(By Ayesha Mahnoor) The principles of separation of powers and checks and balances are fundamental to modern democracy. Originating in the work of Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws (1748) and enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, they grant distinct authorities to the legislature, executive and judiciary so no single institution becomes absolute. In a…
(By Quratulain Khalid) I. Introduction On November 5, 2025, New York City made history as 34-year-old Zohran Kwame Mamdani surged to victory in the mayoral race, securing over 50% of the vote against formidable challengers. Democratic socialist Mamdani, a Queens state assemblyman since 2021, defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an independent with 40%+)…
(Mohsin Tanveer) El Fasher, the historic capital of North Darfur and a city of over 250,000 souls, was once a vibrant crossroads of trade and culture in western Sudan. By late October 2025, after an excruciating 18-month siege, it became a graveyard. On October 26-27, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—descendants of the Janjaweed militias…
(By Khalid Masood) In the bustling corridors of of Kuala Lumpur, amid high-level diplomacy and the humid haze of Southeast Asian geopolitics, two major powers – India and the United States – formalised a defence pact that may reshape the Indo-Pacific theatre for the next decade. On 31 October 2025, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh…
(By Khalid Masood) October 30, 2025 In the annals of South Asian statecraft, few moments crystallize a nation’s strategic maturity as vividly as Pakistan’s conduct during the Pakistan-Afghanistan peace dialogues in Istanbul, Türkiye, which concluded in a resounding diplomatic and moral victory for Islamabad on October 29, 2025. Far from the Western media’s lazy narrative…
(By Ayesha Mahnoor) The dust from the May 2025 border skirmishes has barely settled, yet New Delhi seems eager to stir it up again. The ghosts of Operation Sindoor—a rather theatrical episode masquerading as counter-terrorism—continue to haunt the uneasy peace between Pakistan and India. What was once sold to the Indian public as a “decisive…
(By Khalid Masood) In the fragile ecosystem of South Asian security, where the line between military posturing and all-out war is perilously thin, India has once again chosen the path of escalatory brinkmanship. The announcement of “Exercise Trishul” (Oct 30-Nov 10, 2025), is not a ‘routine’ drill as the spin from New Delhi would have…
(By Khalid Masood) The cosmos has once again presented humanity with a profound mystery, and its name is 3I/Atlas. For only the third time in recorded history, after the baffling 1I/’Oumuamua and the more conventional 2I/Borisov, we have confirmed a visitor from the vast, dark ocean between the stars. Discovered on July 1, 2025, by…
Overview Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport is a compelling exploration of the value of intense, uninterrupted focus in an age dominated by distractions. Published in 2016, the book argues that deep work—cognitively demanding tasks performed with complete concentration—produces exceptional results and is increasingly rare in today’s hyper-connected,…
(By Khalid Masood) Just days after teetering on the edge of a wider conflict, Pakistan and Afghanistan have pulled back from the brink, signing a critical ceasefire agreement in Doha on October 18, 2025. This pact, mediated by Qatar and Turkey, follows one of the deadliest periods of border clashes in recent memory. It aims…
