- Between 2023 and 2025, the world has been engulfed by an alarming surge in armed violence, with 59 conflicts recorded in 2023, rising to 61 in 2024, the highest number since records began in 1946, and continuing at
61 active conflicts in 2025, of which 11 escalated into full-scale wars, each surpassing the threshold of 1,000 battle-related deaths in a single year. In 2024 alone, nearly 160,000 people lost their lives to organized
violence, while between December 2024 and November 2025 more than 204,000 conflict events were documented, resulting in over 240,000 deaths, marking one of the deadliest periods since World War II. The bloodiest
battlegrounds across these years include the Russia–Ukraine war with over 60,000 casualties, the Israel–Gaza war with cumulative deaths rising toward 70,000 by late 2025, the Sudan civil war with more than 14,000
casualties, the Myanmar civil war with about 12,000 casualties, and the Nigeria insurgency conflicts with roughly 8,500 casualties, while other hotspots such as Syria, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Haiti, and Pakistan
continue to destabilize societies. These staggering figures reveal not just a temporary spike but a structural surge in global warfare, underscoring how the years 2023 through 2025 have become among the most turbulent
in modern history.
- Between 2023 and 2025, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, and Haiti were engulfed in internal wars driven by organized crime, gangs, and political instability rather than conventional interstate clashes, with Mexico’s drug
cartel wars intensifying as the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel battled violently, displacing more than 392,000 people in Chiapas in 2023 and at least 15,000 more in 2025, adding to hundreds of thousands
killed since 2006; Ecuador declared an “internal armed conflict” in January 2024 against gangs like Los Choneros after 8,008 homicides in 2023 made it the most violent year in its history, with military forces deployed
and prisons turned into battlegrounds; Brazil saw urban armed violence escalate, particularly in São Paulo where police killings surged after 2023, contributing to thousands of deaths and exposing the armed forces’ lack
of preparedness, though the violence was categorized more as criminal insurgency than civil war; and Haiti descended deeper into civil war-like gang insurgency following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse,
with gang coalitions controlling over 80% of Port-au-Prince by 2025, more than 16,000 deaths since 2021 including 4,384 killed from January to September 2025, and 11% of the population displaced amid hunger and collapsed
healthcare, underscoring how these four nations became emblematic of the era’s most destabilizing internal conflicts.
- Transparency International’s latest findings underscore that corruption remains a systemic global risk, with no country entirely free of it. In 2024, political shifts began to reshape enforcement strategies across major
jurisdictions: the UK has been recalibrating its Serious Fraud Office priorities, the EU is strengthening cross-border cooperation on corporate bribery and money laundering, and the US briefly paused most Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement in early 2025 before narrowing its scope to focus on select high-impact cases. These changes reflect a broader trend where governments are not abandoning anti-corruption efforts but are
redefining their priorities, balancing political agendas with the need to maintain investor confidence and public trust. The result is a patchwork of approaches—Asia continues to emphasize harsh punishments, while Western
nations experiment with targeted enforcement—that highlights both the universality of corruption and the diversity of strategies used to confront it.
- Europe’s most corrupt nations in 2025, as ranked by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, reveal a stark divide within the continent: Hungary, with a score of 41, remains the lowest-ranked EU member
for the third consecutive year; Serbia and Ukraine, both scoring around 42–45, sit at 105th globally, plagued by political patronage and war-related risks; Turkey, with a score near 40–42, ranks 107th, reflecting declining
rule of law; Belarus, scoring between 35–40, falls to 114th, weighed down by authoritarian governance; while Moldova, Albania, and Bulgaria, each scoring around 40–42, hover between 76th and 80th, struggling with oligarchic
influence, procurement scandals, and weak enforcement. These figures contrast sharply with Europe’s cleanest performers—Denmark (90), Finland (88), and Switzerland (81)—illustrating how corruption remains deeply entrenched
in parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe even as Nordic states continue to set global standards for transparency.
