Facebook-f Instagram Twitter
Search News

Hyundai, Kia unveil latest electrification technology for EVs

Seoul, March 6 (IANS) South Korea's leading automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia said on Wednesday that they showcased the latest technologies involving their electric vehicles (EV) at the annual EV Trend Korea exhibition here.

© Provided by The Rahnuma Daily

Hyundai, Kia unveil latest electrification technology for EVs

Seoul, March 6 (IANS) South Korea’s leading automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia said on Wednesday that they showcased the latest technologies involving their electric vehicles (EV) at the annual EV Trend Korea exhibition here.

The annual trade show, now in its seventh year, is hosted by the Ministry of Environment to promote technologies and the adoption of EVs. This year’s three-day event kicked off at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, reports Yonhap news agency.

Hyundai Motor has set up special booths, named EV Benefit Zone and EV Experience Zone, where visitors can observe and experience the benefits of EVs compared with internal combustion engine models.

Visitors can experience Hyundai’s V2L technology, through which household appliances can be powered through electricity from the company’s EV models. Also, the company has showcased its revamped Ioniq 5 and Kona EV models at the venue.

Kia has presented three spaces themed on EV charging, space and technology, and sustainability, the company said.

Visitors can experience various services and functionalities offered to Kia model drivers, such as over-the-air software updates and the company’s projects related to environmental sustainability.

share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Picture of The Rahnuma-E-Deccan Daily
The Rahnuma-E-Deccan Daily

