The Press Roundup

 

January 16, 2024 (Tuesday)

Curated Summary

Shakib: We mediate, but not accommodate TTP in Afghanistan (Tolo News)

  • The Islamic Emirate's mediation between Pakistan and the TTP does not mean it is accommodating the TTP in Afghanistan.
  • No armed groups are allowed to use Afghan soil, and the Islamic Emirate does not allow armed people to operate against anyone.
  • The Islamic Emirate wants good relations with all neighboring countries and has taken steps to address Pakistan's concerns.
  • The migration of a large number of people from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 2014 was due to military operations by the Pakistani army in tribal areas of Waziristan.
  • The Islamic Emirate does not oppose anyone, interfere in someone's affairs, or support anyone through mediation.
  • The process of deporting Afghan refugees from Pakistan is ongoing normally, and most refugees return voluntarily.

Philippines to develop islands in South China Sea: Military chief (CNA)

  • The Philippines plans to develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to improve living conditions for troops.
  • The Philippines occupies nine features in the South China Sea, including Thitu island (also known as Pag-asa), which is the largest and strategically important.
  • The military aims to install desalination machines and communications equipment on Thitu and Nanshan islands to make them more habitable for soldiers.
  • The plan does not include fortifying the Sierra Madre, a World War II-vintage ship grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999.
  • The Philippines is also focusing on acquiring more ships, radars, and aircraft as part of its territorial defense strategy.
  • The South China Sea is a major trade route, with competing claims of sovereignty from Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Iran's guards attack Israel's 'espionage centres' in Iraq, state media says (RNZ)

  • Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have attacked the "espionage headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's Kurdistan region and also targeted the Islamic State in Syria. They used ballistic missiles to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups.

  • The attacks took place near Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, and explosions were heard in a neighborhood near the US consulate and civilian residences. However, no US facilities were impacted by the missile strikes.

  • At least four civilians were killed and six injured in the strikes on Erbil. Among the victims was Peshraw Dizayee, a multimillionaire Kurdish businessman who had close ties to the ruling Barzani clan. His family members were also killed in the attack.

  • One rocket fell on the house of a senior Kurdish intelligence official, and another hit a Kurdish intelligence center. 

  • The Border Security Forces (BSF) has issued a 15-day special alert named 'Operation Sard Hawa' along the India-Pakistan border ahead of Republic Day. The alert is in place in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
  • The alert is in response to potential terrorist threats, including infiltration by foreign terrorists through launch pads in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the smuggling of weapons and drugs from Pakistan to India using pre-programmed drones.
  • The intelligence report suggests that Pakistan Rangers and ISI are aiding in these activities.
  • Additionally, the report mentions preparations to deliver weapons to Khalistani supporters in Punjab and Rajasthan, with the aim of creating unrest on Republic Day.
  • Security has been increased at various border points, including the Attari Border, Kartarpur Corridor, and Hussainiwala Borders.
  • Palestinians will govern the Gaza Strip after the war with Israel ends, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday.
  • "At the end of the war there won't be a military threat from Gaza. Hamas won't be able to rule and function as a military force in the Gaza Strip."
  • He said the future government would be a "civilian alternative" but insisted that Israeli forces would have the "freedom of operation" in a way aimed at protecting Israeli citizens.
  • Relief could be on the horizon for Pakistan's beleaguered finances, as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reportedly considering a one-year rollover of a $2 billion loan maturing this week.
  • The loan, split into two parts - $1 billion at 3% interest and another $1 billion at 6.5% - was originally due on January 23.
  • The sources said that while formal confirmation is yet to arrive, officials are optimistic about securing the rollover.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia forge stronger bonds: Joint military exercise kicks off (Samaa)

  • Marking a new chapter in military cooperation, a contingent of the Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) arrived at Lahore Air Base this week, kicking off a comprehensive 45-day joint training exercise with the Pakistan Army.
  • The joint exercises will be conducted in two phases, with the first taking place at Okara Garrison and the second in Khairpur Tamewali.
  • The 45-day training program signifies a renewed commitment to strengthen the military partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. By sharing knowledge, building interoperability, and honing their skills together, both armies are equipping themselves to tackle future challenges and contribute to regional security.

PM Kakar to invite global funding under SIFC at Davos (Dawn)

  • Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar will invite the international community to invest in Pakistan under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) initiative at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Switzerland.
  • PM Kakar will deliver a keynote address on the theme "Trade tech's trillion dollar promise" and attend three key thematic events at the WEF summit.
  • He will also hold meetings with government and business leaders and lead an "Invest in Pakistan" event.
  • The WEF annual meeting aims to focus on fundamental principles driving trust, introduce advances in science, industry, and society, and provide foresight in an increasingly complex environment.

