Blaze News - Pakistan

For decades, global power struggles were defined by oil - but a quieter, more complex contest is now unfolding, one that may prove even more consequential for the 21st century. The new battleground is rare earth minerals and critical resources that sit at the heart of modern technology, defence systems and the global digital economy. These minerals, ranging from lithium and graphite to rare earth elements, are essential inputs for electric vehicles, semiconductors, smartphones, satellites, missile systems and artificial intelligence infrastructure. They have almost become the invisible backbone of modern industrial and military power. That is precisely why Washington is increasingly sounding the alarm. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned lawmakers that China's dominance of global critical mineral supply chains represents a serious strategic vulnerability for the wider international system. He claims no single source should be relied on for nearly 90 per cent of mat...

US President Donald Trump has castigated both friends and foes since he has assumed office. On March 4, Trump made his maiden speech to both houses of Congress. Spanning an hour and 40 minutes, Trump's speech was the longest delivered by any US President to the Congress, and was designed to list his achievements. He spoke on a range of issues from his crackdown on illegal immigration to imposing import tariffs and from pursuing a Russia-Ukraine peace deal to end hostilities in the Middle East. One thing was noticeable in his address that he took on both friends and adversaries. However, Pakistan was the sole exception. "Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice," he told the US Congress, referring to the Kabul Airport attack of August 2021. "And I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest t...

In 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was on a visit to India. In one of his interactions, the ChatGPT boss was asked: was it possible to build an AI model with $10 million investment? His answer was pretty straightforward: "Next to impossible." He then went on to boast about the US high-tech prowess by saying that China cannot compete. The same year, a 38-year-old engineer in China established a startup, called DeepSeek. The Chinese company with 140 fresh university graduates worked on an AI tool, with the outside world having little idea that it would give the US tech giants a run for money. On 10 January, DeepSeek unveiled its AI model RI costing just $5.6 million. Within days, DeepSeek has become the most downloaded free application in the US. Investors were surprised how the low-cost, open-source generative AI tool was able to compete with leading AI apps such as OpenAI's ChatGPT. It shook Silicon Valley and Wall Street. President Donald Trump conceded that it was a "w...

Pakistan and Afghanistan reported progress in trade talks on Thursday, as the Afghan Taliban government claimed Islamabad agreed to reverse some recent decisions amid tensions between the two estranged neighbours. The two-day talks took place in Kabul, with the Pakistani delegation led by its Commerce Secretary and the Afghan government represented by its commerce minister. These talks unfolded against the backdrop of simmering tensions over continued cross-border terrorist attacks, which Pakistan insists mostly originate from Afghanistan. Despite these tensions, both sides deemed the talks in Kabul a success. Read more: Pakistan, Afghanistan impasse While the Pakistani side didn't delve into specifics, the Afghan interim government issued a statement claiming agreement on several issues. A statement from the foreign office stated that Secretary of Commerce Khurrum Agha visited Afghanistan from the 24th to the 27th to discuss bilateral and transit trade matters with Afghanistan...