- South America’s corruption landscape in 2025 is dominated by staggering figures from Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index: Venezuela, with a score of just 13, ranks among the most corrupt nations
in the world, its oil wealth consumed by graft under authoritarian rule; Bolivia, scoring 28 and placed 133rd globally, struggles with weak institutions and political interference; Paraguay, at 33 and 128th, remains mired
in patronage networks; Ecuador, with 36 points and ranked 116th, continues to battle scandals and fragile enforcement; and Guyana, despite its booming oil sector, scores only 40 and sits at 101st, highlighting the risks of
resource-driven corruption. In sharp contrast, Uruguay (76) and Chile (63) stand out as regional leaders in transparency, underscoring the deep divide between nations plagued by systemic graft and those that have built
stronger institutions to resist it.
- In the Middle East, Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index paints a grim picture: Syria, with a score of just 13, ranks among the most corrupt nations worldwide, its civil war and authoritarian
rule fueling systemic graft; Yemen, devastated by conflict, scores 16 and sits at 176th globally, where corruption worsens the humanitarian crisis; Iraq, struggling with reconstruction, records a score of 23 and ranks 162nd;
Lebanon, plagued by patronage networks and financial collapse, scores 24 and holds the 154th position; while Iran, burdened by sanctions and entrenched elite corruption, manages only 29, ranking 151st. These figures stand in
stark contrast to Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates (68), Qatar (59), and Saudi Arabia (59), which perform far better, highlighting the region’s deep divide between nations crippled by war and authoritarianism and
those leveraging stronger institutions to maintain relative transparency.
- Africa’s corruption crisis in 2025 is laid bare by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index: Somalia, with a score of just 11, ranks dead last at 180th globally, crippled by decades of instability and
systemic graft; South Sudan, scoring 13 and placed 178th, continues to squander oil wealth amid conflict-driven corruption; Libya, at 18 and ranked 172nd, suffers from civil war and ghost workers draining state coffers;
Equatorial Guinea, with a score of 17 and 173rd globally, remains notorious for elite capture of oil revenues; and Guinea-Bissau, scoring 19 at 170th, struggles with drug trafficking networks and fragile governance. These
figures contrast sharply with Africa’s cleanest performers—Seychelles (72), Cape Verde (62), and Botswana (57)—showing how strong institutions can resist graft even as much of the continent remains mired in corruption.
- According to Transparency International’s 2024–2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, Asia’s most corrupt nations include Bangladesh and Iran, both ranked 151st globally, Azerbaijan and Lebanon at 154th, and Iraq at 140th,
where entrenched graft undermines reconstruction efforts. Kyrgyzstan sits at 146th, plagued by bribery in bureaucracy and law enforcement, while Pakistan, ranked 135th, struggles with corruption across politics, the judiciary,
and development projects. Laos, Mongolia, and the Philippines each share a ranking of 114th, reflecting systemic issues tied to rapid growth, resource mismanagement, and persistent graft in local governance. With CPI scores
ranging from the low teens to the mid-30s, these countries highlight how corruption remains deeply embedded across the region, contrasting sharply with Asia’s cleanest performers such as Singapore (score 84), Hong Kong (74),
and Japan (71). This stark divide illustrates the uneven battle against corruption, where some states enforce transparency while others remain mired in patronage and weak institutions.
- China’s recent corruption scandals reveal the ferocity of Xi Jinping’s ongoing campaign: since its launch in 2012, more than a million Communist Party members have been punished, with high-profile cases shaking the nation.
Zhou Yongkang, once a powerful security chief, became the highest-ranking official ever prosecuted, while in December 2025 Bai Tianhui, former general manager of China Huarong International Holdings, was executed in Tianjin
for accepting bribes worth $156 million (CNY 1.108 billion). The crackdown has reached deep into the financial sector, where senior bankers and regulators have faced death sentences or long prison terms, and into the People’s
Liberation Army, where generals have been purged for factionalism and misuse of funds. Even as Xi insists the system now ensures officials “do not dare to be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not think of corruption,” the
rising number of punished cadres year after year suggests corruption remains deeply entrenched, managed through fear and political control rather than eradicated.
- China’s modern anti-corruption campaign, launched in 2012 under Xi Jinping, has become the most sweeping in the nation’s history, targeting both “tigers” at the highest levels and “flies” at the grassroots, with more than
a million Communist Party members punished over the past 12 years. The crackdown reached unprecedented heights when Zhou Yongkang, once a powerful security chief, became the highest-ranking official ever prosecuted, and in
December 2025 Bai Tianhui, a former executive of China Huarong International Holdings, was executed for accepting bribes worth $156 million (CNY 1.108 billion). The campaign has extended deep into the People’s Liberation Army,
removing generals accused of factionalism, while Xi insists it has created a system where officials “do not dare to be corrupt, cannot be corrupt, and do not think of corruption.” Yet paradoxically, the number of punished
officials has continued to rise year after year, raising doubts about whether corruption is truly declining or simply being managed, with critics arguing that the campaign doubles as a political purge consolidating Xi’s authority.
