TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have arrested Javad Emam, the spokesperson for the main coalition of the reformist camp, on charges of attempting to &ldquo;disrupt the country&rsquo;s political and social order,&rdquo; and for working&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;for the benefit&rdquo; of Israel and the United States during the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-says-3117-killed-in-protests-sparked-by-economic-grievances" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">anti-government protests</a> last month, local media reported on Monday.&nbsp;The arrest comes weeks after authorities cracked down on a mass protest movement, with several other reformist and dissident figures also detained.&nbsp;&quot;Agents of the Revolutionary Guards went to Javad Emam&#39;s home ... in the early hours of Sunday morning and arrested him,&quot; wrote Shargh, a reformist daily, as well as the Fars news agency.&nbsp;The arrest of Reformist Front spokesman Emam follows the Sunday arrests of three other figures, including Azar Mansouri, who has led the coalition since 2023.&nbsp;She served as an adviser to former reformist president Mohammad Khatami.&nbsp;After the start of the most recent protest movement in December, initially triggered by economic stagnation, she expressed support for the demonstrators.&nbsp;Authorities also arrested Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, a former member of parliament, and Mohsen Aminzadeh, a former foreign affairs official.&nbsp;Mizan, the judicial news agency, reported on Sunday that several arrests had been made, but did not provide names.&nbsp;They took place after &quot;an investigation into the ... activities of certain important political elements supporting the Zionist regime and the United States,&quot; according to Mizan.&nbsp;The reformist camp largely backed incumbent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-president-says-war-neither-in-interest-of-iran-nor-us" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">president Masoud Pezeshkian</a>&nbsp;in the 2024 presidential election.&nbsp;Several prominent activists have also been arrested in recent days for their contribution to a statement critical of the authorities, written in the wake of the January crackdown on protests.&nbsp;Filmmaker Mehdi Mahmoudian, co-screenwriter of the film &quot;It Was Just an Accident,&quot; winner of the Palme d&#39;Or at Cannes in 2025, is among them.&nbsp;Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, as well as Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, are also signatories to the text.

A man walks past a mural depicting the US Statue of Liberty with the torch-bearing arm broken, painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (Photo: AFP/File)

Middle East

The arrests come weeks after authorities cracked down on a mass protest movement, with several other reformist and dissident figures also detained.


Iran arrests four political figures over disruption of ‘political, social order’

LOS ANGELES: Meta and Google-owned YouTube were vilified Monday for &quot;engineering addiction&quot; as a landmark social media trial began in earnest in a California court.&nbsp;The blockbuster trial in front of a Los Angeles jury could establish a legal precedent on whether the social media juggernauts deliberately designed their platforms to lead to addiction in children.&nbsp;The proceedings are expected to see Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg on the stand next week and Instagram boss Adam Mosseri in the courtroom as early as Wednesday. Besides Instagram, Meta&#39;s platforms include Facebook and WhatsApp.&nbsp;&quot;This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children&#39;s brains,&quot; plaintiff&#39;s attorney Mark Lanier told the jury in his opening statement.&nbsp;&quot;This case is as easy as A-B-C,&quot; Lanier said as he stacked children&#39;s toy blocks bearing the letters.&nbsp;He contended the A was for addicting, the B for brains and the C for children.&nbsp;&quot;They don&#39;t only build apps; they build traps,&quot; Lanier said, saying Meta and YouTube pursued &quot;addiction by design.&quot;&nbsp;The case is being treated as a bellwether proceeding because its outcome could set the tone for a tidal wave of similar litigation across the United States.&nbsp;Social media firms are accused in hundreds of lawsuits of leading young users to become addicted to content and suffer from depression, eating disorders, psychiatric hospitalization and even suicide.&nbsp;Lawyers for the plaintiffs are borrowing strategies used in the 1990s and 2000s against the tobacco industry, which faced a similar onslaught of lawsuits arguing that companies knowingly sold a harmful product.&nbsp;The trial before Judge Carolyn Kuhl focuses on allegations that a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley G.M. suffered severe mental harm because she became addicted to social media as a child.&nbsp;&quot;This is the first time that a social media company has ever had to face a jury for harming kids,&quot; Social Media Victims Law Center founder Matthew Bergman, whose team is involved in more than 1,000 such cases, told AFP.&nbsp;The center is a legal organization pursuing social media companies for harm allegedly caused to young people online.&nbsp;Strongly disagreeInternet titans have argued that they are shielded by Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act, which frees them of responsibility for what social media users post.&nbsp;However, this case argues that those firms are culpable for business models designed to hold people&#39;s attention and to promote content that can harm their mental health.&nbsp;A Meta spokesperson said &quot;we strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.&quot;&nbsp;The company pointed to recent efforts to provide more safeguards for young people, adding that &quot;we&#39;re always working to do better.&quot;&nbsp;Jose Castaneda, a YouTube spokesperson, said &quot;the allegations in these complaints are simply not true.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Snapchat and TikTok were named as defendants in the suit, but struck settlement deals before the start of the trial. The terms were not disclosed.&nbsp;Lawsuits, including some brought by school districts, accusing social media platforms of practices endangering young users are making their way through federal court in northern California and state courts across the country.&nbsp;A separate lawsuit accusing Meta of putting profit over the wellbeing of young users is also getting under way in New Mexico.&nbsp;&quot;Our investigation into Meta&#39;s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex,&quot; New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement.&nbsp;Meta has rejected the accusations and vowed to defend itself in court.

