Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Government data presented in the lower house of the Indian parliament, Lok Sabha, has revealed that nearly three-fourths of the Air India Group&rsquo;s aircraft fleet has been flagged for recurring technical defects following inspections conducted since January last year.&nbsp; The data was shared on Thursday by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in response to questions in the House, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/crash-pakistan-airspace-ban-push-air-india-toward-16-billion-annual-loss" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian&nbsp;</a>media. According to the information provided, a total of 754 aircraft across six scheduled airlines were analyzed for repetitive defects during the period under review.&nbsp; Of these, 377 aircraft were found to have recurring deficiencies. Air India Group, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/father-of-air-india-crash-pilot-seeks-independent-probe" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Air India</a>&nbsp;and Air India Express, accounted for a significant share of the findings.&nbsp; Out of 267 aircraft analyzed within the group, 191 were identified as having repetitive defects, amounting to nearly 72% of the fleet examined. Specifically, Air India had 166 aircraft analyzed, of which 137 showed recurring defects.&nbsp; Air India Express saw 54 aircraft flagged for repetitive defects out of the 101 aircraft that were inspected. Market leader IndiGo also underwent extensive checks.&nbsp; As of February 3 this year, 405 IndiGo aircraft had been analyzed, with 148 found to have repetitive defects.&nbsp; Other carriers were also part of the analysis.&nbsp; SpiceJet had 43 aircraft examined, of which 16 were identified with recurring defects.&nbsp; Akasa Air, the newest entrant among the airlines analyzed, saw 14 of its 32 aircraft flagged for similar issues. Responding to the data, an Air India spokesperson said that the airline had carried out checks across its fleet &ldquo;out of abundance of caution,&rdquo; which contributed to the higher number of defects being reported, an Indian news agency reported. A senior Air India executive explained that multiple types of equipment are inspected during such checks and are categorized into A, B, C, and D segments based on priority and urgency.&nbsp; The executive said that in Air India&rsquo;s case, most of the issues fall under category D, which includes items such as seats, tray tables, and seat-back screens.&nbsp; These issues, the executive clarified, are not related to aircraft safety. The executive added that as the retrofit program for Air India&rsquo;s narrow-body aircraft is rolled out over the next two years, these issues will also be addressed.

India

Out of 267 aircraft analyzed within the group, 191 were identified as having repetitive defects, amounting to nearly 72% of the fleet examined.

Air India Group: 72% fleet flagged for recurring defects, data shows

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has improved its standing in international corruption perceptions, scoring 28 out of 100 in Transparency International&#39;s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released Tuesday, up from 27 the previous year. The gain reflects ongoing institutional reforms and enhanced oversight mechanisms aimed at strengthening governance, according to the Berlin-based watchdog organization. Pakistan ranked alongside Iraq, Liberia, Mali, and Bolivia in the latest assessment. The country has pursued judicial reforms and increased transparency measures in recent years, while strengthening accountability institutions. The improvement comes as Pakistan continues efforts to address governance challenges across multiple government sectors. Transparency International&#39;s index measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption across 182 countries and territories using 13 independent data sources that reflect assessments from business executives and country experts. Scores range from zero, indicating high corruption, to 100, representing very clean governance. The global picture showed concerning trends, with the worldwide average dropping to 42 out of 100, marking the first decline in more than a decade. Over two-thirds of countries scored below 50, indicating serious corruption problems in most parts of the world. The organization noted that sustained improvements require comprehensive legal reforms and protection of civic freedoms. Countries that have shown long-term gains have typically implemented broad institutional changes while safeguarding press freedom and civil society organizations. The index draws on experts&#39; perceptions of corruption in the public sector rather than directly measuring specific corrupt activities. Denmark leads 2025 rankings Meanwhile, Denmark led the 2025 rankings with a score of 89, maintaining its position for the eighth consecutive year. Finland scored 88, Singapore 84, New Zealand 81, and Norway 81. Somalia and South Sudan tied for last place at nine points each.

Pakistan improved its standing in international corruption perceptions, scoring 28 out of 100 in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index released February 9, 2026. (World Economic Forum)

Politics

Pakistan scored 28 out of 100 in Transparency International's latest corruption index, up from 27, reflecting institutional reforms though challenges remain in governance and accountability.

