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VIENNA: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was given a guard of honor at the Austrian Chancellery in Vienna on&nbsp;Monday. According to Radio Pakistan, the&nbsp;Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker welcomed PM&nbsp;Sharif upon his arrival in the Austrian capital. Honor guards presented the salute, and the national anthems of both countries were played. The two leaders introduced members of their delegations before holding delegation-level talks. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch are accompanying the prime minister, the Foreign Office said. According to the Foreign Office, the visit seeks to expand bilateral ties between Pakistan and Austria. PM&nbsp;Sharif is scheduled to preside over a meeting of the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum. Talks there are expected to address trade, investment and economic cooperation. He will also attend a United Nations special event titled &ldquo;Sustainable Development: the Path to Global Peace and Prosperity.&rdquo; PM Sharif&nbsp;is on a two-day official visit to Austria from Feb. 15-16.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was presented Guard of Honour upon arrival in Austria's Federal Chancellery, Vienna, 16 February 2026. (PMO)

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan’s prime minister was honored at the Austrian Chancellery in Vienna, where national anthems were played, and delegations met for talks during his two-day official visit to Austria.

PM Sharif accorded guard of honor in Vienna 

TEHRAN: Iran said Monday that the US position on Tehran&#39;s nuclear program &quot;has moved towards a more realistic one&quot;, a day ahead of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iranian-fm-araghchi-in-geneva-for-second-round-of-us-talks" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">second round </a>of talks.&nbsp;&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; said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Asia

Iran said Washington’s approach to its nuclear programme has shifted in a more realistic direction ahead of fresh talks, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei shared the view following discussions.

Iran says US stance on nuclear issue 'more realistic'

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider petitions seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged hate speech, warning that courts are increasingly being turned into &ldquo;political battlegrounds&rdquo; during election season. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said the apex court would not invoke its jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution, stressing that allegations involving cognizable offences must first be brought before the relevant high court. The bench expressed concern about what it described as a &ldquo;disturbing trend&rdquo; of litigants bypassing the high courts and approaching the Supreme Court directly in politically sensitive matters. According to Indian media reports, the controversy relates to remarks allegedly made by Sarma at a public gathering, including past references to &ldquo;Miya&rdquo; &mdash; a term widely regarded as derogatory for Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam &mdash; as well as a now-deleted video shared by the Assam BJP&rsquo;s social media handle showing the chief minister symbolically firing a rifle. Petitioners argued the statements amounted to hate speech, warranting immediate legal action. Three separate petitions were filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI leader Annie Raja, and four prominent Assamese figures, including retired professor Hiren Gohain and former state police chief Harekrishna Deka. The pleas sought the registration of criminal cases and the constitution of an SIT to investigate Sarma&rsquo;s speeches. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the petitioners, described Sarma as a &ldquo;habitual offender&rdquo; and pressed for direct intervention by the top court. The Chief Justice, however, rejected the plea. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t undermine the authority of the High Courts. It has become a trend now that every matter ends up in the Supreme Court. Don&rsquo;t demoralize the High Court judges,&rdquo; Chief Justice Kant was quoted as saying by LiveLaw, an <span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">Indian legal news portal providing real-time coverage of court proceedings. The court directed the petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court for appropriate relief.

Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (photo: X/@himantabiswa)

India

India’s Supreme Court declined to hear petitions seeking an FIR and special probe against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged hate speech, warning against turning courts into political battlegrounds and directing petitioners to approach the high court.

India's Supreme Court warns against politicizing judiciary, declines pleas against chief minister

