Korean crypto exchange Bithumb says it recovered nearly all of the more than $40 billion worth of funds it mistakenly handed out to customers as part of a promotional campaign.
Bithumb announced the promo on February 5, promising new registrants on the platform a total ₩100,000 ($68) in benefits. It planned to start this with an initial ₩20,000 ($13) payment deposited into users’ accounts after their first transaction, with subsequent bonuses, including points and Starbucks vouchers, tied to completing additional steps such as verification and coupon entry.
However, the platform accidentally credited 620,000 bitcoin (~$42 billion) to the accounts of 695 users the following day – around $61 million each, if divided equally among them all.
In a company announcement, Bithumb claimed it realized that it made hundreds of users incredibly wealthy within 35 minutes, and although some users were quick to sell their newfound gains, the company recovered the majority of the funds very quickly.
“Immediately following the incident, Bithumb immediately [sic] implemented measures to recover overpaid assets, and prioritized ensuring complete consistency of customer assets, including even the slightest discrepancies that may occur during the recovery process,” it said in a press release.
“As a result, 99.7 percent of the overpaid Bitcoin was recovered on the day of the incident, and the 0.3 percent (1,788 BTC) that had already been sold was injected with company assets, ensuring 100 percent consistency between customer deposited assets and exchange-held assets.
“Currently, Bithumb holds all virtual assets, including Bitcoin, at a level that matches or exceeds user deposits, and customer assets are being safely stored as before.”
The company said that the overpayment incident was simply an error on its side and was not related to a cyberattack or breach of its systems.
It went on to say that it does not believe any customers’ assets were lost or otherwise damaged as a result, despite the price of Bitcoin briefly falling sharply.
After Bithumb confirmed total consistency between customer-platform assets, CEO Lee Jae-won announced a compensation scheme for those affected.
Lee said all customers connected to the platform at the time of the error would be compensated ₩20,000, and any user who sold Bitcoin at a low price caused by the incident would receive a refund of the selling price plus 10 percent of the transaction’s value.
Beginning at midnight on February 9, Bithumb also paused trading fees for all tokens for seven days.
Additionally, it established a Customer Protection Fund of ₩100 billion ($68.5 million) – a reserve so that in any similar incident that should occur in the future, customers will be protected immediately.
And it wouldn’t be a 2026 apology without the promise of more AI. Coming soon is an “Anomalous Transaction Detection and Automatic Blocking AI System” called Safe Guard that’s designed to stop transactions that appear abnormal for any reason.
Other technical preventative measures include a strengthening of its asset verification system and the introduction of a two-payment process for asset transfers and reward payments.
Bithumb has been hot on comms since the incident, posting frequent, easily accessible updates, but the regulators are still circling.
Lee Eog-weon, chairman at the Korean Financial Services Commission, the country’s superseding financial regulator, called an emergency meeting on February 8 to discuss how to proceed with Bithumb.
Officials from Korea’s financial crime authority and financial institutions regulator were in attendance. They acknowledged the steps Bithumb took to remedy the issues with customers and the price of Bitcoin, but further investigations into user damages and on-site inspections will take place. ®
Protesters took to the streets across Australia to rally against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whom they describe as “war criminal supporting one of the most heinous genocides”. Clashes broke out in Sydney as police used pepper spray and arrested demonstrators.
New details emerged Monday in the arrest of Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr.
Pearce was arrested outside of Miami last week and is facing several felony charges, including two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking and fleeing or eluding police. Pearce was involved in a domestic dispute with his WNBA girlfriend, Doral police said.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. (27) warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 2, 2025.(Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
He posted $20,500 bond on Sunday and was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility. He was ordered to stay away from his girlfriend.
Pearce allegedly crashed his vehicle into another car being driven by his girlfriend and struck a police officer while he tried to flee law enforcement, ESPN reported, citing a criminal complaint from the Miami-Dade County state attorney’s office.