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Latest Post
India hosts maiden BIMSTEC maritime security exercise in Andaman and Nicobar Islands New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) India is hosting the maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance operational coordination and interoperability among member countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday. The exercise, which commenced on Friday and will continue until November 3, is among the key initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand last year. It features three days of Tabletop Exercises followed by a two-day Harbour Phase, with ships from BIMSTEC member countries participating. In a post on X, the MEA said, “The exercise translates the shared vision of BIMSTEC leaders into action, reinforcing maritime cooperation, enhancing operational coordination and interoperability, and contributing towards a safe, secure and stable maritime environment in the Bay of Bengal.” According to Andaman and Nicobar Command, the maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise was inaugurated at Sri Vijaya Puram on Friday by Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, National Maritime Security Coordinator, along with senior delegations from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. “Anchored in the Delhi Declaration, the exercise marks a significant step towards translating shared maritime security commitments into coordinated action at sea. It aims to enhance interoperability, strengthen information sharing and promote collective responses to maritime threats and transnational challenges, including terrorism,” Andaman & Nicobar Command posted on X on Saturday. The exercise aims to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA), build operational coordination across the Bay of Bengal, strengthen regional security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and responses to cross-border maritime crimes as well as marine pollution due to oil and hazardous material spills. BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional organisation comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Over the years, BIMSTEC has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic regional organisation. Member states share the vision of a free, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region (IOR). –IANS scor/sd/
October 31, 2026
China’s cyber espionage becomes harder to contain due to AI-enabled scale, speed New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) China-linked cyber operations, particularly by state-aligned hacking groups, are becoming harder to contain as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation allow attackers to conduct credential attacks and access attempts at unprecedented speed and scale, a new report has said. The report from Colombo-based publication Asian News Post also pointed to a pattern of attack that can create risks across a much broader network of organisations unlike traditional attacks that targeted a single organisation. The report mentioned the 2026 breach of US software provider ConnectWise– a trusted technology supplier done by a China state-aligned group tracked using an AI-enabled penetration-testing framework that automated parts of its campaign. The campaign targeted organisations across the defence, energy, finance, government and technology sectors creating concerns of access that persisted even after the initial breach was contained. ConnectWise’s software has trusted connections to other organisations, using which the attackers could reach multiple customers without breaking into each organisation independently. The publication alleged that Chinese state-linked cyber actors repeatedly target suppliers, service providers on which many organisations depend while their intended victims could be government communications, political dissidents, critical infrastructure and private companies. It cites previous campaigns including Salt Typhoon, which US authorities said compromised telecommunications networks. “The campaign also extended beyond the United States, prompting warnings about the security of global telecommunications infrastructure. Telecommunications networks are particularly valuable because they carry enormous amounts of information about how people communicate,” the report noted. Even without intercepting every conversation, the campaign can gain access to call records and related data to reveal parties in communication and their location. “In March 2025, the US Justice Department charged 10 Chinese nationals in connection with hacking activities conducted through i-Soon, a China-based cybersecurity company,” the report said. The indictment said the company collaborated with Chinese public security and state security agencies from 2016-2023 to compromise email accounts, mobile phones, servers and website
October 31, 2026
Renewed Bangladesh-Pakistan relations face hard economic realities: Report New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) As Bangladesh and Pakistan deepen engagement after years of limited contact, questions are emerging over what tangible benefits Dhaka stands to gain from the renewed relationship particularly amid a persistent trade imbalance and unresolved historical issues, a report has said. As per analysis by Daily Waadaa, recent months have seen increased exchanges between the two countries. Pakistan’s national carrier-linked connectivity has expanded, ships from Karachi are regularly arriving at Chattogram, scholarship programmes have been announced and official, private-sector delegations have travelled in both directions, it added. However, trade figures underscore a stark imbalance. The report also highlighted that Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh stood at $67.2 million in fiscal year 2025–26, which reflects an approximately 11-to-1 trade ratio in favour of Pakistan based on State Bank of Pakistan data (compared to $71.6 million out in the preceding year). Much of Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh comprise cotton and textile raw materials that have become more competitive due to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee, it added. