The Taliban said its courts publicly flogged nine people in western and eastern Afghanistan this week, continuing the use of corporal punishment under the group’s rule. According to statements issued on Tuesday by the Taliban Supreme Court, a primary court in Herat province flogged eight people on Monday, January 5, on charges of producing, buying and selling alcoholic beverages. In […]

The United States’s attack on Venezuela has raised questions about domestic checks on power and signaled a challenge to international law and longstanding norms of sovereignty and the use of force. The priority given to securing U.S. access to Venezuelan oil and other resources further underscores the material interests underlying the operation. Combined with President Donald Trump’s open flirtation with […]

Tensions between local residents and the mining company have continued in northeastern Afghanistan’s Takhar province over the extraction of gold at a major mining site, with protesters saying they have been excluded from benefits while bearing the environmental and economic costs. Local sources and residents in Chah Ab district say demonstrations that began on Friday are still ongoing, driven by […]

Moscou/Téhéran. Un tournant géopolitique important au cœur du continent eurasien vient de se produire: grâce à une nouvelle liaison ferroviaire, la Russie et l’Iran comblent le dernier vide dans le corridor international de transport nord-sud (INSTC). Le tronçon Rasht-Astara, long de 162 kilomètres, relie le réseau ferroviaire iranien au Caucase du Sud et crée une route multimodale directe entre l’Inde […]

Toplines The People’s Republic of China (PRC) conducted large-scale military exercises that simulated a blockade of Taiwan from December 29-30. The exercise—named Justice Mission 2025—was the second exercise of its kind in 2025. The PLA began conducting blockade exercises around Taiwan with increasing frequency after Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te’s inauguration in May 2024. Justice Mission 2025 rehearsed operational elements […]

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of seeking to destabilise Afghanistan in coordination with major powers, including the United States, as relations between the two sides remain strained despite multiple rounds of talks. Mujahid said some elements within Pakistan’s military were acting at the behest of Washington to undermine security in Afghanistan and the wider region. “Certain military […]

Introduction The People’s Republic of China (PRC) conducted large-scale military exercises that simulated a blockade around Taiwan from December 29–30. The exercise, named Justice Mission 2025, was the second exercise of its kind in 2025. The PLA began conducting blockade exercises around Taiwan with increasing frequency after Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te’s inauguration in May 2024. Justice Mission 2025 rehearsed […]

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has confirmed that security talks with the Taliban were held in Saudi Arabia, but added that the discussions have yet to produce tangible results. Speaking at a year-end news conference, Dar said the Saudi-hosted talks were similar to earlier rounds held in Qatar and Turkey and had failed to ease tensions or lead to a […]

The active military support of North Korea for Russia in the Ukrainian War has been a major shift in the foreign policy strategy of Pyongyang. It has long been recognized for its reluctance in participating in any international conflict through more than mere rhetorical support. North Korea has now leveraged beyond its fanfare support for Russia through its provision of […]

Toplines The United States announced its largest-ever arms sale to Taiwan, which will aid Taiwan’s efforts to implement an asymmetric defense strategy, on December 17.[1] The sale amounts to approximately 11.1 billion US dollars and includes 82 HIMARS rocket systems, 420 M57 ATACMS missile systems, 60 M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, and an unknown number of Altius 700m and 600m unmanned loitering […]