She has lived in exile for nearly half a century. Will she ever see Iran again?
She was the beauty who for years adorned magazine covers around the world. Farah Diba, born in Tehran in 1938, later Queen of Iran under the name Farah Pahlavi. She is now 87. From her exile in the United States, she follows the drama unfolding in her homeland hour by hour.
It is said that she lives a quiet life, dividing her time between properties in Paris and Washington, D.C. Yet she still attends cultural events for Iranian exiles and until recently has appeared together with her eldest son, Reza Pahlavi.
Farah Pahlavi has never returned to Iran since she and the Shah left the country in 1979. In interviews she says that her longing for her homeland remains strong. One of her most frequently quoted remarks is: “I live in exile, but Iran always lives in my heart.”Many years ago, in 2004, she published the book An Enduring Love: My Life With the Shah. It is both a personal memoir and a defense of her husband, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, and of the monarchy that collapsed in 1979. She recounts that she grew up in a fairly well-to-do family and, as a young woman, had the opportunity to study architecture in Paris.
onsdag 11. mars 2026
China’s exports surge in Jan-Feb despite waning trade with the US
China’s exports jumped nearly 22% in the first two months of the year from a year earlier, powered by a surge in shipments of computer chips, autos and electronics. The export figures released by China’s customs agency on Tuesday were much better than economists had forecast. They far exceeded the 6.6% annual pace of growthrecorded in December.
Shipments to the U.S. fell 11% in January and February, narrowing from a 30% drop in December. Exports to the European Union increased almost 28% while those to Latin America climbed 16%.
Exports to the rest of Asia, including Japan and India, also were sharply higher.
China’s exports have been a bright spot for its economy despite tensions with the U.S. Chinese exports climbed 5.5% for 2025 as its trade surplus surged to a record of nearly $1.2 trillion. Higher shipments to other regions have helped offset weaker exports to the U.S. after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a variety of higher tariffs on imports from many countries.
Shipments to the U.S. fell 11% in January and February, narrowing from a 30% drop in December. Exports to the European Union increased almost 28% while those to Latin America climbed 16%.
Exports to the rest of Asia, including Japan and India, also were sharply higher.
China’s exports have been a bright spot for its economy despite tensions with the U.S. Chinese exports climbed 5.5% for 2025 as its trade surplus surged to a record of nearly $1.2 trillion. Higher shipments to other regions have helped offset weaker exports to the U.S. after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a variety of higher tariffs on imports from many countries.
Japan prepares for deployment of its first home-developed long-range missile
Japan is preparing to deploy its first batch of domestically developed long-range missiles, with their launchers arriving at an army camp Monday as the country accelerates its offensive capability in response to rising challenges in the region.
The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles will be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of March, completing the process of deployment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said without giving details.
Army vehicles carrying the launchers and other equipment arrived past midnight in a highly secretive mission criticized by residents. Dozens of people stood outside of the camp, shouting “Stop long-range missile deployment!” and holding banners carrying messages of protest.
The upgraded Type-12 land-to-ship missiles will be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto by the end of March, completing the process of deployment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said without giving details.
Army vehicles carrying the launchers and other equipment arrived past midnight in a highly secretive mission criticized by residents. Dozens of people stood outside of the camp, shouting “Stop long-range missile deployment!” and holding banners carrying messages of protest.
North Korean leader Kim watches cruise missile tests with his daughter
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his teenage daughter observed tests of strategic cruise missiles fired from a warship, state media reported Wednesday, as North Korea threatened responses to U.S.-South Korean military drills.
Images sent by the Korean Central News Agency showed the two in a conference room looking at a screen showing weapons being fired from the Choe Hyon, a year-old naval destroyer. Kim Jong Un watched the missiles launches via video on Tuesday and underscored the need to maintain “a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent,” KCNA reported in a dispatch that did not mention his daughter.
The girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and about 13, has accompanied her father at numerous prominent events including military parades and weapons launches since late 2022. South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month Kim Jong Un was close to designating her as his heir.
Images sent by the Korean Central News Agency showed the two in a conference room looking at a screen showing weapons being fired from the Choe Hyon, a year-old naval destroyer. Kim Jong Un watched the missiles launches via video on Tuesday and underscored the need to maintain “a powerful and reliable nuclear war deterrent,” KCNA reported in a dispatch that did not mention his daughter.
The girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and about 13, has accompanied her father at numerous prominent events including military parades and weapons launches since late 2022. South Korea’s spy agency assessed last month Kim Jong Un was close to designating her as his heir.
China Tensions Drive Up Arms Sales in Asia
Asia and Oceania was the second-largest destination for arms imports over the past five years, on the back of China's military buildup and growing assertiveness in the region, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The analysis, released Monday, shows how the contours of global arms salesare shaped by ongoing conflicts and by governments preparing for potential ones.The report comes after China announced its largest-yet defense budget. Beijing’s rapid military buildup has raised concerns in Washington and allied Pacific governments that China seeks dominance over the region.
The analysis, released Monday, shows how the contours of global arms salesare shaped by ongoing conflicts and by governments preparing for potential ones.The report comes after China announced its largest-yet defense budget. Beijing’s rapid military buildup has raised concerns in Washington and allied Pacific governments that China seeks dominance over the region.
Trump ‘Death and Fury’ Threat a ‘Gift to China’
President Donald Trump has threatened to ramp up attacks on Iran twentyfold if the country obstructs oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming this would be a "gift" for China and other countries that rely on the waterway for energy imports.
"Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again," he wrote on Truth Social Friday evening local time. "Death, Fire, and Fury will [rain] upon them. But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!"
The U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, which has led to the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior officials, prompted the Islamic Republic to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region, including on oil infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday renewed its pledge not to let "one liter of oil" leave the region as long as the American and Israeli attacks continue.
"Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again," he wrote on Truth Social Friday evening local time. "Death, Fire, and Fury will [rain] upon them. But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!"
The U.S. and Israel's war against Iran, which has led to the deaths of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior officials, prompted the Islamic Republic to retaliate with missile and drone strikes across the region, including on oil infrastructure in neighboring Gulf states. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps on Tuesday renewed its pledge not to let "one liter of oil" leave the region as long as the American and Israeli attacks continue.
China bets on new tech, domestic demand at 'Two Sessions'
Beijing is doubling down on advanced technology and boosting domestic demand amid economic slowdown, according to signals coming from the annual "Two Sessions" meetings set to conclude this Thursday.
Thousands of delegates are attending the annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) — the Chinese legislative assembly — and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a top level advisory body, in Beijing. Together, the two conferences offer early signals about potential shifts in China's policy — particularly on the economy, security and foreign affairs. This year's "Two Sessions" also coincide with the launch of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, the country's economic and political road map for 2026–2030.
Premier Li Qiang set a GDP growth target of around 4.5–5% for 2026, the lowest official goal since 1991. The figure marks a notable shift after decades in which China maintained rapid expansion, positioning itself as a key driver of global economic growth.
Thousands of delegates are attending the annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) — the Chinese legislative assembly — and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a top level advisory body, in Beijing. Together, the two conferences offer early signals about potential shifts in China's policy — particularly on the economy, security and foreign affairs. This year's "Two Sessions" also coincide with the launch of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, the country's economic and political road map for 2026–2030.
Premier Li Qiang set a GDP growth target of around 4.5–5% for 2026, the lowest official goal since 1991. The figure marks a notable shift after decades in which China maintained rapid expansion, positioning itself as a key driver of global economic growth.
Chinese automakers want to come to US. They could be here fairly soon
Chinese cars could be at an American dealership sooner than you think, and that’s good news for US consumers. Chinese car companies make more vehicles than anyone else on Earth and export more as well. But high tariffs and hostile US-China trade relations have kept them out of the American market.
