WASHINGTON: The US military said Monday it killed two people in its latest strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Eastern Pacific.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;&quot;Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike,&quot; US Southern Command said in a statement on X.&nbsp;It added that the US Coast Guard was notified to &quot;activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.&quot;&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Monday&#39;s lethal attack brings the total killed to at least 130 in 38 such strikes.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;The leftist leader is incarcerated in the United States, where he has pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges.&nbsp;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.

Two killed in US strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific: military

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: President Donald Trump threatened Monday to stop the opening of a new bridge between the United States and Canada, in a fresh salvo against the country he has suggested should become the 51st US state.&nbsp;Trump said the United States should own &quot;at least half&quot; of the still under-construction Gordie Howe International Bridge that links the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of Michigan.&nbsp;Work on the $4.7-billion bridge -- named after the late Canadian-born National Hockey League great Gordie Howe -- started in 2018 and it is due to open later this year.&nbsp;&quot;I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything, we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,&quot; Trump posted on Truth Social.&nbsp;&quot;We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY.&quot;&nbsp;The 79-year-old Republican complained that Canada owned both sides of the bridge and used &quot;virtually&quot; no US products to build it.&nbsp;&quot;And now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister (Mark) Carney wants to make a deal with China -- which will eat Canada alive. We&#39;ll just get the leftovers! I don&#39;t think so,&quot; Trump added.&nbsp;Washington has threatened to slap 100 percent tariffs on Canada after Carney visited Beijing last month and sealed a preliminary trade deal with China.&nbsp;The US leader meanwhile repeated the outlandish claim that Beijing would &quot;terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada.&quot;&nbsp;Trump has clashed with Canada over trade since returning to office in January 2025. He previously called for the United States to annex Canada but has largely dropped that claim in recent months.&nbsp;Carney meanwhile warned at the Davos forum last month that the US‑led global system of governance is enduring &quot;a rupture,&quot; in a thinly veiled reference to Trump&#39;s disruption, and argued for mid-level powers to group together.

President Trump threatened to block the new Gordie Howe Bridge to Canada, saying the US should own half, be fully compensated, and be treated with fairness, while criticizing Canada’s trade with China and use of US products.

Trump threatens to stop opening of Canada-US bridge

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison on Monday for national security crimes, a punishment rights groups condemned as &quot;effectively a death sentence&quot; and a symbol of the city&#39;s shrivelling press freedoms.&nbsp;Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was found guilty in December of collusion with foreign countries by urging them to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and for publishing &quot;seditious&quot; articles in his paper.&nbsp;The 78-year-old&#39;s sentence is by far the harshest under Hong Kong&#39;s national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 after huge pro-democracy protests in the former British colony.&nbsp;The three High Court judges said in a summary they had settled on 20 years&#39; imprisonment &quot;after considering the serious and grave criminal conduct of Lai&quot;.&nbsp;Lai, who has been behind bars since 2020, sat impassively in the dock as his sentence was read out. He waved to family members and supporters in the public gallery as he was led away.&nbsp;His wife Teresa was grim-faced and made no comment as she left the court, but two of his children based abroad condemned the sentence.&nbsp;Lai&#39;s son Sebastien called on US President Donald Trump to raise the case with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.&nbsp;&quot;The president interceding in my father&#39;s case will show Xi Jinping how much of a mistake it is, the persecution of my father,&quot; he told AFP in London, where he lives.&nbsp;The mogul&#39;s daughter Claire called it &quot;a heartbreakingly cruel sentence&quot; which, because of his deteriorating health, effectively meant &quot;he will die a martyr behind bars&quot;.&nbsp;Lai has 28 days to lodge an appeal, but his lawyer declined to say if he would do so.&nbsp;The United States criticised the decision as &quot;unjust and tragic,&quot; and reiterated its call for Lai to be granted humanitarian parole.&nbsp;The ruling &quot;shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms,&quot; said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.&nbsp;Appalling ordealHong Kong&#39;s leader John Lee lauded the &quot;severe&quot; prison term, saying it &quot;brings great relief to all&quot; and demonstrated how the city upheld the rule of law.&nbsp;Beijing also praised the outcome as &quot;reasonable, legitimate and legal&quot;.&nbsp;The commissioner of China&#39;s foreign ministry in Hong Kong wrote to foreign media outlets, including AFP, on Monday and urged them to &quot;report on the case with objectivity and fairness, refraining from politicising legal matters&quot;.&nbsp;Washington&#39;s reaction added to a chorus of international condemnation, including from the European Union, Australia, Japan, and advocacy groups.&nbsp;&quot;This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law,&quot; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement that described the national security law as &quot;vague and overly broad&quot;.&nbsp;Human Rights Watch said the penalty was &quot;effectively a death sentence&quot; given Lai&#39;s age.&nbsp;Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said &quot;today&#39;s egregious decision is the final nail in the coffin for freedom of the press in Hong Kong&quot;.&nbsp;Hong Kong most recently ranked 140th in the world for press freedom, down from 70th a decade ago, according to Reporters Without Borders.&nbsp;Health issuesThe three High Court judges described Lai, long a thorn in Beijing&#39;s side, as the &quot;mastermind and the driving force&quot; behind the conspiracies.&nbsp;Two years of the 20-year penalty overlap with an existing sentence, meaning he will effectively serve another 18 years in jail. Lai would be 96 years old at the conclusion of the sentence.&nbsp;Eight other defendants, including six Apple Daily executives, were handed sentences of up to 10 years in jail. All except Lai had pleaded guilty.&nbsp;Lai has been kept in solitary confinement at his own request to avoid harassment, according to prosecutors.&nbsp;His supporters, children, lawyers and rights groups have all raised concerns about his deteriorating health in prison, although authorities maintain he receives &quot;adequate&quot; care.&nbsp;Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said Hong Kong&#39;s legal system had become a tool for political control.&nbsp;&quot;After the regime&#39;s sustained effort to portray Lai as an &#39;enemy of the state&#39;, a reversal from the appellant court would contradict years of political theatre,&quot; said Lai, who is unrelated to the mogul.&nbsp;Former Apple Daily reporter Tammy Cheung told AFP outside the court that she feared she &quot;may never see Lai in person again&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;Even before this sentencing today, the industry was constantly self-censoring. Now after this sentencing, I think the impact it will have on this industry is quite clear for all to see,&quot; she said.&nbsp;Retiree Lai So said there are &quot;fewer reports on the negative side of society&quot; since Lai&#39;s once-popular Apple Daily was shut down in 2021.&nbsp;&quot;The space for freedom of speech has shrunk a lot,&quot; So said.

Hong Kong jailed pro-democracy media founder Jimmy Lai for 20 years over national security crimes. The sentence drew international criticism for press freedom, while Hong Kong and Beijing praised it, calling Lai a key figure in illegal activities.

Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy mogul Jimmy to 20 years in jail

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,&nbsp;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. According to the statement issued by ICC, &ldquo;The International Cricket Council (ICC), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have concluded an open, constructive and congenial dialogue.&rdquo; &ldquo;Bangladesh&rsquo;s absence from the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup is regrettable, but it does not alter the ICC&rsquo;s enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation,&rdquo; the statement added. 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;

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. 

Two killed in US strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific: military

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South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North

Two killed in US strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific: military

Trump threatens to stop opening of Canada-US bridge

Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy mogul Jimmy to 20 years in jail

Meta, Google face jury in landmark US addiction trial