A recent Pentagon report has shown that China has rapidly become a major global arms supplier, with Pakistan emerging as its closest partner in aerial warfare. According to the report, China has already delivered 20 J-10C multirole fighter jets to Pakistan, and two additional orders will raise the total to 36. Pakistan is also jointly producing the JF-17 Thunder aircraft with China, which is already in service with the air forces of Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Nigeria, while Iraq has expressed interest in the model.

Beyond aircraft, China has supplied Pakistan with advanced attack-capable unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Caihong and Wing Loong series. In the naval sector, Pakistan received four frigates from China in 2017 and 2018, and it is expected to remain a key partner in China’s future naval exports.

The Pentagon report attributes the growing popularity of Chinese weapons to competitive pricing, flexible financing, and the absence of political conditions. It describes Pakistan’s relationship with China as a comprehensive partnership involving joint development, production, and long-term strategic cooperation.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Islamabad on Friday for his first official state visit to Pakistan. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, this marks his first formal visit as president, though it is his second trip to the country this year. Earlier in January, he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Rahim Yar Khan. During the visit, Sheikh Mohamed and Prime Minister Sharif are expected to review bilateral relations and discuss key regional and international issues.

The Foreign Office described the visit as an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding fraternal ties between Pakistan and the UAE. It said the trip reflects both nations’ shared commitment to deepening cooperation in trade, investment, energy, development, and regional stability. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners and a major source of remittances, with thousands of Pakistanis working across various sectors in the Emirates.

In April, the two countries signed several memorandums of understanding to enhance cultural cooperation, establish a joint consular committee, and form a UAE–Pakistan Joint Business Council between their chambers of commerce.

The Gaza Civil Defense Department reported that 25 bodies, including that of female journalist Heba al-Abadla and her mother, were recovered from the rubble of a house in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The victims were killed in Israeli attacks in January 2024, according to the statement cited by Anadolu Agency.

The department said that rescue operations are being carried out with limited equipment due to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the enclave. Despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, Israel has reportedly prevented the entry of heavy machinery needed to clear debris, hindering recovery efforts. Families are identifying victims by clothing or physical features because of a lack of specialized medical equipment.

Gaza authorities have repeatedly accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. Since the war began in October 2023, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,000 injured, according to Gaza officials.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of reviving piracy in the Caribbean Sea through its naval blockade against Venezuela. The ministry expressed hope that US President Donald Trump would make the right decision to prevent a crisis. The statement was reported by TRT World on Thursday.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the situation in the Caribbean had descended into chaos, with piracy and robbery re-emerging. She reiterated Moscow’s call for de-escalation and urged Washington to seek a mutually acceptable solution within international legal frameworks. Zakharova reaffirmed Russia’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s efforts to safeguard his country’s sovereignty, national interests, and stable development.

She added that the issue of the US military presence in the Caribbean was discussed at a UN Security Council meeting earlier in the week, where most countries criticized Washington’s actions. Zakharova said such measures violated international maritime law and freedom of navigation, calling on the US to respect the region as a “zone of peace.”

At least ten people were killed and thirty-two others injured in a passenger bus accident in Mexico’s eastern Veracruz state, authorities confirmed on Thursday. The bus was traveling from Mexico City to the village of Chicontepec when it crashed near the city of Zontecomatlán on Christmas Eve. According to a statement from the Zontecomatlán mayor’s office, one of the victims was a child. The injured passengers were quickly rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The report noted that road accidents have been increasing in Mexico in recent years, often involving buses and trucks. Authorities have identified excessive speed and mechanical failures as the main causes of such incidents. In late November, a similar crash in the western state of Michoacán left ten people dead and twenty others injured.

The repeated occurrence of fatal bus accidents highlights ongoing safety challenges on Mexico’s highways, prompting renewed concern over vehicle maintenance and traffic regulation enforcement.

Hotel owners in Siliguri, India, have announced they will no longer rent rooms to Bangladeshi citizens. The decision was confirmed by the Greater Siliguri Hotel Business Welfare Association, which stated that the move was taken in the interest of the country. The association acknowledged that the decision could cause some financial loss to local hotel owners. The report was carried by The Telegraph India.

