BEIJING: Chinese and Russian forces will take part in joint military exercises in southern Russia later this month along with troops from Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and others, China’s defense ministry announced Thursday.
The “Caucus 2020” drills will deploy wheeled vehicles and light weaponry to be flown to the drill location by China’s latest version transport aircraft, the ministry said in a news release.
The exercises running Sept. 21-26 will focus on defensive tactics, encirclement and battlefield control and command, the ministry said.
The exercises have special meaning for China-Russia ties “at this important moment when the whole world is fighting the pandemic,” the ministry said.
China has seen no new domestic coronavirus cases in weeks, while Russia is continuing to see new cases and has reported more than 1 million people infected.
Since establishing a “comprehensive strategic partnership” two decades ago, China and Russia have cooperated increasingly closely on military matters and diplomacy, largely to counter US influence. Their militaries regularly hold joint exercises and they regularly back each other in the United Nations over issues including Syria and North Korea.
Pakistan, others to be part of joint military drills in Russia
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Pakistan, others to be part of joint military drills in Russia
- Exercises running Sept. 21-26 will focus on defensive tactics, encirclement and battlefield control and command
- Since establishing strategic partnership two decades ago, China and Russia have cooperated closely on security and diplomacy
ODI World Champions Australia arrive in Pakistan for Champions Trophy tournament
- Australia will kick off Champions Trophy campaign by facing England in Lahore on Feb. 22
- Injuries have ruled out matchwinners Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Marsh from event
ISLAMABAD: Led by their captain Steve Smith, the Australian cricket team arrived in Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy tournament on Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said days before they are scheduled to take on England in the 50-over event.
The Australian cricket team will arrive in Pakistan in two batches, the PCB said. A 14-member squad comprising Australian coaches, captain Smith and the sports staff reached Lahore from Colombo via Dubai while a 17-member squad, including 15 players of the Australian cricket team, will arrive in Lahore at 8 am on Monday, the board said.
“Australia will play their first match in the ICC Champions Trophy against arch-rivals England on Feb. 22 at the Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore,” the PCB said.
The Australian cricket team has arrived in Pakistan after suffering a 2-0 away ODI series defeat against Sri Lanka. Smith’s squad lost the first ODI to Sri Lanka by 49 runs on Feb. 12 before losing the second one as well on Feb. 14 by a huge 174 runs.
Before that, the 2023 World Cup winners lost a home ODI series to Pakistan 2-1 in November last year, with Pakistan’s pace attack and opening batter Saim Ayub demolishing the Australians to take home their first away series in the country in 22 years.
Injuries have also impacted the Australian cricket team ahead of the key Champions Trophy tournament. Smith’s squad will be without matchwinners Mitchell Starc, regular skipper Pat Cummins and key seamer Josh Hazlewood, and all-rounder Mitch Marsh. Cummins, Hazlewood and Marsh have been ruled out of the tournament due to injuries while Starc has pulled away due to personal reasons. The surprise retirement of Marcus Stoinis has forced Australia to call-up back-up players.
After facing England in Lahore on Feb. 22, Australia are set to clash against South Africa in Rawalpindi on Feb. 25 before heading back to Lahore to face Afghanistan on Feb. 28.
Squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa. Traveling reserve: Cooper Connolly
Pakistan’s deputy PM arrives in New York to attend Security Council meeting on multilateralism
- Pakistan to reaffirm strong commitment to multilateralism in meeting scheduled to be held on Feb. 18
- Summit comes at a time of growing concerns about multilateralism amid increasing conflicts worldwide
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in New York to attend a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on multilateralism and global governance, state-run media reported on Monday.
The meeting will be chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Feb. 18, as China holds the council’s rotating presidency for the month. The deliberations come at a time of growing concerns about multilateralism, particularly after United States President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and a growing number of conflicts around the world.
“Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM), Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, flew into New York on Sunday afternoon to participate in the high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on multilateralism and global governance set for Tuesday,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday.
APP said Pakistan welcomes the “timely initiative” by China to hold the meeting, saying that it underscores the critical importance of multilateralism in addressing today’s global challenges.
The Pakistani deputy prime minister will reaffirm Pakistan’s strong commitment to the principles of multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations in promoting international peace, security, and sustainable development, the state-run media said. He will also highlight Pakistan’s priorities as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, emphasizing the importance of dialogue, cooperation, and inclusive global governance.
Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2025-2026 term in June 2024 with 182 out of 193 votes and officially began its two-year tenure on January 1, 2025.
“On the sidelines of the UNSC meeting, the DPM/FM is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts, as well as senior UN officials,” APP said.
Dar is also expected to give interviews to media and hold a press conference for US-based Pakistani journalists.
Champions Trophy set for liftoff after India-Pakistan row, boycott calls
- This is the first global cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades
- India’s matches will be played in Dubai after they refused to visit neighbor Pakistan
KARACHI: The Champions Trophy begins Wednesday after a turbulent build-up that saw the tournament split between Pakistan and Dubai, and with England facing calls to boycott their match against Afghanistan.
The event, regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game, runs until March 9 and is the first global cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades.
India’s matches will however be played in the United Arab Emirates after the sport’s financial superpower refused to visit their neighbor over long-standing political tensions.
A month-long impasse ended in December when the International Cricket Council said that India would play their games in Dubai.
It raises the prospect of the final of the eight-nation showpiece taking place there, rather than in Pakistan, if India get that far — a good chance given they are favorites to lift the trophy.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan, who only face off in international competitions because of the politics, clash in Dubai on February 23 in the group phase.
England play Afghanistan three days later in Lahore in a match that has been met with a backlash in some quarters in Britain.
