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Pakistan has declared "open war" with Afghanistan's Taliban after Pakistani warplanes struck Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif saying Islamabad's "patience has reached its limit" following Taliban attacks along the border.

This comes as US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva ended without a deal amid a significant American military buildup in the region, and Denmark's PM Mette Frederiksen called a snap election for 24 March on the back of rising support linked to the Greenland crisis.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US-Iran nuclear talks end without agreement in Geneva: Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran concluded without a deal, with both sides signalling further discussions next week but no progress on enrichment limits or inspection guarantees. The negotiations unfolded amid a significant US military buildup in the region, with disputes also emerging over whether ballistic missiles should feature in future talks.

2️⃣ 🇩🇰 Frederiksen calls snap election amid Greenland rallying effect: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen has called an early election for 24 March, with polls showing rising support for her Social Democrats following her handling of US pressure over Greenland. She pledged to rearm, reconsider ties with Washington, and introduce a wealth tax, with analysts attributing her gains to the Greenland crisis.

3️⃣ 🇭🇺🇺🇦 Orbán proposes fact-finding mission over Druzhba pipeline attack: Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán proposed sending Hungarian and Slovak experts to assess damage to Ukraine’s section of the Druzhba pipeline after a Russian strike. Whether Kyiv would permit such a mission remains unclear, as Brussels urges faster repairs and Hungary resists costlier alternatives.

4️⃣ 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇷🇺 RUSI warns Russia could undermine UK and French nuclear deterrents: A new RUSI report warns that Russia’s expanding missile defence systems could within a decade be capable of intercepting British and French nuclear strikes. The analysis comes as New START expires, Russia and China expand their arsenals, and debate grows over greater European nuclear cooperation.

5️⃣ 🇨🇳 Chinese official used ChatGPT to log alleged dissident intimidation campaign: An OpenAI report revealed a Chinese law enforcement official used ChatGPT as a diary to document an alleged campaign intimidating dissidents abroad, including by impersonating US immigration officials and forging court documents. The broader operation involved hundreds of operators and thousands of fake accounts, with the user banned after investigators linked the account to real online activity.

Major Story

🇦🇫🇵🇰 Pakistan-Afghanistan clashes escalate into open war

Afghanistan's Taliban launched what it described as large-scale offensive operations against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line on Thursday night, claiming to have killed 10 Pakistani soldiers and captured 13 outposts in response to Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the week. Pakistan denied any posts were captured and said its forces responded across five border sectors — Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur — claiming 133 Taliban fighters killed, over 200 wounded, and 27 posts destroyed. 

Pakistani warplanes subsequently struck Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province in the early hours of Friday. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared it "open war," stating Islamabad's "patience has reached its limit," while the UN Secretary-General called for de-escalation and Iran offered to facilitate dialogue — though no mediator has yet stepped in to halt the fighting.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇬🇷🇮🇱 Greek court sentences four over Predatorgate spyware scandal: Four people — including two Israelis linked to spyware firm Intellexa — received a combined 126-year sentence, with eight years to be served, over the Predatorgate scandal. The case began in 2022 after opposition leader Nikos Androulakis found spyware on his phone, and has fuelled years of political dispute in Greece.

2️⃣ 🇸🇩 UN sanctions four RSF commanders over el-Fasher atrocities: The UN Security Council sanctioned four RSF leaders, including deputy commander Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, over mass killings during the group’s capture of el-Fasher. A UN fact-finding mission said the takeover bore hallmarks of genocide, with over 70,000 people displaced, while the RSF disputes the scale of the alleged abuses.

3️⃣ 🇨🇺🇺🇸 At least one American killed by Cuban border guards near Cayo Falcones: Cuban border guards shot dead four people, including at least one US citizen, after intercepting a Florida-registered speedboat near Cayo Falcones. Havana claimed the group planned a terrorist infiltration and recovered weapons and explosives, while Washington said it was investigating and confirmed the operation was not government-sanctioned.

4️⃣ 🇨🇦🇮🇳 Carney visits India to diversify trade and rebuild strained ties: Canadian PM Mark Carney travelled to India — the first stop on a trip also taking in Australia and Japan — seeking to reduce trade dependence on the US. The visit comes after relations deteriorated over Ottawa’s 2023 allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, which New Delhi denies.

5️⃣ 🇨🇳🇯🇵 China restricts dual-use exports to 40 Japanese firms: Beijing placed 20 Japanese companies on an export control list and 20 others on a licensing watchlist, citing concerns over Japan’s “remilitarization” and nuclear ambitions. Tokyo lodged a formal protest calling the measures unacceptable, while China insisted the restrictions would not affect normal trade.

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