No solution to the ongoing tension between America and Iran was found even in Muscat’s talks with Oman. After the continuous threats of US President Donald Trump, the Middle East seems to be entangled in war once again. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not participate in the 37-year-old annual meeting of Air Force commanders for the first time. Every year this meeting is held on 8 February.

Khamenei broke 37 years old tradition

According to the report of Iran International, Khamenei has been participating in this annual meeting of the Air Force every year since assuming power in 1989. Even when the world was in turmoil due to the Corona epidemic, Khamenei attended this meeting. The day marks the anniversary of 8 February 1979, when a group of Iranian Air Force fighters were part of Ruhollah Khomeini’s pledge to overthrow the Pahlavi dynasty. Before Khamenei, Khomeini was the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Danger of American attack looms on Iran

For the past four decades, February 8 has become a symbolic event, when Air Force personnel and commanders meet with Iran’s religious leadership every year on this date. The report claims that this year, instead of Khamenei, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi met the commanders of the Army and Air Force. Khamenei’s absence from the Iranian Air Force comes at a time when the US has increased its military presence in the region and the threat of a possible military attack on Iran looms.

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump

It was told by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office that Benjamin Netanyahu will go to Washington on Wednesday (11 February 2026). There he will discuss the talks between Iran and America with US President Donald Trump. According to the statement, Netanyahu believes that talks with Iran must include the condition of banning ballistic missiles and ending the support given by Iran to its allied groups.

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Second Lady Usha Vance’s announcement of baby number four was delightful and refreshing news. Having four children in the U.S. is not the norm these days. Across the U.S., women are having fewer children, or none at all. As a parent myself, I hope Vance’s news will encourage more women to do the same.

A woman’s decision to have children is often seen as a personal lifestyle choice. However, this decision also affects the nation: without enough births to maintain its population, a country struggles to sustain its economy, communities and culture.

We do not have to look far to see where this leads. The Free Press recently reported that Britain is facing a full-blown demographic crisis. Deaths are now poised to outnumber births. Many educated, prosperous and financially stable women say their decision not to have children is deliberate. One woman in The Free Press story noted, “It’s not that I don’t have reasons. It’s that I have too many. If you knocked one down, I’d just give you 10 more.”

The United States is experiencing a sustained decline in birth rate, which has lasted for over a decade and now puts the rate well below replacement level. This trend mirrors challenges seen elsewhere.

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Usha Vance is pregnant with her fourth child but many American women won’t learn from her example. (Getty images)

The reasons women give for avoiding motherhood are real: children and childcare are expensive; many careers demand total availability during a woman’s prime fertility years. Often, the culture treats motherhood as a professional liability rather than a benefit to society.

But there is another factor few are willing to say out loud — one that affects women long before they ever consider having children. Increasingly, women are not delaying motherhood because they do not want families: they are having trouble finding men who are ready to build one.

Modern dating is broken, and pornography has played a devastating role. Millions of men now habitually consume pornography. Barna Group data from 2024 found that 78% of U.S. men (ages 13–65) consume pornography “to some extent.” But this is not harmless entertainment. Many studies have shown that heavy pornography consumption distorts expectations, damages emotional intimacy, reduces motivation and undermines real-world relationships.

HOW FEMINISM HIJACKED THE CONVERSATION ON MASCULINITY

Pornography can lead men to have distorted views of sex and women. A culture that normalizes constant sexual consumption trains men to expect gratification without sacrifice. Pornography promises connection but delivers isolation.

A lonely society, cut off from marriage, family, and genuine intimacy, does not reproduce itself. A culture that floods men with pornography should not be surprised when fewer of them step up as husbands and fathers. When men are trained to consume rather than commit, women ultimately pay the price, but so does the larger society.

Marriage does not collapse because women suddenly lose interest in family. It collapses when men stop pursuing commitment. Growing numbers of men are living disconnected lives, often alone, often online. Indeed, men are also being sold a lie that they have to have an enormous amount of money saved before they can commit to marriage and children.

