CSP WEEKLY UPDATES (Aug 13-19, 2022)

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA & THE UNITED NATIONS

Ø  Russia and Iran Threats Put Missile Defense Back on the Agenda
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/12/missile-defense-russia-iran-europe-middle-east-israel-saudi-uae-nuclear-deal/

Ø  Why No One Was in Charge in Afghanistan
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/15/afghanistan-fall-of-kabul-taliban-lessons/

Ø  Last Days in Afghanistan: Reflections on the U.S. Withdrawal
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/politics/us-withdrawal-afghanistan.html

Ø  Brief: The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/RS21852

Ø  The China Trap
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/china-trap-us-foreign-policy-zero-sum-competition

Ø  Can the Taliban Be Contained?
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/afghanistan/can-taliban-be-contained

Ø  Report: The Return of Great Power War; Scenarios of Systemic Conflict between the United States and China
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA830-1.html

Ø  Reflections on the fall of Kabul One Year Later
https://www.csis.org/analysis/reflections-fall-kabul-one-year-later

Ø   Report: Setting the Right Conditions for Aid to Afghanistan—and Other Nations as Well
https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/220815_Cordesman_Afghanistan_Aid.pdf?ZEXdvWW118MXbVqi7tVhXyB8V47JZkU8

Ø  Reflecting on women’s rights in Afghanistan one year after the fall of Kabul
https://www.csis.org/node/66585

Ø  Afghanistan One Year Later: Consequences & Responsibilities
https://www.csis.org/analysis/afghanistan-one-year-later-consequences-responsibilities

Ø  Humanitarian funding still needed for ‘pure catastrophe’ situation in Afghanistan
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1124712

Ø  Conference opens to draft first-ever treaty on ocean’s biological diversity
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1124702

RUSSIA & EUROPE

Ø  Guterres, Erdoğan to meet Zelenskyy in Ukraine this week
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/16/guterres-erdogan-to-meet-zelenskyy-in-ukraine-on-thursday

Ø  China to send troops to Russia for joint military exercises
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/18/china-to-send-troops-to-russia-for-joint-military-exercises

Ø  Russia says it moved hypersonic missiles to Kaliningrad region
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/18/russia-says-it-moved-hypersonic-missiles-to-kaliningrad-region

Ø  Germany’s Chancellor Scholz faces grilling over financial scandal
https://www.euronews.com/2022/08/19/germanys-chancellor-scholz-faces-grilling-over-financial-scandal

Ø  Gas crisis: Germans rush to stock up on coal for winter warmth
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/08/17/gas-crisis-germans-rush-to-stock-up-on-coal-for-winter-warmth

Ø  EU considers Iran’s response on nuclear deal talks
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/08/16/eu-receives-iran-response-on-nuclear-talks

Ø  Latvia and Estonia leave China-backed East Europe forum in new setback for Beijing
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/08/12/latvia-and-estonia-leave-china-backed-east-europe-forum-in-new-setback-for-beijing

Ø  Germany cuts tax on gas as prices rise amid war in Ukraine
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cuts-tax-on-gas-as-prices-rise-amid-war-in-ukraine/a-62849908

Ø  Russia, Tajik security councils’ secretaries worried by terrorist activity in Afghanistan
https://tass.com/politics/1495391

Ø  Moscow, Tehran working on Iranian minister’s visit to Russian capital, embassy says
https://tass.com/politics/1495245

Ø  Russia-China trade grows at extraordinary pace in 2022 – Russian MFA
https://tass.com/politics/1494723

Ø  US preparing additional $800m in military aid for Ukraine: Report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/19/us-preparing-additional-800m-in-military-aid-for-ukraine-report

POLITICAL ECONOMY & NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS

Ø  ‘Too early’, ‘nothing major’: Experts on govt’s move to scrap import ban
https://www.geo.tv/latest/434578-too-early-nothing-major-experts-on-govts-move-to-scrap-import-ban

Ø  Pakistan emerges as 24th largest economy in 75-year journey
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704774/pakistan-emerges-as-24th-largest-economy-in-75-year-journey

Ø  SBP allows exchange firms to export foreign currecies other than US dollar
https://www.geo.tv/latest/433796-sbp-allows-exchange-firms-to-export-foreign-currecies-other-than-us-dollar

Ø  Nascent recovery, what next?
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704939/nascent-recovery-what-next

Ø  Education, exports key to reviving economy
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371521/education-exports-key-to-reviving-economy

Ø  A lamentable tale of neglect
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704940/a-lamentable-tale-of-neglect

Ø  Pakistan adopts WTO’s trade deal to cut business costs
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371515/pakistan-adopts-wtos-trade-deal-to-cut-business-costs

Ø  Trend of rising remittances reverses in July
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705311/trend-of-rising-remittances-reverses-in-july

Ø  Industry hit by exchange rate volatility
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371396/industry-hit-by-exchange-rate-volatility

Ø  Pakistan’s debt burden up Rs11.8tr in FY22
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705141/pakistans-debt-burden-up-rs118tr-in-fy22

Ø  Imports of oil, food surge
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705307/imports-of-oil-food-surge

Ø  A charter of economic reforms
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371198/a-charter-of-economic-reforms

Ø  Changing geopolitics
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704951/changing-geopolitics

Ø  Understanding balance of payments crisis
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371201/understanding-balance-of-payments-crisis

Ø  A disappointing trajectory
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704955/a-disappointing-trajectory

Ø  Non-textile exports contract 11pc in July
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705465/non-textile-exports-contract-11pc-in-july

Ø  Big industry output expands 11.7pc in FY22
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705310/big-industry-output-expands-117pc-in-fy22

Ø  Iran can fulfil Pakistan’s gas, energy demands, says Miftah Ismail
https://www.geo.tv/latest/434387-iran-can-fulfil-pakistans-gas-energy-demands-says-miftah-ismail

Ø  Oil prices head for weekly drop on global economic slowdown worries
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-edges-higher-optimism-firmer-crude-demand-2022-08-19/

Ø  Social costs of extreme weather
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2371203/social-costs-of-extreme-weather

Ø  Agri’s 75 years of success and stagnation
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704949/agris-75-years-of-success-and-stagnation

Ø  Pakistan, China join hands to achieve food security
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2370892/pakistan-china-join-hands-to-achieve-food-security

Ø  Climate change and Pakistan
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40192452

Ø  Who is profiting from the extreme heat in urban Pakistan?
https://www.dawn.com/news/1705220

Ø  More than 600 killed in rains and floods, Pakistan forms committee on climate change
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/more-than-600-killed-in-rains-and-floods-pakistan-forms-committee-on-climate-change-1.89967570

Ø  CLIMATE CHANGE: THE TROUBLED WATERS OF BALOCHISTAN
https://www.dawn.com/news/1704700/climate-change-the-troubled-waters-of-balochistan

Ø  Rethinking how youth learn about climate change
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-rethinking-youth-climate.html