That’s likely to change, according to experts, with Chinese autos hitting US showrooms in the next five to 10 years.
“The ambition is there,” said Lei Xing, an independent auto analyst and former chief editor of China Automotive Review magazine, even if companies have to build factories here rather than ship cars here from China. He said multiple Chinese automakers have shown “readiness to come to the US, to build in the US.”
That would be helpful for American car buyers. Greater competition means more choices, especially for EVs, which in turn should lower prices. But it would also squeeze the profits and market share of the car companies already selling in the US, likely affecting the nearly 1 million people who work for them.
That’s likely to change, according to experts, with Chinese autos hitting US showrooms in the next five to 10 years.
“The ambition is there,” said Lei Xing, an independent auto analyst and former chief editor of China Automotive Review magazine, even if companies have to build factories here rather than ship cars here from China. He said multiple Chinese automakers have shown “readiness to come to the US, to build in the US.”
That would be helpful for American car buyers. Greater competition means more choices, especially for EVs, which in turn should lower prices. But it would also squeeze the profits and market share of the car companies already selling in the US, likely affecting the nearly 1 million people who work for them.
China warns ‘flames of war’ spreading, but signals its welcome for Xi-Trump meeting
China’s top diplomat cast his country as a defender of peace and stability as war in Iran rages, while striking a conciliatory tone towards the United States ahead of a highly anticipated summit between the two nation’s leaders. “This was a war that should never have happened, and a war that benefited no one,” Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, said at a Sunday news briefing on the sidelines of the annual assembly of China’s rubber-stamp legislature.
Wang, touting China as “the world’s most important force of peace, stability and justice,” reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire to “prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover and spread of the flames of war.”
Wang, touting China as “the world’s most important force of peace, stability and justice,” reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire to “prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spillover and spread of the flames of war.”
US allows India's Russian oil purchases again
The Trump administration's decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil sales to India in order to address potential supply issues has raised questions about Washington's resolve on the issue. After announcing a 30-day waiver on Thursday (March 5) to allow Indian refiners to buy Russian oil again, the White House has now opened the door to possible further loosening of the sanctions against Moscow.
"To ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News.
The easing of sanctions on India represented a major policy shift. When President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a trade agreement last month, a major component of the deal was India agreeing to stop purchasing Russian oil. Trump had repeatedly criticized India's purchases from Moscow.
"To ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News.
The easing of sanctions on India represented a major policy shift. When President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a trade agreement last month, a major component of the deal was India agreeing to stop purchasing Russian oil. Trump had repeatedly criticized India's purchases from Moscow.
mandag 9. mars 2026
Does Iran war make a China attack on Taiwan more likely?
It’s too soon to tell, as the fight with Iran started less than a week ago. But at least in the near-term, China will likely hold its fire on Taiwan. However, if the Iran conflict continues for an extended period, lasting months rather than weeks, while casualties mount and the US appears bogged down, Chinese President Xi Jinping might be tempted to finally make good on his threat to move against Taiwan, a “reunification” he recently characterized as “unstoppable.”
China might assess that its military overmatch around Taiwan is such that the US can’t amass enough force to forestall or respond to a Chinese assault without suffering heavy losses.
And if the Americans don’t take the lead, no other regional nation will, not even nearby Japan. Despite impressive niche capabilities, the Japan Self Defense Force can’t fight a major war on its own.
China might assess that its military overmatch around Taiwan is such that the US can’t amass enough force to forestall or respond to a Chinese assault without suffering heavy losses.
And if the Americans don’t take the lead, no other regional nation will, not even nearby Japan. Despite impressive niche capabilities, the Japan Self Defense Force can’t fight a major war on its own.
China quietly eclipsing a weakened Russia in Central Asia
For much of the post–Cold War period, Central Asia operated as a “managed condominium”—a geopolitical arrangement where Russia supplied the hard-security umbrella and China functioned as the dominant economic partner.