FROM ‘HAPPILY EVER AFTER’ TO ‘NOT SO FAST’: WHY YOUNG WOMEN ARE TURNING FROM MARRIAGE

Women are not often rejecting motherhood out of selfishness or ambition. They are responding rationally to a dating culture where emotional maturity, fidelity and long-term responsibility are increasingly rare.

America needs strong men who are willing to reject pornography and focus on leaving a legacy by building families. At the same time, women should resist the message that motherhood must be delayed until everything is “perfect.” That day will never arrive. And the reality is that fertility does not wait.

Often, the culture treats motherhood as a professional liability rather than a benefit to society.

Yes, economics matter. But economics alone cannot explain what is happening. Even countries with generous family benefits, paid leave, and subsidized childcare remain well below replacement fertility rates. When marriage weakens and meaning erodes, no amount of government spending can persuade people to build families.

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Career success matters — education matters. But neither was ever meant to replace family, meaning, or legacy. A culture that treats children as optional accessories eventually runs out of people. That decline shows up in labor shortages, strained entitlement systems, and a shrinking pool of future caregivers, workers and citizens.

What is missing is a shared belief that marriage, motherhood and fatherhood are still good and worth protecting.

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Second Lady Usha Vance looks back at U.S. Vice President JD Vance, carrying their daughter Mirabel as they disembark Air Force Two upon arriving at Rome Ciampino Airport, on April 18, 2025. (KENNY HOLSTON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Each generation before us faced uncertainty, whether in the form of war, depression, or upheaval, and yet still chose to build families. They believed the future was worth the investment. A society that stops believing stops having children.

America now stands at a crossroads: we can rebuild a culture that honors marriage, supports motherhood, and calls men to responsibility, or we can manage decline and pretend it is progress. Children are not the problem: they are the point. Second Lady Vance models that well.

Last Updated:February 09, 2026, 16:00 IST

Aaqib Nabi take 12 wickets in Ranji trophy match: Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Aaqib Nabi has created a stir in Ranji Trophy with his powerful bowling. Aaqib Nabi created a stir in the match against Madhya Pradesh by taking 7 wickets in the first innings and 5 wickets in the second innings. Along with this, it is being said that IPL team Delhi Capitals has won the lottery in the form of Aaqib Nabi.

Aaqib Nabi took 12 wickets against Madhya Pradesh

One of Scotland’s last surviving D-Day veterans has died aged 100.

Albert Lamond, who was born in Glasgow, was just 18 when he took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, serving as a signalman aboard HMS Rowley.

He also served in the Pacific in the lead-up to VJ Day on 15 August 1945, when Japan announced its surrender to the Allied forces.

Mr Lamond’s family have spoken of their pride in the centenarian, who “never thought of himself as a hero” and “believed he was just doing his duty”.

His nephew Martin Lamond said: “We’re all deeply saddened by Albert’s passing. He was a joy to be around and an example to everyone right up to the last.

“He’ll be so greatly missed. Not only have Albert’s friends and family suffered a great loss, everyone has, even if they never had the pleasure of knowing him.

“Albert never thought of himself as a hero. He believed he was just doing his duty, and he carried the memory of those who didn’t make it with him throughout his life.

“We are incredibly proud of him and grateful for the time we had.”

Mr Lamond joined the Royal Navy in 1943.

He was on board HMS Rowley, part of the 3rd Escort Group, when it was deployed to rendezvous with battleship HMS Warspite as it travelled to Normandy to shell German troops.

The frigate’s role was to act as a first line of defence by circling HMS Warspite and it was expected that the sailors would sacrifice their lives.

Mr Lamond survived and, a year later, on VJ Day, his role was to evacuate Allied prisoners of war (PoW) from remote islands and transport them to Australia.

Mr Lamond, who was 19 at the time, described the PoWs as “living skeletons” but said they were still able to smile when they were rescued.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the landings in 2024, he said it was vital that future generations understood the reality and cost of war.

He said: “It was horrible. It lives with you forever. If we don’t pass the stories on, people will forget, and we can’t let that happen.”

