added.
In smaller cities, the situation is believed to be even more dire.
Reports received by the BBC said security forces had abducted patients from hospitals and that they had not been seen again.
An AI model developed by Google’s DeepMind could transform our understanding of DNA – the complete recipe for building and running the human body – and its impact on disease and medicine discovery, according to researchers.
Called AlphaGenome, the model could help scientists discover why subtle differences in our DNA put us at risk of conditions such as high blood pressure, dementia and obesity.
It could also dramatically accelerate our understanding of genetic diseases and cancer.
The developers of the model acknowledge it’s not perfect, but experts have described it as “an incredible feat” and “a major milestone”.
“We see AlphaGenome as a tool for understanding what the functional elements in the genome do, which we hope will accelerate our fundamental understanding of the code of life,” says Natasha Latysheva, research engineer at DeepMind.
The human genome is made up of three billion letters of DNA code – represented by the letters A,C,G and T.
Around 2% of it are genes which code for all the proteins the body needs to grow and function. The remaining 98%, which is less well understood, is labelled the ‘dark genome’. It plays a crucial role in organising how genes are used in the body and is where many mutations linked to disease are found.
AlphaGenome can analyse one million letters of code at a time, helping to unravel the ‘dark genome’.
It can predict where the genes are, but also what the ‘dark genome’ is influencing. For example, how it affects gene expression (whether a gene is highly active or being suppressed) and gene splicing (the tool the body uses to make different proteins from a single gene).
Crucially, the model can predict the impact of changing even a single letter in genetic code.
‘Big leap’
Latysheva said she was “really excited” by the AI model’s potential to understand which mutations cause disease and help pinpoint the cause of rare genetic diseases.
The AI model could be used to “add another piece of the puzzle for the discovery of drug targets and ultimately the development of new drugs”, she added.
Ultimately, it could also be used in synthetic biology and the design of new sequences of DNA which could be used in gene therapies.
AlphaGenome has been described in the journal Nature, but was made available for non-commercial use last year and 3,000 scientists have since used the tool.
Dr Gareth Hawkes, from the University of Exeter, is using it to explore how mutations could be altering our risk of obesity and diabetes.
Studies that sequenced the entire genetic code of tens of thousands of people have identified variants linked to the conditions, but they are often in the dark genome.
“They’re directly impacting some important piece of biology that we don’t really understand,” Hawkes told the BBC.
Using AlphaGenome allows researchers to rapidly predict what those variants are up to so they can be tested in the lab.
Hawkes said: “Those predictions will help to inform which biological processes those genetic variants might be impacting, and potentially lead to drug developments.
“I wouldn’t say the dark side of the genome is solved by AlphaGenome, but it’s a big leap. I’m really excited.”
Cancer is another field where the AI model could accelerate research.
AlphaGenome has been used to predict which mutations are fuelling cancer and are also the potential targets of treatment, and which mutations are incidental.
Dr Robert Goldstone, head of genomics at the Francis Crick Institute, said the model was a “major milestone in the field of genomic AI” and the breakthrough was “an incredible technical feat” for its “ability to predict gene expression from DNA sequence alone”.
Prof Ben Lehner, the head of generative and synthetic genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said they had tested AlphaGenome in more than half a million experiments and it was performing very well.
But he said it was “far from perfect” and there was still a lot of work to do.
“It’s a really exciting time with three areas where the UK is world-leading – genomics, biomedical research and AI – combining to transform biology and medicine,” Prof Lehner said.
The team at DeepMind won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2024 for their work on AlphaFold – an AI system that predicts the 3D structure of proteins in the body.
“I think we are at the start of a new era of scientific progress, and AI is going to enable a number of different breakthroughs,” says Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of science and strategic initiatives at Google DeepMind.
Officials say the meetings suggest a strategic effort to build a broader ideological and operational alliance, potentially involving training, fundraising, and propaganda collaboration for terrorism.
Indian intelligence agencies are closely monitoring developments
In a significant development pointing to deeper coordination among global terrorist groups, a senior terrorist commander of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has publicly acknowledged links with Hamas and confirmed meetings with its top leadership, strengthening concerns over expanding cooperation between the two US-designated terror outfits.
Faisal Nadeem, a commander of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML)-widely regarded as the political front of Lashkar-has confessed in a recent video accessed by NDTV that he met senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, in 2024. Nadeem, who operates in Pakistan’s Sindh province, said Saifullah Kasuri, the alleged mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, accompanied him.
According to Nadeem, the two met Hamas leader Khaled Mashal during their visit, a revelation that Indian intelligence agencies say provides direct evidence of coordination between terror networks operating in South Asia and the Middle East. Analysts believe the admission underscores an emerging alliance aimed at sharing logistics, propaganda strategies and operational experience.
This disclosure comes weeks after NDTV, on January 7, reported details of a meeting between senior Hamas commander Naji Zaheer and Lashkar commander Rashid Ali Sandhu in Pakistan’s Gujranwala. That meeting took place during a public event hosted by PMML and came to light after an undated video surfaced showing both leaders sharing the stage.
According to an NDTV investigation, Naji Zaheer attended the PMML event as the chief guest, while Sandhu, operating under the cover of a political leader, represented the organisation. Security officials said the public nature of the meeting indicated growing confidence and deeper ties between the two groups. Zaheer has reportedly visited Pakistan almost 15 times since October 2023.
The latest confession by Faisal Nadeem is being viewed as further confirmation of Lashkar’s expanding relationship. Counter-terrorism experts note that both Hamas and LeT are designated terrorist organisations by the United States and several other countries, and any coordination between them could have serious regional and international security implications. The Indian Intelligence apparatus is also monitoring the Hamas-Lashkar alliance closely for further legal actions locally, as well as globally at FATF (Financial Action Task Force) and other international bodies.
Officials say the meetings suggest a strategic effort to build a broader ideological and operational alliance, potentially involving training, fundraising, and propaganda collaboration for terrorism. Indian intelligence agencies are closely monitoring developments and assessing the implications for India’s national security.
Donald Trump warned Iraq that the US would withdraw support if Nouri al-Maliki returns to power, calling his past tenure disastrous and threatening an end to American assistance.
File photos of Donald Trump/Nouri al-Maliki (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Iraq over the possible return of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying the United States would withdraw its support if Baghdad reinstates the longtime Shiite political leader.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister.”
“Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again.”
He went on to threaten a sharp break in US policy if al-Maliki regains office.
“Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” Trump said, adding that without American backing, the country would have “zero chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom.”
He concluded the post with the slogan, “MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump’s comments came days after Iraq’s dominant Shiite political alliance, known as the Coordination Framework, announced it was backing al-Maliki’s nomination for prime minister.
