Thursday, February 20th, 2025
Zelensky to meet US envoy after Trump brands him a ‘dictator’
KYIV, UKRAINE, FEB 20 (AFP/APP/DNA):Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet on Thursday with US envoy Keith Kellogg after Donald Trump branded the Ukrainian leader a “dictator” and said Russia “have the cards” in any talks to end the war. The United States has provided essential funding and arms to Ukraine, but the US president has rattled Kyiv and its European backers by opening talks with Moscow they fear could end the war on terms unacceptable to them. “I think the Russians want to see the war end… But I thinkRead More
Bahrain NationalGuard Chief Meets Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs Chairman
RAWALPINDI, FEB 20 (DNA):Lieutenant General Shaikh Abdulaziz Saud Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Chief of Staff Bahrain National Guard called on General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI (M), Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi. During the meeting, both military leaders discussed evolving regional environment and related security issues. Furthermore, they emphasized broadening the scope and depth of existing bilateral military engagements and cooperation between both countries. The visiting dignitary lauded the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in fight against terrorism.
Trump administration tells Pentagon to slash budget
WASHINGTON, FEB 20 (AFP/APP/DNA):The Trump administration has ordered senior US military leaders to plan for expansive cuts that could slash the defense budget by eight percent annually, or some $290 billion within the next five years, US media reported Wednesday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Pentagon to develop the deep reductions, The Washington Post reported, citing a memo. The Pentagon’s budget for 2025 is some $850 billion. Lawmakers across the political spectrum agree that massive spending is needed to deter threats, especially from China and Russia. The cuts, ifRead More
Man saved in Serbia after eight hours buried in collapsed trench
BELGRADE, FEB 20 (AFP/APP/DNA):Rescuers in Serbia extracted the last worker who had been trapped after soil collapsed on a group of workers while they were digging a sewer pipeline trench, police said late Wednesday. “Rescued after eight hours. Endless thanks to the firefighter-rescuers,” Serbian Minister of internal affairs Ivica Dacic wrote on Instagram. The accident occurred in the village of Petka, near Lazarevac, about 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the capital, Belgrade, when the earth buried the workers at a depth of about three meters. Twenty firefighter-rescuers participated in theRead More
Arab leaders meet to counter Trump’s Gaza plan
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, FEB 20 (AFP/APP/DNA):Arab leaders will gather in Saudi Arabia on Friday to counter President Donald Trump’s plan for US control of Gaza and the expulsion of its inhabitants, diplomatic and government sources said. The plan stirred rare unity among Arab states, which roundly rejected it. However, they could still disagree over who will govern the Palestinian territory and who will pay for reconstruction. Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi foreign policy, told AFP the summit would be the “most consequential” in decades in relation to the widerRead More
Technology and Climate Change
Dr. Muhammad Akram Zaheer The development of technology, particularly digital technology, has become a driving force behind new trends in politics, economics, media and virtually every other aspect of human life. This technological revolution is reshaping the world as we know it, altering the way societies function, interact and compete. One of the most profound areas impacted by this transformation is the realm of warfare. The advent of advanced technologies has not only changed the tools and methods of combat but has also influenced the strategies, tactics and decision-making processesRead More