Launched at the 2023 Group of Twenty (G20) summit in New Delhi, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) features three pillars that integrate existing and future infrastructure: a transportation pillar—the corridor’s backbone—integrating rail and maritime networks, an energy pillar with interconnected energy and electricity infrastructure across continents, and a digital pillar providing new fiber-optic cables and cross-border digital infrastructure.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) was conspicuously absent during the unprecedented 12-day June war with Israel.
Its fighter jets are so antiquated that, with a few exceptions, the Israeli Air Force largely left them alone.
With another round of hostilities seemingly inevitable, and having waited in vain for Su-35 Flanker fighters it ordered from Russia years ago, the question of whether Iran will turn to China to modernise its air force is arguably more relevant than ever.
Abstract: China has recently been pursuing a much more aggressive stance in African security affairs, including playing a more engaged role in counterterrorism (CT). Where is China engaged in CT in Africa, and by what means? What challenges would China face in engaging more robustly in African CT? Most importantly, why is China newly expressing interest in engaging in the African CT landscape at this particular moment? In the main, this piece argues that despite ostensible rationales related to self-defense of economic interests and solidarity with African states, at its core, Beijing’s primary motivations for entering the African CT space are to diversify its means of influence in Africa beyond its historical “economics-first” approach. Recognizing that engaging in African CT is a high-risk but potentially high-reward activity (which other global powers have recently engaged in with mixed results), Beijing likely believes it has a new genre of CT assistance—less kinetic, more economic, and rooted in equitable partnerships—that represents a fundamentally new and productive means of gaining influence in Africa. Yet, China faces challenges in its African CT pursuits, including reconciling whether its cautious ethos can stomach the turbulent landscape of African terrorism; how to deal with a saturated African CT space; and how not to fall victim to the same pitfalls as other global powers that have recently engaged in African CT. Nevertheless, if China can prove that its cautious non-military-first approach is fundamentally different from existing CT value propositions from external states, Beijing could deeply rival, and potentially replace, Washington as the partner of choice for security cooperation in Africa.
As a citizen of Afghanistan, I gaze upon my homeland with a heavy heart, burdened by the shadows of terrorism that continue to eclipse our hopes for peace and prosperity. The resurgence of extremist groups under the Taliban’s rule has not only shattered the fragile stability we yearned for after decades of conflict but has also exported chaos to our neighbors, threatening the very fabric of regional security.
This report assesses the strategic credibility, practical feasibility, and geopolitical implications of the planned Chinese investment trip to Chechnya in July 2025.
The delegation’s primary interest centred on assessing the viability of a large-scale nitrogen fertiliser plant proposed in Naursky District, executed by the Chinese engineering conglomerate Wuhuan.
For more than a decade, Chinese politics has been defined by one man: Xi Jinping. Since Xi assumed leadership of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, he has made himself into a strongman ruler. He has remade the CCP elite through a wide-ranging purge and corruption crackdown. He has curbed civil society and suppressed dissent. He has reorganized and modernized the military. And he has reinvigorated the role of the state in the economy.
Former Iranian diplomat Rasoul Mousavi, who previously served as Director General for South Asian Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has stressed that Afghan migrants in Iran should not be equated with foreign spies.
Depuis plusieurs années, le climat international est marqué par une montée des tensions, des sanctions économiques et des démonstrations de force. Les grandes puissances s’affrontent par médias interposés, et chaque décision semble précipiter le monde vers une nouvelle ère de confrontation. La Chine et la Russie, longtemps cibles de pressions et de critiques, ont décidé de ne plus subir et de répondre ensemble, de manière spectaculaire.
Sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have arrested Rahim Sekandar, a prominent supporter of the group on social media.
His detention reportedly followed criticism of a Taliban official’s remarks opposing the participation of Taliban fighters in clashes between militants and Pakistani security forces.
From 19 to 21 May 2025, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar undertook a three-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The visit took place amid rising regional tensions between the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbours, India and Pakistan. Following Operation Sindoor, the situation between the two countries has escalated, prompting increased diplomatic and strategic support for Pakistan from Beijing. China continues to emphasize the importance of fostering regional stability through diplomatic engagement.