The move followed caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s decision to step aside earlier this month after he failed to form a government despite his bloc winning the largest share of seats in November’s parliamentary elections.
According to Reuters, Trump’s warning represents the most forceful example yet of his campaign to curb the influence of Iran-linked factions inside Iraq, a country that has long balanced relations between Washington and Tehran.
The news agency reported that US officials have also threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions if Iran-backed armed groups are included in the next government.
Al-Maliki, a senior figure in the Shiite Islamist Dawa Party, served as Iraq’s prime minister from 2006 to 2014.
His tenure coincided with intense sectarian violence, political struggles with Sunni and Kurdish rivals, and growing strains with Washington.
He stepped down after the Islamic State group seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained a powerful political player, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-aligned factions.
The Associated Press reported that Trump’s intervention comes at a particularly tense moment in the region, as he weighs possible military action against Iran in response to its deadly crackdown on protests against the Islamic government.
Trump has said he was holding off on strikes after claiming Tehran had paused executions of detainees, a claim Iran has denied, but US military movements in the Middle East have fueled renewed speculation about potential escalation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently raised Washington’s concerns in a call with al-Sudani, warning about the risks of a pro-Iran government in Baghdad.
“The Secretary emphasised that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
India’s government said there were two confirmed cases of Nipah virus since December last year, with all those in contact with the affected people having been quarantined and tested.
Thailand carried out airport temperature checks as a precautionary measureImage: Public relations department of Suvarnabhumi International Airport/AP Photo/picture alliance
The Indian government on Tuesday clarified that there were only two confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection in eastern West Bengal state.
The Indian Ministry of Family and Welfare sought to tamp down panic, as reports about airport screenings across Asian countries began to emerge.
Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan said in recent days they were carrying out screening procedures at airports for travelers from West Bengal.
Hong Kong issued a press release on Monday and said it asked for information from Indian health authorities, while carrying out screenings of travelers from West Bengal.
What to know about Nipah virus infections in West Bengal
The Indian government said only two cases were positive since cases were brought to attention in December. Preliminary reports suggested there were five cases in the Indian state, but the issue was clarified due to test results, authorities said.
It can take between four to 21 days after exposure for symptoms of a Nipah virus infection to develop.
A total of 196 contacts related to the confirmed cases were quarantined this time and they were primarily health workers or family members of people affected.
India’s ANI news agency reported that India’s southern Kerala state has tackled nine outbreaks of the virus between 2018 and 2025.
In 2018, over a dozen people died from the virus, and in 2021, a young boy died, raising alarm among health officials at the time.
What is Nipah virus?
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, meaning it can be spread from animals to humans.
It was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore. Though Nipah is most common in fruit bats, the virus can infect other animals like pigs, dogs, goats, horses and sheep as well.
Humans can pick up infection from animals either directly with an infected animal and their secretions, though many human infections result from the consumption of fruits or fruit products (like raw or partially fermented date palm juice) contaminated with saliva or biological waste of infected fruit bats, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at the India-EU Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa during the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: India and the European Union (EU) are set to eliminate or substantially lower tariffs on a majority of traded goods as the two sides close in on a long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA), which is likely to be announced on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at the India-EU Summit.
The trade deal is likely to be the key focus of the 16th edition of the India-EU Summit. Top leadership from both sides have hinted at the conclusion of the deal, for which the negotiation was launched in 2007.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Monday said that negotiations have concluded and the deals would be announced following the India-EU Summit. However, final signing of the agreement will take place after legal scrubbing of text, which can take up to 5-6 months, he said.
It is the honor of a lifetime to be Chief Guests at the Republic Day celebrations.
A successful India makes the world more stable, prosperous and secure.
Tens of millions of Americans were digging out on a bitterly cold Monday in the aftermath of a monster winter storm that dumped a foot of snow from New Mexico to New England, paralyzed much of the eastern United States, caused at least 18 deaths and scuttled thousands of flights.
From New York and Massachusetts in the northeast to Texas and North Carolina in the south, roads were frozen slick with ice and buried under often more than a foot of snow. At least 25 governors declared states of emergency.
In some southern states, residents faced winter conditions unseen for decades, with inch-thick ice bringing down trees and power lines.
The storm was blamed for at least 18 deaths across multiple states. In Frisco, Texas, a 16-year-old girl died in a sledding accident on Sunday; another youth died in Saline County, Arkansas, while being pulled by an ATV vehicle over snow and ice when it struck a tree, authorities said. In Pennsylvania, three people died while shoveling snow, local media reported.
In Austin, Texas, a person died of apparent hypothermia while trying to shelter at an abandoned gas station, authorities said. At least five people died in New York City from exposure to the cold, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Sunday, urging residents to call for help if they saw anyone out on the street in need.
While the storm system was drifting away from the East Coast into the Atlantic on Monday, a blast of Arctic air was rushing in from Canada behind it, prolonging sub-freezing temperatures for several more days, the National Weather Service said.
“This storm is exiting the East Coast now, with some lingering snow squalls,” said Allison Santorelli, a meteorologist with the NWS’s Weather Prediction Center. “But the big picture story is the extreme cold, it’s lasting into early February.”
Almost 200 million Americans were under some form of extreme cold alert, from along the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said. Lubbock, Texas, had a low of minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) on Monday, and New York City, Washington D.C. and Boston all faced single-digit temperatures through much of the week ahead.
Nearly 800,000 customers, including both homes and businesses, across the southeastern U.S. were facing the cold weather without power, according to the tracking site PowerOutage.us, including 246,000 in Tennessee.
The storm snarled air traffic, with more than 12,500 U.S. flights canceled on Sunday – the most of any day since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
A worker clears snow from the entrance to a parking lot, as a major winter storm spreads across a large swath of the United States, in New York City, U.S., January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Purchase Licensing Rights
About 3,900 flights within, into or out of the United States had already been canceled on Monday as of 9:15 a.m. ET (1415 GMT), according to the tracking website FlightAware. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC he hopes airports will be “back to normal” by Wednesday.
SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN
The storm’s mix of snow, ice and freezing rain turned many roads and highways dangerously slick.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ryan DuVal spent part of Sunday driving his vintage fire truck through the city’s icy streets, looking for anyone who needed help.
“I just saw a need for getting people out of the cold,” he said. “You know, just cruise the streets, see someone, offer a ride. If they take it, great. If not, I can at least warm them up in the truck and just get them a water, meal, something.”
In Bonito Lake, New Mexico, residents were shoveling out after 31 inches of snow. New York City’s Central Park received 11.4 inches, while Logan Airport in Boston saw 18.6 inches, Santorelli said.
