Global Issues and Updates

Canada has issued a special posting stamp celebrating Eid on the country’s 150th anniversary.  “As Canada reaches its 150th birthday, our stamp committee reflected on some themes that need to reflect the Canada of today,” Canada Post CEO Deepak Chopra was quoted as saying. Read more...

A new driving licence branch has been inaugurated in Clifton,  Karachi  on Wednesday. The Saleem Vahidy auditorium as well as the license branch were inaugurated by IG  Sindh Police  Allah Dino Khawaja. Read more...

The government has earmarked Rs 337.28 billion for Communication division including Rs over 70 billion for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related road projects in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for 2017-18. Read more...

While in Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump signed a deal that will provide Saudi Arabia over $110 billion in weapons, marking what is the largest weapons deal in American history. According to a report by ynetnews.com, the package includes four frigates based on the Littoral Combat Ship, 115 M1A2S Abrams tanks, the MIM-104F Patriot PAC-3 missile system, the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, 48 CH-47 Chinook helicopters, 150 Blackhawk helicopters, and a number of other systems. The frigates are slated to replace the four Al-Madinah-class frigates that Saudi Arabia acquired from France in the 1980s. One of these frigates was damaged by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen this past January. Read more...

After repeatedly criticizing Barack Obama’s administration for its unwillingness to use the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism,” President Donald Trump followed in the footsteps of his predecessor on Sunday by condemning what he called the “crisis of Islamist extremism” during his first foreign trip in Saudi Arabia. “This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations. This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil,” Trump said in the birthplace of Islam, a religion he spoke of harshly before assuming the presidency. Read more...

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States. The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling his country's decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying. Read more...

China will eventually become the world’s No 2 aircraft carrier power, trailing only the United States, but its carrier strike group air crews are still far below international standard, military experts say. “An aircraft carrier needs regular large-scale maintenance. China should have more than four carrier groups if it wants to fulfill escort missions on the high seas and safeguard its overseas national interests,” Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said. Read more...

North Korea has confirmed details of its latest missile launch. The official Korean Central News Agency said Monday morning that the military had tested a medium-to-long range ballistic missile called the Pukguksong-2. Read more...

Nineteen people have been killed in a suspected terrorist attack during a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in the northwest English city of Manchester, police said Tuesday.  There was panic as Grande’s audience of youthful fans fled the 21,000-capacity venue late Monday after what eyewitnesses described as an explosion in the foyer area at the end of the concert. Read more...

On Monday, The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation wrapped up in  China 's capital of  Beijing .  Alexei Maslov , one of the leading  Russia n scholars and expert in East Asian studies, talked to Sputnik about what the summit achieved and the true aims of  China 's ambitious  One Belt ,  One Road  project. Read more...

Iran Press TV Fri May 19, 2017 4:45AM The United States says two Chinese jets have intercepted a US spy plane flying over the  East  China Sea. The Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets reportedly came within close proximity of an  American  four-engine WC-135 jet, with one of the Su-30s flying upside down, directly above the American plane, Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, said on Thursday. Read more...

Iran is concerned the long-drawn-out Chabahar Port development project may be losing out to a similar project to develop the Pakistani port of Gwadar amid an internal dispute over the pressing need to attract foreign investment in the strategic Iranian port. Read more...

By Steve  Herman  May 14, 2017 North Korea launched a missile Sunday in an unusual high-altitude ballistic path that indicated it might be a new two-stage liquid-fueled rocket capable of flying up to 4,500 kilometers. The test, according to a White House statement, should "serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea." Read more...

RFE/RL May 14, 2017 Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for closer cooperation across Asia and Europe in areas from anti-terrorism to finance, as leaders from 29 countries gathered to promote a Chinese trade initiative that could increase Beijing's global influence on trade and geopolitics. The two-day summit is showcasing Xi's One Belt, One Road initiative, a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route, first unveiled in 2013. Read more....

May 12, 2017 In February, NASA began an effort looking at the  feasibility  of putting crew aboard the first integrated flight of the  Space  Launch System rocket and  Orion   space craft -- Exploration Mission-1, or EM-1. After weighing the data and assessing all  implications , the agency will continue pursuing the original plan for the first launch, as a rigorous flight test of the integrated systems without crew. However, engineers will apply  insights  gained from the effort to the  first flight  test and the integrated systems to strengthen the long-term push to extend human presence deeper into the solar system. Read more...

