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Here are top ten news stories:
1- Japan PM’s big election win could mean more beef with Beijing
Description: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s thumping election win has blunted domestic opposition to her hawkish security agenda, encouraging plans to press ahead with a defence expansion that China has condemned as a return to militarism.
2- China critic Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in jail after landmark Hong Kong trial
Hong Kong’s most vocal China critic, media tycoon Jimmy Lai, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in jail, ending the city’s biggest national security case which drew international concern about Beijing’s clampdown on the city’s freedoms. Lai’s sentence on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials ends a legal saga that has spanned nearly five years.
3- Pakistan Plans Deportation Of Nearly 20,000 Afghans Awaiting US Resettlement
Pakistan plans to deport thousands of Afghan refugees waiting for resettlement in the United States, according to a report by The Nation newspaper citing official sources.
The report said 19,973 Afghan refugees awaiting relocation to the United States are currently in Pakistan, and their information will be shared with relevant authorities to begin deportation procedures.
https://www.afintl.com/en/202602091156
4- Modi, Malaysian PM Ibrahim condemn terrorism, agree to counter radicalization, extremism
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The two leaders called for zero-tolerance of terrorism and concerted international efforts to combat it in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
5- Pro-Palestine protests sweep Australian cities during Herzog’s visit
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Australia’s biggest cities on Monday to protest the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with rallies in Sydney and Melbourne leading nationwide actions planned across at least 24 cities.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/88cd2afaf5c3
6- Prestigious Arab World Institute to pick new head after ex-minister resigns over Epstein
Following the resignation of veteran politician Jack Lang from his role as president of the Paris-based Institut du Monde Arabe on 7 February over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a shortlist of potential candidates is being drawn up. A woman is thought to be Emmanuel Macron’s first choice.
7- Prince William visits Saudi Arabia as UK seeks deeper economic ties
Prince William will begin his first official visit to Saudi Arabia with a meeting on Monday with host Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as London seeks to deepen economic cooperation with the Gulf nation.
The visit comes as daily revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files continue to put pressure on King Charles III’s disgraced younger brother, the former Prince Andrew.
8- Trump’s push to audit voter rolls is already snaring US citizens
As President Donald Trump has vowed to nationalize elections, his administration has already launched several efforts to insert itself into functions traditionally left to the states. That’s sparked worries about whether the exercise of flagging noncitizen voters will ultimately provide the administration a tool with which to challenge midterm results.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/09/politics/trump-voter-roll-audit-push
9- China might be beginning to back away from U.S. debt as investors get nervy about over-exposure to American assets
If there’s one thing that catches the attention of the second Trump administration, it’s how foreign investors behave toward U.S. assets. Perhaps most notably, it’s their attitude toward the safe-haven of U.S. Treasuries. Last month, Deutsche Bank earned the ire of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after one of its analysts suggested foreign investors may leverage their holdings of U.S. borrowing and equities against the White House’s threats over the sovereignty of Greenland. While Bessent dismissed the “irrelevance” of Denmark’s holdings of American debt, Trump eased up on his tariff rhetoric after the bond markets hiccuped.
https://fortune.com/2026/02/09/china-investors-nervy-buyers-treasuries-bric/
10- Moscow sees opportunity in Greenland crisis, but fears expanded US Arctic presence
The Trump administration’s push to acquire Greenland has produced a carefully calibrated response from Moscow. An air of restraint in public comments masks more private concern over potential threats to Russian submarine operations, combined with satisfaction at widening cracks in the transatlantic alliance, according to analysts.