The US is due to officially exit the World Health Organisation on Thursday, in the face of warnings it will hit both US health and global health and also in violation of a US law that requires Washington to pay the UN health agency $260 million in fees that it owes.

US President Donald Trump repeatedly made an apparent gaffe in a speech Wednesday to world leaders assembled in Switzerland by referring to "Iceland" several times instead of his much coveted "Greenland," with the White House furiously denying any confusion on his part.

The death toll from a mall fire in Pakistan's biggest city rose to at least 55 people, a Karachi government official told AFP on Thursday.

Several Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Türkiye, have agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to support a ceasefire and reconstruction in Gaza.

Pakistan has announced its decision to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, expressing hope that the initiative will lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, increased humanitarian assistance, and long-term reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory.

The US will control parts of Greenland by designating them as sovereign military base areas, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday evening, citing a draft agreement between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

European nations need to reverse a decade of what he called “horrible” decisions to stop “destroying” themselves, US President Donald Trump has said.

A Pakistan Air Force contingent comprising F-16 Block 52 fighter aircraft and dedicated air and ground crew has arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia to take part in the multinational aerial combat exercise Spears of Victory-2026

Despite renewed diplomatic activity, Iran’s influence in Central Asia remains limited, with cultural ties failing to translate into strategic power. Decades of sanctions, policy inconsistency, and competition from stronger actors have left Tehran a secondary regional player.

India’s growing use of Oman’s Duqm port provides a politically safer, sanctions-insulated hub for its western Indian Ocean operations, reducing reliance on Iran’s Chabahar without replacing its unique overland access to Central Asia.

Iran’s BRICS membership has given Tehran symbolic legitimacy but little practical economic relief, as sanctions, dependency on China, and limited access to BRICS financial mechanisms continue to constrain its leverage.

Patience Quill’s fable shows how influence and authority can be manipulated: power can coerce, exploit, and control even the most celebrated voices.

Dubai is set to host the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games from December 10–13, bringing together 1,500 young para-athletes from 35 nations in a powerful celebration of resilience and inclusion

Authors takes a closer look at how the 27th Amendment created a five-star defense post without tenure, rules, safeguards, or global precedent — and why the delayed notification threatens constitutional coherence.

A new quiet resistance is emerging, one that honors lives over slogans and truth over heroism, as Iranians increasingly refuse to participate in the state’s staged remembrance.

Iran’s geographic advantage has been offset by sanctions, regulatory instability, and logistics concerns, leading Central Asian states to quietly pivot toward more predictable trade networks.