Herof-2 and escalation of Balochistan's insurgency (IANS analysis)

IANS | February 4, 2026 9:34 PM

Islamabad: Balochistan has long been a region marked by bloodshed, enforced disappearances, and systematic oppression. For many Baloch, the persistence of these conditions has made endurance increasingly untenable, pushing communities toward the belief that armed resistance is the only remaining response.

US Vice President Vance, Secy Rubio call for global minerals reset

Lalit K Jha | February 4, 2026 9:34 PM

Washington, Feb 4 (IANS) US Vice President J D Vance on Tuesday urged US allies and partners to act collectively to fix what he described as a broken global market for critical minerals, warning that brittle and highly concentrated supply chains threaten economic growth and national security.

People in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continue to suffer from political subjugation, infrastructural decay

IANS | February 4, 2026 9:15 PM

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) The Line of Control (LoC) that separates Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is no longer a military frontier but has evolved into a developmental fault line. While Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have seen structural transformations and economic revitalisation, PoJK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) remain caught in political subjugation and infrastructural decay, a report has stated.

Pakistan: Minority Christian community targetted through fabricated drug cases

IANS | February 4, 2026 9:06 PM

Islamabad, Feb 4 (IANS) Christian community leaders in Pakistan's Faisalabad have voiced their concern over what they termed as 'discriminatory policing' and stereotyping under the ongoing anti-drug drive in Punjab province. They alleged that members of the minority community have been facing raids and criminal cases falsely linking them to narcotics over the past two months, local media reported.

UN experts alarmed by conviction of Pakistani lawyers and human rights defenders

IANS | February 4, 2026 7:21 PM

Geneva, Feb 4 (IANS) Several United Nations (UN) experts on Wednesday expressed alarm at the conviction of Pakistani lawyers and human rights defenders Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha on multiple criminal charges, which resulted in lengthy prison sentences, for simply exercising rights guaranteed by international human rights law.

India-Australia economic ties at all-time high: Australian diplomat

IANS | February 4, 2026 7:04 PM

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Economic relations between India and Australia are at their strongest ever, with bilateral trade growing rapidly and more opportunities ahead, Zoe Woodley, First Secretary for Economic, Energy and Climate Change at the Australian High Commission said on Wednesday.

Nepal mobilises army for election security

IANS | February 4, 2026 6:59 PM

Kathmandu, Feb 4 (IANS) As Nepal prepares to hold parliamentary elections on March 5, the Nepal Army has been mobilised across the country to support election security starting Wednesday.

'India seen as key emerging global power'

IANS | February 4, 2026 6:41 PM

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Over the past decade, India has witnessed an economic and social transformation that has positioned the country as one of the most influential emerging powers of the 21st century, according to a report in the UAE’s Khaleej Times.

Trust, once damaged, slow to rebuild: US expert on India-US trade deal

IANS | February 4, 2026 6:38 PM

Washington, Feb 4 (IANS) After months of rancor and uncertainty, the United States and India have announced an initial trade deal. The agreement eases a standoff that had become untenable for both sides, but it will not magically restore trust, a former senior US government official has opined.