Pakistan records improvement in 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index

Saima Ayub

As parents and guardians we think of lying as a moral crack in the wall. But when it comes to children, truth is usually softer, and sadder.&nbsp;Children lie because of fear.&nbsp;They are not afraid of prison or police rather our faces. They are afraid of our silence. Afraid of disappointing the people whose approval feels like everything.&nbsp;A child who breaks a glass does not first think about right or wrong. He thinks about what will happen next. Will there be shouting? Will love feel distant? In that quick, anxious moment, a lie becomes a small shield. &ldquo;It wasn&rsquo;t me.&rdquo; It is not wickedness speaking. It is fear trying to survive.&nbsp;If we are honest with ourselves, we may remember doing the same.&nbsp;There is also imagination, a bright and restless force in childhood. A five-year-old may&nbsp;insist the cat opened the cupboard or the wind pushed the vase. To us it sounds like&nbsp;deliberate deception. But in a young mind, imagination and reality often sit side by side.&nbsp;The child is not carefully constructing fraud. He is escaping guilt the only way he knows how, through story.&nbsp;As children grow older, their lies change shape.&nbsp;An older child may hide poor marks. A teenager may lie about where she was. These lies&nbsp;are not about spilled milk anymore. They are about identity. About wanting to be seen as&nbsp;capable, responsible, mature.&nbsp;Children care deeply about how we see them. Sometimes more than we realize.&nbsp;When expectations are high and mistakes feel unbearable, truth begins to look dangerous. There is also another quiet reason: children are learningsome point. At some point a child discovers that thoughts are private. That adults cannot see inside&nbsp;their minds. It is a startling discovery. With it comes experimentation. &ldquo;If I say this, will they believe me?&rdquo; It is less a plan to deceive and more a test of the world.&nbsp;None of this means lying should be ignored. Trust, once damaged, is difficult to rebuild. But punishment alone rarely builds honesty. It often builds better liars.&nbsp;If every confession is met with anger, the child learns to hide more carefully next time.&nbsp;What then helps?Calmness helps.&nbsp;When a child admits, &ldquo;Yes, I broke it,&rdquo; and hears, &ldquo;Thank you for telling me,&rdquo; something important happens. The mistake still matters. The consequence may still follow. But the&nbsp;child learns that truth does not cancel love.&nbsp;That lesson stays.&nbsp;We must also look at ourselves. Children notice the small things. When we say on the&nbsp;phone, &ldquo;Tell them I&rsquo;m not home,&rdquo; they are listening. When we exaggerate stories or twist&nbsp;facts, they are watching. We cannot demand honesty in a language we do not speak.&nbsp;A lying child is not a lost child.More often, it is a worried child. Or an ashamed child. Or simply a growing child trying to&nbsp;manage feelings too large for his small hands.&nbsp;If we want honesty, we must make it safe. Safe to fail. Safe to confess. Safe to be imperfect.&nbsp;The real question is not, &ldquo;Why is my child lying?&rdquo;&nbsp;Perhaps it is, &ldquo;What is my child afraid of losing if they tell the truth?&rdquo;&nbsp;When we answer that gently &mdash; not with authority alone, but with understanding, we&nbsp;may find that the lies grow fewer, and the conversations grow deeper.&nbsp;And that is where trust truly begins.

Blogs

Children often lie from fear, imagination, or growing identity, not malice. Honesty grows when adults respond calmly, model truth, and make mistakes safe, showing that truth never cancels love, trust, or belonging for children everywhere.

The psychology behind kids lying

ISLAMABAD: Adani Enterprises Ltd., part of India&rsquo;s Adani Group, said it is cooperating with US authorities after receiving a request for information regarding alleged imports of Iranian oil products, US media reported.&nbsp;The company said the inquiry follows a media report by the Wall Street Journal last June, which claimed that Adani-controlled firms imported Iranian <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-evacuates-27member-ship-crew-amid-israeli-strikes-in-yemen" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">liquefied petroleum gas</a> (LPG) through the Mundra port, potentially raising sanctions concerns, according to Bloomberg.&nbsp;The report mentions that Adani received the request from the US Treasury Department&rsquo;s Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 4 and stressed that it is fully cooperating with officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;The company added that the matter has no financial impact, as LPG accounted for just 1.46% of its revenue and 0.5% of the group&rsquo;s total revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2025.&nbsp;The group said it stopped all LPG imports last June &ldquo;out of abundant caution.&rdquo; Shares of Adani Enterprises fell as much as 3.5% following the news.&nbsp;The development adds to ongoing <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-sec-asks-court-to-bypass-indian-government-to-serve-adani" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">scrutiny of the conglomerate</a>, which has faced previous US investigations and allegations of market manipulation, all of which the group has denied.

