Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar, is on his three-day maiden visit to Austria, which concluded on 3rd Jan 2022. He held several meetings on regional and global issues of mutual interest with Austria’s Foreign Minister, Alexander Schallenberg. It was the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years. On January 2, 2022, in an interview with Austria’s ZIB2 podcast, a popular magazine of ORF television, Jaishankar, was questioned over using non-diplomatic language towards Pakistan. “Before you said, you are a diplomat but several weeks ago, you called Pakistan, your neighbour, the epicentre of terrorism. This doesn’t sound very diplomatic, does it?” the interviewer asked. https://matrixmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IWvpGws1dClRhI04-Trim.mp4 Jaishankar gave a fiery response by stating, “I did it again today without using the word Pakistan…because you are a diplomat, doesn’t mean you are untruthful. I could use much harsher words than epicentre, so believe me, considering what has been happening to us, I think epicentre is a very diplomatic word.” The Mumbai terror attack in 2008 and the Indian Parliament attack in 2001 were both planned and carried out by terrorists from Pakistan, according to S Jaishankar, who also outlined how they attempt to infiltrate Indian territory every day. When the anchor continued by emphasizing that Pakistan is not a nation that fosters terrorism, Jaishankar replied, “If you control your sovereign space which I believe they do. If terrorist operations are operating in broad daylight with recruitment and financing, then can you really tell me that Pakistani state doesn’t know whats going on? Especially when they are being trained in military-level, combat tactics.” Furthermore, he criticized the European countries for not condemning Pakistan. “When we speak about judgments and principles, why don’t I hear sharp Europe condemnation of these practices that have been going on for decades”, he added....

China has grabbed the opportunity and made its inroads into the African market, as its trade with Africa touched a record high last year of $261 billion while the US trade with Africa was recorded as low as $64 billion. Sensing the growing penetration of China’s influence in Africa, US, has pledged $55bn for the coming three years, for the modernization of technology in Africa. Furthermore, US invited 49 African countries to convene for a US-African leaders’ summit in Washington from 13-15 December, 2022.   The two global powers and business competitors, USA and China, are racing against each other  to win Africa to their side as the continent offers opportunities alongside many risks that caused a drop in US trade with it.  While China grabbed the opportunities and made its inroads into the African market during last couple of decades. Chinese trade with Africa touched a record high last year of $261 billion while the US trade with Africa recorded as low as $64 billion. For the first time, a continent and not a country is being approached by the US with programs and plans to address their grievances and offer them a greater role on global level by seeking a seat for them in G20 and work with them in promoting democratic norms in the African continent where two other global powers, China and Russia, are already enjoying considerable influence. Sensing the growing penetration of this influence in Africa and a worrying possibility of a Chinese naval base on Africa’s Atlantic coast, the USA had invited 49 African countries to convene for a US-African leaders summit in Washington from 13-15 December, 2022. This was the second time when the African leaders had gathered in the US after their initial  visit during Barak Obama’s reign in 2014. With Donald Trump’s ascendance to power, the US followed a new policy that favored ‘America’s first”, which  gave the African continent  no significant important role.  Once ignored by the US, the disappointed (disgruntled) Africans...

As the Taliban expedite regressive measures to pull back all the modest but relatively significant progress Afghanistan made in the last two decades, the international community stands flummoxed and disappointed with the de facto rulers, unable to fathom the future course of action. The direction in which Afghanistan is going is heartbreaking. So, no road map ends up in this place that we would have ever wanted: the statement came from Karen Decker (United States Deputy Chief of Mission in Afghanistan) at a recent press conference. The Taliban have received substantial traction from world leaders. There have been ample attempts to talk to the ruling group about upholding human rights, eradicating terrorism, and ensuring social welfare. The de facto rulers have been expecting the world and their people to look at them with a softer lens, but the reality is that they have not changed themselves. They were referred to as Taliban 2.0 when Abdul Qahar Balkhi (spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) appeared in an interview on Al-Jazeera. Balkhi, with his impeccable diction and tribal attire, made an impression that the Taliban can speak the West’s language but still retain their individuality. The status quo suggests they are fluent in English, but certainly not 2.0. On the parochial and orthodox measures taken since August 15, 2021, and their most recent decision to close higher education institutions for girls, the Taliban have received severe backlash from the international community. The recent – acrid yet factual – critique on the Taliban comes from Karen Decker, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Afghanistan. Decker spoke to the media on the Taliban’s unity versus disintegration of the Afghan political opposition parties, the hardliner Qandahar group, and the plight of human rights in the country. Taliban ban women from universities Decker said that the US has been talking to the Taliban for months at very senior levels of...