Blaze News - Pakistan

In a nation long regarded as a global standard-bearer for free speech, the first hundred days of Donald Trump’s second presidency have marked an ominous turning point for the American press. A new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), “Alarm Bells: Trump’s First 100 Days Ramp Up Fear for the Press, Democracy”, lays bare a landscape increasingly hostile to independent journalism, in which reporters are being sidelined, public broadcasters undermined, and regulatory agencies turned into tools of intimidation. For newsrooms across the country, the report paints a very grim picture. Media outlets and practitioners now face both overt pressure and subtler constraints—pressures that risk tipping into full-fledged self-censorship. Major networks including CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS have been subjected to federal scrutiny. Journalists covering issues central to the Trump White House agenda—immigration and national security—face intense scrutiny and the possibility of retribution for...

If there’s one issue that makes India bristle, it’s international scrutiny of its human rights record. For years, the country has positioned itself as the world’s largest democracy, but critics argue that this claim rings increasingly hollow as civil liberties face sustained attacks. At London’s Chatham House, where India’s global role was being discussed, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar fielded questions on Ukraine, the Middle East, the economy, and his country’s reliance on the US dollar despite its BRICS membership. But when the conversation turned to human rights, his composure visibly shifted. India’s top diplomat grew impatient—his response momentarily unsteady as he conceded that no nation was perfect. However, the hesitation was brief. He quickly returned to his usual stance, brushing aside concerns over human rights violations that have long cast a shadow over India’s democratic credentials. When The Express Tribune raised concerns from a dozen advocacy groups about de...

The alliance network of the United States has been one of the most durable cogs in its foreign policy machine since the Second World War. The American alliances have continually evolved after the Cold War, but they now face a new challenge – perhaps a more formidable one: China’s growing economic might and technological advancement. In pursuance of this policy, the US has been cobbling up new alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. The most recent was AUKUS which is intended to be a strategic partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to bolster their allied defence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the US also sought to revive the Quad, officially the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, among four countries: the US, Australia, India, and Japan, to tackle security and economic issues. Read more: Indo-Pacific Economic Framework not a blessing to Asia And in this tight race against China, and in many ways against time, the Administration of US President J...