Ujjal Ghosh, joint secretary of the association, said the group had made a similar decision in December of the previous year, though at that time exceptions were made for Bangladeshi students and patients. The new directive removes all such exemptions. Ghosh cited alleged violence and anti-India statements in Bangladesh as reasons for the stricter stance. The association represents 180 hotels in Siliguri, all of which are expected to comply with the ban.

The report also noted that the local visa office had been closed earlier following protests by the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Many Bangladeshis travel to Siliguri each year for education, tourism, and medical treatment.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the expansion and modernization of the country’s missile production starting in 2026. According to state media reports on Friday, he also directed the construction of new weapons factories to meet growing demand. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim inspected several ammunition and weapons plants with senior officials and instructed them to fulfill the operational needs of the state’s missile and artillery forces.

Kim emphasized that overall production capacity must be increased to keep pace with the armed forces’ requirements, describing missile and ammunition manufacturing as crucial to strengthening war deterrence. In recent years, North Korea has significantly increased missile testing, which analysts say aims to improve strike precision, challenge the United States and South Korea, and test weapons before potential exports to other countries such as Russia.

The report followed news that Kim had visited a nuclear submarine plant, pledging to counter South Korea’s nuclear submarine development and being briefed on research into new underwater weapons. The ruling Workers’ Party is set to hold its first congress in five years in early 2026 to finalize the next five-year economic and military development plan.

The border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia entered its 18th day on Thursday, with a total of 96 people reported dead. According to Cambodia’s state news agency Kampuchea Press, citing the Ministry of Defense, Thai forces shelled a village in Banteay Meanchey province on Thursday morning, killing one Cambodian civilian. Cambodia’s National Assembly condemned the attack as “brutal and inhumane.”

Thailand’s Daily Nation reported that the Thai army accused Cambodia of firing BM-21 rockets into a village in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, causing extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. Thai authorities said 23 Thai soldiers and one civilian were killed, while 41 civilians also lost their lives in the ongoing clashes.

In a related development, India condemned the destruction of a statue of the Hindu deity Vishnu in the disputed border area of Cambodia, allegedly by Thai forces. India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that such acts hurt the sentiments of followers worldwide and should not occur.

China plans to build six new aircraft carriers by 2035, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon). The report states that this would give China a total of nine carriers, marking the largest carrier expansion in the Indo-Pacific region since World War II. China currently operates three aircraft carriers, ranking second after the United States, which has 11.

The Pentagon report highlights the Type 003 Fujian carrier as a major advancement for China’s navy. The 80,000-ton vessel is equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system and can carry fifth-generation J-35 fighter jets and KJ-600 transport aircraft. Compared with earlier ski-jump carriers Liaoning and Shandong, the Fujian can support longer missions with heavier fuel and armament loads. The report also notes that China has begun work on a fourth carrier this year.

Additionally, China is developing Type 076 amphibious assault ships with electromagnetic catapults, though the number planned remains unclear. The report mentions that China deployed its carriers during the Joint Sword exercise around Taiwan, signaling its intent to challenge potential third-party intervention during conflicts.

US President Donald Trump announced that the United States carried out an airstrike in northwestern Nigeria against ISIL fighters. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday evening, Trump said the strike was conducted under his direction as commander in chief and described it as a powerful and lethal attack against ISIS terrorists. He claimed the militants had targeted innocent Christians and warned earlier of severe consequences if such killings continued.

US Africa Command, which oversees American military operations in Africa, confirmed the strike, stating it was conducted at the request of Nigerian authorities and resulted in the deaths of multiple ISIL militants. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation and hinted at further actions without providing details. The command said the strike took place in “Soboto State,” believed to refer to Sokoto State.

The attack followed Trump’s earlier directive to the Pentagon to plan possible military action over alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, claims the Nigerian government denied, saying armed groups target both Muslims and Christians. Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the operation reflected structured security cooperation with international partners.

