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Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/4/trump-tariffs-live-us-pauses-mexico-canada-tariffs-after-border-deals

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called out the administration for “using force excessively and disproportionately” during the November 26 protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking an independent and impartial inquiry into the events. “Contrary to the federal government’s claims, the PTI-led protest in Islamabad on 26 November 2024 led to loss of life allegedly among protesters as well as reported deaths among security personnel,” stated a fact-finding report released by the commission on Monday. The report comes after PTI’s talks with the government collapsed after the former ruling party refused to attend the fourth round of discussions on January 28 over the latter’s failure to form judicial commissions to investigate the events related to the May 9 riots and November 2024 protests. On November 26, Islamabad witnessed pitched battles between law enforcement agencies and PTI supporters as the latter inched towards the D-Chowk for the party’s ‘final call’ power show amid intense teargas shelling. However, a late-night crackdown by the government ended in a hasty retreat of the PTI’s top leadership and supporters, following which the party abruptly ended its protest. The fierce clashes resulted in the martyrdom of at least four Rangers personnel along with two policemen with the former ruling party claiming that 12 of its protesters died. The protests led to arrests and multiple cases being registered against the party workers and supporters. In today’s report, the HRCP said a high-level fact-finding mission documented oral testimonies from state representatives, the PTI leadership, reporters on the ground and the families of seven people who were allegedly killed during the protest. “The mission is deeply concerned by allegations that the hospital administrations and police withheld the bodies of victims until their families agreed not to pursue any legal action. “While the hospital administrations refused to speak with the fact-finding team, accounts from journalists and the families of alleged victims suggest that these hospitals may be concealing information,” it added. Quoting reports, the commission stated that some protesters carried slingshots, tear gas shells and firearms on occasion. “While the right to peaceful assembly is constitutionally guaranteed, it must remain within the bounds of the law.” Meanwhile, the report also called out the administration for demonstrating “a clear lack of proficiency in managing the protest and used force excessively and disproportionately”. “Although the mission attempted to contact the interior minister to inquire about the use of live ammunition against protestors, he was unavailable to meet the team,” it added. The mission also expressed alarm over the mainstream media’s blackout of the entire event, which may have resulted from “state coercion or self-censorship”. “The media should have been allowed to assess the situation on the ground without hindrance and report the facts,” it stated. The report urged the government to immediately announce an independent, impartial inquiry into these events, involving the families of the alleged victims, the PTI and other political stakeholders. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1279153-rights-body-seeks-freefair-probe-into-post-nov-26-pti-protest-allegations

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet United States President Donald Trump with the agenda to focus on the paused war in Gaza, as well as Iran. The two leaders are due to meet in the early afternoon on Tuesday, sources told news agencies. The meeting takes place as indirect negotiations between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas on the second phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire agreement are due. Ahead of the meeting, Trump said that discussions with Israel and other countries on the Middle East were “progressing” but offered no details. The US leader admitted, however, that the ceasefire is uncertain. “I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold,” he told reporters. His Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with the Israeli leader on Monday, added: “We’re certainly hopeful.” Netanyahu’s office announced on Tuesday that an Israeli negotiating team is preparing to travel to Qatar this weekend for talks on the second phase. The team will discuss “technical details related to continuing to carry out” the agreement, it said in a statement. Pressure Trump has claimed credit for the ceasefire deal, which was signed before he took office on January 20. During the first phase, Hamas released 18 captives; Israel has halted its onslaught on the enclave and released hundreds of jailed Palestinians. But the situation remains tense. Netanyahu is being pushed by far-right partners in the Israeli government to resume fighting. Meanwhile, he is likely to face pressure from Trump to hold fire. While the US president is a staunch supporter of Israel, the ceasefire deal is also part of a wider regional strategy. Trump and Netanyahu have both said they aim to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and to pull the latter into new regional arrangements to help create a bulwark against Iran. However, the steadfast opposition of Netanyahu – who said on the eve of the trip that he hopes the meeting will help further redraw the map of the region – to any move towards a Palestinian state is a potential obstacle. The Saudis have said they would only agree to take part if the war in Gaza ends and there is a credible pathway to a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. Trump has already shown an increase in support for Israel, restarting supplies of 2,000-pound bombs and suggesting Palestinians should be moved from Gaza to neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Jordan. But Iran will be high on his agenda. During his first term, Trump led a hardball approach to Tehran, pulling an international nuclear deal. Trump may “have little patience for political woes of Netanyahu if it gets in the way of the broader goals of this administration,” Mira Resnick, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs told the AP news agency. “The president started his term by saying that he wanted the ceasefire to be in place by January 20. That’s what he got,” Resnick said. “He is invested in this because he was able to take credit for it.” Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/4/israels-netanyahu-to-discuss-fragile-gaza-ceasefire-with-trump

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/30/live-plane-and-helicopter-collide-crash-into-washingtons-potomac-river

