Trump was good for world peace. He didn't start a war anywhere, which is not something that can be said for most of his predecessors, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
President Zardari is losing political support very fast not only in public but also in Parliament. A majority of the people of Pakistan supported the latest offensive against the Taliban in Swat valley. This offensive displaced about 3.5 million people. More than five weeks have passed and the operation is not yet complete.
Lowering the threshhold for the use of nuclear weapons, Russia said on Friday that it reserves the right to hit back with nukes in case of an aggression, in a new doctrine which may be a veiled warning to China besides containing rising NATO powers at its borders.
Amid reports that the US has quietly approved an additional deployment of some 13,000 troops to Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday said more US troops are welcome in his country.
Pakistan is not putting enough pressure on the Haqqani terror network and this is the reason that the United States Defence Secretary not giving the necessary certification for release of $300 million in coalition support funds to it, a top American general has said.
At least seven people were killed and over 90 injured in a suicide car bomb blast outside the NATO headquarters in Kabul on Saturday. The presidential palace and several embassies are also located in the area. The blast comes just five days before presidential elections and against a backdrop of increased violence by the Taliban. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack, saying people would not be deterred from voting.
Trump called on Iran to "work together" to eliminate the Islamic State, saying the killing of ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was "good" for Iran.
Just two soldiers are known to have survived unscathed after the attack on the base.