Bessent argued that while Washington has pushed to destabilise Moscow’s energy trade, Europe continues to benefit economically from loopholes in the global oil trade.
India and EU are set to announce the conclusion of trade pact on Tuesday.
The United States has warned that Europe is financing a “war” against itself by signing the “mother of all trade deals” with India. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Europe may have significantly phased out direct energy ties with Moscow, but they are indirectly funding the Russia-Ukraine war by purchasing Russian oil products refined in India, even as Washington targeted New Delhi with tariffs.
Bessent’s remarks came as India and the European Union concluded negotiations on their long-pending free trade agreement, with the deal set to be formally announced on Tuesday.
What The US Said
Bessent framed the issue as an imbalance in sacrifice between the United States and its allies. He argued that while Washington has pushed to destabilise Moscow’s energy trade, Europe continues to benefit economically from loopholes in the global oil trade. The Trump administration has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including 25 per cent for Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
He claimed that US President Donald Trump has worked to negotiate a settlement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, adding that the US has made much bigger sacrifices than the Europeans.
“We have put 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India,” Bessent told ABC News Sunday.
“And just to be clear again, the Russian oil goes into India, the refined products come out, and the Europeans buy the refined products. They are financing the war against themselves,” he said, adding that under Trump’s leadership, “we will eventually end” the Russia-Ukraine war.
China’s birthrate has collapsed during President Xi Jinping’s rule. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio/File Photo
Last week, Beijing’s release of China’s national birth count for 2025 left demographers stunned.
The national birth total plummeted by over 17% from 2024 to 2025, the PRC disclosed.
That sort of precipitous drop is almost never seen in stable modern societies, where births tend to inch up or down from one year to the next.
A decline of this magnitude qualifies as a demographic shock of the sort typically associated with dire calamities like famine or plague — a sign that a disaster or convulsion is taking place.
And these are only the latest readings from the astonishing birth crash that’s commenced under Xi Jinping’s rule: a drop by over half in just eight years that shows no sign as yet of abating.
Tumbling birth rates have already thrown China into depopulation, with over four deaths for every three births in 2025.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US deal on security guarantees for Ukraine is completely ready, and Kyiv is simply waiting for a time and place to sign it.
‘Our position regarding our territory — Ukraine’s territorial integrity — must be respected,’ Zelenskyy saidImage: POU/ROPI/picture alliance
Following talks between representatives from Ukraine, the US and Russia aimed at ending the years-long war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the US agreement on providing security guarantees to Kyiv as “100% ready.”
“For us, security guarantees are first and foremost guarantees of security from the United States. The document is 100% ready, and we are waiting for our partners to confirm the date and place when we will sign it,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters on Sunday during a visit to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
“The document will then be sent for ratification to the US Congress and the Ukrainian parliament,” he said.
Zelenskyy also called for Ukraine to be granted membership of the European Union by 2027. He described it as an “economic security guarantee.”
Zelenskyy says Abu Dhabi talks ‘productive’
On Friday and Saturday, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US held their first trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, to discuss Washington’s framework for ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion.
The meeting included not only diplomats but also military representatives from all three sides.
No peace deal emerged from the talks but Zelenskyy said they were “productive.”
Negotiators will return to Abu Dhabi on February 1 for the next round of talks, according to a US official.
Zelenskyy stressed there were still fundamental differences between Ukrainian and Russian positions, particularly over territorial issues.
“Our position regarding our territory — Ukraine’s territorial integrity — must be respected,” he said.
He pointed to the Kremlin’s insistence on Kyiv withdrawing its troops from some areas in eastern Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed but its forces have still not been able to capture.
“These two fundamentally different positions — Ukraine’s and Russia’s. The Americans are trying to find a compromise,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “all sides must be ready for compromise.”
Despite the talks, Russia continues to launch missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, particularly targeting its energy infrastructure.
To counter them, Zelenskyy appealed for more air defense support from allies.
“This week alone, the Russians have launched more than 1,700 attack drones, over 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles of various types,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
“That is why missiles for air defense systems are needed every day, and we continue working with the United States and Europe to ensure stronger protection of our skies,” he added.
Kyiv says this winter has been the toughest since the full-scale war started due to especially severe cold.
Sub-zero temperatures and repeated strikes have also made it difficult repair and restore damaged heating and electricity systems.
On Sunday, Pope Leo also urged “everyone to intensify their efforts” to end the war.
“The protracted hostilities … have increasingly serious implications for civilians,” Pope said after his weekly Angelus prayer.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Republic Day greetings as India marks its 77th Republic Day with a grand parade at Kartavya Path themed “150 Years of Vande Mataram” and attended by top European Union leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra extended greetings to the nation as India celebrates its 77th Republic Day today. (File Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended greetings on the 77th Republic Day. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “Best wishes on Republic Day. May this occasion add renewed energy and enthusiasm in our collective resolve to build a Viksit Bharat”.
In another post on X, PM wrote, “Heartiest Republic Day greetings to all my fellow citizens. May this grand national festival, a symbol of India’s honour, pride, and glory, infuse new energy and enthusiasm into your lives. May the resolve for a developed India grow even stronger, is my heartfelt wish.”
सभी देशवासियों को गणतंत्र दिवस की बहुत-बहुत बधाई। भारत की आन-बान और शान का प्रतीक यह राष्ट्रीय महापर्व आप सभी के जीवन में नई ऊर्जा और नए उत्साह का संचार करे। विकसित भारत का संकल्प और अधिक सुदृढ़ हो, यही कामना है।
The grand parade today is set to begin at 10.30 am at Kartavya Path near India Gate in New Delhi.
The parade will showcase an elaborate defence display, cultural performances and vibrant tableaux highlighting the country’s diversity and technological progress. The theme of this year’s Republic Day is “150 Years of Vande Mataram”, marking a century and a half of the national song written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
According to an official press release, the theme will be woven through the parade, cultural events, tableaux, public contests and outreach programmes, placing Vande Mataram at the heart of the celebrations while linking India’s freedom struggle, cultural identity and contemporary national aspirations.
The Republic Day Parade will also feature chief guests from the European Union. Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will attend the event. The two leaders were accorded a Guard of Honour upon their arrival in India on Sunday.
The Canadian and U.S. flags flutter at the Lansdowne Port of Entry next to the Thousand Islands Bridge in Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 100% tariff on Canada if it follows through on a trade deal with China and warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that a deal would endanger his country.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.”
In a video on Saturday, Carney urged Canadians to buy domestic products, but did not directly mention Trump’s tariff threat.