Artificial Intelligence

Meta and Google-owned YouTube face a landmark California jury trial accusing them of engineering addictive social media that harmed children.

Meta, Google face jury in landmark US addiction trial

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday cleared the country&#39;s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on Feb. 15 in Colombo, ending a week-long standoff. &quot;In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan national team to take the field against India,&quot; Sharif posted on X. The government decided to play against India to protect the spirit of cricket and support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations, the government said in a statement. According to a statement issued by the Pakistan government, &ldquo;The Government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges.&rdquo; &ldquo;The Government further noted the statement by BCB President, Mr. Amin ul Islam. The profound gratitude expressed by our brotherly nation is received with great warmth. Pakistan reaffirms that it stands shoulder to shoulder with Bangladesh,&rdquo; it added. The statement said the prime minister held a phone call with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, where both leaders highlighted the long history of mutual support between the two countries, especially during difficult periods. The Sri Lankan president urged Pakistan to carefully consider resolving the ongoing situation through dialogue. It further stated that following progress in multilateral talks and requests from friendly nations, the Government of Pakistan directed the national cricket team to play its scheduled ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup match on Feb. 15. On Feb. 1, the government announced on its official X account that although the Pakistan cricket team would participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, it would not play its match against India on Feb. 15. The decision followed the ICC&#39;s expulsion of Bangladesh from the event after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) refused to send its team to co-host India due to security concerns. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the boycott was in support of Bangladesh&#39;s position against playing in India. The Bangladesh Cricket Board &ldquo;requested&rdquo; Pakistan to play against India in the ICC T20 World Cup match on Feb. 15 for the benefit of the &ldquo;cricket ecosystem.&rdquo; In a statement, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) extended its appreciation to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and all involved for their positive efforts to overcome recent challenges. The BCB expressed its &ldquo;profound and heartfelt gratitude to PCB Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi, his Board, and the cricket fans of Pakistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;Throughout this period, the PCB has demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity,&rdquo; the statement added. BCB President Md Aminul Islam said, &ldquo;We are deeply moved by Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish.&rdquo;

Cricket

'In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan national team to take the field against India,' Sharif posted on X.