The alleged victim told police that she noticed Pearce was following her in a white luxury vehicle and when she stopped at a red light, the NFL player tried to open her vehicle. The victim said she started to drive toward the Doral Police Department, while Pearce allegedly followed her. As she got closer to the station, she said Pearce cut her off and collided with her head on.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. (27) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 21, 2025.(Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
Doral police officers responded to the scene, according to ESPN. An officer reportedly pulled a gun on Pearce to try to force him to get on the ground and end the incident, but he allegedly got back into his car and drove away. He allegedly struck an officer as he drove away.
Pearce later crashed his vehicle and was accused of resisting arrest.
“We look forward to working with the State Attorney’s Office in fully investigating this case and uncovering the truth,” Pearce’s lawyers told ESPN. “Mr. Pearce maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story. We look forward to vigorously defending our Client and remain confident that he will continue contributing positively to both his team and the community he serves so well.”
The Falcons said they were “gathering more information” about the incident, but face the decision of whether to keep him rostered as the official start of the 2026 NFL season is weeks away.
Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. (27) is interviewed after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, on Jan. 4, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik, File)
Islamabad, Pakistan – A new survey indicates nearly three-quarters of Pakistanis support deploying troops to the Gaza Strip as part of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF).
The findings of the poll by Gallup Pakistan come as media reports suggested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the first formal meeting of United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) on February 19, a body Pakistan joined alongside several other Muslim-majority countries last month.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
The Gallup poll, conducted from January 15 to February 3, surveyed 1,600 respondents through random telephone interviews. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 to 3 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
According to Bilal Gilani, executive director of Gallup Pakistan, the results paint a picture of a nation deeply engaged with the Palestinian cause yet divided on how best to pursue it and uncertain about the political structures being built around Gaza’s future.
The ISF was proposed along with Trump’s BoP in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. They were part of a 20-point plan Trump proposed to try to end the war in Gaza. The plan began with a “ceasefire” that started in October. In later stages, the international peacekeeping force is to be created and deployed to provide security and oversight of the “truce” between Hamas and Israel in Gaza.
The Board of Peace was initially framed as a mechanism to support the administration, reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza.
The White House formally announced its creation in January. However, the organisation’s 11-page charter does not mention Gaza once.
Permanent membership on the board requires a $1bn contribution for a three-year term although the UN Security Council resolution establishing it limits its mandate in Gaza until the end of 2027.
The board includes countries with sharply different relationships with Israel, from Muslim-majority states that have normalised ties to others, such as Pakistan, that do not recognise Israel but have participated in diplomatic efforts to end its genocidal war on Gaza.
Divided views
The Gallup Pakistan survey’s central finding is unambiguous: 73 percent of Pakistanis support sending a contingent of the country’s military to Gaza with 55 percent expressing “strong” support and 18 percent “slight” support.
Opposition was limited. Only 6 percent opposed the deployment while 16 percent were undecided.
Gilani said the most striking takeaway is the divergence between Pakistan’s elites and the broader public.
“The public opinion, at least in my reading, with respect to sending troops to Gaza is more unanimous whereas joining BoP is a little divided but still more in support of joining, so I think this is an interesting juncture where elite and public opinion varies,” he told Al Jazeera.
Salman Shahid, a 29-year-old lawyer in Lahore, said Pakistan’s diplomatic standing improves when it acts as a “voice of reason, law and unity, not when it rushes into confrontational positions”.
“A mature, lawful and humanitarian approach strengthens our credibility far more than military posturing. However, any military involvement outside Pakistan’s borders must strictly follow Pakistan’s Constitution and must align with UN mandates,” Shahid told Al Jazeera.
Masroor Hussain, 33, a software developer from Karachi, said Pakistan should avoid joining the stabilisation force but believes participation in Trump’s board could be beneficial.
Despite criticism, the body is currently the only platform offering countries a role in shaping a resolution to the Gaza war while potentially providing a long-term solution, he said.
