US threatens India with higher tariffs over Russian oil
US President Donald Trump has threatened India with a tariff hike if New Delhi continues to buy oil from Moscow.
Asia
World “undergoing a period of turbulence and change”: Chinese president
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated that the world “is undergoing a period of turbulence and change” while noting that “unilateral and bullying actions are seriously impacting the international order,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Pyongyang launches hypersonic missile
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has personally observed a missile drill designed to test the readiness of the country’s ‘war deterrent’ – a move that came just hours after Pyongyang condemned recent US military intervention in Venezuela.
South Korea’s president lands in China, hoping to sidestep Taiwan tensions
South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung arrived in China on Sunday, eager to enhance economic ties with Seoul’s largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan.
North Korea fires first ballistic missiles in 2026
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, Seoul’s military has announced, its first launch of the year just hours before South Korea’s leader heads to China for a summit.
Interview – Astha Chadha
Astha Chadha calls for a post-Western Global IR that embraces religion, hauntology, and non-Western cosmologies to rethink power, justice, and security.
Flash flooding in Afghanistan leaves at least 17 dead and around 1,800 families affected
Another 11 people have been injured as the flooding swept across several regions of the country since Monday
Taiwan leader’s speech ‘filled with lies’: China
China accused Taiwan’s president on Thursday of telling “lies” in a speech he gave vowing to defend the island’s sovereignty after large-scale military exercices by Beijing, state media reported.
Palestine deadliest place to be a journalist in 2025: Report
Palestine was the deadliest place to work as a journalist in 2025, with the Middle East as a whole the most dangerous region for media professionals, according to a report by a global journalist union.
Taiwan’s president vows to defend sovereignty after China military exercises
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has vowed to defend the democratic island’s sovereignty in a New Year’s speech, after China carried out military drills.