The Bangladesh general election held on February 12, 2026, represents a historic turning point for the nation. This was the first truly competitive national vote in over a decade, following the dramatic ousting of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 amid a student-led uprising. The election, conducted under the interim government headed by…
(By Ayesha Mahnoor) The US-Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, signed on February 9, 2026, represents a pivotal moment in bilateral economic relations amid the Trump administration’s aggressive push for reciprocal tariffs. This legally binding pact, finalized just days before Bangladesh’s national elections on February 12, 2026, under the interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad…
(By Khalid Masood) The controversy surrounding former Indian Army Chief General M.M. Naravane’s memoir, titled Four Stars of Destiny, has erupted into one of the most significant political storms in India’s Parliament in recent months. As of February 10, 2026, the book remains unpublished, having been submitted for mandatory government clearance from the Ministry of…
On February 8, 2026, Japan witnessed one of the most decisive electoral outcomes in its postwar history. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) stormed to victory in the snap House of Representatives election, securing 316 seats out of 465—far surpassing the 233 needed for a simple majority and even crossing the two-thirds supermajority…
(By Faraz Ahmed) 1. Introduction On 30 January 2026, the United States Department of Justice released one of the largest document dumps in recent history: approximately 3.5 million pages, more than 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to Jeffrey Epstein. This massive disclosure was made possible under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law…
(By Quratulain Khalid) As I write this from Lahore on February 8, 2026, the final day of Basant, the city’s rooftops are still dotted with colorful kites cutting through the afternoon sky. Laughter echoes from streets lined with food stalls selling spicy chaat, falooda, and jalebi. Families gather on terraces, children shout “Bo-kata!” as one…
(By Khalid Masood) India faces a significant dilemma in its dealings with the United States, particularly crystallized by the interim trade framework announced in early February 2026 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump. This stems from the fundamental tension between pursuing deeper economic and strategic ties with the world’s largest economy—for accelerated…
(By Quratulain Khalid) Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji’un. On the afternoon of Friday, February 6, 2026, a place of worship turned into a scene of unimaginable horror. At Khadija-Tul-Kubra Imambargah in Tarlai Kalan, on the southeastern outskirts of Islamabad, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives during crowded Jumu’ah prayers. The blast claimed at least…
(By Khalid Masood) On February 5, 2026, at midnight GMT, the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms—commonly known as New START—officially expired. This event marks a profound shift in global nuclear security. For the first time in more than half a century, the world’s two largest nuclear powers,…
(By Khalid Masood) Introduction Tomorrow, February 5, 2026, Pakistan will observe Kashmir Solidarity Day (Yaum-e-Yakjehti Kashmir) as a nationwide public holiday. At exactly 10:00 AM, the entire country—from bustling Lahore streets to remote areas in Gilgit-Baltistan—will fall silent for one minute to honor the sacrifices of Kashmiri martyrs (shuhada). This moment of collective reflection captures…