“Pakistan being in BoP will mean it is more involved in the Middle East as far as talks go, but how it turns into something concrete for Pakistan is hard to say as the region has multiple sides with their own agendas,” Hussain told Al Jazeera.
Pakistani peacekeepers are deployed with the UN’s stabilisation force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [File: Glody Murhabazi/AFP]
‘Vague objectives’
Support cuts across demographic lines although with variations. About 78 percent of men backed a troop deployment to Gaza compared with 68 percent of women. Urban residents showed stronger support at 84 percent compared with 67 percent in rural areas.
Education appeared less decisive. About 67 percent of respondents with less than a high school diploma supported a deployment compared with 84 percent of those with post-secondary educations.
Anam Nadeem, 38, a communications professional from Sialkot, is firmly opposed.
“The ISF’s role, leadership and objectives are vague, and it appears to be aligned with a US-led framework that lacks broad regional legitimacy. Joining such a force risks placing Pakistan in direct conflict with Palestinian factions, including Hamas, potentially against the will of the Palestinian people,” she said.
Pakistan is neither politically nor strategically prepared for a military entanglement in Gaza under unclear terms, Nadeem said.
“Without a transparent mandate, UN authorisation and explicit Palestinian consent, supporting this decision would be irresponsible,” she added.
These concerns echo conditions highlighted in the survey. A joint alliance of Muslim countries emerged as the most crucial prerequisite for deployment with 64 percent rating it “important” and 35 percent calling it “very important”.
A formal request from the Palestinian leadership was deemed necessary by 86 percent of respondents while 81 percent said UN approval was essential.
Approval from major powers, including the US and China, ranked lowest. Only 47 percent considered it important while 30 percent viewed it as unimportant.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Dublin, Ireland, in January 2026 [File: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters]
Uncertain framework
Although Pakistan accepted an invitation to join the Board of Peace during a signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month, the Gallup poll suggested significant uncertainty. About 39 percent of respondents said they’re unsure about the move.
About 34 percent expressed happiness at Pakistan becoming part of the board while 23 percent were unhappy.
Gilani said this ambivalence likely reflects limited public information about the body’s mandate and the contours of any potential troop deployment.
“I think there is obviously this aspect that if the military force has to be directly in confrontation with Hamas and is used for disarming them, then I think that the public opinion might not remain in favour of it,” he said.
“Public opinion right now operates from a limited information standpoint. But even from that standpoint, it seems to be overall in support.”
Nadeem said he remained sceptical, warning that the timing and political context could make participation appear as an endorsement of actions shaped by “bad-faith actors” rather than an inclusive peace process.
“If the BoP delivers real, tangible benefits for Palestinians, engagement makes sense. Otherwise, it risks becoming symbolic optics rather than a meaningful step toward peace,” she said.
Pakistan’s credibility, Nadeem added, “ultimately depends on principled alignment with peace, justice and Palestinian rights – not just strategic proximity to powerful actors”.
Calculated gamble?
Throughout 2025, Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s military chief, emerged as a central figure in the country’s diplomatic manoeuvring.
In June, Munir had a solo White House lunch with Trump, the first time a US president hosted a Pakistani army chief without civilian officials present.
Pakistan also attended a conference organised by the US military’s Central Command in Qatar in December in which representatives from nearly 45 countries discussed the operational framework of a peacekeeping force for Gaza.
Officials have repeatedly stressed no final decision has been made. They say any deployment would require a “transparent, politically neutral mandate focused on humanitarian stabilisation rather than disarmament of Palestinian groups”.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also stated in December that while Pakistan could consider contributing peacekeepers, “disarming Hamas is not our job.”
The prospect of a military deployment has historical parallels, particularly the disputed role of Pakistani soldiers in Jordan during the 1970 Black September crisis. While Pakistan maintains its troops were only training Jordanian forces and did not engage in combat, the episode remains politically sensitive.
