The year just ended was a tumultuous one for Afghanistan, marked by many significant events that will continue to challenge the country in 2025. ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) carried out at least 19 terrorist attacks, targeting Hazara and Shia civilians, Sufi adherents, foreign nationals and Taliban officials. One notable incident was the assassination of Khalil Rahman Haqqani, a senior Taliban leader and […]

On 16 October 2024, Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the chief minister of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), a space marked by significant regional divisions in political preferences. This divide was evidenced by the considerable variance in the area-wise performance of political parties in the three-phase assembly election held during September-October 2024. The National Conference […]

Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday met with Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the UAE, in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for talks on various issues including the Islamic Emirate’s aspirations for stability, development and prosperity in the country. The two diplomats also discussed progress made […]

On January 2, 2025, the Punjab Police (Pakistan) released its annual performance report for 2024, highlighting significant achievements in apprehending criminals and ensuring public safety. Over 137,000 fugitives and proclaimed offenders involved in serious crimes were arrested across the province, including Lahore. Among them, 104 dangerous fugitives evading justice abroad were extradited to Pakistan. The report reveals that more than […]

India and Africa share a deeply rooted historical connection, forged through their mutual struggles against colonialism and a shared vision for independence. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who began his activism in South Africa, and African luminaries like Julius Nyerere highlighted the importance of solidarity between the two regions. This bond laid the groundwork for India’s long-standing partnership with Africa, spanning […]

Critical minerals and oil, a renewed focus on the Atlantic coast, and the West’s loss of influence in the Sahel are some of the reasons analysts believe Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has chosen the Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Chad and Namibia as the stops on his visit to Africa this week. For decades it has been tradition that Beijing’s […]

Rightsizing the China Challenge Ever since the United States ascended to global leadership at the end of World War II, American leaders have regularly been stricken by bouts of anxiety that the country is in decline and losing ground to a rival. The Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite prompted such fears, as did Soviet expansionism in the […]

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday urged the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan to take action against militants harboring in the neighboring country, days after Kabul said at least 46 people had been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in the eastern border province of Paktika. The Pakistan army and government have not yet officially confirmed Tuesday’s airstrikes, which the Afghan Taliban said […]

The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) has released another message attributed to its emir, Abdul Haq al Turkistani. The audio address, which was posted online on May 30, is the latest indication that Abdul Haq is still in charge of the group. The US thought it killed the TIP’s top man in a 2010 drone strike in Pakistan, but his death […]

On December 12, 2024, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a report of the meeting in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping with former Russian president and current chairman of the country’s United Russia Party Dmitry Medvedev. During the meeting, delivered a signed letter to Xi from Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed his delight at visiting China again […]