This blend of genuine crackdown and strategic control has reshaped governance in China, but without systemic reforms such as independent courts or free media, corruption remains deeply embedded in the state.
- China’s corruption profile in 2025 reflects both relentless crackdowns and persistent systemic graft: Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index gave the country a score of 43 out of 100, ranking 76th out
of 180 nations, while India’s corruption picture in 2025 is captured by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where the country scored just 38 out of 100, slipping from 39 in 2023 and 40 in 2022, and ranked
96th out of 180 nations, falling steadily from 85th in 2022 to 93rd in 2023 before reaching its current position. This decline places India below the global average of 43, highlighting persistent governance challenges
driven by political patronage, weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws, and lack of transparency in public procurement. While regional leaders such as Singapore (84), Japan (71), and Hong Kong (74) continue to demonstrate
strong institutional integrity, China's and India’s worsening scores underscore how entrenched corruption erodes accountability and even hampers climate action, making it a growing obstacle to both governance and sustainable
development.
- Thailand’s corruption profile in 2025 is underscored by Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where the country scored 34 out of 100, slipping from 35 in 2023, and ranked 107th out of 180 nations,
well below the global average of 43. Within ASEAN, Thailand trails behind Singapore (84), Malaysia (50), Vietnam (40), and Indonesia (37), placing fifth in the region. Despite the decline in score, its ranking improved slightly
due to other countries performing worse, masking deeper structural weaknesses. Transparency International highlights entrenched patronage networks, weak enforcement of anti-graft laws, and lack of transparency in public
procurement as key drivers, while critics argue that the government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has failed to inspire confidence in anti-corruption efforts. These figures reveal how corruption continues to
erode governance and public trust, contrasting sharply with global leaders such as Denmark (90), Finland (88), and Singapore (84), which demonstrate how strong institutions can keep graft at bay.
- Cambodia’s corruption crisis in 2025 is starkly reflected in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where the country scored just 21 out of 100, slipping from 22 in 2024 and 24 in 2022, and ranked 158th
out of 180 nations, making it one of the most corrupt worldwide and second-to-last in ASEAN, ahead only of Myanmar. This decline highlights entrenched problems such as unchecked elite impunity, suppression of dissent, and
patronage networks that dominate politics and business. With the global average CPI score at 43, Cambodia’s position underscores how far it lags behind regional peers, while government officials often dismiss or challenge
these findings, further illustrating the tension between official narratives and independent assessments.
- In North Korea, bribery has become a survival mechanism in a society where the state controls nearly all resources but fails to provide enough for its citizens. Ordinary people often pay bribes to avoid punishment, secure
food, or gain access to basic services, creating a shadow economy that sustains daily life. Officials exploit their positions to extract payments, and corruption permeates everything from border crossings to hospital care,
making bribery not just common but essential for survival.
- In Laos, the dynamic is different but equally entrenched: rapid economic growth and one-party dominance have fueled systemic corruption. Bribes are frequently tied to business deals, land concessions, and infrastructure
projects, with officials leveraging their authority to profit from development. Transparency International consistently ranks Laos among the more corrupt countries in Southeast Asia, reflecting how modernization and foreign
investment have collided with weak institutions.
- Vietnam’s “burning furnace” anti-corruption campaign has produced dramatic cases in 2025, including a Hanoi trial of 41 defendants—30 of them former provincial officials from Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, and Quang Ngai—accused of
graft that caused losses of more than 1.16 trillion dong ($44.6 million), with several sentenced to prison. In December 2025, the Government Inspector General announced the removal of 18 senior officials and disciplinary action
against 40 agency heads and deputies for negligence that enabled corruption, underscoring the campaign’s reach. Since its launch in 2016 under General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, the drive has already toppled two presidents,
three deputy prime ministers, and numerous business leaders, exposing scandals where bribes were hidden in suitcases stuffed with cash. These staggering figures highlight both the scale of corruption and the determination of
Vietnam’s leadership to confront it, even at the highest levels of power.
