South Asia and Beyond

Thinking Through The China Challenge

NEW DELHI: By taking military action in 2020, China has clearly indicated that she does not desire a stable, balanced, forward looking relationship with India and that she is willing to use military coercion to resolve her disputes with India. All earlier bilateral agreements aimed at maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas have […]Read More

India Blocks ByteDance Bank Accounts For ‘Tax Evasion’

Indian authorities have blocked bank accounts of the Chinese firm ByteDance for alleged tax evasion. The company has gone to court to get the freeze lifted, pleading that its operations will be hard hit. The accounts were in Citibank and HSBC and both banks have been told not to allow ByteDance to withdraw funds from […]Read More

50 Years Of Bangladesh: Throwback To 1971

NEW DELHI: Bangladesh marks the golden jubilee year of its independence this year. It also coincides with the birth centenary year of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, regarded as the father of the nation of Bangladesh. It all began with the political and military elite of West Pakistan denying Rahman his due of becoming the Prime […]Read More

A Guide To Contemporary China

Consumers Boycott H&M, Nike Over Xinjiang Cotton China’s public and e-commerce platforms are boycotting global brands H&M and Nike after they declared they would no longer buy cotton from Xinjiang, alleging the use of forced labour to harvest it. So far, Taobao, T-Mall and JD.com as well as online sharing platform Dazhong Dianping have cleared […]Read More

The Run-Up To East Pakistan’s 1971 Genocide

NEW DELHI: This week 50 years ago, East Pakistan faced extreme brutality at the hands of the Pakistani army. Tens of thousands of Bengali Muslims and Hindus were killed, many more were forced to flee to save their lives. All this because the political elite in West Pakistan and the Pakistani Army refused to accept […]Read More

PM Modi’s Bangladesh Visit: A Tribute To ‘Bangabandhu’

DHAKA: Beginning tomorrow Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, his first trip abroad since the pandemic struck. PM Modi’s visit comes at a time Bangladesh is celebrating the birth centenary year of its founder ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of the liberation war. StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin […]Read More

Dhaka Diary

Packed Day 1 For PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a tight schedule on Friday, the day he arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received him at the airport. His first stop was at the National War Memorial in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka. After placing a wreath […]Read More

‘Indonesia Hopes The Quad Aligns With ASEAN Interests’

NEW DELHI: Indonesia-China ties that completed 70 years last year can be described as both pragmatic and prickly. China is Indonesia’s biggest trading partner. But Indonesia, like other littoral states in the South China Sea, has often been at the receiving end of Chinese expansionism. There’s possibility that escalation of conflict in the South China […]Read More

India-Pakistan: Talking Water & Peace

NEW DELHI: After a gap of over two years, India and Pakistan have held talks on sharing of the Indus waters. This comes at a time both the countries have been strictly adhering to a ceasefire along the Line of Control and the international boundary. Are these signs of a thaw after ties between the […]Read More

UNHRC Lanka Human Rights Vote Adopted: India Abstains

New Delhi: India has abstained as the resolution against Sri Lanka has been adopted at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva with 22 votes for, 11 against (including China, Pakistan, Russia, Philippines) and 14 abstentions. On ‘The Gist’, Ambassador Dilip Sinha, India’s Former Envoy to the UN in Geneva and Jamila Husain, Deputy Editor […]Read More

India-U.S. Defence Ties: Transactional Or Transformational?

NEW DELHI: One of things that stood out during the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to India late last week was the renewed emphasis by the United States on its partnership with India. The Indo-Pacific, which was the overarching focus at the first virtual Quad summit held recently, was reiterated by both India and the […]Read More