Pakistan to play India in T20 World Cup: Prime Minister

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Moody&rsquo;s Investors Service has revised Pakistan&rsquo;s banking sector outlook from &quot;Positive&quot; to &quot;Stable,&quot; citing slow economic recovery and improving financial conditions. &ldquo;We have changed our outlook on Pakistan&rsquo;s banking system to stable from positive,&rdquo; the global rating agency said on Monday.&nbsp; Moody&rsquo;s noted that the operating environment continues to recover, &ldquo;but only gradually, supported by the country&rsquo;s slowly improving economic and fiscal outlook and strengthening external position.&rdquo; The agency also highlighted that while banks&rsquo; financial performance will remain stable over the next 12-18 months, challenges related to asset quality and profitability persist.&nbsp; &ldquo;The sector outlook also aligns with that of the Government of Pakistan (Caa1 stable), given banks&rsquo; substantial holdings of government securities, which account for around half of total banking assets,&rdquo; Moody&rsquo;s said. It added that Pakistan&rsquo;s long-term debt sustainability remains uncertain due to a still-weak fiscal position and external vulnerabilities. Moody&rsquo;s projects that Pakistan&rsquo;s economy will grow by about 3.5% in 2026, a slight increase from 3.1% in 2025. Inflation has significantly reduced to 4.5% in 2025, down from 23% in 2024, but is expected to rise again to approximately 7.5% in 2026. Lower inflation is helping reduce borrowing costs, which may encourage more borrowing and stabilize banks&#39; loan quality. Despite recent floods affecting agriculture, the industrial and service sectors are expected to remain strong. Although there were initial spikes in loan defaults, Moody&rsquo;s anticipates robust credit growth in 2026. Even with some weaknesses, banks should keep their problem loan ratios around 8% and maintain solid capital ratios, indicating a healthy balance. Waqas Ghani, Head of Research, JS Global, said, &ldquo;It is clear that sustained improvement will depend on effective policy implementation and greater external financial support, as risks are still hanging around.&rdquo; He added of the revision that, &quot;This development is not expected to materially alter the overall outlook of the sector.&quot; However, the stable outlook does reflect a positive shift toward a more stable banking environment, linking banks&rsquo; health closely to the government&rsquo;s economic outlook. Lower interest rates are expected to support credit growth without significantly increasing risk. Overall, Moody&rsquo;s rating indicates that while there are still risks, Pakistan&rsquo;s banks are on a path to gradual recovery, offering a more balanced outlook in the current emerging-market landscape.

Economy

Moody’s has changed Pakistan’s banking outlook to stable, citing gradual economic recovery, lower inflation, improving financial conditions, and expectations that banks will remain stable and well-capitalized over the next year.

Moody’s revises Pakistan’s banking sector outlook to stable amid gradual recovery