Sputnik News 18:08 12.05.2017 Turkey  has successfully test fired a rocket using its state-of-the-art KAAN  missile  system for the first time; the weapons system is produced by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)-affiliated company Roketsan AS. The launch was made over the  Black Sea  and was watched live by the country's Defense Minister and the Undersecretary for Defense Industries.  "The missile launch was made from the province of Sinop on the Black Sea: the missile covered a distance of 280 km from the rocket launch and was watched live by the Minister of National Defense Fikri Isik and Undersecretary for Defense Industries Ismail Demir," said the reports of the Turkish media . Read more...

Iran Press TV Fri May 12, 2017 2:6PM The Russian Defense  Ministry  says an Su-30 aircraft has intercepted a US surveillance plane over the  Black Sea  while it was approaching the Russian border earlier this week. The incident took place at about 0900 GMT on May 9, the anniversary of the Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which marks the  capitulation  of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in 1945, the ministry said on Friday. Read more...

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Islamabad, May 12, IRNA -- Pakistan has entered an agreement with Turkey to  jointly  manufacture T-129 attack  helicopters , local media reported. The agreement was signed by Pakistan Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanveer Hussain and his Turkish counterpart Fikri Isik in  Istanbul  on the sidelines of the 13th International Defense Industry Fair 2017.  Assembly line  of T-129 is to be established at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. Read more....

Sputnik News 17:32 12.05.2017(updated 17:44 12.05.2017) India's Ministry of Defense has formally awarded a $676 million contract to Larsen & Toubro, India's multinational engineering conglomerate, for the supply of 100 units of 155mm/ 52 caliber tracked self-propelled gun systems to the  Indian Army . New Delhi (Sputnik) – The technology for the weapon is being provided by South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin (HT). L&T had bid for this 'Buy Global' acquisition program of India's Ministry of Defense in 2011. Read more...

By  Jamie  Dettmer May 12, 2017 Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared both confrontational and conciliatory Friday, saying his scheduled talks next week with President Donald Trump could mark a "new beginning" in relations between the two NATO allies, who've been increasingly at cross purposes over Syria. Erdogan cautioned, though, that Washington's decision to arm Syrian Kurds for an assault on the Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa had damaged strategic relations between Turkey and America. Read more...

The United States on Thursday claimed the emergence of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Pakistan would allow terrorist groups more targets for attacks.  “The emerging China Pakistan Economic Corridor will probably offer militants and terrorists additional targets,” Daniel Coats, director of National Intelligence, told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing. Coats was   testifying   before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence along with other top intelligence officials. Read more...

Pakistani port terminals are facing severe congestion due to 13,000 unclaimed and confiscated cargo containers. Out of these, some 5000 containers contain toxic materials which are harmful for the environment. This was disclosed by All Pakistan Customs Agents Association (APCAA) in a document presented to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). They demanded that FBR should make a decision in this regard. According to the document from APCAA, these containers have been piling up over the last 15 years. Karachi Port Trust and Port Bin Qasim are both operating at the maximum level, with 3 terminals working at full capacity. Collectively the terminals have a total capacity to store 122,000 TEU at a time, out of which 13,000 containers have occupied permanent place. This figure does not include the capacity at South Asia Pakistan Terminals Limited (SAPT) however. Read more...

FRANKFURT:  The strong resolve of the Pakistani and Chinese leadership to implement the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) programme is also sparking interest among other countries in the investment opportunities available in Pakistan. German companies have expressed interest in pouring capital into various CPEC projects and in the country Read more...

In a press conference, Interior Minister of State, Chaudhry Nisar revealed that mobile phone signals cause cancer. He added that signal towers erected by telecom companies are a health hazard for the masses and are affecting children the most. These towers are present at various public locations including schools, markets, hospitals and sometimes on homes as well. Mr. Nisar did not share any kind of research to back his claim. For years, several researchers have conducted studies all over the world warning about the dangers of cellphone towers emitting dangerous radiation. Read more....

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will  grill  President Donald Trump about the U.S. decision to arm the Syrian  Kurdish   militia  when he visits Washington next week. "The fight against the terrorist organization Daesh [the  Arabic  acronym for Islamic State] should not be carried out with another terrorist organization," Erdogan said Wednesday. "This kind of step would endanger the future of Syria and the region." Read more...

NATO says its military authorities want more troops deployed to war-ravaged Afghanistan in  the form  of a "train, assist and advise operation." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told  reporters  following talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May at her Downing Street office in London on Wednesday that the troops were needed to train local Afghan forces. Read more...

Pakistan has criticized Iran for threatening to launch cross-border military strikes against suspected Sunni  militants  whom Tehran says are plotting attacks in the Shi'ite-majority nation. Pakistan's  Foreign Ministry  says the  Iranian  ambassador in Islamabad was summoned Tuesday following the reported remarks by the Iran's military chief. A  ministry  statement said, "The Iranian side was urged to avoid issuance of such statements that could vitiate the environment of  fraternal relations." Read more...