The war in Ukraine has not broken this Sino-Russian partnership, but it has fundamentally altered its internal balance. The condominium has evolved into an asymmetric interdependence, where China’s economic networks dictate the terms of regional order and Russia’s ability to exercise a regional veto has rapidly diminished.China is not muscling its way into Eurasia — it is wiring it. By controlling key network nodes across logistics, energy, finance and digital governance, Beijing is engaging in a form of “weaponized interdependence.” China is shaping the very infrastructure and rules within which smaller states operate, expanding its freedom of action as Russia’s relative power declines.
The war in Ukraine has not broken this Sino-Russian partnership, but it has fundamentally altered its internal balance. The condominium has evolved into an asymmetric interdependence, where China’s economic networks dictate the terms of regional order and Russia’s ability to exercise a regional veto has rapidly diminished.China is not muscling its way into Eurasia — it is wiring it. By controlling key network nodes across logistics, energy, finance and digital governance, Beijing is engaging in a form of “weaponized interdependence.” China is shaping the very infrastructure and rules within which smaller states operate, expanding its freedom of action as Russia’s relative power declines.
Why Iran depends on exports to China
While Iranian threats have brought maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz largely to a halt, experts doubt Iran will risk a long-term blockade of the shipping lane in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.
"Around 70 percent of Iran's non-oil trade passes through ports that depend on access via the Strait of Hormuz," says gas and economic analyst Dalga Khatinoglu of Iran International, a London-based news outlet.
Blockading the strait long-term would hurt Iran itself.
"It doesn't feel rational for Iran to close the street of Hormuz, because they have the imports of the crucial goods like crucial food for example, but also the majority of their exports go to China and India, so that would turn against the country," energy expert Sara Vakhshouri of SVB Energy International told Bloomberg TV.
"Around 70 percent of Iran's non-oil trade passes through ports that depend on access via the Strait of Hormuz," says gas and economic analyst Dalga Khatinoglu of Iran International, a London-based news outlet.
Blockading the strait long-term would hurt Iran itself.
"It doesn't feel rational for Iran to close the street of Hormuz, because they have the imports of the crucial goods like crucial food for example, but also the majority of their exports go to China and India, so that would turn against the country," energy expert Sara Vakhshouri of SVB Energy International told Bloomberg TV.
China Could Dominate the Physical AI Future
On Feb. 16, hundreds of millions of households watched as humanoid robots from four different Chinese companies danced, acted in a comedy skit, did parkour, and performed martial arts onstage at the Spring Festival Gala, China’s most-watched television broadcast. Across the country, drone shows lit up the night skies as China celebrated Lunar New Year, the synchronization of tens of thousands of drones coordinated by artificial intelligence.
The physical AI fervor has traveled across the Pacific. At the glitzy Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, Chinese startups dominated the convention with AI-enabled hardware from smart home appliances and wearables to all kinds of robots.
While American frontier labs are battling each other across large language model leaderboards, China’s AI capabilities are showing up in physical ways—leaving screens and entering our daily lives. We’ve lived through over a decade of, in the words of venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, “software eating the world.” Now, metal and mathematics have converged and hardware is eating the world.
While American frontier labs are battling each other across large language model leaderboards, China’s AI capabilities are showing up in physical ways—leaving screens and entering our daily lives. We’ve lived through over a decade of, in the words of venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, “software eating the world.” Now, metal and mathematics have converged and hardware is eating the world.
China hopes 2026 will be a ‘landmark year’ for relationship with US
China said it hopes this year will be a “landmark year” for its relationship with its biggest competitor, the U.S., striking a largely positive tone ahead of an expected summit between the leaders of the two countries later this month.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking Sunday at a press briefing on the sidelines of an annual meeting of China’s ceremonial legislature, said that it was a “big year” for the relationship between the two world powers. He said that while there are many differences, “the two heads of state have personally maintained good exchanges at the highest level,” providing a level of “strategic guarantee” for the bilateral relationship.
