Daily News Brief

 

Asia Pacific

1.      Kim Jong Un Tells Army to ‘Annihilate’ South Korea, US if Provoked. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” South Korea and the United States if they initiate a military confrontation in another round of bellicose rhetoric targeting Seoul and Washington.

2.      China’s Xi Terms Taiwan Reunification ‘Inevitable’. China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address striking a stronger tone than he did last year with less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader.

Russia/Europe/West

3.      Ukraine Says Foiled ‘Record’ Number of Drone Attacks on New Year’s Eve. Ukraine said it had foiled a “record” number of Russian drones on the night of New Year’s Eve after a week of escalation in the nearly two-year conflict.

4.      Putin Says Russia Will ‘Intensify’ Attacks on Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow will intensify strikes on military targets in Ukraine after an unprecedented attack over the weekend on the Russian city of Belgorod.

India/South Asia

5.     India’s Crude Oil Imports from Top Russian Supplier Plunge on Payment Issues. India’s crude oil imports from its largest supplier Russia plunged in December to their lowest since January 2023, as six tankers carrying Sokol grade oil could not deliver due to payment issues amid tightening sanctions, according to data intelligence company Kpler.

6.     India Largest Arms Importer in 2023. Obsessed with accumulating more and more weapon to foment war hysteria, India under Narendra Modi purchased weapons worth over Rs 3.50 trillion in 2023, ranked 3rd in global military spenders list, following the U.S. and China, and the largest arms importer since 2018.

7.     President of Maldives Likely to Travel to China in January. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu is likely to be travelling to China soon, which will mean that he is the first head of the Maldives to travel to Beijing before he gets to New Delhi.

IIOJK

8.      Indian Troops Martyred 120 Kashmiris in 2023. Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 120 innocent Kashmiris including four women and as many boys during the year 2023 in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.     

9.     Pakistan Condemns Ban on Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in IIOJK. Pakistan has strongly condemned the Indian authorities' decision to declare the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in Jammu and Kashmir as an 'unlawful association' for duration of five years.

Afghanistan

10.  Tajikistan, Pakistan Nationals Involved in Attacks: Yaqoob Mujahid. The acting Defense Minister talked about the presence of Tajikistan and Pakistan fighters in attacks in Afghanistan. Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said that during their operations in recent years, several of these fighters were killed and dozens of others were arrested.

11.  Chief of Pakistan’s Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam to Visit Afghanistan. Pakistani media reported that a delegation of religious scholars, headed by the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI-F) chief Mualana Fazal Ur Rehman, is set to travel to Afghanistan on 3 Jan.

Middle East/Africa

12.    Israel Says Gaza War to Continue Throughout 2024. Israel’s war in Gaza will continue throughout 2024, a military spokesman said, insisting that the country was preparing for “prolonged fighting” against Hamas fighters.

13.   Armed Drone Shot Down over Iraq’s Ain Assad Air Base. Defense systems shot down an armed drone over Ain Assad air base that hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, Iraqi army sources told Reuters.

Iran

14.     Iran Says Prospect for ‘Sanctions-Lifting’ Talks Over Nuclear Deal ‘Still Exists’.  Iran said it is open to fresh talks around its nuclear program with world powers that had been overshadowed by the deadly war in Gaza.

15.      Iran's Alborz Warship Passes Through Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Enters Red Sea. The Iranian Navy’s 94th flotilla of warships, comprising of Alborz destroyer, entered the Red Sea amid heightening tensions in the strategic maritime route, Tasnim news agency reported.

Security

16.    Pakistan, India Exchange Lists of Nuclear Installations. The list of Pakistan’s nuclear installations was officially handed over to a representative of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Office said in a statement. 

17.    Terrorist Attacks Kill Nearly 1,000 Pakistanis in 2023. Militant attacks across Pakistan killed around 500 civilians and a similar number of security forces in 2023, the highest number of fatalities the country has experienced in six years, according to a new report released.

Economy

18.     Auto Companies Fail to Get Permanent Manufacturing License in Pakistan. Three auto companies faced manufacturing license suspension for the second time as the companies failed to meet the conditions related to the export and localization of vehicles in Pakistan.

19.      Pakistan’s Headline Inflation Reading Clocks in at 29.7% in December. Pakistan’s headline inflation clocked in at 29.7% on a year-on-year basis in December, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said, marginally higher than the reading in November when it stood at 29.29%. On a month-on-month basis, the reading was up 0.8%.

Politics

20.      PTI’s Contempt Plea on Level Playing Field Fixed for Hearing. The Supreme Court (SC) fixed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) contempt plea on the level playing field for hearing on 3 January.