- Imagine stepping into the streets of Moscow in the 1970s, where the official slogans promised equality and prosperity, but daily life told a different story. A trip to the grocery store meant staring at empty shelves,
knowing that the only way to secure meat or fresh fruit was through blat—the informal network of favors and bribes that kept families fed. A doctor’s appointment might require slipping a box of chocolates or a bottle of cognac
to the nurse, while a coveted apartment in a better district could only be obtained by knowing the right official and offering something in return. Even weddings and funerals were touched by corruption: access to scarce goods
like quality fabric, imported alcohol, or a decent coffin depended on connections. At work, managers hoarded supplies and distributed them selectively, often in exchange for loyalty or favors, while factory workers quietly
stole materials to barter later. Police officers were feared not just for enforcing the law but for demanding bribes to look the other way. The paradox was striking—citizens condemned corruption publicly yet relied on it
privately to survive. This shadow economy blurred the line between necessity and illegality, embedding corruption into the rhythm of everyday Soviet existence.
- Corruption in communist countries thrived despite ideology claiming it could not exist, as rigid bureaucracies, shortages, and weak accountability made bribery and favoritism routine; citizens often relied on informal exchanges
to access essentials, while officials used corruption as an unofficial redistribution mechanism. After communism collapsed, corruption exploded during chaotic privatizations, birthing oligarchs and criminal networks, with Russia
scoring just 13.3 out of 100 on the World Bank’s governance scale in 2011, a stark measure of entrenched practices. In current communist states, China has punished thousands of officials in sweeping anti-corruption campaigns
that critics argue double as political control, Cuba’s rationing system fosters informal corruption through personal connections, North Korea’s citizens routinely pay bribes for food or to avoid punishment, and Vietnam and
Laos struggle with corruption tied to rapid growth and one-party dominance. This paradox—where systems built to eliminate corruption instead incubated it—continues to shape societies long after the fall of communism.
- Thailand and the United Kingdom both operate as constitutional monarchies with parliamentary systems, yet their political trajectories could not be more different: Thailand has cycled through over 20 constitutions and 17 coups,
13 of them successful, since 1932, while the UK has experienced none, relying instead on an unwritten constitution built on centuries of precedent where crises are resolved through elections or parliamentary debate rather than
military intervention. In Britain, the monarch serves a purely ceremonial role, symbolizing continuity without political interference, whereas in Thailand the king retains symbolic yet influential authority, often legitimizing
coups and shaping the political narrative. Courts also play contrasting roles—UK courts rarely dissolve governments or political parties, while Thai courts have repeatedly removed prime ministers and dissolved parties, making
the judiciary a decisive actor in regime change.
- Japan and Thailand both stand as constitutional monarchies with parliamentary systems, yet their paths since the mid‑20th century reveal stark contrasts: Japan has operated under a single constitution since 1947, while
Thailand has rewritten its constitution more than 20 times and endured 17 coups, 13 of them successful, since 1932. In Japan, the emperor serves as a purely ceremonial figure, embodying cultural continuity without political
involvement, whereas in Thailand the king retains symbolic yet influential authority, often legitimizing coups and shaping the political narrative. Military power is another dividing line—Japan’s postwar constitution explicitly
renounces military intervention in politics, while Thailand’s armed forces have repeatedly seized control, making coups the recurring mechanism of regime change. Judicial roles also differ, with Japanese courts largely
restrained from political intervention, while Thai courts have frequently dissolved parties and removed prime ministers, directly altering political outcomes. Despite these disruptions, Thailand’s citizens consistently
demonstrate strong democratic aspirations through high voter turnout, echoing Japan’s stable electoral participation but under far more volatile conditions.
