The United States has the capability of conducting strike operations in Afghanistan if a threat emanates from the country’s territory, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said on Wednesday. In a prepared testimony for the House Appropriations Committee, Milley said: “We do maintain surveillance (in Afghanistan) and I won’t go into the details of how or […]

There’s a potential silver lining in Hindu nationalism’s endorsement of Indonesia’s Humanitarian Islam. That is if the approval produces a Hindu equivalent. At first glance, Hindu nationalist Ram Madhav’s call on Indian Muslims to embrace one, if not the world’s most moderate expression of Islam, seems patronising and out of step. Mr. Madhav is a member of the executive of […]

One year ago, U.S. president Joe Biden announced U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan so, as far as Washington is concerned, it’s now someone else’s problem. Among the “someone’s” are Central Asia, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Turkey, and Iran. Russia’s increasing isolation due to the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine will limit economic opportunities for the region. One example of an […]

Vessels from the First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy — INS Tir and INS Sujata along with Indian Coast Guard ship Sarathi — arrived on Thursday at Jeddah port for a training exchange. The exercise comes amid growing defense ties between India and Saudi Arabia. The ships were also joined by INS Tarangini, one of the few sail training […]

The renewed polarisation of the international system following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the intensification of the US–China strategic rivalry is increasing pressure on other countries to pick sides. But despite this return to a ‘with us or against us’ narrative, Japan and India, as aspiring global powers, are well-positioned to bring a much-needed non-western perspective to discussions on the […]

The political tangle has to be resolved urgently to solve the underlying economic problem Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday declared a State of Emergency in the island following an attempt to block entry into and exit from parliament and the continued blockade of the President’s Office and the Prime Minister’s official residence by the “Gota Go Home” agitators. […]

China’s economic growth targets and macroeconomic policies formulated at its annual parliamentary meetings the “Two Sessions” face the challenge of policy adjustment in just one month later. In this year’s government work report, the GDP growth target is set at about 5.5%. There will be more than 11 million new urban jobs expected to be created. The yearly surveyed urban […]

Clashes on Afghanistan’s border with both Pakistan and Iran signify an end to the relative wary regional calm that has prevailed since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul. Pakistan perceives that the Taliban de facto authorities of Afghanistan are sympathetic to Pakistani militants that threaten Pakistan’s stability. Any tensions with Afghanistan reduce Pakistan’s ability to use the Taliban and […]

Islamabad: The United States wants to continue working with Pakistan in areas of mutual interests including border security and counterterrorism. “We value our bilateral relationship,” Ned Price, the US Department of State spokesperson, said at a press briefing on Thursday. “We want to continue to work together in areas where we do have mutual interests with our Pakistani partners. That […]

Afghanistan continued to face a severe liquidity crisis this quarter with access to physical bank notes constrained and banks facing major liquidity challenges due to declining economic activity, lack of trust in the banking center among Afghans, and an inability to transact internationally. The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan (SIGAR) said in its latest quarterly report that Da Afghanistan […]