Abdul Basit, a former Pakistani diplomat and envoy to India, told Al Jazeera that although the UN established Trump’s BoP specifically for Gaza, Washington appears to view it much more broadly.
“The irony is President Trump is not talking about the state of Palestine. How can a one-sided ceasefire be termed as peace … as Palestinians continue living under Israeli occupation?” he asked.
Basit was unequivocal that Pakistan “should not be part of any exercise that seeks to disarm Palestinians”.
“Armed struggle against foreign occupation is legitimate in international law and in conformity with the UN Charter. If push comes to shove, Pakistan may send its medical and engineering corps. That would go down well with Palestinians,” he said.
Uzair Younus, a partner at The Asia Group, a Washington, DC-based geopolitical consulting firm, said the survey suggested Pakistanis have a pragmatic view.
“The results are not surprising but do show that compared to elites, ordinary citizens do have a more measured perspective on Pakistan’s policy choices,” Younus told Al Jazeera.
The findings offer guidance to the government as it communicates Pakistan’s potential role to stabilise Gaza, likely tied to broader efforts by Middle East powers, he added.
“The regional push is being led by Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, in particular, and so long as Pakistan remains in close coordination with these countries, engagement in the ISF and BoP is unlikely to create major risks for Islamabad,” Younus said.
A police investigation is under way after a four-year-old golden eagle was shot in the Scottish Borders.
The bird of prey, called Hamlet, was found injured by a gamekeeper on an estate in Stanhope on 15 January.
Hamlet, who was wearing a satellite tracking device, had been relocated from the Outer Hebrides in 2023 as part of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP) to boost numbers in the area.
Image:Hamlet’s injury. Pic: RUN/Scottish SPCA
The animal was examined by a Scottish SPCA vet and was found to have suffered shotgun pellet injuries to his wing.
He has since made a full recovery and has returned to the wild.
Following a review of tracking data, experts believe Hamlet was shot during the first week of January in an area between Stanhope and Glenbreck, off the A701 Broughton to Moffat road.
Police Scotland, with support from the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, is searching for the culprit.
Detective Sergeant David Lynn said: “It is extremely disappointing that we are investigating another golden eagle persecution crime.
“Very few people would have the means, opportunity and motive to commit this crime and I would urge anyone with any information to contact us so we can identify whoever is responsible for shooting Hamlet.”
The chair of Restoring Upland Nature (RUN) – the new home of SSGEP – said the charity was “incredibly relieved” the Scottish SPCA declared Hamlet fit to fly following his “traumatic shooting”.
Dumfriesshire farmer Michael Clarke also praised RUN’s eagle officer, John Wright, who worked with the gamekeepers to rescue Hamlet.
Image:Pic: RUN/Phil Wilkinson
Mr Clarke added: “We are angry, upset and disappointed that Hamlet was injured at the hands of an individual or individuals who consider themselves above the law.
“Whoever committed this deplorable wildlife crime should hang their heads in shame.
“Golden eagles are back to stay in the South of Scotland, and we very much hope they continue to spread from here so that people across the UK can experience the enjoyment of seeing these iconic birds soaring in the skies above them.”
Ross Ewing, director of moorland and strategic projects at Scottish Land and Estates, praised the “swift and responsible actions” of the gamekeepers who reported the injured bird “promptly”.
Conor Kelly, one of the gamekeepers involved in the rescue, wished Hamlet a “full recovery”.
He added: “Golden eagles are a regular presence on our estate and across the region, and providing the right habitat for them to thrive is an important part of our work.
“Incidents like this are concerning, and we would encourage anyone with information to assist the police with their enquiries.”
María Corina Machado said Monday that a Venezuelan opposition leader was seized in Caracas shortly after being released from jail.
Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.
“We demand his immediate release,” she said.
Alfredo Romero, the president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday, including Guanipa, who was initially arrested in May.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and Juan Pablo Guanipa participate in an anti-government protest on Jan. 9, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela.(Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)
Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest.