- The United States and the United Nations were aware of North Korea's nuclear ambitions long before its first test, with intelligence tracking suspicious activities as early as the 1980s and 1990s when facilities for
uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing were built. In 1994, the Agreed Framework froze operations at Yongbyon in exchange for aid, but by the early 2000s evidence showed secret enrichment continuing, and in 2003
Pyongyang withdrew from the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty, openly declaring its intent to build weapons. Despite sanctions and diplomatic pressure, the regime pressed ahead, and in October 2006 it detonated its first
nuclear device, confirming what analysts had long suspected. By 2024, experts estimated enough fissile material had been produced for up to 90 warheads, with about 50 assembled, and in 2025 the parliament declared
nuclear status "permanently fixed in law." The trajectory illustrates how awareness did not translate into prevention, as secrecy, Chinese and Russian backing, and the risk of catastrophic war prevented intervention
once North Korea crossed the nuclear threshold.
- The United States struck nuclear facilities in places like Iraq and pressured Iran but has not done the same in North Korea comes down to a mix of geography, timing, and deterrence. Iraq and Iran were stopped before
they had nuclear weapons; North Korea already has them. That single fact changes the calculus: striking North Korea's nuclear facilities could unleash nuclear war, while restraint keeps the arsenal contained but leaves
the paradox of one of the poorest nations wielding one of the most dangerous deterrents.
- Iraq and Iran
- Iraq (1981 & 1991): Israel destroyed Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981, and U.S. forces targeted nuclear sites during the Gulf War in 1991. Iraq had no nuclear weapons yet, and its defenses were weak, making strikes
relatively low‑risk.
- Iran (2000s–present): Iran's nuclear program has been slowed by sabotage, cyberattacks (like Stuxnet in 2010), and sanctions. The U.S. and allies have avoided direct bombing, but Iran has not yet crossed the threshold
to build a weapon, so preemptive measures remain possible without triggering nuclear retaliation.
- North Korea
- Already Nuclear‑Armed: By the mid‑2000s, North Korea had tested nuclear devices. By 2024, analysts estimated it had fissile material for up to 90 warheads, with about 50 assembled. Striking its facilities now
risks nuclear retaliation.
- Deterrence: Unlike Iraq or Iran, North Korea can hit South Korea and Japan with missiles, and potentially reach U.S. territory. Any attack could trigger catastrophic war.
- Geopolitical Shield: China and Russia both oppose military strikes on North Korea, fearing instability and refugee flows. This makes unilateral U.S. action far riskier diplomatically.
- Survival Strategy: Pyongyang declared in 2025 that its nuclear status was "permanently fixed in law," cementing weapons as the regime's ultimate insurance policy.
- Based on the latest 2025 data from Transparency International and global governance reports, South Sudan, Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, Libya, Yemen, North Korea, Sudan, Nicaragua, and Equatorial Guinea are the
most corrupt countries in the world, they received lowest scores on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranges from 0 (highly corrupt)
to 100 (very clean). These countries often suffer from weak institutions, limited press freedom, and entrenched political elites.
| Rank |
Country |
Score |
| 180 |
South Sudan |
8 |
| 179 |
Somalia |
9 |
| 178 |
Venezuela |
10 |
| 177 |
Syria |
12 |
| 173 |
Libya |
13 |
| 173 |
Yemen |
13 |
| 172 |
North Korea |
15 |
| 172 |
Sudan |
15 |
| 171 |
Nicaragua |
14 |
| 170 |
Equatorial Guinea |
13 |
- While corruption and authoritarianism often overlap, dictatorship is typically defined by lack of democratic elections, suppression of dissent, and centralized power. Countries frequently cited as authoritarian
include North Korea, Eritrea, Turkmenistan, Syria, Iran, Russia, China, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia. They often rank poorly on democracy indices and human rights reports.
- North Korea – Totalitarian regime with dynastic leadership.
- Eritrea – No national elections since independence.
- Turkmenistan – Personality cult and strict media control.
- Syria – Long-standing autocracy under Bashar al-Assad.
- Iran – Theocratic regime with limited political freedoms.
- Russia – Increasingly centralized power and suppression of opposition.
- China – One-party rule with tight control over civil liberties.
- Belarus – President Lukashenko has ruled since 1994.
- Saudi Arabia – Absolute monarchy with limited civil rights.
- The leaders below are the most well-known dictators throughout 2000s, they implemented / have implemented authoritarian rule, with characteristics including repression of political opposition (preventing
opposing voices from being heard through coercive means) and absence of free and fair elections (manipulating electoral processes or the complete lack of genuine elections).
- Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, no country has formally recognized their government, but several nations, such as China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, have accredited Taliban diplomats
and engaged in official diplomatic relations. The United Nations Credentials Committee has repeatedly denied recognition of Taliban representatives, signaling continued international hesitation. Despite these diplomatic ties,
many countries remain hesitant to recognize the Taliban due to concerns over human rights, women's rights, terrorism, and governance. The United Nations and international organizations have repeatedly condemned these violations,
but efforts to hold the Taliban accountable remain limited.
- Women's Rights: Afghanistan remains the only country where girls are banned from secondary and university education. Women face severe barriers to employment, healthcare, and public life. The Taliban have also imposed strict
dress codes and male guardian requirements, preventing women from traveling alone.
- Freedom of Expression: Journalists, activists, and critics face arbitrary arrests, torture, and disappearances. Media freedom has been severely restricted, with many outlets forced to shut down.
- Humanitarian Crisis: Over 23 million people require urgent humanitarian aid, with food insecurity affecting millions. The Taliban's restrictions on women's employment have worsened the crisis, making it harder for aid
organizations to operate.
- Security Concerns: The Taliban's relations with extremist groups remain a concern, prompting counterterrorism discussions with regional and global powers.
- Targeted Violence: Ethnic and religious minorities, particularly the Shia-Hazara community, continue to face attacks and killings, often by extremist groups like Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP).
- Several countries maintain regular diplomatic interactions with the Taliban, despite not formally recognizing their government. These nations engage with the Taliban for various reasons, including security, trade, and regional
stability.
- China – China has deepened engagement with the Taliban, accepting their ambassador, a significant step even without formal recognition; Beijing has accepted a Taliban-appointed ambassador and is interested in Afghanistan's mineral
resources and infrastructure projects.
- Russia – Russia maintains an embassy in Kabul and engages with the Taliban, particularly regarding regional security concerns; Moscow has handed over the Afghan Embassy in Russia to Taliban diplomats and is considering removing
the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations.
- Turkey: Turkey has expressed intentions to formally recognize the Taliban and has hosted Taliban officials, engaging on issues such as managing international airports.
- Qatar: Qatar has a long history of engagement, hosts a Taliban political office and Taliban representatives and has acted as a mediator in negotiations between the Taliban and other governments.
- United Arab Emirates (UAE): The UAE engages with the Taliban and has accepted the credentials of a Taliban-appointed diplomat.
- Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia engages with the Taliban primarily through humanitarian aid efforts and within the framework of Islamic institutions.
- India: While not formally recognizing the Taliban, India has maintained a presence in Kabul and engaged in dialogue, focusing on humanitarian aid and economic ties.
- Pakistan – Having historically supported the Taliban, Pakistan continues to engage with the Taliban, although tensions have emerged; Islamabad has historically had close ties with the Taliban, though tensions have risen over
border security and militant activity.
- Iran – Despite opposing the Taliban in the past, Iran maintains relations, focusing on issues like security and trade; Tehran maintains diplomatic engagement with the Taliban, particularly for trade and water rights negotiations.
- Central Asian Republics (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) - countries prioritize stability and engage with the Taliban on matters such as trade and security, with some hosting Taliban delegations. Turkmenistan
engages with the Taliban for energy and transit agreements, including pipeline projects.
- Other Countries (e.g., Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Syria, Venezuela): These countries have established de facto diplomatic ties or engaged with the Taliban through various channels.
- Russia, Pakistan, North Korea, Cambodia, and Zimbabwe are the most friendly countries towards China. Russia has a close relationship with China, they often supporting each other on various global issues; Pakistan is China's closest allies,
with strong economic and military cooperation; North Korea has a complex and multifaceted relationship, and maintains a strong alliance with China; Cambodia and China share a strong and multifaceted relationship, particularly in economic aid
and investment; Zimbabwe and China have a long-standing and multifaceted relationship, China has provided the country with significant investment and aid. China maintains strong diplomatic and economic ties with these countries
over the years.
- The most friendly countries towards the United States (U.S.) are Vietnam, Philippines, South Korea, and Poland.
Vietnam has the most favorable view of Americans, with a favorability rating of 84%; The Philippines ranks third with about 78% expressing positive attitudes
towards Americans; South Korea has a favorability rating of 75% towards the U.S.; and Poland ranks fifth with a favorability rating of 73%; these countries have shown consistent positive attitudes towards Americans over the years.
