On February 7, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a statement adding 33 Chinese entities to the Unverified List (UVL). Being listed does not imply that the said entities pose a specific and clear national security threat or foreign policy concern, but U.S companies must conduct additional due diligence, including the submission of additional […]

Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC) is Pakistan’s largest oil & gas exploration and production company. It has also been classified Shariah compliant companies listed at Pakistan Stock Exchange. The Company has announced its 2QFY22 profits of Rs35.3 billion (EPS: Rs8.2), up by 87% YoY. Upsurge in profitability was led by maintaining the production levels along with uptick in oil […]

In October 2020, as a petition asking for the Thai king to be declared persona non grata in Germany started to gain traction, the Thai government blocked access to the site, Change.org. That same month, the government also asked Internet providers to curb access to Telegram, an encrypted chat app, to prevent protesters from using it to mobilise. With a […]

On January 26, 2022, Provincial Assembly Member Ashok Yadav was injured when cadres of the C.K. Raut-led Janamat Party attacked his vehicle in front of the Janaki temple in Janakpurdham city of Dhanusa District. Yadav’s vehicle was attacked and vandalized by Janamat Party cadres in front of the Janaki temple while he was going to cast his vote in the […]

Entering its second year, the Biden administration has failed to produce a coherent economic policy for the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, two major regional trade agreements are moving forward. US businesses and workers will increasingly suffer from legal economic discrimination from these new regional trade rules of the road — the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional […]

Speaking during a joint news conference with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following the talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, on February 10, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan “uphold the principles of the supremacy of international law, sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states”. It sounds good. […]

“Most countries have an army, but Pakistan’s army has a country.” Pakistan has had a near continuous military dominance of both serving and retired General officers being co-opted into its bureaucracy by lateral induction. General Musharraf brought in officers at every level. Imran Khan Government appears to have beaten all earlier records in filling civilian posts with military officers into […]

Islamic fundamentalism and violence is on the rise in Bangladesh. Anti-France protests, violent protests during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and communal violence in Comilla all demonstrate the influence Islamist radicals have, particularly Hefazat-e-Islam. The rise of hardline Islamic forces poses a challenge to the Bangladeshi government on whether it will protect its secular principles or continue its patronage […]

The U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice Program has offered a new $10 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the leader of the Islamic State Khorasan Province. Sanaullah Ghafar, the emir of the Islamic State Khorasan Province who is also known as Shahab al-Muhajir, is described by Rewards for Justice as “an experienced military leader […]

Despite lingering concerns among some officials in Washington that Afghanistan is on its way to once again becoming a terrorist haven, recent U.S. defense and intelligence assessments seem to indicate that at least for now, groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida are not ready to use the country as a launch pad for attacks against the West.