Martyred personnel identified as Major Hamza Israr, 29, from Rawalpindi, Sepoy Muhammad Naeem, 26, from Naseerabad RAWALPINDI: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday said that two army personnel, including a major, were killed in exchange of fire with terrorists in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan. The shootout happened during an intelligence-based operation by the security forces on the night between January 29–30. “During the conduct of [the] operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij [terrorist] location and resultantly six khwarij were sent to hell,” the ISPR said in the statement. The martyred security personnel, meanwhile, were identified as Major Hamza Israr, 29, a resident of Rawalpindi, a brave officer who was leading his troops from the front, the communique added. Another martyr was Sepoy Muhammad Naeem, 26, a resident of Naseerabad, having fought gallantly, and paid the ultimate sacrifice. In response, a sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area as the “security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve”. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has paid tribute to security forces for killing six Khawarij terrorists. The president also paid tribute to martyred security officials. He lauded bravery and patriotism of Major Israr and Sepoy Naeem. “Security forces will continue their operations until terrorists are completely eliminated. Our resolve to eliminate terrorist elements and defend the country will remain unwavering,” he said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the security forces for showing great gallantry in the fight as well as paid homage to the martyred Army officials. PM Shehbaz prayed for the high ranks of the martyrs and patience for their bereaved families. “We will not let the great sacrifices of the sons of the nation go in vain and will destroy the nefarious intentions of anti-state elements,” the prime minister said. The government and security forces were mobilised to completely eradicate terrorism from the country, he added. Two other soldiers were martyred and five terrorists killed, earlier this week, as militants attempted to attack a security forces’ post in the Gulistan area of Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan. Pakistan witnessed a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The year 2024 turned out to be the deadliest for Pakistan’s civil and military security forces in a decade with at least 685 fatalities and 444 terror attacks, according to “CRSS Annual Security Report 2024” issued by Centre for Security and Strategic Studies. Equally alarming were the cumulative losses of civilians and security personnel, i.e., 1,612 fatalities, accounting for over 63% of the total recorded this year, marking 73% more losses compared to 934 outlaws eliminated, the CRSS report said. The overall fatalities recorded the previous year were a record 9-year high and over 66% more than in 2023. On average, nearly seven people lost their lives daily, with November emerging as the deadliest month across all metrics, compared to all other months of the year. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1277771-army-major-sepoy-martyred-in-north-waziristan-anti-terror-operation

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/30/live-israel-hamas-to-exchange-captives-as-north-gaza-waits-for-aid

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/29/dr-congo-live-news-rwanda-backed-m23-rebels-tighten-grip-on-goma

 Police have yet to trace two missing children, five-year-old Aliyan and six-year-old Ali Raza, who disappeared from Karachi’s Garden area on January 14. Despite deploying specialised sniffer dogs, conducting forensic analysis, and utilising geofencing, authorities have made no significant progress in locating the boys. The disappearance came to light when Aliyan’s mother, Zainab, returned home from work and found her son missing. Upon inquiry, she learned that Aliyan had been playing outside with Ali Raza, but neither had returned. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and investigations began. CCTV footage revealed two suspects, a man and a woman, taking the children towards Lyari on a motorcycle. However, the footage’s poor quality has hindered clear identification. A five-member committee led by SSP City Arif Aziz was formed to expedite the investigation. Efforts included geofencing the area and conducting multiple search operations in Garden and Lyari. Despite these measures, no significant leads have emerged. According to Aziz, police mobilised various resources to aid the search. Given the limitations of Karachi’s sniffer dogs, trained only to detect explosives and narcotics, authorities specially brought in human-tracking sniffers from Hyderabad. However, despite searching the area to follow scent trails based on the children’s clothing, police failed to secure any leads. In addition to this, police have been working closely with local residents, who identified several suspicious individuals seen in the area around the time of the disappearance. Based on these reports, police have begun preparing sketches of potential suspects. Meanwhile, divers were deployed to search the Lyari River near Rexer Line, an area known for past incidents where people, including children, have accidentally fallen into the water. Despite extensive searches, no evidence related to the missing children has been found. The children’s parents remain deeply distressed. While some individuals were detained and interrogated based on information provided by the family, police cleared them of involvement after questioning. At this stage, police have yet to determine whether the case involves a kidnapping for ransom or if there is another motive behind the disappearance. Sarim case investigation also at standstill Authorities are also struggling to make progress in the separate case of Sarim, another child victim. Seven-year-old Mohammed Sarim was found dead in his apartment’s underground water tank in North Karachi after being reported missing on January 7. An autopsy confirmed that Sarim was subjected to assault before being strangled. Police confirm they received an initial report showing that Sarim was subjected to sexual assault, but they are awaiting final forensic findings. Several suspects have been detained and their DNA samples have been sent for analysis. However, until results arrive, police have no conclusive evidence to identify the perpetrator. Officials say that all investigations are proceeding on the basis of suspicion alone as no concrete evidence has been found yet. Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1277040-karachi-police-struggle-to-trace-missing-children

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/29/live-more-than-370000-palestinians-return-to-north-gaza-unrwa-ban-looms

Here are the key developments on the 1,068th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Here is the situation on Monday, January 27: Fighting Politics & Diplomacy Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/27/russia-ukraine-war-list-of-key-events-day-1068