ISLAMABAD: Tarique Rahman is set to become Bangladesh&rsquo;s next prime minister after his Bangladesh Nationalist Party gained an outright majority with 209 seats in the recently-held 13th Jatiya Sangsad (parliamentary) elections. President Mohammed Shahabuddin will administer the oath to the new prime minister and cabinet members at the South Plaza of the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladeshs-incoming-government-signals-regional-reset-pushes-saarc-revival" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jatiya Sangsad</a> on Tuesday, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported. &ldquo;The Parliament Secretariat is set to hold the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/planning-minister-to-represent-pakistan-at-bangladesh-oathtaking-ceremony" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">oath-taking ceremony</a> of the new cabinet members at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. Earlier, the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-vote-resets-power-balance-backs-reforms-after-years-of-upheaval" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Parliament Members</a> (MPs) will be sworn-in at 10:00 a.m at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Complex,&rdquo; Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Kaniz Maula said, according to BSS. Oath-taking ceremonyThe Cabinet Division and the Parliament Secretariat have been making all-out preparations for the oath-taking ceremony since Saturday, she added. Breaking with a long-standing tradition, the swearing-in ceremony for the new government will be held at the South Plaza of the Parliament Complex rather than at Bangabhaban, the presidential residence.&nbsp; The cabinet secretary will conduct the oath-taking ceremony, BSS reported, quoting a Bangabhaban source familiar with the development.&nbsp; According to the rules, following the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members of parliament, a meeting of the BNP Parliamentary Board will be held to elect its parliamentary leader, BSS reported, quoting a BNP source. Appointment of PM&nbsp;The leader of the house will then meet the president and inform him that the party holds an absolute majority in parliament, officially requesting appointment as the prime minister of Bangladesh. Next, the president will appoint the party leader as prime minister, who will then choose other members of the cabinet.&nbsp; President Shahabuddin, as the head of state, will administer the oath first to the prime minister, followed by the ministers, state ministers, and deputy ministers.&nbsp; Gazette publication&nbsp;According to the constitution, elected members are required to take an oath within three days of the gazette publication.&nbsp; On Friday night, the Election Commission published the gazette for 297 out of 299 parliamentary seats in the 13th parliamentary polls.&nbsp; In this election, the BNP secured an absolute majority by winning 209 seats.&nbsp;Their former ally, Jamaat-e-Islami, will be the main opposition party with 68 seats. Other parties and independent candidates have won the remaining seats.&nbsp;

Bangladesh

Following the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected people's representatives, a meeting of the BNP Parliamentary Board will be held to elect its parliamentary leader. The leader of the house will meet the president and inform him that the party has an absolute majority in parliament, requesting appointment as prime minister. The president will then appoint the leader as prime minister, who will select the other cabinet members.

Bangladesh's newly-elected representatives to take oath on Feb. 17

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday rejected what it described as Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;illegal measures&rdquo; in the Occupied West Bank, strongly condemning attempts by the Israeli occupying power to convert areas of the territory into so-called state property and expand settlement activities. &quot;Such steps are in clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and must be rejected by the international community,&quot; the Foreign Ministry said. MoFA said the occupying power&rsquo;s continued disregard for international law and its &ldquo;provocative actions&rdquo; undermined prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region. Calling for accountability, Pakistan urged the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity and ensure respect for international law. Reaffirming Islamabad&#39;s longstanding position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Pakistan reiterated full support for Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The statement backed the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. The European Union called on Israel to reverse its approval of a process to register land in the West Bank, warning it was a &quot;new escalation&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control&quot; in the occupied West Bank, EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. &quot;We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law. We call on Israel to reverse this decision,&quot; he added.

Palestinian children and journalists disperse as Israeli tanks enter the Jenin camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

Islamabad denounces Israel’s move to convert West Bank land into “state property”; says Israel's action breaches international law and UN resolutions; urges global measures while reaffirming support for Palestinian statehood.

Pakistan condemns Israeli West Bank land seizures, demands international action

JHAPA: Nepali candidates launched campaigning on Monday for next month&#39;s parliamentary elections, the first since deadly anti-corruption&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/gen-z-protests-digital-platforms-fuel-change-from-asia-to-africa" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">protests</a>&nbsp;toppled the previous government in 2025. In the key battleground of Jhapa-5 &mdash; a constituency in Nepal&#39;s eastern plains with the world&#39;s highest peaks on the horizon &mdash; a head-to-head political fight dominating the campaign was already heating up. The ousted former prime minister&#39;s bid to return to power &mdash;&nbsp;73-year-old Marxist leader KP <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/nepals-exchief-justice-sushila-karki-becomes-interim-premier-after-protests" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sharma Oli</a> &mdash; is being challenged on his home turf by a rapper-turned-mayor casting himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change, 35-year-old Balendra Shah. Both Oli and Shah kicked off campaigning in Jhapa on Monday, wooing voters to their cause. &quot;KP Oli is a need of this nation,&quot; 66-year-old Jhapa resident Hima Karki told AFP, one of 163,000 voters in the constituency, a mix of towns and farming settlements. &quot;He is the savior of the nation, and his victory from here is certain.&quot; Others were more doubtful of Oli&#39;s return to power. &quot;Only the youth can bring change,&quot; said Chhabi Khatiwoda, 33, a Jhapa resident who has switched his support from Oli to Shah, who has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth biggest in the last parliament. &quot;It is high time we all became politically aware and work for new Nepal.&quot; The youth-led protests in September were triggered by a brief <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/meta-urges-australia-to-change-teen-social-media-ban" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media ban</a>, but were fueled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of touch. Over two days in September, 77 people were killed, scores were injured, hundreds of buildings set on fire &mdash; including parliament, courts and a Hilton hotel &mdash; and Oli was ousted. It was the Himalayan nation&#39;s worst violence since a decade-long civil war ended in 2006. &quot;This election will draw the future of the country,&quot; Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the start of campaigning. Young and old Two weeks of campaigns will see a host of new, younger candidates promise to offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability and security. &quot;Today is the first day,&quot; Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane told AFP, but said that the active participation of parties was &quot;a good signal of a positive environment for the election&quot;. Shah, who first gained national attention through Nepal&#39;s underground hip-hop scene, releasing songs that railed against corruption and inequality, cultivated a devoted following on social media.&nbsp;But Oli-loyalist Hima Karki said the election battle would not be won online. &quot;Others may win on social media but we will win in the real election,&quot; he said. Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country&rsquo;s oldest party. It was once part of Oli&#39;s coalition government, but has elected a new leader since the uprising &mdash;&nbsp;49 year old Gagan Thapa. And, at the other end of the spectrum from <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/angry-with-governments-the-worlds-young-fill-streets-as-gen-z-protest" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gen Z politics</a>, supporters of the ex king Gyanendra Shah, 78 &mdash; deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy &mdash; will also campaign. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his car. &#39;Way out&#39; Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time. They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation. More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30%&nbsp;aged under 40. Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters. &quot;This election is being conducted in a special condition,&quot; former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. &quot;This has to give the country a way out.&quot; The Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be snowbound that early in the year. The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest. Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli (2L), Nepal's former prime minister and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) leader, greets supporters during a door-to-door election campaign rally in Damak, Jhapa district on February 16, 2026. (AFP)

