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Germany mulls purchase of US jets BERLIN: Germany is considering ordering more US-made F-35 fighter jets, two sources told Reuters, a move that would deepen Berlin’s reliance on American military technology as its joint next-generation fighter programme with France falters. One source said Berlin was in negotiations that could lead to the purchase of more than 35 additional jets. Germany purchased 35 of the aircraft in 2022 that are due to begin delivery later this year. The potential acquisition of more Lockheed Martin stealth fighters, at a cost of more than US$80 million (RM313 million) per plane, would follow pressure from Washington on European allies to increase defence spending. If all the potential purchases and existing orders come to fruition, Germany would have about 85 jets. However, the sources said the outcome was still uncertain. Germany’s Defence Ministry did not immediately comment while a Pentagon spokesperson referred questions to Germany. A spokesperson for defence contractor Lockheed Martin said the company was focused on building F-35s already ordered by Germany. Germany and France are deadlocked on their Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, a problem-plagued, 100-billion-euro effort launched in 2017 to build a next-generation aircraft to replace French, German and Spanish jets starting in 2040. A commitment by Germany to add F-35s to its arsenal would also have implications for Nato as the jet plays a key role in the alliance’s nuclear strategy. While insiders expect Germany and France to abandon a joint fighter jet, they anticipate the allies would continue to cooperate on drones and digital warfare infrastructure. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius last week said the fate of FCAS would become clear within days. – Reuters US to withdraw troops from Syria WASHINGTON: The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports. Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once key to fighting the Islamic State (IS) pledged to integrate into the state, the Wall Street Journal reported. Television network CBS also reported on the plan, citing unnamed US officials. The decision comes after US forces recently withdrew from some bases in Syria including Al-Tanf and Al-Shadadi, which were used in the US-led international coalition’s fight against IS. Washington has drawn close to Syria’s new authorities since the fall of Bashar al Assad in 2024, and has transferred thousands of IS fighters from prisons to secure facilities in Iraq. The US is also building up its military capabilities near Iran, where officials have vowed to respond to any attack by laying siege to American military outposts. US media reported on Wednesday that Washington would be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet. – AFP

UK cops arrest Andrew over alleged ties to Epstein

LONDON: King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor was arrested yesterday on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations that he sent confidential government documents to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the BBC reported. Thames Valley police said earlier this month officers were considering allegations that o Allegations include sharing confidential documents

documents relating to Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. The files suggested Mountbatten-Windsor had in 2010 forwarded to Epstein reports about Vietnam, Singapore and other places he had visited on official trips. Thames Valley police and the Crown Prosecution Service have previously said they were in discussions about the case. Police said allegations of misconduct in public office, which is a “Common Law” offence and so is not covered by written statute legislation, involved “particular complexities”. – Reuters

Sandringham estate in eastern England where Mountbatten Windsor now lives. The former prince, the second son of the late Queen Elizabeth, has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and said he regrets their friendship. However, he has not responded to requests for comment since the latest release of documents. There was no immediate comment from Buckingham Palace. Mountbatten-Windsor had been reported to police by the anti monarchy campaign group Republic following the release of more than three million pages of

Mountbatten-Windsor had passed documents to the late convicted sex offender, according to files released by the US government. “Thames Valley police have opened an investigation into an offence of misconduct in public office,” the force said in a statement on social media platform X. “A man in his sixties from Norfolk has been arrested and remains in police custody. As per national guidance, we will not name the arrested man.” Earlier newspapers had reported that six unmarked police cars and about eight plain clothed officers arrived at Wood Farm on the

Eight skiers missing in avalanche found dead LOS ANGELES:

Police on Wednesday said eight of the nine skiers missing in California after an avalanche have been found dead and one remains missing in severe blizzard conditions. Rescuers have been desperately searching for the group, which was caught in the avalanche on Tuesday at Castle Peak in the Tahoe area. Earlier, six skiers were found alive, two of whom were taken to hospital. “We are still looking for one of the members at this time,“ said Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon, adding that the storm is hampering any movement. “Extreme weather conditions I would say is an understatement, lots of snow and gale-force winds make it impossible to see.“ Ski resort school Sugar Bowl Academy said several of its skiers were involved, without identifying the individuals. “We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,“ said its executive director Stephen McMahon. “The best thing we could do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing.” Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the trip, said 11 clients and four guides had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and were “in the process of returning” back to base. Officials said more than 40 first responders launched the search, including “highly skilled rescue ski teams” from the Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Centre. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo urged the public to stay away until the weather clears. – AFP

Judge rejects mass detention decision BOSTON: A United States federal judge yesterday threw out an administrative board decision that endorsed the Trump REVERENT RECEPTION ... Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd as he arrives to hold a general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican. – REUTERSPIC

Sykes in a ruling in December declared the DHS policy unlawful but stopped short of vacating the board’s decision. However, she said it was clear further relief was needed after Chief Immigration Judge Teresa Riley issued guidance instructing her colleagues that they are not bound by Sykes’ ruling and that they should continue following the board’s decision. Those immigration judges are employed by the DOJ. Sykes criticised DHS for repeatedly and inaccurately suggesting that operations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement were limited to targeting criminal non-citizens who were the “worst of the worst.” “Maybe that phrase merely mirrors the severity and ill-natured conduct by the government. Although the press releases might contain an inkling of truth, they ignore a more dire reality.”– Reuters

Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), which oversee the board, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under federal immigration law, “applicants for admission” to the US are subject to mandatory detention while their cases proceed in immigration courts and are ineligible for bond hearings. Bucking a long-standing interpretation of the law, DHS last year, as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, took the position that non-citizens already residing in the US, and not only those who arrive at a port of entry at the border, qualify as applicants for admission. The Board of Immigration Appeals, which is part of the DOJ, issued a decision in September which adopted that interpretation, leading to immigration judges nationally employed by the department to mandate detention.

administration’s policy of placing thousands of individuals arrested during its immigration crackdown in mandatory detention without a chance to be released on bond. US District Judge Sunshine Sykes vacated the decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals after finding the administration had failed to comply with an earlier order she issued declaring the underlying policy unlawful. Sykes called the administration’s actions “shameless” and accused it of trying to “continue their campaign of illegal action” by still refusing to grant bond hearings even after her ruling. “Respondents have far crossed the boundaries of constitutional conduct.” The Department of Homeland