Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: At least 11 Pakistani soldiers were martyred, and <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-security-forces-kill-41-terrorists-in-operations-ispr" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">12 Indian-sponsored terrorists</a>&nbsp;killed Monday in a failed attack on a checkpost in Bajaur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military&#39;s media wing said Tuesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the assailants attempted to breach the checkpost but were quickly repelled in a coordinated response. In a last-ditch effort, the attackers rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall, causing the collapse of the checkpost infrastructure. The assailants belonged to the Fitna-al-Khwarij group,&nbsp;a militant faction that Islamabad identifies as Indian-sponsored proxies of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).&nbsp;The blast also affected nearby civilian residential buildings, killing an innocent young girl and injuring seven others, including women and children.&nbsp;The ISPR stated that sanitization operations are ongoing to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the area. The operation forms part of Pakistan&rsquo;s broader counterterrorism campaign under the vision &quot;Azm-e-Istehkam,&quot; aimed at eradicating foreign-sponsored terrorism.&nbsp;&quot;The sacrifices of our soldiers and innocent civilians reinforce our commitment to safeguarding the nation at all costs,&quot; the ISPR stated.

Security

The blast also killed an innocent young girl nearby while injuring at least seven others, including women and children.


11 soldiers martyred, 12 terrorists killed in Bajaur attack: Military 

GENEVA: Iran and the United States began fresh talks in Geneva on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-iran-of-consequences-of-not-making-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned of consequences</a>&nbsp;should Tehran fail to strike a deal. Mediated by Oman, the discussions are aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, with Tehran expressing cautious optimism at Washington&#39;s &quot;more realistic&quot; position on its nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily against Iran, first over a reported crackdown on protesters last month and then more recently over its nuclear program. &quot;I don&#39;t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,&quot; he told reporters aboard Air Force One ahead of the talks. A previous attempt at diplomacy collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran in June, beginning a 12-day war that Washington briefly joined to bomb Iranian nuclear sites. &quot;A cautious assessment is that, from the discussions that have taken place in Muscat to date, at least what we have been told is that the US position on the Iranian nuclear issue has moved towards a more realistic one,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday, according to the official IRNA news agency. Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-fm-araghchi-in-geneva-for-second-round-of-us-talks" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">indirect talks</a>&nbsp;had begun with the two sides exchanging messages through Omani mediators. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi in Geneva to discuss his country&#39;s position &quot;regarding nuclear issues and sanctions relief&quot;. He also stressed Tehran&#39;s &quot;seriousness in using result-oriented diplomacy to secure the legitimate interests and rights of the Iranian people&quot; and preserve peace in the region, according to a ministry statement. Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Tehran&#39;s ballistic missiles program and support for armed groups in the region. War games Iran&#39;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps began a series of war games on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz to prepare for &quot;potential security and military threats&quot;, Iranian state TV said. Iranian politicians have repeatedly threatened to block the strait, a strategic route for oil and liquefied natural gas, as both sides ramp up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-ready-for-nuclear-compromise-if-us-lifts-sanctions" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">pressure</a>. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Monday: &quot;We&#39;re hopeful there&#39;s a deal.&quot; &quot;The president always prefers peaceful outcomes and negotiated outcomes to things.&quot; Araghchi, meanwhile, said on X that he too had come to &quot;Geneva with real ideas to achieve a fair and equitable deal&quot;, but added there would be no &quot;submission before threats&quot;. The foreign minister also met in Geneva on Monday with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, &quot;for deep technical discussion&quot;. The West fears Iran&#39;s nuclear program is aimed at making a bomb, which Tehran denies. Regime change? Washington has dispatched Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House confirmed on Sunday. On Friday, Trump said a change of government in Iran would be the &quot;best thing that could happen&quot;, as he sent a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to ratchet up military pressure. The first carrier dispatched to the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln, was positioned about 700 kilometers from the Iranian coast as of Sunday, new satellite images showed. Iran&#39;s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC that Tehran would consider compromises on its uranium stockpile if Washington lifted sanctions that have crippled the country&#39;s economy. The purchasing power of Iranians has been steadily eroded in recent months amid rising prices and a sharp depreciation in the currency. &quot;If we see the sincerity on their (American) part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&quot; Takht-Ravanchi said. Meanwhile, Iran&#39;s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Tuesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-located-near-iran-as-washington-increases-military-pressure" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">US warship</a>&nbsp;deployed in the Gulf could be sunk. &quot;We constantly hear that they (the United States) have sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,&quot; said Khamenei in a speech.

