After Brexit and Donald Trump’s election as the US president, the world has been anxiously awaiting European elections where populist have been resurgent. In countries, like the Netherlands and France, populist leaders and their political parties have seen an unprecedented surge so much so that France, for the first time in its history, has witnessed the second round of the …

With a $12 trillion economy still growing at about 6.5 percent annually and $3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, China is moving very rapidly to become a true global power. In recent years, the country has expanded its global and regional economic footprint especially through new institutions, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the ‘One Belt, One …

The incumbent US president Donald Trump delivered the first speech of his first foreign trip in Riyadh, in which he called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a “crisis of Islamic extremism”. Mr Trump’s 36-minute address was the centerpiece of  a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president. During a meeting of more than 50 Arab …

By: Ismail Khan EVEN before the process leading to Fata reforms could take off, it was beset by two problems: the Panama Papers leaks and formidable opposition from one of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s closest allies, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman. And if there were some doubts, the first indication came with the turbaned Maulana warning to …

By: SUNG-YOON LEE With its first successful test on Sunday of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, North Korea stands on the verge of becoming a complete and verifiable nuclear power that poses a direct threat to the United States. This latest act of defiance came just days after the swearing-in of Moon Jae-in as president of South Korea and hours before …

By: Mazhar Abbas One of the reasons why we have not been able to ‘produce leaders’ is lack of democracy and democratic process within political parties. Even dynasty-based parties are now finding it difficult to carry on their style of politics. Three major reasons remain main hurdle in building democratic institutions including political parties. They are: (1) interference of the …

By: Katrina vanden Heuvel President Trump hasn’t decided whether to sign off on his generals’ request for more troops for Afghanistan. Ironically, this would be one instance in which Trump — and the country — would benefit from repudiating President Barack Obama’s example. Instead of yet another troop surge in America’s longest war, now heading toward its 16thbirthday, Trump should …

By: Niaz A Shah It was a sensible move on Pakistan’s part to argue the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) simply because it has an arguably winnable case. Pakistan needs to adopt a two-pronged strategy even if provisional measures are indicated by the ICJ. Provisional measures do not touch on merits of the case, …

By: Dr Raza Khan Since the emergence of the modern state after the Westphalia peace treaty, developed states have been pursuing foreign policies in a way that it brings maximum benefits to their population. States have been designing foreign policies to maximise benefits and minimise losses. Against this backdrop assessing Pakistan’s foreign policy, in a nutshell, hasn’t been a great …

By: NATHANIEL POPPER As the hackers behind the global ransomware attack demand payment in Bitcoin, here is a look at the basics behind the electronic currency. Why are hackers using Bitcoin? The digital currency Bitcoin has emerged as a favorite tool for hackers demanding a ransom for a simple reason: You can start accepting Bitcoin anywhere in the world without …