“With our economy under threat from abroad, Canadians have made a choice to focus on what we can control,” Carney said. “We can’t control what other nations do, we can be our own best customer.”
The Canadian prime minister this month traveled to China to reset the countries’ strained relationship and reached a trade deal with Canada’s second-biggest trading partner after the U.S.
Immediately after Carney’s China trip, Trump sounded supportive. “It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House on January 16. “If you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
“There is no pursuit of a free trade deal with China. What was achieved was resolution on several important tariff issues,” Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, said on Saturday in a post on X.
The Chinese embassy in Canada said in a statement to Reuters that China was ready to work with Canada to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.
U.S.-Canada tensions have grown in recent days following Carney’s criticism of Trump’s pursuit of Greenland.
MORE PRESSURE ON CANADIAN INDUSTRIES
On Saturday, Trump suggested China would try to use Canada to evade U.S. tariffs.
“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump said, using a title for Carney that refers to Trump’s past calls for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state.
In a second Saturday post, Trump said, “The last thing the World needs is to have China take over Canada. It’s NOT going to happen, or even come close to happening!”
If Trump makes good on Saturday’s threat, the new tariff would greatly increase U.S. duties on its northern neighbor, adding pressure to Canadian industrial sectors such as metal manufacturing, autos and machinery.
Relations between Carney and Trump seemed relatively placid until the Canadian leader this week spoke out forcefully against Trump’s pursuit of Greenland.
Carney subsequently at the World Economic Forum called on nations to accept that a rules-based global order was over and pointed to Canada as an example of how “middle powers” might act together to avoid being victimized by American hegemony.
Carney, during his speech in Davos, Switzerland, did not directly call out Trump or the U.S. by name. However, the prime minister said “middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”
Many world leaders and industry titans present at the Switzerland confab responded with a standing ovation.
Trump shot back in his own Davos speech and said Canada “lives because of the United States,” a statement that Carney rejected on Thursday.
“Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in the economy, in security and in rich cultural exchange,” Carney said in Quebec. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
Since then, Trump has dug in against Canada, revoking its invitation to his Board of Peace that he wants to deal with international conflicts and Gaza’s future.
After Carney’s election last year, Trump and Carney shared a congenial tone. “I think the relationship is going to be very strong,” Trump said at the time.
GMAIL users have been warned about a data leak as tens of millions of online login credentials were reportedly exposed.
The largest portion of the stolen credentials allegedly came from Gmail, with roughly 48 million accounts affected, followed by Facebook at 17 million.
As many as 6.5 million Instagram accounts are believed to have been affected, along with four million from Yahoo Mail, 3.4 million from Netflix, and Outlook with 1.5 million, per the Daily Mail.
Other compromised accounts allegedly included iCloud, .edu emails, TikTok, OnlyFans, and Binance.
Users have been urged to check their accounts and change their passwords as soon as possible.
Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler reportedly discovered the breach, revealing a database containing 149 million compromised accounts.
He said: “Thousands of files included emails, usernames, passwords, and the URLs for logging in or authorizing the accounts.
“The exposed records included usernames and passwords collected from victims around the world, spanning a wide range of commonly used online services and about any type of account imaginable.”
Fowler advised that anyone who suspects their device may be infected with malware should act immediately by updating their operating system, installing or updating security software, and scanning for suspicious activity.
He also recommended reviewing app permissions, settings, and installed programs, and only downloading apps or extensions from official app stores.
Users have been directed to go to Have I Been Pwned website to enter their email address in the search bar.
The site will show you if your address has been involved in any breaches in the past decade.
If you have been affected, it is recommended to promptly change your password and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
A “framework” agreement between the US and NATO has defused the dispute over Greenland. There is cautious relief among residents, but also fear of becoming a geopolitical pawn once again.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen in Nuuk, Greenland on January 23Image: Marko Djurica/REUTERS
It’s business as usual now in front of the United States consulate in Greenland’s capital of Nuuk. But just a few days ago, angry Greenlanders were waving flags here in protest against US President Donald Trump’s plans to annex the Arctic island.
Since the announcement of a “deal” on the the country’s future on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, there has been a sense of relief, human rights activist and Nuuk resident Najannguaq Christensen told DW.
But there is also uncertainty. “ I’m not quite sure that it’s a deal… from our perspective, it’s just Donald Trump being Donald Trump,” he said, adding that while there have been big announcements, little tangible action has followed. Meanwhile, Greenland hasn’t really been involved in the conversation.
Marathon negotiations begin
That is now set to change, however. On Friday afternoon, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to Greenland “to show our strong support for Greenland’s people at a difficult time.” Frederiksen wants to discuss next steps with the government of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen is glad that the threats of US military intervention are off the table for now, having repeatedly stated that no one has the mandate to negotiate agreements about the country without the involvement of its government.
Denmark’s Frederiksen takes a similar view, but after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Friday, she emphasized that defense and security in the Arctic are a matter for NATO as a whole. Copenhagen announced that talks with the US would start promptly.
What does the ‘deal’ entail?
Activist Christensen said that people in Greenland are now waiting for details on what to expect. No clear, publicly available document is available so far, only different interpretations of the framework agreement announced in Davos.
According to the US, the parties agreed on a permanent safeguard for American interests in the Arctic. This involves military, strategic, and economic issues. NATO chief Mark Rutte, on the other hand, spoke primarily about a security cooperation, making no mention of Denmark or Greenland renouncing their rights.
The current agreement on stationing US forces in Greenland, which dates back to 1951, could be amended. This agreement allows the US to use Greenland for military purposes and to operate military facilities within the framework of joint defense. Unlike during the Cold War, when the US was active at over 20 locations in the country at times, today it operates only the Pituffik Space Base there.
The key to Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ plans
Greenland could become even more important for US early warning and interception systems in the future. Trump has repeatedly described the country as crucial to his planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system, though it remains unclear how the island would actually be involved.
Greenland is also important to the US because of its location at the so-called GIUK gap. Whoever controls the bottleneck between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom can influence access from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. At a time of growing tensions with Russia, this geopolitical location is becoming important once again.
Economic interests
In addition to security issues, Trump is also thinking in economic terms. Greenland has minerals that are important for the defense and high-tech industries, where the US wants to prevent China from gaining influence.
This is a sensitive issue in Nuuk. Since the beginning of extended self-government in 2009, Greenland has controlled its own mineral resources. Exclusive access or special rights for the US would be seen as an infringement on its sovereignty.
The conflict over Greenland is not only representative of US President Donald Trump’s political style, but also reflects a larger shift. Climate change is opening up routes and making resources in the Arctic more accessible, forcing the major powers to review their strategies.