The country’s Public Ministry alleged that he violated the terms of his release but provided no additional details and did not say whether he had been re-arrested.
Guanipa’s Primero Justicia party said on X that he was forced into a silver Toyota Corolla during the incident.
Juan Pablo Guanipa, opposition leader and recently released from prison, visits relatives of political prisoners near the El Helicoide detention center in Caracas on Feb. 8, 2026.(Jesus Vargas/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“We hold Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to Juan Pablo’s life,” the party wrote. “We call on the international community for the immediate release of Juan Pablo Guanipa and for an immediate and unconditional end to the persecution of the opposition.”
The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Rodríguez has been serving as the interim president of Venezuela since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores earlier this year.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez speaks during the presentation of the 2025 budget bill at the National Assembly in Caracas on Dec. 3, 2024.(Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
In late January, President Donald Trump said Venezuela was releasing political prisoners at a “rapid rate,” praising the move as a “powerful humanitarian gesture” by the country’s leadership.
An estimated 687 political prisoners remain in custody in Venezuela as of Feb. 2, according to Foro Penal.
A major theft related to e-commerce has come to light in Delhi. The team of Nabi Karim police station of Central District Police has exposed a gang which was stealing branded ladies purses from the warehouse of a renowned company for months. Delhi Police arrested three accused and recovered 152 branded purses worth around Rs 4 lakh.
According to Delhi Police, the matter is of 6 February 2026, when the owner of an international brand named Exotic complained that purses were continuously being stolen from his warehouse for the last one month. The police immediately registered a case and started investigation. First the warehouse employees and manager were interrogated, but no concrete clues were found. After this, the police started technical surveillance and searched about 100 accounts selling purses at cheap prices on social media.
Important revelation made in Delhi Police investigation
During the investigation by Delhi Police, a suspicious social media page was found where exotic brand purses were being sold at very low prices. While laying a trap, the police created a fake customer and placed an order for 50 purses. As soon as the goods arrived, the team raided the spot and recovered 152 stolen purses and arrested the accused named Sat Prakash.
The accused made important revelations during the interrogation of Delhi Police.
During the interrogation of Delhi Police, Sat Prakash revealed that Flipkart’s pickup boys Santosh and Rahul used to steal 2-3 purses from the warehouse every day. Canceled orders were also made to disappear instead of being returned to the warehouse. Both the accused were arrested from Oil Mill Gali area of Nabi Karim. According to the police, this theft was being carried out in a planned manner for a long time. At present, investigation is going on to recover the remaining stolen purse.
While the world remains fixated on the devastation in Gaza and escalating regional tensions, the Israeli government has quietly executed a “legal coup” in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from Palestinians.
Late on Sunday, Israel’s security cabinet ratified a series of decisions pushed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz. The new measures, which aim to expand Israel’s power across the occupied West Bank, will make it easier to seize Palestinian land illegally.
“We are anchoring settlement as an inseparable part of Israel’s government policy,” said Katz.
Experts say it will fundamentally alter the civil and legal reality of the territory, removing what the Israeli ministers termed “legal obstacles” that have existed for decades against the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
The Palestinian presidency called the decision “dangerous” and an “open Israeli attempt to legalise settlement expansion” and land confiscation. President Mahmoud Abbas’s office called on the United States and the United Nations Security Council to intervene immediately.
On Monday, eight Muslim-majority countries denounced Israel for trying to impose “unlawful Israeli sovereignty” in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian officials and legal experts warn that this package effectively terminates the 1993 Oslo Accords, stripping the Palestinian Authority (PA) of its remaining civil powers and legislating the de facto annexation of the West Bank.
(Al Jazeera)
The real estate war
At the heart of these decisions is a strategic assault on land ownership laws that have been in place since 1967, when Israel occupied Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem and subsequently annexed these territories.
The Israeli cabinet approved the cancellation of a Jordanian law that historically prohibited the sale of land in the West Bank to non-Arabs. Simultaneously, the government decided to lift the secrecy on land registry records in place since the Ottoman period.