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought tariff concessions for jute and jute products, a sector in which it enjoys a dominant supplier position. While Pakistan imports nearly all of its raw jute and jute yarn from Bangladesh, significantly higher duties are imposed on value-added jute products, limiting Bangladeshi access to the market. Industry representatives say the tariff structure has contributed to a sharp decline in Bangladesh’s jute earnings from Pakistan in recent years. The report also noted that Pakistan has publicly discussed raising exports to Bangladesh substantially, while no comparable target has been articulated for Bangladeshi exports to Pakistan. While Bangladesh performs strongly on several international digital indicators, Pakistan has made notable progress in connecting financial institutions, digital wallets and government services through shared platforms. According to the report, such institutional and technological cooperation may ultimately offer greater value than trade alone. However, it cautions that Dhaka will need to balance those potential benefits against unresolved historical disputes, market access concerns and the domestic political sensitivities that continue to shape relations between the two countries. –IANS ag/
October 31, 2026
Nepal PM Balendra Shah’s expected India visit offers chance to reshape bilateral ties Kathmandu/New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s expected visit to India in the coming weeks could offer an opportunity for the two countries to establish a new bilateral framework, a report said. It noted that rather than treating it as another high-level interaction or a symbolic celebration of friendship, both sides should consider a phased five-year agenda built around six key priorities. These included Himalayan disaster resilience; secure and humane border governance; youth skills, employment and educational exchanges; digital and financial connectivity; trade and transit facilitation; and faster implementation of existing agreements. “The next chapter in India-Nepal relations should be built around a more practical question: can the two countries create institutions capable of protecting their citizens from insecurity, disasters, economic shocks and the pressures of a rapidly changing region? That question is particularly relevant as Nepal’s Prime Minister is expected to visit India in the coming weeks,” a report in India Narrative detailed. “The visit would follow recent engagements involving Nepal’s Home Minister and Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal’s emphasis on making bilateral economic relations more ambitious and implementation-oriented. The timing offers both countries an opportunity for a relationship facing new challenges,” it added. India and Nepal are often regarded as close neighbours due to their shared geography, cultural traditions, religious ties and strong people-to-people connections. However, the defining aspect of their relationship today extends beyond these historical and cultural bonds to the everyday interdependence between the two countries, the report mentioned. “People cross the border for employment, education, healthcare, trade and family obligations. Nepal depends significantly on access to Indian transport networks, markets and ports. India, in turn, benefits from economic links with Nepal, hydropower potential, regional connectivity and a stable Himalayan neighbourhood,” it stated. The report noted that Sudhakar Dalela’s appointment as India’s next Ambassador to Nepal is particularly significant, as he brings with him valuable diplomatic experience, having previously served as India’s envoy to Bhutan. “His Bhutan experience could be particularly useful in Nepal, although the two relationships are distinct and should not be treated as identical. Bhutan and Nepal have different political systems, economic structures, historical experiences and foreign-policy priorities. Yet Dalela’s work in Bhutan would have exposed him to several issues that are also relevant to India-Nepal relations: Himalayan geography, hydropower, environmental vulnerability, connectivity, development partnerships and the sensitivities of relations between a large neighbouring state and a smaller Himalayan country,” it mentioned. According to the report, the traditional vocabulary used to describe India-Nepal relations — friendship, special ties, misunderstandings and interference — is no longer sufficient. The relationship, it said, needs a new framework centred on resilience, co-production, transparency and shared public goods. “India and Nepal do not need to rediscover their historical closeness. They need to modernise the institutions that govern their interdependence. The success of the next phase will be determined by- whether a trader crosses the border more efficiently, whether a flood warning reaches a vulnerable village in time, whether electricity projects are delivered, and whether young people find more opportunities on both sides,” India Narrative mentioned. –IANS scor/as
October 31, 2026