Uncertainty remains after de-escalation
Greenland is ready to cooperate with the US on security, defense, and investment—but not on a takeover, Christensen said. Following the Davos announcement, many Greenlanders are relieved that military escalation is off the table for now.
Even though Trump spoke of a permanent agreement, recent months have shown that the tone in Washington can change at any time. As a result, Christensen said that he senses a great deal of uncertainty on the island.
Sharing the dais with NDA leaders, including AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and AMMK’s T T V Dhinakaran, Modi also said the ‘countdown’ to Chief Minister M K Stalin’s government has commenced and asked the people of the state to vote for a ‘double-engine’ NDA government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at rally in Tamil Nadu on Friday. Credit: X/@narendramodi
Maduranthakam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the ruling DMK as the “biggest enemy of Tamil culture” for refusing to implement a court order to light a lamp atop the Murugan Temple in Thiruparankundram and for moving an impeachment notice against the judge to “appease their vote bank”.
Sharing the dais with NDA leaders, including AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and AMMK’s T T V Dhinakaran, Modi also said the “countdown” to Chief Minister M K Stalin’s government has commenced and asked the people of the state to vote for a “double-engine” NDA government.
Modi’s rally not just kicked off the NDA’s election campaign, but also busted the image that the alliance was a “non-starter” and that the AIADMK-BJP could not cobble together a strong coalition against the formidable DMK combine. He shared the dais with leaders of half-a-dozen political parties.
Throughout his speech, Modi emphasized an NDA government, not an AIADMK-led one , but the banners and allies like TTV, PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss, and BJP’s K Annamalai — who were declaring that it was their duty to make the AIADMK leader as the Chief Minister again — dispelled any doubts about the face of the alliance in Tamil Nadu.
While the BJP insists it will be an NDA government, the AIADMK says it will form the new dispensation on its own. “Tamil Nadu is ready for a change. Tamil Nadu wants freedom from DMK’s misgovernance. We will change TN into a safe, corruption-free state,” Modi said, while taking a dig at the DMK and Congress.
The highlight of the rally was the coming together of TTV and EPS – who shared the dais and met eye-to-eye for the first time in eight years, which sent a strong message of unity within the NDA. TTV said he has “whole-heartedly” endorsed EPS as the CM face of the NDA and that they have buried their past differences to bring back Amma (J Jayalalithaa’s rule) in the state.
The two leaders later addressed a press conference , while sitting next to each other , with EPS asserting that there should be “no doubt” about the unity of the NDA after Friday’s meeting. TTV, who launched AMMK in 2018 against Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, had converted from being anti-EPS at the prodding of the BJP, especially Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on Friday to tackle the vital issue of territory, with no sign of a compromise, as Russian airstrikes plunged Ukraine into its worst energy crisis of the nearly four-year war.
Kyiv is under mounting U.S. pressure to reach a peace deal in the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Moscow demanding Kyiv cede its entire eastern industrial area of Donbas before it stops fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the territorial dispute was a central issue for the tripartite talks, including Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. officials, which were scheduled to conclude on Saturday.
“The most important thing is that Russia should be ready to end this war, which it started,” Zelenskiy said in a statement on the Telegram app, adding he was in regular contact with the Ukrainian negotiators, but it was too early to draw conclusions from Friday’s talks.
“We’ll see how the conversation goes tomorrow and what the outcome will be.”
Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council and the head of its delegation, said in a statement the talks had discussed parameters for ending the war and the “further logic of the negotiation process.”
RUSSIA STEPS UP ATTACKS ON POWER INFRASTRUCTURE
The tripartite talks, brokered by the U.S., are unfolding against a backdrop of intensified Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system that have cut power and heating to major cities such as Kyiv, as temperatures dip well below freezing.
The head of Ukraine’s top private power producer, Maxim Timchenko, told Reuters on Friday the situation was nearing a “humanitarian catastrophe” and that Ukraine needs a ceasefire that halts attacks on energy infrastructure.
Kyiv’s energy minister said on Thursday that Ukraine’s power grid had endured its most difficult day since a widespread blackout in November 2022, when Russia began bombing energy infrastructure.
Russia says it wants a diplomatic solution but will keep working to achieve its goals by military means as long as a negotiated solution remains elusive.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand that Ukraine surrender the 20% it still holds of the Donetsk region of the Donbas – about 5,000 sq km (1,900 sq miles) – has proven a major stumbling block to a breakthrough deal.
Zelenskiy refuses to give up land that Russia has not been able to capture in four years of grinding, attritional warfare. Polls show little appetite among Ukrainians for territorial concessions.
Thousands of demonstrators braved bitter cold to march through the streets of Minneapolis on Friday demand an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in their city, part of a wider “ICE OUT!” show of defiance that organizers billed as a general strike.
On a day that started with temperatures as low as minus 20 Fahrenheit (minus 29 Celsius), organizers said as many as 50,000 people took to the streets, a figure that Reuters could not verify, as Minneapolis police did not respond to a request for a crowd estimate. Many demonstrators later gathered indoors at the Target Center, a sports arena with a capacity of 20,000 that was more than half full.
Organizers and participants said scores of businesses across Minnesota closed for the day and workers headed to street protests and marches, which followed weeks of sometimes violent confrontations between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and protesters opposed to Trump’s surge.
Just a day earlier, Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis in a demonstration of support for ICE officers and to ask local leaders and activists to reduce tensions, saying ICE was carrying out an important mission to detain immigration violators.
In one of the more dramatic protests, local police arrested dozens of clergy members who sang hymns and prayed as they knelt on a road at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in calling for Trump to withdraw the 3,000 federal law enforcement officers sent to the area.
Organizers said their demands included legal accountability for the ICE agent who shot dead Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, in her car this month as she monitored ICE activities.
They ignored commands to clear the road by officers from local police departments, who arrested and zip-tied dozens of the protesters, who did not resist, before putting them onto buses. Reuters observed dozens of arrests, and organizers said about 100 clergy members were arrested.
Faith in Minnesota, a nonprofit advocacy group that helped organize the protest, said the clergy were also calling attention to airport and airline workers who they said had been detained by ICE at work. The group asked that airline companies “stand with Minnesotans in calling for ICE to immediately end its surge in the state.”
Across the state, bars, restaurants and shops were closing for the day, organizers said, in what was intended to be the largest display yet of opposition to the federal government’s surge.
“Make no mistake, we are facing a full federal occupation by the United States government through the arm of ICE on unceded Dakota land,” Rachel Dionne-Thunder, vice president of the Indigenous Protector Movement, told the arena crowd.
