Pakistan has a new President, Türkiye provides humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, is there a risk that the US will leave NATO?

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some notable world news this morning, March 11.

Asia

TRIBUNE. Asif Ali Zardari was sworn in as the 14th President of Pakistan in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on March 10.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa (right) administers oath to the new President in a ceremony attended by outgoing President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, armed forces chiefs, politicians and foreign diplomats. (Source: PID)

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered oath to the newly elected President in a ceremony attended by outgoing President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, armed forces chiefs, politicians and foreign diplomats.

PTI. India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), under which New Delhi will receive $100 billion in investment over 15 years .

KOREA TIMES. South Korean display maker Samsung Display has begun construction of the world's first 8.6-generation OLED (organic light-emitting diode) flat panel display production line.

IPA. Starting this year, Incheon Port (Korea) will be the first to introduce a tourism route connecting sea and air (Fly & Cruise).

RODONG SINMUN. A North Korean diplomatic delegation led by Vice Minister Pak Myong-ho visited Mongolia on March 10, the first visit by a North Korean diplomatic delegation to the country since 2019.

KRESEARCH. Thailand is expected to welcome about 36 million foreign tourists in 2024 thanks to an improving economy and supportive government policies.

BANGKOK POST. Thai authorities conducted a crackdown and seized a large amount of drugs in Pai district, Mae Hong Son province bordering Myanmar.

Thai authorities found six sacks containing 1.2 million speed pills and two sacks containing 35 kg of crystal methamphetamine hidden in a forest along the Thai-Myanmar border in Pai district. (Source: Bangkok Post)

ARAB NEWS. Iraq has reopened three key factories in the southern city of Basra, years after they were closed following the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Europe

ANADOLU. Turkey is sending some 40,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by air and sea, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

NYT. Voters across Portugal went to the polls on March 10 to elect 230 members of parliament amid concerns that no party would win a majority to form an independent government.

According to opinion polls, the ruling Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party are competing for the top position. (Source: AFP)

BILD. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned the government that the military (Bundeswehr) budget in 2025 could be short of 4.5-6 billion euros ($4.9-6.5 billion).

TELEGRAPH. NATO could face the risk of the US leaving the alliance if Donald Trump is re-elected in November's presidential election, according to diplomats from member countries.

REUTERS. The Nordic NATO members Norway, Sweden and Finland have completed the “ Nordic Response ” exercise, part of NATO’s biggest series of exercises since the Cold War.

UKRINFORM. Ukraine received about $73.6 billion in foreign aid over the past two years and needs about $3 billion a month to get through 2024, according to Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko.

MOSCOW TIMES. The Latvian government has begun the process of deporting Russian citizens who fail to obtain new immigration permits or pass a Latvian language test.

POLITICO. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pledged to take steps to reduce the surplus of grain on the domestic market, but the organizers of the farmers' protest vowed to continue to press the protest "more vigorously".

EURO NEWS. The European Commission (EC) has approved Italy's €1.1 billion state aid plan to support its transition to a zero-emission economy.

America

THE MIRROR. Spanish and Colombian authorities have jointly arrested Julio Andres Murillo Figueroa , a drug lord who supplied cocaine to gangs in Europe.

This image released by Colombian police shows drug lord Julio Andres Murillo Figueroa being arrested in the Antioquia region of Colombia.

AL MAYADEEN. Chile and Spain sign a cooperation agreement for a just ecological transition; research and development in Antarctica; innovation to strengthen the strategic alliance since 2013.

NYT. US President Joe Biden signed a government spending bill to keep a series of federal agencies operating, as lawmakers turned their attention to the remaining budget appropriations bill.

CENTCOM. A US military transport plane dropped more than 41,400 meals and 23,000 bottles of water into northern Gaza – the fifth US airdrop this month to provide much-needed aid to the area.

MSNBC. US President Joe Biden assessed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the war in the Gaza Strip is "hurting Israel, rather than helping Israel".

CNN. The US military has airlifted non-essential staff from the US Embassy in Haiti, while adding US forces to ensure security at the facility.

AP. The Caribbean Community (Caricom) is holding a special session in the Jamaican capital Kingston to discuss the transition in Haiti and support the country in restoring democratic institutions “as soon as possible.”

AFP. Brazil has banned the use of deepfake technology and issued guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of this year's local elections.

Africa

AFP. Rwanda's ruling Patriotic Front party has chosen President Paul Kagame as its candidate for next July's presidential election, paving the way for him to continue his fourth seven-year term.

SKY NEWS. At least 15 students from an Islamic school in Sokoto state, Nigeria were kidnapped by armed men, just days after 280 children were kidnapped from a school in Kaduna state on July 7.

UN. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Libya, Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily, stressed the urgency of implementing the electoral law and forming a unity government to pave the way for the votes in the country.

ANADOLU. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan issued a statement welcoming the UN Security Council's call for a cessation of hostilities during the Muslim month of Ramadan.

AFRICA NEWS. Senegal's presidential candidates have launched a new campaign , two days after a court confirmed the election would be held on March 24, ending weeks of unrest over the delayed vote.

FAO. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the El Nino weather phenomenon, coupled with widespread drought, poses an increasing risk to food security in southern Africa.

Oceania

ABC. The number of people with rare blood types in Australia is increasing, according to new research published in the journal Pathology, reflecting the genetic diversity of migrants to the Oceanic nation.

SKY NEWS. Much of Australia is experiencing a severe heatwave , with high temperatures forecast to increase the risk of bushfires in the south-east.

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