More pacts than results: Pakistan’s expanding defence partnerships under scrutiny Jerusalem, Oct 31 (IANS) Pakistan’s efforts to establish a central role in an emerging network of defence partnerships among Muslim-majority nations, stretching from the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia, have brought its strategic ambitions under scrutiny, a report has stated. It noted that Islamabad faces questions over how it will accommodate competing ideological influences, navigate the conflicting interests of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and sustain its expanding commitments with limited economic, industrial and military resources. “Pakistan has discovered a new enthusiasm for defence alliances. On October 21, Islamabad joined Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia in signing the Badr Memorandum of Understanding in Doha, an agreement intended to strengthen military production, technological cooperation, training and defence industrial capabilities. The announcement follows the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which established a considerably more ambitious framework for mutual military assistance,” Sergio Restelli, an Italian political advisor, author and geopolitical expert, wrote in ‘The Times of Israel’. According to Restelli, the primary concern is not that defence ties inevitably lead to ideological alignment, but that an expanding web of military partnerships could open the door to political influence, institutional infiltration and the gradual legitimisation of actors whose agendas may undermine regional stability. “The distinction between legitimate defence industrial cooperation and political alignment must therefore remain central to any assessment of the Badr agreement,” he stated. Highlighting the more immediate nature of the challenge, Restelli noted that Pakistan is seeking to strengthen its defence ties with Qatar while positioning itself as a key pillar of the Saudi-led security framework established under the Mecca agreement. “Saudi Arabia and Qatar have a long history of strategic rivalry. The 2017 Gulf crisis, when Riyadh and its allies imposed a blockade on Doha, exposed profound disagreements over political Islam, relations with Iran and the regional role of the Muslim Brotherhood. Although the Al-Ula reconciliation of 2021 restored diplomatic relations, it did not eliminate the underlying differences in their foreign policy outlooks,” the expert mentioned. “For Pakistan, this creates an obvious contradiction. The Mecca agreement is intended to establish a credible framework of collective deterrence. Its provisions contemplate military assistance in the event of an attack on a member, although the nature and extent of that assistance remain subject to national decisions. Yet Islamabad is simultaneously strengthening another defence arrangement with Qatar, whose strategic calculations have not always coincided with those of Riyadh,” he added. Pakistan is seeking to position itself at the crossroads of all these interests while portraying the resulting network of partnerships as evidence of its growing strategic importance. However, alliances are not accomplishments in themselves; their significance depends on the security they provide, the threats they deter and the capabilities they help develop, Restelli argued. “For now, Islamabad has considerably more agreements to display than results to demonstrate. And in its eagerness to appear indispensable to everyone, Pakistan may be stretching itself too thin to be genuinely indispensable to anyone,” he noted. –IANS scor/as
October 31, 2026
All-Han Chinese politburo exposes deepening ethnic exclusion under Xi Jinping: Report Naypyidaw, Oct 31 (IANS) Under China’s ethnic autonomy law, the head-of-government post in autonomous regions is reserved for a member of the local ethnic minority, but the more powerful party secretary position has generally been occupied by a Han Chinese official, a report has stated. It noted that for decades, minorities have accounted for roughly 10 to 11 per cent of full and alternate Central Committee members, yet the majority have remained in the alternate tier. “No ethnic minority official has ever joined the Politburo Standing Committee. A handful reached the wider Politburo: Zhuang General Wei Guoqing and Mongolian leader Ulanhu served there during the Mao and early reform years; Hui Liangyu later served in the body and became a Vice Premier. Those cases show the barrier isn’t formal, but they also highlight how rarely it has been crossed,” a report in Myanmar’s media outlet ‘The Irrawaddy’ detailed. According to the report, ethnic policy under Chinese President Xi Jinping has increasingly focused on “forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.” At the 2021 Central Ethnic Work Conference, it said, Xi tied the standards for officials to their firm backing of centralised party leadership and commitment to his national community agenda. The report noted that the approach prioritises political cohesion, a shared national identity and security over representation of distinct ethnic groups. “Perhaps this policy did not directly cause the all-Han Politburo. Public records don’t reveal the bargaining, vetting or rejected candidates behind elite appointments. Still, the roster fits a system where minority identity can warrant representation in congresses and autonomous governments but offers little access to the center,” it mentioned. The report highlighted that China’s Communist Party appointed its 24-member Politburo in October 2022, with every member being a Han Chinese man. For the first time in 25 years, it said, the body had no women, while none of China’s 55 officially recognised ethnic minority groups secured a place. Four years later, the group has become even more exclusive. “In October 2025, the party expelled Central Military Commission Vice Chairman He Weidong. Former Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui followed in July 2026, and top general Zhang Youxia last month. Official notices accused all three of serious violations; the notice on Zhang also alleged disloyalty, ‘faction-building’ and a remarkably large number of bribes,” the report detailed. “Their removal leaves an active Politburo of 21—a concentration that tells us something important about power under Xi Jinping. Diversity exists farther down the political system, often through quotas and administrative rules. It disappears where the most consequential decisions are made,” it added. –IANS scor/as
October 31, 2026