According to Amir Daoud, director of documentation at the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, this move is designed to create an “open market” for settlers. By exposing the identities of Palestinian landowners in the registry, settlers and real estate companies can now target specific individuals for pressure, extortion, or entrapment to force land sales.
“This government puts settlement expansion at the centre of its policy,” Daoud told Al Jazeera Arabic. “By facilitating the leak of Palestinian land to settlers, they are adding a new layer of apartheid.”
The Yesha Council, a gathering of illegal settlements, celebrated the decision as the “most important in 58 years”, stating that the Israeli government is now declaring, in practice, that “the land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people”.
Breaching Areas A and B
Perhaps the most aggressive shift in the new directives is the authorisation for Israeli forces to conduct enforcement and demolitions in Area A and B zones, which under the Oslo Accords, are supposed to be under Palestinian civil and security control.
Area C, which is under total Israeli control, constitutes 60 percent of the West Bank. More than 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers live in Area C and occupied East Jerusalem across more than 250 illegal settlements.
To bypass international law, Israel has introduced a new legal mechanism: the “Protection of Antiquities and Environment”.
“Israel has erased the distinctions between Areas A, B, and C,” Daoud noted, explaining that this policy was financially primed three years ago when the cabinet allocated 120 million shekels ($39m) to “protect Jewish heritage sites” in the West Bank.
Municipal apartheid
The decision also institutionalises a system of “municipal apartheid” in key Palestinian cities, removing them from PA jurisdiction.
Hebron: Planning and construction powers have been stripped from the Palestinian municipality and transferred to the Israeli Civil Administration. A “separate municipal entity” will be created for the Jewish settlers in the heart of the city to manage their affairs independently, bypassing Palestinian mechanisms entirely.
Rachel’s Tomb (Bethlehem): The site has been removed from the jurisdiction of the Bethlehem municipality and placed under direct Israeli administration for maintenance and services.
Adel Shadid, an expert on Israeli affairs, warned that these administrative changes have profound religious and political implications.
“The Ibrahimi Mosque is no longer treated as a Muslim holy site managed by the Palestinian Awqaf,” Shadid told Al Jazeera Arabic. “Its management has been transferred to the Jewish Religious Council in Kiryat Arba. Israel has effectively Judaized its identity by law, not just by force”.
In 2010, the Israeli government had already proclaimed the Ibrahimi Mosque located in Hebron as a “Jewish Heritage site”.
(Al Jazeera)
Pre-empting Trump
The timing of this “legal overhaul” is not accidental. According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Smotrich and Katz pushed to ratify these decisions immediately prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United States.
Analysts believe Israel’s far-right government is racing against time to establish irreversible “facts on the ground” before October elections for the Israeli parliament or Knesset, and amid fears that US President Donald Trump might shift his stance on annexation.
James Moran, a former adviser to the European Union, believes the intent is clear.
“Smotrich was quoted saying: ‘We will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian state,’” Moran told Al Jazeera Arabic from Brussels. “This decision shows there is absolutely no intention for a just solution”.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said that he is against the formation of a sovereign Palestinian state. He has worked to undermine the Oslo Accords that called for the so-called two-state solution. Several Western governments, including France and the United Kingdom, last year recognised Palestinian statehood. But they have done little to deter Israel from expanding illegal settlements on Palestinian lands – the biggest stumbling block in the realisation of a Palestinian state.
Moran argued that international condemnations are no longer sufficient. “It is time for sanctions,” he said, suggesting that the EU should consider suspending trade agreements with Israel, given that a third of Israel’s trade is with the bloc.
Violence unleashed
On the ground, the cabinet’s decisions were interpreted by the settler movement as a “green light” for total impunity.
Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent in Hebron, Montaser Nassar, reported an immediate spike in violence following the announcement. “What is happening on the ground is the true translation of these decisions,” Nassar said.