Nepal launches campaigns for first post-uprising polls

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/field-marshal-asim-munir-meets-us-state-secretary-on-munich-security-conference-sidelines" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir</a>&nbsp;and Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan&nbsp;discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of economic collaboration, investment and security&nbsp;in Abu Dhabi, the military&rsquo;s media wing said on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two sides also exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region.&nbsp;Field Marshal Munir appreciated the UAE&rsquo;s longstanding investments and sustained support for Pakistan&rsquo;s economy and security, saying it reflects the deep-rooted ties between the two countries. He also commended the UAE leadership for its role in supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s economic and social development.&nbsp;The Pakistani military chief affirmed that the UAE&#39;s security and stability are integral to Pakistan&rsquo;s own security, reiterating Islamabad&rsquo;s commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership for mutual benefit and regional prosperity.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir meets Abu Dhabi Deputy Ruler Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo: ISPR/Handout)

The two also exchanged views on regional developments and stressed the importance of continued coordination to promote peace and stability in the region.

Field Marshal Munir, Abu Dhabi deputy ruler discuss economic, security cooperation: Military

BERLIN: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized French defense spending on Monday, calling for Paris to do more to turn calls for European security sovereignty into concrete capabilities. The comments marked the latest crack in relations between the two <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-and-europe-belong-together-rubio" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">European giants</a>. French President Emmanuel Macron &ldquo;repeatedly and correctly refers to our pursuit of European sovereignty,&rdquo; Wadephul told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. &ldquo;Anyone who talks about it needs to act accordingly in their own country.&rdquo; Under US pressure&nbsp;European NATO members are under pressure from the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/rubio-at-munich-security-meet-to-address-europeans-rattled-by-trump" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">United States</a> to build up their defense spending. Though they pledged last June to raise their defense and security-related outlays to five percent of GDP by 2035, Wadephul said progress in Europe so far had been lacking. &quot;Unfortunately, efforts in the French Republic have also been insufficient to achieve this so far,&quot; Wadephul said.&nbsp; &quot;France, too, needs to do what we are doing here with difficult discussions.&quot; Germany last year exempted most defense spending from constitutionally enshrined debt limits and current budgets foresee Berlin spending more than 500 billion euros ($593 billion) on defense between 2025 and 2029. Third-highest debt burden&nbsp;Under financial pressure, France has less room for maneuver. The country has the European Union&#39;s third-highest debt burden as a proportion of GDP after Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60-percent ceiling set in EU treaties. France and Macron needed to be ready to take difficult decisions, Wadephul said, including possible welfare cuts, to build the &quot;breathing space needed&quot;. &quot;That is a call that goes out to all European countries,&quot; Wadephul said.&nbsp; &quot;We will have to hold very open, very honest discussions about this here in our European family.&quot; <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Discord over fighter jet&nbsp;</h2>Wadephul&#39;s call comes amid strains in the Franco-German alliance, traditionally the motor of European cooperation. Germany has slapped down Macron&#39;s repeated calls for so-called eurobonds to boost investment, fearing common EU debt would lead to open-ended subsidies of EU member states with weak finances. Wadephul reiterated that Germany was also opposed to the proposal when it comes to defense spending, adding that NATO member states had last year agreed to reach the five-percent spending goal by their own efforts. &quot;We must also say to all our European partners -- in a spirit of friendship but with clarity -- that what was promised, the five per cent, were commitments to national contributions,&quot; he said. &quot;We are looking forward to and eagerly await another speech by the French president, I believe on the 27th of this month, where he will comment on strategic issues,&quot; Wadephul added. Recent disagreements&nbsp;Nerves are also fraying over plans by Paris and Berlin for a next-generation European fighter jet, where German industry and unions have accused French aerospace firm Dassault of seeking to dictate the terms of the project. In other recent disagreements, France wanted to block an EU trade deal with a group of South American countries, backed by Germany.&nbsp; Paris also opposed a push by Berlin and Rome to water down a planned EU ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. A European diplomat last week told AFP that right now &quot;the Franco-German axis isn&#39;t working&quot;.

