Daily News Brief
February 22, 2024 (Thursday)
Asia Pacific
1. Taiwan
Completes Fielding of New Anti-Drone Weapons. Part of a 4.6-billion New Taiwan dollar
($146-million) program, it will bolster the drone defense capabilities of more
than 40 military bases across the small island nation.
2. US, European
Parts Found in North Korean Missile in Ukraine: Report. The remains of a North Korean ballistic missile
recovered in Ukraine contained components with the marks of companies
headquartered in the United States and Europe, a weapons tracking organization
said.
Russia/Europe/West
3. UK Has ‘Confidence’ in Nuclear System Despite
Misfire. The UK
government said that it had “absolute confidence” in its Trident nuclear
deterrent system despite a reported missile test failure.
4. EU Approves New Sanctions Against Russia over Ukraine War. European Union members have approved a 13th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, banning nearly 200 additional entities and individuals accused of involvement in the two-year conflict.
India/South Asia
5. Indian
Farmers Resume Delhi Protest Push after Talks Fail. Thousands of Indian farmers riding tractors
prepared to resume their push towards New Delhi after failing to reach a deal
with the government on their demands for higher crop prices.
6. Tension
Escalates as Indian Police Open Fire on Farmers in Punjab; One Killed, 25
Injured. Amid escalating
tension, a 20-year-old farmer protester lost his life, and 25 others sustained
injuries as Indian police fired bullets and tear gas shells on protesting
farmers at the Khanauri border in Punjab, India.
7. India Renews
Push to Make Argentina First Foreign User of Tejas. The Indian Embassy in
Buenos Aires recently announced a meeting between Ambassador Dinesh Bhatia and
Argentine Air Force official Fernando Luis Mengo to discuss the potential
purchase of the Tejas and Indian-made rotary-wing platforms. The new government
of Argentinian President Javier Milei has been looking for a new fighter jet to
bolster the country’s aerial fleet after it decommissioned its Dassault Mirage
jets in 2015.
IIOJK
8. X
(Formerly Twitter) Account Of Greater Kashmir Hacked. According to Kashmir Media Service, the development
came to light earlier today when unauthorized posts began appearing on the
newspaper’s Twitter handle, prompting immediate action to secure the account.
Greater Kashmir swiftly escalated the issue to Twitter authorities, seeking
assistance in restoring access and investigating the breach.
9. Indian Authorities Criticized for Inaction Amidst
Snowfall Woes in IIOJK. As Kashmir
Valley grapples with heavy snowfall and subsequent road closures, Indian
authorities face mounting criticism for their failure in addressing the
grievances of locals as well as travelers in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Afghanistan
10. Engagement
with Afghanistan De Facto Govt ‘Important’: Russia.
The Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN
said that the world’s engagement with the Islamic Emirate is important.
11. UNSC to
Hold Private Meeting on Afghanistan.
On 26 February, the United Nations Security Council will hold a private meeting
on Afghanistan, the chargé d'affaires of the Afghanistan Permanent Mission to
the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, told TOLOnews.
Middle
East/Africa
12. Israeli Missile Attack Hits High-Security District
in Syrian Capital. Several Israeli
missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district in Syria’s
capital Damascus, Syrian state media reported.
13. US Urges UN Court Not to Order Israel out of
Palestinian Lands. The United States said a call for withdrawal of
Israel from occupied territories in Palestine requires to take into account
Israel's real security needs speaking at the International Criminal Court of
Justice (ICJ).
Iran
14. Iran Sends
Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles to Russia. Iran has provided Russia with a large
number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, six sources told
Reuters, deepening the military cooperation between the two US-sanctioned
countries.
15. Iran Invites IAEA Chief to Attend Conference in May. Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said that Tehran has invited the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi to visit in May.
PAKISTAN
Security
16. CTD Conduct
Search, Combining Operation in Aabpara.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Islamabad Capital Police has
conducted a search and combing operation at Aabpara police station jurisdiction
to flush out the suspects and other criminal elements from the area, a public
relations officer said.
17. Tensions
Rise as Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, TTP Clash in Loralai. In this clash, a senior commander of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar,
identified as Qari Ismail or Ziaur Rahman, sustained severe injuries in a
deadly attack in the Lala Pul area of District Loralai. Other members of
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar have confirmed that this confrontation is part of an ongoing
conflict between rival factions Target Killing and Dharo. Qari Ismail, a
prominent commander for the past decade, hails from Khyber district in KP.
Economy
18. Budget
Deficit Increases to Rs8.54tr.
The interim government has made major revisions to this fiscal year’s budget,
significantly increasing the federal budget deficit to a new record high of
Rs8.54 trillion but cutting the external loans estimates by over $6 billion due
to the non-materialisation of Eurobonds and foreign commercial loans.
19. Shares at
PSX Rally 1,000 Points over ‘Clarity’ on Govt Formation. Bulls dominated the trading floor of the
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as shares gained over 1,000 points, with analysts
attributing the gains to consensus over the formation of the government.
Politics
20. After PPP, PML-N Woos Other Coalition Partners for Govt Formation. In a flurry of political meetings, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) continued its efforts towards government formation by striking agreements with various coalition partners, following a recent power-sharing accord with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
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