Within hours of the ratification:
Settlers raided the Al-Rashaydeh Mosque east of Bethlehem, stealing its contents and causing severe damage.
In Bani Naim, east of Hebron, settlers brutally beat an 80-year-old disabled Palestinian man.
Demolition notices were handed to Palestinians in Berin (east of Hebron), while demolitions were carried out in Bedouin communities in the northern Jordan Valley.
Dalal Iriqat, a professor of diplomacy and conflict resolution, warned that the situation has moved beyond the point of political manoeuvring.
“We are witnessing the institutional and legal annexation of the West Bank,” Iriqat told Al Jazeera Arabic.
“Israel is imposing a reality of ‘Greater Israel’ and apartheid. If the international community does not move from statements to action, the situation on the ground will explode.”
Suffolk Police has apologised to the only surviving victim of serial killer Steve Wright over how she feels her case was dealt with – but refused to commit to an inquiry.
Only the night before, Wright had attempted to abduct newlywed Emily Doherty, then aged 22, who ran, hid and sought refuge in a couple’s house to escape.
Image:Steve Wright. Pic: Suffolk Constabulary/PA
Ms Doherty told Sky News last week how Wright tried to kidnap her in Felixstowe, and how she was made to feel like a “silly little girl” after reporting the incident to police.
And she said officers failed to follow it up with a full investigation even after Ms Hall’s body was later found.
Wright went on to murder five women in the Ipswich area in 2006, and on Friday was jailed for murdering Ms Hall and trying to abduct Ms Doherty after admitting both crimes.
Ms Doherty told Sky News: “You can’t help thinking, if they had taken me seriously, Vicky could have survived, but certainly if they had found him sooner the five other women would still be here.”
Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police Alice Scott said: “We’re really sorry that Emily doesn’t feel that she had the service she wanted back in 1999.”
Image:Victoria Hall. Pic: Suffolk Police/PA
Ms Scott said the information Ms Doherty gave to officers was “part of the circumstantial evidence that has enabled the constabulary” to secure Steve Wright’s conviction last week for the murder of Ms Hall, and Ms Doherty’s abduction.
However, when asked if Suffolk Police would back an inquiry, Ms Scott only said “we will review where we’re at to see if there’s anything we can learn from this case”.
Image:Assistant Chief Constable of Suffolk Police Alice Scott
Ms Doherty told Sky News’ Emma Birchley that “the damage has been done,” but that Ms Hall’s family “need to know why they didn’t get answers sooner”.
“There would be people still alive. There would be families not grieving now. It has been troubling me for 26 years.”
Despite apologising, Ms Scott insisted that “the constabulary was appropriately resourced at the time” of the original investigation and “support was provided when it was required”.
Though she admitted that “it was probably one of the biggest cases at the time that the constabulary had experienced”.
The assistant chief constable also confirmed that Wright is not an active suspect in any unsolved crimes, but that the force remained “open-minded”.
The senior officer said the force would “absolutely” take a report like Ms Doherty’s seriously if it were made today – saying that advances in technology, forensics and CCTV would assist any modern investigation.
Judge tells ‘Suffolk strangler’ he will die in prison
Although critical of the original police response, Ms Doherty says the police team she has worked with since they reopened the case has “been nothing but supportive”.
She added that they “could not be more apologetic to me”.
When asked if she thought there should be an inquiry, Ms Doherty said the decision wasn’t for her to make.
“It’s for the family (of Victoria). I’m here. I survived.”
Ms Scott said that a huge amount of material had been reviewed by the current investigation team, saying she was “proud” that they had been commended by the judge at the end of the trial.
A progressive candidate backed by champions of the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is close to pulling off an upset victory with votes still being counted in a Democratic congressional primary for a blue-leaning seat in New Jersey.
Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer, has a slight lead — nearly 900 votes out of more than 63,000 votes counted — ahead of former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in the battle for their party’s nomination in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
Mejia and Malinowski are the leaders among a field of 11 Democratic candidates in the race to fill the seat left vacant after now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning the November 2025 gubernatorial election in the Garden State.
