Turkmenistan’s president opened 2023 with a tribute mission to China. As Serdar Berdymukhamedov noted before his departure from Ashgabat, his state visit carried important symbolic value since it fell on the exact 31st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and China.  After a six-and-a-half-hour flight to Beijing on January 5, Berdymukhamedov was driven in a motorcade to the Diaoyutai State […]

Asia’s strong economic rebound from the pandemic is losing steam as tightening financial conditions, reduced export demand, and China’s sharp and uncharacteristic slowdown dim the outlook. More broadly, deep economic scars from the pandemic and the lackluster productivity growth that preceded it are weighing on the region’s longer-term growth prospects. But despite these challenges, we see a promising path for boosting Asia’s […]

Backtracking on its commitments, the Ministry of Higher Education of the self-declared Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has banned women from attending universities ‘until further notice’. Following this, another order was issued barring women from working with NGOs and humanitarian organisations, expediting their erasure from public life in Afghanistan. The decision, criticised by the international community as well as common […]

Two Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) personnel posted in the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) were shot dead by a terrorist at a roadside hotel on the National Highway near Pirowal in Khanewal city (Khanewal District) on January 3, 2023. ISI Multan Region Director Naveed Sadiq and Inspector Nasir Abbas met a ‘source’ at a roadside hotel. After having tea, they walked […]

On January 1, 2023, the dead body of a youth, identified as Sanjay Tati (30), who was killed by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, was recovered in Bijapur District. The body was found along with a Maoist note written in the local Gondi language which read, “Red salute to the fallen comrades.” Tati, a resident of the Tarem Police […]

Across the globe, the religious brand of nationalism is thriving because both religion and nationalism are marketable. Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Muslim religious nationalists share a history and worldview built on myths of the “chosen” people. It is a unitary, territorial, and religious identity that is based on the superiority of religion. Religious nationalists encourage belief in racial superiority. They […]

Fake news on social media can undermine democracy. Social media is widely praised for fostering democratic discourse. Government representatives frequently emphasize the issue of fake news and how crucial it is for Pakistanis to fight the menace of fake news. The U.S. invasion of Iraq is an example of how this kind of story can cause wars between countries. The […]

After a year of domestic economic volatility and international turmoil, China is focused on economic growth this year. And that means the country will further deepen reform and expand opening-up. In December, Chinese leadership held its Central Economic Work Conference in Beijing. Judging by the speeches of the President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and the Premier-to-be Li Qiang, the […]

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), said Tuesday that based on the decree of Supreme Leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada a council of scholars of Kabul province was established. “For the stability and further development of the Islamic system, taking advice from religious scholars is a Sharia order,” IEA said in a statement.The council consists of 29 members including chairman and […]

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, said while visiting the 205th Al Badr Military Corps on Monday that IEA relations with the world are only in accordance with Sharia rules and Islam. According to the Ministry of Defense’s statement, while visiting Al-Badr military corps, the Supreme Leader of the IEA met some commanders, […]