West Asia correspondent @SCMPNews ex-@McClatchy @TheNationalNews @CNBC @UPI. 39-year career covering South Asia and Middle East. ❤️cricket, Star Trek.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Joined January 2010
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Contrary to what Lincoln said, Netanyahu has proven he can fool all of the people all of the time.
Today the options for forming a government narrowed dramatically.
A minority government is out. Mansour Abbas himself says the chances are slim to nonexistent. The irony: months ago it was Abbas who proposed a Jewish majority as the condition for such a government, an idea Eisenkot later adopted. Now that the election is over, the Jewish majority is on Netanyahu’s side. A minority government would also mean negotiating with every faction of the Joint List, Balad included.
Defections don’t work either. If Lieberman does the unbelievable and joins Netanyahu: 53 + 7 = 60. If Bennett does it, even without Lapid: 53 + 7 = 60. One seat short either way.
That leaves two options: a Netanyahu–Eisenkot unity government, or new elections.
The final results and the Qatar affair both point toward another election within months. But there are still two months of negotiations ahead, and Israeli politics has surprised us before.
The US’ Muslim-majority Middle Eastern allies have accelerated talks with Tehran over a new regional security framework amid fears of further blowback from the Iran war.
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A dramatic scene was reported at Karachi’s Malir Court, where women allegedly affected by a mobile phone theft case confronted the suspect, Salman Sahil. According to the information shared, the women surrounded him and hit him with their slippers, while male and female police officers tried to protect him and control the situation.
A decision by Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia to jointly develop and produce weapons systems marks a major push to reduce reliance on Western armaments that come with political strings attached.
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Got what he deserved.
This is a tight slap in the face of those entitled, spoiled brats who look down upon the poor as if they were lesser human beings. They arrogantly believe that money and power put them above the law, allowing them to exploit, intimidate, and act with impunity.
Let me make one thing absolutely clear: As Chief Minister of Punjab, I stand firmly with the oppressed, regardless of how powerful their oppressors may be. No amount of wealth, influence, or political connections should enable anyone to escape accountability. Justice is not a privilege reserved for the rich and powerful; it is a fundamental right of every citizen. No one is above the law, and no victim should ever have to fight alone simply because the perpetrator has money or influence.
Driven by necessity, GCC governments have unveiled plans to stabilise their economies. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are on the verge of a potential technical recession caused by the Iran war, while Qatar is already in a recession.
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Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign against Taliban insurgents risks being undermined by public resentment, following the dismissal of the opposition-led administration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
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Tom Hussain retweeted
Our Senior Non-Resident Fellow, @Dr_Ulrichsen, was quoted by @tomthehack in @SCMPNews on the implications of regional conflict and volatility for the Gulf's ambitions to become a major sports hub.
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It's an "inconvenient truth" for many people that the outcome of the Manchester City case could be a negotiated diplomatic settlement.
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If the Middle East's conflicts drag on or end inconclusively, the resulting uncertainty could undermine coming major events, including the 2030 Asian Games in Qatar, as well as the 2034 Fifa World Cup and Asian Games in Saudi Arabia.
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Nuclear signalling.
Commander National Strategic Command General Syed Aamer Raza calls on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They discuss national security, regional and international developments, and the importance of close institutional coordination.
@MIshaqDar50
@ForeignOfficePk
#Pakistan #SyedAamerRaza #IshaqDar #NationalSecurity #PakistanTV
Iran and Saudi Arabia are edging dangerously closer to direct conflict, analysts warn, after Riyadh resumed major air strikes on Yemen’s Tehran-allied Houthi rebels this week, ending a four-year lull.
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Pakistani troops are expected to take over various defensive functions for Saudi Arabia to enable the Middle East country to fight an all-out war aimed at defeating Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
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I know the feeling 😄
Afghan female journalist: "You broke my heart."
Pakistan’s Defence Minister @KhawajaMAsif: "We are not in an age where we break each other's hearts." 😀
The underlying message from Pakistan is these submarines carry cruise missiles that can be armed with nuclear warheads.
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For over two decades, Pakistan has waged countless counterterrorism campaigns against Taliban and Baloch insurgents in its western regions bordering Afghanistan and Iran, yet remains mired in a cycle of violence it cannot break.
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Most envied man in Pakistan.
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Saudi Arabia faces a “humiliating dilemma” after the United States refused to militarily intervene to prevent the Iran-aligned Houthi militia from tightening its blockade of the kingdom’s key backup maritime trade route with Asia, according to analysts.
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