Daily News Brief

 

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May 17, 2024 (Friday)

GLOBAL

Asia Pacific

1.       Russia, China Oppose 'Military Intimidation' against N. Korea by US, Allies: Report. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping issued the statement following a bilateral summit in Beijing, according to Russian news agency TASS.

2.       China Insists It Will Not Compromise on Taiwan. Chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of China in South Africa, Li Zhigang has reiterated that the Taiwan question bears on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and is a non-negotiable principle embedded at the heart of China’s core interests.

Russia/Europe/West

3.       China and Russia Reaffirm Their Close Ties as Moscow Presses its Offensive in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reaffirmed their “no-limits” partnership that has deepened as both countries face rising tensions with the West, and they criticized U.S. military alliances in Asia and the Pacific region.

REGIONAL

India/South Asia

4.       Communal Tensions Simmer in India’s Manipur State, 13 Abducted in One Week. Indian daily Hindustan Times while reporting the abductions said that the forces’ personnel told the newspaper that the actual number of those abducted may be even higher, as often families do not file police reports with those abducted include residents as well as Indian forces’ personnel.    

IIOJK

5.       Indian Troops Martyr Two Kashmiri Youth in Kupwara Fake Encounter. According to Kashmir Media Service, the youth were martyred by the Indian troops in a fake encounter staged during a cordon and search operation in Tangdhar area of the district.

Afghanistan

6.       Clashes Between Taliban & Pakistani Forces Continue in Paktia Province. Afghanistan International sources reported that the clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani border guards in the Dand Wa Patan district of Paktia province continued for the fourth day in a "scattered" manner.

Middle East/Africa

7.       U.S. Military Finishes Installing Offshore Pier to Provide Aid to Gaza. The U.S. military finished installing the pieces of a temporary pier that will be used to transport humanitarian aid into Gaza from the Mediterranean Sea, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Iran

8.       Iran-IAEA Cooperation: Tehran and Nuclear Watchdog Pledge to Solve Outstanding Issues.  Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, attended the event celebrating 50 years of Iranian Nuclear organisation, where the two sides discussed ways to implement a deal struck last year, on oversight of Iran's nuclear program.

INTERNAL

Security

9.      CTD Dismantles Network Behind Sectarian Assassinations in Karachi. Two individuals suspected of orchestrating sectarian killings were apprehended by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police who admitted to their involvement in the deaths of 13 individuals and injuring 11 others.

Economy

10.      Karachi No Longer Pakistan’s Economic Hub Amid Rising Crime and Investor Exodus, Governor Sindh. Addressing industrialists at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Kamran Tessori cited the rise in crime and dwindling investor confidence as primary reasons for this decline and noted that many industrialists are relocating their operations to other cities or abroad.

Politics

11.      IHC Judge Calls for ‘Death Penalty’ for Elements Behind Forced Disappearance. Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani called for the introduction of a law that would impose the death penalty on those responsible for enforced disappearances.