Middle East

The discussions are aimed at averting the possibility of US military action, with Tehran expressing cautious optimism at Washington's "more realistic" position on its nuclear program.

Iran, US hold new Geneva talks as Khamenei warns of sinking US warship

GENEVA: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet Tuesday in Geneva for fresh US-brokered talks seeking to end the four-year war, hours after both sides launched a fresh wave of long-range strikes. US President Donald Trump is seeking to position himself as peacemaker of the conflict unleashed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but previous rounds of talks mediated by the White House have yielded no breakthroughs. Before the meetings began Ukraine accused Russia of undermining peace efforts by launching 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that authorities said killed one, wounded others and cut power to tens of thousands. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. He repeated Ukraine&#39;s call for allies to exert greater pressure on Russia to negotiate in good faith by applying more sanctions on Moscow. The talks, which the Kremlin said will be held behind closed doors and with no media present, come after two earlier rounds held this year in Abu Dhabi. &quot;Ukraine better come to the table, fast,&quot; Trump told reporters ahead of the negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his team had already arrived in Geneva on Monday, while a source with the Russian delegation confirmed Tuesday that their team had touched down in the Swiss city in the early hours. Russia meanwhile claimed to have repelled more than 150 Ukrainian drones mainly over southern regions and Crimean peninsula, occupied by the Kremlin in 2014. Officials said an oil depot in southern Russia caught fire. &nbsp;Sticking points&nbsp; The war has spiralled into Europe&#39;s deadliest conflict since World War II, with hundreds of thousands killed, millions forced to flee their homes in Ukraine and much of the eastern and southern part of the country scarred by war. Russia occupies around one-fifth of Ukraine -- including the Crimean peninsula it seized in 2014 -- and areas that Moscow-backed separatists had taken prior to the 2022 invasion. It wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from swathes of heavily fortified and strategic territory as part of any peace deal. Kyiv has rejected this deeply unpopular demand, which would be politically and militarily fraught, and has instead demanded robust security guarantees from the west before agreeing to any proposals with Russia. Russia&#39;s better-resourced army has been making steady gains across the sprawling front line in the eastern and southern Ukraine in recent months. But Ukrainian forces have recently made significant battlefield gains, recapturing 201 square kilometres (78 square miles) last week, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War. The counterattacks likely leveraged Russian forces&#39; lack of access to Starlink, which has disrupted communications, the ISW said. The territorial gain is concentrated mainly around 80 kilometres east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, a region that Moscow claims is part of Russia, and where its troops have made significant progress since last summer. The centrally located region hosts Europe&#39;s largest nuclear power plant, which Russia currently controls -- another sticking point in negotiations. For the talks in Geneva, the Kremlin has reinstated nationalist hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky as its lead negotiator. &quot;This time, we plan to discuss a broader set of issues, focusing on key ones related to the territories and other demands,&quot; a spokesperson for President Vladimir Putin told reporters, including AFP, explaining the personnel change. Kyiv&#39;s team will be led by national security chief Rustem Umerov, while the White House is expected to dispatch Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump&#39;s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Europe

Negotiating teams from Russia and Ukraine are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to bring an end to the four-year long war between their countries.