DHAKA: Bangladesh&#39;s election campaign ended Monday ahead of this week&#39;s vote, with rival parties invoking the 2024 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina. Tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters attended a succession of rival rallies across the sprawling capital Dhaka, as parties sought to harness the legacy of the mass uprising and pitch competing visions of change for the country of 170 million in Thursday&#39;s election. The Muslim-majority nation will elect a 350-seat parliament, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)&mdash;led by Tarique Rahman, who returned in December after 17 years in exile&mdash;widely tipped as a frontrunner. The BNP&#39;s key rival is Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh&#39;s largest Islamist party that is led by Shafiqur Rahman and has allied with the National Citizen Party (NCP) that was formed by student leaders who spearheaded the uprising. Prime ministerial hopeful Tarique Rahman appeared confident as he bounced on stage to address a crowd of thousands of BNP loyalists who waved flags and the party symbol, a sheaf of rice, and greeted their leader as if at a rock concert. &quot;The BNP alone has a plan to run the country and the experience to do so,&quot; he said, referring to his late parents, Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, who both led the nation. &quot;No other parties have that.&quot; Tarique Rahman, 60, better known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, assumed leadership of the BNP from his mother, Khaleda Zia, who died in December at the age of 80. Police ringed the stage as he spoke and watched from the tops of tower blocks, surveying the crowd. In his closing speech for the campaign, broadcast on state television, he also reached out to the 10 percent of Bangladeshis who are not Muslim -- the majority of which who are Hindus. &quot;Bangladesh is a land of Muslims, non-Muslims, agnostics, and people from both the plains and the hills,&quot; he said. &#39;Justice&#39;&nbsp;Hasina was overthrown on August 5, 2024, after 15 years in power, and her Awami League party was banned by the interim government from running in the elections, a move criticized by rights groups. The 78-year-old, known for her iron-fisted rule, was sentenced to death in absentia in November for crimes against humanity for the deadly crackdown on protesters in her failed bid to cling to power and remains in hiding in India. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman, 67, leading a coalition of Islamist parties ideologically aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood&mdash;under the symbol of weighing scales&mdash;also headed packed rallies. &quot;If Jamaat comes to power, extortion and violence will reduce,&quot; said Ashikuzzaman Shaon, a 21-year-old student. &quot;They&#39;ll establish justice.&quot; The Jamaat chief has accused the former ruling party of widespread repression but also warned that new forms of abuse had quickly followed its fall,&nbsp;alleging extortion and corruption by returning political figures. &quot;We want to build a country of unity with everyone on board,&quot; he said Monday, in a speech broadcast on state television. &quot;It will be a country where nobody gets the driving seat because of their family background.&quot; If successful, the former political prisoner could form the first Islamist-led government in constitutionally secular Bangladesh. &#39;Long live the revolution&#39;&nbsp;Jamaat&#39;s ally, NCP leader Nahid Islam, has also accused major parties of quietly sharing the &quot;businesses of extortion and crime&quot; for decades. &quot;If you elect me, I will dedicate myself to the betterment of the area,&quot; Islam said, thanking women supporters. &quot;If we lose, August 5 will also lose,&quot; he added, referring to the day Hasina resigned. Supporters chanted popular slogans from the uprising, including &quot;Long live the revolution!&quot; &quot;Slavery or freedom?&quot; they chanted, replying in unison, &quot;Freedom, freedom!&quot; Among the crowds on Monday was Tota Mia, 58, a rickshaw puller who had attended rallies on all sides and took a pragmatic approach. &quot;I&#39;ve seen everyone,&quot; he said. &quot;And this time I will vote for Jamaat. It doesn&#39;t matter if I eat more or I eat less, I just want peace.&quot;&nbsp;

Asia

Bangladesh's election campaign ended Monday ahead of this week's vote, with rival parties invoking the 2024 uprising that ended the autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina

Bangladesh poll rivals rally on final day of campaign

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh has &ldquo;requested&rdquo; Pakistan to play against India in the ICC T20 World Cup game on Feb. 15 for the benefit of the &ldquo;cricket ecosystem,&rdquo; said a statement by the Bangladesh Cricket Board on Monday.&nbsp; According to the statement, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) extended its appreciation to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the International Cricket Council (ICC), and all involved for their positive efforts to overcome recent challenges. In the statement, the BCB expressed its &ldquo;profound and heartfelt gratitude to PCB Chairman Mohsin Raza Naqvi, his Board and the cricket fans of Pakistan.&rdquo; &ldquo;Throughout this period, the PCB has demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity&rdquo;, the statement added. BCB President Md Aminul Islam said, &ldquo;We are deeply moved by Pakistan&rsquo;s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish,&quot; he said. &ldquo;Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,&rdquo; said Islam.

'I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,' said the Bangladesh Cricket Board president.

Bangladesh cricket board requests Pakistan to play India T20 World Cup match on Feb. 15 