U.S. President Donald Trump is due to visit Beijing for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping at the end of March. While Wang did not confirm the visit, he signaled that Beijing is looking for a less fraught relationship.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking Sunday at a press briefing on the sidelines of an annual meeting of China’s ceremonial legislature, said that it was a “big year” for the relationship between the two world powers. He said that while there are many differences, “the two heads of state have personally maintained good exchanges at the highest level,” providing a level of “strategic guarantee” for the bilateral relationship.
U.S. President Donald Trump is due to visit Beijing for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping at the end of March. While Wang did not confirm the visit, he signaled that Beijing is looking for a less fraught relationship.
What China’s latest economic plans say about its tech ambitions and rivalry with the US
Two major economic plans unveiled at the annual meeting of China’s legislature outline top priorities that have different ramifications for the global economy.
In the government plan for 2026, the No. 1 task is “building a robust domestic market.” Then comes accelerating technological progress. But longer-term, a plan for the next five years gives more prominence to achieving advances in tech.The subtle difference highlights the government’s balancing act. Its overarching goal is to transform from a low-cost manufacturing to a tech-driven economy.
But a more immediate concern is dealing with a prolonged period of sluggishness that has depressed consumer and business confidence. China is such a large exporter that the choices it makes affect countries and jobs around the world.
In the government plan for 2026, the No. 1 task is “building a robust domestic market.” Then comes accelerating technological progress. But longer-term, a plan for the next five years gives more prominence to achieving advances in tech.The subtle difference highlights the government’s balancing act. Its overarching goal is to transform from a low-cost manufacturing to a tech-driven economy.
But a more immediate concern is dealing with a prolonged period of sluggishness that has depressed consumer and business confidence. China is such a large exporter that the choices it makes affect countries and jobs around the world.
China’s missile reach forces Japan back to Iwo Jima
Japan is considering a significant expansion of its military presence on remote Iwo Jima as growing Chinese naval activity beyond the First Island Chain raises concerns about the vulnerability of Pacific bases such as Okinawa.
Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to study upgrades to the island’s air and port infrastructure in the coming fiscal year, including extending the runway, strengthening port facilities and installing a floating pier capable of accommodating large vessels delivering construction materials and equipment.
Officials are also weighing the permanent deployment of Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) fighter jets to enable rapid responses to foreign aircraft and warships operating near Japan’s eastern approaches. The move would complement Japan’s broader defense buildup across Okinawa and Kyushu and close what officials describe as a “surveillance gap” on the Pacific side of the archipelago.
Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to study upgrades to the island’s air and port infrastructure in the coming fiscal year, including extending the runway, strengthening port facilities and installing a floating pier capable of accommodating large vessels delivering construction materials and equipment.
Officials are also weighing the permanent deployment of Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) fighter jets to enable rapid responses to foreign aircraft and warships operating near Japan’s eastern approaches. The move would complement Japan’s broader defense buildup across Okinawa and Kyushu and close what officials describe as a “surveillance gap” on the Pacific side of the archipelago.
Taiwan’s ‘Social Shield’: The Democratic Stakes Beyond Semiconductors
The strategic case for Taiwan’s survival has been made in the language of semiconductors and military deterrence – the so-called Silicon Shield. It has rarely been made in the language of gender equality. It should be. Taiwan has built something that no other society in the Asia-Pacific has managed: a model of female political and civic power that is simultaneously democratic, culturally rooted, and structurally durable.
Over 42 percent of Taiwan’s legislators are women – one of the highest rates in the world, exceeding the United States Congress at 28 percent and the European Union average of 33 percent.
Over 42 percent of Taiwan’s legislators are women – one of the highest rates in the world, exceeding the United States Congress at 28 percent and the European Union average of 33 percent.
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