A New Front in Sino-Indian Tensions Water, once viewed as a shared natural resource, is rapidly becoming a strategic weapon. The announcement of China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet has reignited concerns in India about a looming “water war.” For India, this is no minor…
War and Humanitarian Collapse Nearly two years into the devastating war in Gaza, the conflict has left behind not only rubble and displacement but also the specter of widespread hunger. What began as a military confrontation has spiraled into one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern West Asia. On Friday, a UN-backed food security…
A Veteran Politician in Custody Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s long-time political stalwart and former president, was arrested on Friday over allegations of misusing public money for private travel. The 76-year-old, who briefly steered the country through its financial meltdown in 2022, now faces one of the most serious challenges of his career. The arrest marks a…
A War Grinding into Its Third Year The war in Ukraine, now in its fourth calendar year, has entrenched itself as one of Europe’s most destructive conflicts since World War II. Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, following years of tension after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, has left cities in ruins, displaced millions, and…
A Trade War with Far-Reaching Ripples Donald Trump’s return to tariff-heavy policies has reopened old wounds in the global economy. What began as a U.S.-China trade war in his first term—centered on steel, solar panels, and consumer goods—has now sharpened into a fight over semiconductors, the building blocks of artificial intelligence and the digital economy. While…
Escalation in Gaza Israel has launched the first phase of its long-planned operation to seize Gaza City, the largest urban center in the Strip and the symbolic seat of Hamas’s political and military power. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Wednesday that troops have reached the city’s outskirts, marking an escalation in a war that…
Tariffs as a Tool of Pressure A fresh flashpoint has emerged in the global energy and trade landscape as U.S. President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on Indian goods in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil. Effective August 27, the U.S. levy has been raised by 25%—and later doubled to 50%—on Indian…
A New Phase in a Complex Relationship India and China, Asia’s two largest emerging powers, have often walked a fine line between cooperation and rivalry. Their relationship has been strained in recent years, particularly after the 2020 border clashes that brought ties to their lowest point in decades. Yet, recent diplomatic engagements suggest a cautious…
A Relationship in Repair India and China, whose ties soured after the Galwan clash in 2020, are gradually attempting to normalize relations. The turning point came last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kazan. That meeting paved the way for renewed engagement, leading to Chinese…
A Different Oval Office Encounter When Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to the White House on August 18, the atmosphere was noticeably changed. Unlike their earlier February meeting—marked by tense exchanges and Zelenskyy’s hasty exit—this time there was laughter, lighter exchanges, and a show of unity. Accompanying Zelenskyy was an impressive array…
