Category: World

Islamabad–Dhaka | Pakistan has formally acknowledged discussions with Bangladesh on a potential defence agreement that could include the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, signalling a possible expansion of military and strategic cooperation between the two South Asian neighbours. According to reports cited by the Daily Star, senior air force leadership from both countries met in Islamabad for detailed deliberations on defence collaboration. The talks were held between Bangladesh Air Force Chief Hasan Mahmood Khan and Pakistan Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, with a focus on…

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New Delhi: India and three major European nations—Germany, France and Poland—held the inaugural India–Weimar format meeting, marking a new diplomatic platform aimed at deepening strategic cooperation amid global uncertainty. The conference brought together German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski and India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The first-of-its-kind engagement focused on three core issues shaping the current global order: the war in Ukraine, developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and the future trajectory of India–European Union relations. A New Framework for India–Europe…

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Tehran | Iran’s senior military leadership has issued a sharp warning of possible pre-emptive action as tensions escalate between Tehran and Washington, against the backdrop of growing domestic unrest and intensifying international scrutiny. Iranian army chief Major General Amir Hatami responded strongly to what Tehran views as increasingly hostile rhetoric from external powers, including recent remarks by United States President Donald Trump suggesting that the US was “locked and loaded” to intervene if Iranian security forces moved forcefully against civilian demonstrators. According to Iranian media reports citing international outlets, Hatami made…

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Washington, DC | US President Donald Trump has drawn attention to the growing defence partnership between India and the United States while criticising delays in the delivery of Apache attack helicopters to India. Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat in Washington, Trump referred to the issue as an example of bureaucratic hurdles affecting American defence exports. During his address, Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally raised concerns over the delayed delivery of 68 Apache helicopters ordered by India. According to Trump, the deliveries were running…

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Venezuela: Venezuela, once counted among the richest nations in the world, today stands as a stark example of economic collapse. The recent U.S. military action and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro have once again pushed the South American country into global headlines. But Venezuela’s decline did not happen overnight—it is the result of years of economic mismanagement, political choices, and geopolitical conflict. Ironically, Venezuela possesses the largest proven oil reserves in the world, even more than Saudi Arabia, accounting for nearly 20 percent of global reserves—around 303 billion barrels.…

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Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping’s New Year address on January 1, 2026, went beyond ceremonial greetings, laying out a confident vision of China’s technological rise despite sustained pressure from the United States. Broadcasting from Beijing to an audience of more than 1.4 billion people, Xi highlighted how U.S.-led semiconductor restrictions have unexpectedly accelerated China’s push toward self-reliance and innovation in artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing. “We have achieved major breakthroughs in chip research and development,” Xi said, stressing that Chinese AI models are now competing among the world’s leading systems.…

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Lahore: From Quetta, prominent Baloch human rights activist and Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Sammee Deen Baloch has issued a strong indictment of the Pakistani state, asserting that the crisis in Balochistan is rooted not in armed insurgency but in the systematic targeting of Baloch identity itself. In a sharply worded statement shared on social media platform X, Baloch alleged that the Pakistani establishment views the entire Baloch population as a threat, a mindset she says has led to widespread human rights violations. According to her, unarmed civilians are routinely subjected…

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Bhaktapur: The inquiry commission investigating the events of September 8–9, 2025, has lifted the travel and mobility restrictions imposed on CPN-UML chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, a day after recording his testimony, according to reports. A commission team visited Oli’s residence at his Gundu mansion in Bhaktapur to record his statement. Oli had earlier declined to appear at the commission’s office, alleging bias on the part of commission chair Gauri Bahadur Karki and questioning the panel’s impartiality. Officials said his testimony nonetheless needed to be formally documented.…

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Seoul: South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back underscored the need for a strong and unified readiness posture during his visit to the South Korea–US Combined Forces Command (CFC), citing a rapidly evolving security environment, the defence ministry said. Ahn visited the CFC headquarters at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 60 km south of Seoul, where he met US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also serves as the CFC commander. The visit marked Ahn’s first on-site inspection of the year, highlighting the importance Seoul places on maintaining a robust combined…

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Washington: By early January 2026, the geopolitical map of the Western Hemisphere had been violently redrawn. In the predawn darkness of January 3, the United States executed one of the most audacious military operations of the 21st century. Codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores—an unprecedented act that signaled a dramatic escalation in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump. Framed by Washington as a decisive blow against narco-terrorism, the operation saw elite American forces penetrate the…

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