Stop Adani protest outside Josh Frydenberg's Camberwell office. (File photo: Wikimedia Commons/ Julian Meehan)

Mentions that Adani Enterprises received the request from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on February 4 and stressed that it is fully cooperating with officials.

India's Adani says cooperating with US over Iran oil imports: Report

ISLAMABAD: A retired Bangladeshi army chief has testified that Indian intelligence operatives maintained regular access to military intelligence facilities, working from dedicated rooms and providing target lists, according to his statement written for a local news outlet. Retired Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan disclosed this in testimony before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 and in an article he wrote for Prothom Alo on Monday. He stated that the Indian intelligence operatives worked from dedicated rooms and provided target lists to Bangladeshi forces. His statement came as he appeared as a prosecution witness in war crimes proceedings against former Maj. Gen. Ziaul Ahsan. &quot;Some people from the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) under the umbrella of Major General (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddique regularly visited the DGFI office and were allowed to work in one of the seven meeting rooms there,&quot; Bhuiyan wrote. The former army chief said RAW would identify individuals as militants and provide lists to Bangladesh&#39;s Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, according to his article. Bhuiyan stated he did not know whether DGFI took effective action on these intelligence reports. Testimony in crimes against humanity case Bhuiyan concluded two days of witness testimony on Monday at the tribunal, which has charged Ahsan with crimes against humanity involving the disappearance and murder of more than 100 people during the previous government led by the Awami League party, according to his published account in Prothom Alo. The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Majumder, set Feb. 18 for cross-examination by defense lawyers, as reported in tribunal proceedings. Officers describe paid killings The retired general wrote that he confronted multiple junior officers about killings conducted while assigned to the Rapid Action Battalion, an elite Bangladeshi security force. In one encounter, an officer returning from RAB duty admitted killing six people &mdash; two directly and four others while present, according to Bhuiyan&#39;s article. &quot;I asked him, how much money did you get for each kill? He replied, ৳10,000&quot; &mdash; approximately $85 at current exchange rates &mdash; Bhuiyan wrote. The officer said he donated the money to his village mosque. A lieutenant colonel told Bhuiyan he killed six people on superior orders, according to the article. When Bhuiyan asked whether the officer would follow an order to consume excrement, the lieutenant colonel said killing unarmed civilians was worse, but fell silent when pressed on why he complied. &quot;I asked him, which is worse, killing an unarmed civilian or eating hagu?&quot; &mdash; a Bengali word for excrement &mdash; Bhuiyan wrote in Prothom Alo. &quot;He said, killing an unarmed civilian. I asked him, then why did you do it? He remained silent in reply.&quot; A major who had previously served under Bhuiyan justified killing alleged criminals by calling them &quot;anti-social&quot; with no right to live, according to the article. Bhuiyan wrote that he later saw the same officer in a Facebook post standing with Col. Zia at Shapla Chattar &mdash; a public square in Dhaka &mdash; following a deadly security force crackdown on a religious rally organized by the religious&nbsp;group Hefazat-e-Islam. Body disposal in rivers Bhuiyan wrote that he heard RAB personnel would cut open victims&#39; stomachs, remove intestines, tie bodies with bricks and stones, and submerge them in rivers. The tribunal has charged Ahsan with involvement in 50 killings at the Baleshwar River estuary in southern Bangladesh between 2010 and 2013, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the state news agency. Halting officer assignments The former army chief wrote that he stopped assigning officers to DGFI, the Border Guard Bangladesh &mdash; a paramilitary force &mdash; and RAB after determining that so-called &quot;crossfire&quot; killings, a term used to describe extrajudicial executions, would not stop. &quot;Many reminded me that what I was doing was tantamount to rebellion. My only answer was that I would have to answer to Allah on the Day of Judgment,&quot; Bhuiyan stated. He received repeated phone calls from the military secretary to the prime minister requesting officer assignments, according to his article. RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed personally visited Bhuiyan&#39;s office to request officers, but received no commitment, he wrote. Then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina &mdash; who led the Awami League government &mdash; directly asked Bhuiyan to provide officers to RAB during a hotel inauguration in Chittagong, Bangladesh&#39;s second-largest city, according to his account. Bhuiyan wrote that he cited officer shortages and maintained this position until retirement despite continued pressure. Call for institutional dissolution Bhuiyan wrote in Prothom Alo that he wants RAB abolished immediately or all military personnel withdrawn from the force. He also called for dissolving DGFI, writing that the intelligence directorate &quot;has lost its legitimacy to exist after giving birth to a bad culture like a mirror house.&quot; &quot;No matter how much we try to deny it, the army has become corrupt,&quot; Bhuiyan wrote. &quot;We should not waste the opportunity that has come to us for self-purification under any circumstances.&quot; He argued that prosecuting guilty officers would enhance rather than diminish military honor. He wrote that successful accountability would show &quot;the army never spares guilty people.&quot; Indictment details The tribunal indicted Ziaul Ahsan on Jan. 14 on three counts of crimes against humanity, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and the tribunal prosecution. The charges include the July 11, 2011, killing of three people in Gazipur&#39;s Pubail area allegedly in Ahsan&#39;s presence; 50 killings at the Baleshwar River estuary; and another 50 deaths in the Sundarbans &mdash; a vast mangrove forest spanning Bangladesh and India &mdash; and Bagerhat regions between 2010 and 2013 under the pretext of suppressing &quot;forest robbers,&quot; as reported by BSS. Ziaul Ahsan pleaded not guilty when charges were read, according to tribunal proceedings. Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam told the tribunal that investigators have &quot;exceptionally strong evidence&quot; regarding Ahsan&#39;s leadership roles in the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre and RAB, as reported by the prosecution. The trial formally began Feb. 8, with Bhuiyan appearing as the prosecution&#39;s first witness, according to court records.

