South Asia and Beyond

‘Protests Are Fading But The Anger Remains’

NEW DELHI: Iran’s so-called hijab protests appear to be winding down. But what happens now? Ramin Jahanbegloo, executive director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Peace Studies in Delhi and of Iranian origin, warns that the Iranian regime after killing reportedly 500 people, is faced with tough decisions in the months ahead. In a conversation […]Read More

2023: Fresh U.S. $3 Bn Ukraine Military Package Announced, New Russian Offensive Expected

NEW DELHI: On ‘The Gist‘, from Vienna, Velina Tchakarova, Director of the Austrian Institute for European & Security Policy in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. Velina Tchakarova discusses the 2023 outlook in the Russia-Ukraine war, the latest claim and counterclaim with Ukraine denying the Russian military statement on missile strikes killing […]Read More

India Ramps Up Infrastructure In Arunachal To Deter China

New Delhi: India is pushing border development infrastructure along the northern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at a rate that has not been seen before. Figures from Parliament show that 2,000 kilometers of road have been built across the LAC at an allocated spending of Rs 15,000 cr –- a big jump […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Rural Museums Now Burgeoning Across China Rural museums are sprouting in the vast countryside of China due to a “cultural museum fever” that has swept the country in recent years. Donghong village in Jianghai district, Jiangmen city, south China’s Guangdong province has a long history, and is home to over 600 residential buildings that were […]Read More

India To Host Virtual Summit Of 120 Non-G20 Developing States

India is hosting a special virtual summit of over 120 non-G20 member countries on Jan 12th and 13th. At a briefing on Friday evening, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the summit titled Voice of Global South, will bring together developing countries on one platform to share their concerns and priorities that could get reflected during […]Read More

U.S. Recalculation: China’s Rise As A Rival, India’s Role As A Friend

NEW DELHI: On ‘Talking Point‘, Seema Sirohi, Author, ‘Friends with Benefits: The India-U.S. Story’, Columnist, ‘The Economic Times‘ in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi. “India on the wrong side of history.” That’s the U.S. White House in March 2022 on India buying discounted Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine. That’s […]Read More

India’s Growth Story Is Riding The Technology Boom Powered By Digital Public Goods.

When Aadhaar—the 12-digit identity accorded to 1.3 billion Indians–was launched in 2009, none would have imagined the landscape a decade later. India took the idea of Digital Public Goods (Aadhaar) to completely reinvent its development policy—especially in enabling empowerment. If Aadhaar monetized identity, then Unified Payments Interface (UPI) completely disrupted the payments business. In fact, […]Read More

‘India Will Be Tested On Many Fronts In 2023, Can We Prevail’?

NEW DELHI: This could be a tricky year, that’s according to Lt. Gen PR Kumar, former director general of military operations, in an article on Bharatshakti, sister website of StratNewsGlobal.  He lists them out, from the Covid resurgence to the Ukraine conflict and the breakdown of great power relations.  But there are opportunities for India, […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

As Couriers Fall Sick, Chinese Cities Ask Residents to Fill In Chinese cities are rallying local residents to temporarily join the delivery workforce, as mass COVID-19 infections cripple the sector that’s crucial in ferrying essential goods and services to millions every day. Shanghai on Tuesday became the latest to launch the initiative, as the city’s […]Read More

10-Year Visa For Investing $500K In Colombo Port City

Three new visa categories have been introduced for individuals arriving in Sri Lanka to engage in economic activities at the Colombo Port City, including visas issued for investors, employment, and property. Speaking to The Morning, Ministry of Public Security Secretary S. Hettiarachchi stated that a minimum of $500,000 should be invested in the Port City […]Read More

Pakistan Political Crisis: Court Reinstates Punjab CM

The Lahore High Court has restored Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab chief minister and his cabinet on the assurance that the provincial assembly would not be dissolved, suspending Governor Balighur Rehman’s de-notification order. The Governor issued an order in the wee hours of Friday to de-notify the chief minister and dissolve his cabinet after Elahi […]Read More

Pakistan Borrowed $5 Bn In Foreign Loans In Five Months

Amid external account challenges, Pakistan borrowed about $5.115 billion in foreign loans in the first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year, almost 14 per cent higher than the foreign loans it received in the comparable period last year. In its monthly report on Foreign Economic Assistance (FEA), the Ministry of Economic Affairs said […]Read More

China Estimates 248 Mn People Got Covid In 20 Days: Reports

As many as 37 million people are contracting COVID-19 in a single day in China, according to leaked minutes from a meeting of the country’s top health body confirmed by multiple news outlets. In the first 20 days of December, 248 million people—accounting for about 18 per cent of the population—were likely to have been […]Read More

Why Tawang Is A Raw Nerve For The Chinese?

NEW DELHI: The latest clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh has once again put the spotlight on the misadventure of Chinese troops and highlighted India’s vulnerabilities in the eastern sector. History is replete of examples of Chinese malafide intentions in the region, the focal point being Tawang. In this episode […]Read More

Zelenskyy To Get U.S. Patriot Missile Defence Systems, Will Knock Them Down Putin Responds

New Delhi: On ‘Talking Point’, from Moscow, Dr Dmitry Trenin, Research Professor, Higher School of Economics, Leading Research Fellow, Centre for International Security, Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations(IMEMO) and Member, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi.   Dr Trenin discusses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s trip to the U.S., […]Read More

Political Turmoil & Imran: Has The Captain Overplayed His Hand?

NEW DELHI: The captain is hurt and rightfully so. Beaten by his political rivals to the draw in the latest bout of brinkmanship, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated his call for snap polls. The immediate trigger is a political cat-and-mouse game. It began with Imran’s announcement that the provincial assemblies of Punjab and […]Read More