Venus Upadhayaya
Venus Upadhayaya is a senior journalist and a 2025 MOFA Taiwan Fellow.
China Tests Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile During US-Led RIMPAC Exercise
A nuclear submarine of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, July 6, during the large-scale RIMPAC 2026 naval exercise led by the...
Courting Beijing, Bangladesh Backs Xi’s ‘Community With a Shared Future’ Slogan
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday, June 24, during a four-day visit to Beijing that began on Sunday. The two leaders jointly announced the creation of a "China-Bangladesh community...
Russia Begins Production of Su-35S Fighter Jets for Iran, Report Says
Russia has begun manufacturing Su-35S fighter jets for Iran, a move that could strengthen Tehran's air force and potentially shift the military balance in the Gulf by 2027, according to sources cited by Malaysia-based defense...
US Removes Four Indian Companies From Russia-Related Sanctions List as Trade Deal Nears
The U.S. Department of the Treasury removed four Indian companies from the Office of Foreign Assets Control's (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List on Monday, June 30. The move came the same...
Iraq Arrests 67 Officials in Sweeping Anti-Corruption Campaign
Iraq launched one of its largest anti-corruption campaigns in recent years on Saturday, June 28, arresting 67 people — including lawmakers, businessmen, and government officials — in what Iraqi outlet Shafaq News said was expected...
Why Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun’s Absence From International Forums Is Making Headlines
News analysis Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun, unlike many of his counterparts in Western governments, is not China's top defense decision-maker. In fact, he is not even a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC),...
The Losses, Gains, and Lasting Consequences of the US-Iran War
News analysis The U.S.-Iran war is increasingly being defined by its economic and geopolitical consequences as much as by its military outcome. While Washington and Tehran continue to claim victory in the still-simmering conflict, the...
Cuba’s Reform Agenda Faces New US Pressure After Latest Sanctions
The United States on June 23 imposed sanctions on five Cuban state entities, less than a week after Cuban lawmakers approved sweeping market-oriented reforms for the first time since the 1959 revolution that brought the...
Indonesia and China Expand Push to Reduce US Dollar Dependence, Tout Program’s Success
Local Currency Transactions (LCT) between Indonesia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) reached the equivalent of US$13 billion during the first four months of 2026, a sharp increase from the US$18 billion recorded for...
Pentagon Seeks Additional $80 Billion From Congress Following Iran War: Reports
The U.S. Department of Defense has informed Congress that it requires an additional $80 billion to cover expenses related to the Iran war, as well as other defense-related costs, according to U.S. media reports. Pentagon...
Xi Picks Trusted Loyalist Cai Qi to Shape China’s Future Leadership
The Chinese Communist Party's Central Party School (中央党校) serves as both the party's premier training institution for senior officials and a leading center for political research. When Chinese leader Xi Jinping appointed longtime associate Cai...
EU Accuses China of Training Russian Soldiers Who Fought in Ukraine
The European Union has challenged China's longstanding claims of neutrality in the Ukraine war, accusing Beijing of training Russian soldiers on Chinese territory who later went on to fight against Ukrainian forces. Kaja Kallas, the...