The 'dirty dozen' of Davos (Politico)

  • Political leaders, business titans, philanthropists and celebrities descend on Davos to discuss the fate of the world and make deals. But the guest list is still full of autocrats, dictators, thugs, extortionists and political pariahs.
  • 1. Argentine President Javier Milay. Known as Argentina's Donald Trump and as "Madman" and "Wig", chainsaw-wielding Javier Milay has it all: fanatical supporters, TV experience, libertarian anarcho-capitalist politics, and... a memorable hairstyle.
  • 2. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Rumour has it that he will attend the WEF for the first time in person, accompanied by a huge entourage of high-ranking Saudi officials. According to US intelligence, the prince ordered the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
  • 3. Jared Kushner, founder of Affinity Partners, who is married to Ivanka Trump and served as a senior adviser to the former president during his administration. He used his time in the White House to build a successful consulting career focused primarily on the Middle East.
  • 4. Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan. Running Azerbaijan is something of a family business for the Aliyevs - Ilham came to power after the death of his father, Heydar Aliyev, a former Soviet KGB officer who ruled the country for decades.
  • 5. Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang. He became famous for rigidly shutting down the entire city of Shanghai for several weeks during a coronavirus pandemic, leaving 25-plus million residents locked in their homes, eventually bringing down the city's economy.
  • 6. Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The former military officer changed Rwanda's constitution to abolish inconvenient term limits and cement his firm grip on the levers of power, while suppressing dissent.
  • 7. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Forced out of office in 2018 by mass protests, Fico rose from the political ashes to become prime minister of Slovakia for the fourth time late last year. His Smer party campaigned in favour of Putin, pledging to end all military support for Ukraine.
  • 8. Hungarian President Katalin Novak must have drawn the short straw: she was sent to Davos to raise the flag of an EU rogue state. Given her background, one might think Novak is a cutting-edge feminist seeking to inspire women to aspire to stardom. But this staunch social conservative is a hero of the international anti-abortion, anti-equality and feminist movement.
  • 9. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Having inherited his office from his father, the longtime autocrat Hun Sen, Hun Manet shows no signs of wanting to reform or modernise Cambodia.
  • 10. Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim al-Thani. How has a small kingdom of 2.6 million people in the Persian Gulf managed to play a starring role in so many explosive scandals? For example, did the emirate's officials know of plans for an attack on Israel on 7 October by Hamas, of which Qatar is the largest financial backer.
  • 11. Polish President Andrzej Duda. If you compare Duda to some of the others on this list, he seems to fall short. But Duda is a man of yesterday. As the last representative of Poland's nationalist Law and Justice party, Duda is clinging hard to his relevance, doing his best to act as a spoiler against the Donald Tusk-led government.
  • 12. Amin Nasser, CEO of Aramco. If you read Aramco's press releases, you might assume that it is the world's biggest proponent of the green energy transition. Spoiler alert - that's far from the case. The company is one of the biggest corporate polluters of the environment.

Putin is making his plans brutally clear (The New York Times)

  • New Year's Eve is an important holiday in Ukraine, but due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, celebrations are being held in bomb shelters.
  • In 2023, there were over 6,000 air alerts in Ukraine, indicating the frequency of attacks.
  • Russia launched 624 drones carrying explosives in a single month, and on December 29, more than 120 Russian missiles and drones targeted towns in Ukraine, resulting in the death of 44 people.
  • The attack on December 29 was the deadliest on civilians in Kyiv since the beginning of the war.
  • Russia's strikes have increased as attempts to authorize more funding for Ukraine have stalled in the US Congress and in Europe.
  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for changes to the constitution to designate South Korea as the "primary foe" and emphasized that his country is not avoiding war if it were to happen. He stated that unification with the South is no longer possible and accused Seoul of seeking regime collapse and unification by absorption.
  • Kim proposed amending the constitution to educate North Koreans that South Korea is the "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" and to define the North's territory as separate from the South. He also called for the severing of all inter-Korean communication and the destruction of a monument to reunification in Pyongyang.
  • South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized North Korea's stance, calling it "anti-national" for labeling the South as a hostile country.
  • Analysts suggest that North Korea's foreign ministry could take over relations with Seoul, potentially justifying the use of nuclear weapons against the South in a future war. These new policies by Kim could lead to significant changes in inter-Korean relations and regional dynamics.

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