More than 160 British politicians called for a boycott in response to the Taliban government’s ban on women in sport.
England Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson vowed the match would go ahead, saying a “coordinated international response” by the cricket community would achieve more than unilateral action.
The Champions Trophy will be Pakistan’s first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.
Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other Pakistani cities that will stage games.
Pakistan became a no-go area for foreign teams after the visiting Sri Lankan squad were attacked by gunmen in 2009, leaving eight people dead and wounding several touring players.
But with improved security across most of the country, international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2020.
India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh form Group A while Australia, England, Afghanistan and South Africa are in Group B.
Two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals in Dubai and Lahore.
Pakistan are reigning champions, having defeated India in the final in 2017 at The Oval in London.
But it is two-time winners India who are favorites, with superstar batsman Virat Kohli hoping to overcome a poor run of form by his sky-high standards.
It could be the 36-year-old’s last hurrah on the international stage, with captain Rohit Sharma also likely to retire after the tournament.
“India is playing superb all-round cricket and so are among the favorites for the Champions Trophy,” former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar told AFP.
“The other teams, in my opinion, to watch out for are defending champions Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa.”
India will however be missing ace pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Australia beat hosts India to win the one-day World Cup in 2023 but they are missing several key players.
Their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all out.
Coupled with the sudden retirement from ODIs of Marcus Stoinis and injury to Mitchell Marsh — both key all-rounders — and Australia suddenly look vulnerable.
They were well beaten 2-0 in Sri Lanka in a two-match series last week. Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan will open the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy with a match against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday.
The co-hosts are unpredictable, as they showed in the last edition of the tournament, losing to India by 124 runs in the opening match before winning the final against them by 180 runs.
England go into the competition under a cloud, having been outclassed by India in both a T20 and one-day series in the lead-up.
With quality spinners led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan are dangerous.
They shocked England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup and reached the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year.
Islamabad condemns attack on UN peacekeepers in Beirut, calls it violation of international law
- Lebanon has faced unrest this week after a government decision to block Iranian flights from landing in Beirut
- The UN convoy was attacked during protests by supporters of Hezbollah, which urged government to reverse move
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday condemned an attack on a United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy in Beirut, calling it a “flagrant” violation of international law.
Lebanon has faced unrest this week after a government decision to block Iranian flights from landing in Beirut, with the UN peacekeeper convoy attacked during protests by supporters of Hezbollah, which on Sunday urged the government to reverse the move.
Pakistan has been one of the main troops and police contributors to the UN peace operations since 1960, with more than 200,000 Pakistani men and women sent to 46 UN missions. As of 2024, the South Asian country was contributing over 4,000 troops to various international operations carried out by the UN and has lost 172 soldiers in total to UN peace missions.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the attack on a UNIFIL convoy in Beirut that injured several peacekeepers. Such attacks on blue helmets are flagrant violations of international law for which there must be accountability,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan stands in solidarity with UNIFIL and affirms its unwavering support for UN peacekeeping operations.”
The development came amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group, which has been in effect since Nov. 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.
Under the ceasefire deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period.
Hezbollah was also to pull back north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border — and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south. The withdrawal period was extended to February 18.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli forces opened fire toward the southern border town of Hula “after residents entered,” killing a woman. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident.
Pakistani officials, IAEA chief agree on use of nuclear technology to mitigate climate woes
- IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi met senior officials and inaugurated a radioactive waste incinerator in Pakistan this week
- Pakistan has been collaborating with the agency since 1957 and operates a civil nuclear power program under IAEA safeguards
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani officials and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi have agreed to expand cooperation on the use of nuclear technology to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the Pakistani foreign office said on Sunday.
The IAEA director general arrived in Pakistan this week on a days-long official visit to hold discussions with key officials, attend seminars and visit a nuclear power generation site.
During the visit, he called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar as well as heads of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA).
“Discussions focused on expanding cooperation between Pakistan and the IAEA, particularly on the peaceful uses of nuclear technology to mitigate climate change,” the foreign office said in a statement.
Pakistan — home to more than 240 million people — ranks among the nations that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The South Asian country has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns which have led to frequent heat waves, untimely rains, cyclones and droughts in recent years. Scientists have blamed the events on human-driven climate change.
In 2022, devastating floods, blamed on human-driven climate change, killed more than 1,700 Pakistanis, affected another 33 million and caused the country over $30 billion in economic losses.
During his meetings with the PAEC and PNRA chiefs, Grossi was briefed on Pakistan’s advancements in nuclear science and technology, including its contributions in agriculture, health care and energy production.
The IAEA chief visited the under construction Chashma Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5) along the left embankment of the fast-flowing Indus River in Mianwali.
“He termed Pakistan’s nuclear power generation program as one of the most successful programs in the world,” the foreign office said. “Mr. Grossi also inaugurated a radioactive waste incinerator at Chashma.”
In Islamabad, the IAEA chief attended the International Conference organized by the Pakistan-chapter of Women in Nuclear Field (WIN-Pakistan) and delivered a keynote address at a seminar on the “Role of Nuclear Science and Technology in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals,” organized by the think-tank Strategic Vision Institute (SVI).
He also visited the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Oncology Lahore (INMOL) and inaugurated a new radiopharmaceutical laboratory and announced technical assistance to Pakistan under the IAEA’s ‘Rays of Hope’ initiative.
The IAEA, the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog, promotes the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology worldwide. Pakistan has collaborated with the agency since 1957 and operates a civil nuclear power program under IAEA safeguards.
While Pakistan is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it has voluntary safeguards agreements with the IAEA and actively works to ensure its nuclear facilities comply with international safety standards.