Moscow, Kyiv meet for US-brokered talks after fresh attacks

Ayesha Mir

Muhammad Ibrahim

DHAKA: Pakistan signaled important meetings and an intent to deepen political, economic and regional cooperation with Bangladesh as Islamabad&rsquo;s senior leadership attends the oath-taking of Dhaka&rsquo;s incoming government, following a landslide election that reset the country&rsquo;s power balance and endorsed sweeping constitutional reforms.&nbsp;Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital in Dhaka on Tuesday, Pakistan Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said he was representing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at what he described as a &ldquo;historic democratic transition&rdquo; in Bangladesh, adding that the Pakistani leader was keen to visit at the earliest opportunity. He also extended an invitation to Tarique Rahman to plan a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.&nbsp;&ldquo;I am here to represent the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan at a very historic moment when Bangladesh is making a democratic transition and a new government is being sworn in,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would very much like to visit Bangladesh as early as possible.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iqbal said he would meet Bangladesh&rsquo;s interim Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman, and the leader of the opposition, conveying Islamabad&rsquo;s message of partnership and support.&nbsp;&ldquo;We look forward to a new journey between Pakistan and Bangladesh, towards prosperity and stability, not only for our region but for our people,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Bangladesh&rsquo;s new government takes office after the 13th National Parliamentary Election, the first competitive vote since the 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s 15-year rule. Final results show the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) securing 209 of 297 declared seats, rising to 212 seats with allies, giving it a commanding parliamentary majority. Voter turnout stood at 59.44%.&nbsp;&lsquo;Twin brothers&rsquo; and a regional resetFraming Pakistan-Bangladesh ties as historically deep and forward-looking, Iqbal described the two countries as &ldquo;twin brothers,&rdquo; citing shared civilizational links, similar demographic profiles and parallel development challenges.&nbsp;&ldquo;Both Pakistan and Bangladesh are young countries with very similar economic characteristics,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This gives us a great opportunity to build bridges between our youth and work together to create opportunities.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iqbal said Islamabad sees Dhaka as a key partner in reviving regional cooperation, particularly through South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which he said has long been stalled.&nbsp;&ldquo;South Asia is the least regionally integrated region in the world,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Both Pakistan and Bangladesh can play a very important role in reviving and reactivating SAARC, because regional cooperation is now key to economic progress.&rdquo;&nbsp;Founded in 1985, SAARC brings together eight South Asian countries with the stated aim of promoting regional integration through trade, connectivity and people-to-people ties. Despite representing nearly a quarter of the world&rsquo;s population, intra-regional trade remains below 6%, with political tensions repeatedly stalling summits and initiatives.&nbsp;Trade, youth and investmentIqbal said economic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh remain far below potential, with bilateral trade still under $1 billion, and called for an urgent push to expand commerce, investment and connectivity.&nbsp;&ldquo;There is tremendous opportunity to promote trade between Pakistan and Bangladesh,&rdquo; he said, adding that he would meet Bangladeshi business leaders during the visit and engage with students to strengthen youth-to-youth links.&nbsp;He highlighted Pakistan&rsquo;s announcement of 500 scholarships for Bangladeshi students, calling it the foundation of a &ldquo;Bangladesh-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor.&rdquo;&nbsp;Shared sovereignty, shared challengesOn foreign policy, Iqbal stressed strategic autonomy and equal sovereignty as guiding principles, drawing parallels between Pakistan&rsquo;s and Bangladesh&rsquo;s political trajectories.&nbsp;&ldquo;Every country, no matter how small, has equal sovereignty,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We cannot accept hegemony on the basis of geography or power.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said both countries also share vulnerabilities to climate change, water security challenges and the need to build economic resilience, arguing that cooperation in climate adaptation, technology and skills development should be priorities. &quot;Both countries would like to see that international conventions for water should be respected. Recently, India has weaponized water from a controversial region. Which is not India, it occupied Jammu and Kashmir. And from there, it is weaponizing water. I think Bangladesh also would be closely watching these developments&quot;&nbsp;Cultural bridges and Iqbal AcademyBeyond economics and diplomacy, Iqbal pointed to cultural and intellectual links, proposing the revival of an Iqbal Academy in Bangladesh ahead of the 150th birth anniversary of philosopher-poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal next year.&nbsp;&ldquo;Iqbal is a common bridge between our people,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He gave South Asian Muslims a sense of identity and hope during colonial rule.&rdquo;&nbsp;With Bangladesh&rsquo;s new government taking office on the back of a strong electoral mandate and a voter-endorsed reform charter, both sides framed the moment as an opportunity to reset ties on pragmatic, forward-looking lines.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are not authors of the bitter past,&rdquo; Iqbal said. &ldquo;We are custodians of the future. History will judge us by the path we choose now.&rdquo;

Pakistan Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, speaks to Pakistan TV Digital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on February 17, 2026.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal in Dhaka says the country aims to expand trade, revive regional cooperation, and build stronger youth and cultural links with Bangladesh following its election and formation of the new government.

Pakistan minister signals PM visit intent as Bangladesh's new government takes office

ISLAMABAD: Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and prime minister-elect, took the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-pmelect-tarique-rahman-lawmakers-sworn-into-parliament" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">oath</a> of office Tuesday during a ceremony at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the parliament complex. According to the state broadcaster Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), newly elected members of parliament began taking their oaths at 10 am local time, followed by Rahman and his cabinet being sworn in at 4 pm by President Mohammed Shahabuddin. This ceremony ushers in Bangladesh&rsquo;s first male prime minister in more than three decades. Leaders from 13 countries received invitations, including China, Pakistan and several Gulf nations. Pakistan&rsquo;s Planning Minister&nbsp;Ahsan Iqbal attended the ceremony, along with Bhutan&rsquo;s Prime Minister, Sri Lanka&rsquo;s health minister and Britain&rsquo;s Indo-Pacific undersecretary.&nbsp; Rahman&rsquo;s rise follows the BNP&rsquo;s landslide victory in the Feb. 12&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/younger-bangladesh-voters-primed-for-first-posthasina-election" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">general election</a>, capturing 209 of 297 seats. The vote marked the country&rsquo;s first national election since the July 2024 uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tarique Rahman took the oath of office in Dhaka on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha)

Bangladesh

He took oath at Dhaka parliament complex, making him the first male PM in over three decades after his party's landslide victory in the general election. 