Retired Gen. Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan testified that Indian intelligence operatives maintained regular access to military intelligence facilities within Bangladesh before the country’s International Crimes Tribunal-1. (Iqbal Karim/Facebook)

Bangladesh

His statement comes as he appeared as a prosecution witness in war crimes proceedings against former Maj. Gen. Ziaul Ahsan.

Retired Bangladesh army chief says Indian intelligence had access to military facilities

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is participating in the World Defence Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia, featuring its JF-17 Thunder Block-III multi-role fighter jet and Super Mushshak basic trainer aircraft, the PAF said on Tuesday.&nbsp;The exhibition, a premier global platform for defence and security, provides an opportunity for military delegations, industry leaders, and defence officials to explore cooperation, training, and technology transfer.&nbsp;PAF&rsquo;s participation highlights Pakistan&rsquo;s advancing indigenous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistans-f16s-fly-longrange-to-saudi-arabia-for-air-combat-exercise" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">aerospace capabilities and operational competence</a>, according to the PAF statement.&nbsp;&nbsp;The JF-17 Block-III, Pakistan&rsquo;s 4.5-generation fighter jet, is equipped with advanced avionics, an AESA radar, enhanced electronic warfare systems, and beyond-visual-range combat capabilities.&nbsp;The Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, known for reliability and cost-effectiveness, continues to be used by several friendly nations for basic pilot training.&nbsp;The PAF said its presence at WDS-2026 reinforces Pakistan&rsquo;s position as an emerging hub for defence innovation and exports, while fostering strategic partnerships with friendly countries.

Security

PAF’s participation highlights Pakistan’s advancing indigenous aerospace capabilities and operational competence.