Russia has asserted that its forces seized more than 5,100 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in 2025, with President Vladimir Putin citing the capture of Siversk in Donetsk and Vovchansk in Kharkiv. He also claimed partial control of several other front-line towns. However, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) disputed these claims, saying satellite and open-source data show far smaller Russian advances. ISW estimated Russia controls less than 5,000 square kilometres and only 196 settlements, contradicting Moscow’s higher figures.

The claims came as the United States and Ukraine concluded three days of peace talks in Florida. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said cooperation with Washington was strong but confirmed that no agreement had been reached on territorial issues. Russia continues to demand full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, and Crimea, while Ukraine refuses. The US has agreed to NATO-level security guarantees for Ukraine, and the European Union has pledged future membership and a €90 billion loan package.

The ongoing conflict also saw intensified drone and missile exchanges, with Ukraine striking Russian military and energy targets and Russia launching over a thousand drones at Ukraine during the same week.

India has successfully test-fired a medium-range K-4 ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads from the INS Arighat submarine in the Bay of Bengal. The launch took place off the coast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday, according to NDTV. The K-4 missile can strike targets up to 3,500 kilometers away, marking a significant step in India’s strategic deterrence capabilities.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy on August 29, 2024, the K-4 missile makes India one of the few nations able to launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea. The missile, designed to carry a 2.5-ton nuclear payload, is India’s second-longest-range system after the land-based Agni-III. The test comes amid heightened diplomatic tension between India and Bangladesh, drawing regional attention to India’s expanding naval strength.

Defense analysts suggest the test underscores India’s commitment to maintaining a credible nuclear triad. However, observers warn that such demonstrations could further strain relations with neighboring countries and intensify regional security concerns in South Asia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his Christmas address to deliver one of his most direct condemnations of Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing a wish for his death. The statement came as Ukraine faced another wave of Russian missile and drone attacks that killed at least three people and left large parts of the country without power.

Zelensky said that despite Russia’s ongoing aggression, it had failed to destroy Ukrainians’ unity, faith, and spirit. Without naming Putin directly, he declared that Ukrainians shared a single hope — the death of the man responsible for their suffering. His remarks followed a series of Russian strikes using ballistic and Kinzhal missiles, which Kyiv described as one of the most intense bombardments in recent weeks.

The comments underscored the deepening hostility between Kyiv and Moscow as the war nears its third year. Analysts suggest Zelensky’s rhetoric reflects growing frustration with the relentless attacks and the slow pace of Western support. Further escalation in rhetoric and military action is expected as both sides brace for a harsh winter.

A helicopter conducting a medical evacuation mission crashed near Barafu Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, killing five people, the country's Civil Aviation Authority confirmed on Thursday. The victims included two foreign nationals, a local doctor, a tour guide, and the pilot. The crash occurred on Wednesday at an altitude between 4,670 and 4,700 meters, according to local media reports.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at nearly 6,000 meters above sea level, attracts around 50,000 climbers annually. The Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority stated that an investigation has been launched in accordance with international aviation safety protocols. Helicopter crashes in this region are rare; the last recorded incident occurred in November 2008, resulting in four deaths.

Authorities are now focusing on determining the cause of the crash, with weather conditions and mechanical failure among possible factors. The tragedy underscores the risks associated with high-altitude rescue operations in challenging terrain.

India has strongly condemned the destruction of a Hindu deity Vishnu statue by Thai forces in a disputed border area with Cambodia. The incident occurred on December 22, when Thai military personnel reportedly used an excavator to demolish the statue located about 100 meters inside Thai territory near the An Ses area. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said such acts hurt the sentiments of devotees worldwide and urged both nations to maintain peace and prevent further loss of life or property.

The statue, built in 2014, had been a symbol of shared cultural heritage between Buddhist and Hindu communities. Cambodia’s Preah Vihear provincial spokesperson Lim Chanpanha also denounced the act, calling it a violation of religious respect. The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which reignited in July despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, has seen sporadic clashes in recent months.

Analysts warn that the destruction could further strain regional relations and complicate ongoing peace efforts. Diplomatic observers expect renewed international mediation to prevent escalation along the sensitive frontier.