LAHORE: The city&#39;s three-day Basant festival wrapped up this week, marking the first officially supervised celebration of the spring festival in nearly 20 years.&nbsp; Aside from its cultural symbolism, the event provided measurable insights into public participation, economic activity, and the practicality of hosting large-scale traditional festivals under modern regulations. Basant has historically been central to Lahore&rsquo;s cultural identity, but concerns over safety led to its suspension in the mid-2000s. Its revival, even in a limited format, was therefore closely observed by authorities, businesses, and the public alike.&nbsp; The scale of engagement during the three days suggests sustained public demand for cultural events rooted in local tradition. Preliminary market estimates show that kite-related items alone generated sales of over Rs 2 billion, with additional revenue across the hospitality, transportation, retail, and food sectors.&nbsp; During televised remarks, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that billions of rupees in total business were recorded during the Basant period, benefiting small vendors as well as large industries, including hotels, catering services, and transport providers. Millions entered the city during the festivalMobility and tourism data further highlight the festival&rsquo;s reach.&nbsp; According to government estimates, 4-5 million people entered Lahore by road during the festival days, while nearly one million vehicles were recorded entering the city.&nbsp; Air travel to Lahore also remained fully booked, reflecting strong domestic travel demand linked to the event. To manage urban movement and accessibility, the Punjab government provided free public transportation services, which were utilized by an estimated 2.6 million passengers over the three days.&nbsp; The numbers indicate a strong reliance on public infrastructure during major cultural events and serve as a reference for future planning. First-ever Basant for young peopleSocially, the festival bridged generational gaps.&nbsp; While older residents returned to familiar customs, rooftop kite flying, traditional yellow and white clothing, and communal meals, many younger Lahoris experienced Basant for the first time. This first-time participation underscores how cultural practices can re-enter public life after long absences and regain relevance among new audiences. The event was conducted under heightened security measures, including Safe City camera monitoring, thermal drones, and coordinated surveillance.&nbsp; Authorities reported that the controlled environment allowed celebrations to proceed while addressing longstanding safety concerns associated with Basant. Foreign visitors attendedForeign visitors also participated in noticeable numbers, attending rooftop gatherings and public events. Their presence reinforced Lahore&rsquo;s image as a regional cultural destination and highlighted the festival&rsquo;s potential role in cultural tourism. Speaking to Pakistan Television Digital, David Wagner, who arrived in Lahore from Germany for a local literature festival, expressed his excitement about Basant.&nbsp; He shared his experience flying a kite and highlighted how the Basant festival can bring people together. &ldquo;I had the chance to be on a rooftop, I flew the kite myself, and I loved it,&rdquo; he said, adding, &ldquo;I like it very much to have it in spring. To celebrate and bring the community together &mdash; it&rsquo;s a wonderful thing.&rdquo; As the festival ended, Basant&rsquo;s return offered more than just nostalgia. It provided data-backed evidence of economic boost, public participation, and logistical strength.&nbsp; For policymakers and cultural organizers, the three-day event serves as a case study in how heritage festivals can be reintroduced responsibly, balancing tradition with regulation and celebration with civic order.

Basant’s return offered more than just nostalgia. It provided data-backed evidence of economic boost, public participation, and logistical strength. 

Culture

Preliminary market estimates show that kite-related items alone generated sales of over Rs 2 billion, with additional revenue across the hospitality, transportation, retail, and food sectors. 

Basant festival concludes amid cultural revival, economic momentum 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan would invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence by 2030. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Indus AI Week in Islamabad on Monday. Addressing participants at the event organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, the prime minister said the investment would go a long way toward building indigenous AI infrastructure in the country. &quot;[This] event will not only transform Pakistan&rsquo;s technological landscape but will also prove to be a real game changer. In collaboration with our friendly and brotherly countries, we will move forward on this shared path with strong commitment and enthusiasm,&rdquo; he said. The PM said that AI would be integrated into the federal school curriculum across the country, including the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the remote parts of Balochistan. &ldquo;This is to prepare the youth for leadership and the digital economy,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; He announced that the government will provide 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI to youth by 2030, with the aim of building a world-class research center. PM Sharif said the government will launch a nationwide program to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills, enabling them to improve productivity and their livelihoods. He said Pakistan was fully ready to join the global AI community, adding that it would be a valuable partner in this field. The prime minister said he will implement programs to transform the country&rsquo;s youth from IT technicians into AI experts. Highlighting priority sectors, the prime minister said AI interventions would focus on agriculture, mines and minerals, industry, commerce, trade, and youth empowerment.&nbsp; With a population of around 240 million, nearly 60% of whom are young, he stressed the need to equip them with modern knowledge and skills.&nbsp; Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Indus AI Week aimed to strengthen coordination between universities, governments and international companies, underscoring Pakistan&rsquo;s full commitment to a digital revolution. She said the Pakistan Digital Authority was preparing a nationwide digital master plan to guide future transformation. Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, in his remarks, said the world had entered a moment where intelligence itself had become a factor of production, with nations competing on ideas, talent, data and technology rather than commodities.&nbsp; He described artificial intelligence as a bigger disruptor than electricity or the internet, noting that Pakistan&rsquo;s engagement with technology began over two decades ago with early IT policies, the creation of NADRA, and large-scale investment in advanced human capital.

