On Tuesday, the leading political parties of Pakistan, including Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), agreed to join hands to form a coalition government led by PML-N. However, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will stay out of the coalition. PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that party supremo Nawaz nominated his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, for the post of PM and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, for the post of CM of the Punjab province.
To prevent foreign nationals from engaging in commercial transactions during organ donation and transplants in India, the Union Health Ministry has advised the Ministry of External Affairs to designate a nodal officer in this regard. In a letter to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra pointed out that a large number of foreign nationals are travelling to India for various organ transplant procedures. The letter came after a recent media report highlighted that in some of these cases, it is challenging to verify documents establishing the relationship between the donor and the recipient. According to the Transplantation of Human Organ and Tissue Act (THOTA) 1994 and the Rules, any commercial dealings in organs are punishable, and only near relatives can donate organs. No payment can be promised or offered for the donation of organs in India.
US President Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump’s comments on NATO on Tuesday, deeming them “dangerous” and “un-American,” and adding that they stepped up the stakes for Congress to approve fresh funding to defend Ukraine. “The stakes were already high for American security before this bill was passed in the Senate last night,” Biden said. “But in recent days, those stakes have risen. And that’s because the former president has sent a dangerous, and shockingly, frankly un-American signal to the world.
The US House voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for mishandling the US-Mexico border situation. In an unprecedented rebuke, the House impeached Mayorkas 214-213. The Homeland Security Committee filed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas, alleging that he “willfully and systematically” failed to enforce existing immigration laws and violated public trust by lying to Congress regarding border security. President Joe Biden said it was a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship that has targeted an honourable public servant in order to play petty political games.”
The annual IISS Military Balance report that was released on Tuesday, has warned of a worsening global security landscape, predicting a potentially more perilous decade ahead. Released by London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the report highlights escalating conflicts such as the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. It suggests that the next ten years may witness an increase in the brazen use of military power by some, reflecting a “might is right” approach to assert claims. The assessment underscores growing tensions across regions, from Europe to Asia and beyond, indicating a concerning trend towards heightened instability and conflict.
On Tuesday, Indian PM Narendra Modi expressed anticipation to enhance India’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE during his upcoming two-day visit to the Gulf nation. Following his visit to the UAE, Modi is scheduled to travel to the Qatari capital, Doha, on 14 February.