Daily News Brief

 

February 1, 2024 (Thursday)

Asia Pacific

1.       Philippine Island Facing Taiwan Eyed for Next Exercises with US. An island in the northernmost Philippines is being eyed as the next location of an annual US-Philippines joint military exercise known as “Balikatan.”   

2.       Hackers Linked to Chinese Govt are Targeting US Infrastructure: FBI Chief. Hackers linked to the Chinese government are targeting critical infrastructure in the United States, preparing to cause “real-world harm” to Americans, FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to tell a House of Representatives panel.

Russia/Europe/West

3.       Russia Defense Minister Shoigu Urges Faster Artillery Production. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has told military manufacturers to “stop fooling around” and further increase the production of self-propelled artillery systems.

4.       UK Lawmakers Warn Russia Skirting Oil Sanctions with ‘Shadow’ Tankers. There is “growing evidence” that Russia is using “shadow tanker fleets” to circumvent a Western oil price cap, a watchdog committee of British lawmakers warned.

India/South Asia

5.       US Blocks $3-Billion Drone Sale to India over Pannun Assassination Conspiracy. The US government has held back delivery of 31 MQ-9A Sea Guardian and Sky Guardian drones to India until New Delhi carries out a “meaningful investigation” into the conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

6.       Three More Killed in Violence-Hit Manipur. Three “armed” Meitei persons were killed in a gunfight with Kuki groups. The gunfight between the Meitei and Kuki groups took place at Nakhujang and Bethel areas along the boundary of Manipur’s Kuki-dominated Kangpokpi district and the Meitei-dominated Imphal West district, a senior police official in Kangpokpi told media.

7.       Hate Crime Tracker Hindutva Watch Blocked in India. The website of Hindutva Watch, a United States-based independent research project that documents hate crimes against religious minorities in India, is no longer accessible in India, days after government officials warned its founder that they might block it.

IIOJK

8.       Srinagar Records Driest Jan in 58 Years. A Meteorological Department official in Srinagar said that this January was driest in Srinagar in the last 58 years. He said January saw minimal snowfall at most places in occupied Kashmir with Srinagar recording driest in 58 years during the first 30 days this season.         

9.       Modi Regime Seizes Properties of Two More Civilians in IIOJK. Indian police and dreaded agencies seized an under-construction house of Aijaz Ahmad Ganai in Kulgam and the house of Baldev Raj alias Raju in Bishnah area of Jammu district. The police dubbed them as drug smugglers and peddlers to justify the illegal move of confiscation of their properties.

Afghanistan

10.      Pakistan Reaffirms Commitment to Afghan Peace. As the representatives from 10 regional countries gathered in Kabul for a Regional Countries Conference on Afghanistan, Pakistan reiterated its commitment to peace and prosperity in the war-torn country.

11.      Kabul: We Do Not Seek Joint Operations Against Daesh. The Islamic Emirate said that it does not need the cooperation of other countries in fighting against Daesh in Afghanistan.

Middle East/Africa

12.      Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah Suspends Military Operations on US Forces. Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah announced the suspension of all its military operations against US troops in the region, in a decision aimed at preventing “embarrassment” to the Iraqi government, the group said in a statement.

13.      Houthis Threaten More Attacks Against Western Warships. Yemen’s Houthi militia has stated it plans more attacks on United States and British warships.

Iran

14.      IRGC Chief Says Iran Does Not Fear War with US.  US threats against Iran will not be left unanswered, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, adding that Tehran is not afraid of direct military confrontation with Washington.

15.      Iran to Implement Visa Waiver for 32 Countries. “Citizens of the designated countries, as announced earlier, will no longer require visas to travel to Iran starting from 4 Feb. Instead, they can simply purchase a ticket to visit the country,” Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary, and Iranian Expatriates Affairs said.

PAKISTAN

Security

16.      Army Top Brass Asserts Zero Tolerance for Violence During Political Activity. The Pakistan Army’s top brass resolved to not allow anyone to indulge in violence in the name of political activity and sabotage the “quintessential democratic exercise of conduct of free and fair elections”.

17.      PTI-Affiliated Candidate Shot Dead While Canvassing in Bajaur. A PTI-affiliated independent candidate was shot dead in the Siddiqabad area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, according to police.

Economy

18.      Govt Seeks $30b for Gas Production. Pakistan made a pitch for a $30 billion foreign and local investment in gas production aimed at puncturing a ballooning energy import bill projected to nearly double to $31 billion in seven years in a business-as-usual scenario.

Politics

19.      ECP Calls Meeting Tomorrow to Discuss Deteriorating Law and Order Situation in KP, Balochistan. In a notification issued, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the electoral watchdog said the meeting would be attended by the interior minister, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Balochistan and KP, provincial police chiefs and officials of intelligence agencies.

20.      Toshakhana Reference: Imran Khan, Wife Sentenced to 14 Years. In yet another development, former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in jail with rigorous punishment in the Toshakhana case.