- As of 2025, the estimated number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States is around 11 million,
they have come from a variety of countries, including Mexico (5.2 million), Guatemala (780,000), El Salvador (751,000), Honduras (564,000), India (400,000), Philippines (309,000), Venezuela (251,000), China (241,000),
Colombia (201,000), Brazil (195,000), Caribbean (327,000), Europe/Canada/Oceania (440,000) and other countries (2 million).
- Thousands of Afghan refugees who were promised flights to the U.S. are now stuck in Pakistan due to an U.S. executive order that suspended the Refugee Admissions Program starting 2/2025. These people, including those who worked
with the U.S. military, in a state of limbo, they are unable to move forward with their resettlement and face increasing
danger if Pakistan forced them to return to Afghanistan.
- The corruption index for Asian countries (higher score -> lower corruption):
- Most politically stable countries, ranked by perception
- A dictatorship is a type of government in which a single person or party
possesses absolute power, the ruler has used various violent rules and policies to complete control the country, and suppress the rights of the people. These include suspension of
elections and civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency;
rule by decree; repression of political opponents; not abiding by the
rule of law procedures, and cult of personality.
A wide variety of these rulers have come to power in different kinds of regimes, such as military juntas (e.g.; Thailand,
Myanmar), one-party states
(e.g.; China, North Korea),
dominant-party states, and civilian governments under a personal rule. Known as a dictator,
a ruler often has a team of to make up the government of the dictatorship, and these officials have implemented the policies. Over time, dictators have been known to use tactics that violate human rights. For example, under the
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, government policy was enforced by extrajudicial killings,
secret police and the notorious Gulag system of concentration camps; all caused at least 1,054,000 deaths.
Pol Pot became dictator of Cambodia in 1975; during his four-year dictatorship, an estimated 1.7 million people (out of a population of 7 million)
died due to his policies. As of today, there are 50 dictators in the world, including 1 in Europe, 3 in Americas, 7 in Eurasia, 8 in Asia-Pacific, 12 in the Middle East and North Africa, and 19 in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- The best countries in the world
- The most corrupt countries by population
:
- The most corrupt countries by perception:
- The top countries jailed journalists because of their "unflavored" reports:
- The Mekong River and its tributaries snake across six countries, from China down into mainland Southeast Asia. Known as the "mother of waters" in Laos and Thailand,
the Mekong flows from the Chinese-controlled Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. China is building around 370 dams along the Mekong's 2,700-mile course from China through the heart of Southeast Asia for its ambitious hydropower
plants capturing the energy of falling water to generate electricity and energy reserves and renewable energy sources for China. These dams across the Mekong basin are part of what China calls its Belt and Road Initiative, a vast network of projects that seeks to cement
Beijing's influence across Asia and beyond. Each development — dams, ports and railways, among others — gives China another long-term foothold in a nation's economy and trade. Environmental groups warn that by turning a free-flowing river into a
series of reservoirs the upstream Lao and Cambodia dams controlled by China and Chinese hydropower dams could wipe out the Mekong's two largest freshwater
species: the giant catfish and the giant pangasius.
- Farmers in the river basin, Asia's rice bowl, produce enough rice to feed 300
million people per year. The basin also boasts the world's largest inland fishery, accounting for an estimated 25 percent of the global freshwater catch. China's maintenance work on its Jinghong Dam resulted in the release of torrents of water. The resulting floods in Thailand
and Laos destroyed crops and disrupted fish, damaging local people's livelihoods. With water flows shifting as new dams start their turbines, fishers, farmers and local ecosystems are
suffering. Experts worry that the river's last days "as a healthy ecosystem" are gone, an entirely manmade crisis caused by excessively Chinese-built cascading dams.
The Mekong River and its biodiversity-rich tributaries — the lifeline for more than 60 million people in Southeast Asia — dropped to their lowest levels, a section of the river has changed from muddy brown to sky blue, fish supplies are scarce, rice cannot be planted on dried-up banks
starved of nutrients. Entire ecosystems are being collapsing because of China's ill-planned water management schemes and hydropower dams in the river basin.