He said the investment would go a long way toward building indigenous AI infrastructure in the country.

Indus AI Week: Pakistan PM announces $1B AI investment by 2030

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s disaster management authority sent another humanitarian aid shipment to the people of Palestine on Monday, according to a statement from the Press Information Department. At the special directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the 28th relief shipment, comprising 100 tons of tents, was dispatched by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). &ldquo;The relief goods were dispatched via a special flight from Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore, to Al-Arish, Egypt, for further delivery to Gaza,&rdquo; the statement said. The total humanitarian aid sent to Palestine has now reached 2,727 tons. Since October 2023, Pakistan has sent several consignments of humanitarian aid to Gaza, aiming to ease the suffering of civilians, especially women and children affected by the conflict. &ldquo;Government of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan stand firmly with the people of Palestine in this difficult time and will continue to make every possible effort to support them and address their humanitarian needs,&rdquo; it added.

The relief shipment, comprising 100 tons of tents, was dispatched by the National Disaster Management Authority.

Pakistan sends 28th humanitarian aid shipment for Gaza

TOKYO: Japanese Premier Sanae Takaichi said Monday that the public saw an &quot;urgent need&quot; for major reform after a historic election landslide, pledging to boost the country&#39;s defences in order to protect its territory. Sunday&#39;s snap vote saw Takaichi&#39;s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) win a two-thirds majority in the lower house for the first time in its history, capitalizing on her strong popularity since taking office in October. The outcome allows Japan&#39;s first woman prime minister to stamp her mark on the country of 123 million people over the next four years, having pledged to boost the economy and get tough on immigration. &quot;This is the start of a heavy, heavy responsibility to make Japan stronger, more prosperous,&quot; Takaichi, 64, told a news conference on Monday. &quot;We believe that the public has shown understanding and sympathy regarding our appeals concerning the urgent need for a major policy shift,&quot; she said. The admirer of &quot;Iron Lady&quot; Margaret Thatcher also said she would bolster Japan&#39;s defences, including by creating a new intelligence bureau and revising key security policy documents. &quot;No one will come to the aid of a nation that lacks the resolve to defend itself with its own hands,&quot; Takaichi said. &quot;We will steadfastly protect our nation&#39;s peace and independence, our territory, territorial waters, airspace, and the lives and safety of our citizens,&quot; she added. Such comments are likely to go down badly in China, especially after Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to seize Taiwan by force. China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious. On Monday, a spokesman for China&#39;s foreign ministry again urged Japan to retract the comments. Beijing warned Tokyo that &quot;reckless&quot; actions would be met with a &quot;resolute response from the international community.&quot; &quot;Our nation is open to various dialogues with China. We already have exchanges of views. We will continue the exchanges of views. But we will deal with them in calm and appropriate ways,&quot; Takaichi said. HoneymoonCapitalizing on her honeymoon start after becoming Japan&#39;s fifth premier in as many years in October, Takaichi called the snap election last month. The gamble paid off, with the LDP winning around 316 of the 465 seats contested, according to Japanese media. That takes the party past the 310-seat threshold needed for a two-thirds majority for the first time in its history and may prompt the government to try and make changes to the country&#39;s constitution. US President Donald Trump -- who is due to host Takaichi in Washington next month -- congratulated her after an earlier endorsement. &quot;I wish you Great Success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda,&quot; Trump wrote on Truth Social. Takaichi said that the talks on March 19 will &quot;reaffirm the unshakeable unity between Japan and the United States&quot;. DrummerA heavy metal drummer in her youth, Takaichi was on the ultra-conservative fringe of the LDP when she became party chief. Despite being her country&#39;s first woman premier, Takaichi has shown little appetite for framing her leadership around gender in male-dominated Japanese politics. She has been a hit with voters, especially young ones, with fans lapping up everything from her handbag to her jamming to a K-pop song with South Korea&#39;s president. But she will have to deliver on the economy to remain popular. &quot;With prices rising like this, what matters most to me is what policies they&#39;ll adopt to deal with inflation,&quot; voter Chika Sakamoto, 50, told AFP on Sunday. But helping households could make markets jittery about Japan&#39;s colossal debts, which are more than twice the size of the economy. This was shown by yields on long-dated Japanese bonds hitting record highs during the election campaign after Takaichi floated the idea of suspending the food tax. Tokyo&#39;s Nikkei index of stocks jumped more than 5% early Monday and closed 3.9% higher. Takaichi reiterated on Sunday her mantra of having a &quot;responsible&quot; fiscal policy but added that she wanted &quot;to build a strong and resilient economy.&quot; &quot;In reality, the policies of a Takaichi administration are unlikely to curb the inflation that voters expect her to address,&quot; said Tetsuo Kotani at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. &quot;An income tax hike linked to increased defense spending will also be unavoidable. If these policies lead to a triple decline in stocks, the yen, and government bonds, people&#39;s lives will become even more difficult,&quot; Kotani told AFP. Pakistan PM facilitates TakaichiPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday congratulated Sanae Takaichi on her re-election as Japan&#39;s prime minister.&nbsp; &quot;We look forward to continue working with Prime Minister Takaichi to further strengthen and diversify our excellent bilateral relations with Japan,&quot; the prime minister wrote on his official X handle. <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" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; 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=2020754408943058966&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=bc1cdc1101a45a76f68e837f9c3424005a377066&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2020754408943058966"></iframe></div></div>

