Questioning the Sovereignty of the Baltic States
France, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were outraged that China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, would question the sovereignty of Ukraine and all former Soviet Republics, including the Baltic republics.
Mr Lu’s statements have crumbled the confidence in China to serve as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Additionally, his remarks imply that the former Soviet Union nations lack legal standing in the eyes of the international community.
Sudan’s Recent Civil War
Moaz Bashir discusses the terrible civil war in Sudan taking place right now, and its main stakeholders.
He also analyzes past events in Sudan such as the formation of the Rapid Security Forces (RSF) and the joint collaboration between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). He then discusses the recent hostility between these two forces.
Suo Motu Legislation & Lawyers’ Movement 2.0
The Chief Justice of Pakistan’s suo motu powers have now been reduced by the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.
This all began last month when the Chief Justice decided to take suo motu notice of the delay in elections in Punjab.
To counter this, the Sharif-led administration undertook judicial reforms to limit the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s unilateral power to exercise suo motu authority. They have now granted that power to a three-member committee comprising the CJP and two senior-most judges.
Crisis and Communication: The Case of the Desert Locust Episode in Pakistan
The Desert Locust episode in Pakistan (2018-21), when swarms of desert locusts migrated to the Indo-Pakistan border from the Arabian Peninsula in 2019, was a crisis that called into question the performance of our policy-makers and institutions.
This locust crisis was an actual eye-opener for the nation w.r.t. the dilapidated systems of governance and performance.
In addition to this, the crisis also showed the importance of communication and efficient dissemination of information during crisis management.
Political Parties of Pakistan: Vengeance or Retribution
The perception that Pakistan is the world’s most dangerous country is exaggerated, to say the least. However, the idea that it is the most difficult country to govern has steadily gained credence over time.
Among the many problems that the country is confronted with, is the legacy of vicitimisation and vengeance between political opponents, which constantly results in political turbulence.
‘Politics – thy name is vengeance’ has hence become the norm in the country’s political system.
Israel’s Judicial Reforms: What You Need to Know
Benjamin Netanyahu’s re-election as Israel’s Prime Minister for the sixth time was followed by proposed judicial reforms that have sparked widespread protests across the country.
The concerns revolve around the independence and integrity of the Israeli judiciary being curtailed.
The controversy surrounding the reforms highlights the tensions between different visions of democracy in Israel, and the challenges of balancing competing interests in a polarized political climate.
Waning US Hegemony, De-Dollarization, & the Incoming War with China
With the US’s foreign policy failures, its domestic rifts, and the China-led de-dollarization initiative, the current global landscape finds itself in a state of upheaval.
Sarmad Ishfaq explains that the steady decline of the US’s hegemony and the simultaneous rise of China will lead to an imminent conflict between the two, resulting in the US’s demise and the birth of a new world order.
Is TikTok China’s Weapon for Intellectual Warfare?
TikTok’s origins can be traced back to Vine and Musical.ly, but is the app more sinister than people realize?
The US certainly seems to think so.
Citing security risks, the US has introduced two bills: the ‘Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries’ (DATA) Act and the ‘Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology’ (RESTRICT) Act.
It is believed that TikTok is part of China’s larger plan of brain warfare which includes everything from misinformation operations to contemporary weaponry that can target cognitive ability.
Institutional Development in Indonesia and Kuwait as Resource-Dependent Countries
Brilliant Windy Khairunnisa illustrates how Indonesia and Kuwait, as natural resource-dependent nations, have found the need to develop their social-economic institutions through local and global collaborations.
Both Indonesia and Kuwait have taken advantage of the digital space to drive innovation and expand their exports beyond the limited natural resources that they possess.
Will Huawei Be Able to Hold Out Against the US’s Sanctions?
The US has persisted in exerting pressure on allies, especially in Europe, to exclude Huawei from their 5G wireless networks.
There are also concerns over Huawei’s ties to the Chinese government and that its products might be used to sneak on other nations.
Fatima Haider notes that many nations would not be able to resist Huawei’s cost-friendly 5G installations for long.
Pakistan is benefitting itself from the ICT academies and tech infrastructure that Huawei has to offer.
Petteri Orpo of the NCP Wins Finland’s 2023 Elections
The first week of April has Finland appearing in most of the headlines. Interestingly, Finland’s parliamentary elections took place on 2nd April, just two days before its acceptance as a NATO member state on 4th April.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Social Democrats Party (SDP) was outpolled by the rival center-right National Coalition Party (NCP).
The NCP is positioned on the centre-right and is labeled as liberal-conservative on the political spectrum.
Later next week, a coalition government will be initiated under the leadership of Petteri Orpo of the NCP.
The Troubled Waters of River Brahmaputra
Hafiz Mohsin Nadeem believes it is critical to comprehend the physical and environmental characteristics of the Brahmaputra river in order to fully understand the water dispute and potential conflict among multiple nations, particularly India and China.
With China focusing its efforts on the growth of hydropower, India is concerned that water may soon become China’s geopolitical weapon in the Sino-Indian disputes.
Pakistan–India Adversarial Relations: Instability for South Asia
Even with both Pakistan and India being nuclear weapon states, strategic stability in South Asia is under constant stress.
Brig. Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (R) discusses how the US is continually supporting India, to control China’s influence in the region. This means the Indians are ramping up their military capacities – and Pakistan then has to reciprocate.
He goes on to explore regional and global dynamics, and then offers viable policies for Pakistan and India, to work towards the much-needed regional economic cooperation.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
Who is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui? This article explores the life and troubles of the Pakistani scientist who has been at the center of a global controversy.
By all accounts, Dr. Siddiqui’s story is known to be of grave injustice and tragedy.
Honduras and Taiwan Part Ways
On 26th March, Honduras formally announced the recognition of the ‘One-China policy’ thus severing ties with Taiwan.
China and Honduras have now decided to establish diplomatic relations.
Maryam Jilani shares the history between Honduras and Taiwan as well as China’s growing influence.
Who is Rahul Gandhi?
Rahul Gandhi, an MP until just recently and the descendant of Jawaharlal Nehru, has been sentenced to two years in prison for a four-year-old defamation case.
This sentence has been spurred by the popularity of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress Party and the success of the Unite India March against the BJP government.
Restored Saudi-Iran Relations and the Role of China
Following a seven-year period of severed ties, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran have recently agreed to resume diplomatic relations, with the assistance of China.
Both countries have expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Iraq, Oman, and China for their positive role in facilitating, hosting, and sponsoring the talks.
To Afifa Iqbal, the restoration of diplomatic ties is a welcome development, but she believes that it is improbable that major disagreements between the two states polarized by religion, geopolitics, and geostrategic interests will be resolved.