The results in the primary showdown are being closely watched by the political world as an early testing ground in the debate between progressives versus the more mainstream elements of the Democratic Party.
Analilia Mejia, US Democratic House candidate for New Jersey, speaks to supporters and members of the media at Paper Plane Coffee Co. in Montclair, New Jersey, US, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026(Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
And a victory by Mejia, who worked as national political director on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, would be the latest boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shockwaves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.
“She stands for a progressive populist economic agenda,” progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California emphasized Friday in a social media post. “She is the future!”
And Mejia, speaking to supporters on primary night, highlighted that “we have to rebuild our party, we have to rebuild what is happening in our nation. We have to reclaim our democracy. We know that our economy is rigged to suit the billionaires.”
Here’s a closer look at where Mejia stands on some key issues.
Immigration enforcement
During her primary campaign, Mejia took aim at President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration, and has called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort.
“I say abolish ICE now,” Mejia said on the campaign trail in January. “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.”
Democratic congressional candidate Analilia Mejia of New Jersey has called for the scrapping of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).(Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Speaking with reporters Friday about her overperformance in the primary, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.
“I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,” she told reporters. “I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.”
Supreme Court
Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated court.
“The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,” Mejia charges on her campaign website.
She supports “articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito” for what she says is “their corruption and conflicts of interest.”
Mejia also backs “term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.”
Democratic congressional candidate Analilia Mejia of New Jersey supports term-limits for newly appointed justices on the Supreme Court.(Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)
And Mejia says she would support “expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.”
Student loan debt
On her campaign website, Mejia states “we’re going to cancel all student loan debt.”
And she pledges that she’ll “fight to make college tuition free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.”
Taxes and minimum wage
As part of her“economy for everyone agenda,” Mejia argues, “If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.”
And she highlights that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to “win the $15 minimum wage.”
If she makes it to Congress, Mejia says “with the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour.”
Israel
Malinowski, an assistant secretary of state in former President Barack Obama’s administration who later represented a neighboring congressional district in northern New Jersey from 2018 to 2022 before losing re-election, was considered the front-runner in the race heading into primary day.
But Malinowski was the target of a slew of attack ads put out by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which opposed Malinowski because he said he supports conditions on aid to Israel.
Jan 15, 2026; Caldwell, NJ, USA; Tom Malinowski during a meet and greet hosted by The League of Women Voters at Caldwell University with the candidates running for the Democratic nomination to fill the Congressional seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.(Michael Karas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The AIPAC-aligned super PAC United Democracy Project dished out more than $2.3 million to take aim at Malinowski, even though AIPAC had previously supported Malinowski in his past congressional elections.
But the strategy may backfire, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.
Mejia was the only candidate in the race who raised her hand at a forum last month when asked if they agreed with human rights groups who charge Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in its war with Hamas in Gaza.
Mejia was boosted by the support on the left. Sanders headlined a virtual rally for her on the eve of the primary.
And besides Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, she was also endorsed by a large list of other progressive leaders, including Khanna, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Rep. Pramilla Jayapal of Washington State, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) a leading group on the left, said in a statement that “Analilia Mejia’s momentous showing proves that voters, when given a choice, want Democrats with an inspiring vision who will boldly challenge powerful interests on behalf of working families.”
PCCC co-founder Adam Green, a New Jersey native who knocked doors for Mejia and spoke at a rally with Mejia and Sanders on primary eve, added that primary voters “made clear they want Democrats who will shake up a broken political and economic system – not just be anti-Trump.”
While Mejia was the clear choice of the left flank of the party’s base, the rest of the field appeared to divide the more moderate and center-left vote.
The primary winner will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16.
Hathaway will be considered the underdog in the race, in the suburban district in northern New Jersey.
Sherrill won re-election in the district in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin by which she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.
But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.
The special election comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House of Representatives.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”