PAF showcases JF-17 Block-III at World Defense Show

ISLAMABAD: The United States has lowered the reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods to 19% following the signing of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-plans-to-buy-14-boeing-aircraft-as-part-of-us-trade-deal-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">bilateral trade agreement</a>&nbsp;aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two countries, the country&rsquo;s state media reported on Monday.&nbsp;The agreement was signed in Dhaka by Bangladesh&rsquo;s Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, while US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer signed on behalf of the United States, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported, quoting&nbsp;the Chief Adviser&rsquo;s Press Wing.&nbsp;Negotiations on the deal lasted more than nine months, beginning in April last year.&nbsp;Ambassador Greer praised Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for his leadership during the negotiations and commended the Bangladeshi team for its efforts, saying the agreement would align Bangladesh with US trade policy.&nbsp;Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin described the agreement as a historic step that would significantly enhance market access for both sides.&nbsp;Under the deal, the reciprocal tariff&mdash;originally set at 37% and later reduced to 20% in August last year&mdash;has now been further lowered to 19%.&nbsp;The United States also agreed to introduce a mechanism allowing certain&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/mired-in-economic-trouble-bangladesh-pins-hopes-on-election-boost" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bangladeshi textile and apparel products&nbsp;</a>made with US-produced cotton and man-made fibers to enter the US market at zero reciprocal tariff.&nbsp;National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman said the tariff reduction would benefit Bangladeshi exporters, while duty-free access for specific garments would provide a strong boost to the country&rsquo;s textile and apparel sector.&nbsp;The agreement has been approved by Bangladesh&rsquo;s Council of Advisers and will take effect once formal notifications are issued by both sides.

Also agrees to introduce a mechanism allowing certain Bangladeshi textile and apparel products made with US-produced cotton and man-made fibers to enter the US market at zero reciprocal tariff.

US lowers tariff on Bangladesh goods to 19%

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s 9th International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Competition concluded successfully on Monday in Kharian, with Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir presiding over the closing ceremony as chief guest, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the grueling 60-hour patrolling exercise, conducted in Punjab&#39;s semi-mountainous terrain from February 5-9, brought together military teams from 19 countries to enhance professional military skills through tactical knowledge exchange and best practices.&nbsp;This year&#39;s competition saw participation from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United States, and Uzbekistan. Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand attended as observers, while 16 domestic teams from the Pakistan Army and Navy, along with Pakistan Air Force observers, also took part.&nbsp;In his address at the closing ceremony, Field Marshal Munir commended participants for their exceptional professionalism, endurance, and operational competence. He stressed the importance of multinational military engagements in enhancing collective preparedness and adapting to modern warfare&#39;s evolving nature.&nbsp;The Army Chief reaffirmed Pakistan Army&#39;s core values, highlighting &quot;character, courage, and competence&quot; as enduring attributes consistently demonstrated by Pakistani soldiers, particularly in ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-us-begin-twoweeklong-counterterrorism-exercise" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">counterterrorism operations</a>.&nbsp;PATS has grown into a prestigious military exercise recognized for promoting professional excellence and mutual learning among participating nations while strengthening military-to-military cooperation and camaraderie in demanding operational settings.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir presented awards to outstanding participants, with international observers and defense attach&eacute;s from participating countries expressing appreciation for the exercise&#39;s high standards of professionalism and organization.&nbsp;The Army Chief also witnessed training activities at the National Counter Terrorism Centre Pabbi, including a newly established Tactical Simulator, emphasizing the importance of simulator-based training to complement traditional methods.

Field Marshal Asim Munir awards a medal to a soldier at the closing ceremony of the 9th International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Competition in Kharian on Feb. 09, 2026. (Photo: ISPR)

This year's competition sees participation from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United States, and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan concludes 9th international Army Team Spirit competition