Demonstrators take part in a rally on the day of a general strike to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of immigration enforcement officers on the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 23, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
She was one of a series of indigenous, religious, labor and community leaders to speak, calling on ICE to withdraw and for a thorough investigation into Good’s shooting.
“We’ve seen an agency that seems to have no guardrails, as they have caused this pain and suffering all across Minnesota,” said Lizz Winstead, a comedian and abortion rights advocate who served as host.
TRUMP ELECTED TO CRACK DOWN
Trump, a Republican, was elected in 2024 largely on his platform of enforcing immigration laws with a promise to crack down on violent criminals, saying Democratic President Joe Biden was too lax in border security.
But Trump’s aggressive deployment of federal law enforcement into Democratic-led cities and states has further fueled America’s political polarization, especially since the shooting of Good, the detention of a U.S. citizen who was taken from his home in his underwear, and the detention of school children including a 5-year-old boy.
Miguel Hernandez, a community organizer who closed his business Lito’s Bakery for the day, put on four layers, wool socks and a parka before heading out to protest.
The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, came as a U.S. aircraft carrier group moved west toward the Middle East from Asia
State television carried statements by the Interior Ministry and the Martyrs Foundation, an official body providing services to families of those killed in wars, stating the toll and saying 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations that began Dec. 28 were civilians and security forces. | Photo Credit: AP
Iranian state TV on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed, while the Foreign Minister issued the most direct threat yet against the United States after Tehran’s bloody crackdown, warning the Islamic Republic will be “firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”
State television carried statements by the Interior Ministry and the Martyrs Foundation, an official body providing services to families of those killed in wars, stating the toll and saying 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations that began Dec. 28 were civilians and security forces. It did not elaborate on the rest.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll was at least 4,560. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.
The comments by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, came as a U.S. aircraft carrier group moved west toward the Middle East from Asia. U.S. fighter jets and other equipment appeared to be moving in the Mideast after a major U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
Araghchi makes threat in column
Mr. Araghchi made the threat in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal. The Foreign Minister contended “the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours” and sought again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence. Videos that made it out of Iran despite an internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Mr. Araghchi.
“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Mr. Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war launched by Israel on Iran in June. “This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war.”
He added: “An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”
Mr. Araghchi’s comments likely refer to Iran’s short- and medium-range missiles. The Islamic Republic relied on ballistic missiles to target Israel in the war and left its stockpile of the shorter-range missiles unused, something that could be fired to target U.S. bases and interests in the Persian Gulf. Already, there have been some restrictions on U.S. diplomats travelling to bases in Kuwait and Qatar.
Mideast nations, particularly diplomats from Gulf Arab countries, had lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump not to attack Iran after he threatened to act in response to the killing of demonstrators. Last week, Iran shut its airspace, likely in anticipation of a strike.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been in the South China Sea in recent days, had passed through the Strait of Malacca, a key waterway connecting the sea and Indian Ocean, by Tuesday (January 20, 2026), ship-tracking data showed.
A U.S. Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers were heading west.
While naval and other defence officials stopped short of saying the carrier strike group was headed to the Middle East, its current heading and location in the Indian Ocean means it is only days away from moving into the region. Meanwhile, U.S. military images released in recent days showed F-15E Strike Eagles arriving in the Mideast and forces in the region moving a HIMARS missile system, the type used with great success by Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in the country in 2022.
A new US President Donald Trump’s audio has reignited fears of a US-Iran clash as American warships head toward the Middle East. While Trump says he hopes force won’t be used, military deployments suggest preparations are underway.
Trump To Reverse Pause On Iran Strike? New Audio Hints Another Twist
A new audio of US President Donald Trump speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One has triggered fresh global concern, as he openly spoke about a large US military force moving toward Iran.
In the recording, Trump is heard talking about a “big flotilla,” an “armada,” and a “massive force” moving toward Iran. He does not clearly say that the US will carry out a military strike. For now, he has not officially confirmed any decision to attack.
The comments come as US warships and an aircraft carrier strike group are set to arrive in the Middle East, according to US officials cited by Reuters.
What Did President Trump Say?
In the viral audio, Trump is heard saying the US has many ships heading toward Iran, adding that he hopes force will not be used but stressed that Washington is “watching very closely.”
He said the US has a powerful naval presence moving into position and the situation could still change, depending on Iran’s actions. The remarks were made while Trump was flying to Joint Base Andrews.
Israeli outlet N12 reported that the US is expected to complete its military deployment in the Middle East within days. According to the report, once deployment is finished, a potential strike on Iran would become a matter of timing and political decision.
The report also said Israel does not yet know if Trump has made a final call, but believes military action could happen soon. At the same time, Iran is said to be issuing threats while also attempting to open negotiations to buy time.
Why President Trump Halted Strike On Iran?
Tensions between the US and Iran are already high due to ongoing protests inside Iran and alleged mass executions of demonstrators. Just a few days back, Trump recently claimed that Iran’s reported decision to cancel the execution of hundreds of protesters played a key role in his earlier decision not to launch a military strike.
Human rights groups claimed thousands have died since unrest began in late December, though Iranian officials dispute those numbers.
US military assets, including an aircraft carrier strike group, are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days. Trump has warned that future military action remains possible if Iran resumes executions or escalates its crackdown.
ByteDance retains a 19.9 per cent stake in the joint venture – keeping its ownership below the 20 per cent threshold stipulated by the law.
The TikTok logo is placed on a US flag in this illustration taken on Sep 24, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Dado Ruvic)
TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, finalised a deal on Thursday (Jan 22) to set up a majority American-owned joint venture company to avoid a US ban on the popular social media app used by millions of Americans.
The deal is a milestone for the short video app after years of battles that began in August 2020, when President Donald Trump first tried unsuccessfully to ban the app over national security concerns.
The TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC will serve more than 200 million users and 7.5 million businesses while implementing strict safeguards for data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, the company said.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social account on Thursday, said that TikTok will now be owned by “a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, and will be an important Voice”.
The US president said that he was “so happy to have helped in saving TikTok”.
“I only hope that long into the future I will be remembered by those who use and love TikTok.”
ByteDance retains a 19.9 per cent stake in the joint venture – keeping its ownership below the 20 per cent threshold stipulated by the law.
Three investors – Silver Lake, Oracle and Abu Dhabi-based AI investment fund MGX – each hold 15 per cent stakes. Oracle’s executive chairman, Larry Ellison, is a longtime Trump ally.
Other investors include Dell Family Office, affiliates of Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic, and several other investment firms.
The joint venture will retain decision-making authority over trust and safety policies and content moderation for US users, while TikTok’s global entities will manage international product integration and commercial activities including e-commerce and advertising.