Tarique Rahman sworn in as Bangladesh’s 11th Prime Minister

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh&#39;s Prime Minister-elect Tarique Rahman and other newly elected lawmakers from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-cabinet-members-to-take-oath-at-parliament-on-feb-17" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">took oaths</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the National Parliament, the country&rsquo;s state broadcaster reported. According to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin administered the oaths at 10:43 am local time in the parliament&#39;s Oath Room. Parliament Secretary Kaniz Moula led the ceremony. The MPs then signed the official oath register. The BNP secured 209 seats alone in the Feb. 12 election for the 300-seat unicameral legislature. Its allies&mdash;the National Rights Council, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, and Gano Sanghati Andolon&mdash;each took one seat. Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-jamaateislamiled-coalition-submits-poll-complaints" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami</a> won 68 seats and forms the main opposition. Its partners claimed eight more: six for the National Citizen Party, two for Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, and one for Khelafat Majlish. Islami Andolon Bangladesh grabbed one seat. Independents took seven seats. The Bangladesh Election Commission published results for 297 seats on Friday. It delayed two Chittagong-area constituencies &ndash; a major port city &ndash; and one in Sherpur due to a candidate&#39;s death. Later in the day, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman was also elected parliamentary party leader unopposed. BNP media official Shairul Kabir Khan announced the result from a party meeting in the parliament building.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party members take oath at Jatiya Sangsad (the unicameral legislative body of Bangladesh) on February 17, 2026. (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha)

Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawmakers took oaths in Bangladesh parliament Tuesday after their party's big election win. Jamaat-e-Islami forms opposition.

Bangladesh PM-elect Tarique Rahman, lawmakers sworn into parliament

KYIV: Ukraine said on Tuesday that Russia was undermining peace efforts by launching dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones ahead of talks in Geneva aimed at ending Russia&#39;s four-year invasion. &quot;The extent to which Russia disregards peace efforts: a massive missile and drone strike against Ukraine right before the next round of talks in Geneva,&quot; Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga wrote on social media. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched 29 missiles and 396 drones in attacks that local officials said targeted critical infrastructure.

The Ukranian FM has lamented Russia's attack ahead of peace talks

Russia 'disregards peace efforts' with overnight attack before talks: Ukraine FM

ISLAMABAD: Indonesia has said any participation in the proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-rules-out-joining-abraham-accords-clarifies-peace-board-role" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Stabilization Force</a>&nbsp;(ISF) in Gaza, including a possible deployment of around 8,000 personnel, will remain fully under its national control and subject to strict conditions.&nbsp;In a statement issued on Feb. 14, the Foreign Ministry said Indonesia&rsquo;s involvement would be based on the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), its &ldquo;Free and Active&rdquo; foreign policy and international law. The ministry stressed that the duties of Indonesian personnel would be limited and clearly defined under binding national caveats agreed with the ISF.&nbsp;The clarification comes a week after State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government is finalizing preparations to deploy approximately 8,000 troops under the Board of Peace (BoP) mechanism established by the resolution.&nbsp;However, he clarified that the exact deployment location has not been finalized, despite earlier reports suggesting Rafah in southern Gaza.&nbsp;Indonesia emphasized that its role would be strictly non-combat and non-demilitarization in nature, focusing on humanitarian assistance, civilian protection, health services, reconstruction and capacity-building for the Palestinian Police. Personnel will not engage in combat operations or direct confrontation with any armed group.&nbsp;The use of force, the ministry said, would be limited to self-defense and protection of the mandate, applied proportionally and as a last resort in accordance with international law and agreed Rules of Engagement.&nbsp;Jakarta also underlined that deployment can only take place with the consent of the Palestinian Authority. It rejected any demographic change or forced displacement of Palestinians and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution based on international law. Participation in the ISF, it added, would not constitute recognition or normalization of political ties with any party.&nbsp;UNSC Resolution 2803, adopted on Nov. 17, 2025, endorses a US-backed framework to end the Gaza conflict and establishes a transitional governance and security structure, including a temporary stabilization force and arrangements for humanitarian access and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces.

