Daily News Brief

 January 4, 2024 (Thursday)

Asia Pacific

1.       The Philippines, US Begin Joint Patrol in South China Sea. The Philippines and the United States began a two-day joint patrol in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said in a statement, a move that would likely irk China.

2.      South Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicles to Receive Anti-Motion Sickness Tech. Hyundai Mobis will implement healthcare technology into the Republic of Korea Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles that will decrease soldiers’ motion sickness. The agreement supports efforts to enhance the performance of expeditionary warfighters traveling and operating across maritime and terrestrial domains.

Russia/Europe/West

3.       Norway Sends 2 Fighter Jets to Denmark for Ukraine Training Mission. Norway will send two F-16 fighter jets to Denmark to contribute to the training of Ukrainian pilots on the use of the US-made airplane, the Norwegian defense minister said.

4.       Ukrainian Missiles Target Russian Border Regions. Ukraine has launched air attacks on regions in Russia and occupied east Ukraine as the recent escalation of the war between the two countries continued.

India/South Asia

5.       7 Indian Forces’ Personnel Injured in Fresh Attack in Violence-Hit Manipur. The attack occurs a day after the killing of four persons in Thoubal that prompted the authorities to tighten night curfew.

6.       India, UAE Launch Maiden Military Exercise ‘Desert Cyclone’. The Indian and UAE armies have commenced their first-ever joint military training exercise called ‘Desert Cyclone’ in Rajasthan on 2 Jan. The drills aim to enhance counter-insurgency capabilities in desert terrain.

7.       Sri Lanka Imposes One-Year Port Ban on Chinese Research Vessels. Sri Lanka's government is reported to have told China that it is imposing a one-year moratorium on Chinese research vessels from docking in the country’s ports. The government under pressure from India and the United States had reportedly previously moved to ban the Chinese vessels from conducting deep-sea research in its exclusive economic zone.

IIOJK

8.       Fire Damages Indian BSF Mess Barrack in Srinagar. According to Kashmir Media Service, the fire broke out in a barrack, housing officer mess, office, and dining hall, causing extensive damage to the property in Sanat Nagar area of the city.     

9.       India to Screen, Profile Kashmiris in IIOJK. After subjecting IIOJK to draconian state policies and measures, the Narendra Modi-led government is now planning to equip its forces with a comprehensive database of Kashmiris' fingerprints enabling them to conduct screening and profiling of the residents of the occupied valley.

Afghanistan

10.      Pakistan's Deportations of Afghans Has Decreased: Taliban. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the deportation of Afghan refugees by Pakistan has recently dropped compared to the initial days when Pakistan began expelling undocumented Afghans from its soil in early November last year.

11.      Natural Disasters Killed 100s, Destroyed 70,000 Acres Since March. The State Ministry for Disaster Management Affairs said that 350 people died in various natural disasters in the past nine months in the country.

Middle East/Africa

12.      Palestinians Protest Killing of Senior Hamas Official in Lebanon. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have protested the killing of Hamas’s deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri who was targeted by a drone strike in Lebanon. The UN is calling for restraint, saying the Beirut attack risks a devastating escalation in the region.

13.      Explosions Reported Near Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Strait: UK Agency. British maritime security agency UKMTO reported explosions near a cargo ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.

Iran

14.      More Than 100 Killed in Terrorist Attacks Near Tomb of Qassem Soleimani.  Two explosions caused by terrorist attacks killed more than 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate top commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a US drone in 2020, Iranian officials said.

15.      Israel's Terror Machine 'Real Threat' to Regional Security, Peace: Iran FM. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has denounced as a “cowardly terrorist operation” the Israeli assassination of the deputy head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, stressing that the regime’s terror machine is a "real threat" to regional peace and security.

PAKISTAN

Security

16.      Case Registered in Mir Ali Barber Murders, TTP Disavows Involvement. The case was filed based on the complaint lodged by SHO Mir Ali, Sulaiman Khan, indicating that the victims, originally from Dera Ghazi Khan, were abducted from Tariq Market in Mir Ali Bazar before being mercilessly killed. The region is known to be affected by the activities of terrorist groups such as Haidari Ariana and Khadri. 

17.      JUI-F Leader Survives Bomb Attack in Bajaur. A Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidate for the general elections survived a bomb attack when his vehicle was targeted with a remote-controlled device in Bajaur, Express News reported.

Economy

18.      Exports Rise to 18-Month High. Pakistan’s trade deficit contracted by over 40% last month due to a continued tight lid on imports and, for the first time, a better performance in exports in this fiscal year that crossed $2.8 billion – the highest mark in one and a half years.

Politics

19.      Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry indicted in ECP Contempt Case. Ex-Prime Minister and founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry were indicted in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) contempt case.

20.      PTI Stripped of ‘Bat’ Symbol Again as PHC Restores ECP Decision. The Peshawar High Court (PHC) restored a decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that had denied the ‘bat’ symbol to Pakitstan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) and termed its intra-party elections illegal.