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When Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena recently arrived in Pakistan as a chief guest to celebrate the Pakistan Day on March 23, he was not just witnessing the military parade, but was also making a meaningful statement about Pakistanās importance in the region and the value Sri Lanka itself... More
James Brien Comey Jr served as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for four years till fired by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Trump initially claimed this was because of Comey's mishandling of the investigation into the private email of Hillary Clinton. The overriding perception... More
The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), which went into the trial of former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed had listed the flaws in it and asked the Maldivian government to release him to enable him to contest the September 2018 Presidential election. But the governmentĀ on SundayĀ rejected the UNHRCās observations and recommendations... More
Itās pretty odd to think that Bangladesh elections should be of any interest to China and India given the complete lack of its strategic value. However, Bangladesh maybe becoming a reluctantĀ pawn of sorts in a regional āgreat gameā. Chinaās rising influence in the region and Indiaās relative decline in what... More
Biplab Deb is a BJP chief minister with a difference. In a 40-minute interview with this writer last week, he did not mention even once any of the usual saffron agenda -- Ram Mandir, beef, illegal migration from Bangladesh. "My agenda is development, development, development all the way," he... More
The problem starts at a fundamental level. How does one define a sadhu? Tied to the meaning of this word, or character, is in a way the well-being of the worldās largest democracy. Most people would think of a sadhu as an ascetic or monk of some sort. Dictionaries,... More
As US President Donald Trump decides whether to reauthorize the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which he has long wanted to exit or renegotiate, Iranian authorities have announced they will be getting help with their nuclear program from China. "Some negotiations have been held on mutual cooperation and building small nuclear... More
The American think tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, had featured a riveting ācurtain-raiserā to the 2014 poll in India entitled Does Good Economics Mean Good Politics In India? The essay appeared in December 2013 and Iād carefully stored it in my archives, as a fairly prescient analysis of... More
I will not reach any deal that would go against the national interest of Nepal,ā K P Sharma Oli, the prime minister of Nepal, reportedly assured parliamentarians in Kathmandu earlier this week, before heading out to India. That such questions should be asked and answered is a definitive sign... More
Just a few days ago I warned two young student leaders in Darjeeling of West Bengal, against the violent movement which has started there for a separate Gorkhaland. I told them in no way should they support this demand. This has multifarious geo-political risks. If a Gorkhaland state is... More