The joint venture will be governed by a seven-member, majority-American board including TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi and executives from major investment firms.
TikTok executive Adam Presser was appointed CEO of the new entity, with Will Farrell serving as chief security officer.
In his post, Trump also thanked Vice President JD Vance and members of his administration who helped bring the TikTok deal to a “very dramatic, final, and beautiful conclusion”.
Trump also thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for working with the US and “ultimately approving the deal”.
“He could have gone the other way, but didn’t, and is appreciated for his decision.”
The 2024 law came as US policymakers, including Trump in his first presidency, warned that China could use TikTok to mine Americans’ data or exert influence through its algorithm.
But Trump, crediting the app for his appeal with young voters, delayed enforcement through successive executive orders, most recently extending the deadline to Jan 22.
Donald Trump made the remark on the sidelines of his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
File photo of US President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, D.C. (REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed confidence on a “good” trade deal with India and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “fantastic leader” and a “great friend”.
Trump made the remark on the sidelines of his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“I have a great respect for your prime minister (Modi). He is a fantastic man and a friend of mine. We are gonna have a good deal,” Donald Trump said in response to a question on the India-US trade deal by a Moneycontrol journalist.
It’s been nearly five months since the tariffs on Indian exports to the US hit a massive 50% — half of which was labelled a “penalty” by Trump over India’s purchase of Russian oil — and there’s continued uncertainty about when a trade deal may be struck, if at all.
Trade negotiations between officials of the two countries have been underway since before the tariffs took effect, with formal talks beginning in March-April last year after a February greenlight for talks. Statements made by Trump and some key officials in his administration over the past few days have further deepened the mystery.
One of Trump’s key aides, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, claimed that a potential trade deal between India and the US fell through because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “not calling” the US President. Another aide recently claimed that Trump has greenlit a bill that could hike tariffs on India to 500%. These looked like ominous signs of how Trump sees the future of US-India ties, despite proclaiming friendship with PM Modi.
India was quick to reject Lutnick’s claims. Hope re-emerged after the new US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, recently said the US considers India an important partner and that trade talks remain underway.
Trump dropped a big hint earlier this month that his administration could further increase tariffs on India. During a media interaction aboard Air Force One, Trump called PM Modi “a good guy”.
“India wanted to make me happy. Modi is a very good guy, and he knew I was not happy. And it was important to make me happy. We can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.
Trump says US economic boom benefits the entire world
Donald Trump on Wednesday lauded the United States’ economic performance, saying the country’s economic boom benefits the entire world, while noting that global economic conditions depend on the United States.
Addressing the 56th Annual Summit of the World Economic Forum in Davos, he described the US as the “economic engine on the planet” and highlighted the achievements of his first year back at the White House.
India is on the verge of finalizing significant defence deals involving the BrahMos cruise missile, which has been effective in previous military operations against Pakistan. Contracts with Vietnam and Indonesia are pending only a No Objection Certificate from Russia, expected soon.
The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile with a range of 300 km initially, and now, over 400 km. Photo : PTI
Two big defence deals, and this time, India is exporting a weapon system that flattened Pakistani military installations during Operation Sindoor, when India began with attacks on terror training camps: the BrahMos cruise missile. Deals with Vietnam and Indonesia are almost done. Only an NOC or No Objection Certificate from Russia, the co-developers of the weapon system, is awaited. It hasn’t come, highly-placed officials said, certain that it will arrive as the Russians have “agreed in principle” and “it is a matter of time.”
The BrahMos (“Brah” from Brahmaputra and “Mos” from Moscow) is a supersonic cruise missile with a range of 300 km initially, and now, over 400 km. It reached the armed forces, beginning with the Navy, over two decades ago. From Day 2 of the four-day battle with Pakistan, the Indian armed forces used the BrahMos with telling effect, particularly on airfield infrastructure. The deal with Vietnam is worth about $300 million, while the Indonesians are buying a battery, at $100 million. These are big deals, and there is demand for the BrahMos, with The Philippines buying some for $375 million in 2022, and New Delhi and Manila are looking at another tranche. India is also in discussions with other countries about the BrahMos as well.
While it is “Waiting for Moscow” vis-avis the Brahmos, the Akash, the indigenously designed surface-to-air missile system, also in action during Operation Sindoor, is also in demand. India and Armenia, which recently fought a war with Azerbaijan, are also in touch.
India’s defence exports is the new frontier. In the past, India had reservations about exporting defence equipment, but that is changing and very quickly. As Indian defence firms, already buoyed by the aatmanirbharta or self-reliance policy, grow stronger, the possibility of a rapid growth in defence exports is likely. And there is sufficient encouragement from the government.
An Israeli strike on the central Gaza town of Zahraa hit a vehicle carrying three Palestinian journalists and killed them. They were filming a newly established displacement camp managed by an Egyptian government committee, an official said.
Israeli forces on Wednesday killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including two 13-year-old boys, three journalists and a woman, hospitals said, on one of the war-battered enclave ‘s deadliest days since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in October.
The United States is trying to push the deal forward and implement its challenging second phase.
Among the dead were three Palestinian journalists who were killed while filming near a displacement camp in central Gaza, a camp official said. Israel’s military said it had spotted suspects who were operating a drone that posed a threat to its troops.
The two boys were killed in separate incidents. In one, a 13-year-old, his father and a 22-year old man were hit by Israeli drones on the eastern side of the Bureij refugee camp, according to officials from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah, which received the bodies.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the three had crossed into Israeli-controlled areas.
A mounting death toll
The other 13-year-old was shot by troops in the eastern town of Bani Suheila, Nasser Hospital said after receiving the body. In a video circulated online, the father of Moatsem al-Sharafy is seen weeping over it.
The boy’s mother, Safaa al-Sharafy, told The Associated Press that he had left to gather firewood so she could cook.
“He went out in the morning, hungry,” she said, tears running down her cheeks. “He told me he’d go quickly and come back.”
Later Wednesday, an Israeli strike hit a vehicle carrying the three Palestinian journalists who were filming a new displacement camp managed by an Egyptian government committee in the Netzarim area, said Mohammed Mansour, the committee’s spokesperson.
Mansour said the journalists were documenting the committee’s work and that the strike occurred about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Israeli-controlled area. He said the vehicle was known to Israel’s military as belonging to the committee. Video footage showed the charred and smoking vehicle by the roadside.
One journalist killed, Abdul Raouf Shaat, was a regular contributor to Agence France-Presse but he was not on assignment for it at the time, the news agency said.