Popular Categories

Get free tips and resources right in your inbox, along with 10,000+ others

Related Article

All Post
India hosts maiden BIMSTEC maritime security exercise in Andaman and Nicobar Islands New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) India is hosting the maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise in Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance operational coordination and interoperability among member countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday. The exercise, which commenced on Friday and will continue until November 3, is among the key initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand last year. It features three days of Tabletop Exercises followed by a two-day Harbour Phase, with ships from BIMSTEC member countries participating. In a post on X, the MEA said, “The exercise translates the shared vision of BIMSTEC leaders into action, reinforcing maritime cooperation, enhancing operational coordination and interoperability, and contributing towards a safe, secure and stable maritime environment in the Bay of Bengal.” According to Andaman and Nicobar Command, the maiden BIMSTEC Maritime Security Exercise was inaugurated at Sri Vijaya Puram on Friday by Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. The ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, National Maritime Security Coordinator, along with senior delegations from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. “Anchored in the Delhi Declaration, the exercise marks a significant step towards translating shared maritime security commitments into coordinated action at sea. It aims to enhance interoperability, strengthen information sharing and promote collective responses to maritime threats and transnational challenges, including terrorism,” Andaman & Nicobar Command posted on X on Saturday. The exercise aims to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA), build operational coordination across the Bay of Bengal, strengthen regional security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and responses to cross-border maritime crimes as well as marine pollution due to oil and hazardous material spills. BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional organisation comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Over the years, BIMSTEC has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic regional organisation. Member states share the vision of a free, peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indian Ocean Region (IOR). –IANS scor/sd/
,
China’s cyber espionage becomes harder to contain due to AI-enabled scale, speed New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) China-linked cyber operations, particularly by state-aligned hacking groups, are becoming harder to contain as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation allow attackers to conduct credential attacks and access attempts at unprecedented speed and scale, a new report has said. The report from Colombo-based publication Asian News Post also pointed to a pattern of attack that can create risks across a much broader network of organisations unlike traditional attacks that targeted a single organisation. The report mentioned the 2026 breach of US software provider ConnectWise– a trusted technology supplier done by a China state-aligned group tracked using an AI-enabled penetration-testing framework that automated parts of its campaign. The campaign targeted organisations across the defence, energy, finance, government and technology sectors creating concerns of access that persisted even after the initial breach was contained. ConnectWise’s software has trusted connections to other organisations, using which the attackers could reach multiple customers without breaking into each organisation independently. The publication alleged that Chinese state-linked cyber actors repeatedly target suppliers, service providers on which many organisations depend while their intended victims could be government communications, political dissidents, critical infrastructure and private companies. It cites previous campaigns including Salt Typhoon, which US authorities said compromised telecommunications networks. “The campaign also extended beyond the United States, prompting warnings about the security of global telecommunications infrastructure. Telecommunications networks are particularly valuable because they carry enormous amounts of information about how people communicate,” the report noted. Even without intercepting every conversation, the campaign can gain access to call records and related data to reveal parties in communication and their location. “In March 2025, the US Justice Department charged 10 Chinese nationals in connection with hacking activities conducted through i-Soon, a China-based cybersecurity company,” the report said. The indictment said the company collaborated with Chinese public security and state security agencies from 2016-2023 to compromise email accounts, mobile phones, servers and website
Renewed Bangladesh-Pakistan relations face hard economic realities: Report New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) As Bangladesh and Pakistan deepen engagement after years of limited contact, questions are emerging over what tangible benefits Dhaka stands to gain from the renewed relationship particularly amid a persistent trade imbalance and unresolved historical issues, a report has said. As per analysis by Daily Waadaa, recent months have seen increased exchanges between the two countries. Pakistan’s national carrier-linked connectivity has expanded, ships from Karachi are regularly arriving at Chattogram, scholarship programmes have been announced and official, private-sector delegations have travelled in both directions, it added. However, trade figures underscore a stark imbalance. The report also highlighted that Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh stood at $67.2 million in fiscal year 2025–26, which reflects an approximately 11-to-1 trade ratio in favour of Pakistan based on State Bank of Pakistan data (compared to $71.6 million out in the preceding year). Much of Pakistan’s exports to Bangladesh comprise cotton and textile raw materials that have become more competitive due to the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee, it added. Bangladesh has repeatedly sought tariff concessions for jute and jute products, a sector in which it enjoys a dominant supplier position. While Pakistan imports nearly all of its raw jute and jute yarn from Bangladesh, significantly higher duties are imposed on value-added jute products, limiting Bangladeshi access to the market. Industry representatives say the tariff structure has contributed to a sharp decline in Bangladesh’s jute earnings from Pakistan in recent years. The report also noted that Pakistan has publicly discussed raising exports to Bangladesh substantially, while no comparable target has been articulated for Bangladeshi exports to Pakistan. While Bangladesh performs strongly on several international digital indicators, Pakistan has made notable progress in connecting financial institutions, digital wallets and government services through shared platforms. According to the report, such institutional and technological cooperation may ultimately offer greater value than trade alone. However, it cautions that Dhaka will need to balance those potential benefits against unresolved historical disputes, market access concerns and the domestic political sensitivities that continue to shape relations between the two countries. –IANS ag/
Nepal PM Balendra Shah’s expected India visit offers chance to reshape bilateral ties Kathmandu/New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s expected visit to India in the coming weeks could offer an opportunity for the two countries to establish a new bilateral framework, a report said. It noted that rather than treating it as another high-level interaction or a symbolic celebration of friendship, both sides should consider a phased five-year agenda built around six key priorities. These included Himalayan disaster resilience; secure and humane border governance; youth skills, employment and educational exchanges; digital and financial connectivity; trade and transit facilitation; and faster implementation of existing agreements. “The next chapter in India-Nepal relations should be built around a more practical question: can the two countries create institutions capable of protecting their citizens from insecurity, disasters, economic shocks and the pressures of a rapidly changing region? That question is particularly relevant as Nepal’s Prime Minister is expected to visit India in the coming weeks,” a report in India Narrative detailed. “The visit would follow recent engagements involving Nepal’s Home Minister and Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal’s emphasis on making bilateral economic relations more ambitious and implementation-oriented. The timing offers both countries an opportunity for a relationship facing new challenges,” it added. India and Nepal are often regarded as close neighbours due to their shared geography, cultural traditions, religious ties and strong people-to-people connections. However, the defining aspect of their relationship today extends beyond these historical and cultural bonds to the everyday interdependence between the two countries, the report mentioned. “People cross the border for employment, education, healthcare, trade and family obligations. Nepal depends significantly on access to Indian transport networks, markets and ports. India, in turn, benefits from economic links with Nepal, hydropower potential, regional connectivity and a stable Himalayan neighbourhood,” it stated. The report noted that Sudhakar Dalela’s appointment as India’s next Ambassador to Nepal is particularly significant, as he brings with him valuable diplomatic experience, having previously served as India’s envoy to Bhutan. “His Bhutan experience could be particularly useful in Nepal, although the two relationships are distinct and should not be treated as identical. Bhutan and Nepal have different political systems, economic structures, historical experiences and foreign-policy priorities. Yet Dalela’s work in Bhutan would have exposed him to several issues that are also relevant to India-Nepal relations: Himalayan geography, hydropower, environmental vulnerability, connectivity, development partnerships and the sensitivities of relations between a large neighbouring state and a smaller Himalayan country,” it mentioned. According to the report, the traditional vocabulary used to describe India-Nepal relations — friendship, special ties, misunderstandings and interference — is no longer sufficient. The relationship, it said, needs a new framework centred on resilience, co-production, transparency and shared public goods. “India and Nepal do not need to rediscover their historical closeness. They need to modernise the institutions that govern their interdependence. The success of the next phase will be determined by- whether a trader crosses the border more efficiently, whether a flood warning reaches a vulnerable village in time, whether electricity projects are delivered, and whether young people find more opportunities on both sides,” India Narrative mentioned. –IANS scor/as