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks during a press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on February 9, 2026.

The outcome allows Japan's first woman prime minister to stamp her mark on the country of 123 million people over the next four years, having pledged to boost the economy and get tough on immigration.

Japan PM Takaichi basks in historic election triumph

MOGADISHU:&nbsp;Somalia Monday signed a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, as the Horn of Africa becomes an arena for proxy wars between Gulf monarchies, with Abu Dhabi at loggerheads with Riyadh. The region, strategically located between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal on one of the world&#39;s busiest trade routes, has increasingly attracted the interest of the Gulf states. The agreement comes a month and a half after Israel <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-condemns-israels-recognition-of-somaliland-reaffirms-support-for-somalia" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">recognized</a> Somaliland, a self-proclaimed republic that seceded from Somalia in 1991 but which Mogadishu still considers to be under its control. Somali Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid Bin Salman, signed a &quot;military cooperation agreement&quot; on Monday, according to a message on X from the Somali defence ministry. &quot;This agreement further strengthens defense and military cooperation between the two nations, while covering various areas of mutual interest for both countries,&quot; it said. In a separate post on X, Salman added he had &quot;signed and witnessed the signing&quot; of &quot;several&quot; agreements on the sidelines of a military exhibition in Riyadh. He did not provide further details. The UAE is widely accused of arming the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries in Sudan, who have been fighting the regular military since 2023 and are accused of massacres against the civilian population. The UAE has repeatedly denied the allegations. Meanwhile, in Somaliland, the Emirati giant DP World has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing the deep-water port of Berbera, which it uses with little regard for the government in Mogadishu. This port includes an airport strictly controlled by Abu Dhabi, according to several witnesses and local sources. Saudi Arabia, once a staunch ally of Abu Dhabi, is now a vocal critic of the UAE, particularly on the Sudanese and Yemeni issues. The two monarchies joined forces in 2014 against the Houthis, who are supported by Iran. However, the alliance has fractured, culminating in its open collapse a month ago when Riyadh bombed a shipment of weapons allegedly destined for Yemen and originating from the UAE.

Somalia Monday signed a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, as the Horn of Africa becomes an arena for proxy wars between Gulf monarchies

Iran arrests four political figures over disruption of ‘political, social order’

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