“Abdul was much loved by the AFP team covering Gaza. They remember him as a kind-hearted colleague,” the agency said in a statement that demanded a full investigation into his death.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 200 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began in 2023, including visual journalist Mariam Dagga, who worked for the AP and other news organizations.
Nearly five months after the strikes on a hospital that killed Dagga and four other journalists, the Israeli military says it is continuing to investigate.
Aside from rare guided tours, Israel has barred international journalists from entering to cover the war. News organizations rely largely on Palestinian journalists in Gaza — as well as residents — to show what is happening.
Nasser Hospital officials also said Wednesday they received the body of a Palestinian woman shot by Israeli troops in the Muwasi area of the southern city of Khan Younis, which is not controlled by the military.
In a separate attack, three brothers were killed in a tank shelling in the Bureij camp, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital.
More than 470 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, according to Gaza’s health ministry. At least 77 have been killed by Israeli gunfire near a ceasefire line that splits the territory between Israeli-held areas and most of Gaza’s Palestinian population, the ministry says.
The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.
A mother’s plea
The first phase of the October ceasefire that paused two years of war between Israel and Hamas militants focused on the return of all remaining hostages in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza.
All but one hostage, living or dead, have been returned to Israel. Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer known as Rani, was killed while fighting Hamas militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war.
His relatives on Wednesday called again on Israel’s government and U.S. President Donald Trump to ensure the release of his remains.
“We need to continue to amplify Rani’s voice, explain about him, talk about him, and explain to the world that we, the people of Israel, will not give up on anyone,” his mother, Talik Gvili, said. She told the AP the family doesn’t “really know where he is.”
Hamas said Wednesday it has provided “all information” it has on Gvili’s body to the ceasefire mediators, and accused Israel of obstructing search efforts in areas it controls in Gaza.
AMERICAN forces have seized a seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela as President Donald Trump ramps up his campaign to choke off illicit crude exports from the country.
US Southern Command said the Motor Vessel Sagitta was boarded and taken under control “without incident” in the Caribbean after operating in defiance of Trump’s quarantine on sanctioned ships.
US forces seized the Motor Vessel Sagitta in the Caribbean, the seventh tanker linked to VenezuelaCredit: AFP
The military posted footage showing US Coast Guard and Navy vessels closing in on the tanker at sea as part of Operation Southern Spear, a joint effort launched to target so-called “dark fleet” ships moving Venezuelan oil.
“The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” the command said.
Officials said the operation involved elite joint forces working alongside the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department.
No shots were fired and no injuries were reported.
The Sagitta is a Liberian-flagged vessel owned and managed by a Hong Kong-based company, according to shipping records.
It last broadcast its location more than two months ago after leaving the Baltic Sea.
The tanker was previously sanctioned by the US Treasury under an order tied to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The seizure marks the latest escalation since Trump ordered a naval-style quarantine on January 9.
US forces have now taken control of seven tankers since December, most intercepted near Venezuelan waters.
One, the Bella 1, was captured in the North Atlantic after abruptly turning away from the Caribbean.
The administration argues the campaign has already crippled Venezuela’s oil trade, with analysts estimating more than 80 per cent of shipments have been halted.
Trump says the seizures are also helping to ease pressure on global energy markets.
“We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left,” Trump told reporters this week.
“We’re selling it on the open market.
“We’re bringing down oil prices incredibly.”
The crackdown comes as Venezuela reels from violent unrest following the US capture of former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Armed pro-Maduro militias known as colectivos have set up roadblocks, stopped cars and searched phones for signs of US ties or support for Trump, according to US officials.
Washington has issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning and urged Americans still in Venezuela to leave immediately, citing the risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping and armed violence as the country remains under a state of emergency.
While the solar storm did bring around certain disruptions, accompanying these issues were beautiful northern lights as far as Southern California.
Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the sky above Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, (AP)
The Earth just recorded its largest and most-powerful solar storm on Tuesday night. As per Live Science, the sun unleashed a powerful X-class solar flare, the largest in 23 years. While the solar storm did bring around certain disruptions, accompanying these issues were beautiful northern lights as far as Southern California.
Auroras were spotted over in California, Greenland, Austria, Germany and more.
Largest storm since 2023
As per report by Space.com, the geomagnetic storm began on Monday after a fast-moving cloud of solar radiation slammed into the Earth’s stratosphere. This incident temporarily disrupted the invisible magnetic field lines surrounding the Earth and allowed charged particles to penetrate deeper into the atmosphere.
Activity peaked at 2:38 pm EST once the storm reached “severe status” as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in the US.
Another SWPC report added that the storm clamed and reached G4 status again on Tuesday.
Auroras viewed in many countries
Due to this solar activity, aurora displays were seen across the UK, Europe and the United States.
Took a break on our drive home from #SPNVegas and spotted the aurora from the southern California desert just after sunset! pic.twitter.com/iBNQ4Iidl6
Interim president Delcy Rodriguez said the money from US sales of Venezuelan oil will be used to prop up the currency.
Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reservesImage: Matias Delacroix/AP Photo/dpa/picture alliance
Venezuela has received the first proceeds from a US sale of Venezuelan crude oil, following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the United States earlier in January.
The US announced last week that it had completed a $500 million sale of Venezuelan crude oil.
“We should inform you that we have gotten funds, from the sale of oil, and we have gotten, of the first $500 million, $300 million,” interim leader Delcy Rodriguez said at an event in Caracas on Tuesday.
Rodriguez said she would use the first $300 million (€256 million) from the sale to prop up her country’s battered currency, the bolivar.
The funds would be used to “stabilize” the foreign exchange market “to protect the income and purchasing power of our workers,” she said.
Details of the US oil sale are unclear. But news agency Reuters reported at the time that Venezuelan crude was being offered at a discount to traders compared to similar oil from other countries.
Venezuela to debate reforms to oil contract laws
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s lawmakers are scheduled to debate oil-sector reforms this week.
Expected reforms include loosening the control of the state oil and gas company PDVSA over new investment.
The country’s hydrocarbon law currently requires foreign partners to work together with PDVSA, which must hold the majority stake.
Venezuela is now looking to expand and formalize partnership-style contracts first introduced under Maduro.
National Assembly president Jorge Rodriguez (who is Delcy Rodriguez’s brother) said on Tuesday that such contracts are “a fundamental element to be expressed in the law’s reform.”
Potential foreign investors have called for urgent legal reform in the Latin American country before committing significant capital.
Venezuela is said to hold the world’s largest crude oil reserves but the type of extra heavy oil in its fields is capital intensive and technically complex to extract.
But decades of decades of mismanagement, underinvestment in oil upgrading infrastructure and international sanctions have limited the oil sector’s viability.
