A devastating humanitarian and economic crisis has forced millions of Afghans to find new sources of income. A growing number of them have turned to the booming methamphetamine industry to eke out a living and stave off starvation. Among them is Ahmad Wali, who lives in the remote province of Ghor in central Afghanistan. Wali is believed to be among […]

Western Kazakhstan which is the backbone of the Kazakh country’s economy and the basis of the well-being of its population has been and is heavily dependent on Russia in terms of its economy and livelihood opportunities for its inhabitants. Yes, it is also true that the level of economic prosperity not only in that region, but throughout the nation, is […]

The State of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Illegally Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are two regions with a shared history, but vastly different realities in terms of development. AJK is a self-governing territory within Pakistan, while IIOJK is a region occupied by India and has been subject to significant political unrest and conflict. In terms of infrastructure, […]

In the aftermath of murderous attacks, most recently a suicide attack in a mosque in Peshawar, one would expect the state to declare total and unremitting war on the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the largest and deadliest militant umbrella organization in Pakistan. The dysfunction of the state, unending political instability, and unprecedented economic crisis encourage the TTP. It is a good […]

The practice of wooing peripheral states is as much a part of today’s budding U.S. rivalry with China as it was during the actual Cold War with the former Soviet Union. Indeed, the PRC has gone to tremendous lengths trying to create a sphere of influence in Washington’s backyard. In 2000, Chinese trade with Latin America sat at $12 billion. […]

The Japanese government officially nominated academic economist Kazuo Ueda as the next central bank governor on February 14. This unexpected decision also makes the direction of the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) monetary policy, which has been under market scrutiny, to be even more difficult to grasp. On the same day, the yen edged higher against the dollar. Most Japanese stock […]

Recently a new wave of deadly acts of terrorism in Afghanistan, and from Afghanistan into Pakistan, has erupted again. To understand its raison d’être in general and the focus of its violence on Pakistan and Afghanistan a critical review of the major political upheaval in Pakistan continuing since about a year now is essential. Critical ReviewIt was in the beginning […]

Hitherto, till Mr Shinzo Abe became Japan’s Prime Minister for a second term, India-Japan relations were confined to economic cooperation on bilateral issues. Given the bonhomie between the two Prime Ministers, the spurred relations to reach deeper on the geopolitical level and to downplay China’s global influence. Many political and economic analysts observed the old approach of India-Japan relations in […]

Recently, Lufax, an internet finance marketplace headquartered in Shanghai, officially applied for listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and achieved dual listing of US stocks and Hong Kong stocks by way of introduction. Judging from the reason for Lufax’s “return” to Hong Kong stocks, the market generally believes that it is to avoid the geopolitical risk of “financial decoupling” […]

Iran’s President Raisi made a high-profile tour to China and received an official welcome from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on 14 February. This is the first state visit by an Iranian president to China in 20 years. As part of a three-day visit, high-ranking delegations of Tehran and Beijing signed 20 agreements to further boost mutual cooperation in different […]