Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia.

Today's three stories you should know.

Mar 05, 2022

Pakistan

More than 60 people have been killed in a suicide attack on a mosque in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. According to police, gunmen attacked the Kucha Risaldar mosque as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, opening fire on police and clearing the way for a suicide bomber to enter the building. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombing in which about 190 people were also wounded. There has been an upsurge in attacks in Pakistan in recent months, particularly near the border with Afghanistan.

China

China has announced a 7.1 percent hike in defense spending, taking the figure for 2022 to $229 billion. China and the US are engaged in something of an arms race with this increase the latest in several years of hefty defence spending from Beijing. The US this year increased its own military budget by 2 percent, brining it to a whopping $768.2 billion. China now has the largest standing army in the world, numbering some 3 million personnel, and an arsenal of increasingly advanced weaponry.

Saudi Arabia

Rights group Amnesty International has demanded the release of dissident Saudi blogger Raif Badawi after he completed a 10-year sentence for “insulting Islam.” Badawi, creator of the “Free Saudi Liberals" blog, was arrested in 2012 and in 2014 sentenced to 10 years in prison. He therefore completed his sentence on March 1 but has not yet been released. "Raif Badawi has spent a decade behind bars solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression,” said Heba Morayef of Amnesty. "The Saudi Arabian authorities must ensure his immediate and unconditional release.”