An Indonesian Army infantryman participating in the UN's Global Peacekeeping Operation Initiative (GPOI) provides security for a World Food Agency truck. (File photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Asia

Indonesia says any participation in the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza will remain fully under its national control and subject to strict conditions.

Indonesia sets conditions for 8,000-strong Gaza peacekeeping deployment

ISLAMABAD: Satellite imagery has confirmed the location of US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran, as Washington intensifies pressure over Tehran&rsquo;s military program, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported Tuesday.&nbsp; According to BBC Verify, publicly available European Sentinel-2 satellite images show the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier in the Arabian Sea, around 150 miles (240km) off the coast of Oman &mdash; roughly 700km from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-warns-iran-of-consequences-of-not-making-a-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>. The vessel leads a strike group that includes three Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and carries around 90 aircraft, including F-35 fighter jets, with a total crew of about 5,680. The carrier was reportedly deployed to the Gulf region in late January but had not appeared in satellite imagery until now due to limited coverage over open waters. BBC Verify said it has tracked 12 US ships in the Middle East in recent weeks, including destroyers positioned in Bahrain, the eastern Mediterranean near the Souda Bay base, and the Red Sea. It also observed increased deployments of F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, along with a rise in US cargo, refuelling, and communications aircraft heading to the region. According to the report, US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Switzerland on Tuesday for a second round of talks. Iran says discussions will focus on its nuclear program and the possible lifting of US economic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-ready-for-nuclear-compromise-if-us-lifts-sanctions" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">sanctions</a>, while Washington has indicated it wants broader issues addressed. In response to the US build-up, Iran&rsquo;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched maritime drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route through which roughly a fifth of the world&rsquo;s oil and gas supplies pass. Military intelligence analyst Justin Crump told BBC Verify the current US deployment shows &ldquo;more depth and sustainability&rdquo; than previous operations, including last year&rsquo;s actions against Venezuela and strikes on Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities under Operation Midnight Hammer. He said the present posture appears designed not only for strike capability but broader deterrence, with the ability to scale operations up or down.

Americas

BBC Verify confirms the USS Abraham Lincoln’s location near Iran via satellite imagery, highlighting an expanded US military build-up as nuclear talks loom.

US aircraft carrier located near Iran as Washington increases pressure

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Indian Punjab have taken notice of a viral video allegedly showing the humiliation and sexual exploitation of a 23-year-old Dalit man with an intellectual disability in Jalandhar district, Times of India reported. Taking suo motu notice on Monday, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission&nbsp;sought a detailed report from the SSP Jalandhar Rural Police by Feb. 19, 2026, directing him to present findings. Police acted after a disturbing video of a mentally challenged youth being forced into sexual abuse resurfaced online.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 760px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023396458213388306&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4231%2F&sessionId=88dbb391e0659cdd10267ca980b9f1f3cee92f0a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The main accused, Harpreet Singh &ldquo;Happy,&rdquo; an affluent NRI linked to the animal in the video, was arrested, The Tribune reported.&nbsp;The case has been filed under India&rsquo;s Information Technology Act for sharing sexually explicit content, along with relevant criminal law sections, Jalandhar Rural Police said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 320px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2023031200559009886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4231%2F&sessionId=88dbb391e0659cdd10267ca980b9f1f3cee92f0a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div><div>The video was recorded on Nov 25, 2025, but gained public attention only after it was widely circulated in mid-February 2026, according to The Tribune. The delay between the alleged incident and the enforcement response has renewed scrutiny of how extreme abuse can remain unaddressed until it becomes &ldquo;viral evidence,&rdquo; making identification of all participants and distributors more complex. &nbsp;</div> Police sources cited in local coverage indicated investigators were working to determine whether additional individuals were involved in filming, encouraging, or circulating the footage, beyond the arrested accused. The Commission&rsquo;s intervention is expected to press for clarity on these points, as well as the support measures offered to the victim, including medical care, protection, and any statutory relief.&nbsp; The case has also revived wider debate around caste-based vulnerability and impunity. National crime data show India recorded 57,789 cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes in 2023, indicating persistent exposure to violence, coercion, and degrading treatment despite legal safeguards, as per figures cited by NDTV/ Press Trust of India. Authorities have not yet publicly detailed whether provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, will be applied in this case.&nbsp;

Indian National Flag (File Photo/ Wikimedia Commons)

India

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