Articles deliberating on the left-right divide, racial fissures, and even the possibility of a civil war in the US were widespread during Trump’s tumultuous tenure. And while a civil war did not precipitate, the world did witness a plethora of incidents that unveiled American societal fractures – most harrowing being the George Floyd protests and the Capitol Hill attacks.

Diplomatic Relations between Mali and Ukraine severed on August 5, 2024, after a Ukrainian official admitted that his country provided intelligence to Malian rebels, leading to the deaths of 47 Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner Group mercenaries. Niger and Mali saw this attack as a betrayal by Ukraine. Despite the latter’s denial of any involvement in the incident, both countries decided to cut their diplomatic relations with Kyiv. The incident proved detrimental for Ukraine as it has already been struggling to gain support from the world, except the West.

The globe experienced a significant power shift after the culmination of World War 2. The epitome of global hegemony at the time, the British Empire, was replaced by the United States due to the latter’s economic and scientific rise. This shift was further bolstered by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, marking an end to the Cold War. The USA became the uncontested superpower of the world. This era of the unilateral world order by the United States is known as the New World Order. However, this era did not last more than two decades.

Recently, Israel assassinated Hamas’ Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. This alleged assassination by Israel has raised multiple questions. The assassination has been followed by the Beijing Declaration – which aims to promote unity between Palestinian entities, a framework initiated by China. This frustrated the United States.

The demise of the former Iranian President in a plane crash after his visit from Azerbaijan sparked a leadership crisis in the country. Iran went into new elections to elect the new President of the country. The government is facing Western sanctions due to its anti-West and Islamic policies. Iran has been a staunch rival of Western interests in the Middle Eastern region. Islamic conservative regime in Iran has been the prime source of anti-West policies. However, the newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to bring some change to Iran’s international stature. President Masoud is known to have a reformist ideology and has pledged during his election campaign to get some liberal reforms.

Pakistan has long been vying for expanding its economic relations with the Central Asian countries. The state resolved to follow a foreign policy based on geo-economics under the tenure of the PTI, abandoning the previous one based on geostrategic issues. The Central Asian region holds immense economic potential. The Pakistani leadership has been engaging with different Central Asian countries to materialize this ambition. The landlocked Central Asian countries could also benefit from cordial relations with Pakistan, as the latter can provide them access to the deep sea.

The recent elections in different parts of the world are deciding factors in shaping the future of the globe. Various South Asian countries also held general elections during the first half of 2024. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India – some of the SAARC members, also held general elections during this time, while elections in Sri Lanka are also likely to be held before October this year. These general elections in the SAARC countries will not only decide the future trajectories of these countries but will also be the pivotal determinants of the fate of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has been completed and the project has entered into its second phase. This phase provides great opportunities for Pakistan, China, Africa, the Gulf States, and the Central Asian countries to increase their mutual trade and connect with the rest of the world in a much more secure and efficient way, decreasing their trade cost and increasing security.

Afghanistan holds immense geopolitical significance in the global politics. The country has caught the attention of international powers and newspapers since the 9/11 plane crashes into the World Trade Center. Since then, it continued to remain in the headlines. However, Afghanistan has always been discussed as anything but a chessboard of global politics or a security threat to regional and global peace. These aspects hold significance in shaping the Afghan predicament, but the country’s internal dynamics are also responsible for chaos and turmoil in Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment’s recent report reveals that the country observed an unprecedented increase in migration in the last two years. Pakistan is facing difficulties in multiple sectors due to this brain drain. The key reason behind this high level of migration is Pakistan’s economic and political instability. The country needs to take significant measures to stop this loss of skillful youth…

On May 30, 2024, the 10^th session of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), established in September 2004, was held in Beijing, China, marking the 20^th anniversary of its creation. The forum was created after the visit of the then-Chinese President Hu Jintao to the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt. Cooperation between China and the Arab League was further strengthened through the Belt and Road Initiative…

In the past few months, Pak-Afghan relations have witnessed severe strain due to rising terrorist attacks in Pakistan. TTP, BLA, and ISKP hold safe havens in Afghanistan. Both sides blamed each other for the security lapse. Pakistan even conducted aerial strikes in Afghanistan on the safe havens of TTP. The Taliban government in Afghanistan was reluctant to cooperate with Pakistan over this issue. However, both sides have recently decided on security cooperation over the issue of across-the-border terrorism…