In the wake of mounting tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine, one now finds countless media stories on the “China-Russia axis” and the “bond between Russia and China.” The ideological benefit of connecting Russia to China is undoubtedly clear to anti-Russia hawks. Russia is a relatively weak state with a small economy. China, on the other hand, tends […]

The UN’s counter-terror committee has said the threat posed by ISIS still exists and that the terror group is “expanding and exploiting” Afghanistan. In its latest report to the UN Security Council on ISIS, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) says the group needs to be “closely monitored” following the death of its leader, Muhammad Al Mawla, also known as […]

Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout in the country’s northwest, triggering a firefight that killed one militant, the military said Saturday. The raid took place in the Spinwam area of the North Waziristan tribal district that long served as a safe haven for Islamic militants. The raid was part of a continuing operation to rid the tribal belt of […]

The Taliban will not allow any more Afghans to be evacuated until the situation improves abroad for those who have already left, their spokesman said Sunday. Families wanting to leave in future would also need a good excuse for doing so, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference, adding a promise to allow anyone to go abroad was not […]

The European Union Ambassador to Afghanistan reacted to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) recent house-to-house search operations calling it a “crime”. Von Brant, the European Union Ambassador to Afghanistan said in a Twitter message on Monday to the IEA that Afghanistan is being watched by the world despite the Russia-Ukraine crisis. “The intimidations, house searches, arrests, and violence against […]

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has dismissed US claims that its withdrawal from Afghanistan had all been planned, saying given a choice, Washington would not have opted for the “embarrassing” pullout. In an interview with Iran’s Press TV, Amir-Abdollahian said: “You saw how the United States withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years in such a manner. If the US could […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has banned Afghans from being evacuated from their country, saying those who have left are living in “very bad conditions” abroad. IEA spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Sunday that more than 50,000 Afghans living in one camp in Qatar face an uncertain future. He said that there were also Afghan families in Turkey, who […]

Guns drawn, half a dozen Taliban fighters crowded into the house of a Kabul laborer Saturday. As a commander watched, his men took knives to the cushions that lined the family’s sitting room, splitting them open and dumping the stuffing onto the floor. Others pulled family photos off shelves and tossed clothing out of closets. “They said they were looking […]

India and Pakistan benefit from trade, says Abdul Razak Dawood, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce and Textiles, Industry, Production and Investment. During a media interview for a Pakistan Trade Development Authority event on engineering and health care, Dawood remarked that India is beneficial for business. It was suggested by Mr. Dawood that Pakistan should increase its exports to nations […]

In early 2022, the Chinese ship CCG5302 will be the first to shadow oil drilling in the North Natuna Sea. This is a continuation of China’s protests against Indonesia in early December 2021, to stop drilling for oil and natural gas. The Beijing government argues that the activities carried out by Indonesia have violated the sovereignty of China which is […]