Toplines The PRC may be aiming to alter the status quo in the West Pacific by expanding its regular law enforcement and research activity to the waters east of Taiwan. The PRC likely aims to erode Taiwanese sovereignty and establish itself as the sole legitimate caretaker of “China’s” maritime boundaries, including those around Taiwan and its outlying islands. PRC social […]

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Moscow has pursued increasingly close ties with the extremist Islamist organization. Russia is now the only country that formally recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Even neighboring countries such as China, Iran, India, and Pakistan have refused to do so. Earlier this year, Moscow signed a […]

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said Moscow and the Taliban administration want Afghanistan’s frozen assets to be released. However, he said no breakthrough is expected soon because the United States and Europe are ignoring the issue. Speaking to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Kabulov said the current deadlock was the result of Western actions. Kabulov said the responsibility for […]

Five years ago, the 20-year American war in Afghanistan came to an inglorious end. In April 2021, the United States had begun its final withdrawal, with the goal of pulling out the 2,500 U.S. troops that remained in the country by September. Within weeks of the first U.S. departures, the Taliban had swept up scores of positions as Afghan government […]

On June 8-9, 2026, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The visit was intended to strengthen cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang. Seoul’s ExpectationsWhen the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced the upcoming visit on June 5, […]

The European Union on Tuesday hosted a five-member Taliban delegation in Brussels despite criticism from human rights groups and European politicians who warned that the talks risked legitimizing the Taliban regime. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a Taliban spokesman for the foreign ministry who led the delegation, said the talks focused on restoring consular services for Afghans in Europe, confidence-building measures and […]

TTH – New Proxy On June 18, 2026, Saif Ansari alias Rohit was arrested in Ranchi, Jharkhand, while Aman Ansari alias Golu and Sayam Sujan were arrested near Gajhandi Railway Station in the Koderma District of Jharkhand on June 17, 2026, for hurling petrol bombs at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on June 17, 2026. All […]

Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has accused the Taliban and India of supporting militant violence inside Pakistan, linking both to recent attacks in the country’s northwest. In a statement following recent violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Asif called for a united and decisive campaign against militancy and said Pakistan faced threats from both external and internal actors. “After last […]

The common denominator is that these benefits could empower Pakistan to truly become a regional power to be reckoned with if it successfully expands its influence in Central and West Asia. The Iranian-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the Third Gulf War – which was analyzed here, here, and here – wouldn’t have been possible without Pakistani mediation. For […]