More pacts than results: Pakistan’s expanding defence partnerships under scrutiny Jerusalem, Oct 31 (IANS) Pakistan’s efforts to establish a central role in an emerging network of defence partnerships among Muslim-majority nations, stretching from the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia, have brought its strategic ambitions under scrutiny, a report has stated. It noted that Islamabad faces questions over how it will accommodate competing ideological influences, navigate the conflicting interests of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and sustain its expanding commitments with limited economic, industrial and military resources. “Pakistan has discovered a new enthusiasm for defence alliances. On October 21, Islamabad joined Turkey, Qatar and Indonesia in signing the Badr Memorandum of Understanding in Doha, an agreement intended to strengthen military production, technological cooperation, training and defence industrial capabilities. The announcement follows the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which established a considerably more ambitious framework for mutual military assistance,” Sergio Restelli, an Italian political advisor, author and geopolitical expert, wrote in ‘The Times of Israel’. According to Restelli, the primary concern is not that defence ties inevitably lead to ideological alignment, but that an expanding web of military partnerships could open the door to political influence, institutional infiltration and the gradual legitimisation of actors whose agendas may undermine regional stability. “The distinction between legitimate defence industrial cooperation and political alignment must therefore remain central to any assessment of the Badr agreement,” he stated. Highlighting the more immediate nature of the challenge, Restelli noted that Pakistan is seeking to strengthen its defence ties with Qatar while positioning itself as a key pillar of the Saudi-led security framework established under the Mecca agreement. “Saudi Arabia and Qatar have a long history of strategic rivalry. The 2017 Gulf crisis, when Riyadh and its allies imposed a blockade on Doha, exposed profound disagreements over political Islam, relations with Iran and the regional role of the Muslim Brotherhood. Although the Al-Ula reconciliation of 2021 restored diplomatic relations, it did not eliminate the underlying differences in their foreign policy outlooks,” the expert mentioned. “For Pakistan, this creates an obvious contradiction. The Mecca agreement is intended to establish a credible framework of collective deterrence. Its provisions contemplate military assistance in the event of an attack on a member, although the nature and extent of that assistance remain subject to national decisions. Yet Islamabad is simultaneously strengthening another defence arrangement with Qatar, whose strategic calculations have not always coincided with those of Riyadh,” he added. Pakistan is seeking to position itself at the crossroads of all these interests while portraying the resulting network of partnerships as evidence of its growing strategic importance. However, alliances are not accomplishments in themselves; their significance depends on the security they provide, the threats they deter and the capabilities they help develop, Restelli argued. “For now, Islamabad has considerably more agreements to display than results to demonstrate. And in its eagerness to appear indispensable to everyone, Pakistan may be stretching itself too thin to be genuinely indispensable to anyone,” he noted. –IANS scor/as
All-Han Chinese politburo exposes deepening ethnic exclusion under Xi Jinping: Report Naypyidaw, Oct 31 (IANS) Under China’s ethnic autonomy law, the head-of-government post in autonomous regions is reserved for a member of the local ethnic minority, but the more powerful party secretary position has generally been occupied by a Han Chinese official, a report has stated. It noted that for decades, minorities have accounted for roughly 10 to 11 per cent of full and alternate Central Committee members, yet the majority have remained in the alternate tier. “No ethnic minority official has ever joined the Politburo Standing Committee. A handful reached the wider Politburo: Zhuang General Wei Guoqing and Mongolian leader Ulanhu served there during the Mao and early reform years; Hui Liangyu later served in the body and became a Vice Premier. Those cases show the barrier isn’t formal, but they also highlight how rarely it has been crossed,” a report in Myanmar’s media outlet ‘The Irrawaddy’ detailed. According to the report, ethnic policy under Chinese President Xi Jinping has increasingly focused on “forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.” At the 2021 Central Ethnic Work Conference, it said, Xi tied the standards for officials to their firm backing of centralised party leadership and commitment to his national community agenda. The report noted that the approach prioritises political cohesion, a shared national identity and security over representation of distinct ethnic groups. “Perhaps this policy did not directly cause the all-Han Politburo. Public records don’t reveal the bargaining, vetting or rejected candidates behind elite appointments. Still, the roster fits a system where minority identity can warrant representation in congresses and autonomous governments but offers little access to the center,” it mentioned. The report highlighted that China’s Communist Party appointed its 24-member Politburo in October 2022, with every member being a Han Chinese man. For the first time in 25 years, it said, the body had no women, while none of China’s 55 officially recognised ethnic minority groups secured a place. Four years later, the group has become even more exclusive. “In October 2025, the party expelled Central Military Commission Vice Chairman He Weidong. Former Xinjiang Party Secretary Ma Xingrui followed in July 2026, and top general Zhang Youxia last month. Official notices accused all three of serious violations; the notice on Zhang also alleged disloyalty, ‘faction-building’ and a remarkably large number of bribes,” the report detailed. “Their removal leaves an active Politburo of 21—a concentration that tells us something important about power under Xi Jinping. Diversity exists farther down the political system, often through quotas and administrative rules. It disappears where the most consequential decisions are made,” it added. –IANS scor/as