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Mr Lamond enjoyed a career on the railways after leaving the Navy, and later lived at McKellar House at Erskine Veterans Village in Renfrewshire.

Wing Commander Ian Cumming, chief executive at Erskine, said: “Albert represented the very best of his generation.

“He spoke honestly about his service, not to glorify war, but to make sure people understood its cost. Through his time at Erskine, he was committed to passing on those lessons.

“We won’t forget the ever-present twinkle in Albert’s eye, or his cheeky patter. We were truly privileged to care for and support him in later life.”

Mr Lamond will be laid to rest on Tuesday at Dalnottar Cemetery in Clydebank.

As someone who has spent decades training professional truck drivers, I take highway safety very seriously. America’s economy depends on a national freight network that moves goods through every state, across every major highway corridor, and into every community. When safety standards for commercial drivers are weakened anywhere, the consequences ripple across the entire country, putting motorists, supply chains and professional drivers at risk.

That’s why I was deeply troubled by recent remarks from Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, suggesting that English language proficiency is not necessary to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle. She equated it to the same practice as someone driving a rental car in a foreign country where they might not speak the language. Her assertion is misguided, dangerous and dismissive of the professionalism of America’s truck drivers.

Operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle is not remotely comparable to driving a passenger vehicle. A commercial driver is not simply following turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. They are navigating complex highway systems, responding to emergency situations, complying with law enforcement instructions, interpreting roadside signage, understanding weather alerts, and coordinating with dispatchers, first responders and inspectors — often under intense pressure. English language proficiency is fundamental to every one of those responsibilities.

Across the United States, commercial trucks move agricultural products from rural communities, consumer goods through major interstate corridors and critical supplies to ports, factories, hospitals and distribution centers. From coast to coast, our economy relies on professional drivers to keep freight moving safely and efficiently. That makes strong, consistent safety standards not a regional concern, but a national imperative.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, questioned the need for truck drivers to speak English. (John Medina/Getty Images for MoveOn)

Federal law has long required commercial drivers to demonstrate English language proficiency for good reason. A commercial driver’s license is not a checkmark on a piece of paper — it is a promise to the public. It tells every motorist sharing the road that the person behind the wheel of that truck has been properly trained, evaluated and held to consistent safety standards. Weakening or downplaying those requirements undermines trust in the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) itself.

This debate cannot be divorced from a broader reality confronting the trucking industry. Across the country, regulators are uncovering bad actors who cut corners on training, falsify records, or exploit loopholes to push unqualified drivers onto public roads. These so-called “CDL mills” don’t just endanger safety — they devalue the hard work of legitimate drivers and reputable training schools that do things the right way.

As a training professional and chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), I see the difference every day between real, rigorous instruction and sham operations that promise “fast” or “guaranteed” licenses. True commercial driver training takes time. It involves classroom instruction, hands-on skills development, supervised behind-the-wheel training, and clear communication between instructors and students. None of that works without a shared language.

To be clear, this is not about exclusion. Trucking has always been a pathway to opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds. CVTA supports expanding the workforce — but growth must never come at the expense of safety. Lowering standards does not solve labor shortages; it creates more crashes, more fatalities, more scrutiny and, ultimately, fewer good jobs.

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Our drivers — professional men and women who earn their living the right way — deserve better than to have their work trivialized. Suggesting that language proficiency doesn’t matter insults the professionalism of drivers who take pride in mastering a demanding craft and meeting high expectations every single day.

The solution is not new laws or political talking points. The solution is consistent, nationwide enforcement of existing safety requirements. Regulators must fully enforce entry-level driver training rules, conduct meaningful audits and shut down fraudulent operators wherever they exist. Every state should continue partnering with federal agencies to ensure every CDL on the road represents real training, real accountability and real competence.

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When you see a truck in the next lane, you should be confident that the driver can read the signs, understand emergency instructions, and respond correctly in a crisis. That confidence begins with maintaining — and enforcing — standards that put safety first.

We owe that to our drivers and the traveling public.