Apparent Stability? – What the UN Report Reveals About the Taliban Regime
In December 2025, the latest report of the Afghanistan Monitoring Team was published. Operating under the mandate of the United Nations Security Council, the expert group assesses the country’s political and security situation, the functioning of the Taliban administration, and the risks emanating from Afghanistan that affect regional stability.
Although the persecution of the Hazaras stretches back centuries, the decades-long armed conflict in Afghanistan and its aftermath has meant that the plight of minorities is often overlooked by mainstream media. Millions of Hazaras still live in uncertainty, poverty, and fear in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But what lies behind that fear – and beyond it?
Shab-e Yalda, the Persian winter solstice celebration, marks the longest night of the year and the symbolic rebirth of the sun. It is a time for family, poetry, and shared hope.
Kyrgyzstan: Infrastructure, Democracy and China's Delicate Balancing Act
Among Central Asia's five republics, Kyrgyzstan occupies a unique position. It is the region's smallest open political system, its most politically volatile state, and increasingly one of China's most important strategic neighbors. Unlike resource-rich Kazakhstan or gas-dependent Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan offers Beijing something far less tangible but arguably just as valuable: geography.
Turkmenistan: The Risks of Having Only One Customer
Among Central Asia's five republics, Turkmenistan is perhaps the most enigmatic. It possesses the world's fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, follows a policy of permanent neutrality recognized by the United Nations, and remains one of the most politically isolated countries in the world. Yet despite this isolation, Turkmenistan has become indispensable to one global power: China.