Daily News Brief

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April 3, 2024 (Wednesday)

GLOBAL

Asia Pacific

1.       Russia, China Catching Up to U.S. in Space Weaponry, New Report Finds. The Secure World Foundation released its annual report, “Global Counterspace Capabilities: An Open Source Assessment,” that sheds light on the growing space arms race between the United States, Russia and China.

2.       North Korea Fires an Intermediate-Range Missile into its Eastern Waters: South Korea. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from an area near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and flew about 600 kilometers (372 miles) before landing in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Russia/Europe/West

3.       Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Russian Refinery, Drone Plant. A dozen people were injured in dawn Ukrainian drone strikes on oil-refining and other military-industrial targets deep inside southern Russia.

REGIONAL

India/South Asia

4.       Indian Troops Kill Nine Youth in Chhattisgarh. According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, along with forces from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), District Reserve Guard and Special Task Force killed the youth during an operation in a forest near Lendra village of Bijapur district of the state.

5.       Indian Navy Detects Four Chinese Vessels in Indian Ocean, Issues No-Fly Zone Notice. A total of four Chinese research and survey vessels in the Indian Ocean Region has been detected by the Indian Navy P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). India has issued a fresh NOTAM for 3 and 4 April over the Bay of Bengal delineating a substantial no-fly zone encompassing areas over the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region.

IIOJK

6.       In a First, IAF Conducts Trial Run on Srinagar-Jammu Highway. In a first of its kind, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted overnight trial run on 3.5 km-long emergency landing strip on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Bijbehara area of Islamabad district in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Afghanistan

7.       Ex-Intelligence Chief: Daesh Split into Three Factions in Afghanistan. Amid growing concerns about the threat posed by Daesh’s Khorasan branch, or ISIS-K, Rahmatullah Nabil, the former intelligence chief of Afghanistan, said that the group has fragmented into three distinct factions within the country, each harboring different perspectives and objectives.

Middle East/Africa

8.       World Central Kitchen Halts Operations in Gaza after Strike Kills Staff. International food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) is suspending its operations in Gaza following the death of seven of its workers in an Israeli air strike.

Iran

9.       UN Chief Condemns Strike on Iran Consulate in Syria.  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned a strike on an Iranian consular annex building in Syria one day earlier, his spokesman said, after the attack, which Tehran has blamed on Israel, killed at least 13 people.

INTERNAL

Security

10.      CTD Arrests 22 Suspected Militants from Punjab. The CTD spokesperson said that the terrorists were arrested from Lahore, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Bahawalnagar, and Rawalpindi while some terrorists were arrested from Chiniot, Pakpattan, Khanewal, Chakwal, Attock, and Sargodha.

Economy

11.      Pakistan's FY24 Economic Outlook Remains Bleak, Warns World Bank. The World Bank (WB) projected Pakistan's economy to grow by only 1.8% in the current fiscal year ending June 2024, stressing the need for structural reforms, as inflationary burdens have sent nearly 40% of the population below the poverty line.

Politics

12.      Ruling Alliance Sweeps Senate Polls with PPP Grabbing 11, PML-N Six Seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took the lead in the Senate polls with 11 seats, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) clinched six seats while the Muttahida Qaudmi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and an independent candidate Faisal Vawda secured one seat each.