The common denominator is that these benefits could empower Pakistan to truly become a regional power to be reckoned with if it successfully expands its influence in Central and West Asia. The Iranian-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the Third Gulf War – which was analyzed here, here, and here – wouldn’t have been possible without Pakistani mediation. For […]

Toplines North Korea is increasing its revenue generation through trade with both the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia by leveraging its heightened geopolitical importance for the two major powers. South Korea-based satellite imagery analysis firm AI Analytics (SIA) reported on June 11 that North Korea increased the number of construction vehicles and equipment stationed at the customs and […]

A draft UN Security Council resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) no longer refers to the Taliban as Afghanistan’s “de facto authorities,” according to Security Council Report, an independent New York-based organization that monitors and analyzes the work of the Security Council. Instead, the draft resolution uses the phrase “relevant authorities,” a change that […]

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Eradicating Education On June 11, 2026, a Government Middle School was destroyed in an explosion caused by a device planted by unidentified persons in the Sheri Khel area under the Shahbaz Khel Police Station in the Lakki Marwat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Though no causalities were reported, the blast caused extensive damage to the building, rendering the […]

Analysts suggest that the near-term outlook for crude remains bearish unless resistance levels are reclaimed. The Indian Stock Markets reacted sharply to the announcement of the Iran and United States (US) peace talks which is likely to be held on June 19 in Switzerland, leaving optimism for the investors. The global crude oil prices also witnessed sharp relief of up […]

CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping implicitly legitimized North Korea’s demands for recognition of its nuclear program and sanctions relief. Xi’s tacit support may embolden North Korea to seek concessions from the United States and South Korea. Xi visited North Korea from June 8 to 9 at the invitation of Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) General Secretary Kim Jong Un.[1] PRC […]

America Must Build—and Use—Leverage Against Beijing The U.S.-Chinese trade war of 2025 lasted barely a month, but the strategic deficit it exposed had been festering for decades. On April 2, his so-called Liberation Day, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, including China, which suddenly faced average levies of nearly 75 percent. But while most governments […]

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Thursday that Pakistan airstrikes carried out in eastern Afghanistan killed 13 civilians and wounded 10 others, most of them women and children, marking the latest escalation in tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban. In a statement, UNAMA said the casualties have been occurred in airstrikes conducted during the night of June 9-10 […]

The UN humanitarian agency has expressed concern over a worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan, citing new restrictions on women and girls, violence against Herat protesters and civilian casualties from recent Pakistan cross-border airstrikes. In an update released Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was alarmed by reports of increasing restrictions imposed on […]

Human Rights Watch on Thursday said Taliban used excessive force against protesters in the western city of Herat, saying the Taliban beat demonstrators, fired into crowds and carried out arrests following Tuesday’s protest. In a statement, the HRW said Taliban forces killed a child, injured several people and detained an unknown number of protesters during the June 9 demonstration. The […]