Asean’s failure to meet Myanmar junta over election shows its ‘limited leverage’

By Sam Beltran Myanmar and Asean leaders are locked in a “diplomatic impasse” with the military junta determined to prevent the bloc from interfering with its plans for a general election later this year, according to observers. Four foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last week postponed their planned trip to Myanmar […]

Read More

US lawmakers hold talks with Chinese defense minister during visit

BEIJING: A delegation of US lawmakers on Monday met with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Beijing, according to a pool report, in a rare congressional visit aimed at bolstering exchanges including military-to-military communication. The bipartisan delegation was led by Democratic US Representative Adam Smith. He is the current top Democrat, the former chair, on […]

Read More

Tokayev at the UN Underscores Kazakhstan’s New Diplomacy

By Dr. Robert M. Cutler Kazakhstan’s international visibility is reaching a peak this late summer and early autumn of 2025. In August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Astana, praising the country’s role as a stabilizing influence in Central Asia and a supporter of multilateral institutions. In a few days, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will address the […]

Read More

Palestinian state should come as result of negotiations: Germany

Germany today (22 September) reaffirmed its position that it would not recognise a Palestinian state until the Israelis and Palestinians negotiate a two-state solution. The comments came ahead of the United Nations general assembly, where France is expected to become the latest country to recognise a Palestinian state, following Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal, who […]

Read More

Pakistan extends nuclear umbrella to Saudi Arabia: Source close to govt

Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella will cover Saudi Arabia, a source close to the kingdom’s government told AFP yesterday (22 September), days after the two allies signed a surprise mutual defence treaty. The source told AFP that the deal had been in the works for years and that Saudi Arabia expected Pakistan’s arch-rival India to understand the […]

Read More

Will Kim Jong-un’s ‘good memory’ of Trump lead to US-North Korea deal?

By Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has responded positively to a recent overture by US President Donald Trump, even as analysts say the prospects for another summit between the two leaders remain slim due to their wide differences over denuclearisation. Kim said he could meet Trump again, provided the US were to drop […]

Read More

‘Not even an inch’: Taliban rejects Trump’s demand for return of Bagram air base

Taliban has rejected President Donald Trump’s demand to return Bagram air base in Afghanistan to US control, saying that a deal was “not possible”. Taliban also warned that any hostility will trigger the “strongest” response. “Afghanistan is fully independent, governed by its own people, and not dependent on any foreign power,” Chief of Staff of […]

Read More

New Saudi-Pakistan pact signals evolving alliances amid US-China tension, Qatar attack

By Meredith Chen,Dewey Sim,Zhao Ziwen and Seong Hyeon Choi Saudi Arabia’s new mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan underscores deepening doubts over Washington’s security commitments in the region amid its strategic rivalry with Beijing, according to observers. They said China was likely to view such diversified partnerships positively, which could also open new opportunities to […]

Read More

UK, Canada and Australia announce formal recognition of Palestinian state

Britain said on Sunday it was recognising a Palestinian state after Israel failed to meet conditions including a ceasefire in the nearly two-year-old Gaza war. “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said […]

Read More

Portugal to officially recognise State of Palestine Sunday: Foreign Ministry

Portugal will officially recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, Lisbon’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday (19 September), ahead of a UN General Assembly where around 10 other countries are set to follow suit. Britain, Canada and France are among the other Western nations planning to give a Palestinian state recognition at the assembly, which comes as […]

Read More