- China was ranked 100th out of 175 countries in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (2014), on par with
Algeria and
Suriname, and comparable to
Armenia,
Colombia,
Egypt,
Gabon,
Liberia,
Panama,
Bolivia,
Mexico,
Moldova and
Niger. It ranked less corrupt than neighbors
Myanmar,
Vietnam,
Laos,
Cambodia,
North Korea,
Russia,
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan,
Afghanistan,
the Philippines,
Pakistan and
Nepal, but more corrupt than neighbors
India,
Bhutan,
Macao,
Hong Kong and
Mongolia.
- As of 2014, the countries known to have detonated nuclear weapons are the United States, Russia,
the United Kingdom, France, the
People's Republic of China, India,
Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
- As of 2013, Russia possessed an estimated 8,500 total nuclear warheads of which 1,800 were strategically operational, and the United States
had an estimated total 7,700 nuclear warheads of which 1,950 were strategically operational. At the peak of the arsenal in 1988, Russia possessed around 45,000 nuclear weapons in its stockpile, roughly 13,000 more than
the United States arsenal, the second largest in the world, which peaked in 1966.
- As of 1996, the U.S. spent approximately $8.75 trillion (in present day terms) on its nuclear weapons programs; of which, 57% was spent on building nuclear weapons delivery systems;
6.3 % ($549 billion) was spent on environmental remediation and nuclear waste management/cleaning up;
7% ($615 billion) was spent on making nuclear weapons. (Source: Brookings Institution)
- The Manhattan Project (1942-1946) led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada,
was a research and development project that made the first atomic bombs during World War II. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
was the scientific director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory that designed the actual bombs. As a result, the first nuclear device ever detonated was an implosion-type bomb at the Trinity test,
conducted at New Mexico's Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range on 16 July 1945, and the production of "Little Boy", a gun-type weapon, and "Fat Man",
an implosion-type weapon. On 6 August 1945, the "Little Boy" was detonated over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on 9 August,
the "Fat Man" was exploded over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. These two bombings resulted in the deaths of approximately 200,000 people including acute injuries sustained from the explosions. On August 15, 1945
Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies.
- The fissile materials for nuclear weapons development are uranium-235, plutonium-239,
uranium-233, Neptunium-237 and
americium.
- A nuclear weapon is an powerfully explosive device that possess enormous destructive power derived from nuclear reactions, either fission
or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission ("atomic") bomb test released
the same amount of energy as approximately 20,000 tons of TNT. The first thermonuclear ("hydrogen") bomb test released the same amount of energy as approximately 10,000,000 tons of TNT.
- The International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed each year on August 29, serves as a global reminder of the urgent need to end nuclear
weapons testing and promote a world free of nuclear threats. It was formally established on December 2, 2009, during the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through Resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously by all member states.
This day not only commemorates the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan in 1991 but also underscores the devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear explosions, reinforcing the international
community’s commitment to advancing disarmament and safeguarding future generations.
- As of September 2013, the United States has officially recognized 32 Broken Arrow incidents, which refer to accidental events that involve nuclear weapons, warheads
or components, but do not create the risk of nuclear war. Some of these events include:
- The European Union, commonly referred to as the EU, is a political and economic partnership that once united 28 European countries, fostering cooperation across trade, law, and governance. A hallmark of this integration is the euro,
the shared currency adopted by 19 member states, symbolizing economic unity across much of the continent. However, this cohesion faced a historic rupture on June 23, 2016, when the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, a decision known
as Brexit, which reshaped the political and economic landscape of Europe and marked the first time a member state chose to exit the union.
- An international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a maritime dispute July 12, 2016, concluding China has no legal
basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. The Tribunal's award is highly favorable to the Philippines,
ruling that China's nine-dash line claim and accompanying claims to historic rights have
no validity under international law; that no feature in the Spratly Islands, including Taiwan-occupied Itu Aba (or Taiping Island), is an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); and that the behavior of Chinese
ships physically obstructing Philippine vessels is unlawful. The ruling doesn't just affect China and the Philippines, but other countries, such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, that have competing claims with the nation over large areas
of the sea.
- China claims some 90 percent of the South China Sea, and the country is developing islands and reefs for military, as well as civilian purposes in a threat to stability.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague will rule on a case brought by the Philippines against China over its territorial claims and actions across the disputed waters and vital global trade route. U.S. warns China against provocations once court rules on sea claims.
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