South East Asia

Pakistan: Peshawar Bombing Planned In Afghanistan, Foreign Intelligence Agency Funded It, Say Investigators

The suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar killed 101 and injured over 200. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The suicide bombing in Pakistan’s Peshawar was planned in Afghanistan and the terror plot was funded by a foreign intelligence agency, according to Pakistani investigators on the case.

ISIS attack threat: Saudi embassy in Kabul closed

Saudi Arabia has closed its embassy in Kabul over threats of possible attack and its 14 diplomats, including charge d’affaires Abdullah Fahd al-Kahlani, have moved to Islamabad.

The shifting of the diplomats to Pakistan was confirmed by the highly-placed sources at the Foreign Office and Saudi mission on Tuesday.

Africa’s Role in China’s Multilateralism Strategy

China’s efforts to reshape existing global institutions and norms rely on the support of African governments, though this can often be at odds with African citizen interests.

Reshaping global institutions and norms to reflect Chinese perspectives are central to China’s approach to geostrategic competition. This is what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) refers to as “reform” when calling on China to “take a vigorous part in leading the reform of the global governance system,” (jiji canyu yinling quan qiu zhili ti xì gaige, 积极参与引领全球治理体系改革). This concept was first adopted at the June 2018 Central Foreign Affairs Work Conference—a rarely held strategy session that gives overarching guidance to China’s foreign policy establishment. It is a cornerstone of foreign policy under CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping.

US general says country will be at war with China in 2025

A U.S. general said in a memo on Friday that he believes the country will be at war with China by 2025, according to several news outlets that obtained a copy of the communication, The Hill reported.

“I hope I am wrong,” Gen. Mike Minihan, a four-star Air Force general who leads the Air Mobility Command (AMC), said in the memo to troops under his command, which was first reported by NBC News.

China’s mining ambitions in Afghanistan haunted by militants

Escalating threats from Islamist militants are casting doubt on the future of big-money Chinese mining projects in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas (CAPEIC) signed a 25-year oil extraction deal with the Afghan Taliban authorities for the Amu River oil field in northwestern Afghanistan. The company is expected to invest $150 million in the first year of the contract and $540 million over three years.