China’s role in Afghanistan is gradually evolving towards more engagement in various areas. This increasing engagement reflects both China’s concerns about the deterioration of security in Afghanistan since large numbers of international security forces withdrew from the country in 2014, and its interest in benefiting from a reconstructed Afghanistan. Read Here – China Policy Institute
India now looks to be on an even keel. Its macroeconomic numbers are strong and growth appears solid, if slightly slower than hoped. India’s government — led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself — has reiterated this message over and over again. What officials won’t say is that the quality of India’s growth is very poor […]
Hambantota isn’t just a place in Sri Lanka, it’s a symbol. What started out as a gargantuan project to transform an undeveloped swath of Sri Lankan jungle into the country’s number two city — an industrial and logistical epicenter in the heart of the Indian Ocean — turned into a metaphor for opaque government dealings, poor […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been methodically purging his closest and longest-serving advisers. The latest – but surely not the last – victim is Sergei Ivanov, a former KGB operative (like Putin himself) and defense minister who has just been forced out as Kremlin chief of staff. Read Here -Project Syndicate
In cosying up further to Saudi Arabia, Nawaz Sharif is unlikely to face resistance from the country’s powerful nuclear-armed military, which is known to hold sway in matters beyond its jurisdiction. Reports emerging from Islamabad said that the Saudi crown prince held a meeting with Nawaz Sharif in the presence of Chief of the Army […]
From the northern Gilgit-Balitistan region to the western Balochistan and southern Sindh provinces, the signs of an imminent conflict between Islamabad and local groups are already emerging. Read Here – dw.com
The Thar desert in Sindh province contains 175 billion tonnes of lignite coal – one of the largest untapped coal deposits in the world. It is also one of the most populated deserts in the world – home to world heritages sites and endangered species. Most of the 1.6 million people who live in the Thar […]
The road to Jaffna from Colombo hugs the western coast of Sri Lanka. Palms stand sentinel, a lagoon shimmers for miles under a deep blue sky, the sea an invisible presence resonating in the dry, salty wind. The road runs smooth, oblivious to the wounds of a war that took thousands of lives, displaced lakhs […]
Donald Trump, Inc., is badly lagging the competition, losing market share, alarming its financial backers, and being portrayed by its main rival as a toxic product that incites hatred and bigotry. From a business perspective, there is no doubt what is needed: a major rebranding campaign. Read Here – The New Yorker
The timing of Suu Kyi’s China trip and how both the Chinese “dragon” and the Indian “peacock” have together flocked around the “Lady” is noteworthy. Read Here – The Indian Express
looking beyond borders 