People's Daily  Online (People's Daily Online) 17:48, May 09, 2017 The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on May 8 signed a contract with a Chinese company to  procure  a S26T diesel-electric submarine, a move experts believe will promote China's export of conventional submarines. The contract was signed in Beijing by RTN  chief of staff , Vice Admiral Luechai Ruddit and Xu Ziqiu, chairman of the stated-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC). According to CSIC's  official website , this is the company's second submarine export contract, after an eight-ship deal with Pakistan's navy in 2015. Read more...

Liberal Moon Jae-in has declared victory in South Korea's presidential election, vowing to represent all of the country's people. "I will be president for all South Koreans," the Liberal  Democratic Party  of Korea candidate told cheering supporters in Seoul, after his two closest rivals conceded defeat. Exit polls indicated Moon had more than 41 percent of the vote, far ahead of his closest competitors, Liberty Korea Party candidate Hong Joon-pyo who had 23 percent and centrist People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo who gained 21 percent. Read more....

The United States has agreed to supply weapons to the main  Kurdish   opposition group in Syria, a move likely to anger Turkey just days before a meeting between the U.S. and Turkish leaders in Washington. Read More...

The director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey, has been fired. President Donald Trump, in a blunt letter to Comey Tuesday, told him: "You are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately." The president added that Comey "is not able to effectively lead the bureau." Read More...

WASHINGTON — Poised to decide whether to surge  U.S. troops into Afghanistan , President Trump aims to “fully eliminate” threats to U.S. and allied interests around the world, the White House said Tuesday. “We need to fully eliminate any threat around the globe, frankly, not just in Afghanistan, that poses a threat to our people and our allies,” press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing. read more..

SpaceX has released footage of its first test of the Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful rocket in the world, according to the space startup. The successful static fire test took place in McGregor, Texas, last week, ahead of a maiden voyage planned for later this year. SpaceX hopes the rocket will eventually deliver payloads—and possibly people—to Mars. read more...

U.S. soldiers are getting another tool to stay a step ahead of the enemy. Aerovironment, a drone supplier for the U.S. military, has introduced a tiny drone that's designed to be worn on a soldier's uniform. The Snipe, which weighs about as much as a baseball, can be launched from the palm of one's hand. It's designed for close-range surveillance and reconnaissance. The Snipe has no weapons built in. Its value is in providing aerial video, so soldiers have a better understanding of their surroundings. The quadcopter can fly for about 15 minutes and reach 20 mph. It is controlled via a tablet. In addition to the military, Aerovironment envisions selling the drone to first responders. Some firefighters read more...

Iran tested Sunday a high-tech torpedo based on a Russian model considered the fastest in the world near the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials. read more...

ISLAMABAD: A beautiful view from the Gwadar PC showing the arch of the East Bay of Gwadar to catch a photographer’s eye displays the contrast between the New Gwadar Port and the adjoining shanty town that has been there for centuries. Read more...

Russia, Turkey, and Iran on May 4 signed a memorandum that calls for establishing safe zones in Syria where cease-fires are meant to be implemented -- including no-fly zones -- in order to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. Read more...

T he first meeting of the Education Testing Council (ETC) was held at Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat here on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Arshad Ali, CEO (Acting)/Executive Director HEC. Read more...

QUETTA:  In retaliatory fire to Afghan army’s Friday’s aggression on the border town of Chaman, Pakistani forces killed 50 Afghan soldiers and border security personnel, injured more than 100 troops and destroyed five Afghan check posts, security officials said. Read more...

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas Monday dropped its longstanding call for Israel's destruction, but said it still rejected the country's right to exist and backs "armed struggle" against it. In a policy document presented in Doha by its leader Khaled Meshaal, Hamas also said it would end its association with the Muslim Brotherhood, a move apparently aimed at improving ties with Gulf Arab states and Egypt, which view the Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Read more...

The Taliban  militant  group in Afghanistan has  announced  the start of its so-called spring offensive, a heightened campaign of  bombings , ambush attacks, and other raids that begins as weather conditions improve. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, announced the launch of the offensive in an  online statement on Friday. Read more...

Montenegro's parliament has ratified a pact on NATO  membership , marking a historic turn toward the West amid protests from traditional ally Russia and the country's pro-Russian political opposition. Read more....

North Korea has reportedly test-fired a  ballistic  missile from a location north of the capital Pyongyang, amid escalating tensions with the United States and neighboring South Korea. Read more...

The South Korean government has quickly refuted U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Seoul to pay $1 billion for the THAAD missile defense system. Read more...