Author: News Desk

Pakistan: Pakistan and Iran have reached an agreement to ease tension in the two countries following a phone call between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani, and the Foreign Minister of Iran, Mr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The two countries’ ties were unstable after the exchange of missile and drone attacks this week. “The two foreign ministers agreed that working-level cooperation and close coordination on counterterrorism and other aspects of mutual concern should be strengthened. They also agreed to de-escalate the situation. The return of ambassadors of the two countries to their respective capitals was also discussed,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said…

South Africa: The South African government is challenging an auction of South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Mr. Nelson Mandela’s belongings. The auction, which will be held on February 22, comes after a deal between New York-based auctioneers Guernsey’s and Mr. Mandela’s family. The South African government said the items are of historical significance and should be preserved in the country. The Ministry of Culture in South Africa stated it has filed an appeal to halt “the unpermitted export” of the artifacts. After spending 27 years in jail for his anti-apartheid struggle against white minority rule in South Africa, Mr.…

Pakistan: Top military and civilian leaders in Pakistan are set to review national security measures in light of the ongoing standoff with Iran. The missile strikes between the two neighbours have stoked fears of additional instability in the region. The meeting was called by acting Prime Minister Mr. Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday, one day after the nuclear-armed country attacked the bases of armed groups in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran, killing at least nine people. Following Iran’s airstrikes against the militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s southwest border province of Balochistan, which claimed two lives, Pakistan launched a retaliatory strike.…

North Korea: North Korea has claimed that it tested an “underwater nuclear weapons system.” The US, South Korea, and Japan are conducting drills this week. According to state media, the test of its purportedly nuclear-armed underwater drones was conducted off its east coast. Although the North has previously claimed to have tested its “Haeil-5-23” system, the weapons have never been independently confirmed. Allies and South Korea have not yet responded to the most recent provocation. However, it coincides with the North’s recent escalation of military activity, which includes its launch of a brand-new intermediate-range ballistic missile powered by solid fuel.…

United States: US President, Mr. Joe Biden, has vowed to keep hitting the Houthis in Yemen as he admits military action against the rebel group has not stopped attacks on commercial shipping. On Thursday, following the US’s fifth round of strikes against targets in Yemeni regions under Houthi control, Biden delivered his remarks. Two anti-ship missiles that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) determined posed an “imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region” were destroyed, the command said in a statement. When reporters asked whether the strikes against the rebel group were having an effect, Mr.…

China: As Iran and Pakistan demonstrate their military might, China faces a dilemma over whom to support. Despite urging restraint from both nations, China’s significant oil imports from Iran and close ties with both countries complicate its decision in these recent developments. Amidst military maneuvers by Israel in Gaza and assaults by the Houthis in the Red Sea, the Middle East faces heightened volatility due to the Iran-Pakistan conflict. Recent aerial attacks by both nations have resulted in 11 casualties, including 4 children in Iran and 2 in Pakistan, as per official reports. Iran’s strikes were aimed at two Jaish…

United Kingdom: The UK Prime Minister, Mr. Rishi Sunak, put an end to a Tory uprising after his contentious Rwanda bill cleared the Commons. The bill, which seeks to establish Rwanda as a secure nation to deport asylum seekers to, was approved by 320 votes to 276, with 44 votes in favor of the government. Just 11 Tory MPs voted against the bill in total, including Mr. David Jones, co-chairs of the New Conservatives, Mr. Danny Kruger and Ms. Miriam Cates, former immigration minister Mr. Robert Jenrick, Ms. Sarah Dines, Mr. James Duddridge, Mr. Mark Francois, Ms. Andrea Jenkyns, and…

United States: The US military has attacked Houthi-controlled locations in Yemen with missiles once more, making it the fourth time in as many weeks that it has done so. The regions targeted, according to the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, were Hodeidah, Taiz, Dhamar, al Bayda, and Saada. The media organization asserted that the strikes also involved UK aircraft, but the Guardian was unable to corroborate those claims. According to the US military, its forces attacked 14 Houthi missiles that were ready to launch from Yemen and posed an immediate threat to nearby US Navy and merchant ships. Since November, major…

United States: For the first time in a 12-year period, Apple has surpassed Samsung to take the lead in the global smartphone market. The International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that last year, the phone giant based in America accounted for over one-fifth of all phones shipped. Chinese phone manufacturers Xiaomi, OPPO, and Transsion trailed behind Samsung, which held a 19.4 percent market share. Sales of smartphones have decreased because so many people upgraded during the pandemic. Nearly 1.2 billion smartphones were sold last year, according to IDC, a decrease of more than 3 percent from the year before. Due to…

China: China’s population declined in 2023 for the second year in a row, signalling the worsening of a demographic crisis that would have a big impact on the second-biggest economy in the world. According to an announcement from China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the population decreased to 1.409 billion in 2023, a decrease of about 2.08 million from the previous year. China’s economy expanded by 5.2 percent last year, according to the NBS, compared to the government’s target of about 5 percent growth. While this expansion marks a significant pick-up over 2022, when China’s economy grew by just 3…