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom has condemned new steps approved by Israel&rsquo;s security cabinet for the occupied West Bank, saying they amount to de facto annexation, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported. The UK said it &ldquo;strongly condemned&rdquo; the move and called on Israel to reverse the decision. A government statement said any unilateral attempt to change the geographic or demographic character of Palestine is unacceptable and violates international law. On Monday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-muslim-countries-renew-call-to-stop-israeli-escalation-in-occupied-west-bank" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">foreign ministers from Pakistan</a>, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, and Qatar also condemned the decision, warning it would accelerate illegal annexation and displacement of Palestinians and further fuel violence in the region. The measures were announced by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said the moves would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian land. &ldquo;We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state,&rdquo; he said. The report said that all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/netanyahu-tells-us-envoy-palestinian-authority-wont-be-part-of-postwar-gaza-governance" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Israeli settlements</a>&nbsp;in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law. The new steps aim to strengthen Israeli control over the territory by changing rules related to property law, planning, licensing and enforcement. They are expected to be approved by Israel&rsquo;s top military commander for the West Bank. The announcement came three days ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington. According to the United Nations, settlement expansion in the West Bank last year reached its fastest pace since monitoring began. The measures include cancelling a decades-old ban on the direct sale of West Bank land to Jews and declassifying local land registry records. Until now, settlers could only buy property through registered companies on land under Israeli government control. Israeli ministers described the move as a step to increase transparency. Israel&rsquo;s foreign ministry later said the previous system was a &ldquo;racist distortion&rdquo; that discriminated against non-Arabs in real estate purchases in what it calls Judea and Samaria. The cabinet also removed the requirement for a special permit to complete real estate transactions, reducing oversight aimed at preventing fraud. Palestinians warned the changes could increase pressure on landowners to sell and lead to forgery and deception. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the measures &ldquo;dangerous&rdquo; and said they were an open attempt to legalise settlement expansion, land confiscation and the demolition of Palestinian property, including in areas under Palestinian Authority control. He urged the United States and the UN Security Council to intervene. Israeli rights group Peace Now said the decision risks undermining the Palestinian Authority and amounts to de facto annexation. It accused the government of paving the way for large-scale land seizures.

An Israeli soldier walks near Palestinians protesting after Israeli security forces blocked the entrance of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on February 9, 2026, demanding to be allowed to return to their homes from where t

Middle East

The British government says it “strongly condemned” the move and called on Israel to reverse the decision.

UK opposes Israel’s annexation of occupied West Bank

SEOUL: South Korean authorities raided the country&#39;s spy agency on Tuesday as they investigated how a drone was flown across the border and shot down over North Korea.&nbsp;Pyongyang accused Seoul of flying a drone into Kaesong earlier this year, releasing images that purported to show debris from the downed aircraft.&nbsp;South Korea initially denied government involvement, suggesting civilians may have been responsible.&nbsp;But police said on Tuesday they were investigating three active-duty soldiers and one spy agency employee suspected of involvement in the case.&nbsp;Search and seizure warrants have been executed &quot;at a total of 18 locations, including the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service,&quot; authorities said in a statement.&nbsp;Three civilians have been charged for their alleged role in the drone scandal.&nbsp;One of them has publicly claimed responsibility, saying he acted to detect radiation levels from North Korea&#39;s Pyongsan uranium processing facility.&nbsp;South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has previously said flying the drone into North Korea was akin to &quot;firing a shot&quot; across the border.&nbsp;Disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol is currently standing trial on charges he illegally sent drones into North Korea to help create the pretext for declaring martial law in late 2024.&nbsp;His attempt to overturn civilian rule failed, and Yoon was impeached and ousted from office in April last year.

Asia

South Korean authorities raided the spy agency and military intelligence command, executing search warrants at 18 locations, over a case involving three civilians accused of sending drones into North Korea.

South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North

WASHINGTON: The US military said Monday it killed two people in its latest strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific. President Donald Trump&#39;s administration began targeting alleged smuggling boats in early September, insisting it is effectively at war with alleged &quot;narco-terrorists&quot; operating out of Venezuela. &quot;Two narco-terrorists were killed, and one survived the strike,&quot; US Southern Command said in a statement on X. It added that the US Coast Guard was notified to &quot;activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&quot; Administration officials have provided no definitive evidence that the vessels are involved in drug trafficking, prompting heated debate about the legality of the operations that have expanded from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Monday&#39;s lethal attack brings the total killed to at least 130 in 38 such strikes. It also marks the third reported US strike on an alleged drug boat in the region since the January capture by US special forces of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who had said the American campaign of strikes was aimed at pushing regime change in the South American country. The leftist leader is incarcerated in the United States, where he has pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges. Last month, the relatives of two Trinidadian men killed in one of the strikes sued the US government for wrongful death in an October 14 strike.

Americas

The US military said it killed two people in a strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific, part of an expanded campaign targeting suspected narco-terrorists, bringing total deaths to at least 130.

Air India Group: 72% fleet flagged for recurring defects, data shows

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Latest News

Pakistan records improvement in 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index

The psychology behind kids lying

India's Adani says cooperating with US over Iran oil imports: Report

Retired Bangladesh army chief says Indian intelligence had access to military facilities

PAF showcases JF-17 Block-III at World Defense Show