February 21, 2024 (Wednesday)

China has criticized the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, stating that it sends the wrong message and gives a green light to the continued slaughter. The US has argued that the Algerian-proposed resolution would jeopardize talks to end the war and has proposed its own temporary ceasefire resolution, which also warns Israel not to invade the city of Rafah.
Algeria's resolution was supported by 13 out of 15 members of the UN Security Council, with the UK abstaining. However, any resolution vetoed by one of the five permanent members, including the US, is immediately thrown out.
The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 29,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. More than a million displaced Palestinians, about half of the Strip's population, are living in squalid conditions in Rafah, with limited access to safe drinking water and food.
The US decision to block Algeria's resolution has been widely condemned, with China's UN ambassador stating that the claim that the motion would interfere with diplomatic negotiations is "totally untenable." The conflict in Gaza is seen as destabilizing the entire Middle East region and increasing the risk of a wider war.

Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, including the Fateh-110 family of short-range ballistic weapons such as the Zolfaghar. The missiles have a range of 300 to 700 km and are considered precision weapons.
The shipments of missiles began in early January after a deal was finalized between Iranian and Russian military and security officials. There have been at least four shipments so far, with more expected in the coming weeks.
Some of the missiles were sent to Russia by ship via the Caspian Sea, while others were transported by plane.
The United States has expressed concerns about Russia acquiring short-range ballistic weapons from Iran, in addition to missiles already sourced from North Korea.
The Fateh-110 family of missiles and the Zolfaghar are considered precision weapons, unlike the ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea to Russia, which were described as unreliable on the battlefield.

Pakistan has signed a groundbreaking deal with Miracle Saltworks Collective Incorporated, an American firm, to boost the extraction and utilization of Himalayan Pink Salt.
The agreement, facilitated by the Ministry of Energy and SIFC, marks a significant milestone in Pakistan's mineral development efforts.
The collaboration between Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation and Miracle Saltworks Collective Inc. is expected to bring substantial economic benefits to Pakistan and attract foreign investors to the country's fast-growing mineral sector.
Foreign investors have expressed keen interest in investing in Pakistan following the successful conclusion of the agreement.
The Ministry of Energy emphasized the pivotal role played by SIFC in promoting foreign investment in Pakistan.

Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio presented a populist critique of American support for Ukraine's war effort, emphasizing the "world of scarcity" and the need to prioritize resources and focus on Asia rather than Ukraine.
The argument for prioritizing Asia over Ukraine frustrates Ukraine hawks, who believe it privileges hypothetical aggression over real aggression and potential future threats over current conflicts.
The argument assumes that China is serious about taking Taiwan soon and that defeating Putin in the 2020s will deter China in the 2030s.
The second presumption is that Taiwan falling to China would have a greater negative impact on the world compared to Ukraine ceding territory or facing defeat. Taiwan's long-standing American commitment and its status as a mature democracy make it a more significant concern.

The United States has argued before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel should not be unconditionally ordered to withdraw from the Palestinian territories without security guarantees.
The US State Department's legal adviser, Richard Visek, stated that any movement towards Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza must consider Israel's security needs.
Visek referred to a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the death of at least 1,139 people and the seizure of around 250 hostages.
In response to the attack, Israel launched a devastating assault on Gaza, resulting in the death of more than 29,000 people according to Palestinian authorities.

India and Pakistan reinstated a cease-fire along the Line of Control (LOC) and all other sectors in Kashmir on February 24-25, 2021, which marked the third anniversary of the agreement. However, the cease-fire is fragile and needs bolstering to be maintained.
The reinstatement of the cease-fire occurred at a significant time in the politics of both countries, with Pakistan conducting national elections on February 8, 2024, and India preparing for national elections mandated constitutionally no later than this summer.
The confluence of these political forces creates uncertainty for the India-Pakistan relationship, potentially jeopardizing the cease-fire that has provided stability and allowed leaders to focus on other pressing needs within their respective countries.
The agreement to reinstate the cease-fire followed a contentious period in India-Pakistan relations, with both countries conducting air strikes on each other in February 2019, marking the first time one nuclear-armed state used airpower on the territory of another nuclear-armed state.

A British Trident nuclear missile experienced a misfire during testing, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the UK's deterrent.
This is the second incident in recent years, with a missile fired by HMS Vengeance malfunctioning in 2016.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed the "anomaly" but stated that it had no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpiles.
The UK's nuclear-armed submarines carry American-built Trident 2 D5 nuclear missiles, which can fire at targets over 6,000 kilometers away.
Each Vanguard-class submarine can hold up to 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles, but typically carries up to eight Trident rockets and up to 40 nuclear warheads.
The V-class submarines are set to be replaced by the larger Dreadnought-class submarines in the 2030s.
The replacement program for the Vanguard-class submarines has a budget of between £31 billion and £41 billion.

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