After months of speculation, intrigues, controversies, confabulations, lobbying, and politicking to pressure or influence, Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that Lt. Gen. Asim Munir would succeed Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Pakistan Army. Every three years, Pakistan is preoccupied with the guessing game of who will be the next army chief. This […]

China’s President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Saudi Arabia later this year, representing an effort to take advantage of strains in U.S.-Saudi ties and showcase China as a rising global power. Unlike Russia, China is a major consumer of oil, and energy issues will almost certainly constitute a central focus of Xi’s visit. China has been broadening its relations […]

Former US special representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said he thinks it’s unlikely that the country will ever return to Washington’s foreign policy priority list due to changes in the world, and the “great power competition”, as well as the lack of a roadmap for success. Khalilzad told TRT World this week that while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) […]

The international community will eventually recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Wednesday. Muttaqi made the remarks while addressing a ceremony in western Herat province at a police graduation ceremony. “The world will eventually recognize you and will engage with you if you remain orderly, supportive of people and united,” Muttaqi said. The […]

How Imran Khan Polarized a Nation In early November, a gunman opened fire on Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, and his supporters at a rally. One person was killed, many more were injured, and Khan was struck in the leg. Although the motivation of the shooter, who was detained, remains unclear, Khan quickly blamed the government and, […]

A new documentary about the last days of the Afghanistan war puts viewers on the ground for a real-time look at the nation’s impending collapse through the eyes of U.S. Green Berets and the doomed Afghan army. “Retrograde” evokes dread with its scenes of U.S. and Afghan troops trying to fend off the inevitable Taliban victory. The beautifully shot film […]

Army drones are dropping packages of simulated blood over the Mojave Desert in an effort to find better ways to rush medical supplies to wounded troops as quickly as possible. In recent months, soldiers at Fort Irwin, Calif., have practiced gathering the drone cargo after the supplies drift to the ground, attached to small, orange-and-white parachutes. Lessons from two decades […]

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council in Yerevan in Armenia on Wednesday the situation in Afghanistan remains highly concerning and that the threat of a potential infiltration of militants into the CSTO territory is high. “I share the concern of colleagues who have spoken out about the situation in Afghanistan. It remains, […]

A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday the shelling by Dutch soldiers of a residential complex in the Afghan province of Uruzgan in June 2007 was illegal, adding the Netherlands should compensate the victims, Reuters reported. The Dutch Defence Ministry had asked prosecutors almost two years ago to look into this bombing, which killed dozens of civilians, following a report by […]

Germany’s Chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan has announced that his country will help the people of Afghanistan with 90 million euros ($93 million). According to a statement, German aid will be distributed to the people through the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and other NGOs. The latest pledge brings Germany’s total to $331 million euros this year.