THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

I. Biden’s Options in Afghanistan 
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/16/afghanistan-future-peace-talks-biden-united-states-pakistan/   
II. Biden Goals Converge in Asia: Rebuilding Alliances and Countering China 
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/world/asia/blinken-japan-south-korea.html 
III. Whither the Quad? 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/03/16/whither-quad/ 
IV. Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement: “The Spirit of the Quad” 
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/12/quad-leaders-joint-statement-the-spirit-of-the-quad/   
 V. The United States and Japan Expand Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation  
https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-and-japan-expand-indo-pacific-economic-cooperation/  
VI. Islamabad seeks mutually beneficial relationship with Washington 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289001/islamabad-seeks-mutually-beneficial-relationship-with-washington 
VII. United States and Iran warily circle each other over reactivating nuclear deal 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/biden-iran-nuclear-deal-talks/2021/03/14/4b020904-8376-11eb-81db-b02f0398f49a_story.html 
VIII. China hopes to have a frank dialogue with U.S. on issues of common concern 
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-12/China-hopes-to-enhance-understanding-with-U-S-through-talks-in-Alaska-YzwFkZ2Iwg/index.html
IX. The Declining Market for Secrets 
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2021-03-09/declining-market-secrets   
X. Japan, US criticize China in top Biden officials’ first trip 
https://www.abqjournal.com/2370122/japan-us-to-share-china-worry-as-ministers-meet-in-tokyo.html 

RUSSIA & EUROPE  

I. France conducts first military drills in space 
https://www.spacedaily.com/afp/210309164806.3xj0vci2.html  
II. Military attaches of 50 foreign embassies in Russia get vaccinated with Sputnik V 
https://tass.com/society/1265857 
III. India, Russia less useful to each other now. Disagreements will only grow 
https://theprint.in/opinion/india-russia-less-useful-to-each-other-now-disagreements-will-only-grow/621264/  
IV. Russians See Greater Reward than Risk in Closer Relations with China 
https://www.thechicagocouncil.org/research/report/russians-see-greater-reward-risk-closer-relations-china    
V. Russia and China signed a memorandum on the creation of a lunar station 
https://www.roscosmos.ru/30248/  
VI. Russia kept India out, US brings Delhi to talks table for Afghan peace plan 
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/russia-india-us-afghan-peace-plan-7220082/
VII. China warns EU against ‘confrontational’ human rights sanctions 
https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/16/china-warns-eu-against-confrontational-human-rights-sanctions 
VIII. EU launches legal action against UK over Brexit deal 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/15/eu-launches-legal-action-against-uk-over-brexit-deal-breaches 
IX. Turkey warns Cyprus, Greece and Israel over underwater electricity cable deal 
https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/15/turkey-warns-cyprus-greece-and-israel-over-underwater-electricity-cable-deal   
X. Greece, Turkey resume preliminary talks on Mediterranean dispute 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/16/greece-turkey-resume-preliminary-talks-on-mediterranean-dispute
XI. China and EU poised to sign long-delayed investment deal 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/china-and-eu-poised-to-sign-long-delayed-investment-deal 
XII. Italian government under pressure over economic recovery plan 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/04/italian-coalition-government-pressure-covid-economic-recovery-plan-giuseppe-conte-matteo-renzi 

MULTILATERALISM

I. Blinken to UN’s Yemen envoy: No military solution to the conflict 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/15/us-secretary-of-state-blinken-spoke-to-un-special-envoy-for-yemen   
II. ‘We cannot be wasteful’: Syrian crisis spurs aid innovations 
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/3/15/we-cannot-be-wasteful-syrian-crisis-spurs-aid-innovations 
III. Iran tells UN it was not behind attacks on US interests in Iraq 
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/15/iran-tells-un-it-was-not-behind-attacks-on-us-interests-in-iraq  
IV. COVID-19 has exposed endemic gender inequality, Guterres tells UN Women’s commission 
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1087392    
V. World’s crime fighters push back against COVID-19’s ‘divisions and inequalities’ 
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1087252 

POLITICAL ECONOMY & NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS 

I. SBP Weekly Data Report
http://www.sbp.org.pk/ecodata/index2.asp 
II. Thaw in Pakistan, India ties as ‘Indus water officials to meet next week’ 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289562/thaw-in-pakistan-india-ties-as-indus-water-officials-to-meet-next-week 
III. Rupee hits one-year high against dollar 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612971/rupee-hits-one-year-high-against-dollar 
IV. Large-scale manufacturing rises 9.13pc in January 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612839/large-scale-manufacturing-rises-913pc-in-january 
V. GasPort plans $94m virtual LNG pipeline from Gwadar 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612812/gasport-plans-94m-virtual-lng-pipeline-from-gwadar 
VI. IT services exports up 40pc in 1HFY21 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612809/it-services-exports-up-40pc-in-1hfy21 
VII. Pakistan among biggest importers in Asia for major arms: SIPRI 
https://www.reuters.com/article/arms-trade-sipri-idUSL8N2LA2WX 
VIII. Freight rates jump up to 700% 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289594/freight-rates-jump-up-to-700 
IX. Import bill of eatables up by 50pc amid farm sector woes 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612937/import-bill-of-eatables-up-by-50pc-amid-farm-sector-woes 
X. Rising input costs spell trouble for manufacturers 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289760/rising-input-costs-spell-trouble-for-manufacturers 
VI. Management issues caused countrywide breakdown: NTDC 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612867/management-issues-caused-countrywide-breakdown-ntdc 
XII. ‘Old phone sets are a barrier to growth’ 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612564/old-phone-sets-are-a-barrier-to-growth 
XIII. Education Policy 2021: a few fundamentals to ponder upon 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289577/education-policy-2021-a-few-fundamentals-to-ponder-upon 
XIV. Oil drops as COVID-19 vaccine halt threatens demand 
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289732/oil-drops-amid-rising-stockpiles-demand-concerns 
XV. Melting glaciers could be accelerating climate change by causing more carbon emissions, say researchers 
https://news.sky.com/story/melting-glaciers-linked-to-increased-carbon-emissions-in-unexpected-discovery-12246837 
XVI. Climate change: Jet fuel from waste ‘dramatically lowers’ emissions 
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56408603 

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