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📈 Top News

🇺🇦 Ukraine warns Russia of an impending attack on multiple cities on August 24. A new video from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) shows a young cartoon boy defiantly throwing a paper plane, which turns into a fleet of drones that fly toward various Russian cities. The climactic moment displays a red line stretching from Kyiv to Moscow, and the screen fades to black, displaying the date "August 24."

August 24 marks Ukraine’s Independence Day, commemorating the nation's liberation from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Watch the video here.

🐭 A China-linked biolab in Fresno County was raided by authorities after they discovered it was operating as an illegal, unlicensed laboratory full of hazardous materials and infectious agents, and mice.

Click here for more.

🔥 Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih hit by twin missile strikes. Two Russian missiles hit the city of Kryvyi Rih - killing at least 6 people, including a 10-year-old girl and her mother, while injuring at least 75 more.

Note: Zelenskyy grew up in Kryvyi Rih.

Click here for more.

🔥 Turkey's Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, is calling on Sweden to take decisive measures to prevent future Quran burnings. During a phone conversation, Fidan conveyed to his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom, that the persistence of such "vile actions" under the pretext of freedom of expression is deemed unacceptable.

🇷🇺 Kremlin is worried about the situation in Niger after its president was ousted in last week’s coup. The coup was condemned by many countries but welcomed by Prigozhin - who offered his fighters to the new regime. He seems to have a different agenda. What’s his motive?

Click here for more.

✍🏻 In-Depth

Ukraine
Ukraine Seeks Security Guarantees from US

🛡️ Ukraine seeks security guarantees from US. Talks between Ukraine and the United States on security guarantees are set to begin this week, as Ukraine aims for eventual accession to NATO.

This would be immensely helpful for Ukraine since NATO is unlikely to accept Ukraine into its alliance before the war with Russia is over. While NATO supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, it has not provided a specific timeline for membership.

Pakistan
Bloodbath in Pakistan: Suicide Bombing

On Sunday, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at a political rally in Bajaur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan. The rally was organized by JUI-F, a religious group with connections to the Taliban.

• At least 54 people died,

• More than 120 others were injured.

This makes it the deadliest attack in Pakistan’s history.

👀 Who is behind the attack? While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the primary suspect is IS-K, an affiliate of a global terrorist organization active in South Asia and Central Asia. Since 2015, IS-K has been operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, carrying out bombings, shootings, and kidnappings, targeting both civilians and security forces.

👉 Why did they target JUI-F? JUI-F, among Pakistan's major Islamic parties, is a key ally of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's ruling coalition. It adheres to the Deobandi school of Sunni Islam, shared by the Taliban. Despite this, JUI-F has previously backed secular governments and the military, a stance that IS-K perceives as hypocritical and un-Islamic.

🚨 Implications for Pakistan? Pakistan is preparing for general elections later this year, which are anticipated to be fiercely contested and polarized among various parties. This incident might impact the election campaign, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where JUI-F holds a strong support base.

Will this strain Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan and neighboring countries?