Europe

European NATO members are under pressure from US to build up their defense spending; in other recent disagreements, France wanted to block an EU trade deal with a group of South American countries, backed by Germany.

German foreign minister slams France over defense spending 

ISLAMABAD: Discrimination against Muslim and Christian minorities in India is being fuelled by two converging trends, the viral spread of generative AI hate content and the rapid expansion of AI-enabled policing and surveillance, warns a report published on Feb. 11 by the Centre for the Study of Organized Hate&nbsp;(CSOH). The report has come ahead of India AI impact summit, 2026, which will be from Feb. 16 to 20. The CSOH report says hate narratives that have circulated for years; often packaged as conspiracies such as &ldquo;love jihad&rdquo; and &ldquo;population jihad,&rdquo; or fuelled through cow-protection and temple-mosque disputes, are now being amplified with synthetic media that looks real.&nbsp;Text-to-image and text-to-video tools can produce photorealistic depictions, caricatures, and &ldquo;evidence-like&rdquo; scenes that reinforce stereotypes, Muslim men framed as violent or criminal, and Muslim women dehumanized through sexualized, non-consensual imagery. Communal targetingMoments of public tragedy are turned into accelerants for communal targeting, with AI-generated visuals circulated alongside inflammatory commentary to cast minorities as villains in the immediate aftermath of attacks or accidents. The report highlights that political messaging has also begun using generative AI directly.&nbsp;Official social media accounts linked to the&nbsp;ruling&nbsp;BJP, have posts that depict Muslims as &ldquo;ghuspaithye/infiltrators&rdquo; and portray opposition leaders as &quot;secretly&quot; aligned with them.&nbsp;A pattern of dehumanizing metaphors is developing, where minorities are rendered as pests or threats, paired with meme-like humor or dramatic background music that helps normalize extreme hostility, especially in battleground states in the run-up to 2026 assembly election such as Assam and Delhi. A second cluster of concerns centers on the state&rsquo;s deployment of AI. Predictive policingIt notes remarks by Devendra Fadnavis, CM Maharashtra,&nbsp;about an AI tool being developed with IIT Bombay to detect alleged undocumented migrants using language cues, an approach that risks profiling Bengali-speaking Muslims and low-income migrant workers.&nbsp;The spread of predictive policing has also been flagged, large criminal databases and facial recognition are systems that can embed historical bias into &ldquo;data-driven&rdquo; enforcement. Examples of this &ldquo;data-driven&rdquo; enforcement referenced in the report include long-running predictive systems used by Delhi Police and expanding surveillance networks in cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Lucknow.&nbsp;Without transparent safeguards, independent oversight, and clear legal limits, AI risks hardening discrimination into automated, scalable practice, the report states.

Generative AI and predictive policing are fuelling discrimination against India's minorities through deepfake hate speech and automated surveillance. A report from the Centre for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) warns of these issues.

AI enabled hate on the rise in India: Report

MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Monday rejected as &quot;baseless&quot; an assessment by five European countries that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died from poisoning while in an Arctic prison two years ago.&nbsp;&quot;We naturally do not accept such accusations. We disagree with them. We consider them biased and baseless,&quot; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP, during a daily briefing call. More to follow.

A woman lays flowers at the grave of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at the Borisovo cemetery in Moscow on February 16, 2026, marking the second anniversary of his death in an Arctic colony. (Photo: AFP)

We naturally do not accept such accusations. We disagree with them. We consider them biased and baseless," says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

PM Sharif accorded guard of honor in Vienna

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Latest News

Iran says US stance on nuclear issue 'more realistic'

India's Supreme Court warns against politicizing judiciary, declines pleas against chief minister

Bangladesh's newly-elected representatives to take oath on Feb. 17

PM Sharif accorded guard of honor in Vienna

Pakistan condemns Israeli West Bank land seizures, demands international action