Author: KASWAR KLASRA

Trump Russia Oil Tariffs could give Washington authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas. China and India remain the dominant buyers of Russian crude, accounting for 50% and 37%, respectively, of Russia’s crude exports in CREA’s cumulative dataset. With Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab disrupting global energy flows, Trump may have an incentive to use tariffs rather than remove large quantities of Russian oil from international markets. WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump now has a new weapon against countries buying Russian energy, but the evidence points toward tariffs rather than an attempt to shut Russian…

Trump warns Zelensky to stop attacking Russian energy resources, warning that strikes on diesel facilities are worsening a global fuel shortage. The Middle East crisis is putting both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb under pressure, threatening major energy flows and pushing oil prices sharply higher. Washington increasingly faces a difficult energy-security calculation: supporting Ukraine while preventing further disruption to an already strained global fuel market. President Donald Trump’s demand that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stop attacking Russian diesel and energy infrastructure is about more than the Russia-Ukraine war. It signals that Washington is increasingly worried that the global energy system has…

Chinese National Kidnapped in Islamabad was rescued safely after armed men allegedly abducted him from a house in G-8/1 and demanded $100,000. Islamabad police arrested nine alleged kidnappers and recovered vehicles, cash and mobile phones allegedly taken during the crime. The case raises serious questions about how a foreign national could be abducted at gunpoint in Pakistan’s heavily secured federal capital. ISLAMABAD — The kidnapping began before sunrise in one of Islamabad’s residential sectors, when a group of armed men forced their way into a house and took a Chinese national hostage. By the time the family received a demand…

Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure could force Riyadh to reconsider its policy of restraint and deterrence. The Makkah defence agreement with Pakistan and Türkiye gives Saudi Arabia an important new layer of strategic deterrence. MBS faces the challenge of protecting Saudi Arabia while ensuring that a wider war does not derail Vision 2030. Saudi Arabia has been pushed into one of the most consequential strategic decisions of the Middle East crisis after Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked Saudi cities and energy infrastructure, wounding 73 people and disrupting operations at several facilities. The attacks, which struck areas including Abha, Khamis Mushait,…

China’s tourism revival is being driven not only by its historic attractions but also by infrastructure, security, connectivity and easier access for international visitors. Economic strength and the yuan’s appreciation are reinforcing perceptions of China as a stable and increasingly influential global destination. China’s expanding geopolitical role is turning tourism into an important form of soft power, allowing visitors to experience the country’s economic and technological transformation firsthand. BEIJING—China is discovering that tourism can be more than an economic activity. It can also become an expression of national confidence, technological advancement and geopolitical influence. For decades, international visitors largely came…

Layyah Deputy Commissioner Asif Ali Dogar cancelled Mutation No. 1382 and restored 24 kanals and 6 marlas of Forest Department land to the state. The district administration identified multiple irregularities, including an unverified 1973 document, a 50-year unexplained delay and the absence of proper judicial proceedings. Dogar subsequently referred the case to NAB Multan for investigation into the alleged role of the private beneficiary and officials involved in the disputed transfer. When Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif told officials that government land had to be protected from encroachers, land grabbers and those who manipulated the state’s records, Deputy Commissioner…

AfD breakthrough : A post-war political barrier is weakening: The AfD’s breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt could produce Germany’s first far-right state government since World War II, challenging the long-standing Brandmauer against the party. Migration, policing and education could change: An AfD-led state government would have meaningful authority over migration enforcement at the state level, policing, schools and cultural policy, potentially bringing the party’s controversial agenda from opposition rhetoric into government. The impact would extend beyond Saxony-Anhalt: Even without controlling Berlin, an AfD government would reshape Germany’s political debate, intensify pressure on Friedrich Merz and raise questions about Germany’s approach to Russia,…

Iran Strikes Kuwait: Gulf War Escalation exposes host nations to direct Iranian missile and drone barrages targeting US military facilities. Rising conflict dynamics threaten global energy supplies, sending crude prices soaring past $95 per barrel. Overlapping regional defense pacts risk drawing South Asian and Gulf nations into a widening confrontation. Iran’s war with the United States entered a potentially transformative phase on Thursday after Tehran launched missiles and drones against US military facilities in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, forcing Gulf governments to confront a question they have long tried to avoid: can American bases on their territory remain…

U.S.-Iran war: Iran’s Red Crescent has appealed to the ICC for an independent investigation into the alleged strike on a wedding ceremony in Hormozgan. Washington denies targeting civilians, creating a major dispute over the intended target, intelligence used and precautions taken before the strike. The controversy comes amid escalating attacks across the Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining central to the conflict’s global economic consequences. The U.S.-Iran war has taken a sharply uglier turn after an alleged American strike on a wedding ceremony in southern Iran killed at least four people and wounded 67, prompting Tehran to demand an…

Xi Jinping Egypt visit reflects China’s effort to deepen its influence around the Middle East’s most important maritime corridor. Suez, Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are increasingly interconnected strategic chokepoints for global energy and trade. Egypt is not abandoning the United States; Cairo is using Chinese investment, technology and defence cooperation to pursue greater strategic autonomy. Xi Jinping’s return to Egypt is far more than a diplomatic anniversary. His first visit to the country in a decade, and his first trip to the Middle East in four years, comes at a moment when the region’s strategic architecture is being tested by…