Nepal, under the shadow of the Himalayas, has witnessed its greatest political upheaval since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008. The September 2025 protests, which were organised by Generation Z activists in large majority, compelled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to step down from office and initiated a complicated process of government reconstruction. This sudden twist of events is something more than the traditional political crisis: it marks a deep generational change in Nepalese society and politics.
Category: Asia-Pacific
Thailand’s Brewing Political Crisis Tests Institutional Tensions
Thailand’s political instability is becoming worse. The Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for unethical behaviour in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen, which angered citizens and heightened mistrust across all political parties. The chat, which was leaked amid a border crisis, contained language that was perceived as overly respectful, which infuriated the public and led to a prompt court ruling.
How Long Will the India-China Diplomatic Rekindle Last?
When the American President Donald Trump launched his trade war, both India and China were in his sights. Trump’s officials maintained America was a victim of “unfair trade practices” and thus slapped a barrage of tariffs on steel, aluminium, and a variety of manufactured goods emanating out of India and China. Although Beijing was primary target, India lost duty-free trade privileges under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in 2019.
Operation Mahadev: Strategic Closure to the Pahalgam Terror Strike
Operation Mahadev stands out not only as a military victory but as a new perspective on evolving national security practices. This operation aimed to neutralize the attackers of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. On July 28, 2025, Indian security forces conducted a joint operation in the Dachigam forests near Srinagar. It provided immediate retaliation and a data-driven closure, supported by continued intelligence, forensic verification, and international diplomatic efforts.
Trade Truce of Trump with China: Tactical Withdrawal or Strategic Rebalancing?
In May of 2025, President Donald Trump had a significant announcement on his administration’s long-running trade conflict with China: a temporary agreement that reverses part of the high tariffs that have been levied over the last two years and provides a 90-day period for negotiations. Described by the White House as a “strategic recalibration” and by Beijing as a “welcome but cautious step,” the agreement is the first concrete easing of a battle that has broken global supply lines, shaken financial markets, and transformed geopolitical alignments.
China’s TVET Programme Collaborations: A Critical Analysis
China launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013. Eventually, BRI faced a lot of criticism and backlash in many countries. In order to minimise the growing criticism, China in 2016 initiated Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme collaborations. On the face of it, TVET programmes provide professional training to students and faculty for a certain time period. However, the TVET sector has become another platform for Chinese soft power diplomacy. The article aims to critically analyse the TVET program collaborations of China.
What Lies Ahead for CPoKEC and Pakistan’s Islamic Alliances
Pahalgam terror incident of April 2025, an attack targeting civilians in Jammu and Kashmir has provoked not only diplomatic ripples but also a strategic recalibration of how Pakistan is perceived by its principal allies and benefactors. As attribution patterns increasingly implicate Pakistan-based non-state actors, questions arise about the resilience of two critical pillars of Islamabad’s external orientation: China’s economic investments via the CPoKEC, and Pakistan’s long-standing religious-political solidarity with the Muslim world.
Pakistan’s Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos: Flexing Muscles to Hide Weak Knees
The operation, named after a Quranic term meaning “a solid structure,” targeted key Indian military installations, including the BrahMos missile storage facility in Beas and airbases in Udhampur and Pathankot. During the 3rd Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing headed by foreign secretary Vikram Misri Read along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, refuted Pakistan’s claim of attacking BrahMos storage site in Jammu.
The Vital Role of Cultural Diplomacy in International Relations
Apart from the traditional notion of hard power that involves quantifiable military and economic might, soft power as a facet of power has found political resonance in the realm of international relations in recent decades. Pioneered by Harvard scholar Joseph Nye, soft power is a non-coercive facet of power that has become increasingly important in maintaining hegemony in the world. Soft power entails the art of subtly influencing outcomes by shaping the preferences of other countries and actors outside your own country via the tactics of attraction, appeal, and persuasion.
Balochistan Terror Attack: A New Phase in Insurgency?
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest yet most underdeveloped province, has been a hotspot for insurgency, terrorism, and geopolitical contestation. The recent terror attack in Balochistan, which targeted security forces, infrastructure, and civilians, has once again underscored the province’s precarious security situation. Beyond its domestic impact, the attack carries significant regional and international implications, particularly for Pakistan’s relations with India, China, Iran, and Western powers. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the attack’s origins, the regional and global responses, and the effectiveness of counterterrorism efforts.